Oct 2, 2017 12:19 pm
Baldur’s Gate. A sprawling urban city nestled along the Sword Coast. The streets are busy, carts are pulled along the cobblestone streets, and merchants stand alongside the roads to sell their wares. The air smells of numerous cultures blended together. The harbor that opens up into River Chionthar is busy with the loading and off-loading of cargo from the majestic vessels tied to the docks. Standing guard are the members of the Flaming Fist, the martial defenders of the city, keeping a vigilant eye out for wrongdoers and criminals.
At the heart of the city is Bloomridge, home to many buildings of wealth, including manors and the temples of Illmater, Helm, and many others. There are also numerous popular establishments in which to grab a drink; The Splurging Sturgeon: a small but well-known tavern. Helm and Cloak: An expensive but well-rated feasting hall popular with both locals and travelers. And the Three Old Kegs: a highly comfortable tavern that is hardly expensive and is regarded as the most highly rated establishment in the city. However, those that seek adventure typically flock to the Purple Wyrm Inn and Tavern, a place bustling with rumors, quests, and merchants.
You have each made your way to this city at some point in time for your own reasons, as the city offers unlimited possibilities for adventure and wealth. Whether you are on a holy pilgrimage to one of the city’s temples, a thief looking to make some extra coin, a Gladiator looking to win the hearts of thousands, or simply passing through for a drink, there is always something for you in Baldur’s Gate.
For the past several days, however, the talk of the streets and taverns has been about the so-called death curse: a wasting disease afflicting everyone who’s ever been raised from the dead. Victims grow thinner and weaker each day, slowly but steadily sliding towards the death they once denied. When they finally succumb, they can’t be raised - and neither can anyone else, regardless of whether they’ve ever received that miracle in the past. Temples and scholars of divine magic are at a loss to explain a curse that has affected the entire region, and possibly the entire world.
Nevertheless, you have each been contacted in the form of a letter that requests your audience with a person by the name of Syndra Silvane. You have their address, which is here within the city, and the nature of the message seems urgent...