Easthaven Capers Report: October 16th 2022

General Summary

Walking into Easthaven is like stepping into Icewind Dale's past—the place is a living example of the boomtown way of life that gripped all of Ten-Towns centuries ago. In the generations since, as other towns have settled into a predictable pattern of existence, Easthaven has continued to grow and reinvent itself. After the Eastway was paved, Easthaven evolved into a frontier traders' paradise, fueling the jealousy of its neighbors. 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 Red Wizard of Thay who has been found guilty of killing a handful of dale-folk he had hired for an expedition. 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.  

The Red Wizard Dzaan

  A crowd has gathered in front of the Town Hall to watch the public execution of Dzaan, a human wizard who, despite efforts to disguise himself, was recognized and arrested for the crimes he has inflicted upon dale-folk. He has been bound to a stake and gagged. Members of the militia use torches to light the straw tucked around his feet. Fanned by the wind, the fire catches quickly. Dzaan does not struggle or scream as he is quickly engulfed in flames. Bundled-up spectators move closer to the human bonfire, eager to feel its warmth.  

The Ferry

  A letter found in Dinev's rest leads the party to explore the Easthaven Ferry  

The Seance

  At the White Lady Inn, Rinaldo is planning to conduct a séance in a back room of the inn and has invited half a dozen other guests to join him.  

Toil and Trouble

  Much of Lac Dinneshere is covered with ice. Only the hardiest anglers venture out to fish for knucklehead trout. To wrangle such a catch, fishers must drag their boats across the ice to open water and wait patiently out on the lake in the freezing cold for hours at a time. To fend off the chill, they often bring bottles of ale to keep warm. Imbibing too much is dangerous, for it makes the anglers more susceptible to being pulled overboard by stubborn knuckleheads. Too much ale also leads to foolhardy decisions.    

Town Hall Capers

    After returning from the Cauldron Caves, the players sell the cauldron to the town-speaker, and encounter even more duergar.