Lore of Icewind Dale - Dev Blog by Scott Crawford, Content Designer

More than a hundred years have passed in Icewind Dale since the young wizard’s apprentice Akar Kessell stumbled upon Crenshinibon, the Crystal Shard – an evil artifact that took control of Kessell giving him tremendous power. Wielding the Shard, Kessell created the magical crystal tower, Cryshal-Tirith. He then gathered an army of savage humanoids from the Spine of the World. Intent on conquest, he unleashed his army upon the scattered human settlements of Icewind Dale, collectively known as the Ten-Towns.

Kessell’s dreams of world domination were thwarted by an alliance of the Ten-Towners and Reghed tribesmen – aided by the legendary ranger Drizzt Do’Urden, who was responsible for burying the wizard beneath a massive avalanche. The Crystal Shard itself was eventually destroyed, but not before leaving a permanent mark on Icewind Dale. The dust of Kessell’s ruined tower had fused with the surrounding ice and snow to form a new substance, the mysterious Black Ice.

Recently, a powerful spellcaster known as Hedrun Arnsfirth, the Ice Witch, attempted to plunge the lands of the North into eternal winter. She freed the now undead, Akar Kessell from a century of imprisonment and together they created a new tower of Black Ice. They used the lingering evil of the Black Ice remnants to sow hatred and infighting among the residents of Icewind Dale, paving the way for their conquest.

Fortunately, the Ice Witch was destroyed by a band of brave adventurers - although Kessell managed to escape the same fate. With Hedrun’s death the Black Ice Tower shattered, littering the surrounding lands with thousands of Black Ice shards.

While it’s certain that Black Ice has its dangers, it also holds tremendous power, which makes it incredibly valuable. Fortune hunters of every sort have flocked to Icewind Dale looking to claim their share of this new treasure.

Are you ready to explore Icewind Dale and claim its treasures? Let us know on the official Neverwinter forums.

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