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 DM question re highknights
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portose_sharpe
Seeker

Ireland
74 Posts

Posted - 24 Dec 2017 :  22:51:51  Show Profile Send portose_sharpe a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
i am currently running a purple dragon game, and in this game i have 2 pc's one is the commanding officer and the other is a war wizard/high knight of a lower rank.

During the course of the last game papers where found in a prison where the lord high marshal and other high ranking officers had been kept prisoner, and details regarding purple dragon movements and royal guard protection where on these papers.

The war wizard / high knight wanted the papers, but the commanding purple dragon refused to hand them over, at this point either of them had read them and didn't know what was on them.

So my question is who was right, been a high knight and war wizard should the papers of been handed over without question, or did the commanding purple dragon have the right to hold on to them and not hand them over.

later in the game he read them in private and handed them over to a higher ranking npc purple dragon.


also any information of the stance of high knights would be welcomed.

KanzenAU
Senior Scribe

Australia
763 Posts

Posted - 24 Dec 2017 :  23:08:37  Show Profile Send KanzenAU a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Ed, here on these boards, has described Highknights as James-Bond types who can act outside the law if necessary. I would imagine they would not report at all to Purple Dragon officers or War Wizards, because that would limit the scope of their activity, instead reporting directly to the Palace.

However, if a Highknight was assigned to be under the command of a Purple Dragon officer for some mission (as it sounds like has happened in your campaign), they would be expected to follow the commands of that officer. I think the Purple Dragon officer was probably within his rights to not hand over the papers if that Highknight had been put under his command.

Regional maps for Waterdeep, Triboar, Ardeep Forest, and Cormyr on DM's Guild, plus a campaign sized map for the North
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portose_sharpe
Seeker

Ireland
74 Posts

Posted - 14 Jan 2018 :  22:02:09  Show Profile Send portose_sharpe a Private Message  Reply with Quote
thank you for you answer.
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roninshadow
Acolyte

Australia
15 Posts

Posted - 15 Jan 2018 :  12:16:37  Show Profile Send roninshadow a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
the Purple Dragon officer was probably within his rights to not hand over the papers if that Highknight had been put under his command.


I don’t know if I agree to say he has the right, two reasons:
first he is a war wizard, the war wizard are an entity to themselves, their main roles is to police and watch the nobles of Cormyr plus support the purple dragons. The war wizards would be tripping over themselves to get this information. He can refuse but can’t see the war wizards council been happy at all been refused information about royal guard protection as they are part of the protection of the royal family. As I said he can refuse but some kind of repercussions from the war wizards would happen.

quote:
The War Wizards have no outwardly discernible hierarchy of command. Each War Wizard knows to whom he or she answers thanks to the meticulously worded commands of their superiors, the Royal Magician and the Lord Warder. They stand as outside the chain of command of the Purple Dragons, even when attached directly to a unit, and can be called away from that group on more urgent matters at a moment’s notice.


Second: as a Highknight he is a direct line to the royal family mostly the queen. So refuse him is to refuse the queen. I presume the commander knows he is a Highknight. So why would he refuse the Highknight knowing he works directly for the queen or other royal? It would cause some suspicion, so he would have the right then to question the commander as that is the role and job of a Highknight.
quote:
Highknight – Although it is not technically a rank of nobility, highknight is a title devised by Vangerdahast and Filfaeril, created during the reign of Azoun IV. It is a rank of service, denoting the faith of the Crown in the recipient and the loyalty of the individual receiving it. Each highknight is also a knight of the realm — and entitled to the privileges that title carries — but can command obedience from knights as well as commoners. A highknight can question any subject of the realm, including the highest nobles, and accuse (with evidence) anyone of a crime.



One other thing that you might not of noticed.
Passing on the papers to a higher ranking npc purple dragon wouldn’t have been my first thought and maybe a mistake as if there are details about the lord high marshal and other very high ranking nobles/officers, this would be very sensitive as the lord high marshal is a cousin to the royal family (if you are playing 3.5ed?). This type of information should have went straight to the Royal Magician. As he is protector of the royal family. The one thing you wouldn’t want is more officers knowing damaging information about other high ranking nobles and especially the lord high marshal. You cannot stop rumours and gossip travelling around an army it’s the nature of the beast.
My own conclusion to this is:
The commander can refuse but I do think it would be a mistake. It would cause the war wizard to spy on him all lot more, and damage his reputation in the court. But some nobles would get every friendly with him to find out what was in the notes.
The war wizards council would not look kindly of been refused access to information like this. I wouldn’t be surprised if their wasn’t some type of repercussions by the war wizards to remind him what to do next time something like this happens.
More important if the Highknight informs the queen or person in charge of him of the incident, Then the officer is would be in for a world of misery, as the officer refused a royal agent for the queen, she will look at it as she was refused access directly.
On top of all this the lord high marshal may look unfavourable towards him for the way he dealt with his personal details been handed over to other high ranking purple dragons as you will always have someone that will try use it to their advantage to move up the position of authority.
Personal I think it’s a great roleplaying moment, how to justify his actions to the war wizards and more importantly the queen (apologies to always saying the queen as she was a founder of it in case it’s someone in your game).

This would be the way I see it and would play it, does not mean I am right.
Happy gaming follow cormyrian citizens
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portose_sharpe
Seeker

Ireland
74 Posts

Posted - 15 Jan 2018 :  13:08:45  Show Profile Send portose_sharpe a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Thanks. Great read I have things to think over now #128512;
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