Reghed Barbarians

The frozen tundra of Icewind Dale is home to the nomadic Reghed barbarians. They are named after the Reghed Glacier that forms a towering ice wall along the eastern boundary of their domain. Markedly taller than most southerners, with some males approaching seven feet in height, Reghed barbarians have blue eyes and hair of the blond, red, or light brown. Their skin is bronzed from the sun and cracked by the wind, giving their faces the look of tough leather set in an expressionless mask. They dress in leather and furs. At one time, scores of Reghed tribes roamed the frozen north. Now, due to wars with orcs and battles against their own kind, not to mention the encroachment of civilization, only four Reghed tribes remain. They follow herds of reindeer on the animal's annual migrations, moving southwest in the winter and northeast in the summer. The barbarians live in large, round tents made of deerskin and supported by beams of wood or whalebone.
In the past, the Reghed tribes were known to raid Ten-Towns for supplies, but now the Tribe of the Elk is learning to live in peace with the more civilized people of Ten-Towns. The other three Reghed tribes - the Tribe of the Tiger, the Tribe of the Wolf, and the Tribe of the Bear - are more likely to attack one another than to threaten their more civilized neighbors, fighting over sustenance at the risk of their own extinction.
A single Reghed tribe is made up of a small clans scattered throughout Icewind Dale, each with its own chieftain. The chieftains choose the most powerful among them to be their king or queen - the one around whom others rally in times of crisis. When a monarch dies, the tribe's chieftains gather to choose a new one. Disputes over who should be named king or queen are resolved through trials by nonlethal combat. Without a unifying leader, a Reghed tribe is more fractured and vulnerable to its enemies. Thus, chieftains are motivated to name one among them who rules above all. A chieftain who becomes king or queen wears that mantle for life.
Reghed barbarians hate orcs, and the Tribes of the Bear, the Elk, and the Tiger will set aside tribal rivalries to destroy them. These tribes will also unite against white dragons and frost giants, since those creatures threaten Icewind Dale's food supply. The Tribe of the Wolf and its mad king, Issar Kronenstrom, don't ally with the other tribes - they are so vicious and bloodthirsty as to be unapproachable. The kings and queens of the other tribes would see the Tribe of Wolf obliterated, but the Wolf King and his followers are adept at avoiding traps set for them by their rivals.

---

Tribe of the Bear

One of the Bear tribe's two remaining chieftains, Wolvig Barrundson, recently fell under the sway of evil and formed an alliance with a supernatural entity known as the Ice Witch. Her demise also spelled Wolvig's doom, allowing the sole remaining chieftain, Günvald Halraggson, to declare himself the Bear King. He tries to be honorable, but he is without mercy and doesn't change his mind easily. He has trouble relating to Ten-Towners and other civilized folk, so he tries to avoid them.

Tribe of the Elk

For the most part, the Tribe of the Elk lives in peace with the Ten-Towners. King Jarund Elkhardt, a towering figure, rules his people with wisdom and care. He has seen other kings rise and fall, has made war with his friends and peace with his enemies, and has led warriors he knew as babes to their deaths in battle. The strain of his long years is written on his face.

Tribe of the Tiger

It is unusual for a woman to lead a Reghed tribe, but Bjornhild Solvigsdottir is no ordinary woman. The fearless wife of King Korold, she fought alongside him in many battles. After a frost giant slew Korold, the formidable Bjornhild took his place. Bjornghild worships Auril the Frostmaiden and is so ruthless that her enemies believe she has actual ice flowing through her veins.

Tribe of the Wolf

Weakened by conflict, the Tribe of Wolf was without a king or queen for three winters. Its most powerful chieftain, Isarr Kronenstrom, is a bloodthirsty tyrant who worships Malar the Beast-Lord. He hunts Ten-Towners for sport and strikes fear into the hearts of his enemies, many whom believe he's the Chosen of Malar. Several members of Isarr's clan have deserted him or been killed off by rival tribes, but the few that remain are fiercely loyal. Though Isarr's clan has dwindled in recent years, the other Wolf chieftains fear Isarr and are too weak to challenge him. They are also afraid to ally with the other Reghed tribes against Isarr. Although Isarr calls himself the Wolf King, few others in the Wolf tribe support him in that claim.