Dwarven Valley
The cleft of earth that stretches south from the foot of Kelvins Cairn is known to the people of Icewind Dale as the dwarven valley. For almost as long as people have been fishing the lakes, the dwarves of Clan Battlehammer have been living in the valley and mining its depths. Visitors who stand at the val¬ley s edge can see the dwarven tunnels running in rows along the walls, connected by narrow walk¬ways, and hear the faint ringing of hammer strikes carried on the wind. Those who pick their way down the dizzying switchback at Daledrop are transported to a different realm entirely.
Gone is the howling glacial wind, replaced by the clangorous echoes of axes striking on steel, hammers pounding out iron, and picks chipping away at the mountains stone. The wide-open expanses of the lakes and tundra are replaced by the towering walls of the valley, blocking out any sight of the surround¬ing lands. Even the craggy profile of Kelvin s Cairn is transformed by the view from the valley floor. What others think of as the mountain is, to the dwarves, simply its peak. The heart of Kelvins Cairn is what lies beneath, deep in its tunnels and mines.
Armed with a great maul fashioned of black ice and girded in plate mail made of the same stuff, Baerick Hammerstone is the leader of a group of xenophobic dwarves who have severed ties with Stokely Silverstream and brought the dwarven valley to the brink of civil war.
Until recently, he was merely a simple stone carver living peaceably with his fellow dwarves. Several months ago, Baerick's fortunes changed when he joined a small expedition formed by a wizard's apprentice from Luskan. The group began near the summit of Kelvin's Cairn, where Baerick helped to unearth the undead form of Akar Kessell, the longdead Tyrant of Icewind Dale.
Under Kessell's leadership, the expedition journeyed to the northern slopes of the Spine of the World. After much searching, Baerick found what the undead wizard sought: a black stone as smooth as glass. Though it seemed translucent at first glance, a trick of the eye caused it to look darker the longer Baerick squinted at it, as if the stone were drinking in light. More impressively, when he took his pick to the stone, he could not damage it.
While Akar Kessell dithered about what to do with the substance, another miner tried to seize the stone, and Baerick buried his pick in the other dwarf's skull. The rest of the miners set upon him and one another in a mad scramble to acquire the strange stone, until only Baerick survived - much to Kessell's amusement. With the wizard's help, Baerick gathered as much of the black ice as the wizard's magic could help him carry and returned to Kelvin's Cairn.
Back at his workshop, Baerick set about trying to carve the stone. He discovered that heating the stone in a forge softened it enough to be carved, and he began fashioning small trinkets from the samples he had brought back. Baerick put his "black ice" trinkets, as he dubbed them, up for sale, and they spread quickly among the dwarves. With Kessell's help and encouragement, Baerick excavated more of the black ice and sold his trinkets even more widely. The wizard apprentice who first hired him acted as his agent in Ten-Towns, and soon Baerick received commissions for other objects made of black ice - knives, fishing hooks, even a ram for one of the boats on Lac Dinneshere. Eventually, he began to experiment with fashioning weapons and armor from the black ice.
What Baerick did not realize was that the black stone was ice infused with the remnants of the Cryshal-Tirith erected by Akar Kessell over a century ago. Forged from the essence of the evil Crystal Shard, the Cryshal-Tirith carried a trace of the shard's taint, and thus so does the black ice formed from its remnants. The taint slowly corrupts anyone who comes into possession of the black ice, although the effect is more pronounced in those who have more contact with the substance.
The cleft of earth to the south of Kelvin's Cairn is known as the Dwarven Valley.Tunnels running in rows along the walls, connected by narrow walkways.
Standing inside the Valley, the hallowing winds of Icewind Dale are replaced by the faint ringing of hammer strikes carried in the wind. Around you are towering walls, blocking out any sight of the surrounding lands.
The people of Ten-Towns consider Kelvin's Cairn a mountain but the dwarves of the valley only consider it it's peak. The real riches are what lies beneath
At first glance the valley seems desolate. A vast rocky surface of pathes and deep stone walls, but it's life hides behind those walls of stone. Lining the tunnels that bore into the valley's sides are the dwarven Halls.
The Dwarven Halls
At first glance, the valley at the foot of the mountain often seems desolate. No buildings or other signs of habitation are evident except for the stone stairs and walkways carved into the cliff side. It is behind those walls of stone, hidden from view, that the dwarves of Kelvins Cairn go about their daily lives. In these troubled times, sentries wander the valley and stand guard at various points on the map on the facing page (marked as areas 1, 2, and 3). Lining the tunnels that bore into the valleys sides are the dwarven halls-winding rows of living quarters, meeting halls, dining halls, storerooms, forges, temples, kitchens, and armories. The map enlarges these halls and flattens them vertically. The complex is made of a large number of small chambers opening onto the main tunnels, stacked two or sometimes three high, with carved staircases leading to the higher doors. Most of the living quarters are modest, consist¬ing of a single room with a table, bed, and trunk, or occasionally a suite of rooms for a large family. The meeting and dining halls are much larger, since these are the areas where the dwarves most fre¬quently congregate. They are set with great tables and benches and decorated with intricate stone carv¬ings and metalwork. The forge is the heart of any dwarven hall, and every time the dwarves dig a new tunnel, the first space they carve out is a new forge room. Dwarven forges are much more spacious than those found in human cities—the latter typically are the provenance of a single specialist with perhaps a few assistants, but the forge in a dwarven community is used by nearly everyone. The dwarves who are loyal to Stokely Silverstream have gathered within this mile-long hall and named it Battlehammer Hold (area 4), after their clan. About eighty dwarves live in this part of the valley, and at any given time about twenty-five of them are on guard duty or patrolling the road. These dwarves live in twelve family homes cut into the walls; in most cases, two families live in each home so that the whole population can fit within this single, easily patrolled area. The westernmost home on the south side of the hall belongs to Dain Stokely Silverstream, the leader of these dwarves and, before Baerick’s rise, of the whole valley. The large hexagonal chamber on the north side of the hall is the community forge, where the dwarves continue to smelt what little iron they’re able to bring up from the mines and work it into the items that they trade with Ten-Towns. The forge chamber has become a sort of town hall, where the remaining loyal dwarves discuss the pressing issues that face the community. Baerick Hammerstone now leads the dwarves of Kelvin’s Cairn from his seat in the Halls of Black Ice (area 5), on the eastern side of the dwarven valley. Like Stokely’s dwarves on the west side, Baerick’s fol¬lowers have consolidated their homes into a single mile-long stretch of tunnel that is easily defensible— though the enemies that Baerick imagines are not the same ones that Stokely fears. About sixty dwarves live in the Halls of Black Ice, sharing space in a dozen large family homes. The easternmost home on the south side of the hall belongs to Baerick, and on the other side of the hall is his forge, where he crafts black ice weapons and armor to outfit his comrades. At the moment, the forge room holds about five hundred pounds of unworked black ice. An enormous round chamber in the eastern mines is the dwarves’ temple (area 6), honoring their four most important deities: Moradin, the head of the dwarf pantheon, called the Dwarffather and Soul Forger; Berronar Truesilver, the Revered Mother; Clanggedin Silverbeard, the Father of Battle; and Dumathoin, the Keeper of Secrets under the Mountain. Each deity has an altar on a dais against the circular wall, and a great forge stands in the center of the temple, used by dwarf smiths to create their finest works in honor of the dei¬ties. Before the recent troubles began, the forge was kept burning continuously, but its flames have gone out since it has been left untended.The Mines
The first tunnels dug by the Battlehammer clan after its arrival in Icewind Dale traced the veins of iron ore the dwarves found riddling the valley walls. Over the ensuing decades, the most accessible veins were dug out, so the dwarves were forced to delve deeper to find more ore. The original mining tunnels were expanded and turned into living quarters as the miners pushed farther into the mountain’s roots. Now, after three centuries of activity, the mines extend into the bowels of Kelvin’s Cairn. Just reach¬ing the active loads requires nearly half an hour’s walk from the valley floor, and anyone who wasn’t raised to navigate below ground will likely become lost in the twisting and looping tunnels. As with the living quarters, the map simplifies the layout of the mines, showing only the largest tun¬nels. The mines are cramped and dark, and the air is stale. Anyone taller than a dwarf is forced to stoop when traveling through the passages. Even at their widest, the tunnels don’t have enough room for two people to move freely. Torches and lamps burn dimly in the poor air, and casting any kind of fire spell con¬sumes so much of the available oxygen that creatures in the area are left laboring to breathe. A junction in the western mines that served as a staging area for expeditions into the newer tun¬nels, the nexus (area 7) is more than two miles from the shaft entrance in the valley. It is a large chamber that incorporates both a forge and a small shrine to Dumathoin, which is typical for new mines in the valley.The Abandoned Tunnels
Over the years, many dwarven tunnels fell out of use. A tunnel might be abandoned because of exhaustion of a nearby mineral lode, the movement of clans out of the valley (or into other parts of it) to be near their kin, infestations of monsters or vermin, or cave-ins. Sometimes a tunnel is reclaimed years later when new ore veins are discovered, clan members return home, and vermin are driven out. Often, though, the dwarves excavate new passages better suited to their needs, resulting in an expanding network of tunnels that extend ever farther beyond the valley walls. The greatest concentration of abandoned passages is at the southern end of the valley, where a hundred years ago the dwarves lured the army of Akar Kessell into the area before they collapsed many of the tun¬nels, burying the wizards forces beneath the fallen rock. Although many ores and goblins died that day and the strategy saved the valley from further incur¬sion by the wizards army, the dwarves lost much of their home in the bargain. Following the war, the dwarves planned to exca¬vate and reclaim the southern tunnels but were distracted by the reclamation of Mithral Hall. After many members of Clan Battlehammer left the valley to return to their ancestral hall, the remaining dwarves were too few to manage the task, and the existing tunnels were spacious enough to accommo¬date their reduced numbers. Although the population of the dwarves in the valley has swelled since that time, they have cut new homes from the stone, so the southern tunnels remain abandoned. Many of them are still choked with debris or rigged to collapse at a moment’s notice. Akar Kessell lurks in the deep mines (area 8), from where he sends plagues of zombies to harass the dwarves who are loyal to Stokely while encourag¬ing Baerick Hammerstone in his depravity. The most significant zombie attack to date, which left no survi¬vors, involved a mining party that had established a camp in the nexus.DENIZENS OF THE VALLEY
The dwarves who live in the valley are sharply divided into two camps, represented by their lead¬ers—Stokely Silverstream and Baerick Hammerstone. The arrival of Stokely’s niece, Helda, who tries to bring adventurers with her to the valley, might tip the balance in Stokely’s favor. The dwarves who live in the valley are sharply divided into two camps, represented by their leaders - Stokely Silverstream and Baerick Hammerstone. The arrival of Stokely's niece, Helda, who tries to bring adventurers with her to the valley, might tip the balance in Stokely's favor.Stokely Silverstream
Dain of the Dwarven Valley Since arriving in Icewind Dale as a lad, the longtime leader of the dwarves of Kelvin's Cairn has become one of the oldest residents of the valley. Stokely Silverstream has the mountain in his bones, say the dwarves - a comment on his age and his uncanny knack for navigating the mountain's depths, a skill that has enriched the Battlehammer clan over the years as Stokely has unearthed new lodes in the old mines. But now the discovery of zombies - dead dwarves animated by necromancy - in the mines has eroded the dwarves' confidence in Stokely's leadership. Some have blamed him for the attacks, accusing Stokely of pushing too far into the mountain too fast and placing the miners in danger. Others have charged Stokely with being too timid in the face of the attacks. Normally, such talk would bring rebukes from the clan members who have prospered under Stokely's leadership - but the taint of the black ice, which is prevalent in the valley, has made the usually level-headed dwarves short-tempered and quick to find fault with one another. Few of them are cognizant of the change in their behavior, and no one knows the true reason for it. The situation has recently come to a head in a schism that has erupted in the valley. On one side is Baerick Hammerstone, one of the first to discover the black ice, and other dwarves who have succumbed to its influence. On the other side is Stokely, with dwarves who have not yet given in to its evil. Each side has its soldiers, and the schism could turn into a full-fledged civil war.Helda Silverstream
Merchant of Mirabar Born of the union between clans Silverstream and Battlehammer, Helda Silverstream is a young dwarf who inherited the formidable cunning of her father's kin as well as the bravery associated with her mother's name. Worldly as well as wise, she has already seen more of the world in her sixty years than her uncle has in his many long winters. After spending her formative years hearing about the vaunted clan Battlehammer and the splendor of her mother's clan's seat at Mithral Hall, Helda took it upon herself to travel there at the tender age of thirty-five, defying her parents and the conventions of dwarven society to leave her home at so young an age. Helda's father asked Stokely to forbid her from leaving the valley, but the elder Silverstream - whether because of his own regret over never having visited the vaunted dwarven hold, or because he realized that nothing he could say would sway the determined young dwarf - gave Helda his blessing, so she left with the next caravan heading south out of Icewind Dale. Although Helda's fiery personality was forged in the valley of Kelvin's Cairn, her skills were tempered in the bowels of Mithral Hall. There she learned mining, smithcraft, and the arts of war and diplomacy from her mother's people, displaying the earnestness of a dwarf who had grown up in a harsh land that could ill accommodate the time required to spend so long at study. Even in their protected valley home, the dwarves of Kelvin's Cairn struggle to live through each winter, hunting for food and resources and fending off the orcs, giants, and other creatures that would claim the valley's shelter. The clan members in Icewind Dale must work hard simply to survive - they do not have the luxury of a liberal education. Helda did not intend to spend the rest of her winters in Mithral Hall, so after ten years there, she moved on to Mirabar, to seek a life and a fortune of her own. Though she makes her home in that city, she travels throughout the North, bringing her metalwork and jewelry to customers ranging from Waterdeep to Icewind Dale. Helda Silverstream has gray eyes and dreadlocks of long, mahogany hair that she pulls back behind her head. She wears the hooded silver-stitched blue cloak of her clan, fastened with a silver clasp in the shape of a dwarven war axe, marking her as a warrior of the Axe of Mirabar.Baerick Hammerstone
Master of black iceThe Dwarven Halls
Lining the tunnels that bore into the valley's sides are the dwarven Halls. The earlier mines (all empty now) have been converted to more hospitable chambers including: Winding rows of living quarters, meeting halls, dining halls, storerooms, forges, temples, kitches and armories. (The map enlarges these halls and flattens them vertically Living quarters are modest Meeting/Dining Halls are much larger and decorative with great tables The forges is the heart of any hall. Every new tunnel has a forge. Larger areas that are accessiable by any dwarf vs the small closed forges from human society The valley has a few Main Tunnels that branch out into the chanmbers (see above) two or sometimes three rows high. (There are carved stair cases to help get to the upper levels) The Halls is some what seperated down the midddle the West side holding Stokely in the Battlehammer Hold and the East side Baerick in the Halls of Balck Ice Battlehammer Hold (area 4) Stokely's Boys (ones still loyal to Stokely) have escaped into these tunnels and fortofied it on the western side of the Valley Named after their clan, from Mytrial Hall. About 80 dwarves live here, at any given time 25 are on gaurd duty They live in 12 family homes, 2 families per home The westernmost home belong to Dain Stokely Silverstreams The large circle is a forge where they smelt all the iron they could grab before being pushed back Halls of Black Ice (area 5) Currupted by the Black Ice the rest are living on the Eastern side of the valley lead by Baerick About 60 dwarves live here, sharing space in a dozen large family homes The eastern most home belongs to Baerick The large circle is a forge where Baerick forges black ice. At the moment, it holds 500 pounds of it.Temple (area 6)
A temple to the dwarf gods with a forge in the center. It's fires are always kept on but due to recent troubles it's been put out Moradin , head of the dwarf pantheon Berronar Truesilver , the Revered Mother Clannggedin Silverbeard , the Father of Battle Dumathoin , the Keep of Secrets under the Mountain (PRIMARY GOD OF THE VALLEY)The Mines
The valley is frekeled with tunnels digging deep into the mountain. The earlier mines have been converted to more hospitable chambers. See The Dwarven Halls Over the centeries the dwarves have delved much much deeper almost to the base of Kelvin's Cairn It takes 30 min to walk from the ore back to the valley and without knowledge of navigation underground you are likely to get lost Unlike the living quarters closer to the valley, the mines are short and confined hardly giving room to two people. Anyone taller than a dwarf is forced to stoop with traveling Air is also thin- any fire spell risks consuming all oxygenNexus (area 7)
A junction in the westeren mines serves as a staging are for futheer expeditions More than 2 miles from the Valley Large chamber that has a forge and a shrine to Dumathoin (typical for new mines)The Abandoned Tunnels (area 8)
These mines are the old mines from the Book 'The Crystal Shard' most were collapsed during the war against Akar Kessell and since shortly after everyone left to Mithryl Hall- it was never repaired. The dwarves that did come back were too few in number to clean them out and reclaim it and when they swelled in numbers over time- they moved on to newer mines. Akar Kessell makes these mines, the scene of his antient defeat, his home. He sends zombie dwarves out from hereЕсли вы хотите что то добавить или присоединится к команде редакторов - пишите комментарии
Внимание! Имеется скрытый контент, доступный только подписчикам. Подписка - бесплатна. Детальнее - читай здесь.
Вы можете присвоить себе следующие роли, чтобы расширить видимый контент: Silver Marches Daggerford Baldur's Gate Neverwinter Waterdeep Deadsnows
RSS канал данного сайта Подпишитесь на Boosty или Patreon
Maps
-
Dwarven Valley
Располагается под
Комментарии