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RodOdom
Senior Scribe
USA
509 Posts |
 Posted - 22 Feb 2006 : 15:33:10
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Has anyone lived in a town (in real life) which is dominated by just one major corporate employer? Is there a divide between those employed by that company and those who are not? Do higher ranking employees have a social standing or authority that extends outside the company ?
Reason why I ask is that the Flaming Fist is the Realm's most powerful mercenary company. That must have some effect on their headquarters Baldur's Gate.
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2006 : 15:45:09
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Just because they're the largest merc company, it doesn't mean they dominate the city their HQ is in...
According to the FRA (one of the few resources I have handy at work), the population of Baldur's Gate varies from 86000 to 115000. The Flaming Fist is 1700 strong, and some of those are scattered all over Faerūn. If all of the Fist was home, and the city's population was at its low point in the slow season, that's a mere 2% of the population -- which is hardly dominant. At the high end, again assuming all of the Fists were home (which is highly unlikely), they would form 1.5% of the population.
(A quick scan of Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast also fails to mention them being dominant.) |
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Bluenose
Learned Scribe
United Kingdom
134 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2006 : 16:07:40
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| One of the four Grand Dukes (Eltan?) who rule Bladur's Gate is the commander of the Flaming Fist. But Baldur's Gate is big enough, and the Fist small enough, that it can't really be dominant. Now the Fist also have a port in Maztica, and that they control outright. |
These, in the day when heaven was falling,
The hour when earth's foundations fled,
Followed their mercenary calling
And took their wages and are dead.
Their shoulders held the sky suspended;
They stood, and earth's foundations stay;
What God abandoned, these defended,
And saved the sum of things for pay. |
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RodOdom
Senior Scribe
USA
509 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2006 : 16:28:47
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3rd ed. campaign book lists the population at around 40,000
The Fists act as the city's police force and army as well.
With so many mercenaries, likely that they are raising families in the city. So there would be a few thousand more FF dependents.
Many of the businesses would be servicing the professional needs of the Fists, or their families. |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36804 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2006 : 17:22:39
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quote:
Originally posted by RodOdom
3rd ed. campaign book lists the population at around 40,000
The Fists act as the city's police force and army as well.
With so many mercenaries, likely that they are raising families in the city. So there would be a few thousand more FF dependents.
Many of the businesses would be servicing the professional needs of the Fists, or their families.
That raises the percentage to 4.25% -- not even a one-twentieth of the total population, and that's again assuming every member of the Fist is home.
The fact that the Fist serves as police and army is not really a factor... Or if it is, it's a factor in the other direction: since they do fill in those roles, then the support for those roles wouldn't be any different than in any other city of the Realms. Ditto for the fact that their families are there (but really, how many mercs are going to have families?).
You'd like find a slightly larger percentage of business that serve military needs (smiths, armorers, farriers, etc), but that's it.
I'd imagine that the Fist as a whole has some pull, because of the roles they fill and the fact that they do bring money into the city. But individual members of the Flaming Fist likely wouldn't have any benefit just from being in the unit.
Baldur's Gate is a trade city, and that's where the bulk of its money comes from. Sure, having the Flaming Fist there is of benefit to the city, but they'd do just fine (as they did in the past) without the mercenaries there.
So again I say: the Flaming Fists do not hold a dominant role in the city. A prominent one, yes, but not a dominant one. |
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RodOdom
Senior Scribe
USA
509 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2006 : 17:25:35
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quote:
Baldur's Gate is a trade city, and that's where the bulk of its money comes from. Sure, having the Flaming Fist there is of benefit to the city, but they'd do just fine (as they did in the past) without the mercenaries there.
That makes a lot of sense. Thanks! |
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Baldur's Gate and the Flaming Fist
