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Geography

The World of Icewind Dale

Icewind Dale takes place within the AD&D Forgotten Realms campaign world. More specifically, it takes place in the northern wastes of Faerûn (Fay-ROON), a continent of the larger world of Abeir-Toril (Ah-BEER Tor-RILL), more commonly called Toril. The name is archaic, meaning "cradle of life," and is rarely used in everyday speech.

Abeir-Toril is an Earth-sized planet dominated by a large continent in its northern hemisphere as well as a number of other large landmasses scattered about its surface. This northern continent is called:

  • Faerûn in the west,
  • Kara-Tur in the east,
  • Zakhara in the south.

The Survival Guide concerns itself with the northern portion of Faerûn, in particular the region bordering the Spine of the World mountains.

Faerûn and the North

The North is a huge wilderness that attracts adventurers and settlers — and even those who have settled for a life without adventure, as I have. The wilds are filled with the cavernous wreckage of dwarven strongholds, ruins of ancient cultures, and a steady stream of settlers and explorers who seek to tame the frontier — or are looking for a place far away from the taxes, laws, and city watch that govern the civilizations of the south. — Everard

The North is known by many names depending on where the traveller hails from:

  • The Barbaric or Barbarian North
  • The Barbaric Lands / Frontier / North
  • The Savage Frontier
  • The Wildlands

Whatever the name, it is a place that nature, first and foremost, rules. It is a rugged land of jagged, snow-capped peaks and great stretches of alpine forests. The area of Easthaven is but one of many tiny, frigid villages clinging to survival.

The Spine of the World

The evils that live in the shadows of the Spine of the World are not nearly as forgiving as I am. — Hrothgar

The Spine of the World is a vast mountain range that defines the northern edge of civilised Faerûn. The most travelled route through the region is Kuldahar Pass, which touches three places:

Beyond these lies the harsher wilderness north of Kelvin's Cairn, including the youngest of the Ten Towns: Lonelywood.

Time period

The game takes place in Eleint, 1281 DR — the Year of the Cold Soul. This is sixteen years prior to Drizzt Do'Urden's arrival on the surface, as documented in R. A. Salvatore's Icewind Dale Trilogy.

Source: iwdee/original_manuals/IWDEE - Survival Guide to the North.pdf — "The World of Icewind Dale", "Faerûn and the North", "The Spine of the World".