Callidyrr dragoons

The Callidyrr dragoons were elite guards and knights in service to the High Kings of Callidyrr on the Moonshae Isles during the 15 century DR. To receive the title of "dragoon" was to be acknowledged for exceptional service to the crown.
==Activities==
Dragoons were members of the High King's guard and dedicated defenders of the realm, often hailed as champions of all Alaron. They were not part of Callidyrr's army (as were ordinary knights of the realm), but instead were sent in small numbers on special missions. Their tasks sometimes involved subterfuge, and so dragoons received special instruction in espionage and diplomacy. They were said to train equally in the skills of violent and nonviolent conflict resolution.
Callidyrr dragoons had the great honor of being able to speak with the authority of the High King, both figuratively and magically. They thus held great authority throughout Callidyrr, and furthermore had direct access to their monarch at the Palace of the High King in Caer Callidyrr. Needless to say, dragoons were expected to operate in good faith and with unwavering loyalty to the High King in exchange for the great privileges that they enjoyed. All dragoons vowed to serve their king and country, and took an oath administered by the Royal Hierophant, which bound them via a geas to the honored ancestors of Callidyrr. Violating this oath caused the fallen dragoon to permanently lose their memories.
==Abilities==
In addition to their training in diplomacy and physical fitness, dragoons were proficient with martial weapons and in mounted combat. They were also renowned for their tactical acumen and their familiarity with combat stratagems, with some developing an uncanny ability to predict and disrupt the movements of their melee opponents.
The words of a dragoon were infused with spiritual power by the noble Ffolk ancestors of Callidyrr, which caused their every verbal declaration to carry the weight of a royal decree or guarantee. Naturally, this led them to command respect from any who heard them, and made the dragoons highly influential, persuasive, and intimidating. In some cases, their voices allowed them to bestow power or comfort to their allies. The vows of more experienced dragoons could also be used to forge primal connections with others that allowed the dragoon to protect them, a power known as dragoon warding.
The mightiest dragoons were recognized by the Ffolk ancestors themselves as true knights of Callidyrr, and so would come to their aid if summoned. Such a dragoon summons was conducted by the dragoon focusing their will and letting out a traditional battlecry, which caused the arrival of a ghostly ancestral defender.
==History==
The first knights to be recognized as "dragoons" received this honor from High Queen Alicia Kendrick in the , when forces from Amn occupied Westphal and all efforts to dislodge them had failed. These dragoons were tasked with clandestinely battling the invaders, but subsequently became instrumental in putting down insurrections backed by loyalists of Lionel Carrathal after High Queen Kendrick died mysteriously (and was believed to have been poisoned) in the .Canon sources do not explicitly identify the insurgents during this event, but Brian R. James clarified in a Tweet that they were "Carrathal loyalists".
Despite failing to defeat the Amnians or to protect their queen, the dragoons earned a proud and valorous reputation throughout the following decades. Notably, they repelled sahuagin invasions, thwarted multiple assassination attempts, and defended the realm from the likes of giants and lycanthropes. They were also instrumental in brokering the tenuous peace between Callidyrr and the fey of Sarifal, which held through the late 15 century DR.
==Members==
To be named as a dragoon was to become a knight of Callidyrr (if the honoree was not one already). Dragoons were expected to be disciplined athletes, learned diplomats, and selfless protectors of both the realm and their allies alike. While dragoons were known to have a wide variety of skills, most were mighty close-quarters or mounted combatants, and generally had been fighters, paladins, or wardens prior to becoming dragoons. Higher ranks within the organization were awarded to those who had attained great respect among their allies, whether because of their experience or their extensive training.
Most dragoons were Ffolk humans or halflings, if for no other reason than Callidyrr's population was mostly human and halfling. While it was not inconceivable for heroes of other heritages to become a Callidyrr dragoon, anyone with strong fey ancestry was not welcome within their ranks, owing to the longstanding animosity between Callidyrr and the fey of Gwynneth.
==Appendix==
===Notes===
===References===
Category:Character themes (4e)
Category:Knighthoods
Category:Titles
Category:Military organizations
Category:Organizations in Caer Callidyrr
Category:Organizations in Callidyrr
Category:Organizations on Alaron
Category:Organizations in the Moonshae Isles
Category:Organizations in the Trackless Sea
Category:Organizations in West Faerûn
Category:Organizations in Faerûn
Category:Organizations on Toril
Category:Year of Metropolises