Kuldahar

Kuldahar was a settlement in the northern reaches of the Spine of the World mountains.

History
In the early days of the world of Toril, the god of nature Silvanus planted a simple acorn in the northern foothills of the freezing Spine of the World mountain chain. The tree grew continuously for millennia, reaching an extraordinary girth and size. Silvanus nurtured this tree, named Kuldahar, embedding within it a connection to the primal power of the world so that it would throw off heat and create a haven in the frigid subarctic mountains for all forms of life.

Around 1220 DR, a Silvanite archdruid was traveling through the Spine of the World’s foothills when he stumbled upon the massive Kuldahar oak and immediately realized that this was a place sacred to the Oakfather. Beneath the boughs of the great tree, the archdruid created a small shrine to Silvanus. Soon, other druids from druid circles in the North flocked to the holy oak, where it was said they could bathe in the primal power of the world and feel the touch of their god on the mortal plane.

Three decades after an archdruid of Silvanus established a shrine to the Oakfather in the lee of the enormous oak tree known as Kuldahar that was sacred to the god of nature in the northern foothills of the Spine of the World mountains, many other folk began to travel to the site, hoping to find warmth and shelter beneath the great tree’s boughs. They hoped to partake in the warm haven the precious oak created and find some measure of security in the harsh wilderness of the mountains and the surrounding subarctic region of Icewind Dale. However, the Silvanite archdruid and the druid circle that had sprung up to tend the Kuldahar shrine refused to allow these people to settle near Kuldahar, fearing they would damage the oak, and they used their primal powers to create vine traps and living barriers to thwart the arrival of newcomers and potential settlers.

In 1256 DR, a new archdruid rose to power to guide all the Silvanite druid circles of the North and he realized that it was actually Silvanus’ wish that people who respected nature should be allowed to revel in the glory of the Oakfather that was embodied in the great tree of Kuldahar. As long as the settlers respected the balance of nature and tended to Kuldahar and kept it healthy, all who wished would be allowed to settle in the great tree's warmth. Thus was born the small town of Kuldahar in the northern reaches of the Spine of the World mountains. Soon afterwards, a small group of humans, elves and gnomes, all followers of the Oakfather, settled in the small village and Kuldahar became a trading partner of nearby Icewind Dale's Ten Towns.

Structure
Circa 1260 DR, this small gathering was only a group of buildings clustered around the great oak. Many of the buildings were embedded into the ground. In the center of the town, the Heartstone Gem was located. The Archdruid's home was directly north of that flanked by a small stream and a home. A shop was located on the stream, a forge on the tip of town, an inn on the east side, and a wizard's tower on the far west end. There was a second part to the town, the farming sector, which was composed of fields with a guard tower in the middle. The far west side of the fields was a landing spot for Oswald Fiddlebender's airship, along with a cliff on the north tip of the town. These buildings were surrounded by thick, healthy grass, and wildflowers.