Ten Towns
he Ten Towns were a loose confederation of frontier villages found in Icewind Dale in the western Frozenfar. The communities of the Ten Towns attracted those people of Faerûn determined to find a life for themselves, and those desperate to leave their former lives behind.
While life within each community exemplified diligence and partnership, relations between each of the communities demonstrated the fierce competitive spirit that was needed to survive in the North.
Geography
The Shaengarne river extended west from the Ten Towns, through the dale's western tundras. The Spine of the World mountains were located on the towns' southern border and the Reghed Glacier to its east. The eastern waters of the Sea of Moving Ice encompassed the area north of the Ten Towns.Geographical Features
The Ten Towns were formed around the three lakes of Icewind Dale, Redwaters, Lac Dinneshere, and Maer Dualdon.
Situated northwest of Redwaters, the smallest of the lakes, were fittingly enough the smallest villages, Dougan's Hole and Good Mead. A bit ways north was Lac Dinneshere, upon the shores of which sat the settlements of Easthaven, Caer-Dineval, and Caer-Konig. Some 10 miles (16.1 kilometers) west was the largest and deepest of the lakes, Maer Dualdon, around which were situated the town's of Lonelywood, Bremen, Termalaine, and the walled city of Targos.
Between Lac Dinneshere and Maer Dualdon was the massive solitary peak of Kelvin's Cairn. Just south of the mountain was the Dwarven Valley, a deep chasm that housed a number of dwarf clans.
Southwest of the valley, nestled between all three lakes, was the trading hub of Bryn Shander, the gateway city that led to the rest of civilization to the south.
Government
Official decisions for the towns were made by a council consisting of one influential member from each town. These council members met in the council building in Bryn Shander, which was unanimously recognized as the capital of Ten Towns, and of Icewind Dale itself, once a month during the summer season, and once every three in the winter.
14th Century
Around the time of the Battle of Icewind Dale, the council consisted of the following individuals:- Dougan's Hole - Unknown
- Good Mead - Unknown
- Easthaven - Glensather
- Caer-Dineval - Jensin Brent
- Caer-Konig - Schermont
- Lonelywood - Muldoon
- Bremen - Gil Haerngen
- Termalaine - Agorwal
- Targos - Kemp
- Bryn Shander - Cassius
In the years leading up to the battle, other individuals served as spokesmen on the council, such as the halfling Regis, and Dorim Lugar, who was killed over a fish. Following the battle, the towns of Bremen and Caer-Konig were handed over to the Reghedmen barbarian tribesmen, under the leadership of King Revjak.
15th Century
As of the Year of the Iron Dwarf's Vengeance, 1485 DR, the council comprised the following individuals:- Dougan's Hole - Edgra Durmoot
- Good Mead - Kendrick Rielsbarrow
- Easthaven - Danneth Waylen
- Caer-Dineval - Crannoc Siever
- Caer-Konig - Alden Lowell
- Lonelywood - Avandro Perth
- Bremen - Dorbulgruf Shalescar
- Termalaine - Shaelen Masthew
- Targos - Giandro Holfast
- Bryn Shander - Duvessa Shane
Trade
The fishing and sale of knucklehead trout, along with the scrimshaw made from its bones, was the industry that allowed the Ten Towns to remain in existence for as many years as they have. Each of the lakeside settlements maintained their own fleet of large fishing ships.
Despite some timbering industry in Lonelywood, the Ten Towns had to import much of the wood they used for construction and warmth.
Culture
The Ten Towns attracted those were brave and hard-working enough to set out for a harsh life they could call their own. Among these were prospectors, miners, fishermen, mercenaries, treasure-hunters, and other industrious, but sometimes less-reputable folks. Fugitives often came to the Ten Towns to flee their troubles, only to find a life of hard work ahead of them. Some petty criminals, pirates, and other agents serving malevolent forces, settled within the communities.
While some dwarves did live within the Ten Towns,[citation needed] the majority of them stayed within their nearby holds and underground halls.
Many of the folks from Caer-Konig and Bremen traced their ancestry to clans of the Reghedmen tribesmen that once dwelled within those settlements.
History
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