Chapter 8 Chapter 6 Bryn Shander

Bryn Shander was not like any other town in Ten Towns.Its proud banner flies high atop the hills central to the tundra between the three lakes, south of Dwarfvale.None of the boats on the lake fly its flag, and it has no docks on any of the lakes, but it is indisputably the geographical center of the region and the hub of activity. This is where the main caravans from Luskan stay, the Dwarves come to trade, and most of the artisans, artisans and valuers stay.Bryn Shander was inferior to other towns only in the catch.Tamarin and Targos on the south bank of Lake Doulton, and Kekkoni and Cadineva on the west bank of Lake Dinesia are the overlords on the lake.

A high wall surrounds Bryn Shander, blocking the cold wind and preventing the invasion of goblins and barbarians.The buildings inside are similar to those in other villages and towns in this area: low wooden buildings.It's just that the houses in Bryn Shander are close together, and there are usually several families crowded into the same small room.Crowded as it is, there is a certain comfort and safety in the city, and it is the most civilized place within four hundred miles of uninhabited land. Regis always enjoyed the sounds and smells that welcomed him as he passed through the iron-trimmed wooden door in the north wall.Although the city was much smaller than the great southern cities, the noise of Bryn Shander's public market and the hawkers thronging the streets reminded him of his days in Calimport.And just like in Calimport, every race in the Forgotten Realms seems to have a representative in Bryn Shander.The tall, dark-skinned desert races mingled with the light-skinned travelers from the Moonshaes.The swarthy southerners who like to brag and the strong mountain dwellers exchange all kinds of legends about love or war with each other, in the tavern on every street corner.

Regis took them all, because apart from the location, the noises were the same.If he closed his eyes as he trotted briskly down the narrow streets, he seemed to regain the taste of life he had tasted in Calimport all those years ago. Now, however, his tasks were too serious for him to be happy.He was horrified by the bad news from the drow, and rather disturbed at being the messenger who would bring the news to the Council. Regis left the noisy market area and passed the palatial home of Bryn Shander spokesman Cassius.It was the largest and most luxurious house in Ten-Towns, with a pillared front and bas-reliefs adorning all four walls.It was originally built for parliamentary use, but when the speaker's interest in meeting faded, the diplomatically dexterous and soft-spoken Cassius took the place as his official residence.The meeting hall was moved to an empty warehouse in a far corner of the city.Several speakers have complained about this change, but although these fishing villages and towns can often exert influence on the main city in public affairs, they are not important when it comes to issues of this type that are not important to most people. Will not get much support.Cassius knew his city's position well, and he knew how to control most of the other towns in his hands.Bryn Shander's militia was strong enough to defeat the combined forces of five of the other nine towns, and Cassius's officers had a monopoly on the necessary markets to the south.Other speakers might have objections to changing the meeting place, but their reliance on the main city prevented them from taking any action against Cassios.

Regis was the last person to enter the small meeting hall.He looked at the nine other people who were already at the table and realized how unfit he really was for the position.He had been chosen as speaker only because no one else in Lonewood wanted to be there, but the other speakers had earned their seats through heroic deeds of their own.They are the leaders of their villages and towns, organizing their own construction and defense.Every speaker has fought at least twenty battles, for there are more days when goblins and barbarians raid Ten-Towns than there are sunny days here.There is a very simple rule of survival in Icewind Dale, that is, if you don't fight, you can't survive.And the speakers at the council were some of the most seasoned fighters in all Ten Towns.

But Regis never felt overwhelmed by the speakers because he usually doesn't speak in meetings.Isolated in a small but dense fir grove, Lonelywood wanted nothing from anyone else.As their fishing fleet is very small, the other three towns on Lake Dürden have little claim to it either.Regis never spoke unless he was cornered, and he was careful to follow in the footsteps of the majority every time he voted.If the meeting split on an issue, he listened to Cassius.In Ten Towns, following Bryn Shander wasn't much of a problem. However, this day Regis found himself in a bit of trouble in the council.The bad news he brings will expose him to their bullying tactics and angry vengeance.He focused his attention on two of his most powerful speakers, Cassius and Kemp, who sat chattering away at the front of the rectangular conference table.Kemp looked like a stocky pioneer; not very tall, but with a strong chest, tangled muscles in his arms, and a murderous air that would have terrified friend and foe alike.

Cassius, on the other hand, doesn't look like much of a warrior.He was small in frame, with neatly trimmed gray hair and unshaven cheeks.His big, bright blue eyes always give a sense of his inner contentment.But no one who has seen this spokesman of Bryn Shander raise his sword in battle or lead his troops on a charge will doubt his martial prowess or courage.Regis really liked the man, but he was also careful not to let himself be taken advantage of.Cassius is known for sacrificing others for his own. "The meeting has begun," Cassius announced, knocking on the table with a meeting stick.The chairman of the meeting has always started the meeting very ritually, and he will read out the proposals that were originally planned to increase the aura of the meeting's importance, which impresses some villains who occasionally come to the meeting on behalf of distant towns.But now, because of the degradation of the function of the parliament, the ceremony of procedure is only used to delay the conclusion of the meeting, to the regret of all ten speakers.The result was more procedural ceremonies being cut at each gathering, and some have talked about cutting them all.

When the entire list was finished, Cassius moved on to discussing important issues. "First thing on the agenda," he said, glancing at the notes spread out in front of him with difficulty, "is the territorial dispute between the sister towns of Kekkoni and Kedi Neva on Lake Denisia. I see that Dorin Ruja has brought the papers he had promised to bring at the last meeting, so I give him the floor. I give Ruja the floor." Dorin Ruja was a scrawny, swarthy man whose eyes were darting about restlessly, and who nearly jumped out of his chair when the Chairman mentioned him. "In my hands now," he cried, holding the old parchment in his raised hand, "is the original agreement between Kekkoni and Kedi Neva, signed by the leaders of both parties," he said accusingly. Pointing to Cadineva's spokesperson, "Including your signature, Jacin Brant!"

“It was signed in mutual friendship, in a spirit of goodwill,” countered Jacin Brant, a younger, blond man with a childish face that often gave the impression of being innocent. "Open the parchment, speaker Lu Jia, and let everyone in the council take a look. They will see that there are no regulations on the East Exile." He looked around at the other speakers. "The Eastern Exiles weren't even a village when the treaty split the lake in half," he explained, and it wasn't the first time. "They didn't even have a fishing boat at that time." "Speakers," Dorin Ruja called, waking some who were already dozing off.The same quarrel occupied the first four meetings, but neither side could gain the upper hand.Except for the speakers of the Two Towns and the Eastern Colony, the subject was neither important nor interesting to anyone else.

"We certainly can't blame Kekkoni for the rise of the Eastern Exile," defended Dorin Ruja. "Who could have foreseen the East Road?" he asked, referring to the straight and level road that the East Exile had built to Bryn Shander.It's well designed and a great boon to this small town on the southeast corner of Lake Denisia.It combined the benefits of distant communities with easy access to Bryn Shander, and it became the fastest growing of the Ten-Towns, with the fishing fleet swelling to rival Cadineva's. "Who expected that?" Jacin Brant retorted, now with a hint of panic on his calm face. "It is clear that the growth of the Eastern Exiles has forced the Cadineva to compete harshly with them in the southern waters of the lake, while the Kekkoni's boats are free to navigate the northern half of the lake. But the Kekkoni Nishi coldly refuses to renegotiate the terms to compensate for this imbalance! We cannot prosper under these conditions!"

Regis knew he had to act before Brant and Luka's argument got out of hand.The previous two meetings had been dragged on by their arguments, and Regis couldn't let them disband before telling them that the barbarians were about to invade. He hesitated, he had to admit to himself again that he had no other choice, that he could not retreat from this urgent task; if he said nothing, his safehouse would be destroyed.Even with Drizzt assuring him of his powers, he doubted that the gem was actually magical.But because of his own insecurities (a characteristic of such a diminutive race), Regis found himself blindly trusting Drizzt's judgment.The dark elf was the most knowledgeable of men he knew, and had more experience than Regis could even tell tales of.Now was the time to act, and the halfling was determined to try the dark elf's plan.

He grabbed the gavel on the table in front of him.He felt very strange, this was the first time he used this thing.He tapped the wooden table lightly, but everyone else was watching intently as Luka and Brant yelled at each other.Regis reminded himself again of the importance of the dark elf's news, and hammered it down with the hammer. The other speakers turned to the halfling, blank expressions on their faces.Regis rarely spoke in meetings unless cornered by a direct question. Bryn Shander's Cassius struck down his heavy gavel. "The meeting now turns to the representative of... er... Lonelywood," he said, and from the ups and downs in his tone, Regis guessed that he was struggling to take the halfling's request to speak seriously. "Speakers," Regis began tentatively, his voice sharp with fear. "While I respect the importance of the debate between Kedi Neva and the Kekoni spokesperson, I believe we have more urgent issues to discuss." Broken turned blue, but the others looked at the halfling curiously.That's a good start, Regis thought, I've got everyone's attention. He cleared his throat, trying to steady his voice and make it more impressive. "I have no doubt that the barbarian tribes are going to attack Ten-Towns in unison!" Though he tried to make the announcement sound dramatic, Regis found himself facing an unmoved and confused crowd. "Unless we form an alliance," Regis continued in an anxious tone, "that group of people will smash our towns one by one, and kill anyone who dares to resist them!" "Indeed, the spokesman for Regis in Lonewood Town." Cassius said in a deliberately calm, but actually mocking Regis voice. "We've been attacked by barbarians before. There's no need to be here..." "This time is different!" Regis exclaimed. "All the tribes are united. Previous raids were one tribe against one city, and usually we handled it well. But how could Tamaran or Kekkoni, or even Bryn Shander, fight against all the barbarians in Icewind Dale?" The Combine?" Some of the speakers leaned back in their chairs to ponder what the halfling had said; others began to whisper, some worried, others angry and disbelieving.At last Cassius tapped the gavel again to silence the entire chamber. Then Kemp of Targos rose slowly from his chair with his familiar bravado. "May I speak, friendly Cassius?" he asked with unnecessary civility. "Perhaps I can put this momentous announcement in more proper light." Both Regis and Drizzt made assumptions when planning the halfling's actions in the Council.They knew that the Eastern Exiles, which had been founded and prospered under the ten-towns principle of mutual aid, would openly support the idea of ​​a common fight against the barbarians.Likewise, Tamaran and Lonewood, the most attacked and most plundered of the Ten-Towns, will gladly accept any help that is offered. But if Kemp of Targos refuses to accept this plan, even Tamaran spokesman Agova, who can benefit most from such an alliance, will evade the matter and keep silent.Targos is the largest and strongest of the nine fishing villages, and its fleet is fully twice the size of the second largest, Tamarin. "Members of Council," Kemp began, leaning forward to make him appear larger to others. "Let's know more details of the halfling's story before we worry. We've fought off barbarian invaders too many times to be confident that the defenses of even our smallest town are adequate." Regis felt himself growing nervous as Kemp continued his speech designed to destroy the halfling's credibility.Drizzt had long decided that Targos' Kemp was the key to their plan, but Regis knew better than the Dark Elves that Kemp was not easy to deal with.Camp's personal traits describe very clearly the style of conduct of the large town of Targos.He was tall and bullying, often with a threatening rage even when facing Cassius.Regis had tried to change that part of the plan earlier, but Drizzt had insisted. "If Targos agrees to accept an alliance with Lonewood," Drizzt reasoned, "Tamalan will gladly join, and the only remaining town of Bremen on the lake has no choice but to agree. Bryn Shander will definitely not object to the alliance of the four largest and most productive towns on the lake, and the East Exile will be the sixth to join the treaty. That will reach a clear majority." The rest of the towns will have to join the Common Union, there is no other choice.Drizzt believed that Cadineva and Kekkoni feared that the Eastern Exiles would get special treatment in a future council, so they would show exaggerated loyalty, hoping they would be Mons in Cassius' eyes.Although the two towns of Mead Town and Dougan's Hole on the Red Water Lake are relatively safe from invasion due to their secluded edge, they dare not oppose the other eight towns. But when Regis saw Kemp glaring across the table, he knew it was all just optimistic thinking.Drizzt admitted that the biggest obstacle in the process of forming an alliance was Targos.This mighty town is too arrogant to believe that it can survive any barbarian attack.And if it survives, the damage done to its competitors will work in its favor. "You said you had news of a hack," Kemp began. "How did you get this valuable and hard-to-get information?" Regis found his temples sweating.He knew where Kemp's questions would lead, but he couldn't escape the fact. "I learned it from a friend who often travels on the tundra." He answered frankly. "The dark elf?" Kemp asked. With Regis' neck bent upward and Kemp looking down at him, Regis soon found himself forced into the defensive position.The halfling's father had warned him that he was often at a disadvantage when facing humans, because humans had to bow their heads physically to talk to halflings, just like talking to their own children.Under such circumstances, Dad's words made Regis feel heartbroken and true.He wiped a drop of sweat from his upper lip. "I can't speak for the rest of you," Kemp continued, and then laughed, taking the halfling's dire warning with an absurd eye, "but I have too many more important things to do, Instead of running and hiding in the city just because of what the dark elf said!" The burly spokesperson laughed again, and this time he wasn't the only one laughing. Agwa of Tamaran provided some unexpected assistance to the halfling's failed intentions. "Perhaps we should let the spokesman of Lonewood go on. If his words are true..." "His words are but echoes of the dark elf's lies!" Kemp growled. "Ignore him, we've fought off barbarians before, and..." But then Kemp also stopped suddenly, because Regis jumped on the conference table.This was the most dangerous part of Drizzt's plan.The dark elf was very confident about this part, and even described the actual situation, as if there would be no problems.But Regis felt the impending disaster hovering around him.He clasped his hands behind his back, trying to look like he was in control so Cassius wouldn't try to stop his unusual tactics. While Agwa was distracted, Regis quietly pulled the ruby ​​pendant out of the vest.It shone brightly on his chest as he walked up and down, using the table as his own stage. "What do you know, to mock a dark elf like that?" he asked the others, especially Kemp. "Can any of you name the people he hurt? No! You punished him for the crimes of his people, but none of you thought Drizzt Do'Urden would come to us Is it because he refuses to accept his people's way of life?" The silence in the chamber convinced Regis that if he had either impressed these people, he would have been dismissed as nonsense.In any case, he was not arrogant or foolish enough to think that his little speech would accomplish his task. He walked over to face Kemp.This time it was he who looked down, but the spokesman for Targos seemed on the verge of bursting out laughing. Regis must act quickly.He stooped slightly and raised his hand to his cheek, pretending to scratch it, but actually trying to start the pendant spinning, tapping his arm on it as it swung by.Then he patiently remained silent for a moment, counting as Drizzt ordered.Ten seconds passed without Kemp blinking.Drizzt had said that would suffice, but Regis, both surprised and worried that this would get the job done, waited another ten seconds before daring to test the dark elf's confidence. "You must realize that it is wise to guard against such an attack," Regis suggested calmly.Then he added in a whisper only Kemp could hear: "These men look to you for guidance, Great Kemp. Military alliances only increase your stature and influence." The effect is surprising. "Perhaps there is more to the halfling's words than we first believed," Kemp said mechanically, never taking his eyes off the ruby. Regis froze for a moment, then straightened up, hiding the gem behind his vest.Kemp shook his head, as if to clear a confusing dream from his mind, and rubbed his dry eyes.The speaker of Targos seemed unable to recall the last moments, but the halfling's suggestion was already embedded in his mind.Kemp himself was surprised by the change in his attitude. "We should listen to Regis," he declared aloud. "Because forming such a coalition doesn't make things worse, but the consequences of doing nothing could be really serious!" Jassine Brant seized the opportunity and jumped out of his chair. "Spokesperson Kemp spoke very wisely," he said. "Count our town of Kedi Neva into the army that will repel the enemy!" The rest of the speakers lined up behind Kemp, as Drizzt had expected, and Dorin Lugar made a show of loyalty even more exaggerated than Brant. When Regis left the council later that day, he was rather proud, and his hope that Ten-Towns would survive returned.But the halfling found his mind preoccupied with thoughts about the power of the gem he had found.He wants to find the least failure-prone way to turn this newly discovered power of persuading others to cooperate into profit and pleasure. "Nice of Pook to give me this!" he told himself as he stepped out of the gates of Bryn Shander, and walked towards the spot where he had agreed to meet Drizzt and Bruenor.