basis of the famous scrimshaw that is sold as far south
as Calimshan and farther east than I care to consider.
The bones are also used to make all manner of small,
sturdy tools: fish hooks, arrowheads, sewing needles,
buttons, and more. Each town on the lakes has its own
fleet of fishing boats, and the towns carefully divide the
lakes to protect the population and the delicate balance
between the communities.
Independent-minded folk who come to Ten-Towns are
discouraged from striking out on their own, and when
they do, they often fail, either due to the dangers of the
waters, being blocked out of the best fishing areas, or
simply being refused trade by the scrimshanders, whose
wares are expensive. Icewind Dale is a place where
cooperation is essential for survival, and ignoring that
fact can leave one quite alone in a time of need.
Where nine of the Ten-Towns survive primarily on
fishing, Bryn Shander lives on trade, making it the place
to visit when you come here. The walls keep the town
safe from barbarians who raid the area and the beasts
of the tundra, and the packing in of its people means
Bryn Shander is also warmer than the other towns, both
literally and in terms of the welcome you receive.
I have visited only a few of the other towns, and while
they have their quirks and charms, they are mostly what
you might expect: fishing villages at the edge of frigid
waters in a frozen waste. Certainly, there is trade to be
done, coin to be made, and intrigue to be investigated
in even in the smallest of these communities (which
can number as few as a hundred souls). The only other
point of interest is the town of Targos, on Maer Dualdon,
which has grown rapidly and is threatening to burst
the bounds of its protective wall, and thus has a hum of
opportunity about it.REGHED BARBARIANS
Ten-Towns isn't the only community in Icewind Dale.
Tribes of human barbarians called Reghed also operate
in the area. Hunters and raiders who value strength and
devotion to their ancestral heroes, they claim a great
many heroes among their honored dead, including some
who were responsible for the safety of Ten-Towns, Ice-
wind Dale, and beyond. A Reghed camp is made up of
a large ring of hide tents, able to be broken down and
transported as the Reghed move to keep up with the
herds of reindeer they depend on for food and clothing.
THE DWARVES
Dwarves still live in the mines of Kelvin's Cairn, but in
fewer numbers than they once did, and with less influ-
ence than they had on the rest of Icewind Dale a century
or two ago. The dwarves here claim their continued
allegiance to Clan Battlehammer of Mithra! Hall, even
though they returned to the colder north when they dis-
covered their ancient home no longer suited them. Bryn
Shander serves them as a trading post, allowing them
to keep humans and other strangers away from their
mines, which are some distance away in the shadow
of the Cairn. The dwarves send a representative to the
council of speakers that governs Ten-Towns, but have no
say in their proceedings except to declare acceptance or
refusal of the decisions of the human gathering.
The Underdark 99 Eberron
Do YOU KNOW WHAT IT JS TO BE A SLAVE? To FEEL THE
crack of a whip, the venom of a draw priestess's snake-headed
lash, the weight of a burden you can't possibry lift after so
much toil? No, you don't. So close your mouth and openyour
eyes and ears, and dip your quill.- Oshgir the half-ore, to Kimitar Thaeless,
glyphscribe of Deneir
Known by many as the Realms Below, the vast, miles-
deep network of caverns, caves, and underground
waterways called the Underdark is home to many
strange creatures and even stranger societies. No one
is quite sure the extent of this massive ecosystem,
except to say that it reaches at least the breadth of the
continent, and that most creatures are fully capable of
surviving their entire lives within it, provided they can
find enough food and safety to do so. Breathable air is
plentiful, and clean water can be found. Beyond that,
most surface folk only have the tales of adventurers, the
survivors of attacks, and the occasional escaped captive
to describe the horrors lurking below the surface.
What follows are portions of the tale told by Oshgir, a
half-ore warrior who was captured by a duergar raiding
party, sold to a Zhentarim agent, captured by drow, and
then escaped his captivity by killing an overseer and
fleeing to Blingdenstone. This account was recorded by
a traveling scribe of Deneir named Kimitar Thaeless
and submitted to the library at Candlekeep. Most don't
believe that a half-ore was quite so eloquent in his tell-
ing, and thus contend that the scribe embellished the
tale somewhat.CAPTURE
It's impossible to describe the shame of a hardened
warrior driven to his knees by a half-dozen duergar that
have just slain his fellows. Never mind that we were
asleep and unarmored at the time, or that I was able to
take four of them down before an axe cut the strength
from my leg. I was shackled and gagged, my wound
wrapped in a bandage tight enough to stop the bleeding
and numb my leg, as the gray pests laughed and spouted
jokes at me, and then forced me to walk until I lost con-
sciousness. When next I awoke, there was no longer a
sky overhead.GRACKLSTUGH
After days of walking in the deep, dark places beneath
the surface, I was led, in heavy chains, to Gracklstugh,
on the shores of the Darklake. I was set to work almost
immediately at a forge, to pump bellows, heft ingots,
and carry barrels of quenching oil. The place is called
the City of Blades, for good reason: the fine steel of the
duergar is impressive, considering the quality of the iron
they were starting with. Hammering, refining, and care-
ful polishing gave the metal the strength and sleekness
necessary, and diligent sharpening added wicked edges
to many of the blades I handled.