Lords' Alliance
The following information is sourced from Tyranny of Dragons.
“The Lords’ Alliance” is not a metaphor. This organization was created and is led by leaders and nobles from across Faerûn. Although many of its members have conflicting goals and long-standing rivalries outside the alliance, they band together in the face of events that are too big for any of them to handle on their own. The rulers of Waterdeep, Silverymoon, Baldur’s Gate, and other cities, families, and trading houses of the Sword Coast might never set aside their differences, but they can pull together when the survival of all depends on it.
The Lords’ Alliance represents the richest interests and the most powerful armies on the Sword Coast. The order controls wealth that can hire mercenaries, ensure the loyalty of wavering princes, and possibly even bribe villains to switch sides or break from their cause.
DM Notes
Even while they are working together, members of the Lords’ Alliance are always advancing their own interests. Everyone knows and expects it – it’s a fact of dealing with the alliance. That doesn’t mean member cities don’t cooperate and help each other in times of crisis. But if a crisis rearranges the power structure of the Sword Coast, all the players involved hope that the new order leaves them better off. For anyone to move up, someone else must move down.
Because the Lords’ Alliance is a confederation, the order sends seven delegates to their council meetings, each effectively representing their own faction. Their diverse character, motivations, and obligations ensure that they are not in agreement about threats facing Faerûn. Moreover, the standing of certain delegates changes from one council to the next.
Whenever a military campaign is underway, the Lords’ Alliance is likely to be in command. Even if it isn’t, alliance representatives will be on hand to observe and advise. If the characters find themselves in legal trouble, a councillor might come to the party’s aid with a writ of pardon.
Fighters and sorcerers are plentiful in the Lords’ Alliance, but the order takes on any character who feels at home in settled lands. Barbarians, rangers, and druids are seldom involved with this faction, which sometimes leads to strained relations with the Emerald Enclave.
Lords' Alliance NPC Templates
Name: Lady Laeral Silverhand
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Species: Human
Class: Wizard
Ideals: Creativity, respect ("We cannot stop what we do not understand.")
Interaction Traits: Quiet, curious
Resources: Waterdeep's army and conscript troops
Lady Laeral is the Open Lord of Waterdeep. She is one of the Seven Sisters - legendary, nigh-immortal figures known to have been blessed by Mystra. (Some even say they are the goddess' daughters.) Her spellcasting ability is impressive but is beginning to wane, and she focuses more on political power than on the arcane these days. She is the leader of the Lords' Alliance.
She brings centuries of leadership experience and an impressive reputation to the council negotiations. A consummate diplomat, she can wield words that wound or soothe with equal ease. As the Open Lord of Waterdeep, she holds great sway with all the other delegates except Dagult Neverember, who believes that she engineered his removal from the position of Open Lord.
Laeral's primary concern is keeping all parties at the negotiating table, and making sure that concrete actions result from each council's discussions. However, she is leery of committing troops to battle. No stranger to the horrors of war, she is keenly aware that the lands representing the Lords' Alliance need their soldiers for the protection of their own people.
Name: Lord Dagult Neverember
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Species: Human
Class: Fighter
Ideals: Moderation, responsibility ("The commoners need strong leaders to protect them - and to do what must be done even when it is distasteful.")
Interaction Traits: Honest
Resources: Neverwinter conscript troops, and mercenaries from around the world
Lord Neverember holds many titles and wears several crowns. He is Lord Protector of Neverwinter and was previously the Open Lord of Waterdeep. He looks the part of such an impressively titled figure: tall and broad-shouldered, with a thick beard, a wild mane of hair, and a forceful manner. Rarely seen without his hand around a glass of strong spirits, he is a master manipulator and looks and behaves as a king should.
Strong and decisive, Dagult acts always for the good of his subjects and realm - and in doing so, has consistently built up his own power and wealth. Unfortunately for him, the Masked Lords of Waterdeep have recently chosen to replace him as Open Lord and given the title to Lady Laeral Silverhand.
Dagult demands order and rewards discipline, but he is pragmatic and driven by results above all else. He knows that nothing comes without effort, and sacrifices must be made when necessary. Tireless in his actions, he never stops until he has achieved his goals. He will use any means at his disposal, as long as those means are legally justifiable - even when such justification must be "rediscovered" from long-forgotten or ignored laws.
Name: Ambassador Connerad Brawnanvil
Alignment: Lawful Good
Species: Shield Dwarf
Class: Fighter
Ideals: Honor, respect ("A sturdy axe, a strong hand to hold it, and a straight fight are all we dwarves need to end a problem.")
Interaction Traits: Hot-tempered, suspicious
Resources: Dwarf soldiers and dwarf-forged armaments and weapons
Son of Banak Brawnanvil and former king of Mithral Hall, Connerad acts as the Lords' Alliance delegate for the dwarves of the North, including Citadel Adbar and Citadel Felbarr. He is stubborn as a mule about committing troops anywhere but his homeland. The dwarven kingdoms in the North have lost many people in recent years, and the dwarves that remain are struggling to retain ancient lands only recently reclaimed.
Name: Marshal Ulder Ravengard
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Species: Human
Class: Fighter
Ideals: Responsibility, glory ("I am trusted with protecting thousands of lives, and I will not betray that trust no matter what my personal desires.")
Interaction Traits: Honest
Resources: Flaming Fist warriors and expert advisers to train conscript troops
Ulder Ravenguard is the leader of the Flaming Fist - the military might of Baldur's Gate. He has the greatest martial acumen of anyone on the council. He can also muster more soldiers than any other delegate, and he is not bashful about saying so. His place is at the head of the war council and the front of the battle.
Ravenguard is a stern warrior dedicated to discipline and results. Having risen through the ranks of the Flaming Fist by the might of his blade and the sharpness of his wits, he sometimes lacks sophistication and tact, but he possesses an unwavering commitment to the law. More comfortable working with soldiers than adventurers, Ravenguard is used to giving orders and having them obeyed without question. Though Baldur's Gate is still recovering from the havoc caused by the resurrection within the city of Bhaal, god of murder, the metropolis remains one of Faerûn's most populous, wealthy, and powerful cities. Ravenguard recognizes his duty to protect the city above all else, and the Flaming Fist's tired reserves are desperately needed for reconstruction and policing.
Name: King Melandrach
Alignment: True Neutral
Species: Wood Elf
Class: Fighter/Druid
Ideals: Balance, nation ("We elves were once the greatest civilization to grace Faerûn, and my people are heir to that history. I will not squander our waning strength.")
Interaction Traits: Quiet, arrogant
Resources: Elven eldritch knights
The King of the Misty Forest is the delegate for the elves of both the Misty Forest and the High Forest. Whereas his sons Alagarthas and Neronvain always rushed headlong into their own pursuits, Melandrach is more circumspect. He has led the elves of the Misty Forest since before most of their kind abandoned their lands in the Retreat. Despite the years of discussion and meditation that preceded it, Melandrach considered the Retreat a rash decision, and he is understandably hesitant to commit to any sudden course of action.
Name: Taern "Thunderpells" Hornblade
Alignment: Lawful Good
Species: Human
Class: Wizard
Ideals: Logic, greater good ("Calculated risks are necessary to win a war, and no one is likely to emerge unscathed.")
Interaction Traits: Ponderous, curious
Resources: The army of Silverymoon (the Knights of Silver) and Silverymoon conscript troops
Taern Hornblade has lived an unnaturally long life by consuming potions of longevity. The wizard led Silverymoon for many years as high mage, but eventually ceded control to Methrammar, leader of the city's army and son of its most famous ruler, Alustriel. Though Methrammar remains leader of Silverymoon and a member of the Lords' Alliance, he is to forthright and earnest to succeed as a diplomat. As such, Taern represents Silverymoon on the council instead.
Name: Sir Isteval
Alignment: Lawful Good
Species: Human
Class: Paladin
Ideals: Tradition, honour ("Against evil, we either stand together or fall alone. Who will stand with Cormyr?")
Interaction Traits: Honourable, wise, dour
Resources: The might of Cormyr, including Purple Dragon Knights and War Wizards
Sir Isteval is a former adventurer and Purple Dragon Knight of Cormyr. Though not an actual member of the Lords' Alliance, he is present at council meetings as the alliance's nominal representative for Daggerford. That small settlement can contribute little to the effort to defeat enemies of the alliance. However, in truth, Isteval has been drafted by Cormyr to gain insight into what conflicts are brewing on its western border.
Isteval has too much respect for the other delegates to hide this information from them, and he assures those present that his loyalties - to Daggerford, to Cormyr, to the Lords' Alliance, and to all good folk - are not at cross-purposes. This forthright approach nevertheless causes an uproar among other delegates.
A veteran dragon slayer, he bears a wound in his leg that resists magical healing, and he walks with a cane made from a bone of the green dragon that dealt him the injury. The paladin can be a helpful source of dragon lore, but his advice is always guarded. He sees his infirmity as a reminder from his god Lathander of the dangers of hubris. As befits his deity's ethos, Isteval has chosen to treat his injury as a reason to encourage the heroics of others even as his own legend fades. Still, at times like these when the world needs heroes, he doesn't like being reminded that he must watch the fight from the sidelines.
“The Lords’ Alliance” is not a metaphor. This organization was created and is led by leaders and nobles from across Faerûn. Although many of its members have conflicting goals and long-standing rivalries outside the alliance, they band together in the face of events that are too big for any of them to handle on their own. The rulers of Waterdeep, Silverymoon, Baldur’s Gate, and other cities, families, and trading houses of the Sword Coast might never set aside their differences, but they can pull together when the survival of all depends on it.
The Lords’ Alliance represents the richest interests and the most powerful armies on the Sword Coast. The order controls wealth that can hire mercenaries, ensure the loyalty of wavering princes, and possibly even bribe villains to switch sides or break from their cause.
DM Notes
Using the Lords’ Alliance
Even while they are working together, members of the Lords’ Alliance are always advancing their own interests. Everyone knows and expects it – it’s a fact of dealing with the alliance. That doesn’t mean member cities don’t cooperate and help each other in times of crisis. But if a crisis rearranges the power structure of the Sword Coast, all the players involved hope that the new order leaves them better off. For anyone to move up, someone else must move down.
Because the Lords’ Alliance is a confederation, the order sends seven delegates to their council meetings, each effectively representing their own faction. Their diverse character, motivations, and obligations ensure that they are not in agreement about threats facing Faerûn. Moreover, the standing of certain delegates changes from one council to the next.
Whenever a military campaign is underway, the Lords’ Alliance is likely to be in command. Even if it isn’t, alliance representatives will be on hand to observe and advise. If the characters find themselves in legal trouble, a councillor might come to the party’s aid with a writ of pardon.
Fighters and sorcerers are plentiful in the Lords’ Alliance, but the order takes on any character who feels at home in settled lands. Barbarians, rangers, and druids are seldom involved with this faction, which sometimes leads to strained relations with the Emerald Enclave.
Lords' Alliance NPC Templates
Name: Lady Laeral Silverhand
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Species: Human
Class: Wizard
Ideals: Creativity, respect ("We cannot stop what we do not understand.")
Interaction Traits: Quiet, curious
Resources: Waterdeep's army and conscript troops
Lady Laeral is the Open Lord of Waterdeep. She is one of the Seven Sisters - legendary, nigh-immortal figures known to have been blessed by Mystra. (Some even say they are the goddess' daughters.) Her spellcasting ability is impressive but is beginning to wane, and she focuses more on political power than on the arcane these days. She is the leader of the Lords' Alliance.
She brings centuries of leadership experience and an impressive reputation to the council negotiations. A consummate diplomat, she can wield words that wound or soothe with equal ease. As the Open Lord of Waterdeep, she holds great sway with all the other delegates except Dagult Neverember, who believes that she engineered his removal from the position of Open Lord.
Laeral's primary concern is keeping all parties at the negotiating table, and making sure that concrete actions result from each council's discussions. However, she is leery of committing troops to battle. No stranger to the horrors of war, she is keenly aware that the lands representing the Lords' Alliance need their soldiers for the protection of their own people.
Name: Lord Dagult Neverember
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Species: Human
Class: Fighter
Ideals: Moderation, responsibility ("The commoners need strong leaders to protect them - and to do what must be done even when it is distasteful.")
Interaction Traits: Honest
Resources: Neverwinter conscript troops, and mercenaries from around the world
Lord Neverember holds many titles and wears several crowns. He is Lord Protector of Neverwinter and was previously the Open Lord of Waterdeep. He looks the part of such an impressively titled figure: tall and broad-shouldered, with a thick beard, a wild mane of hair, and a forceful manner. Rarely seen without his hand around a glass of strong spirits, he is a master manipulator and looks and behaves as a king should.
Strong and decisive, Dagult acts always for the good of his subjects and realm - and in doing so, has consistently built up his own power and wealth. Unfortunately for him, the Masked Lords of Waterdeep have recently chosen to replace him as Open Lord and given the title to Lady Laeral Silverhand.
Dagult demands order and rewards discipline, but he is pragmatic and driven by results above all else. He knows that nothing comes without effort, and sacrifices must be made when necessary. Tireless in his actions, he never stops until he has achieved his goals. He will use any means at his disposal, as long as those means are legally justifiable - even when such justification must be "rediscovered" from long-forgotten or ignored laws.
Name: Ambassador Connerad Brawnanvil
Alignment: Lawful Good
Species: Shield Dwarf
Class: Fighter
Ideals: Honor, respect ("A sturdy axe, a strong hand to hold it, and a straight fight are all we dwarves need to end a problem.")
Interaction Traits: Hot-tempered, suspicious
Resources: Dwarf soldiers and dwarf-forged armaments and weapons
Son of Banak Brawnanvil and former king of Mithral Hall, Connerad acts as the Lords' Alliance delegate for the dwarves of the North, including Citadel Adbar and Citadel Felbarr. He is stubborn as a mule about committing troops anywhere but his homeland. The dwarven kingdoms in the North have lost many people in recent years, and the dwarves that remain are struggling to retain ancient lands only recently reclaimed.
Name: Marshal Ulder Ravengard
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Species: Human
Class: Fighter
Ideals: Responsibility, glory ("I am trusted with protecting thousands of lives, and I will not betray that trust no matter what my personal desires.")
Interaction Traits: Honest
Resources: Flaming Fist warriors and expert advisers to train conscript troops
Ulder Ravenguard is the leader of the Flaming Fist - the military might of Baldur's Gate. He has the greatest martial acumen of anyone on the council. He can also muster more soldiers than any other delegate, and he is not bashful about saying so. His place is at the head of the war council and the front of the battle.
Ravenguard is a stern warrior dedicated to discipline and results. Having risen through the ranks of the Flaming Fist by the might of his blade and the sharpness of his wits, he sometimes lacks sophistication and tact, but he possesses an unwavering commitment to the law. More comfortable working with soldiers than adventurers, Ravenguard is used to giving orders and having them obeyed without question. Though Baldur's Gate is still recovering from the havoc caused by the resurrection within the city of Bhaal, god of murder, the metropolis remains one of Faerûn's most populous, wealthy, and powerful cities. Ravenguard recognizes his duty to protect the city above all else, and the Flaming Fist's tired reserves are desperately needed for reconstruction and policing.
Name: King Melandrach
Alignment: True Neutral
Species: Wood Elf
Class: Fighter/Druid
Ideals: Balance, nation ("We elves were once the greatest civilization to grace Faerûn, and my people are heir to that history. I will not squander our waning strength.")
Interaction Traits: Quiet, arrogant
Resources: Elven eldritch knights
The King of the Misty Forest is the delegate for the elves of both the Misty Forest and the High Forest. Whereas his sons Alagarthas and Neronvain always rushed headlong into their own pursuits, Melandrach is more circumspect. He has led the elves of the Misty Forest since before most of their kind abandoned their lands in the Retreat. Despite the years of discussion and meditation that preceded it, Melandrach considered the Retreat a rash decision, and he is understandably hesitant to commit to any sudden course of action.
Name: Taern "Thunderpells" Hornblade
Alignment: Lawful Good
Species: Human
Class: Wizard
Ideals: Logic, greater good ("Calculated risks are necessary to win a war, and no one is likely to emerge unscathed.")
Interaction Traits: Ponderous, curious
Resources: The army of Silverymoon (the Knights of Silver) and Silverymoon conscript troops
Taern Hornblade has lived an unnaturally long life by consuming potions of longevity. The wizard led Silverymoon for many years as high mage, but eventually ceded control to Methrammar, leader of the city's army and son of its most famous ruler, Alustriel. Though Methrammar remains leader of Silverymoon and a member of the Lords' Alliance, he is to forthright and earnest to succeed as a diplomat. As such, Taern represents Silverymoon on the council instead.
Name: Sir Isteval
Alignment: Lawful Good
Species: Human
Class: Paladin
Ideals: Tradition, honour ("Against evil, we either stand together or fall alone. Who will stand with Cormyr?")
Interaction Traits: Honourable, wise, dour
Resources: The might of Cormyr, including Purple Dragon Knights and War Wizards
Sir Isteval is a former adventurer and Purple Dragon Knight of Cormyr. Though not an actual member of the Lords' Alliance, he is present at council meetings as the alliance's nominal representative for Daggerford. That small settlement can contribute little to the effort to defeat enemies of the alliance. However, in truth, Isteval has been drafted by Cormyr to gain insight into what conflicts are brewing on its western border.
Isteval has too much respect for the other delegates to hide this information from them, and he assures those present that his loyalties - to Daggerford, to Cormyr, to the Lords' Alliance, and to all good folk - are not at cross-purposes. This forthright approach nevertheless causes an uproar among other delegates.
A veteran dragon slayer, he bears a wound in his leg that resists magical healing, and he walks with a cane made from a bone of the green dragon that dealt him the injury. The paladin can be a helpful source of dragon lore, but his advice is always guarded. He sees his infirmity as a reminder from his god Lathander of the dangers of hubris. As befits his deity's ethos, Isteval has chosen to treat his injury as a reason to encourage the heroics of others even as his own legend fades. Still, at times like these when the world needs heroes, he doesn't like being reminded that he must watch the fight from the sidelines.
Type
Alliance, Generic
Comments