Auckney

**Auckney** was a small fiefdom near the Spine of the World. It was ruled by the noble Auck family. Because its cold location was somewhat removed from busy trade routes, it was not often visited.

## Geography

Auckney was located on the Cold Run. The village hugged a small, round harbor that was dominated by an island topped by Castle Auck. Sea cliffs lined the southern edge of the harbor and beyond the village's farms was the steep Maerlon Mountain.

## Description

The village was constantly beset by fog and strong, cold wind. An abandoned lighthouse sat on a cliff to the north of the harbor. Villagers said they could sometimes hear a woman screaming from inside the tower.

In part because of its location in the harbor, Castle Auck was removed from the village. The castle, which had two 15-foot-tall towers and a 12-room house, itself was built in the 8th century DR by the Dorigast family. However, the Auck family had reigned there for more than 400 years. In addition to the Auck family themselves and their steward, half a dozen servants and ten guards lived or worked in the castle.

The Lord of Auckney ran a number of towers surrounding the fiefdom. When a flag flew above the tower, it was manned by a handful of soldiers.

## Demographics

In about 1369 DR, Auckney had a population of around 200, most living in the village around the harbor or on surrounding farms. Auckney was mostly inhabited by humans, but a population of gnomes settled there, having to work extra hard to be accepted by its human inhabitants. For that reason, the gnomes of Auckney were known for their work ethic.

## Notable inhabitants

* Colson, the girl rescued by Wulfgar while still a baby.
* Feringal Auck, Lord of Auckney ca. 1369 DR.
* Tristan Auck, former Lord of Auckney.
* Priscilla Auck, Feringal's older sister.
* Temigast, steward to Lord Feringal.
* Liam Woodgate, a gnomish carriage driver
* Meralda Ganderlay, Colson's true mother who married Feringal.
* Jaka Sculi, Colson's true father.
* Soth, a scholar encountered at the Wyrm's Tooth glacier.
* Kieran Nye, owner and bartender of the Whistling Gallows inn in Lonelywood

## Appendix

### Notes

1. ↑ Auckney was a tiny settlement, and in *The Spine of the World*, it was noted that it "rarely showed up on any maps". In the maps that include Auckney, its position is often switched with Fireshear. In the map in the novel, Auckney is south of Fireshear. However, in the text it says "Occasionally a ship — often a fisherman caught in a gale out of Fireshear *to the south* — would drift into the small harbor around Auckney." This would imply that Fireshear is actually to the south of Auckney, and is supported by other statements in the text. In the other maps, such as the *Forgotten Realms Interactive Atlas*, Auckney is to the north of Fireshear, and this is also true in the *Legacy of the Crystal Shard*. However, in *A Reader's Guide to R. A. Salvatore's the Legend of Drizzt*, Auckney is positioned to the south. By considering the actual text in the original source, and the collection of maps, it would seem as if Auckney is to the north of Fireshear. As not much is known of this little, inconsequential town, it is possible that the cartographers made a mistake or assumed its position based on its rough location.

### Appearances

Novels

* *Spine of the World*
* *The Orc King*
* *The Companions*

### References

1. ↑ R.A. Salvatore, Jeffrey Ludwig, Matthew Sernett, James Wyatt (November 19, 2013). “Campaign Book”. *Legacy of the Crystal Shard* (Wizards of the Coast), pp. {{#regex:56–58|%(,)(\S)%|$1 $2}}. ISBN 978-0-7869-6464-2.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Philip Athans (2008). *A Reader's Guide to R. A. Salvatore's the Legend of Drizzt*. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 97. ISBN 0-7869-4915-5.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Philip Athans (2008). *A Reader's Guide to R. A. Salvatore's the Legend of Drizzt*. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 96. ISBN 0-7869-4915-5.
4. ↑ R.A. Salvatore (July 2003). *The Thousand Orcs*. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 66. ISBN 978-0786929801.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Philip Athans (2008). *A Reader's Guide to R. A. Salvatore's the Legend of Drizzt*. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 136. ISBN 0-7869-4915-5.
6. ↑ R.A. Salvatore (January 1998). *The Spine of the World*. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ??. ISBN 0-7869-1180-8.
7. ↑ Black Isle Studios (June 2000). Designed by Matt Norton. *Icewind Dale*. Interplay.
8. ↑ Black Isle Studios (February 2001). Designed by Chris Avellone, Steve Bokkes, John Deiley, J.E. Sawyer. *Icewind Dale: Heart of Winter*. Interplay.