by the Sea Tower, where Luskan's first pirates built
their stronghold, while the northern one is home to
the Hosttower of the Arcane and the stables it shares
with Ship Kurth.
Fang Island has no inhabitants, and is named for its
propensity for destroying vessels swept down the
River Mirar.
Harbor Arm Island is a tall spire sheltering Whitesails
Harbor from the worst of the storms and waves that
wash in from the south.THE BRIDGES
The North and South Banks are spanned by three
bridges: the Upstream Span, from the South Bank
straight to the North Gate; Dalath's Span, the middle
bridge with a name none can place in legend, and
Harbor Cross, split between the Short Span that runs
from the South Bank to Blood Island, and the Long
Span that continues on to North Bank. Only Ship
members and those authorized by a High Captain may
traverse Harbor Cross.
Dark Arch connects South Bank with Closeguard
Island, and only members of Ship Kurth and the
Arcane Brotherhood may cross that span unchallenged.
The same is true of Sword Bridge, which crosses
from Closeguard Island to Cutlass Island. Although
Closeguard Island is officially unguarded, it's still true
that only members of the Arcane Brotherhood or Ship
Kurth are expected to be there, so anyone out of place is
aggressively questioned about their presence.
THE ARCANE BROTHERHOOD
In the last decade or so, two great changes have come
over Luskan. The first was the plague that crippled the
gangs that had controlled the city, allowing the High
Captains to reclaim the power they had long held in
THE SYMBOL
OF THE ARCANE
BROTHERHOODCHAPTER 2 I THE SWORD COAST AND THE NORTHLuskan. The other, far more sudden, was the return of
the Arcane Brotherhood and its five-spired tower. A few
years ago, the ruined Hosttower of the Arcane began
regenerating its damaged stone, climbing into the sky
once more. Shortly thereafter, mages of the Arcane
Brotherhood emerged, almost immediately began
cleansing the Luskar ruins of undead, and fought off
a dragon menacing the city. Cheered by the citizens,
they swore to keep themselves out of the politics of the
High Captains and the city at large, but the notion that
powerful wizards closely aligned with one another can
truly remain neutral is laughable to anyone familiar with
such things.
Now, the Arcane Brotherhood again walks the streets
of Luskan, marked by the distinctive colors and patterns
of their cloaks. From a distance, these cloaks all bear
the same cut and silhouette, but each wizard of the
Hosttower chooses a color or a design, and a moniker
to match it. The leadership of the Arcane Brotherhood
is the archmage and the four overwizards of the other
spires of the Hosttower:- Cashaan the Red, Archmage Arcane
- Zelenn the White, Overwizard of the West
- Jendrick the Blue, Overwizard of the South
- Teyva the Gray, Overwizard of the East
- Druette the Raven, Overwizard of the North
Other notable members of the Brotherhood include
Vaelish the Brown and Maccath the Crimson.
ICEWIND DALE
Go far enough north, and you will come to the moun-
tains rightly called the Spine of the World. Turn west
and go toward the Sea of Moving Ice, and you might
eventually come upon one of the scattered communities
of Icewind Dale. You can also travel up the ever-narrow-
ing road from Luskan called the Northern Means, and
eventually come upon the frozen tundra beyond.
Why travel so far? Well, if you're like many who've
drifted up there from the south, it is because an easier
life doesn't suit you, you're running from something, or
you just don't fit in anywhere else.TuN-TOWNS
Coming up the hard road from the south, the first thing
you'll see is Kelvin's Cairn, a great mountain scarred
by a crack down its southwestern face. Even in high
summer, its peak is capped in snow and ice. In the
mountain's southern shadow is Bryn Shander, the larg-
est, most populous, and most fortified of the Ten-Towns
of Icewind Dale. Ten-Towns is a grouping of communi-
ties clustered around the three lakes of the area: Maer
Dualdon, from which the Shaengarne River flows down
toward Iron master; Lac Dinneshere to the east, whose
waters are nearly always cold enough to kill; and Red-
waters, named for an old battle between rival fisherfolk
that left the waters bloody.
Ten-Towns thrives on fishing and trade, both endeav-
ors reliant on the knucklehead trout of Icewind Dale's
lakes. Without these fish, the people of Ten-Towns
would starve, but there would also be little for them to
barter or sell. The ivory-like bones of these fish are the