CREDITS RUNNING THE EVENT

™ Design Welcome to D&D Encounters Launch Weekend for ™ R.A. Salvatore, Jeffrey Ludwig, James Wyatt Legacy of the Crystal Shard ! This adventure expands on the opening of Legacy of the Crystal Shard, stranding Development and Editing players in the furthest reaches of Faerûn’s North just Greg Bilsland as winter arrives. Ten-Towns is under assault by forces D&D Group Manager both outside and within, and by the session’s end, the players’ choices will set them on a path that may tip D&D Producer the balance of power in Icewind Dale in the upcoming Greg Bilsland D&D Encounters season, in which the full adventure plays out. Senior Creative Director Like the Legacy of the Crystal Shard adventure Jon Schindehette product, this scenario is playable using three versions of Art Director the DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® game: 3rd Edition (v.3.5), Kate Irwin 4th Edition, and the D&D® Next playtest rules. In Cover Illustration advance of the Launch Weekend event, please indicate Tyler Jacobson to the organizer what edition of the rules you would prefer to use, or if you’re willing to run whichever Interior Illustrations edition the organizer needs you to. Ed Cox and Jason A. Engle Players begin the event by creating 1st-level char- Graphic Designers acters. You can help the organizer by providing Leon Cortez, Matthew Stevens, Emi Tanji character creation resources for the edition of the Cartography game you’re running: the D&D Next playtest packet; Mike Schley Heroes of the Fallen Lands™, Heroes of the Forgotten King- doms™, and the 4th Edition Player’s Handbook®; or the D&D Brand Team Nathan Stewart, Liz Schuh, Laura Tommervik, v.3.5 Player’s Handbook. Shelly Mazzanoble, Chris Lindsay, Hilary Ross, John Feil This adventure also includes a poster map contain- ing art from Legacy of the Crystal Shard and a tactical Prepress Manager map for one of the encounter locations. Jefferson Dunlap

Imaging Technician Carmen Cheung INTRODUCTION

Production Manager Winter has come early to Icewind Dale. The people of Donna Woodcock Ten-Towns are on edge; with food and supplies scarce, Organized Play each town looks jealously to its own survival. Beyond Chris Tulach the walls, wolves and yetis prowl the wilds, and few travelers brave enough to venture there ever return. DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, , Legacy of the To the north, the Reghed tribes whisper stories of the Crystal Shard, Heroes of the Fallen Lands, Heroes of the Forgotten Frostmaiden, manifested in the world to punish those Kingdoms, Player’s Handbook, D&D Encounters, D&D, all other Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos who have strayed from her worship. And on the slopes are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the USA and other of Kelvin’s Cairn, an old enemy awakens to finish the countries. All Wizards characters and their distinctive likenesses conquest he started over one hundred years ago. are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC. This material is As the icy hand of winter closes over the dale, one protected under the copyright laws of the United States of last caravan struggles over the pass through the Spine America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material of the World before the snows choke off all connec- or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express tion to the outside world. Accompanying it is a group of written permission of Wizards of the Coast LLC. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events included herein is hardy adventurers who suddenly find themselves in a purely coincidental. land besieged by three foes, each of whom will stop at nothing to claim dominion over Icewind Dale. Can the Published by Wizards of the Coast LLC. Manufactured by: Hasbro players uncover the villains’ plots before the people of SA, Rue Emile-Boéchat 31, 2800 Delémont, CH. Represented by Hasbro Europe, 2 Roundwood Ave, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, Icewind Dale are doomed to enslavement and death? Middlesex,Sample UB11 1AZ, UK. Even if they do, can the heroes filehold winter’s fury at bay long enough to thwart all of their foes, or will they save Printed in the USA. ©2013 Wizards of the Coast LLC. Icewind Dale from one evil only to watch it slip into the 620B10594001 EN hands of another?

2 Background and visit vengeance on all who opposed him. Spreading the influence of the black ice remnants of the Crystal As its title suggests, this adventure is related to the Shard, he hopes to weaken Icewind Dale with infight- legacy of events told in the novels of R. A. Salvatore, ing, giving himself a clear pathway to its destruction. including The Crystal Shard, Passage to Dawn, The Silent Blade, Servant of the Shard, and The Ghost King, among others. You need not have read any of these books to Scenario Summary run and enjoy this adventure, but understanding the The heroes’ arrival in Icewind Dale has not gone unno- ticed. From her tower on the Sea of Moving Ice, the role that Akar Kessell and the Crystal Shard play in INTRODUCTION the history of the region will help the pieces of the Ice Witch has sensed their caravan as it makes its way adventure fit together. down out of the pass along the northern slopes of the As related in The Crystal Shard, Akar Kessell was a Spine of the World. Intent on punishing the people of young apprentice of the Arcane Brotherhood. After Ten-Towns, the Ice Witch has sent a band of yetis to murdering his mentor, he was abandoned in Icewind destroy the caravan before it reaches its destination. Dale by his fellow wizards, who had manipulated The scenario includes the following events. him into committing the crime. On the brink of freez- Arrival in Icewind Dale: After an arduous journey, ing to death on the ice-covered slopes of the Spine of the caravan has reached Icewind Dale and is begin- the World, Kessell stumbled upon Crenshinibon, the ning the final leg of its journey toward the town of Bryn Crystal Shard—an evil artifact that took control of the Shander. The travelers discuss what they plan to do wizard and gave him incredible power. Wielding the when they reach Ten-Towns. shard, Kessell created a magical tower, Cryshal-Tirith, A Turn for the Worse: The caravan is attacked by in its likeness. He raised an army of savage humanoids a crag cat while en route to Bryn Shander. One of the from the Spine of the World and threatened to conquer wagons is damaged in the ensuing fight, and as the Ten-Towns before he was stopped by an alliance of the weather worsens, the caravan is forced to press on, even people of Ten-Towns and the Reghed tribes. Of course, though it means leaving the wagon and its owner behind. the aid of Drizzt Do’Urden and his companions— Yetis at the Gate: The yetis catch the caravan just as Bruenor Battlehammer; Wulfgar, son of Beornegar, of it is entering Bryn Shander. This encounter takes place the Elk Tribe; the halfling Regis; and Catti-brie—was in three stages. invaluable in stopping Akar Kessell. 1. Hold Them Back: The heroes must defend the caravan The Crystal Shard was eventually destroyed, but as the rest of the wagons are brought through the gate. its legacy remains. Other crystal towers have since 2. To the Walls: The yetis begin scaling the walls, and been raised, and where the crumbled dust of their the heroes must drive them off the ramparts in order to destruction lingers, black ice has formed. Though Cren- keep the gate from being overrun. shinibon’s malign intelligence is gone, the black ice 3. Close the Gate: With the final wagons safely inside retains traces of its deep evil, which slowly corrupts all the town, the heroes must drive back the last of the who come into contact with it. attackers and close the gates. As the memories of Akar Kessell and his Crystal Work to be Done: Once the yetis are driven off, Shard fade into legend, a young barbarian outcast has the heroes are commended for their staunch defense accepted the mantle of Auril’s Chosen and has ple