Neverwinter (novel)

Neverwinter is the second novel in the The Neverwinter Saga series by R.A. Salvatore.
==Summary==
In 1463 DR, the drow ranger Drizzt
Do'Urden and the elf warrior Dahlia Sin'felle were in
the wilderness of northwestern Faerûn after an adventure in the ancient dwarven
homeland of Gauntlgrym. Dahlia explained to Drizzt that although the Dread
Ring, a necromantic area of devastation, in Neverwinter Wood had been diminished
as a result of their actions in Gauntlgrym, the Thayan sorceress Sylora Salm would make it
her priority to complete the enchanted region by any means necessary.
Therefore, the two friends planned to eventually journey to Neverwinter
Wood and stop Sylora. Drizzt and Dahlia decided that they would first travel to
the port city of Luskan to learn what they could. The pair traveled swiftly toward
Luskan with the assistance of Drizzt’s magical unicorn, Andahar. Unlike Drizzt’s other magical
companion, the panther Guenhwyvar, Andahar could be summoned at any time and could
remain on the Prime Material Plane for as long as the drow needed him. But also
unlike the panther, Andahar could be wounded, if not outright slain, and any
injuries that he sustained would take as long to heal as those of a mortal
creature. Since Andahar had more vulnerabilities than Guenhwyvar, Drizzt was
much more cautious in his use of the unicorn.
The two companions soon encountered
a merchant caravan that was being pursued by a group of bandits, and Drizzt
immediately rushed to help, but Dahlia questioned his motives. While Drizzt instinctively
assumed that the caravan was operated by honest merchants, Dahlia, who had an
understanding of the world that was different and greater than the drow even
though she was much younger, did not automatically come to that conclusion.
Drizzt spoke with the merchants, who told him that they were representatives of
the High Captains of Luskan, the corrupt rulers of the city. Drizzt had ill feelings
toward the High Captains because nearly one hundred years earlier they had
played a significant role in the death of the drow’s longtime friend, Deudermont, the captain
of the Sea Sprite. While
Drizzt quickly moved to engage the brigands, Dahlia mocked his idealistic
belief that everything in the world was always simply right or wrong. After defeating
the first few bandits, the couple learned that the brigands were starving
farmers who had been driven off of their lands by the High Captains’ policies,
and they intended to rob the caravan in order to feed themselves and their
families. Drizzt and Dahlia shared a meal with the bandits, and the drow ranger
began to question his ethics in the dark and chaotic times that had engulfed northwest
Faerûn.
Meanwhile, Sylora stood with Jestry Rallevin, an Ashmadai
zealot and the sorceress’s new lieutenant, in front of the significantly
weakened Dread Ring. The lich Szass Tam, the supreme ruler of Thay, appeared
in the Dread Ring and informed Sylora that he was displeased with her efforts
and was prepared to destroy her for her failure. Before Szass Tam could kill
Sylora and Jestry, the insane lich Valindra Shadowmantle
arrived at the Dread Ring. Although deranged, Valindra had moments of clarity
and cunning, which she used to convince Szass Tam to spare the pair’s lives. As
a result, Szass Tam gave Sylora a magical wand that allowed her to channel the
powers of the Dread Ring, and he commanded the sorceress to destroy the city of
Neverwinter
and use the carnage to complete the Dread Ring. Unbeknownst to her allies,
Valindra was in possession of the disembodied spirit of the vampire Korvin
Dor'crae, and she used his ghost as her own personal spy. When Valindra sensed
an unusual entity on the southern outskirts of Neverwinter and decided to
investigate, Sylora ordered a group of Ashmadai to accompany the lich on her
mission. Sylora sent Jestry with the band to attend and watch over Valindra, and
she tempted the Ashmadai warrior with the promise of making him her lover.
When he learned that Sylora’s plans
had been thwarted in Gauntlgrym, the Shadovar tiefling Herzgo Alegni, the commander
of the Netherese forces in Neverwinter Wood, reprimanded Barrabus the Gray, his
chief assassin, for failing to carry out his orders to kill the Thayan
sorceress. Barrabus explained that Sylora was too well guarded and suggested
that if his magical dagger, an emerald-studded weapon that could steal an
individual’s life force, was returned to him, he might be able to accomplish
the task. Alegni ignored Barrabus’s request and sent the assassin to discover
if the Ashmadai were preparing to assault Neverwinter. Although Barrabus had an
intense hatred for Alegni, he was forced to serve the Netherese lord because his
life force was tied to the tiefling’s magical sword, Charon’s Claw. 
When Drizzt and Dahlia reached the
outskirts of Luskan, they decided to take a detour to the farmlands so that the
drow could learn of their condition. The two companions discovered that the farmlands
were mostly abandoned, but they eventually found a decrepit farmhouse that was occupied
by a woman named Meg and her five children. Drizzt was going to help the
impoverished family by giving them money, but Dhalia stopped him from doing so because
she knew that the charity would only bring unwanted attention onto the farmers.
The couple left the farmhouse with more of Drizzt’s moral values being
questioned. 
Meanwhile, Sylora used the power of
the wand that she had been given to magically construct a fortress, which she
named Ashenglade, in Neverwinter Wood. When the stronghold was completed, Sylora
prepared to continue her campaign against Neverwinter and the Netherese. Once
Valindra and the group of Ashmadai reached their destination, the lich met the
entity that she had been seeking, a mysterious woman named Arunika, who was actually
a succubus and a representative of the Abolethic Sovereignty. Arunika informed
Valindra that the Sovereignty would be willing to ally with the Thayans in
their war against the Netherese, and she also promised that the aboleths would
help the lich with her insanity. Around that time, Barrabus arrived in
Neverwinter on behalf of the Shadovar and offered to help the people of the city
defend themselves when the Ashamadai zealots attacked. The citizens of
Neverwinter were at first skeptical, but Barrabus reminded them that the Netherese
had protected the city before the primordial cataclysm in 1451 DR and that he
himself had lived through the destruction by seeking cover underneath the settlement’s
prominent bridge.
After their visit to the farmlands,
Drizzt and Dahlia entered Luskan, but the elf woman chose not to magically disguise
herself until after they passed through the city gates. Consequently, Dahlia
was recognized as the individual who had killed the High Captain of Ship
Renthor, one of the five factions of Luskan, over a decade earlier. Drizzt and
Dahlia made their way to the apartment of their drow companion Jarlaxle
Baenre in order to see if he and the dwarf warrior Athrogate had survived the
adventure in Gauntlgrym. The pair could find no sign of their missing comrades
and were soon attacked by pirates and thugs who served Ship Renthor, which sought
revenge on Dahlia. Although Drizzt and Dahlia fought valiantly against the
large number of enemies, defeat seemed a possibility until the arrival of a
force from Ship Kurth, one of Luskan’s other factions, led by the skilled
assassin Beniago. Drizzt noticed that Beniago seemed to possess the jewel-encrusted
dagger of his old nemesis, the assassin Artemis Entreri, but he concluded that his
mind was deceiving him and it had to be a different weapon.
Sylora continued to gather her Ashmadai
and ashen zombie forces at Ashenglade when Hadencourt, a malebranche (also
known as a war devil) in the service of Szass arrived at the newly constructed
fortress. Sylora assigned Hadencourt the task of journeying north and
destroying Dahlia before the elf warrior could interfere with the sorceress’s
plans. Sylora then assembled a small contingent of her forces to attack Neverwinter.
While Valindra led Sylora’s minions in assaulting the city, Sylora and Jestry visited
Arunika, who promised them the assistance of the Abolethic Sovereignty. During
the attack on Neverwinter, Barrabus fought alongside the city’s citizens and inflicted
many casualties on the enemy force. At a predetermined time, Alegni led his
Shadovar soldiers into the battle and easily defeated the horde of Ashmadai and
zombies. However, instead of Alegni being regarded as the hero of Neverwinter,
the people of the city cheered for Barrabus, who suggested that the prominent bridge
be renamed after him. Following the victory over the Thayan forces, the Netherese
began to reestablish their presence and power in Neverwinter.
After they were rescued, Drizzt and
Dahlia were taken to the stronghold of Ship Kurth and offered an alliance with
the faction, which they were forced to conditionally accept. Once the two
returned to Jarlaxle’s apartment, the conversation they had ended with them becoming
lovers. While Drizzt was asleep, Dahlia secretly left the apartment to steal a
valuable diamond from the jeweler of Ship Kurth. However, when Dahlia
infiltrated the jeweler’s shop, she was confronted by Beniago, who had been
awaiting her arrival. Dahlia soon found herself in a desperate battle against
Beniago, who wielded a magical life-stealing dagger, in a room that was rigged with
floor traps that she did not know. Although defeat was inevitable after Dahlia
was injured and poisoned by one of the traps, she continued to fight the
assassin. Dahlia was saved by Drizzt, who forced Beniago to flee the jeweler’s
shop, and the couple immediately made their escape from Luskan. When Dahlia then
fell unconscious because of the poison, Drizzt took her to the farmhouse that the
two had previously visited and begged Meg for help. The farmer woman told
Drizzt that she would notify the local herb man, but that they would need a
dose of the poison to create an antidote. Drizzt returned to Luskan and traded
the antidote from Beniago for the promise that the drow warrior would support him
in the future once the assassin had taken the title of High Captain of Ship
Kurth. Drizzt returned to the farmhouse in time to save Dahlia, who had been very
close to death.
Once Dahlia’s health was restored, she
and Drizzt journeyed south toward Neverwinter Wood and encountered Hadencourt,
who disguised himself and posed as a friend. Hadencourt soon revealed himself
and attacked the two companions, and he summoned several legion devils and
spined devils from the Nine Hells to assist him. Drizzt and Dahlia killed a few
of the malebranche’s minions, but they were eventually forced to flee. The
couple hoped that they had escaped from the devils, but the spirit of Dor'crae tracked
them down and informed Hadencourt where they were. When battle was once again
joined, Drizzt and Dahlia managed to kill the lesser devils serving Hadencourt,
and the malebranche himself was impaled against a tree by Andahar, who had been
summoned by the dark elf. As Hadencourt was dying, he promised to get revenge on
Drizzt, who tauntingly told the war devil that he should join forces with Errtu, a balor who wanted vengeance
on the drow ranger.
In Neverwinter Wood, Alegni was visited
by his master, Draygo Quick, a Netherese warlock and lord. Draygo demanded that
Alegni complete his conquest of the region and defeat the forces of Thay, and he
also commanded his young apprentice, a misshapen tiefling warlock named Effron,
to assist Alegni. Although Alegni and Effron openly despised each other, they
had no choice but to work together. Meanwhile, Sylora and Valindra met with the
Sovereignty ambassador in an underground cavern near Neverwinter. The aboleth
helped with Valindra’s mental state, and an alliance of convenience was formed
between the Thayans and the Sovereignty. Jestry was later brought to the aboleth
ambassador and magically transformed with enchanted umber hulk skin. The
process was lethal, it would kill Jestry within a year, but he was transformed
into a mindless, feral slave whose sole purpose was to serve as Sylora’s champion
against Dahlia.
Also at that time, Alegni was
visited in Neverwinter by Arunika, who was called the Forest Sentinel by the citizens
of the city. Alegni was not able to discern Arunika’s true nature, and he
formed an alliance with the disguised succubus, who was manipulating both the
Shadovar and the Thayans. Alegni later used Charon’s Claw to inflict severe
pain on Barrabus as a punishment for the assassin having the bridge in
Neverwinter renamed after himself. Barrabus detested being a slave to Charon’s
Claw and Alegni, but he could not die even if he tried to kill himself because
the magical sword would either stop him or return him to life. Barrabus had no
hope for freedom except to kill Alegni or destroy Charon’s Claw, which he could
not do as long as the Netherese warlord wielded the blade. Shortly afterward,
the Thayans used a small force of umber hulks that served the Abolethic
Sovereignty for a subterranean assault on Neverwinter. Barrabus’s attacks were
largely ineffectual against the umber hulks, but Alegni slew two of the
monstrous creatures single-handed, winning him the admiration of the city’s
people. The umber hulks’ assault was ultimately repulsed, but the beasts had
already killed many of the citizens of Neverwinter. 
As Drizzt and Dahlia continued
their journey toward Neverwinter Wood, the drow began to share his past and recount
stories of his old companions. The couple was soon attacked by a group of Shadovar,
and Dahlia exhibited a brutality that Drizzt had never seen in her before and
did not understand. Dahlia’s actions reminded Drizzt that there was much that
he did not know about her. Meanwhile, Barrabus and Effron were assigned to work
together and hunt down Ashmadai in Neverwinter Wood. When the pair encountered
a small band of Ashmadai led by Jestry, Barrabus took the majority of the risk
and engaged Sylora’s champion while Effron used his magic to easily kill the
other zealots. Barrabus was a more skilled fighter than Jestry, but the
Thayan’s new armor proved to be more formidable than even the assassin’s own enchanted
weapons, and he was forced to flee. After the battle, Alegni learned that
Dahlia was making her way to Neverwinter Wood in the company of Drizzt. Effron then
revealed to Alegni that he knew Dahlia’s real name: Dahlia Syn'dalay of the
Snakebrook clan. This information enraged Alegni because he now knew that Dahlia
was actually a young elf whom he had raped and impregnated years earlier, and
who had thrown their child from a cliff soon after it was born. Hoping to use
the situation to his advantage, Barrabus volunteered to journey out alone to
kill Dahlia and Drizzt.
Barrabus knew of Drizzt’s prowess
and believed that if he could get the drow warrior to fight Alegni, he could bring
about the tiefling’s death. Barrabus devised a plan to capture Dahlia alive and
force Drizzt to battle Alegni, but when the assassin ambushed the elf woman, he
was immediately subdued by Drizzt. The drow ranger looked at Barrabus and was
stunned to recognize the face of Entreri,
whom he had thought long dead. Drizzt did not believe that Barrabus was
actually Entreri, but he was soon convinced when the assassin revealed intimate
knowledge about the dark elf that only he would have known. Drizzt proposed a
truce among the three, suggesting that they work together to kill Sylora, but he
and Dahlia were not certain that they could trust Entreri. The assassin then told
Drizzt that he had grown bored with him long ago and no longer held a vendetta.
To Dahlia, Entreri explained that his mission to assassinate or capture her was
nothing personal, and that killing Sylora would achieve both of their goals. As
a final act of trust, Entreri unexpectedly attacked Drizzt and held a knife to the
drow’s throat, but then drew back the weapon without harming him, showing that the
assassin had no intention of harming the ranger. Both Drizzt and Entreri were
surprised at how pleased that they were to see each other alive, although it
was for different reasons.
Once Drizzt, Dahlia, and Entreri journeyed
to Ashenglade, they engaged the Ashmadai and zombie guards who served Sylora.
The three formidable companions were assisted by Guenhwyvar and killed a large
number of the sorceress’s minions as they fought their way through the
fortress. After the trio reached Sylora’s tower at the center of Ashenglade,
Drizzt used his magical bow Taulmaril to battle the sorceress from afar while
Dahlia engaged Jestry in single combat. Even though Dahlia was a proficient
warrior, she realized that she could not achieve victory over Jestry, but the mummified
zealot was eventually defeated when Entreri joined the fight. Valindra still
suffered from some mental instability and spent the majority of the battle
watching from afar. After Dahlia and Entreri attacked Sylora directly, the
sorceress recognized her imminent doom and used a magical cloak to flee the
fortress, but Drizzt and his comrades pursued her to the edge of the Dread
Ring. In her desperation, Sylora attempted to use more of the Dread Ring’s energy,
but she realized that she had taken too much of the necromantic area’s power.
Sylora quickly succumbed to the combined attacks of Drizzt, Dahlia, and Guenhwyvar.
In the aftermath of the battle,
Entreri told Drizzt and Dahlia that he had to return to Neverwinter, as he was compelled
to serve Alegni. After Dahlia learned that Alegni, her most hated foe, was the
leader of the Shadovar in Neverwinter, she declared that she would have worked
with Sylora had she known. Entreri was thrilled to discover this information
and hoped to use Dahlia’s hatred of Alegni to coax the elf warrior and Drizzt
into aiding him in acquiring his freedom from the Netherese lord. Dahlia had considered
that her business in the region was finished because Sylora was dead, but once she
learned about Alegni, she vowed to kill the tiefling.
Sylora’s life was preserved by the
power of the Dread Ring, but before she could do anything, Jestry returned as
an undead creature under the control of Valindra and brutally killed the
sorceress on the lich’s orders. Meanwhile, Effron and Alegni contemplated
Dahlia and shared a hatred of the elf woman even greater than their enmity for
each other.
==Index==
===Characters===
====Main characters====
*Drizzt Do'Urden, drow ranger
*Dahlia Sin'felle, elven warrior of Thay
====Supporting characters====
*Barrabus the Gray/Artemis Entreri, human shade
*Effron the Twisted, tiefling warlock
*Herzgo Alegni, tiefling leader of the Shadovar
*Jestry Rallevin, servant to Sylora Salm
*Sylora Salm, leader of the Ashmadai
*Valindra Shadowmantle, lich
====Minor characters====
*Andahar, unicorn
*Brother Anthus, a monk
*Arunika, succubus
*Ben the Brewer, an herbalist outside Luskan
*Beniago, assassin and second of Ship Kurth
*Boofie McLaddin, guard in Luskan
*Draygo Quick, Netherese lord
*Furey, historian of Ship Kurth
*Jelvus Grinch, guard in Neverwinter
*Klutarch, advisor to Ship Kurth
*Korvin Dor'crae, vampire
*High Captain Kurth
*Hadencourt, a malebranche
*Hartouchen Rethnor, a High Captain
*Meg, a farmer's wife
*Sovereignty Ambassador, an aboleth
*Stuyles, a farmer-turned-bandit
*Szass Tam, lich leader of Thay
*Therfus Handydoer, wizard and second of Ship Rethnor
====Mentioned characters====
*Athrogate
*Argyle, Effron's mentor
*Borlann the Crow, former High Captain of Ship Rethnor
*Cadderly Bonaduce
*Catti-brie
*Innovindil
*Jarlaxle
===Locations===
*Dread Ring
*Neverwinter
*Luskan
*Neverwinter Wood: Ashenglade
===Creatures===
* Aboleth
* Lich
* Malebranche
* Mummy
* Umber hulk
* Vampire
* Zombie
===Artifacts===
* Cracker and Whacker
* Charon's Claw
* Kozah's Needle
* Stormcatcher band
==Appendix==
===Notes===
The title of the novel was originally Neverwinter Wood.
===Gallery===
File:Neverwinter Wood.jpg|Early cover image
File:Neverwinter novel.jpg|Published cover image
===References===
Category:Novels
Category:Books
Category:Works by R.A. Salvatore
Category:Published in 2011
Category:Published in 2012