To enforce the royal word, Cormyr maintains a large standing army, which has increased dramatically in the last decade. There are more than 12,000 Purple Dragons (so-called because of their banner) garrisoned in the major cities and fortifications. A 25-ship Imperial Navy patrols the Lake of Dragons, the Palace Guard numbers 150 trained elite warriors, and the nation maintains a mounted force of 500 warriors trained in sword and bow, led by 30 knights out of the Royal Court. Most of these elite units are veterans of the Crusade against the Horde, and are members of the Order of the Golden Way, a military award commemorating those battles. The king also has the Sons of Stone, the most experienced unit in the army. But the most deadly unit in the army is the feared War Wizards, a unit of magicians recognizable by their black-and-purple robes.

The Purple Dragons

The Lord High Marshal of the Kingdom, Duke Bhereu commands the king's standing army.

Tactics

Throughout Cormyr history, the army has fought few pitched battles. Historically, the Purple Dragons fight using guerrilla warfare tactics, making quick strikes at sensitive enemy areas or concentrations and moving quickly to another location.

Many of the Purple Dragons' adversaries use similar tactics. Duke Bhereu firmly believes in keeping his force as mobile as possible to prevent his men from being ambushed or otherwise outflanked. Duke Bhereu sees a standing army that fight with old ways of prearranged fields of battle and lines of men carefully organized to face each other to be an invitation for disaster.

Before Bhereu had established his reputation, his tactics were called into question at less than honorable. The results of the tactics--the benefits of the low casualty rate and the efficiency and quickness of achieving objectives--have quelled all rumblings about conforming to age-old rules of war.

Missions

The mission of King's Azoun´s army is a simple one: defend Cormyr. The realization of that goal, however, is complex.

Stonelands

The most significant threat to Cormyr´s borders comes from the Stonelands, an area of rocky land, craggy valleys, plateus, and other confusing and hostile terrain. This topography makes for ideal hiding places for bandits, monster, and other nefarious beings.

Raiders from the Stoneland have been harassing Cormyte interests for decades. In particular danger are caravans that travel the road between Tilverton and Castle Crag.

The Garrison in Castle Crag guards the Gnoll Pass from border raiders coming from the Goblin Marches but can do little to protect traffic on the Moonsea Ride.

Cormyr occupied Tilverton in 1357 DR, declared Tilverton a protectorate, and stationed 850 Purple Dragons there.

These troops now regularly conduct patrols into the Stonelands in an effort to clear the region of monsters and bandits. Thus far, the results have been mixed. There are still raids on caravans and there are still reports of monster strongholds within the Stonelands, but there is no doubt that organized bandit activity has substantially decreased. This may change in the future, however, as the Zhentarim and others attempts to organize criminal elements within the Stonelands against the Purple Dragons.

Goblin Marches

This area to the north of Cormyr has been a threat to Cormyte security since the beginnings of the kingdom. Today, the Goblin Marches are a shadow of the threat they once were.

Long ago, the marches were filled with troops of an organized goblin empire that conducted regular raids as far south as Suzail, then a nearly defenceless cluster of buildings.

As Cormyr grew, it became more effective at repelling goblin raids. With the creation of Castle Crag, Cormyr put an end to goblin raids farther south into Cormyr. Castle Crag became the most important military location in Cormyr.

Over time, the Anauroch Desert grew, disrupting life in the goblin empire. The empire began to break up, and factions migrated to other regions or generally dissipated. As the goblin threat waned, so did Castle Crag's importance.

Castle Crag still stands sentinel against raids by goblins or other demihuman bands. There are approximately 500 Purple Dragons and a detachment of War Wizards at the castle.

This force has prevented the progress of any goblin tribe to date, but there are troubles on the horizon for Crag. The Zhentarim are recruiting goblin bands into Zhentarim service against other goblin Marches tribes and raiding parties. Should this army become powerful and organized enough, it would pose a serious threat to Cormyr.

High Horn

Border raiders were once a constant problem. They would sweep in from the west, through a pass in the Stormhorn Mountains, and raid towns like Tyluk, Eveningstar, and even Arabel.

High Horn was built to prevent such raids. It is a massive complex of walls and buildings that can house half of Cormyr´s standing army. Approximately 400 Purple Dragons are stationed there in addition to War Wizards and other miscellaneous forces.

Since the founding of High Horn, border raids through the Stormhorns have all but stopped.

Keeping the Peace

An important function of the Purple Dragons is to ensure peace throughout the kingdom.

This means keeping the interior of Cormyr safe from raiding parties so a merchant company or farmer may travel in safety and return home with profits intact.

To this end the Purple Dragons have been very successful. Certainly, the Purple Dragons cannot be everywhere at once, and there is always the threat of a random bandit attack somewhere in Cormyr, but the kingdom does have the reputation of offering safe overall travel.

The Purple Dragons are also charged with preventing internal insurrection. There has been only one instance when the Purple Dragons were needed to quell an insurrection, when they put down the revolt by Gondegal without bloodshed.

Adventuring in Cormyr

Associated with keeping the peace within Cormyr is monitoring the "lawless freeswords" to make sure they start no trouble.

The Purple Dragons are particularly watchful of group of people who wander the countryside with their own weapons and agendas. Groups of adventurers are perhaps the most dangerous, for they have their own missions, are often from distant lands, and almost always care little for the well-being of Cormyr.

The custom of tying a cord to one's sword hilt and scabbard is actually a law enforced by the Purple Dragons. Should the Purple Dragons spot anyone bearing weapons that aren't peacebonded, they will stop such people and inform them of Cormyr´s "custom." If the armed individuals have been hired by a company that is authorized to hire mercenaries, they may carry unbonded weapons but must display proof of their employment and employer and the number of individuals hired as a group, and the name of the group leader.

The Purple Dragons are authorized to imprison violators and seize their goods. Note that chartered adventurers are allowed to bear unbonded weapons in Cormyr.

Hullack Forest

The Purple Dragons are charged with major responsibility for clearing the forest and ridding the area of monsters. This responsibility has recently been taken over by the Local Lord Of Mistaln, Laorlim Ölorim.

The Imperial Navy

The Imperial Navy's primary duty is to protect Cormyrean ships sailing through the Lake of Dragons to and from "the Neck," the narrows that connects Cormyr with other parts of the worlds through this lake.

Trading in spices and other goods is quite productive for Cormyr and certainly well worth the investment in ship construction and sailing. To protect such shipping from pirates, Cormyr has stationed 12 warships in its busiest port, Marsember. At any one time, there are more warships docked in Suzail, but most of these ships are there to protect noble families or the king personally.

Patrolling along the coast of the lake is the most common mission for the Imperial Navy. Ayesunder Truesilver is the commander of these forces and is generally regarded as the head of the Cormyrean Navy. He has constantly lobbied the king for more ships and sea warriors so that he may patrol the lake more efficiently. Unfortunately, the king's military attentions have been with the Stonelands and the Goblin Marches.

Local Militia

Each town, no matter how small, has a militia force responsible for keeping the peace and for emergency defence against outside attacks.

Each militia banner is half Purple Dragon and half the town's own banner, divided per fess (vertically). Normally, the lord of the town commands its militia.

An unusual aspect of Cormyrean militia is that most require that their members know how to read. Writing is optional, but each militiaman must be able to read bulletins, orders, and the like from their local lord and commanders. In addition, there is always at least one person who can write in any detachment of militia that leaves town.

Adventurers and unregistered adventuring companies are a substantial threat to small towns. To prevent damage and trouble from lawless behavior, virtually every town in Cormyr has at least one militiaman at the borders of the town. This person, usually referred to as an "Introducer," is responsible for introducing the town and its laws to those who cannot read. The Introducer also makes it clear that raucous behavior causing damage to property (whether deliberate or accidental) will result in imprisonment and fines.

Within the town, militiamen patrol the streets, keeping a special watch on the main cause of trouble: travellers passing through town. Perhaps the worst thing an adventuring group or company can do is to bring hostile forces to the town.

When faced with this situation, militias typically impress the adventurers into service to defend the town. The militia the assigns the adventurers the most dangerous task to minimize local casualties.

Sometimes a village has the luck of having a resident mage. Such individuals, especially those that possess combative magics or powers, are automatically considered a part of the militia. War Wizards who have retired to pursue their own goals are typical examples of a "town wizard." There is a surprising number of these, and even the smallest hamlet may have a powerful wizard somewhere about.