Kassithra's Private Notes

[Heckalyn]

A collection of ink-stained scrolls jammed into a sealed bag.

The Exploration under Baldur's Gate
*The notes are prefaced with a bunch of poorly-drawn squiggles that someone might call maps.*

Entry by MM-
one tunnel out of marked lounge, with gate
turn left, long path forward (to tavern?)
up, private room, up-left help hole (two doors)
up up, gladiators sun (EZ)
Out UCt, straight path, rocky cavey
turn left, to (u-well???) (why again?)
Back main tunnel, straight to door, lead to -storage ruins, stone walls
door right, corridor straight
from straight, more storage
ruin chambers (danger?) (empty)
storage room, door left, door right
right door: back to cave tunnel
fork: forward corridor, left and backward corridor
forward: large black hole, stair, door left, open space forward past, tunnel fork forward (left, right)
left door near hole: small storage room, door front
front door: collapsed dirt room, other door front
front front door: fireplace lounge, then door front-right
rocky tunnel, left, other large storage cave, right other storage, then fork in three, left front right
right fork: turnaround, link back to left, circle to open hole place.
left: back to UC lounge
back north, start, second entry, opening left, no rocks, archi stone (sewer?)
LARGE sewage channel, deep, two parallel paths, many doors on left, right, many arches, one link bridge
right path over channel: quick stop on L turn, door-> upper sewers (to explore later!!!)
back to channel, left path, loooooong, L turn, bridge right, open fork left (back to hole room?)
market (shady!), ferry service on sewer channel (where to?)
left-channel door passage to: storage rooms, cross section, front left right
right: more storage (grid pattern?)
front: fork: left, right
front-fork-right: out of storage areas, rocky cave tunnels again, then fork: front door, right tiwst back. right to dead end with lantern (WEIRD) (illusion door?) / front door: other door (ancient), (lead to ruins?), lead to dolphin statues (sanct.?), sewer entry, back under Reds (link Reds to ferry/market??)
back to cross sect-, left: leads to T fork, left-right. T fork left: black hole room. T fork right: more storage, two passages: door straight, tunnel left.
T-fork right, door straight: more storage, cross sect. fountain front (settlement?) (???), low iron gate left, rocky tunnel right (overlook channel waterfall, mine tracts?, into door, more storage, out into surface again). Low iron gate: cross section, right and front doors, more storage, locked doors. Right door passage: more storage.
T-fork right, tunnel left: stairs down left, catacombs (?), corridor front: back to weird well

----
entire section is separate from sewer area, both dug out tunnels and ancient architecture. Uninhabited exc. UC rooms. Mostly abandoned, no monsters, no undead, no immediate dangers.

[Heckalyn]

Another stained and worn-out scroll.

The Exploration of the Gnoll Den near Candlekeep
*Before the notes, a crude, scraggly circle, with a bunch of squiggles going in and out.*

Entrance, thrre-way fork: left front right
Right-fork: L-turn left, side-door left, straight tunneling
Straight to L-turn 2, side-door right (leads to shrine) (shrine into secret room)
main right corridor, L-turn 3, door left elbow (back to central fork?) (right fork leads circles into left?)
L-turn 4, splits one path forward, backward fork on right (dead end, collapsed mine)
L-turn 5, side-door left elbow->to storage room
front room to lodging, two doors: left, forward->straight corridor, 2 side doors, left and right, forward to large room, to the right more lodging, prison cell, and passage going down (second layer)
Big room to cross-section, doors on right front and left - corridor left (back to entry?)
door right: feeding chamber (much brute meat?)
front from cross-section-> two doors, one front, one left. Front: storage lot, dead end. Left: fancy lodging, more storage, no exits.
Main tunnel: L turn, door on right elbow (kitchen, secret pantry, cell), L-turn, side door on right elbow (small room).
--From entry: confirmed circular link between left and right tunnels--
entry central corridor: throne room, side door right, link to right half-circle, door front, leads to tunnel linking with passage going down-ward

[Heckalyn]

A far tidier scroll than usual, with clearer calligraphy and nearly no stains, indicating the contents therein were likely written while sitting at a table for once, rather than on the field.

The Exploration of the Orcish Caves of the Wood of Sharp Teeth
*Before the notes, a crude, squareish blob with a messy grid of conduits contained within.*

The tribe observed in the last expedition is shown to generally favor sneaky ambush tactics over direct assault. Further study needed to determine whether this is an anomaly or a trend within the brutish communities in the Western Heartlands.
Evidence in favor of the hypothesis:
--prevalence of archers over frontliners,
--extensive use of trained or summoned animals for tracking and coordinated skirmishing,
--presence of at least one hidden scouting encampment south of the main cove, allowing for rudimentary flanking maneuvers,
--presence of several hidden passages within the cave complex,
--witnessed multiple instances of specimens making use of stalagmite formations to spy on and snipe intruders from across different rooms,
--extensive usage of traps and poisons.

In case the anomalous behavior is an anomaly, possible factors of origins are: adaptive inspiration from proximity to Fey creatures and magic, necessary development imposed by reduced numbers and prevalence of large and dangerous wild game (dire bears, werewolves, hydras, ???)

The cave complex is deeply interconnected, and divided in two levels. The first level is fully settled, whereas the lower one is largely uninhabited, showing no utensils, furniture, totems or materiel (unlike the upper one).
Possible reasons for selective settlement:
--presence of unknown large predators dwelling in second level (notably, old remains of large, unnatural unidentified monster were found in the second level, but no sign of living specimens).
--lack of numbers to fill the whole complex
--unknown supernatural threat coming from a hidden third level leading to older complex

Signs of unknown ancient civilization were found at the very bottom of the second level, in the shape of walls and sealed conduits encased in the cave tunneling. No way through was found.

[Heckalyn]

A relatively tidy scroll with a list of names and notes, rolled around several other papers.

Prominent Figures in Baldur's Gate
*Some of the entries appear to be empty, others have crude face drawings, other still hold the occasional symbol next to the name, referring to further notes in other papers.*

House Darius
Estate in the Wide market area
Sir Nathan, Steward, charged in absence of the Lord, also Guardian to the Ilmateri Temple. Tall human, blonde, no prominent wrinkles, lightly colored (blue?) eyes.
Oth, co-Steward Chamberlain, internal logistics. Moon Elf, dark hair, fair skin, glasses.
Syl'kas, retainer in charge of drinks, tavern, elf, dark hair.
Wisica, cook, halfling woman, long hair.
Melina Continari, Arcanist of noble birth, retainer of the House, human, long hair, no wrinkling, likes cake.

House Divine
Everwinter Estate in the Manorborn District, primary holdings in Cormyr's capital
Lady Netanya, head of the House, Moon Elf, long black hair, fashion designer, has an orange cat.
Larael, personal assistant of the Lady, sorceress of Selune, organizer of festival, human, long black hair, fair skin, wrinkless, ties with Greenest.
Madam Andarielle, barkeeper of the estate, tall human woman, light wrinkling.
Mr. Westwood, head of security, human, moderate wrinkling, dark hair, facial hair.

House Portyr
-?-

House Vale
Lord Osric, head of Household (?)
Estate in Manorborn district, burned down by Hellwyrm?

House Marshall
Lord Alexander Marshall, head of household, tall human, black hair, facial hair, light wrinkling.
Active but not located in Baldur's Gate, estate in Triel.
Michael Dunn, retainer in charge of military affairs. Human, dark hair, facial hair, light wrinkling, wears hat.
Vanira Dunn, retainer in charge of logistical affairs. Elf, long light hair, blue eyes.

Temples
Ashenie, priestess of Ilmater, human(?), light hair, fair skin, no wrinkling.
Deselara, priestess of Sune, from Hlondeth, oversees sancutary of the Inner Light, human, red hair, dark skin.
Sir Althalous Fenwick, knight-Paladin of the Mystran Temple, human, grey hair, facial hair, fair skin, very wrinkled.

[Heckalyn]

A collection of ink-stained scrolls jammed into a sealed bag.

The Exploration of the Goblin Mines North of Beregost
*The notes are prefaced with a bunch of poorly-drawn squiggles that someone might call maps. The lower section has a bunch of scraggly lines, while the upper one looks tidier.*

Entry past waterfall area
cross section on entry, fancy door on left, cart tracks, two parallel paths on front and front-right
front-right track: dead end, unfinished tunneling, mining equipment (which mining efforts? Gullykin, Beregost?)
front-center track: one split left, path forward, another second split left. First split to dead end, second path to flowered triad of short-paths (two dead-ends, right opening small passage into ruins)
Small passage -> ruined corridor, underground complex, stone walls, stone floor, green draperies, heraldry, rusted armors, book cases (magic study?) (monastery?) Several books still remaining, in very poor condition. Possibility of several occupants: builders, scholars, and later goblins. (builders are scholars, given further exploration)
From passage: corridor going forward, leads to L-turn to the left, before it two doors, right and left. Right door: room with wine caskets, weapons, broken furniture (likely goblin loot). Left door: stocked library, cooking pot (recent), alchemist table (?). Possible pattern of long corridor with side-doors leading to secluded chambers?
Main tunnel, after L-turn, forward section, followed by L-turn leftward. Very fancy door on right side of central section -> large room (columns, statues, pulpit with throne, heraldry: yellow pegasus on green field)
After second L-turn, straight section, then other L-turn-> fork. Straight section, other door on right (regular) (leads to other library, several book cases).
Third L-turn into fork, one left, one forward into fourth L-turn rightward (links back to entry left door?).
Right path into five doors: one front, two left, two right. Right doors: small cellar, private chamber. Left doors: two private chambers (quality decor). Front door: library.
Fork-path, left (southward): corridor straight, two misaligned door, closest left, furthest right; after, L-turn right. Door left: messy storage room (goblin traces). Door right: library (deep hole-gash in floor).
After L-turn, another fork: straight and left. Straight path, barricated, lead to goblin ritual chamber (repurposed communal dining hall). On right of ritual chamber, small abandoned kitchen. Back to fork, left side: straight section of corridor, two pairs of doors, one right one left. Each pair leads to a communal sleeping chamber. After, corridor leads into front door-> Cross-section hall: fake turn right (collapsed), front door, corridor left (back to mines?), leading to an L-turn rightward. Door: other library. Corridor left: before L-turn, two more sets of parallel doors, two right, two left (as before, joined pair of communal dormitories).
L-turn to main hall, door on the front. Door opens back into the main, on the left of the entrance of first tunnel.

----

Several portions of the ruins were long-collapsed and inaccessible. The likely history of the place is that whoever started digging the mine reached into the ruin. Then the goblins arrived, the mining efforts were abandoned, and the tribe started squatting inside the ruins themselves. Several portions of the ruins are largely abandoned, though. Goblins are most often found in the main corridor and the westside, near the ritual chamber, but seldom venture in the library rooms. Strangely, they have neither burned nor put to use the books still scattered around the complex.
Given the nature of the complex and its furniture, it is very likely that it originally was a monastery or scholarly academy of some sort. Points in favor are the monumental amount of scrolls and libraries, and the clear signs of communal living (kitchen, main hall, dining hall, shared bedrooms, and so forth.).

[Heckalyn]

A tidier scroll than usual, with clearer calligraphy and nearly no stains, indicating the contents therein were likely written while sitting at a table, rather than on the field.

The Dangers and Inhabitants of Baldurian Undergrounds

Up to this point, preliminary expeditions have shown at least five layers of development underneath the city, with matching ecologies.

Firstly, in the upper sections, there are the sewer complex and the Baldurian catacombs. The sewer complex appears accessible from innumerable places within the city, some are grates in the grounds, others are maintenance doors alongside the walls, or hidden behind certain buildings. The Baldurian catacombs on the other hand are primarily accessible from the cemetery itself, although some credible testimonies claim that they would be connected to the sewers themselves in some point.

As one would expect, the catacomb area is filled primarily with undead. Their numbers are high, but their powers very limited. The infestation has allegedly been an issue since years, but its cause is unclear. Current wardenship of the area falls upon the clergy of the new god Kelemvor, which we have yet to meet. A shrine within the catacombs dedicated to this new god was found, empty. Another shrine, likely belonging to the previous God of the Dead was also found, with officiating undead clergy. There is a possibility that the infestation itself is a point of conflict between the followers of the old dead power and the new one.
The sewer are on the other hand appears to be riddled by more mundane kinds of infestation: rats, slimes, and very aggressive criminals. No significant danger has been found in the upper layers, making them an unsavory, but relatively safe area for novice adventurers. Due to the numerous points of entry, and the labyrinthine, grid-like structure of the layout, efforts to map it properly have been repeatedly vexed.

On at least two points, the sewers link with the Undercellar area. Although this is technically an upper layer as well, it is far more extensive and tends to go far deeper than the other twos. The area is a mixture of natural caves, old ruins, and recent, likely abusive, constructions. Some portions of it are completely uninhabited, while others offer a wide array of individuals of ill-repute. While not exactly a safe place for distinguished guests, it is to be noted that the inhabited areas of the Undercellar are not overtly hostile, in the manner that the criminal coves in the sewer region are.

The two deepest portions of the Baldurian Underground that we have explored thus far are the old catacombs, and the wet ruins.
The old catacombs, which are accessible both from the sewer and the Undercellar area, are splintered in various self-contained areas, likely separated from cave-ins, which still retain architectural continuity between themselves, indicating that, at some point, they might have been a single, continuous complex. Much like the newer catacombs, they are infested by various kinds of undead, although the ones within the old catacombs are far more malignant typologies. It is speculated that even greater, and more intelligent variants might dwell deeper into the complex, past the points we have thus far explored.

The wet ruins, which have been accessible through certain hidden sewer conduits, are an entirely different underground complex, characterized by iridescent hues, great humidity, and high presence of moss and algae. Curiously, its inhabitants are primarily magical creatures, such as water elementals and nagas. Efforts to properly map the area have thus far been frustrated by a lack of sufficient protection from energy-based magic attacks, primarily of the electrical variety. A high amount of runes, inscriptions, and sealed magic portals has been discovered in the area, though the origin and reason for their placement remains yet unknown.

Even following numerous days of exploration, and inquiries to the more experienced adventurers active in the region, it is fair to assume that a large portion of the Baldurian underground remains to be explored. Cross-referenced sources spoke of large and powerful monsters of exotic varieties, among other things, which we have all yet to experience. Progress in this endeavor has been slower than our surface expeditions, primarily due to the more maze-like nature of the areas, and severe state of decay of the lower sections.