Volo's Guide to Baldur's Gate (AD&D Forgotten Realms)

130 Pages·2000·21.56 MB·English

by  Ed Greenwood

TSRN626
Volo’s Gulve to
Balour’s Gate Il

Ed Greenwood
Cnepieo
Felling: ome Maw and Dav Noon

cover art don thompson

‘ypowraplir Vitra usd

‘rofeer management Lar Winer a Josh Fee
Production Manager: Chas Deng

emt egal rs & Dac a by Gary Gaga a Dae Ae

ves, can, ai Ran HAD

ee

2
Contents
Welcome, and
Warning

p
‘nee Volathamp Ged- than wirarda elsewhere

FFE al tack. Orwas. they workin secret and guard heir
@ Some ofvou know lore and doing: even more eaoushy
AAG

WRG ise ccoteanciea —"Tias blew oan neary esta

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4)

clor without poet lave and countryside mare or les
fexperton morerealms than inost allt the exemptions af lara
ik owrsen lat alone knewand perils tn she Swordbelt a partieu-
_ourmet, to boot orn Athkatla, hawever, be
Trans ny intantin this gulde rm imawnat to me, Ewa escogized by
shoroughly explore the coasts nf mages wocking to desu a mais
JApsn und Tetbyr Fubkala the City ae Tor what hey sae ae an allack
‘of Cin, in patil awd ‘om theie pow the publieation of
femibarked on this askwwith gusta, my longe-suppressed work Vols
Romyrogpet, Lmetwith reverse Gade To. Things Magical, Des
aller setback Armies of monsters, dhs ft that I remnvel game ray
ial misunvlerstannlings, escapes’ personal wizards’ information from,
‘om misdirected justice, and adas- that work, aud regardless of the
tardly wick played by evil mages fmm and inescapable fact that My
toned ant confounded! me, ‘a dasires that magieal lore be is
tributed as widely 2 possible, these
My Doom sages a me a thle foe.
ow tas publi service, ou under "They easta spell upon me while
ftandi ote write ofthe misfor- asin the Capper Coronet Aral
frnethat befell me Magicis hated, times when fn in Athkatia ar within
feared snd yet ccertlyemveted insight ts walls, 'm cloaked in a
Amin. Nowhere is thistmore evident many-layera sion that hts hs
than in inthe crowded, ruthlessly far fled all atteryatstoremave i
cornpulitive cauldron of wealth that anid portrays me as. rabed mage
‘Atlas This sn Y4o say mages ving with singe sane

Aren't tobe fine hene—jes taut, al of hem bright with the
‘radiance magie being unleashed.
‘he ilusion lo to repeated attacks
‘an my pers, ani Las freed te
Ale the iy by night, sisraming in
issnoisume harbor. Tharel escaped
{wih my if. hope same ta
‘turn and survey the stories of the
{itv Coin prapety in prin, but for
sow this ea al awe,

A Word from
Elminster
Many folk of dacertment ash mie
‘vip Tountiuae to eet Yale's seid
binge aout places e's iste

{ean only reply thatone loves
Volo’ "ramblings about ramblings
the way one loves. a dog of uncer
tain pareniage Sure, its 8 maney
og ifestod with eas and caver
thse rn gts va
dum) to avoid, One loves auch
dog because no one elke will So itis
wih Ye loggerel

Youll find much entertainment

in these pagge-—doubly so ifyou've
already vst the locations men
tioned herein, lois tae master
cof anything i the unintentionally
hilarious. ve edited out most ofthe
‘campletely nonsensical, but ve left
Sense of tho author's authenticity

Ty tole that mary from sue
wor lately of Waldir Gate are
ager to axel the sts and aly
seas of haat how hat
sure seeking ints! and youl
Sind only the faintest of ees hore
Tut the best way solve mystery
into immerse yeurselfin your sre
rounding.

‘Ane Valo does that better than
anyone, ad wager—though he often
finds exraction more ificult than

oy ty tes, exes ad

pas
Oy ON minster of
Shadancta

Volo’s Ratings System

‘Tankards

Goins

Athkatla

The City of Coin

healing coptal
and oldest ety of ann
4 is a place where
rile red Us

bat ales Th
‘wharves long th Alandor River
tre bey ay a igh ed only
thewatiestetzens can afford
tele inthe morning and rere
tr trae nutes ae ety
evening. The visor wl ind
Atal a ive seep cuss, eure
‘resent een and handing
foteeprenirs ahing and showing
tar tsineas

Everyone has money, everything
coats money an more money, and
the gay of welt severing
“ule poor visitor, sala can
tar and ghning! tothe bay
merchant” eeting and inspiing

TMeeet who use rien agro
manta are more cornman bers than
elsewhere in aerin, extending ihe
thet etton

Pore week, the lost, and the
overeat ean ba
{dangers pace ale tn dae
{atonal pltes, or making ry
emarkabout ie Gouna of Si or
the Shadow Thieves, canbe sil
Jat Assume agents of dese wwe
sroups—andeuies rbless

‘whore, and condact yours
econ You may jas aro a
Ihave a nie stay Keep this amide
‘handy. and you ean atleast are
aginst ein last al dpe by
{Blk information

‘The Quarters
now © aver, hat the Cty of
Goi bas ane dst proper, ad
tole trie al the tie
‘extra regions represent the burial
tse ad th regs ung he
‘aly walls othe north and south

In thai, we follow the path
‘ofa traveler approaching ins city
from the north, and tending fist 10
the oat. Asn many'etes,Athkat
Jan cstrets are oval called “quar~
ters" even tua there are mare
than four of them,

‘Wave Distret: This quarter ie
with seafaring trade, shipbuilding
ropemaking, and maprnak
Seribes an sages tend tn dell
Iheve arin adjoining Temple Die
‘et Once a formal seholars’ quar
{er vit botween Moonhal and the
Dome the Kase Moonbat the
conical temple to Seine, i the
sos reali revognized Wave
landmark. Sleep here is often ham-
pred by the tly a de Great
Erifon a sevenson uel used
sound warnings to shipmasters
eying tran then earms inte
the harbor

"Temple Distriets Religious ss,
ino td teva hal cater to pie
rime, business offices, andthe res-
idonces of wellto-do merchants
Aloninae tis quater. tn olden
‘lays the quarter was the center of
Akal yearly. lic manage to
Tour and report on maja feaires
hae.

‘Gem Divtriets This is the most
spoeticularly wealthy quarter af
AAtbatla, home to “news mney" fo
allt vulyar land breathtaking!
fexooss, hls area fazeinated me.
Investiaatod it fst and most ther-
‘ous report on iti hese pages,
ana Ten eame tothe atention af
Iyenamies hy my actin have

"Trades District: Most af the
bug, dependent merchants a the
ity call his district ome. Dun-
stul's Purp, a drinking-water
souree free wal, jp Koa
‘eoting place The lack Frog is
the eurrent local neem of choice

[River Disteiet: Dovel, the
deste elderly, andl the poorest
Athkatlans dvell on the mean and
Sinking streets of Uris east
respectable city quarter. Sailors are
‘ocraied ao! take shore lee here
ning braving, and wenehing
seem thelr most poplar pursuits
Those who don't goto sea tol dally
fon the harbor barges aking
garbage away und goods to and
leon vessels una can't or who

ownersdon'twantio gettoa.
‘hart ta ie up,

“The Bdge: This span across
the alana Ue sole Taal link
Dato Athlatlas two hain
‘within the city walls, though there
re persistent ramors of dep
rls heneath the ety which Tee
‘never been able to find a way ito,
Anon sw assassin on the
begs or tries ta oe anyone
‘y's putto death instantly

ele Distrete Home o mie
[phar tahorers street vendors, shop
helpers cartand-earry mien, hoe
tearviers the narrows wil
streets ofthis quarter hole bu
‘oss catoring to the varava
tee, You ea fod ny shady
lle shops selling Hci broke,
tne many-imas-used goods Bar
dyn’ Buckets tne local tavern of

(Guards District: This quarter is
the home of mereensies, alent
turers guard, and attendant ts
‘esses, Advanturers aren't much
‘weloorne elsewhere i the ty,
tunless they apend lavishly; Arians
don’t ragard adventuring asa logit
‘mate tre, Visitors often hed here
for tne ive Fagons tavern or the
‘Den ofthe Sowan Ves om an! fos
thal both are ne, een, and eur
rently poplar

Genter Distrlet: Coins flaw,
merchants deal and power is
Furled without patae inthis
alvays-busting mercantile bear.
bf Atha "The open shopping
stadia of Waukzen’s Promenade
isthe greatest landmark here,
though the quarter aso holds many
taverns, inns, and fosthall ofthe
seal

‘Scepter District: Farmerly the
site of a minor palace for royalty
sting from Esmeliaran, this most
fexelunivs of ety date is home to
the Council House and aristocratic
Sayles. The mst pawerfalfasi-
lies sich as he Chainstanes al
Hardsharns! own entire city looks
here—spravsing compounds
rather than mere mansions, No
‘commoners are weloome here
lnless Chey ate on specific errands

eopternians.” Ibe smoothly
ng needle rising up here is
he maggeally warded Cloakspell
wer tis ah abandoned mages
tower and the mast striking Seepter
landmark,

‘Grave District: Yvon the cascad
ing onins of thkatla can’ keep te
bitizens from ending up here, The
Fauarier ie Hes with aerate mort
try houses, much used for tryst,
tbusiness meetings anderen daly
‘ning. Grave demir i ely
patrolled at night to prevent ongoing
twovdwelling business use of tae
Ionnbs sn verbo aw esenes,

The Gates
Allkala has si outer gates. Naming
these around fram the narth, they
ne: Alandamer's; Meirgn, Heroes’
Sparandar loon, and Oloeman-
tur A seventh gat, Col Delon

Hinks Grave District with the rest af
the is

Ofcourse, those gates are sup
plemented by tho Sea-Gates across
he hebor mouth al Ue Ch
Gate across the river,

"The visitor to Ahkatla show bn
aware that noncitzens must pay a
ae tll af any-aine a to ase
through city gate. There no such
toll at Sparandar; but dere is at
old Dolor. ost pay fad but i
anyone tries to pass something not
ovogized as. coin bythe gard
hee barred from passage until he
yields up a gold or silver coin. Cer-
‘ain guards use this feeble authority
to harass folk whose look realm, at
boul they don't ike

‘Strout is Akal are well
lighted a al tines. tare spine
shaped oi lamps iealled ‘star
lanterns’ because their shuttering
keeps the Naume alight even in gle
force winds! serve thie purpose.
requent patruts of eiy-paie
‘lighters es Tong avineoaked
‘ctl pola to bring thean halfling:
Pg lamps dowen fom the
shapirant hoa where they hang.
Patrols rfl lamps without exin
‘gushing them (unless the wie
itvelf needs replacing, theo rehanys
thecn with brite ecieney. Lighter
patrols go armed, have lanterns of
Their, al are at et xs
strong. with tw filer, "val
men” ith kegs of oil on their
backs, and two who stand guard
ting outward, during filing