A Spar made of what appears to be black hyperdiamond, hundreds of kilometers long that extends from the Edge of the world
Only a few decades ago, the base of the Spar nearest the Ring was a surprisingly comfortable and habitable area. It was chilly, but no more so that regions on the inward slopes of the Inner Range thanks to the hot water pipes that ran through the region.
The Spar is home to Icewind Dale and the Ten Towns. Isolated but relatively peaceful communities that once conducted trade with nearby areas.
The region has since been frozen under the ‘everlasting winter’ by Auril, a mad demigod.
The Remaining Towns
Targos
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Like Bryn Shander, Targos is encircled by a wooden wall, which helps to protect the town against chimera spawn and other threats from the wilderness. The wall extends out into the lake, creating a safe harbor for the town’s boats. On the eastern side of town, a taller windbreak wall has been built from ice and metal reinforcement, about 30ft high. Auril’s long winter has frozen the water in the harbor, and many of Targos’s boats are trapped in the ice. Fishers must drag or float their smaller vessels across the ice to get to the unfrozen lake beyond the harbor walls. The best equipped fishing crews have floating-disc lifed catamarans that can be floated over the ice.
Targos has slowly migrated east onto the permanent ice of the Maer Dualdon to be closer to the liquid water. This allows easier access to the water and also a bit of warm air off the lake that keeps the town relatively warm (-10 to -30)
Almost all the towns in Icewind Dale make their living off the lakes, but nowhere is that fact more evident than in Targos. The town has always had the biggest fishing fleet and the biggest fishing industry, and everything that goes on here revolves around hauling the knucklehead trout out of Maer Dualdon. Auril’s endless winter makes the work harder, but it gets done nonetheless.
Naerth Maxildanarr, a former rogue of Luskan, moved to Targos a couple of years ago, took up residence in the Luskan Arms, and spread around a lot of gold, earning the loyalty of many local fishers. His cordial, down-to-earth demeanor contributed to his swift rise to power, enabling him to replace a town speaker who was well liked but didn’t want the job anymore. As the most senior representative of the Sixth Finger in Ten-Towns, Naerth is determined to turn Icewind Dale into a trade hub for the Black Network. He has a dozen or more Sixth Finger spies throughout Ten-Towns that he uses to good effect, disposing of suspected Harper spies and convincing business owners to buy fish from Targos instead of from other sources.
Bryn Shander
Formerly the central town of the Icewind Dale. It is still relatively central, but no longer the trading center it once was. The town was split in half due to the seismic activity, revealing the tunnels in the ice and metal below. A sizable portion of the population moved to the cliffs and tunnels below to avoid the extreme winds and find refuge near hot water pipes. The pipes running in the chasm near and through the town keep it relatively warm compared to the surrounding environment (around -20 to -30)
Bright lanterns suspended over narrow streets twist in the wind and add flecks of color to the town’s otherwise drab surroundings. Strings of lights are strung between buildings and down to the parts of the settlement that are below the surface.
The friendliness in this settlement has dwindled of late. Auril’s unyielding winter has greatly reduced the number of visitors to Bryn Shander, and local trade is suffering for it, eating away at the locals’ sense of humor and goodwill. Still, there is no safer place in Icewind Dale to spend coin or spend the night.
The remaining walls of the town stand some 30 feet high and are defined by two concentric rings of upright wooden poles, the gap between them filled with dirt, ice, and rubble. The outer ring of poles rises above the top of the wall, providing a rampart for defenders stationed on the wood-planked walkway. The wall’s hinged gates are 15 feet tall and can be barred from the inside with iron-banded wood beams. These gates are closed when it’s dark outside—which is to say more often than not.
- This town is home to the Friendly Snowball Inn, which remains in tact on the surface portion of the city.
Easthaven
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Easthaven is the southernmost town in the Ten Towns now. It was separated from the other big towns by a large chasm, but they have been somewhat self sustaining of late. They have a respectable fishing industry, and a few regular traders teleport in with supplies occasionally (usually by scroll or a hired mage). They trade in scrimshander, fish, and imported termalaine. Several heat and hot water pipes run directly under the town into Lac Dinnershere, keeping the town and lake relatively warm (-20 to - 30).
Easthaven’s founders were thieves from the Duchy of Cape Velen, on a peninsula far to the south. They refused to kowtow to a powerful thieves’ guild and were driven out. To this day, Easthaven honors its shady founders by declaring pickpocketing legal within the town limits—which explains the “Watch thy pouch!” signs posted in various local establishments.
Duergar have infiltrated the town of late, scouring Easthaven and the surrounding tundra for chardalyn fragments to bring back to their hidden mountain stronghold. The leader of these duergar is Durth Sunblight, the oldest living son of Xardorok Sunblight. Durth and his gang have turned the frozen Easthaven ferry into a temporary base. Using their innate invisibility to move about unseen, the duergar betray their presence only by the footprints they leave in the snow.
Another occurrence of note is the recent capture of a Blood Witch of Channora who has been found guilty of experimenting on and splicing a handful of dale-folk he had hired for an expedition (ultimately causing their horrific deaths). Speaker Danneth Waylen has issued a decree that the wizard be tied to a stake and burned alive—an event that a lot of Easthaven residents are looking forward to.
- Chita notes that the last time she was here, it was a wizard of the Arcane brotherhood who was going to be burned at the stake for multiple homicides of civilians and adventurers. Her party at the time freed him. She feels conflicted about that.
- This time a distinctly evil bio-hacker or Blood Witch (same class as her) is being burned. An ominous portent perhaps. She feels little sympathy for the wreched creature and would like to see his notes, but still feels some sympathy.
Terminus (formerly Termaline)
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Founded by Calishite settlers who appreciated beauty, Termalaine is widely regarded as the most picturesque town in Icewind Dale, spreading out from the shore of Maer Dualdon and bordered on the north and west by tall pines. Its buildings incorporate carvings of wizards, homunculi, tigers, and smiling djinn.
For most visitors, the enchantment of the town is dispelled as soon as they feel the icy claws and teeth of the cold wind sweeping down from the north, shearing through their layers of clothing. Termalaine was built in the path of this dreadful gale, which continues well past the town to harry fishers on the southern half of the lake.
In addition to fishers, shipbuilders, and scrimshanders, Termalaine is home to miners who harvest gemstones from a cavern complex set into a low hill north and east of the settlement. Their efforts are hampered by creatures from the Underdark that occasionally find their way up into the mine. Whenever such creatures are discovered, the mine is sealed off and the townsfolk wait until a band of sellswords or adventurers can be hired to clear it out.
- Termaline is now the northernmost major settlement in the Diamond Spar region.
- Termalaine mining is still viable. Seismic activity that created the big fissures across the region also exposed more, massive veins of the material. Termalaine is rare elsewhere in Acidalia, so the very few traders that visit the Diamond Spar often barter for it.
- Fishing is done in Maer Duladon, which is kept warm by subterranean heat pipes (this also keeps the town relatively warm compared to the surroundings, around -25 to -35)
Reghed Clans
If the party chooses to continue on to Ythrin, they will have to make their way through the region around the Reghed, potentially encountering the locals.
Glacier: The entire region at the foot of the glacier is blanketed in extremely thick, warm fog. By the morning after the start of the thawing, some of the fog has dispersed or condensed (visibility 20 feet), but the ground is soggy and cold as there is still ice there.
This is far to the south of Grimskalle. They will either need to trek or find a way to teleport back. On the route back, they would pass near the Ten Towns region where they may resupply.
Most of the Ten Towners are confused and on edge about the situation, but they all feel the warmth increase.
Wolf Clan
Wolf Clan is found in the region surrounding the Ten Towns. They have mostly congregated into one large camp of over 150 people for the time being, though there are still smaller camps moving around the periphery of the region and in the area between the ten towns.
They are all relatively friendly to travellers, though on edge about the recent events. They are especially amenable if the party explains the situation with Auril.
The stragglers from Bear Clan have made it here (from their original position near the Reghed), and some have joined with Wolf Clan.
Wolf Clan have some magical items and mundane items that they are willing to trade to travellers.
Elk Clan
Elk Clan in further south than Wolf Clan, a few days travel.
Some smaller camps have heard of the travelers that saved Aerix and joined the long March away from the mana storm. They are friendly and willing to trade
The Prime Elk Clan Camp is further south, but has gathered with some of the smaller camps for the time being. The significant change in situation has prompted them to gather and confer.
Jarnmut is willing to guide the party nearer the Reghed, though he tries to warn them off. Feral Bear Clan raiders stalk the boundary
Tiger Clan
A few of the smaller camps have congregated into 4 larger ones, similar to Elk Clan. They have &
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Related notes: The Sixth Finger