OVERVIEW

Drizzt Do'urden, the Drow who has sacrificed it all to live a life on the surface world just to be free of his people. And though he is often the victim of prejudice he finally found a home when he found himself befriended by Bruenor Battlehammer, Cattie-Brie and Wulfgar. However, this relationship is threatened when things begin to go awry and the maniacal wizard, Akar Kessel arrives with the Crenshinibon and Ertuu at his side, threatening to destroy Icewind Dale.

Wulfgar stands at the ready, at the ready for combat. The rules are quite simple, the winner would become the chieftain of all the barbarians in Icewind Dale while the loser would become dead.

His opponent is Heafstagg, the King of the Tribe of the Elk. He is Wulfgar, the Challenger of the Throne, the Dragon's Bane. As the judge declares the fight to begin, and the enraged King charged at Wulfgar, ax raised in preparation to strike, his first mistake.

It was every barbarian's first mistake, that is except for Wulfgar's. He had been trained by the best and countless slaps from Drizzt's blades helped him learn that rage is not the key to victory. The fact is, the first blow matters not when compared to the last. Heafstagg swings twice with his mighty ax but each time is almost humiliatingly dodged by Wulfgar who avoids all contact with the King or his weapon.

When the enraged barbarian King shouts at Wulfgar, "Coward! Fight me!" Wulfgar complies and with one easy movement he blocks the ax strike with his might war hammer and then shouting, "As you wish." He delivers the fatal blow with his own specially crafted weapon into the red-bearded barbarians gut.

As he picks the man up by his beard, Heafstagg weakly mutters, "not...possible..." As Wulfgar supported the man by his beard he realized he did not desire to do what would come next as this was a man of his tribe but he knew it had to be done, otherwise his people would be forever enslaved by the sorcerer Akar Kessell.

Realizing he could not allow that he began to squeeze with all his formidable strength and within a few moments, Heafstagg's skull was crushed and his blood covered Wulfgar's hands and clothing leaving the killer with an expression of rage visible on his face.

Speeding to Kelvin's Cairn, with the wind at his back Drizzt ran, but when he arrived all he saw were clouds of smoke and he knew he was too late. Caer-Konig...Caer-Dineval...both were up in flames and it was then that it dawned on Drizzt that the destruction of Ten Towns had already begun.

The armies of Akar Kessel rushed down the Spine of the World in the form of an annihilation wave, destroying everything they came into contact with. Those that were brave enough to stand and fight died within seconds, those that fled were killed seconds afterwards...and as this wave of destruction passed through, it burned everything it left behind.

On the walls of Bryn Shander, Regis asks Cassius how much longer they will be able to keep the gates open for survivors and is told that they shall be able to until Agorwal makes his distraction, or at least that's what Cassius hopes.

And so Agorwal led his charge, the people of Tremalaine at his back as they broke the the goblin's line, felling dozens with their swords. Yet, whenever one goblin fell it was replaced with two more and eventually sheer numbers became a factor and every man died one by one. And though every soldier of Tremalaine had given their lives for just a little time, their deaths were not in vain as it was enough time for the survivors to enter the gates before they were closed.

By midday the entire city was surrounded by the goblin armies and though the generals knew they could take the city over by nightfall they were instructed to wait, and so they did. Ertuu came forth from the goblin ranks however to end their wait, using Crenshinibon to summon Kessell's crystal fortress, Akar wanted to witness the victory personally.

Regis' heart is filled with fear at the sight of the colossal structure but he asks Cassius why the goblins have yet to attack them. He is then told that it is because time favors them, they can take as long as they want. It is then that Regis fully realizes what a siege is and begins to envy the death Agorwal suffered.

As Akar emerges from the fortress holding the glowing Crystal Shard his name is chanted by the goblin hordes, "Kessell. Kessell. Kessel." He opens his arms to Cassius as he stands near the base of the wall and calls out, "Greetings, Cassius, Spokesman of Bryn Shander! Welcome to MY fair city!"

Cassius is surprised that his foe knows he while he knows not his foe and he feels this to be an unfair advantage. Akar scoffs and assures Cassius that he holds every advantage. Then speaking to the people he declares himself the Tyrant of Icewind Dale and the ruler of Ten Towns.

He then asks them if perhaps they believe the war not to be over, that Targos will come to their aid but he assures them it has truly ended when he proves to them the power of the Crenshinibon by burning and utterly destroying the nearby Targos with but a thought, slaying all within it.

He then turns his back to Cassius, Regis and Bryn Shander returning to his fortress and announcing that tomorrow Cassius will send him an emissary who shall announce Bryn Shander's unconditional surrender, if not than all of them shall suffer the same fate as the people of Targos.

After this proclamation all the way until nightfall, Drizzt spent his time trying to recall who Kessell's "pet demon" was for such a creature was often served by the Drow and this one, seemed most familiar...he knew its name...Errtu, and also knew that should he call it, it would come.

Entering a cave, and raising his cloak over his head, Drizzt sits down beside a slightly-glowing symbol carved into the rock floor and shouts, "Come Errtu! I summon you!" and with that, in a blazing inferno, the dragon-like demon arises in a magnificent display of power.