1.5d Refugee Camp

Table of Contents

After the initial few refugees arrived from Elturel, the Flaming Fist were ordered by the Grand Dukes to close the city gates. All refugees were to be kept outside of the city and only those with official paperwork or connections to the trade guilds were to be allowed into the city.

This has meant that a sizeable refugee camp has built up outside the city of Baldur’s Gate, mostly around the Basilisk Gate. Some groups may stop here first, while others may continue on to try and get into the city and be stopped at the Basilisk Gate by Zodge.

Dara and the rest of the refugees could easily add their wagons and tents to the camp, staying here until the PCs speak with Zodge, solve the Outer City Murders, and gain access to the Lower City.

The self appointed leader of the camp is Marsaadi Woodsoul, a harsh looking elf druid with elaborate tattoos which mark her face. If the PCs ‘bounce’ off working with Flame Zodge to solve the murders, Marsaadi could be a vector for having them still investigate the murders.

Canvassing Outer City Victims

• The victims were all refugees inside the camp (except Laurens Ulin and Mien Kaas who have no living relatives and were long term residents of Baldur’s Gate)
• They arrived in the past few days only to find the gates closed. Each desperately needed a way into the city, but the Flaming Fist required signed paperwork which they did not have.
• The victims were approached by a dwarf woman who looked sort of like a cleric. This was Petra Czismadia (see: Changed Nodes) asking if they wanted forged papers and sneaking into the city. She is seen in the camps every day, coming and going periodically throughout the daylight hours.
• Other refugees might have overheard Petra’s conversations with the victims:
  • Petra asked all sorts of questions; where they were from, how long they lived there, their professions, who their parents and grandparents were, if they knew what happened at Elturel, if they had seen Duke Ulder Ravengard in Elturel prior to its destruction etc.
  • She then demanded large quantities of money (50 gp per person, 25 gp upfront) – money none of the victims could afford.
    GM Note: Those who could afford it were smuggled inot the city and then killed by the Poisoned Poseidon cell instead.
  • When Petra left, she didn’t cause any fuss that they couldn’t pay up. She didn’t come back to bother them further or try to persuade them.

The Kidnap Sites

The kidnap sites are all refugee tents each of which are very similar – no blood, no signs of struggle and no one neraby hears anything. Even those who might have shared a tent with the victims heard nothing at all… the victims are just gone in the morning, then show up dead behind the Smilin’ Boar Tavern that same night.

GM Note: The Hamhock Slaughterhouse cell use a silence spell to adbuct victims and simply restrain them in their sleep and thus the abductions aren’t heard even by those in the same tent, let alone anyone nearby.

Intelligence (Investigation) DC 12 – Searching an abduction site reveals a journal. Simply change the name of the author to whichever victim’s tent the PCs are searching.

It looks like the diary was started recently, after the fall of Elturel – perhaps the original was left behind when they fled. It is short, and many days are skipped, as if the writer had not got into the habit of writing daily yet or was unable to do so every day on their journey to Baldur’s Gate.

The final entry was made the day before they were kidnapped.

“This Petra woman must be joking if she thinks a sane minded person would pay anywhere near 50 gold pieces for some forged papers and smuggling past the Flaming Fist. By Tymora I wouldn’t pay such an extortionate amount even if I could afford it!

The dwarf comes into the refugee camp every day it seems, looking for people who’ll pay her harsh fee. I’m sure once the initial rush of idiots coughs up that sort of money, Petra will be back and will be offering me a fairer price I can afford. Just got to be patient… despite these disgusting living conditions.

I heard her talking to herself once, on the edge of camp, about someone named Amrik as if he was her boss. Spoke all about how there we still plenty more ‘connected Elturians’ – might be some sort of magic communication. Perhaps if I can speak with this Amrik directly I can cut out Petra’s middle-man fee entirely.”

GM Note: Petra was talking to one of Amrik’s imps, who was hidden with its invisibly.