Purple Dragons The Purple Dragons were the famous military of Cormyr that were renowned for their discipline , skill , and loyalty . The Purple Dragons were considered to be one of the strongest armies in the Realms , and were well renowned for their heroism and acts of valor in the field of combat . They ranged from young nobles who joined as officers to farmers who joined as Blades . The well - disciplined army was made possible through Cormyr ' s military and hierarchical heritage . Recruitment and training . All loyal Cormyrean citizens were eligible to join the Purple Dragons by taking an oath . Although the oath was available to non - humans provided they are Cormyrean citizens , extra measures may have been imposed on non - humans to ensure their loyalty , due to the fact that Cormyr was predominantly human . Nobles were actively expected to take the oath , and would generally be given positions of leadership . Non - nobles would form part of the militia with an initial service of two years . The first six months consisted of an extensive training regime , before starting active duty , such as patrolling Cormyr ' s borders or guarding its cities and towns . After the two - year service came to an end , the Purple Dragon may choose to continue his or her role , or return to his or her former life . In times of conflict the individual could be called back into service . Training could take one of three paths , including basic combat training , leadership training , or training in the protection of key personnel , often War Wizards . Training was conducted in a range of weapons , and covered subjects such as defense of others and battlefield awareness , in addition to basic combat training . Ranks . The Purple Dragons had specific titles for the members of their army , listed here from lowest to highest . Other titles and positions included : The Lord High Marshall in 1374 DR , also known as the Warden of the North , was Lord Dauneth Marliir . Lord Marliir was commissioned by the King for his loyalty and dedication to the Crown . He was based in the city of Arabel , where his personal estate lay . History . Cormyr used to be part of the woodland empire of Myth Drannor , where elves and dragons fought for dominance . The black dragon Thauglor was one of the most prominent dragon s , and contested the elves for the land . However , Thauglor was so old that his scales had begun to age and appear to be purple colored . The elves defeated the dragon Thauglor and took the land for themselves . It was from the purple tinged scales of the defeated Thauglor that the Purple Dragons took their name . The Purple Dragons as an organization were originally a group of noble rebels led by King Duar " Longyears " , striving for three years to retake Cormyr from the pirate lord Magrath the Minotaur and the traitors that had allied themselves with him . The group consisted of Elvarin Crownsilver , Glorin Truesilver , Omalra Dracohorn , Dintheron Bleth , and Jotor Turcassan ( the only Turcassan to remain loyal to the king ) . Those five were led by Duar and Amedahast , who also had a dwindling number of rank - and - file soldiers following them . The increasingly rag - tag band had found great difficulty in re - taking the nation even though they had the full support of Cormyr ' s commoners . In 432 DR , another loyalist unit had managed to take High Horn and the soldiers inside agreed to pledge themselves to the king if the Purple Dragons could win a single victory by themselves . Duar and Amedahast chose the remote Dheolur , the hold of one of the traitorous noble families . With the help of a farmer named Dhedluk ( whom Dheolur was later renamed after ) , and Threena Cormaeril , the group stormed the main building . Magrath was being entertained there at the time , which allowed King Duar to kill the minotaur . This dealt a crippling blow to the traitors and earned the Dragons the allegiance of High Horn ' s troops , who helped to quickly bring the realm under Duar ' s rightful control . Although not explicitly stated , the royal army was most likely named in honor of this group .