<font color="cyan">After prizing myself away from BG, I'm not on Chapter 5 of Icewind.

Now, I am a "fight every fight, do every quest, talk to everyone, explore every area kind of player". Upon entering the glacier, before I went into the palace of the Frost Salamanders, I went to the screen you access from the north-east of the screen.

There is of course the passage to the surface (i have since done this, and the cave to lower dorns deep. Upon entering lower Dorn's Deep, I discovered I was on Chapter 6. How could this be? I had only been on Chapter 5 around 5minutes real time.

Although I knew this was wrong, I reloaded my old game, and didnt go to this cave. But what if you are new to the series, and you think that negotiating the trolls on the glacier is the chapter? Your pretty much buggered.

The other query, is what if you dont get the book of off one of the slaves to repair the bridge? I did, but what if you don't and then free the slaves. Is it game over? What happens?

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Hmmm, good question. Someone had posted that the book you need to repair the bridge is dropped when the slaves are freed. I took care of the giants first and didn't encounter that problem. I assume that essential quest items (like the book and badges) do not disappear with time like other items do, but again I can't verify that from first hand experience.

<font color = lightgreen>No, you actually haven't done anything wrong. You can gain access to Lower Dorn's Deep at the same time you gain access to Wyrm's Tooth Glacier and the Museum. In fact, you could complete Lower Dorn's Deep first and then head back to the museum. You won't be able to finish the game without finding and collecting the badge from Wyrm's Tooth, though.
You must repair the bridge to finish the game; the book required to do this is "indestructible" and will stay in the museum library area until you pick it up. The guy holding the book drops it for you on his way out the door. :D </font>

Just to add (w/o trying to spoil) - the bridge leads to another area where you'll eventually obtain an item you'll need to finish the game.

If for some reason, the book is NOT there use the cheat codes to create it. As Hayashi points out, it is essential to visit the area across the bridge. There is an item there that MUST be obtained to finish the game.

<font color="cyan">I was just curious, but as I stated, I did get the book.

I completed the game today!!</font>