Campaign Theme: Strangers in a Strange Land

My thinking on the next campaign for the work game has evolved somewhat - while I am indeed going to go for Icewind Dale as the setting, my intended theme is instead "Strangers in a Strange Land".

Tying the PCs in to this theme is relatively easy - none of the PCs will be native to the Dale, and each player will therefore be asked to answer one key question: given that Icewind Dale is a fairly inhospitable place, why do they stay there? (The reason for them being there in the first place is rather easier, since that's the hook for the first adventure...)

The rest of the theme for the adventure will play out in two ways: through the locations and the key NPCs, where each will be marked by being in some way 'strange' - whether it's the frozen wastes of the Dale (where I will make heavy use of "Frostburn"), or the invading forces from elsewhere, or the villains whose motivations and psychology are not necessarily entirely comprehensible.

Basically, I think there's a lot to work with there, and potentially a bit more than my previous idea for a theme (loss). Still, we'll see how it goes.

Now to actually put it together!