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Baldur's Gate (Games)

2021-11-14T16:13:36Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:8C69:E7C0:B38C:6A7E: /* Baldur's Gate III */

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''If looking for the namesake city from the [[Forgotten Realms]], see [[Baldur's Gate (City)]].''

'''Baldur's Gate''' is a fucking awesome series of [[Advanced_Dungeons_and_Dragons#AD.26D_2nd_Edition|2e]] [[Dungeons & Dragons]] [[CRPG]]s based in the [[Forgotten Realms]] [[campaign setting]]. They were made by [[Bioware]] between 1998 and 2001, and comprise four games in total; ''Baldur's Gate'', ''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn'', and their respective expansions ''Tales of the Sword Coast'' and ''Throne of Bhaal''. The games follow the story of a Bhaalspawn (the player's character) as they discover their identity and have to deal with both the effects it has on themselves and the threat of outside agencies who wish to use the player's character for their own goals.

The series uses the isometric [[Infinity Engine]] common to many of Bioware's titles, also used in such games as [[Planescape: Torment]] and the [[Icewind Dale]] series. Alongside ''Planescape: Torment'', the series (especially ''BGII'') is regarded by many as one of the best CRPGs of all time. The games are notable for being remarkably freeform and presenting a wide variety of options for resolving the problems that are faced, as well as supporting virtually any sort of alignment the player character chooses. The choices available and sheer number of side-quests that can be undertaken provide a vast amount of replayability to the game.

The games are also known for the great amount of dialogue and conversation options available, especially in ''BGII'', where [[NPC]] party members frequently held conversations with the player and other NPCs in the world. These could range from hilarious (as in the case of [[Edwin]] or [[Minsc]]) to darkly serious.

If even the vast options available in the vanilla games were not enough, dedicated players have access to a wide variety of user-made mods that have been produced for the game, which vary in scope between fixing bugs in the game and improving AI to adding entirely new potential NPC party members complete with their own dialogue and quests. There are even conversions that allow for porting the ''Baldur's Gate'' content into the visually superior ''BGII'' interface - useful considering ''BGI''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s inability to support a higher resolution than 640x480.

Some crazy bastards in the early 2010s actually managed to get the rights to officially create an updated version to both games, and to Icewind Dale. Known as the Baldur's Gate Enhanced Editions, these can now be bought off of Steam and downloaded; they come with a lot of fixes, including a bunch of new characters. While there's some skubbery about how good a job they did (the lack of support for the popular, semi-official "Ascension" mod is a particular bone of contention), most agree they're well worth getting for the history alone. Both games include a bonus campaign, respectively titled ''The Black Pits'' and ''The Black Pits II: Gladiators of Thay'', in which you create your own party from scratch and fight enemies from throughout the series in gladiatorial arenas you've been abducted to fight in while seeking ways to escape your confinement.

They also released an expansion to the original ''Baldur's Gate'', ''Siege of Dragonspear'', even managing to get almost the entire old voice cast back for the job, more than two decades after the fact. While a few one-off characters led to bloody bare-knuckle brawling between the [[SJW|usual]] [[/pol/|suspects]], at the end of the day, it was a pretty decent one. Even featured a brand new character class, the Shaman, which is basically a druid-y sorcerer. Or possibly a sorcerer-y druid. It's a divine caster with spontaneous casting, is what I'm getting at.

All that being said, there's also a mod for Neverwinter Nights 2, called Baldur's Gate Reloaded. It’s an entire port of BG1 to NWN2, carrying over all the voice acting and plot of that game whilst putting it in a 3D engine with a 3rd edition ruleset. It only came out a few months before Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition, but has never got much coverage.

[https://twitter.com/BrianFargo/status/1047967566168174592 Brian Fargo indicated a third game was in the works since at least late 2018] and in late May 2019 Larian Studios (''Divinity'' series) launched [http://larian.com/ a teaser with a mysterious III logo] on their home page in an attempted tease that was ruined when they forgot to remove "BaldursGate_logo_III_retouched.png" from the metadata. No further details were confirmed till the next month (6/6/2019) when the first [https://youtu.be/OcP0WdH7rTs/ trailer] dropped (WARNING: Do not watch if you have eaten less than 3 hours ago, unless you enjoy violently vomiting up all your food. You have been warned.) Four days later, at the PC Gamer Show, [[Mike Mearls]] confirmed that there will be a [[5E|5th Edition]] prequel adventure to the game called ''Descent into Avernus'', the released September 17th and that it takes place about 100 years after Baldur's Gate 2, allowing players to catch up on what has been going on and setting up for the PC game proper.

After over half a year of waiting, gameplay shown on February 27th 2020, revealing a properly turn-based combat system and the game starring a Charname that escaped after being infected by a [[Mind Flayer]] tadpole. Some negative reaction came from the combat changes, with accusations that it appeared to be a reskin of ''Divinity: Original Sin 2'' with D&D5e rules. The game released in Early Access on October 6, 2020.

==Storyline==
===Baldur's Gate===
You begin the game as an orphan raised in Candlekeep, a massive "fortress of knowledge" created by the faithful of [[Oghma]] to preserve and store texts, tomes, manuals, scrolls and other forms of literary knowledge from across the [[Forgotten Realms]]. You were brought here as an infant by the [[wizard]] Gorion, and have never left the security of Candlekeep... until today. Amidst strange rumors of a mysterious "plague" that is afflicting iron in this region of the Sword Coast and a budding war between Baldur's Gate and Amn, Gorion instructs you to gather your belongings and leave, promising explanations once you have united with two friends of his: Jaheira and Khalid.

Unfortunately, he is struck down defending you against a mysterious assailant who ambushes you in the night; a hulking armored warrior who demands your life. At Gorion's instructions, you flee for safety, which he buys at the expense of his own life. You are left without any guidance at all, and alone save for the arrival of Imoen; your foster sister from Candlekeep. With no other purpose, you set about becoming [[adventurer]]s, and slowly unravel the mysteries of the "iron plague".

It turns out that the "iron plague" is a result of a ploy by a Baldur's Gate merchant house called the Iron Throne; having discovered a lost and flooded iron mine in the Cloakwood, they have restored it to functioning condition under the leadership of someone named "Sarevok" through the use of slave labor. Following Sarevok, they used [[kobold]]s to begin sabotaging the iron ore at Nashkel, the region's premier iron mine, and encouraged bands of bandits to begin plaguing the Sword Coast. Likewise, they have fed the rumors of impending war, hoping to profit from their dark deeds.

However, Sarevok has other plans. He had discovered that he is a [[Bhaalspawn]] - a demigodling created by [[Bhaal]], the God of Murder, as an insurance against his destruction during the [[Time of Troubles]]. The Iron Throne believes Sarevok seeks money - instead, he fully intends to plunge the Sword Coast into a bloody war on a massive scale, hoping to ascend and take his father's place as the new God of Murder.

This is why Sarevok sought your death. For you too are a Bhaalspawn. Once you discover this, you must unmask Sarevok's true role in the troubles plaguing Baldur's Gate, and then confront him for a final showdown in an ancient temple to Bhaal in the Undercity. But even as he dies, you can feel it in your bones that this is only the beginning...

====Tales of the Sword Coast====
The second game released in the original Bioware lineup, this glorified expansion pack to the original ''Baldur's Gate'' introduces four new major plots centered around two new areas on the world map; '''Ulgoth's Beard''' and '''Durlag's Tower'''.

'''Durlag's Tower''' is a sprawling dungeon complex erected by an epic-level [[dwarf]] adventurer as a personal home for himself and all his kinsfolk... unfortunately, rumors of his massive stash of treasure lured invaders, in the form of an army of [[doppelganger]]s directed by [[illithid]]s. Only Durlag survived, and the experience of being hunted through his own home by creatures wearing the faces of his wife, children and family left him unhinged. He turned the fortress into a maze of lethal traps and filled it with monsters, and it still remains a death-trap even now. Whilst there are two quests you can receive in Ulgoth's Beard that send you here, you can also come here on your own for a good old fashioned dungeon delve - especially because a "demon knight" has set up shop and is hoping to use the place as a base to launch a fiendish invasion of Faerun. It lies in the extreme south-east of the Baldur's Gate world map, close to the Firewine Bridge and Gullykin.

'''Ulgoth's Beard''' is a small fishing community to the northeast of Baldur's Gate proper. This is where the majority of the new quests introduced in the expansion pack are to be found:
* The local mage Shandalar will ask the player to retrieve his cloak... which entails him teleporting the player's party to a small, inhospitable island and navigating a dungeon full of imprisoned mages driven mad by isolation and hunger, forcing you to kill them all or be killed before he brings you back. He is the kind of guy who would make [[Elminster]] go "dude, you're a dick".
* A dwarf in the local tavern will ask you to recover a special dagger from Durlag's Tower. Said dagger gets you jumped by a bunch of cultists when you return, which causes the dwarf to admit that there's a [[nabassu]] stuck in that dagger. You have to fight your way into the basement of a nearby house and kill the cultists, but not before they release the [[demon]], resulting in a stupidly tough boss fight (he keeps respawning when killed so long as there are "Cult Guards" alive, and he has a special gaze attack that causes whoever it hits to explosively gib and be replaced by a [[ghoul]]).
* A woman wants you to rescue her son, who went off to become an adventurer by exploring Durlag's Tower.
* A mysterious nobleman in a house near the docks wants you to undertake an expedition to an island he claims is the place where the legendary hero Balduran, the founder of Baldur's Gate, ran aground on his final voyage. This requires "acquiring" some sea charts from a merchant house in Baldur's Gate, and then a sea voyage... to an island infested with [[werewolf|werewolves]] and [[wolfwere]]s.

===Siege of Dragonspear===
This is not part of the original quadrilogy of games released by Bioware, but is instead an "interquel" to Baldur's Gate & Shadows of Amn created by Beamdog.

After the events of Baldur's Gate, you have become the hero of the titular city. So of course you are chosen to aid Baldur's Gate's army when Caelar Argent, a mad [[aasimar]] [[paladin]] on a mission to invade the Nine Hells of [[Baator]] begins leading a crusade that ravages the Sword's Coast, especially since it's rumored that she may also be a [[Bhaalspawn]]. And all the while, a mysterious hooded mage is spying on you, observing your efforts.

You eventually succeed in stopping the crusade, possibly even saving Caelar from the machinations of her treacherous right hand and getting her to help you undo some of the damage, but when you return, a murder you've been clumsily framed for, and the political machinations of the city's leaders, see you sent off into exile, with the same party you start the next game with.

It loses major points for the hamfisted ending, which relies on the idea of Baldur's Gate courts being skeptical of the idea that Gorion's Ward could have been mind-controlled into murdering somebody by an evil [[wizard]]... despite living in a world where A: wizards being able to control people is very common B: people '''know this happens''' C: Just Wizards capable of doing it are explicitly at least 0.5% of the population (more than doctors in the real world), to say nothing of the many other classes and magic items capable of doing. It just speaks of obviously wanting to shove "Drama!" into the story and being willing to ignore canon for the sake of it. There's also an NPC that exists purely to tell you they are trans and forces you to praise them ([[Adventure_Path#Wrath_of_the_Righteous|It's a recurring problem with this author]].).

Also, it actually creates a continuity snarl: if you talk to Imoen, Jaheira and Minsc in the original Shadows of Amn game, they make it clear that Gorion's Ward went missing ''first'' and then they all got together to try and locate their missing friend, rather than being grabbed whilst actively adventuring together.

===Shadows of Amn===
You awaken to pain, your memories cloudy, a prisoner in a dungeon overseen by Jon Irenicus, an insane mage who torments you with hideous magical experiments. And then a battle rips through the dungeon. A woman comes to you; Imoen is her name, she tells you, a [[thief]] turned [[wizard]], and your foster sister from Candlekeep. You were abducted some time ago by the mage who has been tormenting you, and she led a band of [[adventurer]]s to your rescue, only to be captured. With the aid of the other survivors, Jaheira and Minsc, you set about escaping from your captor, fighting your way to the surface and discovering you were imprisoned beneath the streets of Athkatla, the capital city of Amn.

Unfortunately, Imoen's attempt to defend herself from your captor with a Magic Missile spell occurs ''just'' as the Cowled Wizards arrive on the scene, spiriting the two of them away for "public use of magic". To pursue them, you must reach the isle of Spellhold, where the Cowled Wizards imprison criminal and crazed magic-users of all sorts... there's just the little matter of building up the extravagant fee to get there first.

Once you arrive, you find your captor has slaughtered the Cowled Wizards and taken over. He imprisons you again and rips out a portion of your soul, having already done the same with Imoen for his sister, a [[vampire]] named Bodhi - as it turns out, Imoen is also a [[Bhaalspawn]]! Abandoning you to die, the wizard leaves, forcing you to give chase. It will take traveling through the depths of [[Underdark]] before you can finally confront him, and learn the truth behind this whole mess.

As it turns out, Irenicus was originally an [[elf]] wizard who sought to become divine by stealing power from a sacred elven relic called the Tree of Life in the elven city of Suldanasellar. So, in a display of stunning stupidity, the elves punished him by ripping out a portion of his soul, effectively reducing him to a [[human]], and exiled him... '''without taking away his epic levels in wizard'''. (He was the elf queen's main squeeze, and she hoped he'd find redemption instead of further damning himself, but still. Damn.) Fueled by rage, he sought to absorb your soul to restore himself to his full power, after putting Imoen's into his sister who'd infected herself with vampirism to stay immortal, and now he wants to complete his original goal and become a god.

This leads, of course, to a climactic battle... and then you being dragged into a fiendish [[demiplane]], the last remnant of the realm of [[Bhaal]], to slay Irenicus a second time and finish him off once and for all.

====Watcher's Keep====
This is a dungeon complex similar to Durlag's Tower in Tales of the Sword Coast. It was introduced as part of the Throne of Bhaal expansion pack, but can be accessed during both a Shadows of Amn game and a Throne of Bhaal game.

During your adventures in Amn, you discover an ancient fortress turned dungeon, whose resident guardians beg you for help. The Watcher's Keep is used to imprison a powerful [[fiend]] - no less than [[Demogorgon]] himself! - but the wardings are starting to fail. Only you are powerful enough to have a chance to fight your way through the monsters and traps to reach the lowest level and restore the wardings to their full power... or slay the beast and banish it back to the netherrealms from whence it came.

===Throne of Bhaal===
The inevitable has come. The Five, a band of powerful [[Bhaalspawn]] have united, plunging the Sword Coast into a bloody war as the children of [[Bhaal]] seek each other out and slaughter each other, determined to be the last ones standing. And you have no intention of just rolling over and dying.

An unfortunately rushed expansion. Not unfinished or anything; just kind of unsatisfying. A semi-official mod put out by the game's creators, called "Ascension," adds a great deal of extra content.

===Black Hound===
The cancelled Baldur's Gate III, before Larian made their own BGIII. It was going to use the [[Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition|3rd edition]] rules, have a new engine, and be the first in a new trilogy, but they lost the license to release D&D games on the PC in the mid-2003. The plot would've gone thus:

You are some random shmuck with no relation to the previous games in the Dalelands, huddling around a fire in an old barn during a storm when a black hound with arrows stuck in it dies on your lap. Then a group of raiders bursts in and their leader, who we later learn in named May Farrow, accuses you of being in league with the dog and almost kills you, but you're saved by the Riders of Archendale who take you to the magistrate where you're questioned. He then tells the you're not allowed leave the areas of Archendale, Battledale, Deepingdale, and North Sembia, and as you wander the lands, the black hound appears whenever you encounter someone burdened with great guilt, and you slowly become the essence of guilt in the four areas due to your actions. As it turns out, May is a widow who felt guilt from believing to have killed her husband, referred only as the farmer, and had him resurrected... only something went wrong and he came back as an abomination. As you've wandered the land, the black hound has been channeling the guilt of others to the farmer, making him stronger and stronger, and you wold need to find a way to stop him.

===Baldur's Gate III===
Heretofore unsubtitled, a new game made by Larian instead of Beamdog. [[Illithid|Illithids]] are plotting something and the [[Githyanki]] are on their tail, and that's where you (no longer a Bhaalspawn or one of their descendants) come in. You all meet in an <s>inn</s> illithid Nautloid, and get the dubious benefit of being impregnated with an illithid tadpole, but don't get turned into a brain-eating walking cephalopod. Bhaal and the other [[Myrkul|Dead]] [[Bane|Three]] are somehow behind the events of the game. Also has a few of the classic Bioware mold characters, with the Githyanki fighter Lae'Zel being the "sexy-but-morally dubious-and-dangerous woman" and half-elf cleric only known as Shadowheart being the "socially awkward sweet girl with a tough core".

The game is currently in Early Access and can be purchased on Steam and GOG, though at the time of writing only the first act and about half of the PHB races and classes are available. Larian have indicated that they don't expect the game to reach 1.0 status until some point in 2022, and have explicitly warned against buying before then if you desire a full game experience.

==Characters==
The Baldur's Gate series is home to an ''enormous'' cast of characters. In general, the sequel's were more fleshed-out and popular than the first game's, save for, you know, those who went on to appear in the sequel.

===Introduced in BG1===
[[Bhaalspawn]] - Your Player Character, child of [[Bhaal]]. Sometimes referred to in-universe as Gorion's Ward, nicknamed "Charname" by the fandom after the ''character name'' variable used in dialog scripts. Very variable depending on how you play them, with seven possible races, a large variety of classes and class kits to choose from and the option of being ''anywhere'' on the Alignment spectrum. We do NOT talk about the atrocity that is "Abdel Adrian". Canonically lived to see the end of the Spellplague, and became one of the Lords of the city of Baldur's Gate, only to be ganked by the ''other'' remaining Bhaalspawn in the introduction adventure to 5th Edition "Murder in Baldur's Gate".

Imoen - A spunky, cheerful, whimsical female human [[thief]] who was raised at Candlekeep alongside the [[Bhaalspawn]]. Spied on the PC and Gorion when the latter made plans to retreat from Candlekeep and followed them out of loyalty to her best friend, the PC. Reappears in BG2 as one of your initial party members, she was originally planned to be killed off in the game by the developers, but they rewrote the plot when they realized how popular she was. Having [[multiclassing|dual-classed]] to [[Mage]] in the interim between games, she has been traumatized by the experiments of the mad wizard Irenicus, who gets her kidnapped by the Cowled Wizards and taken to Spellhold with him so that he can continue experimenting on her. She's ultimately revealed to be another Bhaalspawn, but one of lesser power and will than the PC, which might explain why ''you'' can't be raised from the dead but she can.

Jaheira - A tough, no-nonsense female half-elven Fighter/Druid; originally married to Khalid, a meeker half-elven fighter, she was one of Gorion's old friends and planned to help him smuggle the PC away to safety when he fled Candlekeep. In BG2, she is one of your initial party members, her husband having been murdered by Irenicus. This opens her up as a romance option. She's a member of the [[Harpers]]. Has rock-solid-but-not-incredible stats for both fighting and casting, and while she won't outdo any specialists, she fits into every party.

Kagain - A male Fighter dwarf, head of a mercenary company. Often overlooked because he's tucked away in an unmarked house in the first town you can reach on the way to Nashkel. Joins you to look for a caravan of his, but says "fuck it" and decides to help you adventuring instead when you find the smoldering remains. Lawful Evil is his alignment, but it's more because he's grumpy and greedy than outright malice. With 20 constitution, he is the best tank in the entire game. Did not return in the sequels. In many ways he was a prototype of Korgan, being a grumpy and anti-social dwarf fighter specialised in axemanship.

Khalid - A half-elven Fighter and Jaheira's wimpy, loser husband. Long resented for being a necessary component of any party with Jaheira in it despite being completely overshadowed in damage output by every other fighter, ranger, and paladin in the game, having a very low morale score that often sees him running for the hills, and only having decent-but-not-incredible tanking stats to make up for it. He also had no real personality besides being spineless and prone to talking like Porky Pig. There is some question as to whether or not this was due to his originally being intended as a fighter/mage, but changed back at the last minute. Is gratuitously and irreversibly killed off in the sequel (though admittedly in such a way that is consistent with the rules governing resurrection in the setting) to free up Jaheira for male Charnames, and in such a way that a lot of people who hated him still felt bad for he and her.

[[Minsc]] - A male human Rashemi Berserker (though mechanically he's a ranger with a unique ability that mimics the berserker kit's) who came to Baldur's Gate looking for the chance to kick butt for goodness in the company of his [[witch]], Dynaheir. He's one of your initial party members in BG2, as he and Dynaheir joined Jaheira and Khalid in looking for the PC and Imoen after Irenicus abducted them. Dynaheir's death left him even loopier. Fortunately, his animal companion, a [[Miniature Giant Space Hamster|miniature giant space hamster]] (who may or may not [[Spelljammer|be just that]]) named Boo, is there to steer him properly. Also, he will readily adopt either Aerie or Nalia as a replacement witch if you have them in the same party long enough. ''Easily'' the most popular character in the series, for his gloriously-hammy voice acting, wacky but endearing personality, and just being a very fun guy to have around, hence his getting his own spin-offs. Modern audiences have a slightly more complicated relationship with him, though, with some viewing him as an overrated one-trick pony who keeps getting whored out to sell Forgotten Realms crap to an audience too shallow to recognize his flaws. Which interpretation is valid depends on whether you like his personality gimmicks; if you do, you're pretty much set, but if you don't, he'll be little more than a pain in the arse. Also, his berserk ability makes him uncontrollable and prone to [[Kharn|attacking other party members]], so use with caution.

[[Edwin]] - An arrogant exiled male human Red Wizard of [[Thay]], beloved by the fans for his endless snark and delusions of grandeur, as well as being the best wizardly party member a player can get. Has a silly subplot in the second game about ''trying'' to gain ultimate arcane power as a [[lich]], only to end up becoming a woman.

[[Viconia de'Vir]] - A renegade female [[drow]] [[cleric]] whose path crosses the PCs in both the first and second game. Tends towards throwing mean-spirited insults at almost everyone else in your party, but to Charname she alternates between being kind of nice and a total bitch at times, like that "tsundere" thing your weeaboo friends keep going on about. The origin of all sexy-but-morally dubious-and-dangerous Bioware women who are actually not so bad deep down, such as Morrigan and Isabela from ''Dragon Age'' or Jack and Miranda from ''Mass Effect''. Another potential love interest character, but we probably didn't need to tell you that. Her only major weakness is her very low strength score; equip some kind of item that sets it nice and high for her (like a Belt of Giant Strength or Gauntlets of Ogre Power) so she can wear heavy armor, and her incredible magic resistance and dexterity scores will make her a fantastic tank. On top of that, her good wisdom and pure-caster status make her one of or ''the'' best clerics in any game she's in, though her race and her rotten personality often lead to her picking figurative or literal fights with other party members.

Safana - Classic "sexy seductress" female [[human]] [[rogue]] archetype. Flirts with any man around her, including the player character. Gets more time to shine in Siege of Dragonspear, where she is the "default" thief character and the only pure-classed thief in the game. She even has a potential romance with the player character... which goes nowhere, because she is a cheating selfish slut and she breaks up with them for being boring after stringing them along. For added humiliation, if Voghiln is in the party, she reveals she was sleeping with him behind your back. Proof that if it's not broken, don't fix it.

===Introduced in BG2===
Mazzy Fentan - A female [[halfling]] [[fighter]] who worships [[Arvoreen]], the halfling warrior god, with such fervor that she is as close to being a [[paladin]] as AD&D 2e rules allow. (Namely, through getting a bunch of unique powers that mime those of a pally.) Doubles as walking proof that halflings can get shit done too and a critique of the race/class restrictions of the edition she was born into, what with paladins being a humans-only option and all. Well-liked for being something other than the stereotypical stupid/timid/goofy halfling thief in an edition that was rife with those, and for having a bunch of fun interactions with the rest of the cast. Was voiced by Jennifer Hale, who later voiced [[Samus]] along with several other Bioware characters such as KOTOR's Bastila Shan and the female version of Commander Shepard.

Haer'Dalis - Male [[tiefling]] [[bard]] from [[Sigil]] and a [[Doomguard]]. Was considered as a romance option for females but it never went anywhere. Has a lot of good voice acting and witty lines. Likes to nickname the party by calling them animals. As he has a Bard kit designed for frontline combat (Blade), he is considered much more viable than Garrick and Eldoth, the playable bards from the first game. Sheds some interesting light on another ''D&D'' setting.

Keldorn Firecam - Rugged, world-weary but still badass male human [[paladin]]. His class kit, Inquisitor, is designed to help with fighting mages, which makes him very, very useful because mid-to-high-level enemy mages are a complete pain in the ass. Popular among the player base for the aforementioned reason, but also for having solid stats and being able to use a really powerful two-handed sword called Carsomyr, which basically makes him a monster in close-combat, but comes with two major caveats: one, he'll refuse to be in a party with, if not actively try to kill, a number of useful but Evil-aligned potential party members, which may make you want to just make your ''own'' paladin if you want an Inquisitor that much; two, there are several moments in the game where he'll either leave the party or ''turn his blade on you'' if you take the evil path in a quest, and that's if he doesn't force you to take the good path. His personal quest is well-regarded for being more about roleplaying and moral dilemmas than meat-grinder combat, and for tackling his struggles to balance the demands of his lifestyle and calling with being a good husband and father.

Anomen Delryn - Arrogant, wanna-be "Knight" male human fighter/cleric. Only male love interest in the base game. Fans have a complex relationship with him. On one hand, while he starts out as a dickhead and glory hound, he's actually got a very fleshed out backstory and a well-written personal quest (one wacky final twist aside) that gives him a lot of depth and, potentially, the deepest character arc in the entire game, complete with two possible outcomes and an alignment shift either way: one where he becomes a better person (and gets a hefty [[Wisdom]] boost), and one where he sinks into despair and bitterness over his failures; on the other hand, he's such a douchebag that his inauspicious beginnings incurably colour many players' opinions of him, since he'll spend a whole awful lot of time insulting other party members for petty reasons (like spitting on Mazzy for being a [[halfling]] or Cernd for being a [[druid]]) and even you if you dare to suggest he's not the invincible badass he claims to be, and on top of that he starts with a crummy Wisdom score, making him a sub-par caster. Consequently, he's been near or at the top of many "Characters who just aren't worth it" lists for years.

Korgan Bloodaxe - A [[dwarf]] berserker with a silver tongue, a long blue beard and a foul temper. Starts out optimally-trained in axemanship, is willing to kill allies who become dead weight to him, is only fond of those who can hold their own against his insult tirades should he choose to unleash them and has an irrepressible lust for bloodshed and battle. [[Khorne]] is infinitely pleased by his existence. His stats are built for kicking ass and taking lumps aplenty, but he can't use any wands or spells. A popular choice for equipping him is to train him for dual-wielding and improve his hammer-wielding skills, ultimately kitting him out with the Axe of the Unyielding (an awesome axe that can kill in a single swing on the right roll) and Crom Faeyr (a warhammer that boosts the wielder's Strength to 25) for maximum carnage. He inspired a LOT of boisterous, fight-happy, story-telling mercenaries who're technically bad people but also enjoyably charismatic in later BioWare games such as Dragon Age's Oghren and Iron Bull or Mass Effect's Urdnot Wrex and Zaeed Massani and might have even helped Bioware name Urdnot Wrex's race, the krogan.

Yoshimo - Smooth-talking not-Japanese [[thief]] who turns out to be reluctantly spying on you for Irenicus because his sister was Sarevok's lover and canonically either died at your hands or on your watch. His class kit, Bounty Hunter, makes him handy with traps. Has some funny lines about the way weeb settings like his seem to work out, and can potentially get a very small bit of closure. Might have influenced the Mass Effect dlc character Kasumi Goto, a smooth Japanese professional thief.

Jan Jansen - Crazy male [[gnome]] [[illusionist]]/[[thief]]. Fights with his array of wacky inventions, is absolutely fucking hilarious, and enjoys telling silly stories just to get a rise out of people. Has a shockingly heartbreaking personal quest where the woman he loves is stuck in a bad marriage to an abusive asshole and the only way to save her daughter's sanity is to make her lose the memories that might cause her to leave him in the first place. Fortunately, in his ending, he manages to save the day and get the girl with [[awesome|a legion of well-armed apes that he smuggled into the city, then trained into his private army]].

Aerie - Female [[avariel]] [[mage]]/[[cleric]]. She was kidnapped by slavers in her youth and her wings had to be amputated after the awful conditions she was kept in led to them becoming infected. She whinges about this a ''lot'', primarily because, well, her ''actual'' character arc/quest was left on the cutting room floor partway through development. Fortunately, the expansion pack gives her a bit more willingness to stand up for herself and fleshes out her relationship with the protagonist a bit better. The origin of all the "socially awkward sweet girl with a tough core" Bioware women like Vette from SWTOR, Leliana and Josephine from Dragon Age or Liara T'Soni and Tali'Zorah from Mass Effect. Also a potential love interest. She's the only party member who gets pregnant and gives birth during the series, and spends the rest of the game adventuring with her child bundled up on her back.

Valygar Corthala - A male human ranger, with the Stalker kit. Was also considered as a romance for female players but it never got finished. Hates magic due to his family history of being mages who either a) become shifty necromancers or b) become body chow for his evil ancestor Lavok. He's black, closer to Moorish black than African black, and specialized in the use of katanas, spears and longbows. His kit lets him sneak around more easily, backstab like a thief and cast three low-level mage spells as third level ranger spells. He's pretty useful in Shadows of Amn where backstabbing is damn useful, but falls off in Throne of Bhaal due to so many enemies being either immune to critical hits or backstabbing, sadly.

===Introduced in the Enhanced Editions===
Dorn Il-Khan - A male half-orc blackguard (implemented as a paladin kit) who benefits from the best [[Strength]] score among recruitable NPCs. Unlike the half-orc stereotype of being dumb, ugly rudeboys with no impulse control, he's intelligent, handsome, charming, articulate and pragmatic, if, you know... evil. Is openly bisexual and can be romanced regardless of gender. Starts out hostile and suspicious to most people but by the sequel has mellowed somewhat and is willing to make friends with people who share his interests.

Neera - Female half-elven wild mage, with a running gag about being mistaken for a full-blooded elf. Angsts about her magic causing wild and crazy effects on and off the battlefield, but otherwise prefers to be cheerful and upbeat. Lives up to the [[Chaotic Stupid]] archetype, in that she's a classic Chaotic Neutral of the "is naturally selfish, as well as acts on first impulse and doesn't think about the consequences" type, which is often cited as a reason for disliking her. Is a romance option for males.

Rasaad yn Bashir - A human male [[monk]] (specifically a Sun Soul monk) whose character arc involves him dealing with the death-except-not-really and corruption of his brother Gamaz and his attempts to get revenge on the perpetrator. Sadly, he has one of the most depressing and downbeat epilogues in the series, right down there with Cernd and a romanced Viconia, making his entire adventuring career with you a waste of time unless ''very specific'' courses of action are taken during his quests. Has a poor ability to recognize or tell jokes, which forms the bulk of his humour. Is a romance option for female PCs.

Baeloth Barrityl - A flamboyant, motor-mouthed male [[drow]] [[Sorcerer (Dungeons & Dragons)|sorcerer]], he serves as the big bad of the first "The Black Pits" spin-off game, and can be recruited as a party member in both Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition (where he was banished to a pocket plane prison on the surface after having his gladiators rebel) and in Siege of Dragonspear (where he's trying and failing to run a new "Black Pits" gladiatorial arena) if you let him live in the first game.

Captain Schael Corwin - A female archer serving with the Flaming Fist, she is the first companion that the player acquires after beginning the Siege of Dragonspear campaign proper. She's a great rear-rank warrior, but that does mean putting up with her personality, which is basically [[Lawful Stupid]] and a shameless shill for the Flaming Fist. Whilst she's technically romanceable (she's a bisexual woman), she is held back in fans' eyes by having some baggage (she has a daughter, Romah, from a deadbeat boyfriend she had... and whom she's murdered 5 times), and most importantly being such a Lawful Stupid asshole that when your PC is falsely accused of murder in the final chapter, she actually advocates that they make a guilty plea in order to "quell the civil unrest" that their situation is causing as swiftly as possible.

Glint Gardnersonson - Male [[gnome]] [[cleric]]/[[thief]] devoted to [[Baravar Cloakshadow]] found in Siege of Dragonspear, Glint's entire character can be summed up as "gay Jan Jansen with divine magic". He's a motor-mouthed brilliant yet absent-minded and socially awkward gnome who is also the only purely homosexual male follower in the game.

M'khinn Grubdoubler - Cynical, world-weary and bitter "redeemed" female [[goblin]] [[shaman]] whom is being held as a captive by Baeloth Barrityl in Siege of Dragonspear.

Voghiln the Mighty - A flamboyantly [[viking]] [[bard]] from Siege of Dragonspear whose life revolves around music, booze, women and seeking adventure. He'd probably be more popular if he didn't feel so much like a slightly less crazy, more selfish and otherwise flatter drunkard version of Minsc, and he didn't have an affair with Safana behind your back. Yes, this happens whether you have a male PC who is trying to court Safana or a female one who is trying to court Voghiln.

Hexxat - A [[SJW|black lesbian vampire from the Enhanced Edition of Shadows of Amn]]. Has a halfway-interesting sidequest introducing her, where she ''seems'' to be a very different character, only for the person you met in the inn to turn out to be her brainwashed puppet whom Hexxat snacks on after using her to free herself. Has a somewhat-standard character arc of hating being a vampire and wanting to be human again, which she does odd jobs for Larloch to attain, though the PC can talk her out of it. Gameplay-wise, has to wear a cape that heavily gimps her stats during the day or she'll dust herself and need to wait until nightfall to reincorporate, though completing her personal quest removes that cape's limitation. Achieves the impressive feat of picking even more fights with other party members than ''Keldorn'', including Jan Janssen when he reveals that one of her many victims was a member of his family.

Wilson - A [[Bear Lore|bear]]. Very well-hidden; requires navigating multiple other Enhanced Edition characters' special sidequests to unlock in ''Shadows of Amn'', he seems like a wacky joke character at first, with his inability to talk or use equipment besides potions. Don't be fooled; he can get up to grandmaster proficiency with his claws, which also count as dual-wielding, which also get free scaling as he levels up, as do his physical stats and AC. He can also get free "bear hugs" if he connects with two in a row for even more free attacks, and has the ability to rage and shrug off status effects like a PC berserker, effectively making him a combination of berserker and kensai. Has no dialogue, which is part of the joke, but the way other characters react as if he can talk and his ending suggest it's not ''all'' comedy, and that he actually is a gentle, thoughtful soul who just so happens to be a motherfucking murder-bear.

===Bosses===
Sarevok Anchev - Main villain and final boss of the first game, a male human [[Bhaalspawn]] who is manipulating events to trigger a huge war that will sweep the Sword Coast, hoping to ascend to Bhaal's place by harvesting a great tally of souls in the battle and through the slaughter of any other Bhaalspawn he can find. Proclaims he's doing it all because he's a Bhaalspawn, ''duh'', but other sources imply he's the bad guy because his childhood was painful and he was influenced along the path to evil. When it falls apart, you still have to fight him, and he's a motherfucker of a boss, with immunity to most magic and incredibly powerful weapons and armor that you can't even loot off him. In the third game, you have the option to resurrect his shade and allow him to fight at your side, potentially inspiring him to redeem himself and become a better person in the process. Voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson, leading to an impressively deep and intimidating voice.

Caelar Argent - The Shining Lady, an [[aasimar]] [[fighter]] and leader of a crusade to reclaim the souls trapped in Avernus after a recent war, including her paladin uncle who got stuck there saving her when she read something she shouldn't've as a stupid kid. Unfortunately, she somehow fails to notice her incredibly obviously shifty second-in-command's very-telegraphed betrayal before it hits her. Depending on how persuasive you are, she can actually be recruited to battle the final boss with a dialogue check, but if you fail she sells her soul to become a blackguard and get revenge on her second-in-command and you.

Belhifet - A [[baatezu]], and the true architect of the events of ''Siege of Dragonspear'', working through his servant Hephernaan. (And also the first ''[[Icewind Dale]]'' game.) Depending on your difficulty, he might or might not be immune to any weapon with less than +3 and have a mountain of elemental resistances, on top of a bunch of fear and fire attacks. Happily, because Caelar shows up at the same time you do and has a +3 weapon, a player will always have access to at least one person able to deal weapon damage to him. Also one of the few bosses smart enough to open the fight by dispelling all your buffs, the bastard.

Jon Irenicus - Mad male elven mage who, in his former life as Joneleth, was the lover of the elven queen Ellesime before, in a fit of arrogance, he tried to steal the power to become a god from the elves' sacred trees. The elves stripped him of his soul, reducing him to a dying, emotionally crippled husk who nevertheless retained his archmage power, and then booted him out of the city, alongside his sister, Bodhi, who was party to the whole mess. The whole plot of BG2 is his attempt to steal the PC's soul and use it to restore himself so he can take another shot at it, with the added bonus of killing all the elves in the process. Has tons of dark charisma and icy sarcasm that make him the most popular antagonist in the series. He even mocks you if you try to squeeze him for "villain exposition." Voiced by David Warner, who gives a chilling and legendary performance for this dude.

Bodhi - She tried to cure her newfound mortality and soullessness by turning herself into a vampire. It sort of worked. While her brother's empty soul turned him into an icy, calculating monster, hers caused her to become a nearly feral predator. She was the subject of a "test run," in which Jon put Imoen's soul into her to see if it'd actually help.

The Five - A band of five extremely powerful Bhaalspawn who have banded together to exterminate their kin in hopes of then ascending to Bhaal's old throne themselves. The main bosses of Throne of Bhaal. The most interesting ones are the fire giant, Yaga-Shura, a brilliant general who's completely invulnerable until you find his removed heart and undo the magic that makes him impervious to all harm, and Balthazar, a ''lawful good'' monk who's only hanging out with these freaks so that he can ultimately destroy all remaining Bhaalspawn in a special ritual, including himself, to permanently sunder Bhaal's essence and ensure he'll never return. Unfortunately, the rushed nature of the expansion means that none of them are really the powerful, interesting, or memorable figures they should be, even with the famous and semi-official Ascension mod, though it does certainly help.

Amelyssan The Blackhearted - The true boss of ToB, the last foe you face in the series; Bhaal's former high priest who seeks to betray her master, steal the collected essence of Bhaal, and use it to become the new Goddess of Murder. Unfortunately, also the least popular final boss in the series, mostly due to the expansion being kind of rushed and her not really having the kind of grand plans or charisma of the previous two.

==5e Legacy==
In October 2021, WotC decided to milk the Baldur's Gate nostalgia by putting out a semi-official splatbook on the DM's Guild titled "Minsc & Boo's Journal of Villany", which provides a number of goodies for DMs, in the form of some basic advice on running adventures, but largely an assortment of new hometowns, patrons, campaign villains, NPCs and monsters. Of course, many of those individuals are actually converted characters from the Baldur's Gate games!

...And of course, this being a 2021 D&D product, many of them have their lore messed up (even beyond the insistence on canonizing Abdel Adrian), but what do you honestly expect from WotC at this point?

So, who gets officially brought into the 5e realms?

'''Valygar Corthala''', introduced as an example of a [[Candlekeep]]-associated patron, is still alive and well, albeit a badass old motherfucker who has been sneaking Potions of Longevity on the side to keep him alive. He's still an obsessive witchhunter who refuses to lay down and die whilst there are evil wizards out there to be tracked and slain.

'''Xan Moonblade''', another [[Candlekeep]] patron. He's an [[elf]] [[bladesinger]] now, and still sporting his iconic moonblade. No mention is made of his iconic gloomy persona from the games, and instead the focus is on how he wants to go to [[Evermeet]] and how he's one of the new "Blessed of Corellon" sexshifters.

'''Kivan''' returns as an example patron associated with the Emerald Enclave. Now his backstory is that, after his wife was killed by the [[ogre]]] Tazok, he fell in with Faldron and became muscle for the Shadow Druids, though he ultimately quit them and joined the Emerald Enclave. Unfortunately, Faldron has now infiltrated the Enclave and is working her way up its ranks, leaving Kivan stuck on what to do, since if he outs her as a Shadow Druid, she can do the same to him. Also he's now gay-married to Cernd, the [[werewolf]] [[druid]] from BG2 for some reason.

'''Faldorn''' is, well, Faldorn; she's now a high-ranked member of the Shadow Druids and is secretly seeking to corrupt the Emerald Enclave from within by taking over as its new leader. She did take a few years off from the anti-civilization crusade to go back to her old tribe and pop out a son, though. Also, she and Kivan now worked together.

'''Jaheira''' returns as a sample [[Harpers]] patron. She's a century older now and prefers more of a mentor/recruiter role, but still enjoys going out and kicking ass to protect nature when she can.

'''Minsc and Boo''' are now as the tie-in 5e comics established; petrified after the death of the [[Bhaalspawn]], they were accidentally revived a century later, and have picked right back up on the heroism thing. They are founding members of the up-and-coming Knights of Bahamut organization.

'''Jon & Bodhi Irenicus''' are alive again... sort of. They're now [[Darklord]]s of a [[Demiplane of Dread|Domain of Dread]] based on Suldanessellar, and the heads of the Order of Icarus - a secret society (which can serve as a patron for players) that basially exists to track down magical lore and items in hopes of breaking the curses that bind the Irenicus siblings to their Domain. Jon is now a [[lich]], and Bodhi was the one who persuaded Jon to perform his dark rituals after having been corrupted by black magic she obtained from the [[Vistani]].

'''Montaron and Xzar''' are back. Montaron apparently never got killed by the [[Harpers]] and is still an active agent of the Shadow Thieves. Xzar, on the other hand, turned himself into a [[lich]]... but then devolved into a mad demilich, which Montaron keeps on him at all time. Also, there's a soulless clone of Xzar running around that was given life by the [[Slaad]] Lord Sendam.

'''Imoen''' is still running around, kept alive and youthful by a combination of her [[Bhaalspawn]] blood and a failed attempt to turn her into a [[vampire]], which has left her with sunlight sensitivity and a vampire-like ability to climb sheer surfaces. She now inhabits Athkhatla, having been driven from Baldur's Gate due to that whole "Bhaalspawn [[dhampir]]" thing.

'''[[Bhaal]]''' actually gets statted up as a monster you can fight in this book.

Whilst not actually a Baldur's Gate character, '''Aribeth de Tylmarande''' from [[Neverwinter Nights]] is present in the book. She's now an [[undead]] agent of Mephistopheles.

'''Edwin Odesseiron''', having managed to bumble into [[elf]]-like longevity, is still up to his old tricks, schmoozing to the strong and dreaming of becoming powerful himself.

'''Kagain''' is no longer just a greedy mercenary [[dwarf]], but now an evil, ''evil'' son of a bitch who has become the leader of a small band of Bhaal-worshipping monsters.

'''Saemon Havarian''' is still alive because, after suffering a heart attack, he made a fiendish contract with [[Baalzebul]] for another century's worth of life. With just 25 years left before the [[archdevil]] claims his soul, Saemon is desperate to find some way to wriggle out of this contract.

'''Sarevok''' returned from the dead to fight against Amelissan alongside the [[Bhaalspawn]] (and Imoen)... then became a drunken, drug-addled beggar after realizing how empty and pointless his second grasp on life as. Bhaal has managed to give him some sense of pride and service back by appointing him as his high priest, now the god is returning and seeking to rebuild his faith.

'''Viconia de'Vir''' is wandering around doing whatever [[Shar]] tells her, and slowly building her own party of fellow [[Underdark]] outcasts.

==Quotes==
As described above, ''Baldur's Gate'' is remembered for the large number of witty and amusing quotes of its NPCs. A selection are given here. [[Minsc]] quotes are found on his page, as he is sufficiently awesome as to need a page all to himself.

*JAHEIRA: "You are amusing, in a 'what the hell is wrong with you?' kind of way."
-----
*EDWIN: "Oh, fine, fine! Kick around Edwin, is it?! Were it not for the gobs of wealth and magic that seem to fall into your lap wherever you go, I would never tolerate such insolence! (As it is, just waiiit until you sleep...)"
-----
*VICONIA: "Tell me, Harper, who was who with your parentage? Father the darthir, mother the rivvil? Or father human, mother elven? It's always confusing with crossbred mongrels."
*JAHEIRA: "Two people in love, swine. A rain not likely to soak your parade of scabbed obscenity any time soon."
-----
*[After Edwin inadvertently turns himself into a woman while seeking magical power.]
*HAER'DALIS:
:"I once knew a Red Wizard of Thay,<br/>Who dreamed of lichdom someday,<br/>He said he knew how to do it,<br/>But he still managed to screw it<br/>Up, in the funniest way."
*EDWIN(A): "Thank the gods he is not a better poet. This is one tale I would rather not see immortalised in print."
-----
*YOSHIMO: "Tell me, Edwina, would you like me to let out the seams on your robe? I am quite handy with a needle. You do, after all, have more, ah, bulk, in the upper chest area."
*EDWIN(A): "Silence, you fool! Chauvinist pig! ...what am I saying? I mean to say idiot!"
-----
*EDWIN(A): "I feel your stares! Die! Die!"
-----
*KORGAN: "Be aware, Mazzy, I've something long, hard, and low to the ground you're free to touch and fondle. Child, no need to glare. 'Twas me axe I was referring to. It's a joke!"
*MAZZY: "That's delightful, Korgan. Not lengthy, but effective."
-----
*VICONIA: "Tree hugger, I have a question for you. If a tree falls in a forest, does anyone care?"
-----
*HAER'DALIS: "Ah, my hound, this city be the great world of commerce! Perhaps we can sell Jaheira?"
*JAHEIRA: "Cut your wit, bard. The day has been long already, without you adding hours to it."
*HAER'DALIS: "Cut my wit? Why, certainly, if only I could use your nose's razor edge to perform the task."
*JAHEIRA: "Aye, it seems I've sharpened it upon the grindstone of your heart."
*HAER'DALIS: "Well, my frumpy ptarmigan, I must protest-"
*JAHEIRA: " "Methinks thou dost protest too much." Aye, I can quote the poets too. If you must protest, I respond only to hunger strikes and, even then, too late."
*HAER'DALIS: "Oh [PC name], raven of sympathy! Yon woman is stifling my creativity and stealing thunder from my wit! I swear I cannot work midst the lashings of her tongue!"
-----
*JAHABOAM: "Ho there, I have worked long and lonely hours and it is good to see a friendly face! Care to see some of my trinkets and far flung wares? Something special, something plain, whatever you wish for in these uncertain times, I can make accommodation. Something... for the lady, perhaps? Oh yes, I see a glint in the eye. There is romance afoot, and it needs the dancing partner of the adornments of affection!"
*JAHEIRA: "N-no, that's quite alright. Do not make a fuss."
*JAHABOAM: "Nonsense! Oh, but perhaps I have overstepped my bounds with my observant eyes. I apologize most profusely. It changes nothing, though. You sir, your name?"
*PC: "[PC name]"
*JAHABOAM: "[PC name]? The name of a man that knows his heart, but perhaps has troubles warming the lady's heart. By no fault of your own, of course! Perhaps a gift?"
*JAHEIRA: "I said not to..."
*JAHABOAM: "I believe I was speaking to the gentleman. Now sir, she is a lady of the battlefield, so a commemorative blade possibly? No? I have the perfect thing! A locket to carry an endearing portrait! A minor magic will instantly implant a likeness of the lady. A mere 20 gold, that you might but glance at my other items."
*PC: "I believe the lady said she didn't want anything."
*JAHABOAM: "As you will. Farewell for now. Good luck to you and the lady. Ahh, to be young. Jahaboam bids you not squander what there is to grasp. Farewell!"
*JAHEIRA: "What a... charming fellow. Completely insane of course. Out of his mind. Blind as a bat. No idea what he was saying."
*PC: "Yes... yes, of course. Out of his mind. Yes."
*JAHEIRA: "Yes. Well. Let's... let's get going, shall we?"
-----
*MOOK: "Bloody fine to have some backup. I've heard a bit about you. Been makin' a name for yourself as an adventurer."
*PC: "Thanks. I do my best."
*MOOK: "Aren't you a bit too heroic to be guarding shipments for Aran?"
*PC: "Tis merely a path on the road to another heroic feat."
*MOOK: "I'm glad I could play a part in your little drama."
-----
*SIMYAZ: "You live! The illithids let you go? Astounding, unless you are in league with them. I warn you, if you serve them you will share their fate."
*PC: "No, actually, I DESTROYED THE WHOLE DAMN BUNCH WITHOUT YOU!!"
*SIMYAZ: "I sense hostility."
-----
*BEGGAR: "Excuse me... might you have a coin to spare my poor, venerable mother? She would ask for herself, but she lays in a cold, cold room nearly sick to her death, alas..."
*PC: "She's sick, is she? Perhaps you could bring me to her... I might be able to offer her some help."
*BEGGAR: "Hmph. You could just say 'no', you know... (Always has to be me that runs into them good samaritan types...)
-----
*CAPTAIN EGEISSAG: "So you are the one who has caused so much trouble... I must admit, I am not impressed."
*PC: "Does Sendai think she can stop me by constantly throwing these pathetic slaves in my way?"
*EGEISSAG: "Your slaughter-filled progress has greatly alarmed my mistress. If I defeat you my reward will be truly worthwhile."
*SPECTATOR BEHOLDER: "Oh, Captain, my Captain!"
*EGEISSAG: "Eh? Why do you address me as such, beholder? You have a most peculiar attitude... I shall have to report it to the mistress soon."
*SPECTATOR: "Oh, never mind that. I always wanted to say that, and there you go getting all upset. I just had a comment, here, before this Bhaalspawn squashes you into so much mush."
*EGEISSAG: "Hmph. That may not necessarily happen."
*SPECTATOR: "Uh... yes. Anyhow, on the off chance that you *do* manage to kill the Bhaalspawn, won't Sendai just go the matron mothers and take all the credit for her greedy *little self?"
*EGEISSAG: "You... speak the truth, my mono-ocular friend. I would rather claim the credit for such a deed myself. Have you a suggestion?"
*SPECTATOR: "I'm just thinking it would be *so* much better if you fought [PC name] in single combat. Then you could claim to have killed him all by yourself. Even the matrons couldn't refute that. Parades, gold, a new torture rack, it'd all be yours."
*[The Spectator casts a spell; when either warrior dies, all of their followers will too. Egeissag and the PC fight. Predictably, it is a one-sided slaughter. Egeissag dies and so do his followers.]
*SPECTATOR: "Ahhh... and so it ends. And so does my service with this particular drow dolt. I mean, what's with these drow? Have they nothing better to do than summon me for their stupid tasks?"
*PC: "Hey... aren't you the spectator beholder from the Sahuagin city?"
*SPECTATOR: "That's me. And can I say thank you again for releasing me from one of the most boring tasks in Creation? These drow will just never learn."
*PC: "How is it that you didn't die with the drow?"
*SPECTATOR: "Oh, what? Did you really think I would cast that Geas on myself, too? That would be stupid."
*PC: "So what are you going to do now"
*SPECTATOR: "Oh, you know. Find the nearest hive. Check out the ladies. The usual. You?"
*PC: "Fighting for my life. The usual."
-----
*SOLAR: "When you return to the waking world, you will continue to speed towards your purpose... stopping the prophecy from coming true. My question... why will you do this?"
*PC: "Errr... because if it wasn't for world-shaking prophecies, life would be boring?"
-----
*[The PC releases three novice adventurers from a stone spell.]
*BONDARI: "Die, cursed eyeball! Wha? Uh...? ...Do I, uh, know you?"
*PC: "I have freed you from your stone prison, young adventurer."
*BONDARI: "Uh, thanks. Guys, are you okay?"
*NANOC THE BARBARIAN: Yeah.
*TIM GOLDENHAND: Yes. (No thanks to you... can't even backstab an eyeball!)
*BONDARI: Shut up, Tim! Greetings, my, uh... Lord. I am Bondari Quickhand, a thief. These are my companions Nanoc the Barbarian and Tim Goldenhand. He's an elf. And a mage. Uh... I guess I should thank you for saving us. Is there some way we brave adventurers can repay your kindness? Something we can do for you to fulfill our debt of gratitude? Anything? Anything at all?"
*PC: "A terrible evil has swept across the land and the lives of millions hang in the balance. You have been chosen, Bondari, and you must not fail in your quest!"
*BONDARI: "A quest! Wow, this is great! What do we have to do?"
*PC: "A fiendish beholder and his kobold cohorts have infested a cave to the east of here. An evil dragon threatens the land! I must have the beholder's eyestalk to slay the dragon and save the country from certain doom!"
*BONDARI: "By Mask's mask! We can't let this happen!"
*PC: "Go, noble adventurer, and retrieve the eyestalk. The fate of Tethyr lies in your hands!"
*BONDARI: "What type of reward do we get?"
*PC: "The satisfaction of a job well done. Do not argue, even now the dragon raises his army to crush the world!"
*BONDARI: "Well, we will be saving the world... Alright, we'll do it! Let's go, boys!"
*TIM: "Wait! I have to rest and memorize magic missile!"
*NANOC: "Worry not, elf. Nanoc will protect you!"
*[The next day.]
*BONDARI: "(I'm telling you we can take [PC name]. Nanoc, you are unfettered by the weaknesses of the civilized world! Tim, you can cast magic missile! I will backstab. I bet he has all kinds of great treasure!)"
*NANOC: "{But Tim is terrible. Remember the kobold king? He cast one spell then hid behind a rock while we had to slay everyone!)"
*TIM: "(Hey! I have the healing potions! I heal you!)"
*NANOC: "(I can shrug off a blow that would fell a normal man! Unfettered by your civilized ways, I...)"
*BONDARI: "(Enough. Ready...) ATTACK!!!"
*[The three adventurers attack the party. They are massacred.]
*[Bondari reloads]
*BONDARI: "Uh, here's your eyestalk sir. We found something else, too. I hope you like it."
*PC: "You have saved us all, noble hero."
*BONDARI: "Thanks. It was a good quest. I found a dagger and Tim here got a scroll of identify. In a couple of days he'll be able to tell me about my dagger."
*NANOC: "I bid you a 'Farewell' suitably unfettered by civilization."
-----
And of course, we must not forget the most awesome quote ever:
*PC: "Ok, I've just about had my FILL of riddle asking, quest assigning, insult throwing, pun hurling, hostage taking, iron mongering, smart arsed fools, freaks, and felons that continually test my will, mettle, strength, intelligence, and most of all, patience! If you've got a straight answer ANYWHERE in that bent little head of yours, I want to hear it pretty damn quick or I'm going to take a large blunt object roughly the size of Elminster [[Hat|AND his hat]], and stuff it lengthwise into a crevice of your being so seldom seen that even the denizens of the nine hells themselves wouldn't touch it with a twenty-foot rusty halberd! Have I MADE myself perfectly CLEAR?!"

[[Category:Dungeons & Dragons]][[Category:Forgotten Realms]][[Category:Video Games]]

Cities of Sigmar

2021-11-14T15:21:16Z

2406:3400:20F:FFC0:8C69:E7C0:B38C:6A7E: /* With rules */

{{Age of Sigmar Faction|Faction=Cities of Sigmar|Logo=Empire.jpg|Alliance=Order|Motto=For the <s>Empire</s> God-King!}}

The '''Cities of Sigmar''', also known as the '''Free Cities''', '''Azyrites''', or the '''Island of Misfit Toys''', are essentially the “normal” people of the Mortal Realms under Sigmar's rule, although a minority when compared with the vast population of the territories taken by Chaos, they are probably the most numerous representatives of the Grand Alliance of Order. Humans who haven't become immortal due to having lightning jammed up their ass. Duardin who don't go into battle half naked and on fire or live in steampunk sky cities. Aelves who don't live underwater and eat souls, don't come from a misandric murdercult or aren't made of light and maths.

Each City itself is MASSIVE, comprised of numerous districts and subcultures, to the point where some could be considered their own nations. So while each City maybe known for a particular thing, it is very likely that there is an aspect of each race active in every city.

==History==

===Origins===
The story of how humans, Duardin (dwarves) and Aelves (elves) of various allegiances and creeds are somehow living together in massive cities without murderising each other is a long and expansive story that traces its way back to the closing days of the Age of Myth. Right before Chaos kicked in the proverbial door and began running rough shod across the Realms, the various mortal races lived in their respective golden ages. With the help of primarily Grungni, Teclis and Alarielle, Sigmar established countless human kingdoms and cities, with innovation, learning and cultural development blossoming at an exponential rate. The Duardin had a healthy relationship with humans as always, with a portion living alongside them, but most still taking up residence in their mountain fortresses or splitting off as the newly emerged children of Grimnir, the Fyreslayers. The Aelves enjoyed a resurgence from their initially minuscule numbers when discovered by Sigmar, and began to slowly thrive once again when the various Aelven gods joined the pantheon and began the work to restore their race to its former glory.

Of course, all of this was not to last once Chaos got wise to what was going on in the Mortal Realms. The Gods of Chaos began to secretly bore their way into the kingdoms, cities and tribes across the Realms, slowly influencing portions of the population with promises of power and immortality, and piece by piece sowing discord. When the time came to strike, the Mortal Realms were taken completely by surprise and nearly buckled under the sudden upheaval. However, the armies of Order managed to rally and held the forces of Chaos at bay for a time...That is until Archaon made his entrance into the Realms. The forces of Order began to falter and little by little they gave ground to the ever intensifying onslaught. The final blow for Order came at the Allpoints, at the disastrous confrontation that became known as the Battle of the Burning Sky. Here, the gods of Order fractured through betrayal, panic and mistrust and by the end of the slaughter Sigmar had lost Ghal Maraz, his pantheon and the most strategically important location in all the Mortal Realms. Thus, the Age of Myth came to a catastrophic end, bringing forth the Age of Chaos.

===Exodus===
With the Allpoints granting the armies of Chaos access to all of the Mortal Realms save Azyr, it did not take long for their ravenous hordes to overrun the land. The following collapse of civilization across the Realms can only be described as not falling apart, but disintegrating in its own terror.

The last of the Duardin Karaks in Chamon were overrun as the forces of Tzeentch swept across the land, the survivors reluctantly fleeing to the Gates of Azyr, with a small contingent escaping to the highest peaks of the Realm of Metal to an [[Kharadron Overlords|uncertain fate]]. Many Duardin Kings, prideful and stubborn in their sense of honor, refused to evacuate and chose to remain in their Holds, sealing their fate when the doors to Azyr were finally sealed. It is said that Grungni cried tears of molten lead when he saw how few of his children had managed to escape. Thus, the Dispossessed came to be.

The Aelven devotees of Alarielle desperately held on with their Sylvaneth comrades as Nurgle's rot and pestilence began to seep into Ghyran. However, as the Sylvaneth groves outside the Realm of Life began to be wiped out, their numbers and their reinforcements began to dwindle. As their defenses reached the breaking point, the Aelves had to make a choice; either stay with their beloved Goddess and her children and face almost certain annihilation, or abandon them in their direst hour and try to flee to Azyr before the gates closed. They chose the latter, and from that day, Alarielle and the Sylvaneth have never fully forgiven the Wanderers for their abandonment.

All the remaining human, duardin and aelf empires that were not already destroyed or besieged made a bee-line toward any realmgates to Azyr that were still open. Many didn't survive the journey, being butchered by chaos armies along the way. Many others however managed to reach Azyr and safety, others were unfortunately stranded in the other realms when Sigmar finally closed the gates as the forces of Chaos were getting too close to breaching them. These unfortunate souls either swore fealty to Chaos in return for their lives, died fighting against the maruading hordes or were forced to adopt a nomadic lifestyle for the remainder of the Age of Chaos, always on the run or in hiding from the legios of Chaos. This wasn't the end of tribulations for the survivors who have reached Azyr however. Chaos cultists and double agents had managed to slip into Azyrheim among the refugees, forcing Sigmar's witch hunters to route them out (with often lethal results). Around this time the Aelven order of the Shadowblades is believed to have first become active, systematically purging Azyr further of potential threats to Sigmar's rule.

Sigmar realized that many of the refugees themselves, having malice or deception in their hearts, could be susceptible of falling to Chaos in the future. This moved the God-King to take the uneasy task of leading a mass purge of many of the peoples that had fled to Azyr. Countless supposedly innocent souls that Sigmar deemed corruptible were slaughtered by the agents of Azyr, even those that could be suspected of treachery were not spared. Only after this extermination campaign did Sigmar deemed that Azyr was safe from further corruption. Whether he did the right thing or not is up for debate, but the fluff continuously mentions that Azyr was the only Mortal Realm free from the taint of Chaos.

For the next 500 or so years the peoples of Azyr went along with their lives, but whether they be from the various cultures of the armies of the Free Guilds or the Sinister Knights of the Order Serpentis they now all shared a united goal. Which was to rebuild their forces for a counter-invasion against Chaos. After centuries of preparation and having the Stormcast Eternal infraestructure mostly finished, the various armies of Azyr were ready to reopen the realmgates and retake their ancient territories. For many this was indeed almost a relief, as while Azyr was definitely a better place to live than any of the other Mortal Realms, life under Sigmar's rule wasn't all perfect. Sigmar fearing potential Chaos infiltration kept a rather draconian amount of control on the various cities and settlements in Azyr. From constant fear of the Order of Azyr and potential knives in backs from the Shadowblades, not to mention strict legal codes, many of the peoples from the other realms chafed somewhat in this highly ordered society. So when offered a chance to retake their old homes many were happy to give it a try.

===Reconquest===
With Sigmar's Tempest opening the Gates of Azyr what followed a massive undertaking as the combined might of all the peoples of Azyr began preparations for Sigmar's reconquest of the Realms. The sheer level of planning, logistics, training and dealmaking that went down in this period cannot be understated. Whether it was noble families looking to reclaim their ancestral homelands, outcasts going to wherever offered a fresh start, or perhaps a deal made between various parties for certain benefits in the reclaimed territories in exchange for assistance. The Regiments of the Freeguild were raised and assigned to accompany settlers to their new homes in the Realms. Duardin of the Ironweld Guilds and the Dispossessed Clans offered up their expertise in engineering as well as firepower, often in exchange for trading or mining rights in the charted territories. Wanderer Enclaves saw much demand for their knowledge of scouting the wilderness, and in turn requested territory to settle and roam freely in.

The initial areas for the first cities formed around the stormkeeps established by the Stormcast Eternals after the Realmgate Wars. From these intial settlements cities began to form around them. One obvious example being Hammerhal, which would go on to be the largest city and defacto capital of Sigmar’s growing empire. Other cities were subsequently founded usually near realmgates or areas of great strategic/economic importance (I.e Hallowheart, Tempest Eye, Excelsior and Vindicarum). The Living City was established sometime later by Allarielle herself after great victories against Nurgle’s forces and stands as a testeament to her renewed alliance with Sigmar. Later would come the establishment of industrial hub Greywater Fastness would become a seat for many of the Ironweld and Disspossesed clans, and Phoenicium, one of few Aelf dominated Cities of Sigmar. These expansions did not come easy however. Millions gave their lives in their foundation and the subsequent wars to maintain these great bastions.

Roughly 100 years after the Stormcast Eternals first set down in the Realms, these initial cities have greatly expanded upon themselves, managing to carve out their own territories in the Realms. However even with all this, much of the realms have not yet been liberated. It is estimated barely a tenth of the pre-Age of Chaos territory has been reclaimed thus far, with the rest either in Chaos hands, heavily contested, held by neutral parties, or no one, with none yet claiming these wild areas. Due to this, the cities must fight hard for any territorial gains they can manage, along with sending colonists (both willing and otherwise) out to found new cities. These cities tend to be on frontier zones, forcing them to often deal with more heavier chaos or destruction incursions, along with the deadly native wildlife or even native peoples who aren't necessarily happy with newcomers trying to colonize their ancestral lands that they defended all through the Age of Chaos. In fact, an unfortunate result of this has been the occasional Stromcast or Freeguild force having to do the uncomfortable task of subjugating or even wiping out native tribes that would refuse to compromise on these cities’ foundings. Some examples of these frontier cities include Anvilgard in Aqshy, which has quickly amassed a dark reputation from its internal dealings, or Izalend in Ghur which has to be on constant alert due to the dangerous area it inhabits. Not all of these frontier cities survive, most are either destroyed from invaders or some other calamity and must be abandoned. More than one city has suffered this fate since the first cities were established.

However many others continue to prosper and continue to expand their territory to slowly retake the realms from Chaos' grasp. Due to the dangerous nature of the realms, the mere act of traveling can be dangerous. Thus while all cities are nominally under Sigmar’s domain, many often have to rely on governing themselves for the most part, as communication with the capital Hammerhal can be slow and unreliable and Stormcast sometimes not being able to lend assistance due to being stretched thin expanding the God-King’s borders. Many have to establish their own form of government and trade zones. All cities follow the government structure laid out by Azyrheim, however many make variations to how a city’s government is made up and how they conduct warfare due to local stigmas and situations. This leads to each city developing unique cultural identities, and since not all cities actively coordinate with each other, entire wars and new city foundings can occur without some nations even being aware of it, even if they are technically on the same faction. This is why organizations such as the Swifthawk Agents are so important to the cities, as speedy communication can often mean the difference between annihilation and salvation for threatened cities.

===Broken Realms===
Two free cities played an important part in [[Morathi]]’s ploy for godhood. Misthåvn lent its Black Ark fleets to defend the High Oracle from retaliating Idoneth Deepkin and Hedonites of Slaanesh while she enacted her ritual. As expected though, the Scourge Privateers were merely pawns to Morathi, and to their credit they recognized this and split the second things looked dire. The second city was Anvilgard, where the now goddess Morathi-Khaine made her appearance to the ruling council of the city. She coerced the local Darkling Covens and other “dark aelves” to overthrow their masters, leading to Morathi’s annexation of the city and renaming it to Har Kuron. Sigmar did of course learn about this deceit and was just about to besiege the city and reclaim it when Morathi parlayed with the Lord of Azyr. What they agreed upon is unclear, but the city is still called Har Kuron presently.

In Hysh, Settler’s Gain was ground zero for Nagash’s assault against the Lumineth Realm-Lords, sending spectral waves of Nighthaunt to crash against the city’s defenses. They were only saved when [[Teclis]] arrived and [[Grimdark|restored life to the Nighthaunt while they were flying so they would die again when they fell back down.]] Later on, the city supplied a battery of Luminarks and Hurricanums in the final duel between Teclis and Nagash, their magical attacks distracting the great necromancer just enough for the mage god to win the day and reverse the effects of the Necroquake.

Vindicarum was besieged by the forces of [[Be'lakor]] shortly after the First Prince collapsed every Realmgate in Chamon and released dark storms of chaos energy. The siege is a brutal affair that decimates the Hallowed Knights and Celestial Vindicators stormhosts, which is exactly what [[Be'lakor]] wants. He didn’t want to conquer the city, but to raze it and send its occupants’ souls into the Realm of Chaos where eternal torture awaited them. It took the combined fleets of every Kharadron skyport led by the mysterious white-bearded Duardin called Gromthi. The First Prince was repelled...but at a heavy cost. Vindicarum’s population was obliterated, Chamon is now separated from the other Realms, and the dark chaos storms that loomed over the lands were growing.

The Ghurish city of Excelsis suffered a Tzeentchian demonic plot which inspired anti-magical sentiment and gave rise to a magic-hating Sigmarite cult. Then the Newborn twins of Slaanesh subverted the cult by playing on its leader's personal hatred of elves, culminating in a pogrom against elves that caused the survivors to leave Excelsis, while the slaughtered elves unwittingly became sacrifices to summon the two Newborn and an army of Slaanesh daemons into the city. The twins also got the Skaven to set up the sacrifices and undermine the city further. And then the newly awakened god of Earthquakes [[Kragnos]] and his allies attacked the city. The only thing that stopped them from stomping the city flat is the arrival of Lord Kroak, the banishment of the demonic twins and the unexpected arrival of a Black Ark with the newly ascended goddess [[Morathi]]. She tracked down [[Lord Kroak]] while he tried to help the city with his magic and the two of them managed to trick Kragnos into going through a portal that drops him on the far side of Ghur and allowed the defenders to finally force the besiegers out of the city.

==Subfactions==
The Cities of Sigmar are by their nature cosmopolitan places, as many different cultures across the realms fled to Azyr only to recolonize the lands when the Age of Sigmar arrived. As such, when war comes they have a vast diversity of military forces.

*'''[[Stormcast Eternals]]''': Yes, they're here too. Most Free Cities are built around a Stormkeep, and many are named after their founding Stormhost (Hammers of Sigmar in Hammerhal, Anvils of the Heldenhammer in Anvilgard, etc.). Have a bad habit of going too far when trying to purge Chaos from the city, leading to anti-Stormcast resentment, which in turn leads to more purges. But in the nicer cities like Brightspear they can be [[Salamanders|pretty chill and hang around with civillians]].
*'''Freeguild''': The core of the old [[The Empire (Warhammer Fantasy)|Empire]]'s forces, chiefly soldiers and Demigryphs. They are the standing armies and militias of the Cities, each descended from twelve military companies that originally fled to Azyr. A City can possess multiple Freeguilds, each one with their own specialties and strategies in warfare, making them sorta like the Imperial Guard for AoS. Lore mentions that their ranks include Duardin and Aelves as well, meaning you easily use squatted High Elf/Dwarf units as proxy Freeguild units (Swordmasters as Greatswords, Thunderers as Handgunners, etc).
*'''Devoted of Sigmar''': The Old "Church of Sigmar" faction now reduced to only the [[flagellant]]. It’s incorporated into the city with quite some critical roles. Priests of Sigmar tend to the moral and spiritual health of the human population, and when a internal threat arises, it is the work of the witch hunters from the Order of Azyr to root it out, while flagellants have to process around the city countryside, spilling their blood to destroy the chaos corruption in the land and let the city expand. Unfortunately only the latter are usable on tabletop (in a Cities of Sigmar list. The warpriests, war-altars and witch hunters have their own faction ; The Devoted of Sigmar.)
*'''Dispossessed''': Duardin who have lost their old Karaks in the Age of Chaos and have to live with the umgi and elgi now. Their primary goal in the greater Cities is providing defensive fortifications for the other factions, using their legendary shield walls and stubbornness to hold the line at all costs.
*'''Collegiate Arcane''': All the Empire's Wizards, including their giant engines. Sadly, no High Elf wizards made the cut, nor did their dragons. They are essentially a souped up version of the Colleges of Magic, comprised of powerful Battlemages who have trained for decades in eight floating towers called the Towers of the Eight Winds (I see what you did there GW), each one focused on a certain Realm’s variety of magic. However, humans are no longer restricted to one color only and can learn all, in particular a Battlemage spending a decade in each is deemed a Grandmaster who is licensed to create new spells and magical items. The Grandmasters built a specialist sub order named the Order of the Chained Flame that functions as a bounty board that hands out Spell Hunter licenses to those who dispell and capture rogue Endless spells.
*'''Ironweld Arsenal''': All the Dwarf and Empire war machines and vehicles. This includes letting people ride those tanks. It was revealed that they can build some really freaking shit nowadays, like a fortress with legs that was so powerful in Morathi book that it decimated hindreds of dark aelves and almost won the battle single handedly.
*'''Darkling Covens''': Cults of Sorceresses and their brainwashed Aelven minions. Rumored to have brainwashed more than just aelves so they can secretly manipulate cities from the shadows.
*'''Phoenix Temple''': Yes, these silent dead 'ard bastards are still around. They now worship the Ur-Phoenix instead of Asuryan. They were once broken Aelves (physically or mentally broken) who received the healing warmth of a phoenix, thus they were reborn as devout warrior monks. Members can come from any Aelven faction, there are even some Phoenix Guard who were former Daughters of Khaine.
*'''Order Serpentis''': An ancient order of tyrannical dragon-riding Aelves who lost most of their dragons in the Age of Chaos. Undaunted by this, they started hiring Sorceresses of the Darkling Covens to genetically engineer hideous part-dragon monsters to act as replacements.
*'''Wanderers''': Nomadic wood aelves from Ghyran who fled to Azyr. Upon returning they seek to restore balance to the nature they abandoned, even if many of their Sylvaneth allies despise them as traitors. Their role in the CoS army is to be pathfinders and vanguard forces, scouting ahead of the main fighting bulk to chart secure passages.
*'''Shadowblades''': Secretive Aelf assassins who worship Malerion and usually function as a secret police force within the cities.
*'''Scourge Privateers''': Descendants of a cruel slaver empire that once terrorized the seas. Now that they have to coexist with the civillians they once preyed upon, they cooled down a bit and became beast tamers who regularly hunt monsters and then sell them (whole or in pieces) to their allies. Still enjoy doing shady pirate stuff under the books, though (not that anyone is complaining when its fucking Chaos scum who are on the receving end of it for once). They still live on Black Arks, much like their Old World counterparts, except these Arks are made from binding together the bones and shells of colossal sea creatures.

==Relations with Other Order Factions==
While not part of the Cities of Sigmar allegiance, almost every Order race tends to have some sort of outpost or embassy in the Free Cities. If not, they’re still likely to have a relationship to them given the Free Cities’ nature as safe havens for the enemies of Chaos.
*'''Daughters of Khaine''': The Daughters of Khaine host temples in every major City. While they're subject to all sorts of (entirely justified) rumors about dark blood rituals, they're tolerated due to being formidable allies in the war against Chaos. When not at war they perform gladitorial games and blade dances to simultaneously praise Khaine and entertain the masses. Of the various sects, the Draichi Ganeth, who look down upon the subterfuge and deception of their sisters, are the most commonly seen. They are known to the Freeguilds as the Executioners Cult due to their blunt and forward style of combat, as well as their penchant for decapitation. But word's starting to get around about what Morathi did to Anvilgard, eroding peoples' tolerance of them.
*'''Kharadron Overlords''': Kharadron Overlords are an important part of the Cities of Sigmar economy. With travel over land being incredibly dangerous due to the hordes of chaotic marauders, deathly thralls, and destructive hooligans, airships are the most efficient way to trade between cities, and while the Cities of Sigmar have their own airships, they're nowhere near as good as the Kharadron's. The Kharadron for their part look down on the Cities of Sigmar as being primitive rubes, and only sell them their most outdated technology (which is still more advanced than the average thing the Ironweld Arsenal makes).
*'''Seraphon''': The Fangs of Sotek Seraphon often end up setting up embassies in the Cities of Sigmar. When they're around, often people turn up mysteriously dead, with the investigation discovering the victims were secret Chaos cultists. These vigilante killings are inevitably blamed upon the Daughters of Khaine.
*'''Fyreslayers''': Fyreslayers often set up local branches of their Lodges in Free Cities to offer their services as mercenaries. In addition to being hired by the City itself, they're also commonly hired by merchants; as already mentioned, travel over land is incredibly dangerous, so if you are forced to do it you're gonna need a regiment of angry pyromaniac dorfs to protect your caravan.
*'''Sylvaneth''': The forest folk who are willing to work with quick-bloods will establish embassies in the free cities. Said embassies appear as small woodland groves or parks, where the Sylvaneth presumably keep a scrutinizing eye on anyone who ventures too close.
*'''Lumineth Realm-Lords''': In their stalwart quest to defeat Chaos at all costs, the scions of Tyrion and Teclis are coldly pragmatic towards the Free Cities. Small cities are in danger of being completely wiped off the map if the Realm-Lords need its territory for some rune carving. The larger ones (or the ones they can’t nuke) are simply seen as primitive strongholds by the Lumineth and could really benefit from their guiding light. Understandably, this makes many of the Hysh Aelves rather unwelcome among the Cities of Sigmar.

==Notable Cities==
===With rules===
*'''Hammerhal''': Hammerhal is technically two cities, Hammerhal Ghyra and Hammerhal Aqsha, linked as one by the Stormrift Realmgate. The Ghyran side exports crops and lumber to Aqshy, and lava is channeled from the Aqshy side to form a protective moat. As it is home to the Hammers of Sigmar, [[Ultramarines|GREATEST OF THEM ALL]] among stormhosts, so too the people of Hammerhal seek to prove themselves as the most eminent of the Free Cities. The Cadia and Ultramar of the Cities.
*'''Greywater Fastness''': Despite hailing from the Realm of Life, this city is pretty choked with smoke and industry, as they focus heavily on war machines. Literally the entire outer regions of the city are just glorified testing grounds for their weapons, riddled with craters and no vegetation aside from withered skeletal trees. This makes them rather friendly towards the [[Kharadron Overlords]], but not so much with the [[Sylvaneth]]. They were nearly starved out by the Sylvaneth until Alarielle herself arranged a compromise, and she only tolerates them because they hate Chaos and are great at bombarding them back to the Warp. What few people know though is that the city’s lead designer, Valium Maliti, is actually the Changeling in disguise, and purposely created this industrial wasteland in Ghyran to cause tension between the Sylvaneth and Sigmar.
*'''Anvilgard''': [https://youtu.be/SYExETbLL1E?t=84 In a nutshell, basically.] Port city in Aqshy by a constantly erupting volcano and a constantly burning-down-but-rapidly-regrowing jungle. To hold off the jungle from reclaiming the city's territory, they spray mass amounts of basically weedkiller everywhere (which doesn't seem - thus far - to have any long-term consequences on people), which covers the city in a gloomy grey atmosphere. Y'know, the kind of shadows where criminal syndicates thrive - and thrive they do. As in, anyone who's anyone has underworld connections, though it's kept just enough on the down-low so Lord-Veritants and other inquisitorial types don't raise a stink. In recent years, [[Morathi]] has annexed it (renaming it to '''Har Kuron'''), splitting the frontier city in half between those who sided with the [[Daughters of Khaine]] and everyone else who remained loyal to Sigmar. Sigmar learned of the treachery and sent a Stormcast army to liberate the city, but a surprise parley between the Celestant-Prime and Morathi led to the Stormcast withdrawing and ceding the city to Morathi in exchange for... something.
**On its own, Har Kuron is completely devoted to Morathi with only her most bloodthirsty and zealous followers rising to prominence in the city. Every major sect of the DoK has a temple in Har Kuron where they regularly cull and cleanse the population of the weak or unfaithful. Essentially, it’s now the AoS equivalent to Har Ganeth from Fantasy. What’s funny though is that despite the city’s fervent zealotry to her, Morathi loathes Har Kuron for the repugnant stench it still carries thanks to the copious weed killer and sees it as a poor throne for a goddess. To her, this city is less of a wanted conquest and more of a statement to her former allies and a staging ground for future expansion.
*'''Hallowheart''': The wizard's city. Being founded by the Hallowed Knights at the bottom of a gigantic crystal cave (where lived a mutated gigantic dragon of Tzeentch, who got hammered) this city has an magical focus and the central core of Collegiate Arcane. Don't mind the continuous daemon invasion perpetrated by Tzeentch and company, or the strange whispers that promise you great power and wealth, but report those facts to the Devoted of Sigmar for a handsome reward. {{BLAM}}
*'''The Living City''': A city shaped from trees and rock by [[Alarielle]] herself that symbolizes the alliance between her and Sigmar. As such, this city allies itself with [[Sylvaneth]] capable of putting aside their grudges towards everything that isn't a tree. Also where Alarielle pardoned the Wanderers for their cowardice during the Age of Chaos, so this is their home base.
*'''The Phoenicium''': The main city of the Phoenix Temple, it's at the foot of a big tree-mountain with a goofy name that avalanched sap over the area, trapping warriors in amber. In the Age of Sigmar, a host of phoenix birds thawed the sap into a golden mist that persists ever since - and if enemies that get too close enter the mist, they get trapped in amber, which then becomes another block on the ramparts. So, yeah, picture an amber wall filled with "oh crap"-faced Chaos warriors, greenskins, and spooks - that's how The Phoenicium do. Why nobody already tricked Archaon to attack this city, turning him into a statue and win the war is anyone's guess... but then again Archaon is a god so it would only weaken him and not by much (It is great at keeping Thanquol away)
*'''Tempest's Eye''': A city on top of a mountain that has close trade and military ties to the Kharadron Overlords. Since the Tempest Lords stationed there were all recruited from former nobility, they're the only city that is directly ruled by its Stormcast Eternals.
* '''Misthåvn''': The “City of Scoundrels” was created in Ulgu from a collection of massive ships from varying races all lashed together. This unique design means that Misthåvn can divide into its various components and move along the coast of Cape Tendbrax. Rather than having districts, the city is comprised of different armadas, each overseen by a Scourge Privateer Fleetmaster/Admiral. It’s infamous among the Azyrites for its corrupt policies, underhanded combat strategies, and a very lucrative illegal narcotics market. The native populace takes a spiteful pride in this reputation, though they still do their best to make sure Sigmar doesn’t call for the city’s purging, doubly so because the city's heart is a ship bigger than all the others and is also a Stormkeep for the Stormcast Eternals. At the top of the Stormcast's ship is a realmgate, which the city's populace thinks is attached to the top of the ship. In truth, the realmgate moves randomly, but the Stormcast use magic to scry where and when it moves, and pretend it moves with their ship instead of the other way around.
*'''Settler's Gain''': Located in the continent of Xintil in [[Hysh]], where all the Sigmar-praisers are given their own little society away from the rest of the realm. Settler's Gain notably has solar-powered automata doing all the menial labor, freeing the populace to focus on intellectual pursuits. The city is run by a meritocratic caste system where your status is based on passing philosophical, theological and arcane tests. Truly the most utopian of all Free Cities. Pay no attention to the fact that these tests are so numerous and require so many years of study to pass that only Aelves can live long enough to ascend to the highest ranks, resulting in a ruling class of Lumineth reigning over the mostly-human peasants. The peasants live in simple but well-designed houses neatly grouped together which are totally not second-rate housing commission to create a ghetto for humans and human sympathizers; it's definitely called the Simple District for the basic style of architecture, and not a Lumineth joke mocking the inhabitants as stupid. Those questioning the perfect society of <s>Settler's Gain</s> Yllurai Xhen or protest the system will be sent on years-long "educational sabbaticals" or assigned to Lumineth-owned Enlightenment Prisms for re-education.
*'''Excelsis''': A [[Ghur|Ghurish]] city built around the Spear of Mallus, an big ass shard of the World-That-Was that fell into Ghur. Shards broken off this object can be used to see the future, and the resulting "Glimmerings" have become the local currency. Too bad they have to live in terror of the Knights Excelsior, one of the most brutal and authoritarian Stormhosts. Too bad the Knights are doing huge crackdowns after a big Tzeentch cultist insurrection (detailed in the book City of Secrets). Too bad that all the fortune teller guilds are discovering from the Glimmerings that a gigantic army of all Destruction races lead by [[Kragnos]] himself is heading towards them. Too bad that the ever mounting volume of hurt about to befall the citizens of Excelsis is about to expand, as [[Sigvald| Sigvald the Magnificent]] and [[Glutos Orscollion]] are now leading their Slaaneshi hordes towards the city, intending to make it their new personal playground of debauchery.

===Without rules===
*'''Azyrheim''': The largest city in [[Azyr]] and de-facto capital of the entire the Grand Alliance of Order. Azyrheim's also has a fantasy IN SPACE look, further reinforced by some fluff which states Azyr has no day but an eternal night filled with stars, moons and other astral phenomena, another important feature of the city is the Towers of the Eight Winds, massive floating structures where the Collegiate Arcane train mages and research magic. Sigmar's obsession with keeping Azyr free of the taint of Chaos has lead to this place being rather authoritarian, as in if they catch you performing crimes they implant you with runes that burn out all thoughts of disloyalty out of your mind. On the other hand, it’s not like the freaking gods don’t know if you’re guilty and if you don’t want to be implanted then just follow the law set by one of the few deities that isn't a complete sociopath. They aren’t crazy or stupid under Sigmar so there isn’t really a reason not to.
*'''Brightspear''': A city near the coast of [[Aqshy|The Great Parch]] that was built on top of an ancient realmgate that could travel to any of the nine realms. Above the city are orbs that each contain a college of magic dedicated to one of the winds. The one dedicated to chaos was destroyed, but the echoes still remain. This city is expanded upon in great detail in the Soulbound starter set.

*'''Edassa''': Mentioned during Gotrek's adventures in “Realmslayer” and “Ghoulslayer”, and the home city of the character Jordainn. An African themed kingdom located in Aqshy, it sits at crossroads with two other kingdoms and city states, all of them part of a mutual pact funding the garrisons of forts and towns that run the length of the region's roads. [[Celestial Lions|Have a Lion motif in their armor as well as in their battlecry.]]
*'''Westreach and Eastdale''': Twin cities built on an island in Shyish. Westreach is populated by Azyrites while Eastdale is controlled by the Reclaimed. Both cities work with each other though the former’s haughty attitude and the latter’s superstitions has lead to tension between the two. Both cities were built over the ruins/tombs of an ancient town called Belvegrod, and since this is Shyish both cities have a terrible [[Nighthaunt]] infestation. A warding protected the city from [[Lady Olynder]]’s full wrath, but through machinations that’d make Neferata proud, the Mortarch of Grief broke the wardings and razed the Twin Cities, her undead hordes consuming the living.
*'''Vindicarum''': The city of the Celestial Vindicators in [[Chamon]]. If you thought Excelsis was bad, Vindicarium is worse. How worse? When the citizens rioted in protest of the Celestial Vindicator's harsh laws, the Stormcast ended up killing three quarters of the city's population. Keep in mind every City of Sigmar is fucking massive, so its quite possible literally millions died. All the remaining survivors became super pious members of the Devoted of Sigmar, equally terrified of the taint of Chaos and the wrath of their overlords. Suffice to say the reports of this incident have only served to even further increase the fear and distrust the common man has for the Stormcast. Be’lakor’s siege of the city has wiped out more than ninety percent of their population, so although he was pushed back, it came at a high cost. Vindicarum is less of a city now and more of a township in the low hundreds.
*'''Lethis''': Technically has rules in the form of the “Lethisian Defenders” list from Forbidden Power, but not actually part of the Cities of Sigmar allegiance. This city is based in Shyish next to Lake Lethis, a lake whose waters are cursed to take away memories. This water is actually one of their most valuable exports, as a lot of people in the Mortal Realms have [[Grimdark|traumatic memories they'd rather forget]]. Also home to a Stormvault which held [[Katakros]], who was released when the city was invaded by [[Lady Olynder]]'s Legion of Grief.
*'''The Collonade''': A towering gleaming city in Ghur built upon colossal marble pillars that rise and fall with the shifting earth of their bestial home. The culture of the Collonade is defined by always being “pure” and morally above the Realm of Beasts, which makes most of the populace have an insufferably self righteous opinion of themselves. So it was quite the wound to their pride then when they had to work with the monstrous [[Soulblight Gravelords|vampires]] of the Avengorii Dynasty to defend their city against a Beastmen war herd. Prejudice won out in the end though as the actions of an overzealous bard led to the Collonade breaking their alliance with the Avengorii…and then having their entire city razed to the ground as punishment for their betrayal.

==Soulbound==
Considering the diverse natures of the cities, it also makes no surprise that they also hold a diverse number of archetypes in [[Age of Sigmar Roleplay]]. Naturally, these Free Peoples are descendants of those who holed up in Azyr during the Age of Chaos as well as those who managed to weather the mayhem that ensued. As the gates of Azyr opened up again, many joined hands in their great cities, some out of total loyalty while others see this as merely an opportunity. Of course, those who become Soulbound do so for an equally vast number of reasons, though all are hailed among the cities as heroes and champions of the gods, perhaps equal to the Stormcast Eternals.

The ''Champions of Order'' splatbook introduces the various cities for a Free Peoples hero to hail from:
*'''Anvilgard:''' Initially founded on the Charrwind Coast of Aqshy and employed defoliant mists to keep the rampant vegetation at bay. Before long, it fell victim to the manipulations of a powerful criminal syndicate called the Blackscale Coil. Though it first acted through subterfuge and blackmail, it eventually escalated to more direct means of murder and espionage with such brazenness that many questioned whether or not they actually ruled the city...and then the city got steamrolled by Morathi and turned into Har Kuron. Heroes from Anvilgard start with either two contacts to benefit from or one contact with better contacts to benefit from.
*'''Brightspear:''' This city has suffered much despite its relative youth. This relative recency has made surviving the Necroquake much harder, and when combined with the constant invasions by Tzeentch's forces, who seek to plunder both its supply fleets and its walls, it makes for a nigh-impossible situation. Those who hail from this city don't live in luxury, but live knowing that they fought tooth and nail for all that they own. Heroes from Brightspear can ignore any tool requirements for tests or endeavors, but the tests become more difficult. During any downtime, they can also swap their training and focus from one skill to another, even if this is a skill they lack any training or focus in.
*'''Hammerhal:''' The greatest of cities, split between both Aqshy and Ghyran. It is here that the god-king Sigmar claims is his capital in his ambitions of clearing the taint from the other realms. However, this is something of a gilded dream, as the rich often live in lofty palaces while the rest are left in slums and ghettos. Hammerhal Aqsha is an industrialized haven, home to several military guilds and the most famous militant academy, the Acadamae Martial. Hammerhal Ghyra are stubborn in seeking their goals, filled with the vigor that comes from living in the realm of life. Heroes from Hammerhal Aqsha double their training in any skills involving military acumen, including when undertaking the Fortify endeavor, and have the Tactician talent available to all archetypes. Heroes from Hammerhal Ghyra can always undertake the Industrious endeavor regardless of species, and reduce the complexity of Death checks by 1 - Any instant-kill abilities instead renders them mortally wounded.
*'''Greywater Fastness:''' An industrial haven residing in Ghyran, much to the hatred of the neighboring Sylvaneth. This place is driven by its military might, as it houses a great many stores of weapons and powder that they supply to other cities. Often, there is no freedom from the constant labor. Heroes from Greywater Fastness always possess a firearm (be it a blunderbuss, a pair of pistols, a rifle, or a repeater pistol). In addition, any time they undertake the Crafting endeavor, they can always auto-pass the tests needed, though doing so comes with peril as Doom is increased by 1.
*'''Excelsis:''' This city is split between fortune-tellers who entered the city with open eyes who hail from Azyr and those hunters who have always resided in Ghur during the Age of Chaos. Though the city is under constant watch of the Knights Excelsior, their greater threat comes from the realm itself, filled with many menaces and threats that are all too immediate, unmoored from past or future. Heroes from Excelsis carry Glimmerlings, valuable magical items that can be expended to tell the future. These can always be bought from any marketplace, though not for cheap. Later during the Broken Realms Saga a mini-civil war breaks out in the city after some Tzeentchian demons manifest and a reactionary force of magic haters called the Nullstone Brotherhood starts to gain power. Unknown to everyone the leader of the group is actually a Slaanesh worshipper. The Newborns of Slaanesh later hire some Skaven to undermine the defenses of the city and to summon them into the city just as Kragnos and his Orruk allies begin to assault the city. In the end, the leader of the Nullstone Brotherhood is killed, the twin Newborn demons are banished and Morathi arrives with reinforcements in a Black Ark and helps Lord Kroak trick Kragnos into going through a portal that drops him on the opposite side of the Realm of Ghur. Thus, the city is left severely damaged but still intact.
*'''Lethis:''' Residing in the realm of death, the citizens of this city revere an obscure god rather than the great necromancer who rules here - though it is debated whether this god still exists or was devoured by Nagash in a past age. Regardless of the truth, they utilize talismans to war themselves from evil. Heroes from Lethis all carry such talismans, making their weapons and armor count as magical when facing the undead and daemons.
*'''Misthåvn:''' This city is just as shady as the realm as it claims as home. It is a bleak and dismal colony, populated by pirates, conmen, and other duplicitious individuals in search for a good time - and often, there are secrets behind the façades, usually hiding something far worse. This is what the inhabitants embody, much to the consternation of the Azyrite members of the city. Heroes from Misthåvn start with a False Identity and can always undertake this endeavor at any time. They also have one dose each of three particular narcotics, which they can always seek more of when needed.
*'''Settler's Gain:''' A seeming utopia in Hysh, where automatons manage all of the manual labor so the citizens can pursue more intellectual pursuits. That said, it is not-so-subtly manipulated by the Lumineth, who are the abiters of progress and lawkeepers and seek to discipline and re-educate those they deem their lessers. Heroes from Settler's Gain can re-arrange their environment during their rest, having a chance of adding +1d6 to either Mind or Soul tests for the rest of the day.
*'''Vindicarum:''' This city is a veritable fortress, stationed atop a mountain and guarded by the Celestial Vindicators. Though it is a devout place, it is constantly imperiled by the machinations of Tzeentch and as a result, its Stormcast protectors are often merciless with their persecution. Heroes from Vindicarum add their training in Theology to Insight, Awareness, or Survival checks made to determine the traces of Chaos. In addition, the Theology skill is available to all archetypes.

Because of their diverse natures, there are archetypes available to Human, Duardin, and Aelf members of the Free Cities. Any of these races can select the '''Trade Privateer''' archetype. Humans can select the '''Battlemage''' and '''Excelsior Warpriest''' archetypes. Aelfs can select the '''Black Ark Corsair''' and '''Darkling Sorceress''' archetypes.

==Trivia==
*The dominant currency in the Cities of Sigmar is Aqua Ghyranis, which is water infused with the life magic of Ghyran, typically stored in vials or globes. This happened mainly because of two reasons; the majority of Free Cities are in Aqshy (where Aqua Ghyranis is naturally an incredibly valuable commodity) and Ghyran (which produces it) and the founders of Cities realized that if they used gold as the currency that would just mean they gave complete control of their economy to the Kharadron Overlords due to their monopoly on Chamon's mineral resources. The uses of Aqua Ghyranis are considered worth having the economy controlled by the people of Ghyran and the goddess Alarielle.

{{Playable Factions in Warhammer: Age of Sigmar}}

Ulgu

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In Warhammer, Ulgu is the Grey Wind of Magic that is the Aethyr's reflection of the experience of being lost and confused, and was used to power the illusions of the Lore of Shadows. In Age of Sigmar, it coalesced into the Realm of Ulgu.

==Overview==

Ulgu is the Mortal Realm we as an audience know the least about. You can argue this is very fitting, considering its very nature is based on secrecy and illusion.

Ulgu is said to be divided into Thirteen Dominions. We know little about these dominions, except that ultimately all answer to Ulgu's supreme leader, Malerion. The nations of Ulgu are said to rely heavily on political intrigue, backstabbing and assassination. Indeed, many of them had ceased performing conventional war altogether, which came back to bite them in the ass when the Age of Chaos happened and they had no standing armies to defend themselves from hordes of daemons and Slaves to Darkness.

Ulgu is in a mutual orbit with its opposite realm, [[Hysh]]. Whenever Ulgu eclipses Hysh, night is caused in the other Mortal Realms. There's also a secret [[demiplane]] linking the two realms that partakes of both their fundamental natures at once, called '''Uhl-Gysh'''; the Aelfen gods have agreed to keeps its existence their little secret, since this is where they've locked up [[Slaanesh]].

==History==
About as little is known about Ulgu before the arrival of the Pantheon of Order as any other realm, but it is notable that several archaeologists based on ancient artifacts believe that the Daemon Prince [[Be'lakor]] was the original ruler of this realm before being kicked out by Malerion.

The god of Ulgu, Malerion, and his mother Morathi both woke up in Ulgu during the Age of Myth. After years of wandering, they finally discovered one another by chance. Although both parties had bitter grudges from the World-That-Was (and Morathi was jealous of her son's godhood), they ultimately stuck around each-other primarily out of loneliness, as they were the only other Aelves they had seen in generations. While Morathi wanted to evenly split rulership of Ulgu, Malerion only gave her the Umbral Veil, the shittiest land in Ulgu from which no one but him had had returned, out of spite. He had underestimated his mother, for she managed to successfully tame this deathtrap of a land and created the city of Hagg Nar. Malerion in turn created his own capital city, Druchiroth.

Eventually Morathi and Malerion would team up with their Hysh counterparts, Tyrion and Teclis, to imprison Slaanesh and free the souls inside him to create new aelven races. Morathi would create the Scathborn, creatures resembling hybrids between aelves and gorgons or harpies, while Malerion would create his own race of shadow aelves that we haven't seen but will probably be their own army one day. During this time, Morathi would also co-opt the cult of the dead god Khaine that was growing in her lands, creating the [[Daughters of Khaine]] as her own theocratic empire/secret scheme for godhood.

When the Age of Chaos hit, many in Ulgu would flee to Azyr, forming the Ordo Serpentis and Darkling Covens. Malerion and Morathi's forces didn't pussy out, instead beginning a centuries-long guerilla war called the Cathtrar Dule to secure control of Ulgu. This war still goes on long into the Age of Sigmar, and has intensified ever since Morathi's recklessness in taking too many Aelven souls caused the Godseekers of Slaanesh to start thinking Ulgu smells like their missing master.

==Other Noteworthy Factions==
Aside from the forces of Morathi and Malerion, there are other groups that have set up shop in the Realm of Shadow.

*[[Gloomspite Gitz|The Badsnatchers]]: A strangely brazen horde of grots that regularly pillage the surface world as they believe that the Bad Moon has already covered the whole realm in the Everdank. Though likely false, anyone who tries to tell them other wise will usually find a poison covered shiv in the back soon after. They are led by Ogwotz Da Magnificent, who controls seven large lurklairs in the Hushed Hills as his own kingdom.

*[[Ogor Mawtribes|Underguts Mawtribe]]: Cavernous Ogors with sickly pale skin and a fondness for things that go boom. They live in Mount Bellows, a former duardin hold that the Ogors captured on account of the obscene number of cannons the fortress contained. The Underguts Mawtribe have developed a knack for [[Iron Warriors|siege warfare]], favoring to tunnel underneath enemy walls and then blast upwards into the back lines with explosive force. Their current Overtyrant is one Grumlog Blisterhands.

*[[Fyreslayers|Caengan Lodge]]: Fiery duardin mercenaries who learned the tricksy and deceptive ways of Ulgu from an ancient nation called the Shroudling Kings. Said ways were turned against the Shroudlings when they refused to pay the Lodge for their services. The Caengan Lodge razed the kingdom and took their payment and retribution as recompense.

*[[Clan Eshin|Clans Eshin]]: The assassins and spies of Skavendom are mostly concentrated in the Realm of Shadows, though (big surprise) no one knows where exactly they’re hidden.

*[[Cities of Sigmar|Misthåvn]]: The “City of Scoundrels” was created from massive ships of varying races all lashed together. It’s infamous among the Azyrites for its corrupt policies, underhanded combat strategies, and a very lucrative illegal narcotics market.

*[[Slaanesh|Godseekers of Slaanesh]]: Morathi’s aforementioned meddling with souls has drawn the attention of the Dark Prince’s most devout followers who scour them Realms for any clue of their master’s whereabouts about how to release him. Their most recent engagement was assaulting the Umbral Veil whilst Morathi enacted her scheme to become a goddess, and retreating to follow Slaanesh's newborn as it fled the battle and witnessed it becoming the two godspawn Decessa and Synessa.

{{AoS-Realms}}

[[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]][[Category:Age of Sigmar]]

Chamon

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Chamon is the Realm of Metal. It’s the homeland of alchemy, and as such little if anything about it is permanent. It is constantly shifting, as different regions and subrealms move around, interact with each other or even appear and disappear. Unlike the other mortal realms, instead of being a flat plane Chamon consists of many continents suspended in its firmament, linked together by portals.

==History==

The earliest known thing to happen in Chamon was [[Sigmar]] finding the Duardin gods [[Grimnir]] and [[Grungni]] imprisoned and releasing them. While Grimnir went to [[Aqshy]] to fight Vulcatrix, Grungni stayed in Chamon, where he crafted various wonders for the humans and Duardin who lived there. It is said that as he labored, his breath turned into the clouds of Aether-Gold that float through the realm. Eventually he would leave Chamon to go to Azyr and fufill the debt he felt he owed to Sigmar, as he believed that if his worshippers grew too reliant on him they would become weak.

Many great nations grew in Chamon; the [[Dwarfs (Warhammer Fantasy)|Khazalid Empire]], the city of Elixia and Metallurgica to name a few. Much of it was powered by the miraculous substance commonly called Chamonite, the Realmstone of Chamon, which became so valuable a single droplet was worth an entire chest of gold coins. The rulers and merchant-princes of Chamon became extremely rich, much to the envy of the lower class. Unfortunately, their prayers for change gained the attention of [[Tzeentch]].

When the Godbeast known as the Lode-Griffon crashed into the Godwrought Isles, the magnetic field it generates causes widespread havoc, to the point that the perfectly geometric isles were distorted into the Spiral Crux. Eventually, a cabal of nine sorcerers came up with a scheme to slay the Lode-Griffon by casting a spell that would transmute it into gold. However, one of the sorcerers was secretly one of Tzeentch's Gaunt Summoners, who corrupted the ritual to tear a massive portal to the Realm of Tzeentch above the Griffon's Eyrie. Thus began the Age of Chaos in Chamon.

The Age of Chaos saw the Khazalid Empire devastated by hordes of Skaven and Disciples of Tzeentch, their prayers to Grungni unanswered. Seeing no safe refuge on the earth, many of them started creating floating cities to escape the carnage. Grungni had not answered his children's prayers because he believed it would make them stronger; arguably he was successful in this regard, because those Duardin he abandoned would become the Kharadron Overlords, the most advanced civillization in the Mortal Realms. Still, permanent damage was done to both parties; the Kharadron forsook the gods who abandoned them, while Grungni was consumed by guilt for not helping his children, eventually causing him to enter voluntary exile.

Chamon was one of the first realms along with [[Aqshy]] and [[Ghyran]] to witness the arrival of the Stormcast Eternals during the Realmgate Wars. Their most notable battle was the quest to reclaim Sigmar's lost hammer Ghal-Maraz, which had been taken by a Tzeentchian sorcerer who had a scheme to use it to power his ritual to corrupt every Realmgate in Chamon so it would lead to Tzeentch's labyrinth, [[End Times|sucking the entire realm into the Realm of Chaos]]. During the battle for the All-Gates, the forces of Chaos managed to hold onto the Chamon gate primarily because it was the one that [[Archaon]] defended in person.

A notable event that happened in Chamon is the rise of the Gloomspite warlord Skragrott the Loonking, who not only managed to conquer the land of Ayadah but also managed to blot out the sun there, becoming the first grot to usher in the Everdank. The most recent event is that Nagash's [[Ossiarch Bonereapers|boney boys]] have set up shop on the realm's edge and started clashing with the local Seraphon there to try and get some sweet dinosaur bones.

Then the shit hit the fan with Broken Realms. Be'lakor made a master plan and destroyed every realmgate in Chamon, all but cutting the realm off from the others (no word whether this effects alternate means of transportation like Sylvaneth realmroots).

==The Warring Factions of Chamon==
===[[Tzeentch|Disciples of Tzeentch]]===
As previously stated, the conniving cuttlefish would very much like to get his grubby little claws on the realm of metal, and his countless cabals control much of it. They even managed to hide Ghal Maraz there during the early years of the Realmgate Wars and it would’ve remained hidden...but as always the Arcanites’ own paranoia and lust for power unintentionally drew the attention of the Stormcast Eternals who promptly took back the god hammer. A “minor” victory though, as the Disciples of Tzeentch still control much of the realm.

===[[Flesh-Eater Courts#The Grand Courts|Flesh-Eater Courts]]===
Chamon is home to the '''Hollowmourne''' Grand Court. They were once a group of noble crusading knights that established numerous bunkers/caches of armor and weapons across the realm, but after the Age of Chaos, they became little more than a band of roving Crypt Horrors looking for what they believe to be treasure.

===[[Kharadron Overlords]]===
The Sky-Dorfs originated from Chamon, as they are all descendants of those brave and enterprising Duardin that decided they were going to be steampunk. All the original sky-ports originated from Chamon and have since scattered and divided into new ports across the Realms.

===[[Gloomspite Gitz]]===
[[Skragrott]]’s main base of power is in the Realm of Metal, specifically the region of Ayadah and the grot-city of '''Skrappa Spill'''. Although, as evidenced in the novel Gloomspite, he has enough time to piss off to [[Aqshy]] to screw over small cities. In the Age of Myth, Skrappa Spill was the birthplace of [[Gnoblar|gnoblars]], who regularly rummaged through the hills of junk and garbage for stuff to throw at each other.

===[[Lizardmen|Seraphon]]===
The Thunder Lizard Constellation (the one known for having shit tons of Stegadons) known for hoarding and protecting some of the most valuable relics of the Old Ones. They guard the more mercurial outer edges of Chamon and are currently waging war on a certain spooky, scary super-skeleton faction.

===[[Ossiarch Bonereapers]]===
The newest arrivals. A contingent of the Null Myriad legion set up shop on Chamon's edge to secure the realm's energy for Nagash and to take advantage of their resistance to the magic of a realm's edge. Came into contact with the Seraphon of the Thunder Lizard Constellation, which quickly resulted in an ongoing war for control of the realm's edge.

{{AoS-Realms}}

[[Category:Warhammer Fantasy]][[Category:Age of Sigmar]]