Icewind Dale

Icewind Dale was an arctic tundra located in the Frozenfar region of the North,  known for being the northernmost explored region in all of Faerûn. It earned its name from the harsh winds and icy storms that destroyed buildings and scoured the landscape. "If I could choose what life would be mine, it would be this life that I now have, at this time. I am at peace, and yet, the world around me swirls with turmoil...The reality of existence here in Icewind Dale is harsh indeed, an environment unforgiving, where one mistake will cost you your life."

- Drizzt Do'Urden.

Description
The dale was a harsh, near-uninhabitable land that regularly plunged below freezing temperatures. Nights were especially long, and the region received little sunlight, particularly during the severe winter months. It was home to only the most hardened of frontiersmen, pioneers, and barbarians. Beyond the sporadic dots of civilization dwelled terrifying beasts and deadly monsters of the North.

Most folks traversed the dale by means of dogsled or by foot with the use of snowshoes. Yet some others preferred to ride atop axe beaks native to the region.

Climate
Icewind Dale experienced freezing temperatures for much of the year. While kinder summer months ranged from 11 to 70 (–12 to 21), the temperature of the unforgiving winters dipped as low as -40 (-40). While snowfall was relentless, much of it blew east to the nearby Reghed Glacier.

Fierce blizzards ravaged the snowy wastelands of Icewind Dale and avalanches were regular occurrences within its mountainous regions.

Geography
The dale was located south and east of the Trackless Sea, north of the Sword Coast and Spine of the World mountains, and west of the icy Reghed Glacier.

It was primarily accessible by the Northern Means, the road that extended north from the coastal city of Luskan.

Flora & Fauna
Icewind Dale was home to animals like hares, arctic foxes, reindeer, and elk, along with beasts like crag cats, mammoths, polar bears, saber-toothed tigers, snowy owlbears, and monstrous yetis. Beyond the wild animals were packs of scavenging gnolls, Icewind kobolds, and ravenous ice trolls.

Other dangerous creatures found throughout the region included elementals known as air weirds, undead spirits known as coldlight walkers, monstrous remorhazes, warring bands of frost giants, and perhaps most-terrifying, a number of white dragons,

There was scarce plant life to be found throughout the region, save for a solitary forest and the Great Oak around which a lone town was founded. Sacred winter plants, and especially hardy lichen was among the notable types of flora that managed to endure the frigid elements of Icewind Dale.

Lakes
The dale was famous for its three mineral-laden lakes: Maer Dualdon, Lac Dinneshere, and Redwaters.
 * Maer Dualdon: The largest and deepest of the three lakes was once the premier destination for all who dared the trek that far north.
 * Lac Dinneshere: The waters of the lake appeared to change in hue depending on the weather that was just about to wash over the dale.
 * Redwaters: The smallest lake earned its name from a bloody battle that took place on the land over which towns were built.

Bodies of Water

 * Redrun: This stream flowed from Lac Dinneshere into the small Redwaters lake.
 * Shaengarne River: While the waters of this river flowed into the Trackless Sea year-round, its top waters froze over during winter.

Mountains

 * Kelvin's Cairn, a peak that offered fresh water to the surrounding lakes when "spring" bloomed every Midsummer. Its summit was the highest point in all of Icewind Dale.
 * Mount Shatterglass, the peak that offered a spectacular view over the dale below.

Others

 * Bremen's Run
 * Dwarven Valley, a miles-long chasm and adjoining network of caves that extended out from Kelvin's Cairn.
 * Fields of Slaughter, the ancient battlefield that spread across between the Severed Hand and the Spine of the World.
 * Icewind Pass

Government
The capital of Icewind Dale, Bryn Shander, was also its largest settlement. The people of Icewind Dale considered community, determination, and collaborative work to be virtues that were essential for their survival in the frigid north.

Trade
"Ah little fishes, what trouble you bring."

- Regis.

Perhaps the greatest industry of Icewind Dale was the fishing and utilization of knucklehead trout. Many of the region's lakeside settlements relied entirely on the trout they fished and the goods they made from their ivory-like bones. Knucklehead scrimshaw was the art that few mastered, and skilled scrimshanders were held in high esteem.

Knucklehead scrimshaw goods made their way across the Realms. Some carvings could be found as far away as Durpar, some to the south in the Shining Lands. In those far-off lands they sold for as much as 6,000 gp.

Whale oil was an important commodity in settlements across Icewind Dale. Because wood was so scarce, oil was the preferred means to warm hearth and home. As such, whaling throughout the Sea of Moving Ice was among the more profitable industries of the region.

Natural Wealth
One of the most unique natural riches that could be found in Icewind Dale was a mineral known as chardalyn. This naturally-occurring stone could absorb magical energy, which was subsequently released when the mineral was crushed or otherwise destroyed.

History
The history of Icewind Dale was one of malign influence and warring conflict. Over the centuries, the region was repeatedly conquered and re-conquered by despots and would-be monarchs, and continuously corrupted by evil powers from far off realms and other planes of existence.

Early History
Millennia before the Era of Upheaval, the great frost giant Jarl Kelvin Duarol came into the possession of the Crenshinibon. This ancient and evil artifact crafted by seven powerful lichs allied with the demon lord Errtu, and was first brought to Toril in the far-off continent of Zakhara. Kelvin attempted to use the power of the Crenshinibon to forge a new frost giant kingdom atop the ruins of ancient Ostoria but was ultimately unsuccessful. His schemes attracted the anger of the god Tempus, who in turn slew Kelvin and interred him beneath stones piled atop the snow-covered lands.

In, Illuskan refugees first migrated to Icewind Dale and settled. Their descendants came to found the original Reghedmen barbarian tribes. Over time, they were joined by Northlanders who ventured north along the Sword Coast in longships.

Centuries before the Era of Upheaval, Arakon the Arch-Mage attempted to conquer Icewind Dale with his army of mercenaries. Over the course of weeks, he butchered and enslaved the people of the Uthgardt and Reghedmen barbarian tribes. Jerrod, a warrior-shaman of Tempos―the local name of Tempus―rallied the tribes that remained, and together they turned away the mercenary army. Desperate to to still achieve victory, Arakon conjured a portal and summoned a horde of demons from the lower planes. In order to save his people, and all of Icewind Dale, Jerrod threw himself into the portal, sacrificing his life and preventing the fiends from overwhelming the region.

Less than a generation later, Kresselack the Black Wolf emerged as a great leader among the barbarian tribes of the dale. He slaughtered many in his own campaign of conquest, but managed to unite the tribes within a single kingdom for a brief time.

The collective settlements of the Ten Towns were founded some time during the 11 century DR. Bryn Shander was the first among the towns to attract adventurers, businesspeople, or other folks looking for a second start to their life.

13 Century
Circa the, Damien Morienus, a former master of the North Tower of the Host Tower of the Arcane relocated to Icewind Dale. He was a powerful necromancer who was using the local barbarian tribes for his horrific experiments. Eventually, he summoned demons to exact revenge on his enemies. The monsters used their infernal magics to summon hellfire that melted all the snow away. The areas to the Northwest of Ten Towns and the shores of Maer Dualdon suffered the most by floods and permafrost's melting, killing a barbarian tribe, and the inhabitants of the Accursed Tower that sank into the mud. This disaster later became known as the Great Thaw by the locals. Most never learned about the true nature of it believing it to be a natural event.

Just over a decade later, in the, the devil Belhifet himself attempted to conquer Icewind Dale. Belhifet had been imprisoned on Toril by the tanar'ri superiors for punishment regarding a blood feud that threatened to disrupt the infernal hierarchy. Belhifet was contact by the Crenshinibon, a malevolent artifact lost to the ages of time. The Crenshinibon allowed Belhifet to awaken from his icy prison and raise an army to conquer the region. While the fiend managed to briefly freeze over the settlement of Easthaven, he was banished back to Avernus by the intrepid adventurers.

Later that same year, barbarian lord Wylfdene claimed to be a reincarnation of the famed Uthgardt hero Jerrod. Backed by the claim, and secretly possessed by the vengeful spirit of a white dragon Icasaracht, Wylfdene built an outpost on Bremen's Run and guided unite tribes against the Ten Towns who took rightfully barbarian lands. He helmed several battles against the warriors of the Ten Towns and dwarves of Clan Battlehammer until the same group of adventurers arrived to resolve the conflict peacefully. Diplomacy failed and Wylfdene was slain. Despite the fact that Icasaracht's possession was unknown to most and forgotten by the history books, the adventurers traveled to the spirit's lair and destroyed her.

14 Century
Yet another monstrous army was raised in Icewind Dale in the, by the children of the fiend Belhifet. The cambions Isair and Madae founded the Legion of the Chimera, a horde of monstrous half-breed creatures that rallied at the Severed Hand fortress. The legion fought a number of battles with the militias of the Ten Towns, and were ultimately vanquished by a group of mercenary adventurers.

In, Heafstaag and his group of barbarians fail to conquer the settlement of Termalaine in their massive sweep of the Ten-Towns. In this same year, the Crenshinibon, a powerful magical item lost to the ages, was found by Akar Kessel, an apprentice wizard of the Arcane Brotherhood from Luskan. Over the next few years, Kessel amassed an army of goblinoids, trolls, and giants and allied himself with the demon lord Errtu.

Five years later, in the, they newly-named "Tyrant of Icewind Dale" attempted to conquer all of Icewind Dale. Kessel and his forces were thwarted by the Companions of the Hall adventurers, the dwarves of Clan Battlehammer, and allied folks of the Ten Towns, in a great conflict known as the Battle of Icewind Dale. The Crenshinibon was destroyed in the battle, and its malevolent 'demonic magic' afflicted the native chardalyn in Icewind Dale.

Several powerful individuals attempted to seize power following the defeat of Akar Kessel's army. Notable among them were Jarl Utaar Kelvinsson, a mad beholder called Hagedorn, and even Levistus the Prince of Stygia in the Nine Hells.

After the dwarven fortress of Mithral Hall was reclaimed that same year, several hundred dwarves relocated to the settlements of Icewind Dale.

15 Century
A storm in caused a wave on Lac Dinneshere to destroy the docks of Easthaven and several of its ships, as well as their crews.

On Eleint 3 in, corrupted chardalyn—referred to asblack ice―was discovered in Icewind Dale. The substance had a corruptive influence on anyone that handled it or came within close proximity. Soon after, Akar Kessel returned as a lich, and raised hordes of zombified dwarves and began assailing travelers and caravans that crossed the snowy landscape of the realm.

In the, Icewind Dale was cursed by the goddess Auril. She plunged the lands into ongoing darkness, preventing the sun from appearing within the sky each morning. Referred to by locals as the Everlasting Rime, this supernatural phenomenon afflicted Icewind Dale for at least two years. Plant life died, animals went into hiding, and food became scared during that time. Tensions rose within dale's villages and towns.

Taking advantage of the darkness that shrouded the realm, a duergar warlord by the name of Xardorok Sunblight raised his own army to conquer Icewind Dale. Like others before him, Xardorok was corrupted the malevolent influence of chardalyn. He managed to forge a giant chardalyn dragon, and set it on a path of destruction across the Ten Towns.

Ten Towns
Icewind Dale's only permanent settlements were known as the Ten Towns, a confederation of minor settlements that cooperated with each other. It attracted all manner of determined and desperate folks from all across the Realms. The Ten Towns comprised the hamlets nestled on Redwaters lake, Good Mead, and Dougan's Hole; the three settlements located on the shores of Lac Dinneshere, Easthaven, Caer-Konig, and Caer-Dineval; the four that encircled Maer Dualdon, Lonelywood, Bremen, Termalaine, and the walled town of Targos, and the "Tenth Town" of Bryn Shander, the mercantile hub that held them all together. Shaengarne Ford was a small logging village, southwest from Targos, built on the shored of the Shaengarne River. The settlement of Slow Cedric's Gallop was a small frontier settlement on the Southern Pass of the Spine of the World, overrun and destroyed in 1170 DR.

Away from Ten Towns, all the way on the northern reaches of the Spine of the World, laid the settlement of Kuldahar. The village was a small group of buildings clustered around the great oak tree, protected from the elements by the Heartstone Gem. Kuldahar had regular trade caravans braving the harsh wilderness to and from Ten Towns.

Other Settlements

 * Karkolohk, the goblin fort-settlement nestled within the foothills of the Spine.
 * Revel's End, an isolated prison situated far to the north of the dale on a cliff overlooking the Sea of Moving Ice.

Landmarks

 * Black Cabin, a solitary lodge that served as a refuge for many who traveled across the dale.
 * Damien's Tower, the cursed residence of Damien Morienus.
 * Dorn's Deep, a dwarven fortress located on a lone peak in the Spine of the World.
 * Jarlmoot, the ancient meeting place of the region's frost giants.
 * Lost Spire of Netheril, a mage tower that was torn asunder from the enclave of Ythryn.

Roads & Trails

 * Eastway, the only paved road in Icewind Dale linked the hub of Bryn Shander with the communities of Lac Dinneshere.
 * Ten Trail, the wagon trail led north from the settlement of Hundelstone, through the North/South Pass, which allowed merchants and travelers to make their way to Bryn Shander.

Inhabitants
The region was mainly populated by fishers, craftspeople, loggers, rangers, dwarves that mined the depths for minerals and precious stones, Reghedmen barbarians, and merchants that tolerated the hostile climate, in the hope of trading in ivory, gems, and other forms of natural wealth. Yet others were outcasts or criminals, who made Icewind Dale their home in the hopes that their existence would be ignored if not condoned.

While most residents of the dale lived in the Ten Towns, the dwarves mined in isolated caves and caverns while the barbarian tribes roamed after their migratory prey. At the times of famine due to extremely harsh winters, in the regions where rothé herds roamed, the folk of Icewind Dale joined together to start the rothé stampedes, forcing them off cliffs. The dead and wounded animals provided the northerners with fresh life-saving meat. The animals were harvested, roasted, or smoked on the spot. The hides and meats were sledded back to the towns and stored in stone cairns for keeping. When the food supply was even more scarce, the folk was forced to slaughter and consume their mounts, draft beasts, sled dogs.

Notable Inhabitants

 * Arveiaturace, the ancient white dragon that claimed part of Icewind Dale as her territory.
 * Hedrun Arnsfirth, the chosen of Auril the Frostmaiden.
 * Markham Southwell, the sheriff of Bryn Shander during circa the late 15 century DR.
 * Ravisin, a local frost druid that spent much of her efforts awakening local animals and plant life.
 * Vaelish Gant, a malevolent abjurer of the Arcane Brotherhood who was imprisoned within Revel's End.

Rumors and Legends
Many bards from the lands to the south confidently told their audiences there was nothing north of the Spine of the World mountains, save for the Endless Ice Sea. They were of course grossly misinformed.

Rumors of various perils regularly circulated throughout the Ten Towns of Icewind Dale. Notable among these were rumors that involved an underwater monster that laired within Maer Dualdon, packs of winter wolves that hunted townspeople, and fearsome beasts like the dreaded white moose.

Local legend told of the White Lady, a spirit that haunted the shore of Lac Dinneshere.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * The Accursed Tower • Legacy of the Crystal Shard • Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
 * Novels
 * The Crystal Shard • Sojourn • Passage to Dawn
 * Comics
 * Tyranny of Dragons • At the Spine of the World
 * Video Games
 * Menzoberranzan • Icewind Dale series • Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance
 * Baldur's Gate
 * Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
 * Adventurers League: Plague of Ancients
 * Adventurers League: Plague of Ancients