Lore Assistance

[Maecius]

Who runs Beregost?

Who founded Baldur's Gate?

What is the "Blood War" and why is it important?

Questions are bound to come up, from time to time, while we are building our characters, while we are playing out their plots, and while we are interacting with one another. Unfortunately, if you do not own the source books, Lore-correct answers are not always easy to come by. Even if you do own the books, the answers are not always easy to find.

For this reason, Asmodea and myself have been made "Lore Assistants." We will be accepting questions by PM or by post here, and posting our answers in the Lore of the Lands thread, from this point onward. We will deal with questions as they come, and as soon as we are able.

These questions can be, as above, simply general questions relating to Lore. Or they can be based more specifically on playing your character's concept ("how would my cleric of Ilmater react to blackguards of Bane?;" "just how do wizards cast spells?;" etc.).

We will also offer assistance and advice in fitting concepts that you have come up with on your own to the Lore, so that they work in our shared setting (D&D Lore is, if nothing else, fairly flexible).

As a disclaimer, it must be noted that our advice and assistance is our own, and, though we were asked to assist in this way, our answers are not necessarily official, nor necessarily backed by the DM staff or the developers. That said, we will cite official material wherever and whenever possible, so that our answers can be searched out and corroborated by those interested in learning more.

It is our hope that this will allow players to better understand our little slice of the Forgotten Realms, and to have a place to turn to for nagging questions and desired information.

We look forward to helping, however we can, and gladly invite your questions, which we request you PM to "Maecius" and "Asmodea," or post here in this thread. Thank you!

[IAmDeathComeForThee]

Wow right on man. You can bet you'll be recieving many a question from myself as I love lore but know little of the D&D universe as it stands now. I gotta say how much I love this server and it is amazing how alive and thriving it is right now, not to mention it is still in Beta. I only hope this is not the peak and it will only continue to grow! Major kudos to everyone contributing along with people such as you guys and the Gazette peeps and anyone else who are not officially a part of the staff. Great job guys and thanks!

[magicshisha]

Thank you very much for offering your help!

[MercTroop]

Here is some thing that is bugging for a long time. No server has really touched on this despite some blatant rips from Middle Ages.

I've read allot of books about Middle Ages and seen a few movies or hundred. A theme that comes up are duels. Duel that is accepted between two people were often considered accepted by society. If a winner of a duel kills his opponent he was not seen as a murder.

I know that in the campaign we have trials by combat. What is the lore on duels for Baldur gate?

If possible include do they happen?

What is laws stance on duels?

Average Baldur gate (not adventurers) view on duels?

Do nobles of Baldur Gate duel? If yes what stakes do the wager in the duel?

[Wulfenote]

*Claps!*
Congrats.

[Kelsfar]

Here is some thing that is bugging for a long time. No server has really touched on this despite some blatant rips from Middle Ages.

I've read allot of books about Middle Ages and seen a few movies or hundred. A theme that comes up are duels. Duel that is accepted between two people were often considered accepted by society. If a winner of a duel kills his opponent he was not seen as a murder.

I know that in the campaign we have trials by combat. What is the lore on duels for Baldur gate?

If possible include do they happen?

What is laws stance on duels?

Average Baldur gate (not adventurers) view on duels?

Do nobles of Baldur Gate duel? If yes what stakes do the wager in the duel?

well yes midevil times and FR on open duels are the same, duels are known to happen between two people and one calling out the other and that other defending his name or honor, many MANY FR novel charaters have dueled someone challenging them to one be it Wulfgar in the Tavern "Cutlass" Artemis challeging Drizzit and so many hundreds of other duals, this is a common thing but I would be mindful of guards that uphold the peace and even though a dual is honorable in death to defend your name or cause it is still frowned on by the local law and may be broken up or sent to spend the night or week in a cell so just take it outside of town

[c2k]

Here is some thing that is bugging for a long time. No server has really touched on this despite some blatant rips from Middle Ages.

I've read allot of books about Middle Ages and seen a few movies or hundred. A theme that comes up are duels. Duel that is accepted between two people were often considered accepted by society. If a winner of a duel kills his opponent he was not seen as a murder.

I know that in the campaign we have trials by combat. What is the lore on duels for Baldur gate?

If possible include do they happen?

What is laws stance on duels?

Average Baldur gate (not adventurers) view on duels?

Do nobles of Baldur Gate duel? If yes what stakes do the wager in the duel?

well yes midevil times and FR on open duels are the same, duels are known to happen between two people and one calling out the other and that other defending his name or honor, many MANY FR novel charaters have dueled someone challenging them to one be it Wulfgar in the Tavern "Cutlass" Artemis challeging Drizzit and so many hundreds of other duals, this is a common thing but I would be mindful of guards that uphold the peace and even though a dual is honorable in death to defend your name or cause it is still frowned on by the local law and may be broken up or sent to spend the night or week in a cell so just take it outside of town

Most states in FR do have trial by combat, in which a dispute or an accusation can be resolved by a sanctioned duel. These tend to happen in an arena or someplace within the town.

Traditional honor duels can happen anywhere, as long as they are not amongst the public(aka the streets, the marketplace, etc.).

[Maecius]

Here is some thing that is bugging for a long time. No server has really touched on this despite some blatant rips from Middle Ages.

I've read allot of books about Middle Ages and seen a few movies or hundred. A theme that comes up are duels. Duel that is accepted between two people were often considered accepted by society. If a winner of a duel kills his opponent he was not seen as a murder.

I know that in the campaign we have trials by combat. What is the lore on duels for Baldur gate?

If possible include do they happen?

What is laws stance on duels?

Average Baldur gate (not adventurers) view on duels?

Do nobles of Baldur Gate duel? If yes what stakes do the wager in the duel?

The laws of Faerûn are a fascinating subject, primarily because of the diverse ways different countries, cities, and regions handle legal conflict. To answer your question, we have to realize that Baldur's Gate is first and foremost a city founded on trade.

"Generally, no place that thrives on trade (such as Waterdeep, Scornubel, or Athkatla) dares allow open bribery or 'flawed justice.' Rigging of results must be done behind the scenes -- by not bringing someone to trial or arranging a prisoner escape -- rather than in public. Outside of frontier areas, places that survive on trade will have clearly codified laws, an independent judiciary (such as the Magisters of Waterdeep), and arrangements that let guilds partially punish their own members (lessening court sentences in return for guild sanctions). Belief must prevail that visiting merchants will be treated equally with residents and citizens -- or the merchants will stop coming.

"For this reason, trial by combat is rarely allowed in trading centers, but might occur in rural mob justice or communities dominated by a faith allowing it (for example, a hamlet around a temple of Tempus). In Sembia as well as some Tethyrian baronies and Vilhon cities, combat between hired champions or personal dueling is public entertainment, resorted to in cases where no crime has been committed because there are no laws protecting personal reputations, but a noble feels slighted by another noble, or a highborn not-yet-wed woman is accused of being less than chaste and wants to refute the slur. After all, Faerûn almost entirely lacks equivalents of real-world libel and slander laws." (Power of Faerûn, 18)

For all of the above reasons, dueling is most likely illegal in Baldur's Gate.

That does not mean that it is not done (since when has the law stopped an adventurer from doing anything?), but it does mean that the Flaming Fist is unlikely to start taking bets on people drawing swords in the middle of Bindle Street. Likewise, law-abiding citizens are more likely to report a violent confrontation (or at least run away from it), than gather around and watch.

Whether or not nobility is allowed dueling in Baldur's Gate is entirely up to the DM staff and the developers, as "in most places, royalty and nobility have rights or privileges that common folk lack." (Power of Faerûn, 18) However, by mentioning Sembia and Tethyrian baronies and Vilhon cities explicitedly, the Lore seems to suggest that dueling of such a nature is an exception and not a rule.

[VanillaRose]

Simple enough question, I suppose: does the innkeep at the Blade and Stars Inn have a proper name?

[Bong08]

An open duel to death or trial by combat is quite common in the realms, the good old saying good with triumph over evil, ((might makes right))

They also depenting on your social status were allowed to some usually the royalty or very rich or highest social status, landowners and knights nobles and wealthy merchants. Lands where it was a crime to shed certain peoples "blood" A open duel to the death, over proving one innocent, or to "regain honour" for some dishonour ussually had a few rules, were like a contracts, both parties had to agree on, date time, weapons allowed, stand in etc etc. Both parties had to qualify for it to be "legal". Whom you were or whom you know would matter, not just anyone can claim it all the time over any crime. Which BG may fall into on certian crimes, like treason.


Duels , even in reality where it was outlawed, are still fought, just take it to a private place, or outside the reach of the law to conduct it

Care to step outside the city at 6am at dawn on sunday morning with pistols, sir I shall have satifation for that the dishonour you made.

[Wulfenote]

Simple enough question, I suppose: does the innkeep at the Blade and Stars Inn have a proper name?

Innkeep. *nods sagely*

[broham1]

Simple enough question, I suppose: does the innkeep at the Blade and Stars Inn have a proper name?

His name is Aundegul Shawn. He serves "Ruby cordials" on cold nights. A sweet syrupy concoction of cherries dissolved in sugared red wine. It's nice once you're used to the rawness it leaves in your throat.

Taken from Volo's guide to the Sword coast (page 19)

EDIT: Sorry for steppin on your toes guys. But I had the book out and saw the question. Hope you don't mind...

[Wulfenote]

His name is Aundegul Shawn. He serves "Ruby cordials" on cold nights. A sweet syrupy concoction of cherries dissolved in sugared red wine. It's nice once you're used to the rawness it leaves in your throat.

Taken from Volo's guide to the Sword coast (page 19)

By chance is there a recipe for that in the book, too?

[broham1]

His name is Aundegul Shawn. He serves "Ruby cordials" on cold nights. A sweet syrupy concoction of cherries dissolved in sugared red wine. It's nice once you're used to the rawness it leaves in your throat.

Taken from Volo's guide to the Sword coast (page 19)

By chance is there a recipe for that in the book, too?

No but there is for the Flounder served at the "Blushing Mermaid".

[adzling]

ah i have made a similar drink myself for consumption at my bar (I used to own bar don't you know).

You start with a jar of Maraschino cherries, empty about 1/4 - 1/2 of the liquid out of the jar depending upon taste.
Top up the jar with either vodka, rum, brandy or all of the above depending upon taste.
Let sit for at least a week.
You now have the option of either using the loaded cherries as a garnish (cherry bombs!) or the cherry "juice" as a powerful mixer or schnapps-like drink in it's own right.

We use to grab the jar from the back room when the bar was super packed and start popping them in random people's mouths, it was funny to see their expression as they realized the alcohol content of the otherwise innocuous garnish they had just consumed