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Major Characters of the Sword Coast

Notable NPCs the protagonist may encounter — drawn from the Amn Survival Guide. For the joinable companions, see Companions.

Ribald Barterman

Chaotic Neutral · Half-Elf · Male · Fighter 11th / Mage 12th level.

(RYE-bahld) One of the most famous retired adventurers in Athkatla, having served with several parties over his many years and travelled over half the breadth of Faerûn. The exact nature of his adventures is unknown, but Ribald has been known to remark on battles with beholders or orc armies as offhandedly as one might speak of the weather.

Upon his retirement in his home city he opened a store called "The Adventurer Mart" within the great marketplace known as Waukeen's Promenade. Items of almost any sort, from the mundane to the exotic, may be found within Ribald's store — and the man himself is often a font of helpful information and advice.

Drizzt Do'Urden

Chaotic Good · Drow Elf · Male · Ranger 16th level.

(Dritst Doe-URR-den) A renegade drow ranger who has escaped the oppressive regime of his underground homeland. Drizzt is among the most famous of drow in the Realms thanks to his deeds on the surface. He may be found abroad while engaged in acts of daring, particularly rolling back the tribes of goblins and evil humans in the North. His fame and hatred of his former homeland has made him a target of other drow who hope to earn favour with their evil goddess Lolth by killing the renegade.

  • Wears mithral chain mail +4 — a gift of King Bruenor.
  • Wields two magical scimitars simultaneously: Icingdeath (a frostbrand +3) and Twinkle (a defender +5, glows when enemies are near).
  • Most prized possession: a figurine of wondrous power in the shape of an onyx panther — Guenhwyvar. He doesn't use the panther unless severely taxed, as he is limited to using it for a certain period each day.

Ellesime

Lawful Good · Elf · Female · Mage 16th level.

(ELL-eh-seem) Queen Ellesime rules over her elven subjects from the tree-city of Suldanesselar within the great forest of Tethyr. Not much is known of the elven queen, although it is rumoured that she descends from the elven god Rillifane. Whether it is this heritage that makes her immortal or some tie to the fabled Tree of Life is unknown, and it is doubtful any but a few elves will ever have the opportunity to gaze upon her fabled beauty.

Saemon Havarian

Neutral · Human · Male · Swashbuckler 12th / Mage 14th level.

(SAY-mon hah-VARE-ee-an) An infamous corsair who plies the trading lanes of the Sea of Swords and the Pirate Isles. Tales of his deeds range from the mischievous to the nefarious — from the completely outlandish to the adventurous and daring. The only common thread amongst these stories is that Saemon's past is largely unknown, he values his own skin above all other things, and his fortune has waxed and waned dramatically with each passing season.

Saemon often takes work where he can find it (his skills as a seaman are well sought-after) and has a distinct knack for being somehow involved in most of the grandiose plots in the region.

Elminster

Chaotic Good · Human · Male · Wizard 29th level.

(El-MINN-ster) Elminster the Sage. The exact age of Elminster is unknown and his year of birth unrecorded. From his tales, it is suspected he learned his magical arts at the feet of Arkhon the Old, who died in what is now Waterdeep over five hundred years ago, and that he may have been in Myth Drannor near that magical realm's final days. The exact nature of these claims remains unproven, but most Realms natives consider Elminster an eternal force in the world.

The Sage currently lives in the tiny farm community of Shadowdale, in a two-storey house overlooking a fish pond with his aide and scribe Lhaeo. He is often abroad, both elsewhere in the Realms and in other planes, in a relentless pursuit of knowledge.

Areas of expertise: the Realms and its people, ecologies of various creatures, magical items and their histories, and the known planes of existence. Elminster no longer tutors or works for hire save in the most pressing cases.

His former students and allies include some of the most powerful good individuals in the Realms — some of the Lords of Waterdeep, the Simbul (ruler of Aglarond), and the Harpers.

Source: bg2ee/original_manuals/baldurs_gate_2_ee_amn_survival_guide.pdf — "Major Characters of the Sword Coast".