Baldur's Gate

Baldur's Gate is a large coastal metropolis in West Faerun. It was the biggest city on the Sword Coast in the 18th century DR.

Overview
Following the upheavels of Divinic Retreat, west Faerun was mostly left in chaos with many nomadic tribes and small agricultural villages. The exact origins of Baldur's Gate's origins are somewhat vague, but it is generally believed that the city began as a small walled city near the mouth of the [rivername]. Baldur's Gate's legacy was propelled forward when legendary pirate captain Dorian Baldur allied himself with the young bronze dragon Kamiklan the Fearless to establish a stronghold for prosperity and as a bulwark against otherwordly evils, should they ever return to Faerun. This unlikely, but effective alliance managed to unite the city and reorganised it as Baldur's Gate, a dracocratic society with a holy goal of the protection against evil. Kamiklan the Fearless was designated as moral and religious head of state, while Baldur became head of the government.

Under the duavirate of Kamiklan and Baldur, the city grew quickly in size and power. Having the domestic protection of a dragon left the armies of The Gate free to conquer and settle lands as they pleased. The city's safety and strong moral values attracted many settlers looking for a better life. As the centuries progressed, the city established a system of tributary states all over West Faerun, as well as reconnecting itself to the cities of the Sea of Fallen Stars via the Golden Road to Turmish.

Following the death of Kamiklan the Fearless in 1199 DR arose its offspring Ometiklan the Storyteller as religious and moral head of state. Ometiklan was more of a visionary dragon, being content with growing its immense treasure hoard in private lairs in both the city itself and its personal lair in the deep waters of the Sea of Swords. Ometiklan acts more as a moral seer and advisor than as a executive head of state, and leaves worldly matters in the hands of the government. As such, it tolerated the conquests of Imperator Valator IV "the great" as he aimed to establish a greater Baldurian empire with colonies in the wild trolllands and the entirety of Northwest Faerun.

In the late 18th century DR, Baldur's Gate is the biggest city on the Sword Coast with a vast harbor system and great urban developments and industries. While it still has a massive sphere of influence due to its great population and its economic and military power, the Imperators have more and more trouble keeping its tributaries in line due to the expansionism of its growing rival: The Republic of Amn