Session 9: A Guilded Cage

Characters involved:

• Amaril, elf cleric of Helm.
• Shrain, dwarf cleric of Moradin.
• Zelder, halfling rogue and pastry aficionado.
• Ulther Stormwind, human fighter of Icewind Dale.
• Vaicht, elf monk of Kelemvor.

With the ghouls put down and the Bhaal cultist slain, the PCs discovered the body of a young Outer City woman in the next chamber. One leg had been mostly eaten by the ghouls, but they also saw that she'd been struck on the head and stabbed repeatedly in the back. Zelder, however, looked closer and determined that the woman had died from a more natural cause: sundown fever, an affliction known to strike the Outer City. There was also traces of grave dirt on her clothes and nails, suggesting that she'd been dug up then inflicted with further the wounds. And the ghouls...perhaps they showed up later? It was not unheard of for ghouls to sniff out fresh corpses.

The PCs left behind the evidence that Ravengard had asked them to leave in the crypt: the broken cane, the pipe, and the bloody dagger belonging to Ariax Rillyn. What conclusions others would make upon finding the woman, the ghouls, and the cultist was anyone's guess. Would it do what Ravengard wanted?

 From the crypts, the party was joined by Piper and Ulther, and together they set out to make the midnight secret meeting they'd learned about in the Baldur's Mouth edition that Primeiro had decoded: : “Gather at the last bell above the ankle of the Sow’s Foot.”

On the way up through the Lower City, in the constant drizzle of rain, they encountered a swarm or rats skittering through one intersection. Pausing to let the vermin pass, they saw in the rear a very large one among them. It stopped, swiveled its head at them, and hissed—at which point the PCs shot arrows and tossed daggers at the thing. Most of the missiles missed the giant rat, but Shrain hurled one of his hand axes and it buried itself in the animal's body. Twitting, it fell over, dying. Even as they hurried on their way, they heard more rats screeching nearby and the shouts of people fleeing from the masses.

In the Outer City they had another strange encounter: A man sitting in the darkness, catching their attention by creating sparks in some sort of wand. Zelder approached the vagrant, who sat against a building wall, but the man said only a few cryptic words; something about another person they should be concerned with. But a quick look around revealed nothing. When Zelder lit his torch to get a better look, the vagrant was gone.

They continued on their way to the Sow's Foot district. Once there, Piper and Vaicht asked around among some of the still-awake residents. When the monk offered a few silver pieces to one woman, she said, after telling them where Hamhock's Slaughterhouse was, "Bless you and bless Nine-Fingers." Nine-Fingers was not a name they knew.

Soon they came upon the darkened building, where two roguish men stood outside as guards; Piper knew that if this was a secret and important Guild meeting, then sentries would have already seen them by this point anyway. There was no plan to infiltrate secretly or to attack anyone; they simply wished to attend and learn what was going on. To prove their way in, Zelder successfully folded the Baldur's Mouth broadsheet the way that Primeiro had, revealing the secret message that had prompted their knowledge of the secret meeting in the first place.

Rilsa Rael

Inside, the PCs found their way down to the cellar of the slaughterhouse, where a central, chanedeliered and balconied room had become the gathering hall of knaves—men and women of ill repute, thieves, or, if what Rilsa Rael had told them before was true, the only people working on behalf of the common people of Baldur's Gate. The knaves here seemed like Outer City rogues, but some looked like Lower City citizens.

It was clear that some of the PCs were recognized—the title "Heroes of the Wide" followed them still. Shrain spotted Rael on the balcony above, and she returned his gaze, acknowledging him. The PCs also saw that the half-elf Laraelra Thundreth, sorceress and proprietor of the Low Lantern, was also in attendance. They'd last seen her escaping in the harbor when they'd shut the place down on behalf of Marshal Ravengard and the Flaming Fist. Her glare proved she remembered them well enough. (Vaicht, Amaril, and Piper had not arrived in the city then and had no idea who she was.)

Zelder spotted a curious halfling named Thurgo Songbuckle and exchanged with him opinions about the food of Baldur's Gate. The latter had had procured some delicious meat pies and so the former bargained for one to try one himself. Thurgo's reason for being there at the Guild meeting was unclear—the not-entirely-friendly halfling was evasive about particulars—but he did say he was newly arrived in the city and was only there for the gold. He seemed amused by all of Baldur's Gate's troubles and even asked Zelder about the new rat problem.

Before long, the crowd quieted as another person of importance arrived: Nine-Fingers, evidently the leader of the Guild, a young woman attended by an entourage of weapon- and magic-using females. The gathering quieted as Nine-Fingers addressed the PCs: clearly she knew who they were, but she asked them to introduce the newcomers among them. They did so.

The PCs—particularly Ulther Stormwind, who'd been involved in Baldur's Gate's business since Duke Abdel's assassination—admitted to working with the Flaming Fist when Nine-Fingers asked about Ravengard and Silvershield, but also cited a greater interest in uncovering the plot behind Abdel's death. Nine-Fingers seemed to respect this, and she said she would like to work with them about this, given their aid to the city thus far. But there was some other business that needed addressing first: Guild justice.

Nine-Fingers, guildmistress

Thundreth demanded reparations for what the PCs had done to her, and Nine-Fingers granted it to her—the Low Lantern's proprietor was obviously someone of respect in the Guild. The challenge: PCs would have to face an equal number of opponents as themselves—six against six. Whether the victor granted mercy or not was up to them, but whatever the result, the meaning was clear: any grievance between the PCs and Laraelra Thundreth would be ended when it the fight was concluded.

And so the room cleared and the chamber with its four doorways and high balcony became an impromptu arena with a crowd of guild members! Thundreth stepped out from one doorway as her six henchmen rushed into the room and immediately set upon the PCs with short swords.

The battle went well at first—a couple of the men were knocked out, and Piper even forced a third to relent—until Thundreth herself got involved. She cast a spell of sleep upon the PCs, and it dropped three of the party outright now that their wounds had made them more susceptible to the magic. The remaining three weren't faring too well, and Thundreth herself rushed over to Ulther's unconscious form and held her dagger over his neck, demanding that the others "surrender or he dies!"

In a moment of desperation, Piper decided to try to take Thundreth down with a single bolt from his hand crossbow. The attempt proved ill-advised and his distractions too great: Instead of a perfect shot, the crossbow bolt flew wide (nearly hitting a spectator on the balcony above) and the crossbow itself tumbled awkwardly out of his grip. Embarrassed, and in a compromised position, Piper had no other choices.

Thundred's remaining henchmen set upon him and the other two PCs still standing, knocking them all out with the pommels of their swords.

Everything went black!

At the mercy of Laraelra Thundreth and the Guild...

Session 8: Schemes and Sepulchers

Characters involved:

• Amaril, elf cleric of Helm.
• Primeiro d’Pirazzi, human mage extraordinaire.
• Shrain, dwarf cleric of Moradin.
• Zelder, halfling rogue and pastry aficionado.
• Vaicht, elf monk of Kelemvor.
• Rulas, elf ranger.

After several days of their own snooping about, after following up one of Zelder's leads (in vain, sadly) about a superior fruit cake, the PCs headed towards the Hissing Stones bathhouse, where the'd been invited to meet with Ravengard.

Click to enlarge.

On the way, they noticed a lamp lad selling copies of Baldur's Mouth to citizens on the street. But Vaicht noticed that the boy sold a copy of the broadsheet to one citizen that appeared to come from a different stash of them. Unusual. After bribing the boy, the PCs procured a copy of this other paper which, upon further study, Primeiro discovered contained a hidden code once properly folded. The message was: “Gather at the last bell above the ankle of the Sow’s Foot.”

The last bell was midnight, while the Sow's Foot was a district in the Outer City. In addition, there was an establishment in that district known as Hamhock's Slaughterhouse; they recalled that a hamhock was the cut of the pig above the ankle. It seemed there was to be some sort of secret meeting at the slaughterhouse that very night.

At the Hissing Stones—a place of serenity, heated rooms and pools, and very little clothing (except silk robes, which the PCs had to accept)—they met with Ulder Ravengard. He was grim, as always, but still thanked them for their part in bringing the hand-thieves to justice. Now he had another task for them.

There was talk now that a new duke was due to be appointed by the Parliament of Peers and three men had been nominated already:

1. Ravengard himself. Traditionally, the fourth duke comes from or is associated with the Lower City. Duke Abdel, for example, not had not been a patriar.
2. Wyllyck Caldwell, a respectable patriar and, according to Ravengard, a good man.
3. Ariax Rillyn, a patriar and judge.

There was, however, a rumor that the Parliament of Peers wanted to stack the Council with a fourth patriar and cut the Lower City out of the government altogether. While Ravengard admitted he wasn't excited at the prospect of a politician's seat, he did say that it would give him, and the Flaming Fist, the authority to "squeeze the dirty water out of this city," like they should have long ago. To bring order to Baldur's Gate again. According to him, the patriars lacked the courage to properly "wield the Fist."

However, Ravengard knew he wasn't the favorite of the three. Caldwell, while respectable and well-intentioned, would simply be manipulated by the other patriars—he would be little more than a puppet. Ravengard intended to speak with him separately and see if he could be convinced to decline the nomination.

Ulder Ravengard

And Ariax Rillyn? According to Ravengard, the man was a monster in a seat of officialdom. Ravengard said he'd presided over many cases involving Guild agents and operatives, and he almost always let them walk free. He was clearly on the Guild's payroll! Ravengard explained that he had a plan he wasn't happy about, but believed it would remove him as an obstacle for the office of duke. He simply needed some incriminating evidence to "surface," and he asked the PCs to do this. He admitted it was underhanded, but given the circumstances, he had to "fight fire with fire."

The task: after dark, place several items (that Ravengard would entrust them with) inside the crypt of the Szarr family in the district of Tumbledown just outside the eastern gate. Ravengard would handle the rest; they need only deliver the goods. The PCs agreed, with some deliberation, although it was clear that they weren't especially keen on Ravengard's methods or what, if anything, lay behind all this. Was this really just a move to place himself in a position of greater political power? Until now, the marshal had been at least direct and honest about his actions.

When asked about money, Ravengard conceded that if they did this task, he would see them compensated. After the meeting at the bathhouse, three items were delivered to the PCs in a bundle, the items to be planted in the Szarr crypts after dark. A blood-stained dagger, a pipe, and the broken head of a cane—all one way or another clearly marked as belonging to Ariax Rillyn. The PCs were disappointed about how obvious—about how too obvious—such items were. Clearly Ravengard was new to such underhanded tactics.

Before dark, the PCs did some further investigations on their own. Vaicht spied on the lamp lad they'd purchased the broadsheet from earlier, marked another citizen buying the "special" edition of Baldur's Mouth, and followed the stranger to his home. Just for future reference. Meanwhile, Primeiro, in the guise of a more affluent citizen, visited the offices of Baldur's Mouth to speak with its owner, a man named Eldren Needle. The mage told him that in the morning, there would be word of some incident during the night; Baldur's Mouth should remain impartial and not jump to conclusions concerning the event. Eldren couldn't promise him anything, but he would consider it. Primeiro said he'd return.

Click to enlarge.

The others, meanwhile, drafted up a written account of what Ravengard had asked them to do, signed it with their names, and showed it to a worried Brother Hodges, telling him where they would hide the document (inside the shrine of Helm), in case things get ugly and they need some sort of absolving. Perhaps? The Ilmatari priest agreed, said he would help if he could, but was most concerned that any inquisition would affect the poor he attended to each day.

After dark, with the help of a ranger acquaintance of Shrain's—Rulas, an elf who'd done mercenary work, like him—they exited the city and walked up the hill toward Tumbledown. There, they found at the base of the cliffs the door to the Szarr crypts. Rulas found that the door was ajar and the stench of rotting flesh was strong beyond. Not a good sign. But the PCs were fazed.

Inside, down a curving stair cut into the bedrock, they found the crypts. Bones had been interred in the walls and there were a pair of sarcophagi. But there was also a smear of blood upon the ground that trailed around the corner....  Already prepared for an ambush, the PCs were not surprised when their voices drew the attention of the crypt's current occupants and were attacked.

It was three hideous, fang-mouthed, tongue-writhing ghouls, clad in rags and hissing for fresh met—and they were led by a spell-using, cowled stranger whose actions and ugly ritual scars marked him as another deranged cultist. The ghouls were blasted with spells, blades, and arrows, though one of them managed to slash open one of Vaicht's arteries and send him slipping to the ground in a spray of blood. They got the elf back on his feet with some timely healing magic, though the cultist used a spell that gave Primeiro a painful, shirt-staining wound.

The battle ended quite promptly when the last of the ghouls had been dropped and Shrain—still angry from his recent battles but quite possibly just because he's a cantankerous dwarf—buried the entirety of his battle axe into the cultist's torso. Scale male, cloth, flesh, and bone parted smoothly and the man went down in a fountain of gore.

Session 7: Unhanded

Characters involved:

• Aramil, elf cleric of Helm.
• Pisqual “Piper” Dunraven, human rogue and ambitious thief.
• Primeiro d’Pirazzi, human mage extraordinaire.
• Shrain, dwarf cleric of Moradin.
• Tredek, half-orc barbarian and reader-of-books.
• Zelder, halfling rogue and pastry aficionado.
• Vaicht, elf monk of Kelemvor.

When Ulther and Shrain started towards the Twin Songs district in pursuit of the suspected culprits, Zelder went and fetched the others from the opulent Helm and Cloak inn, where’d they all been staying on Silvershield’s coin. Tredek, Primeiro, and Zelder, met up with the others at Hadru’s pottery shop, and brief introductions were made. Ulther trusted the newcomers enough for now, and that was good enough for them.

Together, with no small amount of balcony-jumping and prestidigitatorial antics, they went into Hadru’s  cellar and confronted the patriar youths who'd sought asylum there. Led by Marek Oberon, a 16-year-old boy who brandished a rapier, the six kids tried to get the PCs to leave them alone. Marek's younger sister was among them, as was the Ravenshade boy, whom the PCs had learned never returned home the previous night.

Through a combination of intimidation and persuasion, the Heroes of the Wide and their new friends took charge of them all and discovered among them the missing hands of Minsc! And Boo, the beloved (stone) hamster. A large chunk of cracked marble, it was certainly unwieldly, but Ulther shouldered the backpack and took charge of it—there was probably no greater prize in all of Baldur’s Gate than that piece of the Beloved Ranger statue.

The other statue hands were not to be found. Marek and the other patriar adolescents eventually divulged that they’d be convinced into breaking off the hands when they were at a party with some other kids. Alcohol had fueled the ill-advised prank. They all agreed, too, that it had been a boy of the Rillyn family (another patriar family) who had suggested the act, but had not taken part of it.

Boo, safe and
mostly sound.

Shrain was kept by his companions from driving a blade into the hands of the kids (or at least Marek)—the dwarf's vision of justice. Zelder made friends with Marek, who eventually came to trust that while he would be in trouble, they wouldn’t be harmed, and Marek told him that if he was brought back to his home, the halfling would be given all the pastries he could ever want. Meanwhile, Primeiro made some suggestive, if idle comments about Ravenshade’s mother—a noblewoman of whom Primeiro seemed rather fond. To be fair, all noblewomen seemed to garner the mage’s interest. Zelder, intrigue'd by the boy's offer, frequently spoke of muffins and tried to convince his companions to seek out a restaurant next—even though it was the middle of the night. They declined, as more pressing matters were at hand.

The PCs faced an important choice. Would they...

• Bring the patriar kids to Duke Silvershield in the Upper City, as he had requested?
• Bring them to the Seatower of Balduran in the Lower City, to face the justice of the Flaming Fist, as Ravengard had demanded?
• Bring them to the Counting House near the docks of the Lower City, as Rael had asked?

After much deliberation, they decided to bring the patriar youths to the Counting House. According to Rilsa Rael, the Counting House's owner, Rakath Glitterbeard, was the treasurer for the Council's Eminent Fellowship of Financiers, and he was in a position that could ensure the patriar families would be held financially responsible for their children's crimes. More importantly, Glitterbeard was a Guild sympathizer.

In order to bypass the garrison of the Flaming Fist, the PCs sent out their surreptitious new companion, the Piper, with one of the silver Fist brooches Marshal Ravengard had given them. He bluffed his way past two guard checkpoints using the brooch, and secured a ferry that was docked at the base of Wyrm's Rock specifically for the use of the Flaming Fist. Meanwhile, the others had carefully wove and bluffed their way past a Flaming Fist patrol by covering the kids up—who were manacled and hooded—as they brought them to the beach by the Outer City district of Rivington on the other side of the river. There the ferry picked them up, and the PCs drifted on the waters back towards the harbor of the Lower City.

When they came into the docks, not all went according to plan. A surprising number of Lower City residents were out and about at this early hour, and when the PCs brought the patriar youths to the door of the Counting House (as Rilsa Rael had asked them to), the crowds began to take notice of them. In fact, several men with torches came in and tried to seize the kids by force, demanding to know who they were. Someone even called out asking about Minsc’s hands. The crowd was initially rebuffed, mostly by Tredek, Vaicht, and Shrain, but a handful became a mob and soon something like a riot—or a lynching—commenced. The backpack containing Minsc’s hands and Boo was spilled open, exposing it to many in the crowds.

While Piper dashed off after some suspicious shadowy figures, the others contended with the surging and increasingly-maddening mob. Aramil shouted his god’s name and sought to calm the crowd, while Ulther warned them with his light-imbued greatsword that they were the Heroes of the Wide. Primeiro tripped several people with his quarterstaff, being jostled (and elbowed in the face) in turn. Tredek, Shrain, and Vaicht wrestled with the chief antagonists, successfully throwing down many, while Zelder defensively smacked the hands of those who got too near his charges. The halfling rogue was certain that this mob had formed much too quickly to be natural—it had been orchestrated somehow. Its individuals were reacting as mobs do, but it seemed to have been coaxed into being.

Piper chased the two figures who may have had a hand in the mob's creation, but they split up and he pursued one toward the docks. There she waited, then climbed down into the water of the harbor itself—confirmed later by the wavemistresses of Umberlee to have swum eastward.

By the time the PCs had scattered or beaten off the crowd (while killing none), four of the patriar youths had been spared from lynching. Yet both Marek Oberon and Veldyr Ravenshade had been torn from them and soon disappeared, screaming, apprehended!  With the statue hands and the four remaining kids, the PCs spilled into the Counting House for temporary refuge, where the dwarf Rakath Glitterbeard recorded what they told them…as promised, documenting the crime and the identity of the children to ensure that the families—and only the families—would pay the price. The PCs were, of course, not happy about losing two of the kids.

Then the PCs went to the Seatower of Balduran, imparted their tale (minus an account of meeting with Rael of the Guild), and surrendered the hands of the Beloved Ranger. Soldiers then went to collect the kids at the Counting House, as expected. The PCs stayed the night in the austere quarters of the Seatower, amidst the company of grim-faced (but appreciative) Flaming Fist soldiers.

The very next day, the PCs—and the whole city—learned of a grisly conclusion: The two boys that had been dragged off, Marek and Veldyr, were found at the base of the Beloved Ranger, bound, beaten, but alive....with their hands cleanly sliced off, and chained to them were all the other missing statue hands. The reaction in the Upper City was of horror and embarrassment. So great had been the outcry against the culprits of the defacements that the patriar families implicated in their children’s crime were said to have closed up the gates of their estates and holed up, hiding from repercussions. There was talk of exile. The two crippled boys were secreted away, and the four children taken into custody by the Flaming Fist were now being held for trial, and everyone expected they’d be imprisoned for several years, in the very least. Their families weren’t making much of an attempt to intervene on their behalf, fearing greater controversy and shame.

Several days passed, and Marshal Ravengard was not to be seen. Neither had Duke Silvershield called on the PCs, but they quickly learned that they were no longer allowes to stay at the Helm and Cloak Inn—it seemed clear Silvershield was displeased in the PCs’ actions. Meanwhile, the PCs suspected Rilsa Rael’s involvement in the quickly-assembled mob that had ripped the two kids away from them—and which might have lynched all the kids, had the PCs not fought to protect them. Her pawn shop, the Calim Jewel Emporium, was conspicuously closed.

During these days, the city seemed to calm down somewhat. Justice had been served, if confusedly, and clearly the three patriar families involved in the defacement of Minsc and Boo were also being blamed for the removal of all the other statue hands as well. The people were largely placated, for the statues would be restored with the help of the Gondsman priests. But unrest certainly continued to simmer between the poor Outer City, the beleaguered Lower City, and the paranoid Upper City.

Tredek spoke of what he had learned in the library of the High House of Wonders, about Bhaal, the Lord of Murder. Bhaal had been slain during the Times of Troubles well over a century ago, but foreseeing his own death, he had sired children in the mortal world in order to spread some of his divine power. In this way, he and his foul disciples had hoped to reincarnate him again someday—and that was a plot that Abdel Adrian had thwarted in his adventuring days long ago. Or so he believed. Duke Abdel, himself one of Bhaal’s mortal “children,” had slain the villain Sarevok, mightiest of the Bhaalspawn, and in the process had saved Baldur’s Gate from war and suffering. Abdel, the last of the Bhaalspawn, had managed to suppress the murderous evil in himself, the latent divinity of Bhaal.

But perhaps not. When he was slain by an unknown assassin in the Wide just several days ago, dark energy fumed from his wound—and his killer had transformed into some of fiend before the PCs had brought him down. Tredek would have learned more about Bhaal and his cult, but he found that some of the pages in the books he’d found had been carefully cut from the binding.

In any case, the PCs next received an invitation to meet Ulder Ravengard at the Hissing Stones, a bathhouse in the Lower City where Duke Abdel was known to frequent. 

Session 6: The Rumor of Dead Gods

Initial characters involved:

• Shrain, dwarf cleric of Moradin.
• Ulther Stormwind, human fighter from Icewind Dale.

From Little Calimshan, Ulther and Shrain headed down the long road of the Outer City towards the district of Twin Songs. This is where evidence (their own and Rael's intel) indicated the statue-thieves had gone. It was already well into the night.

Twin Songs was a bit less run-down than the other districts of the Outer City, perhaps due to its proximity to Wyrm’s Crossing and Wyrm’s Rock, the fortress of the Flaming Fist. As the human and dwarf approached the ramp leading up toward the bridge of Wyrm’s Crossing, they saw a curios trio standing in the firelight—a human and a pair of mismatched elves. The human was fairly nondescript compared to his companions. One elf wore simple garments and carried little more than a pair of daggers, looking a bit rougher than most wood elves, with short-cropped hair, a “bandage” over one eye, and the scars of many brawls; the other, armored in scale male despite his slight frame and bearing a holy symbol...of Helm.

Helm, the Vigilant One, the Watcher, the god of guardians...slain many years ago. Already ill-favored by many due to his righteous involvement in the Time of Troubles, Helm's faith had only dwindled further since his death. But apparently, some kept his tenets alive.

In any case, the group didn’t look like Baldurians. Foreigners, then, just like Ulther, Shrain, and their other companions. Newly arrived to the city—and what a time to be visiting, with so much unrest.

New characters:

Symbol of Helm,
the Vigilant One

• Amaril, elf cleric of Helm.
• Pisqual "Piper" Dunraven, human rogue.
• Vaicht, elf monk of Kelemvor.

The trio were talking about what to do next, and Amaril had been explaining to his companions that he'd been led to Baldur's Gate because of a vision he'd received. In it, an aging human male in heavy plate armor lay dying in front of the shrine of Helm. Three shadow figures loomed over him, threatening, lurking, but not touching him.

As Amaril was describing this, they were attacked. A thin dart ricocheted harmlessly off of Amaril's armor, and as Vaicht and Amaril went to investigate the source of the dart, ruffians with crossbows came into view and took shots primarily at Amaril. Ulther and Shrain joined in to assist the newcomers, concluding that they're probably not deserving of assassination. And Shrain was taking it personally—thugs with crossbows in the dark bothered had earned his eternal ire. Amaril's spells lit up the dark and spewed fire upon their enemies.

The thugs were driven off, frightened by an excessive show of force, but the man behind the attack turned out to be a ritually-scarred human wearing armor beneath his cloak, a mace, and a caster of spells. With a mere gesture and foul utterance, he sent Piper tumbling to the ground, bleeding badly. Ulther, Shrain, and Vaicht took him down—one arm cut cleanly off—but in his death throes, the freakish man spasmed, bled more than he ought to have, and his bones seemed to pop and dislocate themselves. The result was that he looked like he'd been slain in far more violent a manner, a display that reminded Sharin and Ulther both of Duke Abdel's assassin.

Flaming Fist soldiers heard the commotion and came onto the scene. Ulther displayed the silver brooch and it inspired their cooperation. Nevertheless, the Flaming Fist took charge of the scene and carried the dead man's body back to the Wymr's Rock. Vaicht bound Piper's grave wound, and Shrain used a brief prayer from Moradin to revive him. The PCs followed, with the three newcomers allowed to join them on Ulther's allowance.

Symbol of Bhaal,
Lord of Murder

The PCs didn't initially find any clues on the corpse, but then Amaril spoke up and convinced the others to let him examine the body. Doing a thorough search, the elf priest revealed a dark red tattoo on the man's back which depicted a skull surrounded by a halo of tears. Or blood drops? He recognized it as the symol of Bhaal, the Lord of Murder, god of assassins....who also happened to be long dead. In fact, Bhaal had been slain before Helm, during the Time of Troubles.

But he knew of some old stories that suggested that Bhaal had some foreknowledge of his own death so he went among mortals and spread his essence. Old lore suggested that his foul dissemination involved Baldur's Gate somehow....

At this point, Ulther wanted to get back on track. Trusting the newcomers more now, he broadly outlined what was going on in the city—some of which they'd gleaned during the day when they first arrived fresh from the road. He also told them that he was charged with investigating defacement and theft of the statues' hands. The whole city wanted justice, but three specific agencies wanted the culprits found and has tasked Ulther and his companions with finding them: Duke Silvershield, Marshal Ravengard, and more recently, Rilsa Rael of the Guild.

The PCs decided to ask around, so they started with a local water hole. Finding a lead, and the purchase of a substantial amount of watered-down, not-so-great ale, they went down by the banks of the river beneath the abutment of the Wyrm's Crossing bridge to talk to a local man the barkeep had called Squinty. He was a ragged, homeless-looking fellow, with a scraggly beard and a very ugly, if old, wound on his face that had long since taken his eye. Bribing him with ale, the PCs learned that a group of patriar youths had indeed reached the shore here by means of a ferry from the harbor. Squinty said they were nervous and they carried something in a backpack. He heard them say they were going to "Hadru's place" on Wyrm's Crossing—evidently Hadru, whoever that was, owed one of the kids' families a favor.

It didn't take long—by asking a Flaming Fist soldier—to find out that Hadru owned a pottery shop just a little ways down the street from Wyrm's Rock. Piper make short work of the lock on Hadru's front door, and they snuck inside—only to be confronted by the potter himself, who was rattled and swiveled a hand crossbow at them. The PCs couldn't keep their initial ruse up, but they eventually leveled with him and explained that they wouldn't tell on him if he revealed what he knew.

What Hadru knew: Six kids—patriar youths all—had come to him seeking a place to hide. They were in his cellar even then, hiding out. Since there was a balcony jutting from the cellar, which overlooked the river, there was concern that confronting them might make them do something rash.

Session 5: Defacement and Discrimination

Characters involved:

• Shrain, dwarf cleric of Moradin.
• Primeiro d’Pirazzi, human mage extraordinaire.
• Ulther Stormwind, human fighter from Icewind Dale.

At the Helm and Cloak, the PCs compared notes from their experiences in the city thus far: Primeiro and Ulther had been going about the streets, observing the polarizing extremes and moods of the classes. Both observed the Flaming Fist’s harsh treatment of the Outer City workers, the Watch’s treatment of the Lower City residents who came into the Upper City, and of course the general outrage at the recent vandalism and statue defacement. Meanwhile Shrain relayed his events in the Outer City, the attempted mugging, and the shadow figure who saved his life and demanded a meeting the next day at dusk in Little Calimshan.

Pictured: A Boo-less Minsc.

The next morning was drizzly and full of heightened outrage: This time the statue of the Beloved Ranger, Minsc and his miniature giant space hamster Boo, had been defaced. Disarmed, rather: Minsc’s hands were gone, and with them Boo. Where only the Upper and Lower City residents were angered by the previous day’s vandalism, now everyone was upset. Everyone loves Minsc and Boo, heroes of old and legendary companions of Duke Abdel himself from his adventuring days.

The PCs examined the area around the statue. Primeiro’s use of detect magic actually yielded two clues: (1) an enchanted gold, gem-studded brooch marked with the crest of Ravenshade (a patriar family known for its role in the gemstone trade) and (2) a magical dagger whose blade was marked with the crest of the Oberon—a patriar family who owns several drydocks in the Lower City. The PCs were forced to give up the brooch to the Watch who were on the scene, but managed to surreptitiously pocket the dagger without their notice.

To Shrain's dwarven eyes, it looked like the hands of the statue had perhaps been chiseled off with the dagger. There were even flecks of marble stuck to the blade, which was itself slightly bent, and the pommel was marred. Clearly, this act wasn't as precise or professional as the hand-thefts the previous night.

After searching around the statue, the PCs went to High Hall. There they finally met, at last, with Duke Torlin Silvershield, the High Artificer of Gond, in his offices. A tall, athletic, middle-aged man with immaculate armor and vestments, a neatly-trimmed salt-and-pepper beard, and calculating eyes, he seemed personable enough. The PCs had declined to meet with him on their first day in favor of meeting with Ulder Ravengard, and the duke acknowledged this fact briefly. He admitted that Ravengard was a good man and meant well for Baldur's Gate, but that he didn't think the Flaming Fist marshal sees the bigger picture—and that Ravengard has all the subtlety of a charging gorgon. The duke said that Ravengard thinks he can solve all problems with sheer force of arms. Sadly, the political and social situations in the city cannot be solved that way.

Duke Silvershield

Silvershield thanked the PCs for their service to the city thus far, anyway; had they not interfered in the Wide on that fateful day, more innocents would have been killed. But now he asked them if they would assist him in finding the truth behind the assassination of Duke Abdel, who had been a close friend of his. The PCs had proved themselves capable and had already shown to have an interest in bettering the state of things. Silvershield said he believed the Guild was responsible for Abdel's death, with its association with crime, deception, “foreign gods,” and even dark magic. The assassin had clearly not been a normal man, and must have been more than a mere hit man. Abdel had been murdered publicly; it was an act meant to be seen and mourned by many.

Silvershield was asked about Abdel's half-brother: according to the old stories, Abdel's fame came from his adventuring days, when he saved Baldur's Gate from imminent war. His half-brother, a warlord named Sarevok, was rumored to be possessed of evil, perhaps even divine powers. Some say he was even an agent of an evil god, one slain during the Time of Troubles but not quite forgotten. Sarevok had manipulated the now-disreputable merchant company known as the Iron Throne into instigating conflicts between Baldur's Gate and Amn. But Abdel had slain Sarevok and ended that scheme.

Sarevok

When asked about the sumptuary laws, Silvershield sighed and shook his head. He seemed to sympathize. "The Parliament has my hands tied," he said, and said perhaps in the days to come, he could convince them to reverse the laws. However, before he could trust the PCs with too much information, about his own efforts or even the Guild, he tasked them with finding the culprits behind the theft of the statues’ hands. The defacement of the Beloved Ranger could not be ignored. If they could find the guilty parties, the PCs were to bring them straight to Silvershield in the Upper City—ideally, the High Hall itself.

Primeiro asked, given the evidence they’d already acquired (he did mention the Ravenshade brooch), what the likelihood of a patriar family being responsible. Silvershield didn’t shy away from this possibility. If evidence could be found that a patriar was responsible, they would face the Council of Four's justice. But again, the culprits must be brought to him, not be turned over to the Flaming Fist and made into a public spectacle. Shrain mentioned the Waterdeep connection with the assassin's weapon, and Silvershield admitted the possibilities of foreign powers striking against Baldur's Gate. But clearly, he believed their enemy was within the city.

And so the PCs set out to continue their own investigations. They questioned the lady of the house at Ravenshade Manor and learned that her son, Vendyr, had not yet returned from a revelry on the previous night. She remarked that he was likely with another boy, Marek Oberon. The PCs confirmed the Oberon-Ravenshade connection when they went to one of the Oberon shipyards in the Lower City and even made the acquaintance of one of the ferrymen who provide boat access across the harbor. They wanted to question a ferryman who’d have been on duty during the evening hours (named Wald) but his friend said he wouldn’t be back until the evening again.

They also met with Ravengard again, for the Flaming Fist had employed the boy Allyck to find them. When they'd concluded their initial questioning, the PCs walked to the Sea Tower of Balduran, where the Flaming Fist marshal was in the midst of training exercises, squaring off in mock combat against four of his soldiers.

Ravengard told them their efforts to close down the Oasis and the Low Lantern had been largely successful—the Guild would have lost a foothold and meeting place in the Lower City without the latter—but that it would have been more successful had they captured Laraelra Thundreth, the Guild-affiliated sorceress. Ravengard went on to ask them what they'd been involved in since then and he spoke of his anger and concern about the many damaged statues. Ultimately, he wished them to find the culprits—like Silvershield—but he wanted the guilty parties brought to him there at the Seatower for processing. The Seatower of Balduran is a prison as well as a fortress. The guilty parties, he said, would face public trial.

Ravengard even offered to give the PCs an honory rank in the Flaming Fist, granting them the uniform and authority of a flame (a lieutenant) with none of the corresponding duties; instead, they would report directly to him. Their task now was to bring in those who were responsible for the statue vandalism. While the PCs accepted the new uniforms (white tabards displaying the Flaming Fist livery and their ranks), they weren't convinced that it was best, at this time, to go about openly with the uniforms on. Still, they took them.

From the Seatower, the PCs intended to meet with the mysterious man who bid them come to Little Calimshan at dusk—not a fact they'd shared with Ravengard or Silvershield. There was still just enough time, so they crossed the harbor, then headed toward Basilisk Gate to the Outer City. On the way, they passed by the Shrine of Suffering. Primeiro had not, until then, met Brother Hodges, the humble priest of Ilmater who cares for the shrine and offers meager copper pieces and food to the poor who gather there.

Symbol of the Flaming Fist

The tired but friendly cleric beckoned them over and told them that someone had been looking for them: a lamp lass by the name of Chesserie who didn't know their names but wanted to find the "heroes of the Wide." Hodges said she'd be waiting by Heap Gate, the eastern-most gate to the Upper City and one of the several that only patriars are permitted to use.

Since it wasn’t too far off their course, the PCs agreed to look into this and they walked to the gate. There, a tired, disheveled young girl, bearing the lantern-staff of a lamp lass, was drowsing near the steps of the gate. When she realized who they were, she said she had something important to tell them, and she didn't know who else she could trust. Allegedly, a group of older kids—patriar kids—had come through the gate last night (from the Upper City) and had paid her well to lead them to the docks, and the ferry boats, and had tipped her exceedingly well to be quiet about it. But she couldn’t; she was afraid they’d done something bad. They were nervous and they carried a big backpack.

When the PCs thanked her for the information, she said, “Promise me. Promise me you’ll bring back Boo!”

Everyone in Baldur’s Gate loves Boo.

Have you seen this hamster?

At dusk, they did as they'd agreed the previous night: They went to the gate of Little Calimshan to meet with a stranger. The stranger appeared, hooded as before, and beckoned them inside the gates, then led them up a flight of stars, across a series of catwalks and backyards, and finally into a dark, empty lot behind a building.

Ushering them inside, he showed them into a room with flickering oil lamps hanging from copper chains and a fire pit in the center. Multicolored rugs and cushions blanked the floor in Calishite style. Heavy drapes obscured the walls and ceiling, creating the impression of being inside a tent. Sitting at the fire was a turbaned man with dark skin, a wrinkly face, and wrapped in an ornate, brocaded robe. The stranger sat beside him, then threw back the hood and tore away the false beard he wore. She wore. She was a young woman with shaggy hair, dark eyes, and skin that suggested a mixed heritage.

"Thank you for coming," she said. "I didn't know if you would, but I had great hope." The woman introduced herself as Rilsa Rael, owner of the pawnshop they were in—the Calim Jewel Emporium—and she admitted that she did work with the Guild. She said by now they'd have heard many terrible things about the Guild, that it was the scapegoat for the Watch and the Flaming Fist both. But Rael insisted that the Guild was the only protection the common people had against the unjustices of the city—especially for the lawless Outer City. For example, at the Calim Jewel Emporium overpays for the trinkets and trash that the poor bring in, using the money it secures through clandestine—and yes, often illegal—means.

The Guild, while many believe it to be a criminal organization, ultimately works to redistribute wealth to support those who are trodden upon by those with money and power. "Baldur's Gate is a merchant's town," she explained, "and gold greases its wheels." You have to pay to get in, and you often have to pay to get out. According to Rael, the government, the law enforcement, the wealthy are themselves corrupt. Toll and tax agents frequently demand bribes or confiscate alleged contraband, targeting folk from the Outer City because they know no one listens to the complains. The poor of the Outer City are being kept poor.

Only one voice, Rael said, existed for the poor: Duke Abdel Adrian. With him gone, things would only get worse. Were already getting worse, as they themselves had no doubt seen.

Rael asked for their help. She knew they were already working for the Flaming Fist (representative of the Lower City and the law) and had potentially made agreements with Duke Silvershield (representative of the Upper City and the government), but she believed they were interested only in themselves or their visions of the city—not the everyday people who work and support Baldur's Gate. Certainly not the poor.

When asked about the vandalism and the statues, Rael admitted that the Guild had been involved in some of it. She said she knew of some people who might be connected to the stolen statue hands from the first night, and she was already looking into that—but the Guild had nothing to do with the defacement of the Beloved Ranger. Quite the contrary, even the poor of the Outer City were fond of that folk hero and his diminutive companion. She said that if the PCs wished to help her, they would indeed find the guilty ones behind that crime—and she, too, suspected it was the work of patriar youths—but she told them not to hand over the culprits to Silvershield. If the youths are returned to their families, they'll get a slap on the wrist, nothing more; their crimes will be hushed up, and the commoners of Baldur's Gate will be taxed to cover the damages. What Rael—what the Guild—wanted was true justice. In some ways, she wanted what Ravengard wanted, but she doesn't suggest a drawn-out, expensive trial under the care of the Flaming Fist. The families of the youths should be made to pay for the crimes—in gold and in humiliation. It should not fall on the poor, nor on the Guild.

Rilsa Rael

Toward that end, Rael suggested that the PCs bring the culprits to the Counting House by the docks in the Steeps district. There, its owner, a dwarf named Rakath Glitterbeard, would process them first and ensure that their families would be financially accountable. So the PCs would face a choice soon enough: hand them over to Silvershield, to Ravengard, or a clerk sympathetic to the Guild.

Rael's informants suggested that the youths had ventured to the Twin Songs district, the Outer City section near Wyrm's Crossing. So the PCs agreed to head there straightaway. It was already dark. Rael thanked them for coming and hoped they would help her. If she proved their interest in justice by bringing the culprits to the Counting House, she would trust them with more information. She said the Guild, too, wants to discover the truth behind Abdel's assassination.

Session 4: Hands Off

Characters involved:

The symbol of Moradin, the Dwarffather

• Shrain, dwarf cleric of Moradin.
• Zelder, halfling rogue.

While their companions pursued errands of their own, the dwarf Shrain and the halfling Bezelder (Zelder for short) met and conversed in the comfort of the Helm and Cloak, the city’s finest inn; their stay was being covered, for now, on the coin of Duke Silvershield—whom the PCs had yet to meet. There was, however, a missive that had arrived for them: they were to meet the duke in the morning at the 9th bell in the High Hall.

Zelder, for his part, was just as new to the city as the others. He’d come from Neverwinter on a business errand for his family—involving medical supplies for the Flaming Fist mercenary organization—and had spent this last day in the city observing the various and mostly-ugly moods of Baldur’s Gate’s populace. Mostly in the Lower City. Down by the docks of Brampton and Eastway, especially near the Low Lantern, he’d witnessed Flaming Fist soldiers giving the immigrant workers—who came in each day from the slums of the Outer City—a hard time. Normally they idled after their day’s work in the local taverns, but now the Fist was getting rough with them, hurrying them back out of the city proper. It seemed Ravengard’s suspicion that the Guild operated out of the Outer City was intensifying.

The night passed easily. While the others were still plagued by bad dreams, Shrain’s memories of any nightmares were minimal—perhaps his holy work in Gond’s temple had helped.

Shrain and Zelder went alone to meet with Silvershield. Tredek was off to the High House of Wonders to seek out a library, while Ulther and Djarek were otherwise occupied. In the High Hall, the mage Imbralym appeared and was immediately discouraged to see that only two members of the party had deigned to appear (no fault of their own!), and of those only one was one of the “heroes of the Wide” (Shrain). The mage sighed, truly disappointed, and said they’d have to reschedule.

Imbralym Skoond

And then he was interrupted by an attendant, for it seemed there'd been a new incident in the city. No, five new incidents. Vandalism of a higher order. The hands of five prominent sculptures/statues had been removed—cut or broken off. Four in the Lower City, one in the Upper City: 

• Seasearpent Tamed by Umberlee,  near the Water Queen's House, temple of Umberlee (Lower City)
• Fury of the Fist, near the Seatower of Balduran
• Balduran Looks Out to Sea, overlooking just out of the eastern gate
• Six Wise Machinists, outside the High House of Wonder
• Faithful Shopkeeper Meets the Honest Trader, just outside the Counting House near the docks

Shrain and Zelder set out to investigate the missing hands and assess the damage firsthand. They examined three of the five, searching for a link between them, some common theme, but couldn’t quite deduce a pattern. They'd even spoken with the wavemistresses of the Water Queen's House and Zelder climbed up the stone serpent to look closer at the Bitch Queen's maimed arms. The PCs did concluded, however, that the damage and theft had been the work of a professional stoneworker; Shrain was a dwarf, after all. The hands of all the statues had been broken off cleanly, with tools, and the fact that the deed had been done without being seen or heard (at least, in any way that mattered) was a testament to the thieves’ skill. Upper and Outer City residents were particularly bothered by the severe vandalism; Outer City residents were just amused.

They’d also secured permission, approved by Imbralym Skoond on behalf of Duke Silvershield, to examine (within the bowels of High Hall, under scrutiny of the Watch) the weapon that Duke Abdel’s assassin had used to kill him. It seemed an ordinary, nonmagical short sword, bent at the tip where it had punctured his plate armor. Shrain made thorough sketches of it, and upon leaving High Hall, both halfling and dwarf ventured toward the Outer City late in the day to visit their blacksmith acquaintance, Mareak, to get his opinion. On the way, they stopped by Brother Hodges, the Ilmatari priest at the Shrine of Suffering, to get his take. Noting that the shrine depicted two giant stone hands, they pondered a connection there. But Hodges had little to offer, and said he had nothing to hide. The PCs questioned the homeless men and women gathered at the shrine, but learned nothing substantial.

When they found Mareak, the dwarven smith looked at Shrain's drawings and concluded that the short sword used by Abdel's assassin was fairly run-of-the-mill, simple in design, and certainly not masterwork. If he had to say where it came from, he'd suggest Waterdeep; some of the stylizations in its design were popular among Waterdhavian blacksmiths.

On their way back towards the city gate, however, they were pursued by thugs—two humans and a half-orc—who attempted to corner and rob them. The PCs turned off the main road and entered a dark series of alleys between the shacks that made up the “buildings” of the Outer City.

When the thugs came in close and called out for them to hand over their money, cherubic Zelder surprised his gruffer companion with a burst of speed: with a stab of first his short sword and then his dagger, the rogue quickly ran through one of the would-be muggers. Together the cleric and rogue took down the muscular half-orc, with Zelder hanging back and loosing arrows at the brute. Though he employed divine spells and his axes, Shrain fumbled with his weapons and even took a stab from the human who’d led them. He was not having a good time of it and was getting sour on the whole of Baldur’s Gate. But as the third thug went down, Shrain called on Moradin to spare the man’s life and stabilize what would have been a mortal injury.

As Shrain looked around the vicinity, he was rewarded with a crossbow bolt to the chest from another shadow-lurking assailant. Though, this one skulked in the shadows and seemed more efficient than the thugs. The bolt dropped Shrain to the unconscious. Drawn by the sound, Zelder came around the bend…only to find the assailant dangling off the ground against a wall, being garroted with a long chord by another shadow figure. Quickly Zelder broke out his healer’s kit and stabilized the dying Shrain.

In the Outer City.

When the assailant stopped gasping and twitching, he was dropped to the ground. Zelder greeted his unseen helper, and asked for help in fixing his dwarf companion. A narrow face in a shadowed hood looked down at him from the top of the wall. The man spoke in a thin voice and said simply, “You will meet me in Little Calimshan at dusk tomorrow, by the gate.” After agreeing, Zelder watched as a potion vial dropped down to him even as the figure disappeared.

Zelder used the potion of healing to revive Shrain, and together they carried the unconscious thug (the one they'd spared) towards the city, intent on handing him over to the Flaming Fist at the gate. Then they'd conclude their day at the Elfsong Tavern, which they’d heard about but hadn’t yet visited.

Session 3: Sightseeing and Vandalism

Characters involved:

• Tredek, half-orc barbarian.
• Shrain, dwarf cleric of Moradin.
• Ulther Stormwind, human fighter.

With the Low Lantern shut down—Tredek's and Ulther's clubs made sure of that—the PCs waited while more Flaming Fist soldiers arrived to secure it. Thundreth had escaped, but the rest of her crew were bound up and the ship itself given a cursory search that yielded very little. Lord Talborn, cleric of Sune, had aided the soldiers and kept his companions on their feet.

With some bits of fruit taken from the galley, Tredek coaxed over the gray and turquoise parrot that had flown down from the ship's rigging. Soon had it perched upon his arm. Finding some string, he secured it to his arm. The parrot whistled and spoke only a few words, and it did so from time to time throughout their city travels that day. “This ship is closed!” (echoing Tredek’s new battle cry), “Lady Captain”, and “Ravengard!” chief among them.

The dwarf cleric Shrain rejoined the group and they talked about where to go next. They’d done, to the best of their ability, what Marshal Ulder Ravengard had asked them to do. But now what?

They heard a child's voice cut through the din of the morning dockworkers coming in. "Harken, people of Baldur's Gate, to Baldur's Mouth! The land changes, and Baldur would have his people know!" It was a crier for the Baldur’s Mouth, some sort of local news source in the city. He was selling, for a single copper piece, copies of a neatly-scrawled broadsheet that detailed the events of the day before: Duke Abdel’s assassination. It even included rough sketches of the "heroes of the Wide," the PCs themselves. The PCs had never seen such perfect handwriting before, and wondered at how so many duplicate copies could be made.  Magic? But all had heard that Gond, the god of innovation and labor, was one of Baldur’s Gate’s patron deities, and Tredek had even heard of “mechanical scribes” associated with his church. Perhaps this was their purpose?

After being thanked by one Lower City resident—whose son evidently had lost all his gold gambling at the Low Lantern—the PCs headed up toward the Upper City, wondering if they could still find and meet with Imbralym Skoond, the mage who first approached them in the Wide the day before, who evidently represented one of the city's other dukes—Duke Torlin Silvershield. Soon they met with Allyck, the kid the PCs met the day before, and who they hired as a guide. Now he was to lead them to their next destination: the Three Old Kegs.

Progress to the Upper City was slowed, as the Flaming Fist had blocked off several avenues in the Lower City and redirected the crowds. The reason: the funeral procession for Duke Abdel Adrian. Citizens of all statue and class were grim, and many wept openly—particularly those with less means. Abdel had been some kind of uniting force, a ruler whom all people loved. While waiting for the procession to pass and the streets to clear, the PCs noticed a well-dressed, red-haired elf regarding them with interest from across the street. When the procession had passed, the elf was gone. They hadn't seen too many full-blooded elves in Baldur's Gate thus far.

At last, the PCs made their way into the Upper City and to the Three Old Kegs, a quiet but immense tavern. Imbralym Skoond was not there, but they did speak with some of establishment's patrons—including an ugly, but personable fellow at the bar who introduced himself as Alstan. The talk of the town was about what the Parliament of Peers would do next. The Parliament, it seemed, was formed some years ago when two dukes had been assassinated and the government of Baldur’s Gate needed an easier way to elect new dukes to the Council. With Duke Adrian slain, who, and when, would they elect a new one? And of course tavern talk included speculation on Abdel’s freakish assassin, and what agency he had come from? Had it been the work of the Guild (as Ravengard insisted), or the plot of foreign powers—rivals Calimshan or Amn, perhaps?

With no sign of Imbralym, the PCs went to the High Hall, the city's chief governmental building and a fortress in its own right. Not as bustling as it might usually be—the city's mourning and miserable quality was everywhere—they gave their names and then Imbralym appeared. He said, "I am sorry you declined to meet with my master." Willing to speak with Silvershield now, the PCs were told by Imbralym that they were welcome to stay at the Helm and Cloak, an upscale inn, for at least one night. Imbralum would inform his master that the PCs would meet with him now, though he couldn't promise when. The events of the day, the funeral, and other matters of state were clearly keeping him occupied. Still, Imbralym would call on them as soon as they were able.

But before settling in at the new—and obviously more comfortable—inn, they knew they should check back in at Wyrm's Rock to report to Ravengard, and to inform their other companions where they'd be staying. On their way, Allyck offered to take them to Brother Hodges, an Ilmatari—a priest of Ilmater, the god of suffering.

Brother Hodges worked out of a shrine to the Crying God, a stone monument depicting the worn hands of Ilmater lashed with rope. There he doled out meager food to the homeless and the poor, but when the PCs appeared, he pulled them aside and spoke with them. He offered his services, and advised them on other places in the city where they could seek spiritual council—the High House of Wonders (Gond's temple, but politically tied), the Lady's House (Tymora's temple), and other shrines—but he warned them against going to the Water Queen's House (Umberlee's temple). He spoke about Duke Abdel Adrian and his concerns about the plot behind his assassination. Brother Hodges seemed an honest sort, with a genuine concern for those less fortunate, but he admitted he had no political clout in this city and wouldn't be of much help in matters of influence.

They spoke for a while with him about old legends, the Time of Troubles, and the dead gods. It seemed Bhaal, the Lord of Murder, the god of assassins, played some sort of role in Baldur's Gate's past, and Abdel himself, even though Bhaal himself had been slain during the Time of Troubles. Remembering the creature at the Wide, Shrain decided they were at some kind of risk of possession. He wanted to perform some sort of ritual of excorcism on himself—neither Tredek nor Ulther protested but neither were they interested.

Eventually, the PCs returned to Wyrm's Rock. Ravengard was not present, but they passed along the news of their new inn of choice. At some point, the PCs also visited the High House of Wonders, the majestic, white-pillared temple of Gond. Full of workshops and engineering wonders, it offered many sights and showed an echelon of holy workers: brick-makers, building-repairers, smiths, and other craftsman all plying their trade in the sacred name of Gond. Shrain, convinced after their talk of dead, evil gods, asked the Gondsmen if he could purified. So they put him to work to do the holy labor of the Wonderbringer, while the others retired to the Helm and Cloak.

The Helm and Cloak was opulent indeed, and the PCs' first night was paid for on Silvershield's coin. They got a good night's sleep and awoke the next morning feeling far more rested than before—having had only brief nightmares. The next morning, some sort of disturbance drew them back outside. Notices were being posted about some sort of new (or returning) sumptuary law:

By decree of the Council and with concurrence of Parliament:
   To preserve the decency of citizens and promote the general weal, all citizens of Baldur's Gate must attire themselves in a manner befitting their station. Furs, silks, damask, velvet, samite, and satin are forbidden to all but those numbered among the patriars, as is jewelry incorporating inlaid gems or magical properties. Those who violate these terms are subject to fines or imprisonment.

Baffled at this, the PCs wandered out and found arguments starting between members of the Watch and the Lower City merchants. It seemed those of comfortable means but not part of the nobility, the patriars, often did display their wealth in their appearance. Evidently, this wasn't acceptable anymore. The well-to-do, of course, were not bothered with this at all. Later, they even witnessed a Watchman tearing the jewelry off of a Lower City merchant's wife on the street, in plain view of everyone, and casting it to the cobblestones.

There were also reports of vandalism and theft spreading around the city, mostly in the Lower and Outer cities. Signs hung up or painted on walls or properties of the state. "Down with the Patriars!" and "Free Baldur's Gate!" seemed to be common slogans. The PCs even spotted a pair of youths in an alley painting up a banner. Confrontation of the vandals nearly turned violent, but the PCs decided to let them go; their banner was something about the Flaming Fist.

Tensions were rising, clearly between the classes and various organizations.

The PCs continued to roam the city and seek information. Tredek decided to return to the temple of Gond and ask for a library. Perhaps more could be learned about Baldur's Gate's history, or Abdel Adrian himself.