Caer-Dineval
aer-Dineval was one of the towns of Ten Towns of Icewind Dale.
In generations past, travelers to Caer-Dineval had to make their way east from the hills around Bryn Shander and then cut north, following the rocky shore of Lac Dinneshere until after several weary hours they spied a small fortress (the “caer” for which the town is named) jutting up from the prominence where it overlooks the lake. These days, visitors to the town can take the Eastway to Easthaven, and then hire a ferry to take them across the lake to Caer-Dineval. Only those who have no coin to spare, or who have more than a small cart’s worth of goods to transport, still take the rude trail that wends its way up the lake’s western shore.
Whether arriving “by land or by lac,” visitors are immediately confronted by the fortifications for which the town is famous: its clifftop caer and the now-ruined watchtower at the mouth of the harbor. Most of the town’s buildings line the path that winds down the steep slope from the caer to the harbor, perched on the rocky face like cliffside nests. Newer structures have been built out along the approach coming up the western shore. The effect is that visitors enter Caer-Dineval in procession, filing up the narrow street past the buildings on either side, from which the residents watch with a mixture of interest and suspicion. If travelers do not turn aside into a shop or tavern, the road brings them to the top of the bluff and deposits them at the gates of the caer.
Geography
Caer-Dineval was located on the northwestern bank of Lac Dinneshere, not far south of Caer-Konig. It was situated in a half-circle around Knucklehead Harbor, with the Caer castle overlooking the harbor from the Cliffs of Dinev in the east.
Relationships
The two towns of Caer-Dineval and Caer-Konig had an agreement to share fishing rights, but nevertheless squabbled over fishing territory.
History
The Dinev family, displaced from their home in Cormyr, originally built the castle in the 1050 DR, hoping to claim all of Icewind Dale for themselves. They abandoned it eight years later in 1058 DR due to an orc siege that eliminated the town's population, either by death or by forcing them to flee. The Dinevs starved after three weeks inside their home and were too weak to fight back when the orcs got inside. A decade later, the castle was retaken from the orcs by the ancestors of the current townsfolk.
By the Year of the Worm, 1356 DR, young Jensin Brent had become the councilman of the town. As spokesman, he lived in the Caer and greedily defended fishing rights against Caer-Konig.
As of the Year of the Iron Dwarf's Vengeance, 1485 DR, Caer-Dineval was largely the same. Though the town's feud with Caer-Konig had only just died down thanks to an alliance between the speakers, enmities between the two peoples remained. Their agreement existed only to create a united front against the fishing fleet of Easthaven.
Notable Locations
Features
- The Eastway, a tradeway that leads west from the city.
- Knucklehead Harbor: This small anchorage served the town's fleet of ships.
Structures
- The Caer, the only standing castle in the Ten Towns.
- Dinev’s Rest - Situated at the low end of town on the lakeside road, is Caer-Dineval’s inn, and one of the first buildings that travelers reach if they arrive on foot. Built in a shallow dell a little way back from the cliff line, the inn is spacious compared to Caer-Dineval’s other buildings and blessedly sheltered from the winds that buffet the rest of the town. Inside, visitors sit in the common room around the central fire pit, swapping stories about their travels; the walls behind them are adorned with faded banners bearing the Dinev coat of arms. The innkeeper is Kadie, a vivacious young woman with fiery red hair. Her father was the previous speaker of Caer-Dineval, and as a child she lived with him and her brothers in the caer. Kadie speaks about her town with pride and can tell visitors all about the history of the caer. She doesn’t miss living there—the keep, as she’ll readily relate, is too drafty—and she doesn’t think Crannoc has done poorly by the town, but Kadie is not bashful about observing that the current speaker doesn’t listen to folks as much as he ought to . . . not like her father did.
- Culver's, isn’t really a shop—it’s a house, and its resident, Culver Ailsen, isn’t so much a merchant as he is a collector. An aging widower with no children, Culver keeps himself company with the many books, maps, and curiosities he has collected over the years. Whenever traveling merchants come through town, Culver is one of the first to introduce himself—shaking their hands, asking their story, and then getting to the serious work of poring over their inventory. Culver has a particular interest in the history of Ten-Towns and Icewind Dale, and he eagerly buys anything connected with the accounts and letters he has read. Culver doesn’t restrict himself to historical memorabilia—he picks up anything that interests him, whether it’s a halfling stick-and-ball game or a finely etched dwarven dagger. Because of his tendency to acquire all manner of odds and ends, the locals stop by Culver’s anytime they need something they can’t get from one of the town’s crafters. As a result of his voracious reading, Culver knows a bit about nearly everything in the dale—knowledge that he will share with those who care to listen (he prefers to talk over a pint at the Uphill Climb). In particular, Culver has read several accounts of Akar Kessell’s war against Ten-Towns a century ago, and the relics he has acquired from the Battle of Icewind Dale are his most prized possessions.
- The Uphill Climb - A tavern perched at the top of the approach to the caer, with spectacular views of the lake and the docks below. Although it has a solid core of local patrons, the Climb also caters to the town’s more upscale clientele—well-to-do travelers and merchants who have coin to spend on more than just beer and fish chowder. The proprietor, a ruggedly handsome fellow named Roark, takes pains to stock a variety of foodstuffs from Bryn Shander’s market, and he always buys the best brews out of Good Mead. The tavern has a private dining area where the speaker of Caer-Dineval meets with merchants, adventurers, or anyone else who has important business with the town. The intimate atmosphere is only occasionally ruined by the cheers from the front room when patrons from the dockside tavern finish their nightly footrace up the cliffside road to the Climb’s front door, usually followed by the sounds of retching. The last runner through the door traditionally buys a round of drinks for the house.
- A ruined watchtower, at the southern edge of town near the harbor.
- Three warehouses that the harbor's southwestern edge.
“When last I visited Caer-Dineval, I found the town speaker livin’ in an old fort at the top o’ the road, perched up there like a lord in ’is castle. What’s he lord of, I’d like to know. A little pride is well an’ good, but never will I understand the vanity o’ men!”
Knucklehead Trout Scrimshaw
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