Ulder Ravengard

Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard () was a lifelong soldier of the Flaming Fist who ascended to the rank of Marshal, and served on the Council of Four of Baldur's Gate in the late 15 century DR.
==Description==
As a commander, Ravengard was a true warrior at heart and always took quick and relentless action in battle.
==Personality==
Ulder Ravengard was highly disciplined and precise in his actions, and possessed great martial acuity. Despite that, he did lack the sophistication and tact of other dukes. While acted in the manner he always believed to be "good", he lost sight when it came to others who exhibited any sort of moral ambiguity.
He had an unwavering commitment to his duty to uphold the law, often evaluating others in terms of how they gave and obeyed orders. He also had a great sense of duty to his city and wanted to restore Baldur's Gate's sense of pride.
==Abilities==
He dedicated much of his focus to stamping out every lingering presence of the Guild in Baldur's Gate.
==Possessions==
His preferred weapon of choice was a bastard sword. As a Marshal of the Iron Fist, Ulder wore a marshal medallion, a plate of high command, and defended himself with the Aegis of Baldur's Gate – all enchanted items, and the Aegis was rumored to once had been wielded by "Baldur" himself. During Elturel's Descent into Avernus, Ulder recovered an enchanted sword, Lathander's Might, from the deity's chapel. Following the city's return to the Prime Material plane, the Duke was gifted Hellrider dagger by one of the Hellriders. The imprisonment at the bottom of the Gray Harbor, following Elturel's Descent, gave Ulder Ravengard a Helm of Torm's Sight.
==Activities==
As Blaze, Ulder Ravengard served as the Warden of the Wyrm's Rock fortress.
==Relationships==
Ulder was born into a poor family that lived in the Gate's Lower City. His father was a blacksmith, and he had three older brothers. 
Prior to his ascension as Marshal of the Flaming Fist, Blaze Ravengard enjoyed a strong working relationship with Grand Duke Abdel Adrian. Similarly after his promotion, Ulder was well served by Blaze Liara Portyr.
He was well acquainted with the ostentatious elven statesman Coran.
==History==
Ulder joined the Flaming Fist at a young age, and steadily ascended through its ranks by merit of his fighting prowess and intelligence.
===Early Years as Grand Duke===
When Abdel Adrian died on Returning Day, in the , Ravengard was immediately promoted to the rank of Marshal of the Flaming Fist. Despite some protest from amongst the Parliament of Peers, he was nonetheless elected as Grand Duke sometime before the . He refused to surrender command of the Flaming Fist after his commencement, becoming the most powerful person in Baldur's Gate.
When the restored Cult of the Dragon began operating in the Sword Coast after many years of inactivity, the rogue cultist Deniak managed to transform himself into a red dragon within the city walls of Baldur's Gate, threatening the safety of its citizens. Duke Ravengard rallied the Watch and responded to the threat but arrived moments too late, as the dragon-Deniak had been brought down by a local adventuring group.
Despite this missed opportunity, Grand Duke Ravengard proved he could still hold his own in battle. On one occasion when he hosted a secret meeting of the Parliament of Peers at High Hall to discuss the burden that the ever-growing population in the Outer City of Baldur's Gate placed upon its populace, he unwittingly attracted an assassination attempt on Councilor Coran at the hands of Burgust and his thieves' guild. He helped turn away Burgust's killers, fighting alongside the halfling hero Shandie Freefoot.
Although his city and his soldiers needed reconstruction after the resurrection of Bhaal inside Baldur's Gate, Ulder dreamed of glory to lead his soldiers in crushing the Cult of the Dragon's growing forces. As was befitting his dual role as general and head counselor, Ravengard was the leading delegate for Baldur's Gate at the Council of Waterdeep. He viewed the defeat of the Cult of the Dragon as an opportunity that would ensure the perception of Baldur's Gate as the strongest city in Faerûn.
===Descent Into Avernus===
In the , the Grand Duke embarked on a visit of diplomacy to the city of Elturel at the behest of Thavius Kreeg. Unfortunately for him and all of Baldur's Gate, his visit coincided with the catastrophe that saw the entire city being plunged down into the plane of Avernus in the Nine Hells. 
In fact, his trip was part of Thalamra Vanthampur's scheme to appease the Archdevil Zariel and ascend as the new Grand Duke. Without his leadership, the Flaming Fist hierarchy collapsed, the military became overwhelmed and lashed out against Baldurians with brutal retaliation. To restore some order, Liara Portyr was appointed as acting Marshal by her uncle, Duke Portyr.
Meanwhile, in Elturel, in the plane of Avernus, Ulder was telepathically assaulted by the Demon lord Baphomet and put into a catatonic state, through the use of the Helm of Torm's Sight.
===Return to Baldur's Gate===
The Grand Duke returned to Faerûn with the city of Elturel and its surviving citizens. He and a contingent of Flaming Fist soldiers traveled west along the Risen Road to Baldur's Gate, staying at the inn called Waukeen's Rest. Unfortunately, the inn was raided by goblins and drow belonging to the Cult of the Absolute, and it was believed Ravengard was abducted to Moonrise Towers.
At Moonrise, Ketheric Thorm, the Chosen of Myrkul, implanted Ravengard with a magically modified mind flayer tadpole, forcing him under the control of the elder brain known as the Absolute. Under this influence, Ravengard was taken to Baldur's Gate, where he nominated Thorm's co-conspirator Enver Gortash for the position of Archduke of Baldur's Gate. Subsequently, no longer useful to the leaders of the Cult of the Absolute, Ravengard was removed by Gortash to the hidden underwater prison called the Iron Throne.
Despite the imprisonment and the grave danger of the prison being flooded as a contingency, Ulder Ravengard was rescued. Soon after the rescue, Ulder stood alongside the protectors of the Gate against the armies of the Absolute in the Battle for Baldur's Gate – the culmination of the Absolute crisis.
==Appendix==
===Notes===
===Gallery===
Duke Ulder Ravengard concept art.png|Concept art from Baldur's Gate III.
Ulder Ravengard disc.png|Blaze Ulder Ravengard.
Ulder Ravengard idle.png|Ulder Ravengard's enchanted sword.
Duke Ulder Ravengard dragoncraft armor.jpg|Duke Ulder Ravengard's dragoncraft armor.
===Appearances===
===External links===
 
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===References===
Category:Soldiers (4e)
Category:Fighters
Category:Humans
Category:Commanders
Category:Soldiers
Category:Generals
Category:Officials
Category:Grand Dukes
Category:Members of the Flaming Fist
Category:Members of the Lords' Alliance
Category:Members of the Council of Four
Category:Inhabitants of Baldur's Gate
Category:Inhabitants of the Western Heartlands
Category:Inhabitants of the Sword Coast
Category:Inhabitants of West Faerûn
Category:Inhabitants of Faerûn
Category:Inhabitants of Toril
Category:Members of the Council of Waterdeep