(Following: Rime of the Frostmaiden)
An account from the perspective of Aelar Hanali, displaced from Fireshear, working contract security for the fishing merchants moving perishable goods between Targos and the towns of Bryn Shander and Easthaven.
Arrival of the Entourage
The 4th of Ches was a Windsday, and while Spring should be just over a tenday hence, the darkness and cold of winter maintained a tight grip on Icewind Dale. It was certain that once more, the sun’s warmth would remain behind the Spine of the World, its light barely raising the mid-day to the dim of an overcast twilight. The kindly Agaric and myself had just arrived in Bryn Shander en route back to Targos with a caravan of now-empty sleds after a delivery to Easthaven.
The gnome and myself, an elf of what to many would be strange skin coloration, would attract occasional attention, but Icewind Dale has long been a destination for outcasts and odd folks, and typically as these arrived singly or in pairs, carefully avoiding drawing undue attention, the diverse communities of (most of) the Ten Towns would gradually accept these new arrivals as new citizens and residents.
In what would later prove to be a grave miscalculation, a party arrived from the caravan route called Ten Trail that was most certainly not subtle nor easily overlooked. The group was a veritable parade of weird creatures, arriving during the dim mid-day light of this Windsday, and traveling through to the town's center, then nearly to the north gate. Perhaps if they had simply passed through that gate and left, the result would have been little more than rumors and speculation.
Though it was a native Uthgardt tribesman in the lead, Phantom, behind followed a well-dressed Drow, a pale elf I may have been the only one able to identify as Shadar-kai, a Dwarf in heavy plate armor, and what most stirred up a storm of whispering gossip, a pair of horned wizards: a purple-skinned Tiefling and a blue-skinned man whose kind I could not name other than assert him not to be of the Alu'Tel'Quessir, my own race of "Sea Elves".
Perhaps taking pity on these naïve arrivals, perhaps sensing they may be sent by Fate, Agaric insisted we follow them to learn more. It was in the tavern called the Northlook, just inside the North Gate of the walled town the Uthgardt barbarian led the group. They made some inquiries, perhaps for rooms and food and some contact they were to meet. But it was a notorious local figure that altered the remainder of their stay in the place where usually the conversations strayed little more strange than tall tales of Ol' Bitey, the enormous knucklehead trout mounted above the fireplace.
Cold Reception
The notorious figure was none other than Vaelish Gant, publicly an outspoken critic and rival to the Speaker of Bryn Shander, Duvessa Shane (each of the Ten Towns has a Speaker that serves as a political leader and represents the town on the Council of Speakers). Gant arrived years back, wearing his membership in the Arcane Brotherhood more like a badge to command respect than a conspiracy to conceal. What he offered the townsfolk were magical wardings and enchantments to aid in protecting against the cold, the darkness, and all sorts of more superstition-created concerns. Far less publicly, Gant employed harsh enforcers to menace any who were not already paying support, and to undermine confidence in the Speaker and her officers. Only a few months back this ended in Gant losing an election to Duvessa Shane, despite fairly bold attempts to intimidate voters and rig the ballot-counting.
Already Agaric and I had heard suspicion among the whispers of those noting the new arrivals of their being themselves sent by the wizards of the Arcane Brotherhood. For them to now meet with Vaelish Gant, of all people, unsurprisingly raised alarm. So rather than approach, the two of us kept our distance, sipping a beverage and watching from a corner table, curious, if nothing else, as to what might happen next.
Agaric and I agree that the discussion between Gant and the newcomers was anything but friendly. This perspective was not shared, however, by the town's sheriff, Markham Southwell, whose additional precautions in "apprehend before questioning" immediately signaled to us that we would need to find out more about these folks.
Despite Bryn Shander being steadfast in tempering the fanaticism being encouraged by the Frost Druids, the common enemy of Vaelish Gant - and the potential threat of the Arcane Brotherhood itself, apparently presented too great a cause for concern. The White Inquisitor herself was present in the town and she wove an enchantment around the Northlook that most remember only as frozen symbols on the windows and door, followed by a white mist. All within later awoke from a deep sleep, Gant and the newcomers having been removed. All with the exception of the Dwarf, h'Rothgar, who we learned had left soon after arriving in town to meet someone in Easthaven.
Put on Ice
After our recovery, employing stealth and the guise of a rat, we were able to eavesdrop on the town hall conversations between the Speaker, the Sheriff, and the White Inquisitor. The Archdruid Inquisitor was prepared for summary execution of Gant and what were being taken (without question) to be reinforcements from the Arcane Brotherhood's Host Tower. For the horned wizards indeed carried those markings, documents and spellbooks - while the drow (which we learned was actually half-drow) and shadar-kai bore markings of the mercenary Bregan D'aerthe, connected with the rule of the city of Luskan itself.
The Speaker insisted she was not prepared to anger either Luskan or Arcane Brotherhood powers, and ordered the inquisitor and her retinue out of the city, threatening the Frost Druids with losing access if they did not comply. The inqusitor was furious, but she left, warning, "You will need us in due time, Speaker, pray to Auril you have shown you are worthy of our mercy". In addition to the attempt to wrest power in the town, Gant had a long history of researching potential causes of the winter - and working against those who were celebrating it (namely the Frost Druids) - but his methods and motive were at best suspicious and at worst intended to further exploit the matter for his own power.
The Sheriff was told to add these six (Gant, barbarian, drow, shadar-kai, and the two wizards) to a supply caravan to the Lords Alliance prison called Revel's End, located on the shore of the Sea of Moving Ice. She drafted a letter accusing each of conspiracy, and including a great deal of evidence against Gant. A hearing would be arranged when representatives arrived from Luskan and Neverwinter at the end of the month of Ches.
Meanwhile, we were able to learn where the possessions of the party had been locked away, and then - "liberated" them as we ourselves headed northward to the Sea of Moving Ice, to attempt our own rebalancing of justice in this matter.
(Continued in: Dungeon & Dragon)