Dev Blog Written by: Bryan Yarrow, Content Designer

Kessell's Retreat is a new type of content called an "Epic Skirmish,” providing players with an amped-up version of the Skirmish experience. Inside you'll find greater challenges than you'd find in a normal Skirmish, but you'll also find powerful and unique rewards. 

The skirmish itself opens with players having trekked up the slopes of Kelvin's Cairn to the entrance of an old dwarven fortress. Built by the Battlehammer clan, the fortress has now been taken over by Akar Kessell and his black ice-corrupted servants. Once inside, players will have to fight their way through Kessell's vicious army: Bear Tribe barbarians, both living and undead, and a host of other creatures that have been corrupted by the black ice. 

At the heart of the fortress, a dwarven tower has been encrusted with huge amounts of black ice. Inside, Akar Kessell himself awaits, flanked by his most deadly servants. While Kessell is an extremely powerful foe, those who have read “The Crystal Shard” know that his power has a tendency to be his own undoing. We've recreated that possibility in Kessell's Retreat -- with the right tactics, players can turn some of Kessell's own spells against him. 

The new epic skirmish can be unlocked through the Icewind Dale Campaign; however players must properly prepare for battle before entering. Without the right protection, even the mightiest adventurers will not last long. To enter Kessell’s Retreat, players must ensure they have an adequate amount of Black Ice Resistance, meaning that they’ll need to acquire several pieces of Corrupted or Purified Black Ice equipment. 

Kessell is well-protected, and overthrowing the Tyrant of Icewind Dale will be no easy task. Adventurers will need to turn the black ice to their own advantage, fight their way through Kessell's fortress, and finally confront and defeat the vile wizard in his own lair. The rewards for doing so will be powerful and unique, but more on that later.

Are you ready to battle Kessell and his black ice-corrupted servants? Let us know in the official Neverwinter Forums. 

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