Baldur’s Gate began as a harbor town where traders would meet with “ghost lighters”—folk along the Sword Coast who used lights to lure fogbound ships to shore. When those ships ran aground, the ghost lighters would scavenge the wrecks and haul their plundered goods to Baldur’s Gate, nestled on the north shore of a bend in the River Chionthar, and sell their booty. In the years since, Baldur’s Gate has grown into a walled city. Today, its foggy streets run red with the blood of unfortunates who fall prey to evil opportunists, many of whom count themselves as nobles, traders, pirates, and assassins. An army of mercenary soldiers called the Flaming Fist keeps order in the city, and these soldiers answer to Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard. The members of the Flaming Fist don’t care about justice; they crave power and coin, nothing else. But despite the Fist’s reputation for cruelty, the Grand Duke is widely regarded as an honorable and reasonable man.
The city of Elturel, capital of Elturgard, is located much farther inland along the River Chionthar. Whereas Baldur’s Gate has a well-earned reputation for being a nest of vipers, Elturel is seen as a beacon of faith, order, and high culture. The two cities have endured a long, bitter rivalry that originated when Baldur’s Gate began stealing cargo and coin from ships heading to and from Elturel, stifling that city’s sea trade. Though the conflicts between Baldur’s Gate and Elturel have always fallen short of open warfare, relations between the cities have been tense for a long time—too long, some would say.
Fall of Elturel
A tenday ago, Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard left Baldur’s Gate with a company of Flaming Fist soldiers on a diplomatic mission to Elturel, accepting a formal invitation from Elturel’s High Overseer, Thavius Kreeg. Ravengard did not go eagerly, however. It took months of persuasion by his fellow dukes—the other three members of Baldur’s Gate’s ruling Council of Four—to convince him to accept Elturel’s invitation and leave the city in their capable hands. Duke Thalamra Vanthampur was especially convincing, having gathered petitions from the nobility as well as leaders of the common rabble.
Not long after Ravengard arrived in Elturel, the city was dragged down into the Nine Hells—wiped off the map. Given the distance between the two cities, it’s no surprise that the residents of Baldur’s Gate didn’t hear of Elturel’s fate until refugees from Elturgard starting arriving in droves. Rumors concerning Elturel’s disappearance spread like wildfire, stoking fears that Baldur’s Gate might be next. At the same time, panic swept through the ranks of the Flaming Fist, which suddenly found itself without a strong leader.
In the grand duke’s absence, the government of Baldur’s Gate continues to function under the three remaining dukes—Belynne Stelmane, Dillard Portyr, and Thalamra Vanthampur. Duke Portyr has gone so far as to recall his niece, Liara Portyr, from her post as commander of the Flaming Fist at Fort Beluarian in Chult, in the hopes that she can keep the Flaming Fist in check. However, it will take time for her ship to arrive. Meanwhile, refugees from Elturgard continue to arrive with dire claims that nothing remains of Elturel except a crater in the ground.
Among those fleeing Elturgard are several Hellriders—paladins who have sworn oaths to defend Elturel. Those warriors escaped the city’s fate only because they weren’t in Elturel when it fell, and the Flaming Fist has taken to arresting them on sight, lest they try to stir up trouble in Baldur’s Gate. The Hellriders are not going quietly, however, leading to violence and bloodshed.
Evil in Baldur’s Gate
Without Ulder Ravengard to stay their hand, Flaming Fist captains are brutally exercising their autonomy under the veneer of maintaining order. They’ve closed the outer gates to keep Baldur’s Gate safe from the refugee “threat,” effectively trapping Baldurians behind their own walls. With the Flaming Fist distracted by the refugee crisis, city folk are being hunted and murdered in the streets by cultists of the Dead Three—the evil gods Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul. Without the Flaming Fist to curtail them, these cultists have grown bold and now move freely within the city, their activities financed and supported in secret by Duke Thalamra Vanthampur.
Among the first refugees to arrive at Baldur’s Gate was none other than Thavius Kreeg, the architect of Elturel’s doom. Duke Vanthampur is sheltering Kreeg in the dungeon beneath her villa until such time as Baldur’s Gate suffers the same fate as Elturel. Like Kreeg, the Vanthampur family is firmly in debt to Zariel, the archdevil of Avernus. Using money purloined from Tiamat’s hoard by Zariel’s minions on Avernus, Duke Vanthampur hired Dead Three cultists to stir up trouble while her sons stole the
To save Baldur’s Gate, the adventurers must defeat the Dead Three cultists, track down their evil financiers, wrest the
Running This Chapter
Diagram 1.1 is a flowchart that presents the key events of this chapter in sequence. The adventurers begin as 1st-level characters, advancing to 2nd level if they survive the encounter in area Elfsong Tavern and 3rd level after conquering the area dungeon of the Dead Three. The challenges they must overcome at the area Low Lantern and area Vanthampur Villa are great enough to advance them to 4th level. After conquering the sewer complex area below the villa and obtaining valuable information at area Candlekeep, the characters advance to 5th level before entering the Nine Hells in chapter 2.
The Basilisk Gate
Read or paraphrase the following boxed text to your players to begin the adventure:
Welcome to Baldur’s Gate, a veritable nest of rats and vipers clinging to the rocky slopes overlooking the Chionthar River. From their high perches in the Upper City, the local nobles—known as patriars—gaze down with veiled contempt upon the common rabble in the grimy Lower City, which hugs the foggy harbor. The whole of Baldur’s Gate reeks of blood, crime, and opportunity. One can easily fathom why pirates and traders are drawn to this place like flies to a carcass.
Following the river farther east would eventually lead you to Elturel, capital of the holy land of Elturgard—or at least that was the case until a few days ago. The flood of refugees from Elturel has gotten worse since news first arrived that the city has fallen. Everyone is saying Baldur’s Gate is next, but no one truly knows who or what has claimed Elturel.
The patriars pay a mercenary army called the Flaming Fist to protect their interests in Baldur’s Gate, and by extension, the city itself. The Flaming Fist has gained even more power since their charismatic leader, Ulder Ravengard, claimed the title of Grand Duke a few years ago. Apparently, Ravengard is missing. In his absence, the Flaming Fist has sealed the city’s gates to staunch the flow of refugees. No one is allowed in or out.
All of this was brought to your attention shortly after you were drafted by the Flaming Fist to help defend the city. Your orders are to speak to Captain Zodge at the Basilisk Gate, which pierces the city’s eastern wall and takes its name from the various statues that rest in its niches and perch atop its battlements. Unseen beyond the sealed Basilisk Gate, a dirt road stretches through the Outer City slums to the bridge known as Wyrm’s Crossing, then to distant realms beyond.
Dozens of Flaming Fist soldiers are trying to control an angry mob of commoners eager to leave the city. Armed with only a vague description of Captain Zodge—a tall man with long black hair and a leather eye patch—it takes you a while to find him. A fight breaks out between soldiers and commoners, and you finally spot the one-eyed captain as he wades into the fray and begins throwing punches. Just another day in the City of Blood.
An influx of Elturgardian refugees coupled with uncertainty regarding the fate of Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard has convinced Captain Darmin Zodge, a lawful evil human veteran, to prove himself worthy of leading the Flaming Fist—lest some rival seize the opportunity in the days ahead. Zodge also knows that Liara Portyr, who commands the Flaming Fist stronghold of Fort Beluarian in Chult, has been recalled to Baldur’s Gate by her uncle, Duke Dillard Portyr. Zodge hopes to impress Commander Portyr with his ability to maintain the peace in Baldur’s Gate until her arrival.
Although Zodge lacks common decency, he cares for the well-being of the soldiers who serve under his command. Angry mobs can be dangerous, and Zodge is quick to take out the instigators so that the mob’s anger turns to fear quickly. No one is arrested during the fracas the characters observe, but several commoners are beaten and robbed of their money pouches after a brief skirmish with Zodge and his soldiers. Express to the players that their characters would not be surprised by Zodge’s handling of the situation. Flaming Fist captains have tremendous latitude when it comes to keeping the peace in Baldur’s Gate, especially in the Lower City.
It’s widely known that the best way to deal with Flaming Fist soldiers is to bribe them. Those who can afford to pay a bribe of 10 gp or more (instead of the usual gate fee of 2 cp) are allowed passage through a gate after a bit of haggling.
Meeting Captain Zodge
Captain Zodge is expecting the characters. If they choose not to speak with him, he tracks them down eventually. The Flaming Fist has contacts throughout the city, so hiding from Zodge is difficult unless the characters know someone who can shelter them. Zodge keeps six Flaming Fist soldiers (human Veteran) near him at all times. Their names are Issio, Minaqua, Nelestree, Oliver, Soltus, and Thalkara.
When he’s not flexing his military muscle or taking bribes, Captain Zodge presents himself as a forthright, level-headed man who treats others with the respect he demands in return. When the characters are ready to hear what he has to say, read the following boxed text aloud to the players:
“The refugee crisis,” says Captain Zodge, “has stoked fears that Baldur’s Gate might suffer the same fate as Elturel, of which nothing remains but a hole in the ground, apparently. Our grand duke, Ulder Ravengard, was visiting Elturel on a diplomatic mission when the city was destroyed. Coincidence? I think not.
“The knights of Elturgard call themselves Hellriders. A few of them escaped the destruction and think we’re somehow to blame for Elturel’s downfall. What a bunch of self-righteous rabble-rousers! We’re arresting them on sight, but that’s left us shorthanded to deal with another problem. For that, I need your help.”
Captain Zodge won’t accept any refusal of his offer. The Flaming Fist is empowered to draft adventurers in times of emergency. He can execute them on the spot for refusing to help, though he would rather they accept. He gives each character a copper badge that bears the Flaming Fist’s coat of arms. These badges give the characters license to act in Zodge’s name.
Read the following boxed text aloud when the characters are ready to hear more:
“Baldur’s Gate has long been plagued by followers of the Dead Three—the gods Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul. I thought we had wiped them out, but apparently not. These purveyors of fear and death are taking advantage of the current crisis to commit murder sprees throughout the city. As my appointed deputies in this matter, you’ll have license to kill these wretches on sight. Find their lair, and wipe it out. Eliminate anyone who gets in your way, and don’t worry about collateral damage.
“If you do what I say, I’ll see that you each receive two hundred gold pieces in addition to my gratitude, which is worth considerably more.
“A few blocks from the Basilisk Gate is Elfsong Tavern. A spy named Tarina hangs out there, gathering rumors for the Guild. She owes me a favor, so tell her you work for me. Ask her what she knows about the Dead Three. And, for the love of Balduran, be nice. Tarina has dangerous friends.”
When a tenday passes without any reports of attacks by followers of the Dead Three, Zodge secures the funds to pay the characters, upholding his end of the agreement. He collects their badges before paying them.
Elfsong Tavern
The characters can either visit Elfsong Tavern in accordance with Captain Zodge’s wishes or do whatever else they please. Their goals at the tavern are to make contact with a spy named Tarina and find out what she knows about the Dead Three.
Zodge has spies who keep him informed on the characters' progress. If the characters don’t visit Elfsong Tavern within forty-eight hours of receiving their orders, Zodge sends a squad of six Flaming Fist Veteran and one flameskull to escort the characters to the tavern, kill anyone who refuses to go, and report back to him. If the characters destroy or escape this squad, Zodge mobilizes two more squads to hunt them down.
About the Tavern
Elfsong Tavern’s location is marked on map 1.1, while map 1.2 shows its interior.
From time to time, the disembodied voice of a female elf fills the tavern with a melancholy song, giving the establishment its name. The ballad isn’t loud enough to disrupt conversation, but most patrons stop speaking when the elfsong begins, then resume only after it ends. Many customers frequent the tavern in the hopes of hearing it. Those who speak Elvish can understand the lyrics, which lament an unnamed lover lost at sea. No one is sure how the spirit came to haunt the tavern, just as no one can predict when it will sing again.
Alan Alyth, the tavern’s current owner and proprietor, is a neutral half-elf commoner with
Taverns in Baldur’s Gate
No wise person walks the streets of Baldur’s Gate or enters one of its taverns without a weapon or an armed escort. Anyone who has lived in the city for more than a tenday knows this from experience. Taverns might appear safe at a glance, but they are among the most dangerous places in Baldur’s Gate—full of alcohol, tempting coin, and unscrupulous people. Volothamp Geddarm, a notorious raconteur known for his tavern reviews, encapsulates his Baldur’s Gate experience as “hard on the stomach, especially when someone sticks a knife in there.” Customers are expected to look after themselves when fights break out, and one shouldn’t expect any help or sympathy from the Flaming Fist. Tavern murders are common, and usually end with the poor victim being dragged away and either left in an alley (to be picked clean by urchins, then eaten by rats) or tossed in the harbor.
Baldur’s Bones: Baldur’s Bones is a popular dice game in the taverns of Baldur’s Gate. Each player requires several six-sided dice. The rules are as follows:
,- Each player puts the agreed ante in the pot.,- Each player rolls three dice. Play then proceeds clockwise around the table, with the host of the game going last.,- On their turn, a player can choose to “stand” or “roll.” If the player stands, the next player can take a turn. A player who rolls takes an additional die and rolls it. If the total of their dice exceeds 21, they “bust” and are out of the game. Otherwise they can keep rolling additional dice until they either stand or break.,- After everyone has had a turn, the highest point total (excluding players who busted) wins the game and takes the pot.
Tavern Patrons
If the characters come to Elfsong Tavern in search of Captain Zodge’s contact, Tarina, they find her playing cards upstairs in area area E7. Among the dozens of other patrons, they notice a few rats scurrying around as well as the following noteworthy NPCs, who play no part in the adventure but can be brought into the story as you see fit:
- Skrawldar Fane (neutral human commoner), a punch-drunk shipwright with no eyebrows
- Lala Stout (neutral evil lightfoot halfling spy), a scar-faced burglar flipping a coin
- Oloric Witmirth (neutral good human commoner), an impoverished playwright who scribbles his private thoughts and observations in a small book
- Whaul Nightley (neutral half-orc thug with
darkvision out to a range of 60 feet), a jovial, strong-jawed rat-catcher with a bellowing laugh - Rahima Sajiressa (lawful neutral human acolyte of Savras, god of divination and fate), a gregarious astrologer who loves to gamble
- Willow Brownbug (neutral good strongheart halfling druid), a snooty apothecary wearing a colorful cape
If the characters need help finding Tarina, a tavern regular, they are directed to the second floor (see “area Dealing with Tarina").
Tavern Locations
The following area descriptions are keyed to map 1.2.
E1. Taproom
Alan Alyth tends bar while two young men (human Commoner) named Falten and Yimiur take orders, deliver drinks and food to tables, and joke with the clientele. Flanking the entrance are two bouncers: a suit of animated armor called Klank and a gruff female Half-Ogre (Ogrillon) named Skoona. Both are here to protect the other staff members, not the patrons, and won’t break up a fight unless a staff member is involved.
Well-armed patrons (Commoner and Thug mostly) huddle around tables in the main room and in private booths. Three padded chairs are angled toward a fireplace on the east wall, underneath the creaky wooden staircase that climbs to the second floor. Some drunk is usually passed out on the couch against the north wall. Next to the couch sits a wooden sea chest that contains an assortment of games (Dragonchess boards, well-used decks of Three-Dragon Ante cards, and so on).
E2. Lounge
Although smoking is allowed anywhere in Elfsong Tavern, this lounge is a favorite hangout for members of a local smokers' club called the Puffer Fishers. Most of the club members are local fishers and crab catchers.
E3. Private Dining Room
This room is called the Green Dragon Room for the mounted head of a young green dragon that hangs on the south wall.
E4. Storage Alcove
Crates of fruit, barrels of fresh water, and casks of syrup and oil are kept here.
E5. Storeroom
This room contains crates of foodstuffs and spices, in addition to cleaning rags, brooms, broken chairs, and tools for repairing furniture.
E6. Kitchen
Alan Alyth employs three cooks (Commoner) to prepare meals: a cheery strongheart halfling executive chef named Chenna Fatrabbit, a testy human sous chef named Azar Valsheem, and a blind human pastry chef named Klav Martilmur. They work from highsun to midnight. Their specialties are fish cakes, crab cakes, a thick cheese-and-potato soup, and loaf pudding soaked in syrup and decorated with lightly salted almonds.
E7. Upstairs Dining Room
Lit lanterns hang from the rafters in this windowless room. Rugs cover the wooden floor and help dampen the noise from drunken patrons gathered around two large tables, eating and playing games of Baldur’s Bones (see the “area Taverns in Baldur’s Gate” sidebar).
One of the individuals seated at the table nearest the stairs is Tarina, the NPC whom the characters seek (see “area Dealing with Tarina").
E8. Private Dining Room
This room is called the Umber Hulk Room after the mounted head of an umber hulk hanging on the east wall.
E9. Fancy Guest Suite
This room is currently unoccupied, and its door is locked. In addition to a key he loans to guests, Alan has a master key that unlocks the door. Picking the lock requires
The richly appointed room contains velvet curtains, framed paintings of ships, a canopied bed, a night table, a sea chest, and a wardrobe. The door to the west opens up to a private dining room.
E10. Private Dining Room
The mounted head of a displacer beast hangs on the east wall near a small armoire to inspire this area’s name: the Displacer Beast Room.
E11. Large Guest Room
This room contains an unusual guest: a sahuagin priestess named Oshalla. She wears a cloak made from fishing nets, and speaks Common and Sahuagin. She was exiled from the depths for plotting a coup against her king.
Oshalla keeps to herself and has her meals brought to her three times per day. The door to her room is locked, and she wears the key on a cord around her neck. Alan has a master key that also unlocks the door. Picking the lock requires
In addition to a bed, night table, and chest, this room contains a desk, a chair, several paintings of coastal and underwater scenes, a portable bathtub, and a ten-foot-long, eight-foot tall bookcase that holds Oshalla’s collection of trinkets collected from the ocean (shells, barnacle-covered skulls, and the like). Oshalla doesn’t allow the tavern staff to clean her room or refresh the water in the tub, so both are filthy.
Treasure
Characters who search the desk drawer find a sharkskin pouch containing 66 gp and 49 sp, which Oshalla uses to pay for food and shelter. Resting against the south wall is a small wooden chest that contains a shrine to Sekolah, the shark god worshiped by sahuagin. The chest’s interior is lined with shark teeth and contains a 5-pound coral sculpture of Sekolah with red pearls for eyes (worth 250 gp as an art object).
E12. Plain Guest Rooms
The doors to these two rooms are locked. In addition to keys he loans to guests, Alan has a master key that unlocks both doors. Picking either lock requires
Each room contains a cozy bed, an empty wooden chest, and curtains on the window.
E13. Alan’s Bedroom
Alan carries a master key that unlocks the door to his private bedroom. Picking the lock requires
Alan’s room contains a bed with an ornate iron frame, a claw-footed chest, a night table, and a wardrobe. Splayed out on the floor in front of the wardrobe is a rug of smothering that attacks anyone other than Alan who steps on it or opens the chest.
Treasure
The chest’s interior is divided into three equal-sized compartments containing 91 gp, 176 sp, and 288 cp, respectively. Alan uses this money to pay his staff and maintain the tavern.
Dealing with Tarina
Tarina is a chaotic evil human bandit with a conniving mind. She plays regular games of Baldur’s Bones (see the “area Taverns in Baldur’s Gate” sidebar) with a coterie of local dimwits at a table in area area E7. Her fellow gamblers don’t realize she cheats.
“Tarina” is not a real name, of course. Before retiring to Baldur’s Gate, Tarina was a pirate known as Rhonda Thunderbell (also not her real name). After serving Captain Murosko Sessprin of the Uncivil Serpent faithfully for months, she stole loot from her fellow pirates and fled before they could stop her. Most of that loot has been spent in recent years, though Tarina has enough squirreled away to ensure she never goes hungry. She’s also in good standing with Nine-Fingers, guildmaster of the local thieves' guild, who gives her occasional work.
Tarina recently heard a rumor that her former shipmates had tracked her to Baldur’s Gate. She agrees to help the characters if they stay at Elfsong Tavern to see if the pirates to show up, then kill them all.
Killing Time in the Tavern
Exactly when Tarina’s former associates arrive is up to you, but the characters should have a bit of free time before they appear (as described in “area With Friends Like These"). Characters who loiter in the tavern can overhear patrons talking about the current happenings in Baldur’s Gate and the rumors from Elturel:
- “I’ll bet my last copper piece that those so-called refugees are advanced scouts for an army that’s preparing to attack Baldur’s Gate!”
- “The Flaming Fist is decapitated. The captains have already started bickering over who should be in charge with Ulder Ravengard gone.”
- “With Ravengard out of the way, who’ll be the next grand duke, I wonder? My money’s on Thalamra Vanthampur. Practically born in the sewers, she was, and more vicious than a swarm of rats.”
Elfsong
At some point before Tarina’s associates arrive, the tavern is filled with the ghostly lamentation of the elf spirit known to haunt the place. However, on this one occasion, the spirit sings not of a long-lost lover but of Elturel. This surprises everyone, including Alan Alyth, who has never heard the spirit change its tune. Characters who understand Elvish can translate the lyrics:
O sing a song of Elturel
_ Of water, woods, and hill_
The sun dawns on her ruddy cliffs
_ And fields green and still_.
This land of long-abiding joy
_ Home of the strong and brave_
Renowned by all, across the realms,
_ And never once a slave_.
O sing a song of Elturel
_ When foes are at her door_
Her fields torn by cloven feet
_ From some infernal shore_.
Arise the mighty Hellriders
_ Take up your swift, keen swords_
Then charge into the hellish fray
_ And scatter devil hordes_.
O sing a song of Elturel
_ And when the night does fall_
Sleep safe beneath Companion’s light
_ Until the dawn does call_.
We’re bound by mortal covenant
_ That only ends with death_
And so we’ll sing of Elturel
_ Until our final breath_.
Any character who has been to Elturel or who succeeds on a DC 15 Intelligence (
Characters who speak to Alan after hearing the song can ask him about it, since he speaks Elvish in addition to Common. However, he was so surprised by the change in lyrics that he remembers only parts of it. The spirit will sing the song a second time, but only if an elf or half-elf pleads with it to do so and succeeds on a DC 10 Charisma (
One word from the song sticks in Alan’s memory: “Hellriders.” Characters might recall Captain Zodge using the term to describe the knights of Elturel. Alan and most other residents of Baldur’s Gate use the word similarly. Any character who has been to Elturel or who succeeds on a DC 20 Intelligence (
With Friends Like These
Characters who wait for Tarina’s pirate friends find their patience rewarded in due time. Read the following to the players when it’s time for the pirates to arrive:
Eight motley humans saunter into the tavern. The leader is a brawny man with a cloudy right eye, a cruel sneer, and a pirate’s swagger. The others are an unsavory, rowdy bunch who act as if they own the place.
“We’re looking for an old friend of ours,” says the dead-eyed man. He sniffs the air. “Goes by the name ‘Tarina,’ or so I’m told. Loves to cheat at Baldur’s Bones.”
Captain Murosko Sessprin was killed during a mutiny six months ago, leaving his ship—the Uncivil Serpent—under the command of Sessprin’s treacherous first mate, a scoundrel named Lekard “Dead-Eye” Cadavrus. Dead-Eye is a neutral evil bandit captain whose cataract-clouded right eye inspires his nickname. He doesn’t like to bathe, and his breath smells like rotting fish. He’s joined by a gang of seven Bandit who share his evil disposition.
Dead-Eye offers a tall glass of ale to anyone with information on Tarina’s location, and several tavern patrons are quick to accept the offer. Characters can confront the pirates if they wish, but Dead-Eye won’t let them stand between him and his revenge. Two pirates watch the exit to make sure Tarina can’t escape while the others attack anyone who gets in Dead-Eye’s way.
Dead-Eye tries to kill Tarina on sight. Neither Alan nor the bouncers intervene in the fight unless one or more staff members become involved in it. Other patrons stay out of the fight as much as possible, though a character can attempt to bribe one friendly or indifferent NPC to join in as an action. With a successful DC 15 Charisma (
The characters can try to bribe Dead-Eye into leaving the Elfsong Tavern without his vengeance satisfied, but he demands 5,000 gp in coins or goods for his trouble. If characters claim to have the money or goods elsewhere, he laughs at them and says he doesn’t place any stock in their words. He’s far too suspicious to be fooled by so obvious a deception, and he can’t bring himself to believe that anyone would value Tarina’s life so highly.
Treasure
Tucked in Dead-Eye’s vest is a pouch containing 32 gp and 15 sp. He also wears two gold necklaces (25 gp each) and a blackened gold ring with a white pearl set in it (125 gp). Each of the other pirates carries a pouch containing
Dead-Eye’s ship, the Uncivil Serpent, is moored at the end of a dock on the east side of the harbor. Eleven Bandit guard it, and no treasure is kept aboard. If the characters dispose of all the pirates, the ship is theirs for the taking, though it requires a crew of twenty to sail, and half or more of the crew must have proficiency with water vehicles.
The Uncivil Serpent has the statistics of a sailing ship (see Owning a Ship; Airborne and Waterborne Vehicles of the Dungeon Master’s Guide). If you need a deck plan, use the ship map in appendix C of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. Although the ship is worth 10,000 gp intact, no one in Baldur’s Gate wants to buy it because of its infamous reputation.
What Tarina Knows
Once her pirate friends are dealt with, Tarina shares the following information with the characters:
“Several blocks northwest of here is a public bathhouse with a walled garden and frolicking nymphs carved into its front gates. Followers of the Dead Three have been seen coming and going from the bathhouse, and I’m told there’s a secret door inside that leads to a dungeon. That’s where the killers are hiding.”
If Tarina is killed, the characters can deliver her body to Captain Zodge, who makes arrangements with a priest to cast
With the knowledge provided by Tarina or her corpse, the characters can head to the bathhouse and search for the dungeon hidden below it. Make sure the characters advance to 2nd level before continuing the adventure. When the characters arrive at the bathhouse, proceed with the “Dungeon of the Dead Three” section.
Dungeon of the Dead Three
Before running this part of the adventure, read the information on the Dead Three in appendix D. Stat blocks for the Dead Three’s followers can be found there as well.
The Dungeon of the Dead Three is hidden below a bathhouse that’s secretly owned and operated by the Vanthampur family. One member of the family, Mortlock Vanthampur, is in the dungeon helping to coordinate the Dead Three cultists' attacks in the city. These attacks are meant to demonstrate to the citizens of Baldur’s Gate that the Flaming Fist can’t protect them.
Arrival at the Bathhouse
When the characters arrive at the bathhouse, read the following boxed text aloud to the players:
The bathhouse is a one-story stuccoed building with stained-glass windows and clay roof tiles. Ten-foot-tall walls enclose a large courtyard outside the southeast corner of the building. The closed wooden doors to the courtyard are engraved with images of smiling nymphs dancing and frolicking in water.
There’s nothing outwardly suspicious about the bathhouse, which features one of the most sophisticated plumbing systems in the city. The doors leading to the courtyard (area
Bathhouse Locations
The following area descriptions are keyed to map 1.3.
D1. Courtyard
Describe this location to the players as follows:
This L-shaped courtyard features a trimmed lawn and nicely manicured shrubbery. The yard is decorated with white marble benches and stone fountains, each in the form of a smiling nymph tipping a jug that spills water into a circular stone basin.
An
D2. Baths
From dawn to midnight, characters can expect to find
Describe this location to the players as follows:
The walls of this twenty-foot-high pillared chamber are adorned with frescoes of bathing royalty. Natural light streams through stained-glass windows, creating colorful patterns on the tiles of polished blue marble that cover the floor. Three shallow, sunken pools contain scintillating perfume-scented water. White marble benches bearing stacks of dry towels are situated near the pools, each of which comes equipped with a pair of brass faucets.
The faucets draw warm and cold water from pipes that run underneath the floor. A tight-fitting stone plug at the bottom of each pool keeps its water from draining out. Numerous tiny drain holes near the tops of the sunken pools prevent them from overflowing.
D3. South Massage Room
This room contains a massage table draped in clean towels. Bottles of perfume stored under the table are used to scent the pools in area
During the hours in which the bathhouse is open, an androgynous human masseuse (neutral good commoner) named Jabaz works here. Jabaz knows that the bathhouse is owned by Duke Thalamra Vanthampur and run by her brutish son, Mortlock.
Mortlock has given Jabaz strict orders not to hang around the bathhouse after hours. Jabaz suspects that Mortlock is running some sort of shady business on the side, and that he’s using the establishment as a front to conceal his dark dealings without the duke’s knowledge. Jabaz knows the location of the secret door in area
D4. North Massage Room
From midnight to dawn, a male human necromite of Myrkul by sounds of battle there. During the hours in which the bathhouse is open, a female human masseuse (neutral good commoner) named Qurmilah works here. She knows the same information as Jabaz in area
This room is furnished in the same fashion as area <wc-roll dice=“D3}, with the additional feature of a secret door in the north wall. A character who searches the north wall and succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (
D5. Welcome to the Dungeon
Duke Vanthampur became aware of this ancient dungeon while she was managing the city’s water utilities and sewer system. She built the bathhouse to hide it.
The chamber at the bottom of the staircase is empty, unlit, and flooded with foul-smelling water to a depth of 2 feet (see “Dungeon Features” below for more information).
Dungeon Features
The Dungeon of the Dead Three has the following recurring features:
- The dungeon’s rooms, corridors, and staircases are hewn from limestone and unlit unless the text states otherwise. (Followers of the Dead Three carry torches or rely on
darkvision to see in the dungeon.) - The 5-foot-wide corridors throughout the dungeon have 8-foot-high ceilings. Rooms have 9-foot-high ceilings, often braced with wooden beams. Each beam is a Large object with AC 15, 10 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. Destroying all the beams in an area has a 25 percent chance of triggering a roof collapse. Each creature under the collapsing roof must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 22 (
4d10 ) bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The area remains open but is difficult terrain thereafter. - Regular doors are made of soft, rotting wood. Each door is a Medium object with AC 15, 5 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. Secret doors are carved to look like the surrounding limestone walls and require a successful DC 10 Wisdom (
Perception ) check to locate. Once located, a secret door pushes open easily. - Certain areas of the dungeon (as shown on map 1.3) are flooded with murky water to a depth of 2 feet to make them difficult terrain. The water seeps into the dungeon from nearby sewers through cracks in the limestone. It carries a foul stench and is undrinkable.
D6. Bloated Corpse
Floating face-down in the middle of this flooded room is the bloated corpse of a shirtless male human with knife wounds in his back. The corpse was once a Bhaal worshiper named Hiskaal, who was killed by his cultist peers for allowing a target to escape during a recent attack in the city. Any character who inspects the corpse and succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (
D7. Bhaal’s Altar
Describe this location to the players as follows:
Three wooden beams brace the ceiling of this flooded chamber, which features a stone altar covered with entrails in the northeast corner. Hanging on the wall above the altar is a three-foot-tall steel mask cast in the form of a frowning human skull.
The steel skull mask represents the visage of Bhaal and has no magical properties.
The humanoid entrails were left on the altar as an offering to the god of murder. Pouring a vial of holy water on the entrails causes them to melt away and also causes the altar to smolder.
D8. Moldy Tapestry
The back wall of this dry alcove is hung with a 5-foot-wide, 7-foot-tall tapestry. It depicts a grisly scene of four faceless figures ripping apart a fifth figure, who is screaming. Characters who inspect the tapestry without touching it notice yellow mold growing around its edges. In fact, a 5-foot-square patch of yellow mold (see
D9. The Dead Three Doors
This chamber is empty but not bereft of decor. Carved into each of its three doors is a full-figure depiction of one of the Dead Three. A character recognizes all the figures with a successful DC 10 Intelligence (
East Door
The face of this door bears a carving of Bane, the lawful evil god of tyranny, who is depicted as a tall, armored man wearing a bucket helm. His right gauntlet is painted black and clutches a set of shackles.
North Door
This door bears a carving of Bhaal, the chaotic evil god of murder. He’s depicted as a powerfully built, skull-headed man with long, curved blades where his hands should be.
South Door
This door bears a carving of Myrkul, the neutral evil Lord of Bones. He is portrayed as a cloaked figure whose face is hidden under a cowl. In his skeletal hands, he clutches a screaming human skull.
D10. Necromites' Room
The creatures here watch area
Lying on the floor of this otherwise empty room are the pale bodies of three humans in filthy black robes, arranged in a triangular formation. A lit torch lies between them. A rough-hewn staircase to the left leads down to another torchlit chamber.
These three Necromite of Myrkul are playing dead. They conceal their skull-headed flails underneath their robes. Any character who watches the bodies carefully can determine that they’re alive with a successful DC 10 Wisdom (
The necromites leap to their feet and attack when any character enters the room, or if they are attacked first. They fight to the death to guard the treasure in area
D11. Partially Collapsed Crypt
This chamber has partially collapsed around a stone sarcophagus that was opened and looted long ago.
Treasure
The necromites in area
Spellbook 1 is bound in red leather and contains the following spells:
Spellbook 2 has the personal rune of its previous owner burned into its umber cover. This book contains the following spells:
Spellbook 3 is bound in scaly black reptile hide and contains the following spells:
D12. Bane’s Altar
Unless the characters take special care to approach quietly and without light sources, they alert the room’s occupants. Describe this area to the players as follows:
The eastern part of this room is unlit, flooded, and braced with floor-to-ceiling wooden beams. Rough-hewn steps rise out of the murky water to the western portion of the room, which is dry and lit by two torches in sconces that flank a stone altar. Shackled to the wall behind the altar is a sickly man in a loincloth with a burlap sack over his head. An alcove in the north wall contains a freestanding suit of plate armor missing its helm.
Standing before the altar are two grim figures: a powerfully built woman clutching a mace, and an even bigger man wearing a bucket helm. The helmed man is jabbing the prisoner with a spear, causing him to twitch. Both figures are clad in chain mail, and the woman carries a wooden shield with a leering skull painted on it.
The two armored figures are Kazzira, a female human fist of Bane.
The prisoner hanging on the west wall is Klim Jhasso, a male human noble captured in the Lower City two days ago after his bodyguard was slain. Klim is a neutral evil noble with 1 hit point remaining. He is unarmored (AC 10) and weaponless. He speaks Common and Elvish, but has no useful information to share. Klim guarantees that his family will pay a generous reward for his safe return to their estate in the Upper City—but the noble is lying. His mother is dead, his patriar father is ailing, and his three younger siblings crave their inheritance, which they would rather split three ways than four. The trading coster that the family part-owns is struggling and can’t afford to pay any large reward or ransom.
Klim’s shackles have AC 19, 10 hit points, and immunity to poison and psychic damage.
The suit of armor is welded together and is harmless, but its gauntlets are detachable. Both gauntlets are animated objects statistically identical to Flying Sword, except they deal bludgeoning damage instead of slashing damage. The gauntlets detach from the armor and attack anyone who disturbs them or frees the prisoner from his shackles.
D13. Morgue
Unless the characters approach this room quietly and without light sources, they alert the occupants here. Describe the area to the players as follows:
This partially collapsed room has three wooden beams bracing its ceiling. Situated between the beams is a scorched wooden table with a human cadaver resting atop it. A frighteningly thin woman in a black robe is studying the corpse, her face largely hidden under a cowl. Around her feet creep a swarm of skeletal rats.
The necromancer looming over the corpse is Flennis, a female human master of souls and the highest-ranking follower of Myrkul in the dungeon. Use the swarm of rats stat block in the Monster Manual to represent Flennis’s skeletal rats, which are undead instead of beasts. The swarm can be turned by any character with the Turn Undead feature, but spells that target beasts have no effect on it.
Flennis is preparing to make a zombie out of the corpse on the table, but the
Treasure
In addition to her robe and her flail, Flennis carries a dusty spellbook that contains all the spells she has prepared. The book has black leather covers and sports a tiny, skull-shaped locking mechanism. Flennis has the key to the lock stuck in her hair. A character can also pick the lock with a successful DC 10 Dexterity check made with
The first time a creature other than Flennis opens the book, a wisp of black smoke rises from its pages and coalesces into a skull that cackles madly for a few seconds before dissipating. The creature holding the book when the smoke appears must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution saving throw or be cursed for 24 hours, during which time the creature has vulnerability to necrotic damage. A
D14. Hungry Rat
An ordinary rat scurries around this room, looking for scraps of food. If the characters use a
The rat’s knowledge is limited to places it has visited—specifically areas
D15. Flooded Room
The flooded, rubble-strewn tunnels leading to and from this room narrow to a width of 2½ feet in places. Four rotting wooden beams rise from the murky water to brace the ceiling here. Rubble piled in the northwest corner contains nothing of interest.
D16. Flooded Crypt
Murky, foul-smelling water surrounds an open stone sarcophagus resting in the middle of this crypt, its stone lid lying broken in three pieces under the water north of it. A
Exposure to the dampness has rotted the bones in the sarcophagus, reducing them to black sludge.
Trap
If the contents of the sarcophagus are disturbed, a ghostly battleaxe appears above the sarcophagus. The battleaxe is created by magic similar to a
D17. Myrkul’s Altar
Read or paraphrase the following boxed text to the players when their characters first enter the room:
This dry, partially collapsed room contains a stone altar with humanoid skulls and bones piled around it. The top of the altar is covered with dozens of half-melted candles made of black wax, all currently unlit.
If one or more of the black candles on the altar are lit, they shed a green light that reveals black writing on the walls. The writing, which is not visible otherwise, says in Common, “RISE AND BE COUNTED!” If these words are spoken aloud within 5 feet of the altar, the words vanish as bones hidden under the debris at the north end of the room rise up and knit together, forming three animated human Skeleton. The skeletons are evil undead, but they obey the commands of whoever spoke the words that raised them, serving that individual until they’re destroyed or their master is killed.
D18. Gas Buildup
The ceiling of this flooded room is supported by numerous wooden beams. The air here smells like rotten eggs, a putrid stench that carries beyond the room. Any character approaching this area who succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (
Bringing a lit torch or other open flame into the gas-filled room triggers an explosion that fills the chamber. Creatures fully immersed in the water take no damage, but all others must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 14 (<wc-roll dice=“4d6}) fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. All the wooden beams that support the ceiling are destroyed in the explosion, which could cause a roof collapse (see “area Dungeon Features” in area {@dice D5”>BGDIA). The explosion also burns away the gas, which builds up slowly and becomes dangerous again after 24 hours.
D19. Partially Collapsed Crypt
Much of this room has fallen in, with the debris field mostly burying a stone sarcophagus that was looted years ago. Nothing of interest remains.
D20. Half-Plundered Crypt
An open sarcophagus stands at the back of this dusty crypt, its heavy stone lid lying on its side between the sarcophagus and the south wall. The north-facing side of the sarcophagus bears faded frescoes of spear-wielding warriors charging across golden plains on horseback.
Treasure
A casual search of the sarcophagus turns up nothing but dust and a few scattered humanoid bones. Any character who conducts a thorough search realizes that the sarcophagus has a false bottom made of inch-thick plaster. Smashing through this plaster layer reveals a cavity below that contains a human mummy floating in a shallow pool of red brine. The mummy has two moonstones (50 gp each) embedded in its eye sockets and a
D21. Zombie Crypt
Characters who listen at the door to this room hear faint humanoid moans in the room beyond. Describe the area to the players as follows:
Six moaning humans with rotting flesh shamble about this dusty crypt, which reeks of death. An open stone sarcophagus rests against the back wall, its shattered lid lying in pieces on the floor around it.
The shambling corpses are six Zombie) from the remains of the Dead Three cultists' murder victims. The zombies obey only their creator and attack all others, including other members of the Dead Three cult.
Carved into the north-facing side of the sarcophagus are ghastly images of human cannibalism. The sarcophagus was plundered long ago, and a search of its interior yields up only a jawless human skull and a few bone fragments.
D22. Torture Chamber
Followers of Bane torture and interrogate prisoners here. Describe this room to the players as follows:
The walls and floor of this room are covered with streaks and splashes of dried blood. Two dangling bodies are shackled to the east and south walls. One is an elderly male human; the other, a young female tiefling. Both are covered in bloody gashes, and neither is moving. In the middle of the room is a sturdy wooden chair with a bloody whip draped over it. A bucket half filled with salt sits on the floor nearby.
The followers of Bane rub salt into the wounds of the prisoners they torture here. Yignath the iron consul (see area
The male human is dead. He was Effinax Zalbor, a caravan coordinator employed by the Jhasso patriar family, which is part-owner of a trading coster that operates throughout the Western Heartlands (see area
The female tiefling has 0 hit points, and is
If set free, Vendetta stays with the characters until an opportunity to escape presents itself. Before that, though, she shares the following piece of information with her liberators. During her incarceration, she heard what sounded like a heavy stone door scraping open and closed from time to time, accompanied by the sound of splashing footsteps. The noise came from the north. This information might lead characters to search for a secret door in that direction (see area
If Vendetta survives her ordeal in the dungeon, she spreads tales of her harrowing escape through her web of contacts in Baldur’s Gate, which includes just about every tavern proprietor in the city.
D23. Secret Door and Sentry
This flooded tunnel has a secret door in the north wall that swings open into area
D24. Myrkul’s Rest
Followers of Myrkul use this plundered crypt as a place to rest. Describe it to the players as follows:
Four flickering torches in wall sconces illuminate this crypt, the middle of which is occupied by an open stone sarcophagus. The sarcophagus bears no carvings or other ornamentation, but is full of humanoid skulls and bones. Six dusty bedrolls lie on the floor around it.
The Myrkulites filled the sarcophagus with skulls and bones found throughout the dungeon, creating an altar of sorts to the Lord of Bones.
D25. Bane’s Rest
Slumped against the walls of this plundered, partially collapsed crypt are four sleeping Fist of Bane, they grab their weapons and quickly mobilize to repel any intrusion.
The room is lit by two sputtering torches in sconces on the north and west walls. A stone sarcophagus in the middle of the room stands empty, its lid half buried under rubble on the floor behind it.
D26. Bhaal’s Rest
Read or paraphrase the following boxed text when the characters enter this area for the first time:
Four flickering torches in wall sconces light this partially collapsed crypt. An open sarcophagus in the middle of the area is filled to the rim with blood, with spillage streaking the sides of the sarcophagus and pooling around its base. The sarcophagus lid lies half buried under rubble behind it.
Bhaal worshipers like to bathe in the human blood that fills the sarcophagus. A female reaper of Bhaal, where she hopes to find reinforcements. If she leads the party to a location occupied by other cultists, she drops the disguise and attacks. She also attacks if her spell ends before then.
D27. Echoes of Battle
This ten-foot-wide flooded passage is braced at regular intervals by wooden beams. Old torch stubs float on the murky water. At the point where the tunnel bends west toward area
D28. Old Cellar
This flooded room was once a cellar, with the collapsed eastern passage marking a staircase that formerly led up to a residence in the city. Hidden under the murky water are four animated human Skeleton that rise up and attack anyone who crosses the room.
D29. Mortlock Vanthampur
The sounds of combat intensify as the characters approach this area. Describe the scene to the players as follows:
Beyond the hall, a flooded chamber opens up with rough-hewn steps climbing to the south, north, and northeast. The floor buckles up above the water line in the middle of the room, forming a small island. Corpses and doused torches float in the water around the island, atop which two men circle each other with weapons bared. One of the men—a tall, unarmored brute with a greatclub and a scarred face—towers above his opponent but is gravely wounded. The smaller figure is muscular and bare-chested. He clutches a bloody dagger in one hand and a torch in the other, and has no flesh covering his skull.
The man with the greatclub is twenty-nine-year-old Mortlock Vanthampur, who has 30 hit points left. His opponent is an uninjured death’s head of Bhaal named Vaaz. Four other Dead Three cultists lie dead in the water, their skulls caved in by Mortlock.
Mortlock is tolerated by his mother, Duke Thalamra Vanthampur, and despised by his older brothers, Thurstwell and Amrik, who view him as a simpleton and an abomination. Half of Mortlock’s face was scarred by fire when he was a child, and his disfigurement gives him a fearsome countenance. He was sent to the bathhouse dungeon by his mother to help the followers of the Dead Three coordinate attacks against the city. When it became clear that the Dead Three cultists could function without Mortlock’s support, Thurstwell and Amrik conspired with several Bhaal cultists to assassinate Mortlock without their mother’s knowledge.
Mortlock and Vaaz stop fighting when the characters arrive. Believing them to be Mortlock’s associates, Vaaz disengages from the fight on his next turn and withdraws to area
- “I was betrayed. These assassins conspired with my brothers to kill me. If you hadn’t come along, I’d be dead. I owe you my life.”
- “My family is paying the Dead Three cultists to murder people in the city. Our goal is to prove that the Flaming Fist can’t do its job. Once the city stops paying them, the Flaming Fist will have less of a reason to stay in Baldur’s Gate. With them gone, no one can stand in the way of my mother becoming the city’s next grand duke. If she gets her way, Baldur’s Gate will share Elturel’s fate and get dragged down into the Nine Hells.”
- “My mother is one of the three remaining members of the Council of Four, which governs Baldur’s Gate. She was instrumental in convincing Ulder Ravengard to travel to Elturel and meet with its high overseer, Thavius Kreeg. With Ravengard gone, the Flaming Fist is leaderless and vulnerable.”
- “The Dead Three cultists receive regular payments from my brother, Amrik, who runs his own moneylending business out of a tavern called the Low Lantern. My mother doesn’t expect much of me, but she thinks the world of Amrik. He’s always been her favorite.”
- “My oldest brother, Thurstwell, uses imps as spies throughout the city. He has the bathhouse under surveillance and probably knows you’re here. He’s very sickly and seldom leaves our mother’s estate.”
- “If you’ve made it this far, you’ve killed most of the leaders of the Dead Three cult. Without them, the cult will break up. The cultists keep their treasure nearby.” (Mortlock points toward area
D30 .)
If the characters let him go, Mortlock hides in the city until he can book passage on a ship and leave Baldur’s Gate. He has no intention of ever returning.
Mortlock is afraid to confront his mother or his brothers. That said, a successful DC 14 Charisma (
D30. Tiamat’s Stolen Treasure
A short flight of stairs climbs to a circular chamber with four padlocked wooden chests piled in the middle of it. The chests are locked, but characters might have wrested the keys from the iron consul in area
Treasure
Each chest weighs 25 pounds empty, and all four contain loot stolen from Tiamat’s hoard on Avernus. This treasure was brought to Baldur’s Gate by devils in league with Zariel, and was given to the Dead Three cultists by Amrik Vanthampur on behalf of his mother, Duke Thalamra Vanthampur. The contents of each chest are described below.
Chest 1 holds 4,500 cp and two red crystal vials with gold stoppers (25 gp each). Each vial contains a
Chest 2 contains ten eye agates (10 gp each) scattered amid 1,250 sp. With the coins and gemstones inside, the chest weighs 37 pounds.
Chest 3 contains a delicate porcelain dragon mask (25 gp) resting on a bed of 2,400 cp and 500 sp. With the coins inside, the chest weighs 55 pounds. The mask weighs 1 pound.
Chest 4 contains a bronze crown with five spires (250 gp). Each spire is shaped and painted to resemble one of the five kinds of chromatic dragons (black, blue, green, red, and white). The crown weighs 2½ pounds.
D31. Torches
A wooden crate is stored in this otherwise empty alcove. The crate can hold sixty torches, but is in need of restocking. Only five torches remain.
D32. Stolen Goods
Nine wooden crates are scattered throughout this room. Scurrying among them are six harmless Rat.
Treasure
Six of the crates are empty except for packing straw. The other three contain stolen goods that the cultists have not yet disbursed, including ten days' worth of rations, a
D33. Covenant of the Dead Three
If Vaaz fled area
Burned torch stubs litter the floor of this hall, the western end of which is occupied by three six-foot-tall, painted wooden statues. Each statue stands atop a two-foot-high block of red stone, making it look taller and foreboding.
The center statue resembles a heavily armored man whose face is hidden behind the fearsome visor of his helmet. He’s painted red except for his right gauntlet, which is black. Clutched in this gauntlet is a blood-red spear, pointed upward. The statue to the north depicts a purple-garbed male noble wearing a harlequin mask and holding a dagger behind his back. The statue to the south portrays a black-robed skeleton with its jaw opened wide and its bony hands outstretched.
Banites, Bhaalites, and Myrkulites convene in this room to plan attacks against the city above. These meetings are often contentious, though the followers of Bhaal and Myrkul usually bend to the whims of the more strategically minded Bane worshipers.
Each statue is solid wood and weighs 150 pounds. A statue can be knocked off its pedestal with a successful DC 10 Strength (
Bane Statue
The statue of the armored man represents Bane. Its spear is real but nonmagical. The first time any humanoid comes within 5 feet of this statue, it must succeed on a DC 12 Charisma saving throw or be compelled to kneel. While kneeling before the statue, the creature can’t move or take actions or reactions. The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Bhaal Statue
This statue’s harlequin mask is a separate piece that can be unhinged and removed, revealing Bhaal’s ghastly, skull-like visage underneath.
Myrkul Statue
Anyone who desecrates this statue is cursed by the Lord of Bones. Until the curse is ended with a
Surprise! Dragon Cultists!
If the characters rid the dungeon of the worshipers of Bane, Bhaal, and Myrkul, any remaining followers of the Dead Three avoid the dungeon and the bathhouse once they realize those locations are no longer safe.
As the characters exit the dungeon and leave the bathhouse, they have one final encounter in the courtyard (area
As you emerge from the bathhouse, five figures leap down from the top of the courtyard wall to confront you. In addition to their black leather armor, they wear strange masks and cloaks that give each of them a vaguely dragon-like appearance. All five brandish curved steel blades reminiscent of dragon claws.
The figures are four human Cultist of Tiamat led by a male human cult fanatic named Ultiss. These chaotic evil worshipers of Tiamat have been sent by Arkhan the Cruel (see area chapter 3) to retrieve the treasure stolen from the dragon queen’s hoard on Avernus by agents of Zariel—treasure given to Duke Vanthampur and her sons to buy the loyalty of the Dead Three followers.
Guided by visions sent to them by Tiamat, the cultists know when they’re within 1,000 feet of her stolen loot. If the characters took any of the treasure from area
If it’s present when the cultists of Tiamat confront the characters, the
Where Next?
Convinced that his two older brothers conspired to kill him, Mortlock Vanthampur urges the characters to capture or kill Amrik at a dockside tavern called the Low Lantern. The adventure assumes that the characters visit this location next. If the characters require an additional incentive to go after Amrik, Mortlock assures them that his mother values Amrik’s well-being enough to negotiate for his release if the characters capture him. He suggests that it would be most unwise to oppose a duke of Baldur’s Gate without leverage. If the characters decide to attack Vanthampur Villa instead, skip to the “area Vanthampur Villa” section.
Having conquered the Dungeon of the Dead Three, the characters should advance to 3rd level before they head off to the Low Lantern or Vanthampur Villa.
More Dead Three Encounters
Characters who clear out the Dungeon of the Dead Three might encounter more servants of Bane, Bhaal, or Myrkul in other parts of Baldur’s Gate. These villains (see appendix D) usually operate as mixed groups of Banites, Bhaalites, and Myrkulites. Here are a few appropriate encounters for a party of four or five characters of 3rd to 5th level:
Abduction Squad (for 3rd-level characters): Four Fist of Bane, three Night Blade, and two Necromite of Myrkul try to capture one or more city residents, in the hopes of torturing or ransoming them.
Murder Squad (for 4th-level characters): An iron consul with two Fist of Bane as bodyguards uses three Night Blade as scouts and assassins to pick off random passersby. A skull lasher of Myrkul provides magical support, casting
darkness spells to confound foes and facilitate escape.Revenge Squad (for 5th-level characters): A black gauntlet of Bane comes after the characters with two Reaper of Bhaal and a master of souls, who commands an undead force of six Skeleton or four Zombie.
Low Lantern
The Low Lantern is an aging, three-masted merchant ship permanently docked on the east side of the harbor. Far past the point of being seaworthy, the vessel was converted into a tavern and gambling house that is open all day and night. The dice game Baldur’s Bones is just as popular here as in other taverns throughout Baldur’s Gate (see the “area Taverns in Baldur’s Gate” sidebar).
About the Tavern
The Low Lantern’s location is marked on map 1.1, while map 1.4 shows its interior. Describe the tavern to the players as follows:
Fog obscures the Low Lantern until you get within a hundred feet of it, whereupon its tall masts and creaking bulk come into view. The converted ship has rigging but no sails, and is anchored to the wharf by thick chains. A wooden staircase climbs from the wharf’s edge to the main deck. A lantern at the bow casts an eerie green light to signify that the tavern is open for business.
The Low Lantern is quiet during the day, with just a few patrons drinking and gambling below decks. The place comes alive at night, and is a popular site for conducting clandestine meetings with some of the city’s least scrupulous inhabitants, including pirates and off-duty Flaming Fist mercenaries.
The owner and proprietor is Laraelra Thundreth, a middle-aged female human mage known as “the Captain” to her staff and regular patrons. Laraelra is neutral and doesn’t concern herself with the private affairs of her clientele, nor does she mind when visitors get rowdy or turn violent—as long as they’re willing to pay for damages afterward. In public, Laraelra is often seen with her crab familiar perched on one shoulder. From dawn till noon, she retires to her cabin (area area L4) to eat, rest, and read her spellbook.
The Low Lantern serves drinks and snacks, but no meals. At any given time, the staff includes two kenku bartenders and six bouncers (human Thug). The staff operates in three eight-hour shifts, with one group leaving as the next shift arrives.
Tavern Patrons
The Low Lantern attracts the city’s least affluent residents, as well as foreign merchants and sailors with coin to lose. Patrons who are present during the characters' initial visit include the following:
- Grimboot (lawful evil duergar), a gruff, cross-eyed leg breaker who collects debts for the local thieves' guild
- Hitoshi Jade (neutral human commoner), a drunken sailor from a merchant ship called the Golden Gull, owned by the Irlentree patriar family
- Jorunn Nighbury (neutral human commoner), a shy horse breeder employed by the Belt patriar family but burdened by gambling debt
- Skadric Salakar (neutral evil human veteran), a lazy Flaming Fist soldier who was suspended for a tenday without pay for dereliction of duty
- Prynn Derringwhistle (lawful neutral strongheart halfling commoner), a spectacles-wearing barnacle scraper who likes to belt out old sea shanties
- Aerith and Beldan (chaotic good drow), awkward and inseparable twins who left the Underdark in search of adventure on the surface
Amrik Vanthampur runs his own business out of the Low Lantern with Laraelra’s consent. Characters looking for him are directed to area area L6.
Tavern Locations
The following area descriptions are keyed to map 1.4.
L1. Main Deck
Describe this area to the players as follows:
The main deck of the old ship features wooden steps that climb to the forecastle and aftcastle, and another set of stairs descending into the ship. A padlocked wooden hatch fitted with windows acts as a skylight for the deck below—the tavern proper, visible through the hatch’s glass panes. Four dead seagulls lie on the deck and two ravens squawk at you from the crow’s nest, a forty-foot climb up the ship’s rigging.
The ravens are two Imp in shapechanged form. Thurstwell Vanthampur uses the imps to keep an eye on his brother, Amrik Vanthampur. The imps take malevolent delight in killing any seagulls that happen by, and the tavern staff can’t figure out why the decks are always littered with seagull carcasses. A character who examines a dead seagull and succeeds on a DC 13 Wisdom (
If the imps see Amrik leave the ship, they trail him to make sure he isn’t being followed. If they realize Amrik is in danger, they swoop down to attack whoever appears to be threatening him. The imps otherwise avoid combat and turn
L2. Forecastle
This deck is littered with the corpses of
On warm, clear nights, Laraelra moves tables, chairs, and lanterns onto this deck so that clients can drink and gamble under the stars.
L3. Aftcastle
The captain’s wheel and rudder are gone, leaving holes and empty fixtures where they used to be. As with area area L2, Laraelra sometimes moves tables, chairs, and lanterns onto this deck so that clients can be outdoors on nights when the weather is nice.
L4. Laraelra’s Cabin
The lock on Laraelra’s cabin door has rusted to the point of being useless, and she hasn’t bothered to replace it. Consequently, her cabin is unlocked. One of the bouncers in area area L5 keeps an eye on the door and roughs up anyone other than Laraelra who tries to open it.
Describe the cabin’s features to the players as follows:
This cabin is full of mismatched wooden furniture, including a bed with posts carved to resemble mermaids, a nightstand, a wardrobe, a writing desk with a fur-draped chair, and a small dining table surrounded by four plain chairs. Near the foot of the bed rests an ornately carved sea chest sealed with a padlock.
Laraelra hides the key to the chest in the adjacent bedpost, whose top unscrews to reveal the hidden compartment where the key is sequestered. The chest’s padlock can otherwise be picked with a successful DC 20 Dexterity check made with
In addition to the items described under “Treasure” below, the chest contains four flying daggers that attack anyone other than Laraelra who opens the chest. Use the flying sword stat block to represent the daggers, but make these changes:
- Each flying dagger is a Tiny construct with 7 (
3d4 ) hit points and a challenge rating of 1/8 (25 XP). - Each flying dagger deals 3 (
1d4 + 1 ) piercing damage on a hit.
Treasure
The chest contains a nice pair of boots, a bottle of fine wine (10 gp), a bundle of letters from an unnamed admirer, and Laraelra’s spellbook, which contains all the spells she has prepared plus
L5. Taproom and Gambling Hall
This is the busiest and noisiest part of the ship, and it reeks of sweat, cheap ale, rotting timbers, and old vomit. Three bouncers (Thug) position themselves so they can see everything that happens here. If Laraelra is not in her cabin (area L4), she is seated at the short end of the bar with her crab familiar on her shoulder.
Laraelra greets newcomers with a rehearsed speech:
“Well met! My name is Laraelra Thundreth, but folks around here call me the Captain. If you’re thirsting for a beverage or looking to gamble, you’ve come to the right place, but watch your step. Things can get pretty messy around here.”
Use the “Tavern Patrons” section earlier to flesh out the occupants of this area as needed. There’s always someone eager to play Baldur’s Bones here.
The tavern is lit by hanging oil lanterns and whatever natural light slips through the glass hatch and the ship’s grimy portholes. Those portholes are 1½ feet in diameter, with rusty latches on the inside that hold them shut.
L6. Tavern Lounge
This tavern lounge fills an entire deck and is lit by oil lanterns hanging from the 8-foot-high ceiling by 1-foot-long chains. The windowless deck contains a bar, couches, coffee tables, and tables where patrons can socialize and gamble. Three of Laraelra’s bouncers (Thug) stand in plain view across the deck.
Amrik Vanthampur has turned a pair of couches and a coffee table near the aft wall into his personal office. He runs a moneylending business from this location, and many of his regular clients are down-on-their-luck gamblers who can’t cover their debts. In exchange for this space, Amrik pays for the wine that is delivered to the Low Lantern, making Laraelra’s business profitable.
Thirty-three-year-old Amrik sits alone on the starboard couch, his feet on the table and his eyes on the room. He keeps the port couch open for clients and employs two bodyguards. Kasharra, a spined devil, perches on the back of Amrik’s couch. Vhaltus, a sleepy-eyed lawful evil human thug with red hair in a ponytail, sits at the closest end of the bar. Vhaltus carries a small sack containing 150 gp, which Amrik loans to clients. If he thinks his life is in real danger, Amrik detonates a concealed smoke bomb before fleeing up the stairs, leaving his bodyguards to cover his escape.
Amrik loves to exchange pleasantries over drinks before conducting business. He has trained Laraelra’s staff to recognize a variety of innocuous hand gestures that signal them to deliver drinks to the table. If he wants poison added to his clients' drinks, he has a secret sign for that. Hidden behind the bar is a small bottle containing four doses of
L7. Guest Cabin
This guest cabin is not currently occupied. Its furnishings include a bed, a wardrobe, an empty desk, and a chair. An oil lantern hangs from a rusty hook bolted to the mast.
The lock on the cabin door has rusted to the point of being useless, but the desk chair can be wedged under the doorknob to keep the door from being opened. If the chair is so used, opening the door requires a successful DC 13 Strength (
L8. Sleeping Quarters
This area is prone to leaks, as the ship’s hull is mostly submerged at this level. Puddles of water collect in areas where the floor has bowed, and the whole space reeks of vomit and urine.
Four alcoves here are set with cheap cots where drunks can sleep off their hangovers. In the bow are four hammocks that serve a similar purpose. At any given time,
Dealing with Amrik
Unless the characters attack him at once, Amrik assumes they’ve come to him for a loan. He is more than happy to provide one, up to a limit of 150 gp (the amount currently carried by his bodyguard Vhaltus). Amrik’s terms are simple: he expects repayment in a tenday and charges 25 percent interest on the loan. As a member of the influential Vanthampur family, Amrik has plenty of muscle he can bring to bear against anyone who defaults on a loan, and his family’s influence extends beyond Baldur’s Gate.
The characters might try to secure a loan, with or without the intention of paying it back. Characters who plan to rip off Amrik must succeed on a Charisma (
Characters can try to interrogate Amrik for information, but he’s a practiced liar who won’t incriminate himself or any family member he fears, including his mother and older brother. If the characters mention Mortlock, Amrik accuses that “scar-faced hulk” of consorting with the lowest of the low in Baldur’s Gate to bring ruin to their family. Amrik’s utter disdain for his younger brother is palpable, though he won’t admit to his participation in a conspiracy to assassinate Mortlock. If the characters level accusations against him, Amrik tries to shift the blame to Mortlock. Failing that, he invokes his mother’s name and reputation as a shield, hoping the characters will think twice about offending or harming the favored son of Duke Thalamra Vanthampur.
Amrik never battles to the death, and he surrenders if he can’t fight, talk, or slither his way out of a perilous situation. If the characters defeat Amrik’s bodyguards and take him prisoner, he does what he’s told until an opportunity to escape presents itself. The staff of the Low Lantern do not intervene.
If the characters kill Amrik aboard the Low Lantern, Laraelra warns them that his death will incur the wrath of Duke Thalamra Vanthampur. She suggests that they flee Baldur’s Gate at once—before they end up as fish food at the bottom of the harbor.
Reya Mantlemorn
Before the characters leave the Low Lantern, a new arrival greets them. Read the following to the players:
A cloaked figure approaches, armor clanking with each step. One gloved hand rests on the hilt of a longsword. The other pulls back a cowl to reveal the face of a teenager with brown skin, red hair, and a haunting gaze.
The cloaked figure is Reya Mantlemorn, a lawful good female human Hellrider (use the veteran stat block). Reya speaks Common.
Born in the land of Turmish, Reya came to the holy city of Elturel to train as a Hellrider when she was twelve. As a faithful follower of Torm, Reya is prepared and has trained to sacrifice herself for the greater good.
Reya’s Tale
Reya was training a few miles north of Elturel when the city vanished. She watched in disbelief as the Companion’s light went out, turning black as the city appeared to crumble and sink below the horizon—a horrific image that Reya has been unable to get out of her mind. She returned to Elturel to find a crater where the city once stood, then took it upon herself to lead a group of fearful refugees west to Baldur’s Gate. Before the Flaming Fist closed the city gates, Reya and a handful of others managed to sneak inside, but they didn’t get far before a group of Flaming Fist soldiers confronted them. The refugees scattered, and Reya soon found herself cornered by a Flaming Fist thug. She wounded the soldier with her longsword, fled down an alley, and stole a cloak to better conceal her armor and weapons. She’s been a wanted fugitive ever since.
Reya hasn’t been in Baldur’s Gate long, but she’s quickly concluded that the city is a cesspool of corruption with death lurking around every foggy corner. She’s investigating a rumor that Thavius Kreeg, the high overseer of Elturel, is in the city. Reya hasn’t confirmed whether the rumor is true, but reports say that Kreeg was seen in the company of four guards employed by the Vanthampur family. The Vanthampur estate is located in the Upper City, beyond her reach, but she has learned that Amrik Vanthampur runs a business out of the Low Lantern. She aims to question him about the veracity of the rumor.
Reya knows nothing of Thavius Kreeg’s treachery. She simply wants answers regarding what happened to Elturel. If it’s possible to save the city, the Hellrider is prepared to do whatever it takes to do so. As for Baldur’s Gate, she could care less what happens to it. “I hope the rats eat it,” she says scornfully.
If the characters appear valiant and forthright, Reya takes a liking to them immediately. Once she realizes that her quest parallels theirs, she asks to join them as they prepare to visit Vanthampur Villa.
If the characters reveal that they’re working for the Flaming Fist, Reya draws her longsword in a panic, expecting to have to defend herself. Characters can allay her fears by saying they have no intention of arresting her. In the interests of full disclosure, Reya admits that she’s being hunted by the Flaming Fist for an “unfortunate altercation” that wasn’t entirely her fault.
If Reya Joins the Party
Reya is willing to join the adventuring party if the characters let her. She has no friends in Baldur’s Gate, and she can’t reach Vanthampur Villa in the heavily guarded Upper City without help. She does her best to aid the party, as long as the characters' actions and decisions lead her closer to discovering the truth of what happened to Elturel. Once the city’s fate becomes known to her, Reya leaps at any chance to rescue the city from the Nine Hells.
As an NPC, Reya falls under the DM’s control. But if running her becomes too much of a burden for you, see if one of the players wants to run Reya as a secondary character. You can provide the consenting player with a copy of the veteran stat block in the Monster Manual.
Vanthampur Villa
Vanthampur Villa is located in the Upper City, which is populated by the wealthiest residents of Baldur’s Gate and heavily patrolled by the Watch. The villa’s location is marked on map 1.1, while map 1.5 shows its interior. The villa connects with the dungeon and sewer complex shown on map 1.6.
The characters might want to visit Vanthampur Villa after leaving the Dungeon of the Dead Three or paying a visit to Amrik Vanthampur at the Low Lantern. If they take Amrik prisoner, they can count on Reya Mantlemorn to keep a close eye on him.
Getting to the Villa
Twenty Guard of the Watch vigilantly are posted at every gate to the Upper City. If the characters present the badges given to them by Captain Zodge, the Watch members let them pass through the gates, even if they are accompanied by a prisoner or a known fugitive such as Reya Mantlemorn. Any character without a badge is questioned and required to pay a gate toll of 2 cp.
If the characters have Amrik as their prisoner, he does nothing to provoke a confrontation with the guards at the gate, fearing he might be hurt.
The Vanthampur Family
Thalamra Vanthampur is a cunning, devil-worshiping beast of a woman in her late sixties who can stare down a hell hound without flinching. She is barrel-bodied, with strong hands and forearms that speak to her beginnings as a manual laborer. Her youth was spent in the cellars and sewers of Baldur’s Gate, repairing pipes and clearing out the city’s filth. Thalamra rose from such lowly work to become the minister of the city’s sewers and waterworks. Now she dresses in the finery that suits her station as a duke of Baldur’s Gate.
Thalamra orchestrated the disappearance of Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard to fulfill her ultimate goal of becoming the new grand duke of Baldur’s Gate. When not engaged in political matters, she conducts her most secret business in the dungeon complex below her villa.
Thalamra is a widow three times over, and each of her dead husbands was kind enough to give her a son. Her oldest boy, Thurstwell, is a pale and sullen recluse in his forties. A veritable shut-in, he uses imps to spy on his brothers, Amrik and Mortlock. Thurstwell resents both of them—Amrik for being their mother’s favorite, and Mortlock for being a monstrous dolt.
Thurstwell’s real problem is that his mother doesn’t see him as her successor, and is grooming Amrik to fill that role. Despite his jealousy, Thurstwell would never visit harm upon Amrik for fear of incurring his mother’s wrath. Mortlock is a different matter, as it’s been made abundantly clear that Thalamra would disown him had she not agreed to the dying wish of her third husband to look after Mortlock despite his countless imperfections.
The last member of the Vanthampur family is Slobberchops, a mean-looking tressym (winged cat) with a bobtail and numerous battle scars. Characters who encounter Slobberchops can try to befriend it (see area area V5).
About the Villa
Vanthampur Villa is a stately stone edifice with a detached stable house. Both buildings have sloped rooftops covered with red clay tiles. A 12-foot-high stone wall encloses the villa. Lanterns hanging along the wall’s interior are lit at dusk and extinguished at dawn to illuminate the yard and villa at night. The wall features three wooden gates—the main entrance and a coach gate to the south, and a postern gate to the north.
The villa’s wooden doors and lead-framed windows aren’t locked, and the Vanthampurs employ guards to patrol the yard (see area area V1). The guards live elsewhere and change shifts every six hours.
Servants
The Vanthampurs employ four full-time live-in servants (all neutral human Commoner):
- Fendrick Gray, a decrepit seventy-year-old butler
- Sarvinder Peck, a salty fifty-two-year-old groundskeeper and stable master
- Gabourey D’Vaelan, a fussy thirty-five-year-old cook
- Ambra Fallwater, a plainspoken nineteen-year-old maid
Ambra is a recent hire to replace the previous maid, whom Duke Vanthampur threw down the stairs for breaking a vase.
Villa Locations
The following area descriptions are keyed to map 1.5.
V1. Yard
Nine lawful evil human Guard patrol the yard in three groups of three. When the characters first arrive, these groups are located at the points marked “V1” on map 1.5, and are circling the yard counterclockwise.
The guards attack anyone who trespasses onto the estate without the consent or prior notification of Duke Vanthampur or one of her sons. If the characters have Amrik or Mortlock with them, they can convince either of the duke’s sons to talk them past the guards. Otherwise, the characters need to kill the guards or sneak past them. The guards are too well paid to accept bribes, and they have no respect for the Flaming Fist. To sneak past a group of guards, each character must succeed on a DC 13 Dexterity (
V2. Stable House
This stone building contains stables for four Draft Horse, plus a fully equipped smithy with an anvil and a hearth. Sarvinder Peck (see “area Servants” above) can be encountered here, making and fitting new shoes for the horses.
Trapdoor
A 3-foot-square flagstone in the southwest corner of the stable doubles as a hidden trapdoor in the floor. Any character who searches the area finds the trapdoor with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (
V3. Foyer
If the characters knock on the front doors, the butler, Fendrick Gray (see “area Servants"), makes his way here from area area V10 to greet them. He ushers them in if they are expected, but turns them away otherwise.
Describe this area to the players as follows:
Apart from the main entrance, this room has two exits. A plaster shelf lined with ornate vases circles the room at a height of nine feet. Spread across the flagstone floor is a ten-foot-wide, fifteen-foot-long rug of exquisite design, depicting a royal coronation. Two tapestries hanging on the walls depict a dragon flying over a ship and pilgrims on camels, respectively.
Four
Treasure
The vases, rug, and tapestries are valuable art objects, though they don’t go well together. Each of the sixteen vases weighs 2 pounds and is worth 25 gp. The rug weighs 50 pounds and is worth 250 gp. Each of the two tapestries weighs 5 pounds and is worth 75 gp.
V4. Servants' Quarters
This undecorated room contains four single beds and a dining table for the manor’s servants. The servants keep spare uniforms and other personal belongings in drawers under their beds. Nothing of value is kept here.
V5. Kitchen
Pleasant aromas fill this area throughout the day as cook Gabourey D’Vaelan (see “area Servants") prepares meals for the Vanthampurs and their staff. Gabourey doesn’t like other people in the kitchen while she works.
Pots, pans, and cooking utensils dangle above three wooden preparation tables in the middle of the room, and shelves are lined with bowls, platters, herbs, spices, and dried goods. A dumbwaiter with a manually operated rope-and-pulley system allows meals to be delivered to Duke Vanthampur’s bedroom (area area V17). A tiny bell near the dumbwaiter rings whenever the duke wants food sent up to her.
Slobberchops the tressym prowls the kitchen, killing rats and eating whatever Gabourey drops on the floor. Slobberchops has no loyalty to the Vanthampur family, and detests Thurstwell and his imp spies. The tressym befriends any character who feeds it, following that character around the house and using its Detect Invisibility trait to warn of
V6. Pantry
Food and drink is stored on shelves in this musty room.
V7. Stairs Down
This room contains a barrel of fresh water and a brick-walled staircase that descends 15 feet to area area V20.
V8. Parlor
While entertaining visitors in this room, the duke likes to sit in an austere, high-backed chair facing a pair of padded couches and a coffee table. A hidden compartment in the left armrest of the duke’s chair contains a silvered dagger. A character who examines the chair can locate the hidden compartment with a successful DC 12 Wisdom (
Thin drapes cover the windows to diffuse the natural light, and the walls are lined with framed paintings of the duke, her three dead husbands, her three sons, and the family’s winged cat, Slobberchops.
Treasure
A tapestry hanging on the north wall depicts burning angels falling from the sky into a pit of fire. The tapestry weighs 5 pounds and is worth 150 gp.
V9. Dining Room
Thalamra Vanthampur and her sons gather here once a tenday for an always-tense family dinner. Read the following when the characters can see this area:
An iron-wrought chandelier hangs above a black oak dining table surrounded by eight high-backed chairs carved to look like devils. A fireplace dominates one wall, flanked by red-curtained windows. A handsome, glass-doored wine cabinet stands against one wall.
Perched on the chandelier are three
Treasure
The cabinet contains a set of eight red crystal goblets (25 gp each) and sixteen bottles of wine. Fifteen of the bottles contain fine wine (10 gp each). The last bottle is laced with
V10. Gallery
Black curtains are drawn over the windows to the south, keeping this hall dark and cool. Unless otherwise occupied, Fendrick Gray, the venerable butler, paces the hall with a lantern while the maid, Ambra Fallwater, dusts (see “area Servants"). A wooden staircase at the north end of the hall climbs 15 feet to area area V11.
This gallery contains an eclectic collection of tapestries, paintings, and alabaster busts on pedestals meant to impress guests. The duke bought the pieces thinking them to be valuable art objects, but all are knockoffs acquired from dubious sources. The haphazardly assembled collection is a testament to bad taste.
Wax Statue
A 6-foot-tall wax statue in one corner depicts Duke Thalamra Vanthampur cradling the family pet, Slobberchops, in her arms. The tressym has a wax rat in its mouth. Visitors who enter the gallery from the foyer (area area V3) are often startled by the statue because of its location just inside the door and its lifelike appearance.
V11. Upstairs Hall
Lanterns hang from the rafters of this drafty hall. The staircase to the north descends 15 feet to area V10.
Five lawful evil human Guard stand watch here—one by each door. They attack anyone not accompanied by a Vanthampur family member. If they hear trouble elsewhere, the guards can’t be surprised, but they stay put unless ordered to move by a member of the family. Combat here alerts Thurstwell Vanthampur in area area V13.
V12. Balcony
A crenelated stone battlement encloses this balcony overlooking the front yard. It’s a 15-foot drop from the balcony to the ground.
V13. Thurstwell’s Bedroom
Drab curtains cover the windows of this plain room, which contains a bed, a padlocked iron chest, a claw-footed iron bathtub, and a fireplace. Standing in the middle of the room is Thurstwell Vanthampur, a frail and hateful forty-two-year-old man clutching an
Thurstwell commands several imp spies who enter and leave his room through the chimney, but only one such creature is present when the characters arrive. This imp is
Thurstwell greets intruders in the most uncivil fashion—by casting
- His mother, the duke, is in the dungeon below the villa with Thavius Kreeg. She and the former high overseer of Elturel are plotting to seize control of Baldur’s Gate.
- He and his brothers recently stole the
Shield of the Hidden Lord from a crypt under the city. A powerful devil named Gargauth is trapped in the shield, and has vowed to help the Vanthampurs conquer Baldur’s Gate if released. Thavius Kreeg is confident that he can devise a way to release Gargauth from the shield. - Thavius arrived in the city a few days ago with the puzzle box. The duke insisted that Thavius let the family safeguard the item while he studies the shield.
Treasure
The
The padlock on the chest can be picked by a character with
V14. Mortlock’s Bedroom
This dark room contains a bed, a wooden chest with clawed feet, and a night table. The chest weighs 25 pounds and contains a few drab garments made for a man of Mortlock’s size, a few worthless personal effects, and a stuffed troll doll from Mortlock’s childhood.
V15. Amrik’s Bedroom
This tastefully appointed room contains a bed, a side table, a claw-footed iron bathtub, a fireplace, and an iron-banded wooden chest. A three-foot-wide, six-foot-tall mirror is mounted to the east wall opposite the fireplace. The mirror’s varnished wooden frame is carved with images of rats, ravens, and spiders.
Treasure
Amrik’s chest contains neatly folded and tailored apparel to fit a slender noble, and a jewelry box carved from bone (10 gp). This tiny box contains a gold signet ring (5 gp) bearing the Vanthampur motto, “Stone hearts never bleed.”
V16. Duke’s Powder Room
This room contains a vanity topped with a framed oval mirror, bottles of perfume, brushes, cosmetics, needles, and spools of thread. Other furnishings in the room include a folding wooden partition adorned with a bird of prey rendered in gold leaf, a tall black wardrobe filled with corsets and fine clothes, and a decorative gold rug laid out in front of three unlocked wooden chests. One chest is full of shoes, another contains three old bridal gowns, and the third contains seasonal hats.
Treasure
The vanity holds six bottles of fine perfume (20 gp each), a silver hairbrush inlaid with lapis lazuli (100 gp), and a wooden jewelry box with electrum filigree (75 gp) holding a pearl necklace (250 gp), a platinum cameo shaped like a winged cat (50 gp), and two
V17. Master Bedroom
Duke Vanthampur retires to this chamber when she needs to rest or shake off a headache. She also takes most of her meals here. Food is delivered via a dumbwaiter in the southwest corner (see area area V5 for details), which has a cord that rings a bell in the kitchen. Other features of the room include a canopied bed with a gossamer shroud for keeping insects at bay, a freestanding wooden privacy screen, a cast-iron bathtub with clawed feet, a fireplace, and a padlocked iron chest. The padlock is cast in the shape of a horned devil’s scowling visage. Thalamra Vanthampur carries the key to the padlock (see area area V28), which can be picked by a character with
Treasure
The chest weighs 65 pounds and is trapped (see “Trap” below). It contains three thin, black-covered ledgers with entries written in Infernal (records of Duke Vanthampur’s legitimate business dealings), a set of
Trap
The chest has a false bottom underlaid with metal springs. The combined weight of the items in the chest holds the false bottom down, but if three or more items are removed, the false bottom rises and pulls the cork out of a thin glass vial hidden underneath it. The uncorked vial releases a cloud of poisonous gas that fills a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on the chest. The cloud is stationary and lasts for 1 minute, or until it’s dispersed by a strong wind. Any creature that starts its turn in the cloud must succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or take 11 (
V18. Duke’s Study
An oak writing desk angled to face the middle of the room has a matching chair behind it and two black candlesticks atop it. Other furnishings include three bookcases and a freestanding suit of black plate armor topped with a bucket helm and equipped with a longsword and a shield. A wrought-iron spiral staircase leads up to area area V19.
The suit of armor is a helmed horror that was fashioned on Avernus. The construct understands Infernal but can’t speak, and it is immune to the following spells:
Bookcases
Duke Vanthampur abhors reading but keeps a modest library of fine literature for the sake of appearances. Her study contains two hundred books. A character who spends 1 hour sifting through the collection can find twenty rare first editions (25 gp each). The remaining books are worth 5 gp each to interested buyers, except for a worthless book titled Last Charge of the Hellriders. A cavity cut into its pages holds a small iron ring with two keys hanging from it. These keys unlock the cages in area V19.
V19. Tower Peak
If the characters climb the wrought-iron spiral staircase from area V18, describe this room as follows:
The spiral staircase climbs fifteen feet to a square room with crisscrossing rafters ten feet overhead and a peaked roof above that. An empty bookcase dominates the west wall, and two filthy padlocked cages stand on the floor. Each cage holds a human prisoner and a chamberpot.
The keys to open the cages' padlocks can be found in area area V18. A character with
Perched atop the cages are two
Prisoners
The prisoner in the northern cage is Shaleen Zoraz (neutral female human commoner), a sewer maintenance supervisor who was backing an effort to extend the Lower City’s sewer system into the underground space occupied by the area Dungeon of the Dead Three. Duke Vanthampur plans to hold Shaleen for a few days before letting her go. The imps have so terrorized Shaleen that, if freed, she intends to abandon her expansion plans and never say an unkind word about the Vanthampurs for the rest of her life.
The prisoner in the southern cage is Kaejil Orûnmar (neutral evil male human commoner), a tax collector who has been giving the Vanthampurs a hard time. Once Duke Vanthampur is satisfied that no one important will miss him, she plans to kill Kaejil and feed his remains to the rats in the city sewers. If freed, Kaejil plans to leave Baldur’s Gate and never return.
Under the Villa
As the minister responsible for the city’s sewer system, Thalamra Vanthampur cordoned off the sewers beneath her villa, creating a private dungeon complex where she could conduct religious ceremonies and harbor guests who share her devotion to the archdevil Zariel.
Dungeon Features
The dungeon is remarkably clean and kept in excellent condition. Its common features are summarized here.
Lit Tunnels. Tunnels are 9 feet high and have curved ceilings. Oil lanterns fitted with thick panes of green-tinted glass hang at regular intervals on 1-foot-long iron chains. Each lantern sheds dim light in a 10-foot radius.
Iron Doors. Doors are made of riveted iron plates, with iron handles and well-oiled hinges. Some doors have locks or barred windows set into them, as noted in the text. A character can use
Surfaces and Secret Doors. The dungeon has brick walls and stone-tiled floors. Rooms have 10-foot-high plaster ceilings. Secret doors blend in with the surrounding walls, but a character with
Smell of Incense. Pairs of black-robed human Cultist march through the corridors with censers, constantly perfuming the sewers with incense to counteract what would otherwise be a mildly nauseating stench.
Dungeon Locations
Before the characters descend into the dungeon, allow them to advance to 4th level.
The following area descriptions are keyed to map 1.6.
V20. Cellar
The characters might enter this cellar by descending the stairs from area area V7, or they might enter through the eastern door. Read the following boxed text to establish what they see from either direction:
Four stone pillars brace the ten-foot-high vaulted ceiling of this dry cellar, the walls of which are lined by a dozen barrels on wooden braces. Half the barrels have brass spigots tapped into them. The room also contains two stacks of wooden crates—one in the middle of the room and another by the south wall.
The topmost crate in the middle of the room contains three Spined Devil that spy on this area through knotholes in the crate’s sides. These devils burst forth and attack intruders on sight. The other crates in the middle of the cellar contain dried meat, loaves of bread, wheels of cheese, and other assorted foodstuffs—enough to sustain the Vanthampurs and the cultists in the dungeon for a month. The crates by the south wall contain candles, oil flasks, incense, and rat traps.
Six of the barrels contain drinking water, and six contain ale.
V21. Wine Cellar
More than two hundred corked bottles of wine are displayed in seven-foot-tall wooden racks that span the west and south walls. Empty wooden crates are stacked in the middle of the room.
Treasure
Seventeen of the bottles contain fine wine (10 gp per bottle). The remaining wines on display are common vintages (1 sp per bottle).
V22. Sewer Tunnels
The dungeon’s denizens make frequent use of these lit tunnels. The thick smell of incense hangs in the air (see “area Dungeon Features” above).
Smooth stone trenches cut into the floors channel water and waste toward area area V30. These trenches are 4 feet wide and 3 feet deep, with arching stone bridges spanning them at irregular intervals. The ledge on either side of a trench is 3 feet wide.
Wandering Monsters
Ordinary rats occasionally enter the dungeon through the open pipes in the walls. The cultists lay traps to catch and kill these rats while they perfume the dungeon with incense. As the characters make their way through the tunnels, they might encounter these cultists.
A typical encounter consists of two lawful evil human Cultist dressed in black robes, each carrying a censer and wearing a thin, golden mask shaped like a devil’s face (and worth 25 gp to an interested buyer). The censers contain burning incense. A devil mask covers its wearer’s whole face except for the eyes, nostrils, and mouth. No two masks look exactly alike.
If this encounter occurs in a tunnel that has a sewer trench running down the middle of it, the two cultists are walking on opposite sides of the trench, moving in the same direction while swinging their censers gently. You can make the encounter harder by replacing the cultists with Cult Fanatic, or adding one or more
If any wandering cultists are defeated, reduce the number of cultists encountered in area area V33 accordingly. If the characters make no effort to hide the bodies of the cultists they defeat, someone stumbles upon them eventually and warns the barbed devil in area area V26. Assuming it hasn’t been defeated already, the devil scours the dungeon for trespassers once notified of their presence.
V23. Cold Storage
The Vanthampurs store animal carcasses and other fresh meat in this room. Hanging in the middle of the room from the 10-foot-high ceiling are six 3-foot-long chains, each ending in a hook. Flayed boar carcasses hang from four of the hooks, while the remaining two hooks are bare.
V24. Dining Room
The cultists dine here, though none are present when the characters first arrive. Two wooden trestle tables with benches stand in the middle of the room, which is brightly lit by six tall wrought-iron candlesticks spaced along the walls. Each candlestick stands six feet high and has nine lit candles at the top of it.
V25. Kitchen
The cultists prepare their meals here, though no cultists are present when the characters first arrive. The kitchen is uncomfortably warm and contains a pair of brightly burning cast-iron stoves with piles of wood next to them. Other furnishings include a wooden trestle table where food is prepared, as well as shelves lined with plates, mugs, pots, utensils, and jars of ingredients and spices.
V26. Temple of Zariel
The iron double door leading to this room has Infernal runes carved into its arched door frame. A character who understands Infernal can translate these runes as follows: “That which falls can rise again.”
Disguised Characters
Characters can disguise themselves using masks and robes taken from defeated cultists. While disguised in this fashion, characters have advantage on Charisma (
Deception ) checks made to fool devils and cult members in the dungeon under Vanthampur Villa.
A character who listens at the double door or one of the secret doors leading to this room hears a half dozen humanoid voices chanting in Infernal. Characters who listen to the chants and understand that language can discern praise heaped upon the archdevil Zariel for her tireless effort to win the Blood War.
When the characters enter the room, set the scene by reading aloud the following boxed text:
Two rows of tall wrought-iron candlesticks light this vaulted chamber, each one bearing nine flickering candles. A seven-foot-tall statue of an angel with white glowing eyes and a longsword stands atop a dais to the south. A six-foot-tall fiend bristling with spines stands west of the statue, glaring at four black-robed cultists who kneel and chant in the middle of the room, their faces hidden behind golden devil masks. Nine tapestries depicting the layers of the Nine Hells adorn the walls.
The spined fiend is a barbed devil named Odious. Sent by Zariel to serve Duke Vanthampur, the devil answers only to those two. The chanting figures are four lawful evil human Cultist wearing black robes and golden devil masks similar to those worn by the cultists in area area V22. The devil and the cultists attack intruders on sight, but can be duped by characters wearing disguises (see the “area Disguised Characters” sidebar).
Statue
The statue represents Zariel in her angelic form. It’s a Large object with AC 17, 33 hit points, and immunity to fire, poison, and psychic damage. Toppling the statue with a successful DC 20 Strength (
Treasure
The statue’s head and neck are hollow. Lodged in this cavity is a
V27. Escape Tunnel
Hidden behind a secret door, this tunnel has a wooden ladder at its north end. The ladder climbs a 15-foot-high shaft to a trapdoor that opens into area area V2.
V28. Secret Shrine
This room is hidden behind secret doors (see “area Dungeon Features"). The scraping noise either door makes when opened is loud enough to alert the room’s occupant. Read the following when the characters enter:
This room is lit by a pair of tall wrought-iron candlesticks in the northeast and southeast corners. Nine candles burn atop each one, casting flickering light across a claw-footed altar carved from a single block of obsidian, and which has a small angel-shaped flame erupting from its top. A gray-haired woman kneels before the altar.
Duke Thalamra Vanthampur kneels before the altar. She wears fine clothing fit for a noble of her stature and carries no weapons. However, she possesses magical powers bestowed upon her by Zariel, her infernal patron. Any intrusion is greeted with hostility, and the duke is not squeamish about smashing foes with her bare hands if she finds herself in melee. Don’t forget her Hellish Rebuke reaction, which she can use twice per day (but only once before her next turn).
If she is reduced to fewer than half her hit points, Thalamra tries to escape through the nearest secret door that isn’t blocked. She either moves to area area V36 or attempts to flee via area area V27. Proud to a fault, she would rather die than surrender or be taken prisoner—and she happily watches any of her sons die before consenting to ransom demands. When death finally takes her, Thalamra’s dying words to her killers are, “See you in hell.”
Thalamra keeps two keys in a pocket of her dress. One key unlocks the chest in her bedroom (area area V17); the other key unlocks the door to the vault (area area V36).
Obsidian Altar
The black altar weighs 800 pounds and has tiny Infernal runes carved in a ring around the nine-inch-tall, angel-shaped flame erupting from its top. This flame bears only a vague resemblance to Zariel. Defacing any of the altar’s runes extinguishes the flame and causes the altar to crack in two.
V29. Prison
Read the following boxed text when the characters open the door to this room:
A broad-shouldered figure with purple skin and a beard of writhing snakelike tentacles stands in the middle of a room lined by iron doors, tightening its grip on a glaive as it glares at you through the darkness. Each door is set with a small barred window, and a ring of keys hangs from the creature’s belt.
The prison guard is a bearded devil named Thoss, which attacks anyone it perceives as an intruder or a threat. Characters disguised as cultists can try to dupe Thoss into allowing them to interrogate or release prisoners (see the “area Disguised Characters"). The keys dangling from the devil’s belt unlock the cell doors.
Two of the cells (your choice) contain prisoners. The other four cells are empty, though captured characters might end up here (see the “area Imprisoned Characters” sidebar). If you need to introduce a new party member to replace one who died, that character can begin the adventure locked in one of the empty cells.
Falaster Fisk
The first prisoner is a short, lean, erudite male human in his fifties named Falaster Fisk. Originally from Calimshan, Falaster is a neutral spy with no weapons. He speaks Common and Infernal, wears an ankle-length caftan, and has dark hair. His neatly trimmed goatee beard is dyed crimson.
Falaster works for Sylvira Savikas, a tiefling expert on the Nine Hells currently based in Candlekeep. When Thavius Kreeg arrived in Baldur’s Gate a few days ago, it didn’t take Falaster long to hear rumors that the Vanthampurs were sheltering him. Falaster tried to find out why and was caught. He can provide his rescuers with the following useful information:
- “Sylvira Savikas is a sage who operates out of Candlekeep. A good friend of mine! She’s been monitoring devil activity in Baldur’s Gate and Elturel for months.”
- “Sylvira is convinced that Thavius Kreeg struck a bargain with an archdevil, and that a copy of the contract he signed is hidden inside a magic puzzle box. She asked me to help her obtain proof of Kreeg’s crimes.”
- “Sylvira is no friend of Thavius Kreeg’s. She thinks she can open his puzzle box, and is willing to pay for it—in gold or magic items.”
If released, Falaster helps the characters as best he can while staying out of harm’s way. Expecting that he might be caught, he obtained and memorized a floor plan of the dungeon under Vanthampur Villa. He can thus lead his rescuers to secret rooms (area areas V28 and area V34) and the Vanthampurs' vault (area area V36).
Satiir Thione-Hhune
The second prisoner is a fit, aristocratic human woman in her seventies named Lady Satiir Thione-Hhune. Born into the rich and politically powerful Hhune patriar family, Satiir is a neutral evil noble with no weapons or armor (AC 11). She was kidnapped by the Vanthampurs to be used as leverage in the event that the Hhunes find out who stole the
Unknown to the Vanthampurs, Satiir is a member of a secret evil order whose members call themselves the Knights of the Shield, and who are the self-appointed guardians of the
V30. Barrier of Iron Bars
This sewer tunnel slopes down gradually toward the south, channeling water and sewage into the city’s sewer system. The tunnel is blocked by a 10-foot-square barrier composed of vertical iron bars with 6-inch gaps between them—enough room for a rat to saunter through, but too narrow for normal-sized characters to squeeze through. The bars are embedded deep into the stone of the floor and ceiling.
A character can bend the bars with a successful DC 25 Strength (
Imprisoned Characters
If the characters are defeated in Vanthampur Villa or the dungeon below, you can have the bad guys stabilize dying party members, strip them of their gear (which is stored in area area V28), and lock them in the prison (area area V29). This alternative to a “total party kill” scenario affords Duke Thalamra Vanthampur and her cultists the opportunity to interrogate the characters and find out what they know. It also sets up the possibility of a prison break.
V31. Vestry
Four wooden wardrobes stand against the walls in this area. The cultists store their robes and masks in these wardrobes before leaving the dungeon and returning to the city above. The wardrobes along the west wall stand empty. Characters who search the wardrobe on the south wall find four sets of black robes and four gold devil masks, as worn by the cultists encountered elsewhere in the dungeon.
V32. Connecting Tunnel
The dim light from two of the cultists' green-glass lanterns doesn’t reach the ends of this corridor, creating pools of darkness there. Two lawful evil human Cult Fanatic guard the tunnel, one at each end. Characters with
Sounds of combat here alert the cultists in area V33, who arm themselves but stay where they are.
V33. Cultists' Quarters
This room is lit by two tall wrought-iron candlesticks each topped with nine flickering candles. Around the room’s perimeter are ten wooden bunk beds, next to which are unlocked footlockers containing ordinary clothes belonging to the cultists.
Ten Cultist gather here, minus any cultists defeated in area area V22. These cult members are lawful evil humans wearing black robes and thin gold devil masks. Some have dozed off, while others are sitting on their beds, sharing rumors regarding Thavius Kreeg’s hand in the fall of Elturel and Duke Vanthampur’s plans for Baldur’s Gate. These cultists show intruders no quarter.
Sounds of combat here alert the cult fanatics in area area V32, who investigate immediately.
V34. Ritual Chamber
This room is hidden behind secret doors (see “area Dungeon Features"), and its features are as follows:
This ten-foot-high vaulted chamber has a plaster ceiling painted with images of terrifying winged devils looking down on a symbol embedded in the room’s floor: a circular disk of black stone inscribed with a nine-pointed gold star. Four wrought-iron candlesticks bristling with unlit, half-melted red candles surround the circle.
The cultists use this chamber to perform diabolical rituals that duplicate the effect of a
V35. Thavius Kreeg’s Quarters
Describe this room to the players as follows:
Wrought-iron candlesticks topped with flickering candles light this room, which is heated by a cast-iron stove with clawed feet. Across from the crackling stove is a modest desk with a matching chair. Other furnishings include a small table and chair for dining, a bed, an iron chest resting at the foot of the bed, and two tapestries: one showing spirits rising as lemure devils from the River Styx, and another depicting a dead man dangling like a marionette from hooked chains.
Treasure
Thavius keeps a holy symbol of Torm (a silver pendant shaped like a right-handed gauntlet on the end of a silver chain) in the chest. The holy symbol is worth 25 gp. The chest contains nothing else.
V36. Vanthampur Vault
The door to this room is locked (see “area Dungeon Features"), and Duke Vanthampur has the only key. The door can be unlocked from the inside without the key. When the characters open the door to the vault, read or paraphrase the following boxed text to set the scene:
This room contains four wooden tables with two small wooden coffers atop each one. Hanging on the wall opposite the door is a beautiful golden shield. Standing in front of the shield is an old man in plain garments, carrying a lit candlestick. As he turns to face the door, you see that his shadow on the far wall doesn’t match his form, but appears to be the shadow of a pudgy, horned fiend with small wings.
The man is Thavius Kreeg. Thavius has been speaking to Gargauth, the fiend imprisoned in the shield, and has concluded that the shield is responsible for much of the rampant avarice and malice in Baldur’s Gate. Given time, Thavius thinks he can use the shield to drag Baldur’s Gate down into Avernus.
Thavius craves power and the appreciation of his hellish masters. However, he abhors violence and avoids combat whenever possible. He sheds crocodile tears for Elturel, claiming that he was visiting a parish a few miles outside the city when it disappeared, and expressing horror in response to the city’s fall. Neither story holds up under scrutiny.
Thavius also lies about his relationship with Duke Vanthampur. He claims the duke’s guards captured him shortly after his arrival in Baldur’s Gate, and that the duke needs his help to ascertain the magical properties of the celestial shield, which her family “acquired” from a crypt under the city. Despite being a practiced liar, Thavius has no lie to explain his diabolical shadow.
If she’s with the party, Reya Mantlemorn is awestruck in the presence of the high overseer, and won’t allow the characters to harm Thavius as long as she believes he’s innocent of wrongdoing. His altered shadow is not damning enough evidence. Convincing Reya that Thavius is corrupt can be accomplished by forcing a confession out of him with a successful DC 15 Charisma (
Shield of the Hidden Lord
The devil Gargauth is bound into the
Gargauth senses the presence of the characters when they enter the room and telepathically contacts one of them at random. Referring to itself as the Hidden Lord, the devil claims to be a celestial being and vows to help the characters rescue Elturel, provided they take the shield with them into the Nine Hells. The Hidden Lord also warns that a secret society is after the shield, and that it’s only a matter of time before its evil members find it. Gargauth claims that this secret society doesn’t want the shield’s powers to be used for good, which is the truth.
Duke Vanthampur and Thavius Kreeg have promised to help Gargauth break out of the shield, provided the fiend spreads corruption throughout the city by uniting the patriars behind the duke—and, by extension, behind the archdevil Zariel. Only then can Baldur’s Gate suffer the same fate as Elturel. However, Gargauth is happy to take advantage of a more expedient means of returning to the Nine Hells if the characters offer it one. The Hidden Lord has no loyalty to anyone but itself.
Treasure
The eight coffers are unlocked and contain money belonging to the Vanthampur family, as well as treasure stolen from Tiamat’s hoard on Avernus. Duke Vanthampur plans to use this combined treasure to bribe the city’s patriars and government officials into supporting her bid to become the new grand duke.
Coffer 1 contains 30 electrum ingots (10 gp each) belonging to the Vanthampur family.
Coffers 2, 3, and 4 each contain 100 gp belonging to the Vanthampur family.
Coffer 5 contains two pieces of a broken ceremonial dagger stolen from Tiamat’s hoard: a curved ivory blade bearing Draconic runes that spell out “Fang,” along with a bone hilt wrapped in leather strips and studded with gemstones. A
Coffers 6 and 7 each contain 100 pp belonging to the Vanthampur family.
Coffer 8 contains twenty azurite gemstones (10 gp each) stolen from Tiamat’s hoard.
Final Encounters in Baldur’s Gate
If the characters fail to locate Thavius Kreeg’s
If Slobberchops the tressym (see area area V5) is with the party, it can lead characters to the puzzle box. Captured villains can also lead characters to the puzzle box or the shield, as needed. Once these items are found, Falaster strongly urges the characters to deliver them to Sylvira Savikas at Candlekeep.
If invited to join the characters on their journey to Candlekeep, Reya and Falaster readily accept. Falaster has a modest dwelling in Little Calimshan, a walled neighborhood in the Outer City, and suggests making a brief stop there so he can equip himself with weapons before continuing the journey to Candlekeep.
Reporting to Captain Zodge
Once the characters wipe out the Vanthampur family and its devil-worshiping cult, they can return to Captain Zodge to deliver their report, surrender their Flaming Fist badges, and receive any payment owed to them.
Zodge is gratified to learn that the Vanthampurs are no longer his concern. If the characters report that one or more family members are still alive, Zodge promises to hunt them down and punish them for their crimes.
Commander Portyr
As the characters conclude their business with Captain Zodge, the meeting is interrupted by the arrival of a higher-ranking member of the Flaming Fist. Read or paraphrase the following text to the players:
Your meeting with Captain Zodge is interrupted by the arrival of several Flaming Fist soldiers clad in plate armor. From behind this wall of swords and steel steps an armored woman with a white cloak and graying hair.
“Are these the maniacs who’ve stirred up every nest of rats in this gods-forsaken city?”
“Commander Portyr!” says Zodge. “I was told you wouldn’t be in Baldur’s Gate for at least another tenday.”
“That’s what the city’s government wanted you to think, captain,” she replies. Turning to you, she says, “I trust you’ve been adequately compensated?”
Until recently, Liara Portyr commanded a Flaming Fist outpost called Fort Beluarian on the distant tropical peninsula of Chult. Her uncle is Duke Dillard Portyr of Baldur’s Gate, one of the city’s two remaining government leaders (assuming Duke Vanthampur did not survive). Duke Portyr summoned his niece to take command of the Flaming Fist in Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard’s absence. Her trip home was expedited by magic.
Liara aims to assert herself as Ulder Ravengard’s natural successor but clings to the hope that he’s still alive. If the characters think they have any chance to rescue Elturel—and Ravengard along with it—Liara strongly urges them to pursue that quest. Her experiences in Chult have taught her to respect adventurers and their ability to get things done.
If the characters didn’t find Falaster Fisk in the dungeon under Vanthampur Villa, Liara Portyr can be the one who urges them to travel to Candlekeep and seek out Sylvira Savikas, a renowned expert on the Nine Hells. Sylvira can help them unlock the
After making sure the characters receive their promised reward, Liara thanks them for doing their part to help Baldur’s Gate. Although she must focus her efforts on various threats to the city’s security, she makes it possible for the characters to leave Baldur’s Gate when they’re ready, going as far as to secure a riding horse or pony for each party member to expedite their journey to Candlekeep. She can also provide a mule-drawn cart laden with food, drink, and other supplies.
Journey to Candlekeep
When the characters are ready to leave for Candlekeep, read the following boxed text to the players:
As the Basilisk Gate opens, Flaming Fist soldiers hold back the tide of Elturgardian refugees. You cut a path through these wretched souls, whose wails intensify as the Basilisk Gate closes behind you. The dirt road cuts through the slums of the Outer City, past the walled neighborhood of Little Calimshan, to the great span of Wyrm’s Crossing.
If Falaster Fisk is with the party, he leads them to his residence in Little Calimshan. In addition to grabbing weapons, he also brings along an old book of Calishite recipes to trade for admittance into the great library of Candlekeep (see “area Entering Candlekeep").
Wyrm’s Crossing
The characters must cross this landmark to reach the Coast Way, which heads south to Candlekeep. Read the following to describe the scene:
Two great bridges meet at a tall, rocky island that rises from the middle of the Chionthar River. Buildings and merchant stalls line the sides of both bridges, making it impossible to see the river from the narrow, congested roadway that cuts between those structures.
Wooden drawbridges connect the two bridges to a keep situated atop the island. The flags of Baldur’s Gate and the Flaming Fist wave proudly above this fortress.
Wyrm’s Crossing is a cutpurse’s paradise, and every traveler here runs the risk of being pickpocketed. As the characters make their way from one end of Wyrm’s Crossing to the other, have each player roll a
Use a character’s passive Wisdom (
Knights of the Shield
The following encounter occurs only if the characters have the
As Wyrm’s Crossing and Baldur’s Gate disappear from view, you find yourselves heading down the Coast Way, a dirt road that leads to such distant lands as Tethyr, Amn, and Calimshan. Candlekeep lies some one hundred and fifty miles south and west—a five-day journey.
Coming up the road toward you is a human farmer riding on the front of a hay-filled wagon pulled by two draft horses. The farmer gives you a friendly wave as the wagon draws near.
The farmer is Kaddrus, a lawful evil cambion using the
Kaddrus and the veterans are members of a secret society known as the Knights of the Shield (see area area V29). Their goals are to kill the characters and take the
Tale of the Hellriders
If Reya Mantlemorn is with the characters, she shares the following tale over a campfire at some point during the characters' five-day journey to Candlekeep:
“It was over a century past that the great troubles began. Fiends roamed the lands to the north and west of Elturel. Fields were despoiled, livestock slaughtered, homes razed, and people dragged off to a terrible and unknowable fate. Terror gripped the hearts of all.
“The city’s cavalry rode across the land, striking down fiends wherever they found them and suffering fearful losses. But it was never enough. For every fiend they destroyed, it seemed as though two more appeared elsewhere. The ruler of Elturel, the High Rider, asked his people to pray to the gods for aid. To everyone’s astonishment, a mighty angel entered the city the next day. Her name was Zariel, which means Companion of Light. The prayers of Elturel had been heard, and help had come.
“Zariel located the gate through which the fiends were entering the natural world, on the Fields of the Dead west of the city. Zariel declared that she would lead the cavalry into Avernus, destroying the infernal host that was amassing there, and striking a great blow against the forces of darkness.
“The High Rider sent out the riders of Elturel, now numbering many thousands, with Zariel at their head, riding a golden mastodon. With a great cry, Zariel and her army charged through the gate. The legions of Avernus trembled and buckled, but did not crumble. Zariel was defeated, and the remnants of her army returned to Elturel, overcome with grief at the loss of their glorious general but confident that the lords of the Nine Hells would think twice about threatening Elturel again.
“There were great celebrations to honor the valiant knights of the cavalry, who became known as Hellriders from that day on.”
Candlekeep
Candlekeep is a fortress perched on a spur of rock overlooking the Sea of Swords. It is reached by a single road, the Way of the Lion, which branches west off the Coast Way.
Candlekeep is always open to visitors and boasts one of the finest libraries in Faerûn. The monks of Candlekeep also preserve the predictions of Alaundo the Seer, a singular sage whose prophecies have proved correct over long years. Upon the seer’s death, Candlekeep became a haven for both the veneration of his prophecies and the accumulation of all knowledge. If there’s a secret to be learned, the clues to finding it can probably be found in Candlekeep.
The encounters in Candlekeep focus on social interaction and exploration. The following events unfold here:
- The characters arrive at Candlekeep, where the price of admittance is a book—specifically one not already contained in the monks' library.
- The characters meet with Sylvira Savikas, a tiefling sage who knows the secret to unlocking Thavius Kreeg’s
infernal puzzle box . - Sylvira advises the characters to leave the
Shield of the Hidden Lord in her custody, but Gargauth makes a good case for taking the shield with them. - Sylvira makes arrangements to send the characters to Elturel, and gives them an unreliable map of Avernus. Reya Mantlemorn offers to go with the characters, while Falaster Fisk chooses to stay behind.
The Way of the Lion
Read the following boxed text to describe the characters' final day of travel to Candlekeep:
Over the past four days, the weather on the Coast Way has gradually worsened. Dark clouds release heavy rain until the road runs thick with mud, yet you trudge on, passing by friendly merchant caravans heading north.
On the morning of the fifth day, the rain subsides but the dark clouds remain. Ahead, you see a path branch from the wider road, heading to the sea. A raven perches solemnly on a leaning post bearing two signs that point like arms toward the west. One says “The Way of the Lion.” The other says “Candlekeep.”
Characters who head west along the Way of the Lion arrive at Candlekeep by mid-afternoon. You can show the players the illustration of Candlekeep, and can describe the view to them by reading the following:
The afternoon sun shines through the clouds to illuminate the gray walls and pale spires of a timeworn fortress that stands majestically atop a rocky promontory overlooking the sea. The trail leads straight to it.
Entering Candlekeep
Although some visitors travel to Candlekeep by air, most arrive on foot or on horseback. When the characters arrive at the gatehouse, read the following boxed text to the players:
At the gatehouse, you are greeted by three monks in purple robes: a human, a shield dwarf, and a sun elf. Around their necks hang holy symbols of Deneir, god of writing, whose symbol is a lit candle above an open eye.
“Welcome to Candlekeep,” says the elf in Common. “A gift is required from those seeking admittance. You must donate a book or scroll that isn’t already in the library’s archives. Please present your gift for inspection.”
All three monks are neutral good Priest of Deneir. (Apply racial traits to their statistics as needed.) The monks study any book or scroll that’s handed to them, the holy symbols around their necks glowing faintly as they do.
The monks are happy to accept either Apocalypto (the black-covered tome found in Vanthampur Villa; see area area V13), Falaster Fisk’s book of Calishite recipes, or a spellbook for admittance to Candlekeep. One such gift is enough for the whole party to be able to enter the library. If a character wants to offer up some other book or scroll, you decide whether the monks accept it as a gift.
If the characters try to sneak or force their way into Candlekeep, the fortress’s defenses are brought to bear as described in the “area Candlekeep Defenses” sidebar.
Once allowed inside, the characters are free to go where they please and stay as long as they wish. The outermost buildings include private dormitories for the monks and public quarters for visitors, as well as amenities one would expect to find in a self-sufficient settlement (bathhouses, clothiers, granaries, gardens, and so forth). Candlekeep even has a pub called the Hearth.
The Hearth
In Candlekeep’s pub, guests and monks can enjoy each other’s company and a good meal. Read the following boxed text to describe the Hearth:
The pub has a low ceiling supported by massive wooden crossbeams and narrow, shuttered windows. A large fire pit in the middle of the room is surrounded by a half dozen tables and matching benches.
Thirty people can dine here comfortably at any time. The Hearth is always open, and the fire is never permitted to go out. A dozen patrons typically occupy the pub during the day, with more during lunch and supper.
When the characters first show up, one patron stands out among the rest: a chaotic good ogre wearing a
A few years ago, the ogre was like others of his kind—brutish and cruel. He met a halfling adventurer wearing the shiny gold headband and killed the puny runt for it. When the ogre attuned to it, the headband grew in size, allowing him to don it. As a genius, the ogre felt compelled to learn the error of his ways and seek out a better life. He adopted the name Little One, to honor the poor halfling whose life he cut short.
Shunned by polite society, Little One came to Candlekeep hoping to learn as much as he can. He’s a quiet but popular fixture in the fortress, and the monks are always saying hello to him and recommending new books for him to read.
Sylvira Savikas
When the characters are ready, they can make their way toward the main keep, a towering edifice housing hundreds of monks and wizards, and thousands of books and scrolls. As they meander through the keep, helpful monks stop to offer them directions. If Falaster Fisk is with the party, he already knows the way to Sylvira’s laboratory, located in one of Candlekeep’s spires. When the characters arrive there, read the following:
The walls of this circular tower chamber are punctuated by arched windows that are currently shuttered. Bookcases filled with eldritch volumes stand between the windows, while tables are crowded with specimen jars, alchemical equipment, and other clutter. Engraved into the floor of the chamber is a large, nine-pointed star.
A middle-aged tiefling dressed in wizardly robes stands by one of the windows, caught in a fugue of intense contemplation. Perched on the corner of a table nearby is a spindly little demon with warty green skin, buggy eyes, thin black horns, and a whip-like tail.
“I can’t tell you how pleased I am to see you,” says the tiefling. “What have you brought me?”
Sylvira Savikas, a lawful neutral tiefling archmage, is one of Candlekeep’s foremost sages, and specializes in knowledge pertaining to the Outer Planes. In addition to her other skills, she has
If the characters don’t have Thavius Kreeg’s puzzle box with them, Sylvira is disappointed but tries not to show it. If they present the box to her, she snatches it out of their hands and studies it closely. She takes similar interest in the
Candlekeep Defenses
Attacking Candlekeep would be foolhardy. Although most of the monks are simple scholars, a few are powerful spellcasters. If any trouble occurs, an archmage and
1d4 Mage investigate immediately. If they can’t bring the situation under control in short order, an additional1d4 Archmage arrive to lend assistance.
Thavius and the Puzzle Box
Sylvira has this to say about Thavius Kreeg and his
“I’ve been suspicious of the High Overseer of Elturel for a long time. But no one wanted to hear my concerns, because Thavius Kreeg was widely regarded as a hero who saved his city from an undead scourge, giving rise to the holy nation of Elturgard.
“Hailed as a savior, Thavius made all citizens of Elturel swear an oath called the Creed Resolute, which binds them to defend the nation of Elturgard. I met him years ago, and my instincts told me he was a charlatan. Afterward, I grew to suspect that he had cut a deal with one or more powerful devils, using the Creed Resolute to bind all Elturel to his dark deal.
“I wish to prove my theory, and I believe the evidence is locked inside the puzzle box.”
Sylvira is an expert on magic puzzle boxes, having made and sold a few herself. If the characters give her the
Inside the box is a stack of nine chain-linked plates, each three inches on a side, cast of dark iron, and stamped with Infernal runes. Anyone who understands Infernal can translate the runes as follows:
Be it known to all that I, Thavius Kreeg, High Overseer of Elturel, have sworn to my master, Zariel, lord of Avernus, to keep the agreements contained in this oath.
I hereby submit to Zariel in all matters and for all time. I will place Her above all creatures, living and dead. I will obey Her all my days and beyond with fear and servility.
I recognize the dispensation of the device called the Solar Insidiator, hereafter called the Companion. In my capacity as High Overseer of Elturel and its vassal territories, I acknowledge that all lands falling under the light of the Companion are forfeit to Zariel. All persons bound by oath to defend Elturel are also considered forfeit. I further recognize that this dispensation will last fifty years, after which the Companion will return whence it came, taking Elturel and its oath-bound defenders with it, if that is Zariel’s wish.
All this is my everlasting pledge.
If Reya Mantlemorn is with the party, she is so stung by the revelation that she collapses onto the floor and weeps for Elturel. Bound to the city by the Creed Resolute, she feels the imperative to return to it. “If Zariel wants my soul,” says Reya, “she’s welcome to try to take it.”
Gargauth and the Shield
Sylvira has this to say about the
“This shield is a symbol of good’s triumph over evil. Gazing at such beauty, one can easily overlook the terrible force bound within it. Gargauth is, I believe, its name, though it calls itself the Hidden Lord. It was a pit fiend sent by Asmodeus to corrupt mortals on the Material Plane, and there it amassed such a following as to rival that of gods. In that way, Gargauth became a sort of demigod, and having worshipers increased its power exponentially. My, how the mighty have fallen!
“This shield has the power to corrupt everything around it. The Hhune family of Baldur’s Gate has kept it for years now. Doubtless they’ll want it back, but this shield should not be taken to any place where thousands of mortals reside. It needs to be locked away in an extradimensional space, away from corruptible souls.”
If the characters consider leaving the shield with Sylvira, Gargauth telepathically contacts the character with the most influence in the party and suggests an alternative course of action:
“Take me to the Nine Hells, and I’ll swear to serve you faithfully as both a guide and an advisor.”
Gargauth’s offer is genuine, for the fiend desperately wants the shield taken to the Nine Hells. It believes (incorrectly) that it will be able to escape the shield there. Sylvira leaves it to the characters to decide what to do with the shield. A small part of her is relieved if the characters decide to take it with them, as she knows the evil Knights of the Shield will never stop looking for it.
Poster Map of Avernus
If the characters intend to save Elturel, Sylvira can provide them with a map of Avernus—the only such map known to exist in Candlekeep. Unfold the poster map of Avernus at this time and let the players study it. Sylvira then gives the characters a word of caution:
“This map might not be entirely reliable,” warns Sylvira. “Its creator went mad making it.”
More information about how to use the poster map can be found in area chapter 3.
Getting to Avernus
Although Sylvira can prepare the
“A wizard named Traxigor lives in a tower twenty miles from here. I’ve loaned him a spellbook or two, so he owes me a favor. I can have you delivered safely to his tower, and he can use a
plane shift spell to take you straight to Elturel. Even more importantly, Traxigor is looking after an old friend of mine—someone with a history of battling devils in the Nine Hells. I think you’ll enjoy her company very much. Her name is Lulu.”
Characters need not leave for Traxigor’s tower at once. If they wish to remain in Candlekeep for a while, Sylvira is happy to accommodate them. However, Reya Mantlemorn becomes more impatient the longer they stay. Falaster Fisk parts company with the characters at this time, choosing to remain at Candlekeep for a few days before returning to Baldur’s Gate.
Characters can use Candlekeep’s library to learn more about the Nine Hells. Chapter 2 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide contains lore on all nine layers, which the characters can learn once they’ve spent a day or two researching the plane. Characters can also research devils to learn everything that’s said about them in the “Devils” entry of the Monster Manual.
Once they’re ready to leave for Traxigor’s tower, read or paraphrase the following boxed text to the players:
Sylvira ushers you to a crescent-shaped landing platform with a stunning view of the sea. Waiting for you atop this platform are several griffons with saddles, their handlers standing nearby to help you. “The griffons have instructions to fly you to Traxigor’s tower,” says Sylvira. “Don’t worry, it’s safe!”
The handlers standing ready can help the characters mount the Griffon. Each griffon can carry one rider plus gear. Once all the characters are mounted, read:
The griffons take flight and head out to sea, flying just below the clouds. Candlekeep looks no less majestic from the air but grows smaller as the griffons soar westward. Large, rocky islands pass below you, and beyond them lies the open sea. After a long journey, you see a windowless, doorless stone tower—which somehow floats in the sky ahead. The griffons pass through jagged holes riddling the tower’s conical peak to land on the top floor below, which has a spiral staircase leading down.
Traxigor’s Tower
Once the griffons land, characters are free to dismount and descend the stairs into Traxigor’s tower. After delivering the party safely to the tower, the griffons take a short rest before flying back to Candlekeep.
Read or paraphrase the following boxed text to the players when the characters descend into the tower:
One level down, you see a cluttered chamber illuminated by various objects upon which
continual flame spells have been cast. Scurrying around the room is an otter dressed in a tiny red cassock. The otter mumbles to itself in Common, mentioning something about a tuning fork. Suddenly, it takes notice of you and stands upright. “Lulu! Wake up! Our guests have arrived!”At the sound of her name, a small elephant with golden fur appears from under a pile of blankets near a table strewn with alchemical equipment. The elephant takes to the air on feathery wings and lets out a pleasing trumpet sound.
Traxigor was polymorphed into an otter years ago, and decided he preferred the new form to his original one (that of a wizened old man). His otter form was made permanent by a
Characters can help Traxigor search for his missing tuning fork, which is keyed to the Nine Hells. Whoever rolls the highest on a Wisdom (
Lulu the Hollyphant
Lulu is a hollyphant (see Appendix C for her stat block) who has lost most of her memories, as well as her Innate Spellcasting trait. (This has no effect on her challenge rating.) She regains her Innate Spellcasting trait gradually over the course of the adventure, as follows:
- In chapter 2, Lulu regains the at-will ability to cast
light when she arrives in Elturel for the first time. - In chapter 4, Lulu regains her 2/day spells (
bless ,cure wounds , andprotection from evil and good ) when she arrives at the Bleeding Citadel. - In chapter 5, Lulu regains her 1/day spells (
banishment ,heal ,raise dead ,shapechange , andteleport ) once she helps reunite Zariel with her sword.
Lulu’s Background
While studying a portal to the Nine Hells located in the Fields of the Dead west of Elturel, Sylvira found Lulu and befriended her. Lulu stayed with Sylvira at Candlekeep for a while but didn’t get along with the tiefling’s quasit familiar, Jezebel. Sylvira decided Lulu would make a better companion for Traxigor, given his eccentricity and good nature. Lulu is integral to the characters' future success, though they shouldn’t know that yet.
Lulu can speak Celestial but prefers to use telepathy, which allows her to talk to one creature at a time. If a character asks Lulu about her history battling devils in the Nine Hells, she shares the following information:
“I was with the angel Zariel when she assembled her army of Hellriders to attack Avernus. Through the gate we went, tearing through devils like a song through air. Victory was within our grasp until some of the Hellriders betrayed us. They retreated through the gate and sealed it behind them.
“Before she was captured, Zariel told me to hide her sword so that it wouldn’t fall into evil hands. Someone helped me hide the sword, but I don’t remember who. We found a place to hide it, but I don’t remember where. I escaped Avernus, but I don’t remember how. Most of my memory is gone, and I don’t remember why.”
Lulu’s memory was badly damaged by events she can’t remember, but a summary of those events is presented here for your benefit.
Lulu was more than Zariel’s traveling companion. She was the angel’s friend and war mount, with the power to shapechange into a golden-furred mammoth with wings. Their friendship stretches back centuries.
When defeat on Avernus appeared inevitable, Zariel entrusted her sword to Yael, her most loyal general, and ordered Lulu to help Yael find a way to hide the weapon. Lulu and Yael blundered into a mob of demons led by the demon lord Yeenoghu, but narrowly escaped. Yeenoghu’s pet—an enormous demon named Crokek’toeck—chased Yael and Lulu across Avernus. Before it could devour them, Yael plunged Zariel’s holy blade into a stone as Lulu poured every ounce of her celestial being into it. A fortress sprang up around the sword, hedging out all evil. The effort so taxed Lulu that she became disoriented and flew away, leaving Yael behind.
Lulu wandered Avernus for months until she came upon a traveling market called the Wandering Emporium. A rakshasa named Mahadi tricked her into thinking he was her friend, only to splash her with a tiny bit of water from the River Styx, leaving her in a feeble mental state and stripping away her spellcasting powers. Mahadi then gave Lulu to a group of devils as a gift for the archdevil Zariel. Zariel could not abide Lulu’s presence—but nor could she bring herself to harm her former friend. Zariel had Lulu sent back to Faerûn with her mental faculties restored. Unfortunately, the damage to Lulu’s memory was not so easy to repair.
Lulu’s Memories
| d6 | Memory |
|---|---|
| 1 | “I used to be able to shapechange into a golden mammoth. In this form, I served as Zariel’s war mount.” |
| 2 | “Zariel’s most loyal Hellrider, Yael, took the sword and plunged it into a rock. I called on every ounce of goodness in my heart to raise a shield around it—a fortress against evil.” |
| 3 | “The demon lord Yeenoghu wants to destroy Zariel’s sword. He hates it as much as he hates her. We fought him once, but I don’t remember where.” |
| 4 | “I wandered Avernus for a while, then hid in a place called the Wandering Emporium. I made a friend there. His name was Mahadi. Maybe he can help us.” |
| 5 | “The Zariel I knew is gone, replaced by a devil with a halo of fire and vengeance. ‘This is who I am,’ she told me. ‘When demons die, they cry out my name in terror.’ Those were Zariel’s last words to me.” |
| 6 | “It was Zariel who sent me back here. I don’t know why. Maybe—just maybe—there’s a tiny little spark of goodness deep down inside her still.” |
Restored Memories
Friendship is important to Lulu in ways both physical and spiritual. Her growing friendship with the characters causes the hollyphant to remember things long forgotten. For the remainder of the adventure, Lulu can regain lost memories whenever you wish. Ideally, these memories come back to her one at a time at moments when her friendship with the characters feels important. Any remaining memories return at once when Lulu regains all her spellcasting abilities.
When the time comes for Lulu to recall a lost memory, roll a
Roleplaying Lulu
Lulu doesn’t have a mean bone in her little body. She believes in the power of friendship and looks forward to kicking evil’s butt with the characters by her side.
If Lulu becomes too much of a burden for you to run as an NPC, see if one of the players wants to run the hollyphant as a secondary character. Provide the consenting player with a copy of Lulu’s stat block, noting that Lulu has presently lost her Innate Spellcasting trait. As she regains memories and the use of certain spells, notify the player of these changes to her character.
Plane Shift
The characters should advance to 5th level before leaving Traxigor’s tower. When they’re ready to be sent to Avernus, read the following boxed text aloud:
As you stand together in a circle, Traxigor taps the tuning fork on the floor and casts his
plane shift spell.