D&D: Five Things To Do In Icewind Dale Once Winter Has Gone
Icewind Dale, recent events with the Frostmaiden notwithstanding, is actually a pretty great place to visit. Here are five reasons why.
Sure, in Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden, characters must deal with the frosty designs of Auril, the evil goddess of winter, confront the plans of a rogue demilich, deal with a race for a magical artifact, and try not to get themselves caught up in the machinations of a magical dragon construct. But, you know, aside from all that, it’s actually a pretty nice place to spend your vacation. Here are five things to do in Icewind Dale.
Play a game of Goatball
The Goliaths of Icewind Dale love to engage in contests of athleticism, and if you manage to make your way to the top of scenic Wyrmdoom Crag, you might find yourself among the Thuunlakalaga clan of Goliaths, who love nothing more than to play a game that they consider to be the greatest of all time.
Goat-ball is a team sport similar to dodgeball. It uses a furry, misshapen ball made of stuffed goat hide and also requires a dozen or more elevated platforms arranged in a random pattern. Two teams of four players clamber onto the platforms, pass the ball back and forth, and try to knock their opponents off their platforms. A team wins if all its opponents have been knocked out of the game.
Enjoy the delicious mead of Good Mead
A town founded by immigrants from Chilt and the Vilhon reach, Good Mead is known for its, er, good mead. This comes because they’re one of the few places in Icewind Dale that can keep bees well enough to collect fresh honey and brew it into the towns signature drink. If you visit Good Mead, the first place you’ll want to go is to the big Mead Hall, which is basically the center of town, and sample generously of its wares.
There’s a convenient inn nearby, which is perfect for sleeping it off.
Visit Ol’ Bitey
One of the best attractions in Icewind Dale is the Northlook, one of the rowdiest establishments in Bryn Shander. It caters to a clientele of mercenaries, vagabonds, adventurers, and other, er, larger-than-life types who love to swap tall tales over reasonably priced drinks. But it’s perhaps most famous for its star attraction: Ol’ Bitey.
Ol’ Bitey was once a prize Knucklehead Trout that had endured many a bout with a fisher before finally being caught by a Druid who cheated. Ol’ Bitey was stuffed and mounted and has been enchanted to sing a cheerful little song from its plaque:
There’s a place I like to go
Farther up the river’s flow;
Where it is, I do not know;
Must be under all that snow.
Go Fishing
Of course, why visit one knucklehead trout that someone else already turned into a singing fish when you could instead try your luck at a relaxing day on the ice with your own pick, lures, and tackle. Go fishing out on the lakes of Icewind Dale and you can try your own hand at catching the delicious Knucklehead Trout who are difficult to pull out of the water–Ol’ Bitey was renowned for pulling fishers into the icy waters, and you’ll have to be careful to avoid the same fate. But, with a bit of butter and lemon sauce at the end of the day, it’s absolutely worth it.
Shred Some Powder
Of course, everyone knows that the best thing to do in Icewind Dale is to head out past Kelvin’s Cairn where the powder is fresh, and you can just thrash on your board until you pull off the perfect 1080 or wipe out hard enough that you have to warm up with one of Icewind Dale’s signature restorative drinks before the chill leaves your bones.
Happy Adventuring!
