Targos
A once-leading industrial town, now outmatched by its peers.
Targos is the third-largest of the Ten-Towns and was Icewind Dale's only maritime connection to the south by way of the Shaengarne before the . It is situated on the southernmost shore of the Maer Dualdon, in a cove near a series of high cliff walls that shelter its port from the savage winter winds. Targos has deep rivalries with most of its neighbours on Maer Dualdon. In the ancient past, it was the capital of the Kingdom of Icewind, but today it is securely third in influence behind Bryn Shander and Easthaven.
Politics and Economy
Rising Tide of Targos
Targos has a relatively weak speakership. As in most of the other Ten Towns, Targos' Speaker is elected, and its speaker has a wide range of powerful interests that make Targos the economic powerhouse of Ten-Towns. The Speaker regularly meets with representatives, particularly from the fishing and lumber industry, and must balance their interests against the broader priorities of Targos. The consequence has been that while Targos often has a strong voice on the Speakers' Council, it rarely has the political capital to expend.
Targos' political fortunes have begun to change under the leadership of Naerth Maxildanarr. The new Speaker has managed to consolidate political power in an unprecedented way, built on his base of support among the fishermen. While traditionally opposed by the lumber industry, changes in industry leadership and economic growth have gained Maxildinarr the broad support of the lumberers. Since the onset of the Everlasting Rime, he has even managed to come to a careful balance with the Cult of Auril in town.
This stronger speakership has become reflected in the Council of Speakers, with Maxildinarr advocating strongly for Targosi fishermen's rights on Maer Dualdon, escalating fishing rivalries with Termalaine, Bremen and Lonelywood.
Ten-Towns' Industrial Hub
Targos sits at the end of the end of the Ten Trail just north of Bryn Shander, on the shores of Maer Dualdon. A small trail leads west to Bremen and the Dualdon Trail connects Targos to Termalaine and Lonelywood.
Targos is the only port and means of seagoing entry for Icewind Dale. It has a large dock suited to southern ships that travel from the Sword Coast and up to Shaengarne River. A half dozen large lumber mills process wood for the vast majority of Ten-Towns and allow Targos to support the largest fishing fleet in the region.
Targos' economy is driven by its fishing and lumber industries. It has by far the largest industrial economy in the region, importing wood from Lonelywood that is processed by the town's mills and is re-exported to the rest of the Ten-Towns. Each of the other towns depends on the town's lumber to expand, and the majority of wood for Bryn Shander walls were sourced from Targos.
While a large portion of the Targosi fleet has been grounded by the Rime when the Shaengarne froze over and cut the town off from open-sea fishing in the North Sea, it remains potent. While all the Ten Towns fish, many augment their food and scrimshaw stores with knucklehead and ivory imports from Targos.
The Ash Quarter
Approximately one-sixth of Targos is in ruins due to a magical attack by Reghed sorcerers during the War of Beasts in the early 400s NE. The Reghed warlord, Ravi in White, cast a curse, augmented by her circle of sorcerers, that no fire ever lit in Targos could be put out. It was only through the intervention of elfish sorcerers from the Nalemonic legion that the curse was limited to only part of the town.
The attack created the modern Ash Quarter, which is rumoured to be haunted. These rumours have consistently delayed rebuilding efforts, and have only accellerated during the Everlasting Rime.
History
Targos was the first northmannish settlement north of the Worldspine Mountains. It was initially settled as a small fishing village due to the natural cove, and was proximate enough to the local Reghed tribes to enable a trading relationship.
Targos rapidly expanded through the Mannish Age, and was the second northmannish duchy in Icewind Dale. It grew to become the largest settlement in Ten-Towns by the time the Kingdom of Icewind was created, resulting in the Duke of Targos becoming king, and Targos functioning as a de facto capital.
Targos remained a major settlement during the Alagonid era, but the Empire's rise led to a significant increase in overland trade through the Ten Trail in the later centuries of the Mannish Age, resulting in Targos losing its role as the gateway to Ten-Towns as Bryn Shander overtook it as a trade hub.
Targos' maritime connection to the lands south of the Worldspine has led its buildings to reflect the southerly culture. It is built in a distinctly Norvissen style, with influences from across the Sword Coast. This has resulted in a Targosi form of architecture distinctly more ornate than any of the other towns in Icewind Dale, except perhaps for Easthaven.
Targos has remained a relatively important point of entry to Ten-Towns since the Occupation of Icewind Dale. However, overland trade remained predominant under the Nalemonic Empire, and particularly since the onset of the Rime.
Contents
General Information
Nalemonic Empire
Cult of Auril
Nalemonic Pantheon
Reghed
Silverpine dwarfs
Elysian
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