Cormyr

The mighty human country of Cormyr lies nestled on the edge of the Cormanthor forest, south of the Anauroch. Owing to its location & access to verdant farmlands, it is one of the wealthiest nations in all of Toril. The pride and benevolence of Cormyrean citizens is known far and wide.

Sadly, recent political events have begun to change that perception. Now it falls to the loyal men and women of Cormyr... and a few friends along the way... to bring justice to the forest kingdom.

## Challenge Passwords

When Cormyrean war wizards approach the group, they may challenge them as strangers and outsiders. They may challenge using one of the following passwords. The party must be ready to reply.

* “Red night,” to which the war wizard replies “Gray dawn,” whereupon you add “And brighter morning!”
* “Thorn’s keep falls,” to which the war wizard replies either “Forever or No more.” If she (or he) says “Forever,” your reply is “By the grace of the Nine!” and if she says “No more,” you say “As dreamed of.”
* “Black sword,” to which the war wizard replies “Meets green shield,” where- upon you say, To make red war.”
* Drop the phrase “Seven eyes around the throne” to denote a personal, top- secret mission for the leadership of Cormyr. If a war wizard says “Brightstar!” to you at any time, instantly reply, “But the well is dark!”

## Houses Pledged to the Talcontins

These houses have pledged public fealty to Dana Talcontin, Prince Regent:

* Cormaerils of Arabel and Suzail
	+ Exiled & stripped of lands for involvement in the Abraxus Affair, recently re-instated by Crown Prince Talcontin
	+ Largest landowners in Cormyr
* Dauntinghorns of Suzail
* Dracohorns of Suzail and Saerloon
* Emmarasks of Suzail
* Huntsilvers of the Royal House of Cormyr
* Illances of Marsember and Suzail

## Neutral Houses

These houses walk a delicate political balance, in order to withhold the strength of their noble house guard.

* Crownsilvers of the Royal House of Cormyr
* Roaringhorns of Suzail and of Waterdeep
* Rowanmantles of Suzail and once of Tilverton
* Silverswords of Suzail
* Thunderswords of Starwater Meadow
* Truesilvers of the Royal House of Cormyr and of Marsember

## Loyalists

These houses stand against the Talcontin regime and have lost their lands and titles as a result:

* Hardcastles of Cormyr
* Marliirs of Arabel
	+ Former rulers of Arabel
	+ Lord Dauneth, Warden of the East Marches
* Rallyhorns of Cormyr
* Rondhams of Suzail
* Skatterhawks of Cormyr
* Wyvernspurs of Immersea
* Vaylans of Arabel
	+ Lady Kestrel

## Cormyrean Slang & Epithets

* **Count:** A defunct title, equivalent in rank to earl. Now used derisively to refer to the useless husband of a noblewoman of any rank.
* **Highnose:** An effete or snooty noble.

* **Lackshield:** A Purple Dragon that has been stripped of rank. Or, a noble in command of Purple Dragons who holds no true rank.

* **Oldblood:** Said of a noble house of great age and respected reputation.

* **Red Dragon:** A traitor to the kingdom (from the device of Salember, the Rebel Prince, or more recently the dread elf dragon Nalavara).

* **Shifty as a Sembian:** A manipulator or double dealer, particularly when it comes to business.
* **Spellbeggar:** A War Wizard’s insulting term for clerics and other divine spellcasters.

* **Swordlord:** A respected Purple Dragon officer (or a noble serving as commander of Purple Dragons); used to elevate the subject in the eyes of the listener.

## Recent Events

* **1371 DR, 1st Hammer:** Cormyr is plunged into the horrors of the Goblinoid War. Orcs, goblins, and foul Uthgardt tribesmen assault the forest kingdom at the behest of the wicked elf-dragon Nalavara.
* **1371 DR, 13th Hammer:** In the midst of the Goblinoid war, Princess Tanalasta gives birth to a boy named Azoun, fifth of his name. The boy succumbs to illness before the month is out, and Tanalasta, heir apparent, remains childless.
* **1371 DR, 15th Kythorn:** King Azoun IV slays Nalavara in battle, but at the cost of his own life. His eldest daughter, Tanalasta Obarskyr, unwillingly takes the crown, while younger Princess Alusair leads an army of Purple Dragon Knights to sweep the forest kingdom clean of all goblinkin.
* **1372 DR, 2nd Mirtul:** Queen Tanalasta announces her betrothal to Dana of the noble house Talcontin. The marriage is widely regarded as one of political expedience.
* **1373 DR:** The Cormyrean city of Arabel is all but destroyed by the drow sorceress Semira Sha'andra. Semira's possession of a fabled artifact, the Crown of Lolth, allowed her to summon an army of spiders to overwhelm and ensnare the city. Semira's assault was thwarted by a drow wizard known as Talis Webweaver,but his deeds do not take hold by an already elf-weary human populace. The Baron of Arabel, Dauneth Marliir, leads the repair efforts while trying in vain to counteract the anti-elven sentiment that begins to brew in his city.
* **1373 DR:** Thultanthar, the City of Shade, returns to Faerun after a thousand years in the Shadowfell. It proceeds to assault the countries surrounding the lands once known as the Netheril Empire, and many Cormyrean cities are bombarded by the floating city's devastating rain of arcane bombs.
* **1375 DR, Ches:** The Purple Dragon Knights of Cormyr are dispersed throughout neighboring lands by order of Queen Tanalasta. These honorable and vaunted knights, once guardians to kings and nobles, now find themselves guarding small villages and rundown farmland under the 'auspices' of defending the weak. Any discontent by the loyal dragon knights is easily outweighed by their loyalty to the Kingdom of Cormyr.
* **1375 DR, Eleasias:** The royal court of Queen Tanalasta announces that the queen is once again with child. At a royal banquet celebrating the news, the archwizard Vangerdahast falls ill. That night, the wizard enters a deep slumber from which he has yet to awaken. The next day, Alusair Nacacia Obarskyr, the Mithril Princess, goes missing in the Western Stormhorns. She has not been heard from since.
* **1376 DR, Late Mirtul:** Queen Tanalasta becomes bedridden while awaiting the birth of her child. She accepts no visitors. Prince Dana assumes the regency in her stead.
* **1376 DR, 1st Kythorn:** By order of Prince Dana Talcontin, the Purple Dragon Knights is officially disbanded. They are to be replaced by the War Wizards, who shall be bolstered forthwith by a faction of spellcasting loyalists known as the Cleanspells.
* **1376 DR, 3rd Kythorn:** By order of Prince Regent Dana Talcontin, all elf residents of Cormyr are formally notified that their lands will be repossessed and redistributed to worthy human owners.
* **1376 DR, 7th Kythorn:** Lord Randall Morn, ruler of the Dalelands, forms an alliance with Cormyr, allowing Cormyrean troops to march across Archenbridge into Sembia. Many shops in Archenbridge are ransacked during this passage, and dozens of local citizens are killed.
* **1376 DR, 9th Kythorn:** Cormyr announces an alliance with Lord Maalthiir, ruler of the xenophobic human city of Hillsfar. Expeditions into the eastern ruins of Myth Drannor are immediately started, with the objective of locating and pilfering the Tanthul Crater, where the floating city of Thultanthar crash landed.
* **1376 DR, 23rd Kythorn:** Cormyrean troops cross the Dragonmere attempting to occupy the coastal cities of Ilipur, Pros, and Teziir. Even now these three cities are mounting a valiant resistance, with the fate of Archenbridge fresh in memory.
* **1376 DR, 27th Kythorn:** The nation of Sembia signs a pact of non-agreession with Cormyr in order to halt any further incursion into their lands.
* **1376 DR, 8th Flamerule:** Queen Tanalasta Obarskyr dies in childbirth. The babe, a boy, is stillborn. Prince Regent Dana Talcontin begins to consolidate power from his palace in Suzail.