Epilogue: Heroes of Icewind Dale

Beside a warm hearth in an inn on the very frontier of the Savage North, the Storyteller sat cozily in an overstuffed chair, absent-mindedly swirling a mug of dark ale in one hand, while the other thumbed through a large, well-traveled tome. Stopping about half-way through the book, a warm smile spread across the Storyteller's face. "Yes. Here it is. A wonderful tale, this..."

A small audience had already gathered around the Storyteller, though others would soon find their way to the hearth, drawn by the thrilling tale he was about to spin...

In this tale, a young barbarian outcast girl, Hedrun Arnsfirth, Chosen of Auril, had vowed to bring the people of Icewind Dale to the worship of the Frostmaiden. With the beasts and the snows at her command, she took on the mantle of The Ice Witch, and visited her fury upon the barbarian tribes and people of Ten-Towns, divinely assured she would prevail, a self-styled Goddess-Queen of the land.

But The Ice Witch was not alone in her grand machinations. At the same time, Vaelish Gant, a member of the recently reformed Arcane Brotherhood, had come to Icewind Dale and insinuated himself into the trade network of Ten Towns with his own aim of gaining a stranglehold over the entire region. Aided by ruffians and scoundrels of Luskan's Ship Rethnor, Gant worked to destabilize the region behind the scenes, while asserting himself as just the man to put things back to rights.

As if The Ice Witch's and Vaelish Gant's plots were not enough, the undead sorcerer Akar Kessell, freed from a century of imprisonment in the snow and ice, had also returned to haunt Icewind Dale, seeking to finish his conquest and visit vengeance on all who opposed him. Spreading the fell influence of the black ice remnants of the Crystal Shard, he plotted to weaken Icewind Dale with infighting, giving him what he thought would be a clear pathway to domination.

But as the popular saying in these parts goes, one must not sell the skin before they've caught the bear! That is to say, what these villains did not plan for was the emergence onto this grand stage of six unlikely heroes, equal to the challenge.

These band of heroes were Arnan Aldwynne, the Outlander Scout; Dalgura Ironhammer, the Dwarven Cleric of Sharindlar; Kira, the Luskan Swashbuckler; Morgrimm Ironhammer, the Dwarven Moon Circle Druid; Thane Harkensen the Ship Rethnor Corpsman; and Hengar Aensvard the Elk Tribe Warrior. Together, they endured great hardships and overcame even greater odds to ensure these villains' bids to cast all of Icewind Dale under their yoke, did not go unchecked.

From humble beginnings, arriving as passengers aboard the Seven Fingers Trading Coster at Bryn Shander, they were swept into this tale. From there, they embarked on a grand adventure that ranged across Ten-Towns and all of of Icewind Dale, indeed, as far north as The Sea of Moving Ice!

This extraordinary band of heroes thwarted Vaelish Gant and the Arcane Brotherhood's plot, defeated the black ice-adled Pirates of Lac Dinneshere, buried Akar Kessell beneath a pile of black ice and, ultimately, put an end to The Ice Witch's reign of terror.

For years to come, people will toast their names in taverns, thank them on the streets, and give them places of honor in mead halls all across Ten-Towns and indeed, in cheerful taphouses all across the Sword Coast.

Finishing the tale, the Storyteller closed the book, raised a mug, and toasted:

"Long live the Heroes of Icewind Dale!"

To which, the assembled crowd roared back, "Hear, here!"

~The End~
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:27, Sun 11 Nov 2018.