Icespire Hold The Time of Troubles & Era of Upheaval Inspired By Ed Greenwood

Icespire Hold is a stone fortress on Icespire Peak, the tallest peak of the Sword Mountains on the Sword Coast North. Icespire Hold consists of a large structure that is situated on the north ledge of the mountain flank and connected by a stone bridge.

For non-flying creatures, the only entry point was a narrow trail. It lesds to the smaller building, which is used as a gatehouse. The difficult access and the presence of arrow slits made the fortress easy to defend when it was occupuied by Clan Icehammer. The main building is only accessible via the stone bridge. The outer defenses as well as the undercroft are hidden behind secret doors.

The undercroft contains the crypts and a secret exit: a toboggan that could be used by the dwarves to escape via the mountainside in an emergency. Icespire Hold is located on the nothern spur of the mountain and is surrounded by sheer, icy cliffs. The fortress sits at an altitude of 2,500 feet (760 meters) and is more than 30 miles (48 kilometers) away from Westbridge, the nearest settlement. Because of its seclusion, not many people know about Icespire Hold.

Icespire Hold was built by Delsendra Amzarr, a local warlord who lived there for many years and kept the orcs of the Sword Mountains at bay. Eventually, a very harsh winter ended her reign. The extreme weather cut off the supply chains and Delsendra and her soldiers were trapped in the fortress and starved to death.

When the fortress was abandoned, it was damaged by an earthquake. Ten years later, an orc tribe led by the war chief Kra took over Icespire Hold. The orcs' reign didn't last long because a clan of Frost Giants took up residence in the stronghold and to make Icespire Hold their new home. They gained access through the southwest tunnels that were still damaged by the earthquake.

The stronghold now is in a sorry state and occupied by the clan of Front Giants. As of this time, with the dwarves of Clan Icehammer being scattered across the Sword Coast as they are, they have not attempted to reunite as a clan and retake the stronghold.