Akar Kessell

Akar Kessel was an unskilled mage who lived in Luskan's Host Tower of the Arcane under the tutelage of Morkai the Red. Corrupted by the artifact Crenshinibon, Kessel rose to power as a warlord in Icewind Dale before being slain by Drizzt Do'Urden.
==History==
During a trip to Icewind Dale in 1351 DR, Dendybar the Mottled persuaded Kessel to kill Morkai in return for a place of power in the Host Tower. Kessel, blinded by greed, killed Morkai - the nearest thing he had to a father. Dendybar, in return, left him to freeze in the snow.
By chance (or perhaps not) Kessel came upon Crenshinibon. The crystal shard dominated his weak mind easily. Together, he and the artifact dominated an army of orcs, goblins and trolls as well as others over the next five years, allying them with the local Reghedmen and the Balor lord Errtu in an attempt to take over the Ten-Towns before moving on to loftier goals.
Kessel didn't count on the likes of the drow Drizzt Do'Urden, his magical companion Guenhwyvar, the barbarian Wulfgar, the dwarf Bruenor, his daughter Catti-brie, or even the halfling Regis - who unravelled Kessel's (Crenshinibon's) plans. Wulfgar caused the Reghedmen to switch sides and Drizzt banished Errtu back to the Abyss. While his minions fought below, Kessel and Drizzt battled on the slopes of Kelvin's Cairn where a poorly thought out spell caused Kessel to accidentally kill himself.
One hundred and twenty nine years later in 1485 DR, an Arcane Brotherhood agent's apprentice gathered an expedition of dwarves to explore Kelvin's Cairn for signs of Kessel's corpse. What they found was a wight - Kessel risen in undeath. Desperate to reconnect with Crenshinibon, which had been destroyed in the intervening years, Kessel was drawn to any remnant of the artifact's power. He led his discoverers to the site of his tower Cryshal-Tirith. Dust from Cryshal-Tirith when it was destroyed had fused with the ice - which came to be known as black ice - but it retained no remnant of Crenshinibon's intelligence. The dwarven miners in the group however began to attack each other after they had touched it - much to Kessel's amusement. The wight encouraged the last remaining dwarf, Baerick Hammerstone to begin crafting items from the black ice.
==Appendix==
===Appearances===
:;Adventures
::Legacy of the Crystal Shard
:;Novels
::The Crystal Shard
:;Video Games
::Neverwinter: Curse of Icewind Dale • Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance
::
::Baldur's Gate
===Gallery===
Forgotten_Realms_-_The_Crystal_Shard_01_-_Akar_Kessel.jpg|Akar from the The Crystal Shard (Comic).
Forgotten_Realms_-_The_Crystal_Shard_-_01_Young_Kessel.jpg|A young Akar, who just killed his master.
encounters-16-npc-akar.jpg|The undead state of Akar Kessell.
legacy-of-the-crystal-shard-cover-adventure.jpg|The undead Akar Kessell alongside Baerick Hammerstone.
Neverwinter MMO - NPC - Akar Kessel.jpg|The undead Akar Kessel, in the game expansion Neverwinter: Curse of Icewind Dale.
Akar Kessell undead.jpg|Akar Kessell beaing raised as an undead.
Akar Kessell red handed.png
===References===
Category:Humans
Category:Wights
Category:Wizards
Category:Members of the Arcane Brotherhood
Category:Inhabitants of Kelvin's Cairn
Category:Inhabitants of Icewind Dale
Category:Inhabitants of the Frozenfar
Category:Inhabitants of Luskan
Category:Inhabitants of the Sword Coast North
Category:Inhabitants of Northwest Faerûn
Category:Inhabitants of Faerûn
Category:Inhabitants of Toril
Category:Inhabitants
Category:Inhabitants of the Host Tower of the Arcane
Category:Members of the Order of the One Light