The Crystal Shard


 * This article is about the novel. For the artifact, see Crystal Shard.

The Crystal Shard is the first book in the Icewind Dale trilogy by R.A. Salvatore. It was later reissued as book four of the Legend of Drizzt series.

"Akar Kessel, a weak-willed apprentice mage sets in motion events leading to the rediscovery of the magical device, the Crystal Shard. But is it merely an inanimate device... or is it capable of directing the defeat of Ten-Towns?

Or have the barbarians already arranged for that themselves? Their brutal attack on the villages of Ten-Towns seals their fate, and that of the young barbarian Wulfgar. Left for dead, Wulfgar is rescued by the dwarf, Bruenor, in exchange for five years of service... and friendship. With the help of the dark elf, Drizzt, Bruenor reshapes Wulfgar into a warrior with both brawn and brains.

But is Wulfgar strong enough to reunite the barbarian tribes? Can an unorthodox dwarf and renegade dark elf persuade the people of Ten-Towns to put aside their petty differences in time to stave off the forces of the crystal shard?"

Synopsis
The first part of the book introduces the cold land of Icewind Dale, the Ten-Towns, and the main characters: the drow ranger Drizzt Do'Urden, who has chosen to live in the surface world instead of in the evil and ruthless Underdark; the dwarf clan leader Bruenor Battlehammer, who was forced to abandon his home of Mithral Hall with his clan; and the halfling Regis, who settled down in Ten-Towns where he hopes that the eye of his ex-guildmaster couldn't reach him. The three heroes will play a main role in the upcoming events. The barbarian tribes of the North, guided by the two kings Beorg and the ruthless Heafstaag, have united to bring destruction over Ten-Towns, counseled by the betrayer deBernezan. Only the efforts of the three heroes (with some help from Regis' magical gem) could persuade the leaders of Ten-Towns to join their forces against the common enemy, leading them to victory. This part ends with Bruenor who spares the life of a young barbarian called Wulfgar whom he had met in battle. In the meanwhile, in the Spine of the World, something else happens: the wizard apprentice Akar Kessel is betrayed by some fellow wizards and left to die in the frozen land. He finds the lost relic known as Crenshinibon which gives him the power to survive and to build a tower: Cryshal-Tirith. The powerlusting relic "guides" the mind of the human through dreams toward greater goals, like the conquest of Ten-Towns. Kessel, with his new powers, begins to gather allies...

The second part of the book begins five years after the battle against the barbarians and focuses mainly on the character of Wulfgar. His hard feelings against Bruenor, who forced him to live among the dwarves and work for him, are slowly replaced by affection and fondness. When the time came close for the barbarian to set out free once again from Bruenor's captivity, the dwarf forged for him the magical warhammer Aegis-fang and entrusted him to Drizzt for some last lessons. In the meanwhile, Akar Kessel is joined by the demon Errtu, which desires the power of Crenshinibon more than anything else. The demon didn't want to act against the relic will though, so it accepted to serve Kessel. The wizard, his army now almost ready, made his first move, sending a company of giants (instead of more reliable humans, as suggested by Crenshinibon) to Kelvin's Cairn to set up a base in secrecy. The bloodlusting verbeeg giants became soon restless, and instead of staying hidden in the cave, they organized little raid parties, until one of those found and killed two dwarves of Bruenor's clan. That's how Drizzt and Wulfgar became aware of the approaching storm: they stumbled upon the signs of battle. They tracked and destroyed the murderous raid party, but not before learning about the hidden base and the incoming of reinforcements. They then conceived a plan together with Bruenor to face this new menace: Bruenor and his dwarves took care of the reinforcements, while Drizzt and Wulfgar, with the aid of Guenhwyvar, wiped out the giants' base, becoming aware of the existence of a mastermind called Akar Kessel.

The third part of the book begins with the companions learning about Kessel's army interrogating an orc, survivor of the skirmishes, using Regis' gem. They discover that also the barbarian tribe which Wulfgar belonged to joined the wizard forces. Regis and Bruenor tried once again to persuade the leaders of Ten-Towns to join their forces, but this time the stubborn pride of some of them left all the settlements on their own. In the meanwhile Wulfgar (followed in secrecy by Drizzt), went to the hidden lair of the white dragon Ingeloakastimizilian and, with the aid of the drow, he defeated it. Then, while Drizzt returned back to Ten-Towns, the barbarian reached his tribe and challenged and defeated the leader, the ruthless Heafstaag, in a duel, taking his place. He finally persuaded the tribe to join Ten-Towns against Kessel. In the meanwhile, the wizard's army was already in movement though, and soon many of the Ten-Towns were burnt or taken. The main settlement, Bryn Shander, was besieged and Kessel himself appeared right after the demon Errtu had risen a new Cryshal-Tirith not far from the human town. Drizzt, aware of Errtu's presence, summoned the demon in a hidden place and learned from him of the existence of Crenshinibon before Errtu would become aware of the true nature of the drow. Drizzt was able to wound the demon and to banish it in the Abyss for a century. Cassius, the leader of Bryn Shander, decided to send Regis to meet Kessel, and the halfling manages to save the people of Ten-Towns some more time and to set some factions of Kessel's army against each other. Then Drizzt sneaks in Cryshal-Tirith and is able to reach the tower's core, making the entire structure to collapse to the ground. In the meanwhile all the people of Icewind Dale (the dwarves of Bruenor, the barbarians led by Wulfgar, the people of Bryn Shander and the survivors of the other nine towns) join together and are able to defeat Kessel's army. The wizard himself dies because of the power of Crenshinibon itself: it causes a massive avalanche on Kelvin's Cairn, which covers both the wizard and the relic.

The book ends with Bruenor, Drizzt and Wulfgar leaving Icewind Dale on their quest to Mithral Hall, the ancient home of the dwarves, soon followed by Regis who looks for a mean to escape Artemis Entreri's hunt.

Main characters

 * Akar Kessel; (Human Wizard Male)
 * Bruenor Battlehammer; (Dwarf Male)
 * Drizzt Do'Urden; (Drow Male)
 * Errtu; (Demon)
 * Regis; (Halfling Thief Male)
 * Wulfgar; (Human Barbarian Male)

Other characters

 * Agorwal; (Human Male)
 * Al Dimeneira; (Angel) (Mentioned Only)
 * Angaar the Brave; (Human Barbarian Male) (Mentioned Only)
 * Argo Grimblade; (Dwarf Male) (Mentioned Only)
 * Artemis Entreri; (Human Assassin Male)
 * Beorg; (Human Barbarian Male)
 * Beorne; (Human Barbarian Male) (Mentioned Only)
 * Beornegar; (Human Barbarian Male) (Mentioned Only)
 * Biggrin; (Frost giant Male)
 * Bundo; (Dwarf Male)
 * Cassius; (Human Male)
 * Catti-brie; (Human Female)
 * deBernezan; (Human Male)
 * Dendybar the Mottled; (Human Wizard Male)
 * Dorim Lugar; (Human Male)
 * Dourgas; (Dwarf Male)
 * Eldeluc; (Human Wizard Male)
 * Fellhammer; (Dwarf Male) (Mentioned Only)
 * Fender Mallot; (Dwarf Male)
 * Glensather; (Human Male)
 * Grock; (Goblin Male)
 * Guenhwyvar; (Panther Female)
 * Haalfdane; (Human Barbarian Male)
 * Heafstaag; (Human Barbarian Male)
 * Hrothulf the Strong; (Human Barbarian Male) (Mentioned Only)
 * Ingeloakastimizilian; (White dragon)
 * Jensin Brent; (Human Male)
 * Jorn the Red; (Human Barbarian Male) (Mentioned Only)
 * Kemp of Targos; (Human Male)
 * Morkai the Red; (Human Wizard Male)
 * Muldoon; (Human Male)
 * Pasha Pook; (Human Male) (Mentioned Only)
 * Raag Doning; (Human Barbarian Male) (Mentioned Only)
 * Revjak; (Human Barbarian Male)
 * Schermont; (Human Male)
 * Telshazz; (Demon)
 * Torga; (Orc Male)
 * Urgutha Forka (Demon) (Mentioned Only)

Events

 * Battle of Bryn Shander
 * Battle of Daledrop
 * Battle of Icewind Dale

Artifacts

 * Aegis-fang
 * Crystal Shard
 * Drizzt's scimitar
 * Entreri's dagger
 * Regis' Gem

Locations

 * Abyss
 * Bremen
 * Bremen's Run
 * Bruenor's Climb
 * Bryn Shander
 * Cryshal-Tirith
 * Daledrop
 * Easthaven
 * Evermelt
 * Hengorot
 * Icewind Dale
 * Icewind Pass
 * Kelvin's Cairn
 * Lac Dinneshere
 * Lonelywood
 * Maer Dualdon
 * Reghed Glacier
 * Spine of the World
 * Ten-Towns
 * Termalaine

Editions
The novel is also available as part of The Icewind Dale Trilogy Collector's Edition and The Icewind Dale Trilogy Gift Set.