Brynnlaw

Brynnlaw is a sandy island located amidst the Sea of Swords just off the coast of Amn. At some point in its history, Brynnlaw was taken over by pirates and quickly became a pirate town. Spellhold, a mysterious "asylum", is located on the north side of the island, and is ostensibly operated by the Cowled Wizards order.
==Description ==
Once a small sea trading town offering a port haven from storms and a stop for fishermen, sea merchants to restock provisions, crew rest and some basic services - the town has since been forcefully taken over by pirates. The local townsfolk have been upended, some murdered, and displaced by the rule of the Pirate Lord. The town has some kind of relationship with the Spellhold asylum, and they coexist with an unknown arrangement. Brynnlaw is outside the sphere of influence of Amn or any other kingdom, and is currently just an outlaw island, and a temporary stop over for various independent traders, pirates, and daring mercantile sea farers. 
The town is home to a small population of dockhands and some fishermen, but the majority are pirates and transient visitors. The town maintains a working dock, moorage for anchored ships, a general store/shop, Inn, Temple and a Brothel. A grand home has been confiscated by the Pirate Lord as his residence and headquarters. The Northern side of the island is occupied by the strange and mysterious structure of Spellhold, the Asylum. 
 
==Buildings and areas==
==Characters (found outside buildings)==
===Other Personnel appearing in buildings or certain situations===
==Gameplay ==
Upon arrival to Brynnlaw, depending on if the party sided with the Shadow Thieves or if on Bodhi's side will determine a certain encounter for the party.
If the party is on the Shadow Thieves' side, then the party will arrive at night, and Saemon Havarian and Sime will have certain dialogue. Afterwards the party will learn that a betrayal is afoot, and that a trio of Vampire assailants are waiting to ambush your group. A battle with Del. Parisa and Valen will take place. If you are successful in driving away the undead attackers, Sime will let you know to visit Brynnlaw's Inn, the Vulgar Monkey, she'll say "Go to the tavern. Speak with a man named Sanik. If there is a way into the asylum, he will know it." - and soon after she will tell you "I will scout around a bit and meet you at the pass leading to the asylum itself. Work with haste, <CHARNAME>. Our enemies know we are here." 
Upon arrival to the island having sided with Bodhi, then Saemon will have dialogue with the party, with several statements and questions answered. In the end he'll say "Herein you shall find what you need. I will go no further lest I be recognized and harm your efforts. The Vulgar Monkey tavern should hold what you are looking for." And perhaps soon afterwards say "Speak with Sanik inside. He has little love for me, but there is scant about this town that does not pass his notice."
As the party moves about Brynnlaw while exploring the streets, there will be some opportunities to speak with various folks. Dockhands and fishermen will have a bit to say and fill-in the town's mood. 
The first time the party approaches the Brothel entrance, a duel of some kind is about to take place, involving a so called "Duel Coordinator", and two foes named Adante and Dirbish the Black. After their randomly resolved fight, there will be a parting line or two. And as is normal for BG games, the party can just walk over to the corpse and loot the body, while a few onlookers watch the pilfering. Perfectly normal behavior, especially for a Pirate town like Brynnlaw.
If you wish, speak with some of the Courtesans in front of the Brothel. The party can get some info from these physically attractive workers. There are male and female choices available. 
As the party wanders around, perhaps dispelling the "Fog of War", it is likely that an encounter with a pair of pirates will be seen - squaring off in a fight - they are named Andar and Olben. They don't have any dialogue, except for some "Argh's" and other pirate-like exclamations as they circle each other. If you wish to get involved, send them to Davey Jones locker in speedier fashion, and attack the Pirates. They will become hostile if attacked, but otherwise they may eventually fight amongst themselves on their own. They drop a few items when slashed and stabbed sufficiently.
At some point, a small boy will perform a pick pocketing on Gorion's Ward. This encounter with Ason is covered as part of the Island concerns: Ginia's tale quest. Also, the party can speak with Ginia on the eastern side of the town. Both these characters are related to the optional quest.
At various times, and typically after sundown, the streets of Brynnlaw can present some dangers. There are spawning points on the map that are scripted to generate backstabbing thief pirates. These scoundrels will be invisible and just attack with little warning, although the player may see some text in the screen log where the attacker says some kind of threat.
There is also one larger spawn south-east of Calahan involving a whole group of pirates - a leader, a mage, and six plain ones - that will challenge the party. It's some kind of press gang that is attempting to capture the party to force them into pirate ship crew servitude. This naturally leads to a fight on the dockside area of Brynnlaw. This encounter does not trigger until after returning to Brynnlaw from Spellhold, and only during the late evening and nighttime.
The party doesn't need to use the inn, they can also rest outside.
==Containers==
Throughout the main Brynnlaw townscape are various barrels, crates and miscellaneous cargo containers with nothing in them, or random treasures or even a Wand of Paralyzation in a secret wall niche. These are all for the taking if the party finds them. 
==Related quests== 
*Getting inside the asylum
*Island concerns: Ginia's tale
*Leaving the island
==Gallery==
BrynnlawArriveJan.png|Saemon Havarian delivers the party to Brynnlaw Docks. Jan Jansen has some gnomish remarks.
BrynnlawVamp.png|Depending on how the party circumstances played out in Chapter 3, Saemon apologizes for betraying the party to attacking vampires. Welcome to Brynnlaw!
BrynnlawPressGang1.png|Party observes a group of pirates ahead next to the docking area. Calahan eyes them warily.
BrynnlawPressGang3.png|PC tells the gang to just leave it alone - but they turn hostile and seek to use force against the party.
==Mod content==
===Personnel appearing outside buildings===
:Portraits from Portraits Portraits Everywhere
SAEMON.jpg|thumb|Saemon Havarian — The party is embarked in Brynnlaw from Saemon's sailing ship. If you didn't side with Bodhi in chapter 3, bad things happen soon afterward.
PPSIME.jpg|thumb|Sime, an "escort" provided by Aran Linvail, if you didn't side with Bodhi. Upon arrival in Brynnlaw she asks Saemon - "A particular congratulations to you, Captain. It was fortunate you distracted those other ships we saw in the distance. Your signals in the night; were they some type of warning?"
CALAHA.jpg|thumb|Calahan, found dockside - 'Allo, mate! Wha's the good word, then? Calahan I be, scourge of the seven seas!"
PPDUELC.jpg|thumb|Duel Coordinator, near the Brothel - "Gentlemen, if you please? I have three other duels to govern today, and I haven't time for the particulars of each."
PPDUEL1.jpg|thumb|Andante, ready for a duel with Dirbish - "You'll pay, you will. I'll see to it!"
PPDUEL2.jpg|thumb|Dirbish the Black, about to duel Andante - "I stand by me claims. A pox on yer father's father if you think otherwise."
PIRKID01.jpg|thumb|Ason, a little ragamuffin and amateur thief - if confronted - "I'm sorry, <SIRMAAM>. I gotta do it, or he'll hit me again!"
PIRCOR02.jpg|thumb|Ginia, pleading courtesan - " <SIRMAAM>, do you have any money to spare? I can't go back to the guild until I have something."
PIRCOR03.jpg|thumb|Male courtesan, works for the Brothel - "You wouldn't happen t' know of a decent lass who's in need of a bit o' company, would ye? Send 'er to me, aye?"
PIRMUR09.jpg|thumb|Golin, a visiting sea farer with inside info -"Spellhold? Well now, I'm not sure you would even want to get in there. People that go in don't usually come back out again."
PIRPIR05.jpg|thumb|Chremy, "Keep movin', friend. I don't have time to talk. I'm waiting for my... employees."
PPDOOR.jpg|thumb|Pirate Door Guard, Controls entry to Desharik's Estate - "Go away. The Pirate Lord sees no one without appointment."
PPLDR01.png|Pirate Leader - Engages the party with his crew of cutthroats to force the party into service - "Wot's 'is? Look now, boys... looks like we've some volunteers to do some rowin' on the ships, aye?"
===Other Personnel appearing in buildings or certain situations===
PPINN01.jpg|thumb|Innkeeper (Brynnlaw) of the Vulgar Monkey - "What do you be wanting here, hmm? This ain't the friendliest place for strangers to be walking about."
PIRBOB01.jpg|thumb|Capt'n Bob Holmes, Within the Vulgar Monkey - "Cursed Desharik! Charging fees like a stuffed-tunic harbormaster... he won't be a pirate lord forever, says I!"
DESH.jpg|thumb|Desharik, Pirate leader of Brynnlaw - in his estate he may say "Spellhold? Why would you want to go there? Hardly a sociable place for decent folk."
PIRMUR03.jpg|thumb|Brothel Front (greeter/guard) - "Hello, my <LADYLORD>, welcome to Lady Galvena's Parlor. How may I serve you?"
PIRCOR05.jpg|thumb|Ellie the courtesan cook downstairs in the Brothel "Hmph. Who in the Hells do you think you are? This is my kitchen! Festhall or not, I take pride in my job." 
PIREXE01.jpg|thumb|Executioner in the Brothel backrooms about to terminate a captured privateer- "Aye, sir!" he'll say to the Guard Captain's orders.
PIRPRV01.jpg|thumb|Privateer, captured by the pirates, facing the executioner - "I'm not the last, pirate scum!"
PIRMUR01.jpg|thumb|Galvena - Brothel owner - "...and as such, a sentence of death has been imposed on you, Claire."
PIRMUR10.jpg|thumb|Claire, courtesan and Sanik's lover held in Galvena's prison - "Please! I have served you for years! Why could you not let me go? *sob*"
PIRMUR07.jpg|thumb|Vadek, with Galvena and Claire in the Brothel prison - "Arrogance is a common trait among the dregs of adventuring."
PPCOWLED.jpg|thumb|Perth the Adept, Cowled Wizard administrator on Brynnlaw. 
PIRPIR07.jpg|thumb|Pirate Bill, quaffing rum in the Vulgar Monkey - "Aye, mate, bend yer ear fer a secon'... Whaddaya call a fish wit' no eyes?"
PIRPIR08.jpg|thumb|Pirate Dan, reveling in the Vulgar Monkey - "Ahoy there, mate! Pull ye up a chair an' let us carouse together! We all here be sailors of the Bleedin' Mary, testin' our land livers while on shore leave."
PIRPIR09.jpg|thumb|Pirate Jimmy, singing a tune in the Vulgar Monkey - "I flounder an' den I lobster..."
PIRPIR10.jpg|thumb|Pirate Scotty, belting out a grog song in the Vulgar Monkey - "What do ya do wit' a drunken sailor?..."
PIRPIR11.jpg|thumb|Pirate Paul, leading a cheer in the Vulgar Money - "Fer 'e's a jolly good fellow,..."
PIRPIR12.jpg|thumb|Pirate Newf, slurring a sea shanty in the Vulgar Monkey - "I'se th' b'y that builds the boat,.."
PPSANIK.jpg|thumb|Sanik, in the Vulgar Monkey - "Greetings, friend. I am Sanik. You must be new to fair Brynnlaw. Whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?"
PPGIRL.jpg|thumb|Cayia, found in the House of Desharik's Lover - part of Saemon's ship stealing plot Leaving the island.
PPLOVE.jpg|thumb|Algor, found in the House of Desharik's Lover - part of Saemon's ship stealing plot.
===Mod screenshots===
SaemonBrynnlaw.png|Saemon has some disturbing news after the party disembarks his ship dockside.
SimeBrynnlaw.png|Sime suspected Saemon would prove treacherous. It's a good thing she was on your voyage to Brynnlaw.
BrynnlawGreyhand.png|Greyhand encounter restored with Unfinished Business for BG2 mod.
BrynnlawPerth1.png|Perth the Adept with the Golem Construction for Spellcasters mod adds a Stone Golem ally to the Cowled Wizard.
BrynnlawPressGang2.png|The Pirate Leader of an old-fashioned press gang hails the party.
BrynnlawPressGang4.png|Press gang Pirate Mage fires up a chain of buffs before engaging the party in a dance of death.
===Mods:===
The Back to Brynnlaw mod begins in Athkatla in Chapter 6 and is initiated by speaking with a figure near the Adventurer Mart in Waukeen's Promenade. If pursued, the party will be returning to Brynnlaw again for new content and quest adventures.
The Unfinished Business for BG2 mod restores the character Greyhand to the game, who is encountered at the north part of Brynnlaw on the pathway to the Spellhold map transition. Greyhand will drop the deprecated "Boots of Hastened Departure" as shown in this screenshot.
The Quest Pack mod finishes an earlier quest in the Vulgar Monkey Inn. See that page for details.
The Sime (mod) companion modification, if installed, will begin here in Brynnlaw. 
The Sword Coast Stratagems mod makes minor revisions to pirates and thieves in Brynnlaw, as well as various guards in the Brothel. These changes are the usual creature class AI scripting modifications to allow for smarter tactical behavior, item use (such as potions carried), and corrected weapon proficiencies and fighting styles commensurate with the class and level of the creature. Of particular note, Pirate Thieves encountered at night will attack from invisibility, attempt to Backstab. and if they have a Potion of Invisibility in their inventory, use that, and attempt another backstabbing, if able. Special care must be taken to prevent "squishy" party members from being "chunked" from excessive damage.
==External links==
*Baldur's Gate II section at Mike's RPG Center
*Brynnlaw on the Forgotten Realms Wiki, a wiki for the Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting Forgotten Realms.