80
THE CREST
OF ELTURGARDthat brought about the nation of Elturgard, and perhaps
that divine provenance will preserve it.
It began, as all the great stories do, in darkness. Half a
century ago, the city of Elturel was a petty power. It had
claimed its neighbors' territory under various excuses,
putting them under "Elturel's Guard." Then, the city's
leader, its High Rider, was revealed to be a vampire. The
extent of the vampire's network of charmed servants,
undead allies, and willing sycophants took the Hellrid-
ers by surprise. An undead plague swamped Elturel,
and although its Hellriders made some gains by day,
in darkness the vampire and its minions inflicted cruel
losses. Each night the good people of Elturel prayed to
the gods that dawn might come more swiftly.
Then, on a particularly disastrous night when all
seemed lost, dawn did come. A warm golden light
suffused the city and surrounding lands, cast down
from a golden orb that hung unwavering in the sky, so
bright that it seemed a new day had dawned. Caught
outside when this miracle appeared, the High Rider
and his vampire spawn burned away to dust, and the
other undead quailed in its illumination. In short order,
Elturel was free.
When the true dawn came, the new sun remained.
And it stayed in the sky through the next night, and the
night after, and each night from then until now. While
some called it Amaunator's Gift, none could say what
god granted them this boon. Most saw it as a companion
to the sun and to themselves, and so it is known as the
Companion. This holy wonder brought pilgrims of all
kinds to Elturel. The devout, the curious, the afflicted-
all came to bathe in its warmth and see its blessed lightCHAPTER 2 I THE SWORD COAST AND THE NORTHby night. Paladins had always been small in number
among the Hellriders, but the Companion drew many to
Elturgard, and the best among them was named High
Observer to rule in the High Rider's place.
To maintain order among the many faiths of the pal-
adins, a special knighthood was created, named after
the Companion sun. These paladins swore to uphold the
Creed Resolute, an oath of service to Elturgard and all
good people. And thus Elturgard now has both the Com-
panions and the Hellriders.
The post of High Observer is no longer occupied by a
paladin, but by a priest of Torm named Thavus Kreeg,
and this to me seems fitting. Paladins should be out in
the world, using their divine gifts for the good of all,
not signing documents behind some desk or dithering
with dignitaries. High Observer Kreeg has ruled wisely
and well these past forty years or so, but as a short-
lived human, he is nearing the end of his years. When
he passes or can no longer cope with the demands of
his office, I hope that Elturgard can make a smooth
transition to equally strong leadership. It is during such
change and the struggles for power that result that
humans often stray from the righteous path. Perhaps
the light of the Companion will show them the way.ELTUREL'S GUARD
Sometimes called the Kingdom of Two Suns, Elturgard
encompasses Elturel, Triel, Scornubel, Soubar, and
Berdusk. It also claims and protects many small villages
and farms strung along the roads and rivers in the West-
ern Heartlands.
The heraldry of Elturgard-the sun and a smaller com-
panion sun surrounded in a blaze-is familiar to many
of us along the roads that lead to and through Elturgard,
for it also blazons the armor and flags of its two groups
of guardians, the Hellriders and the Companions.
It might be fairly said that the only reason Elturgard
can exist as a nation is because of these knights, for it
faces threats from all around. The wilderness to the
south is home to ravenous monsters, and the serpent
kingdom of Najara to the north routinely sends agents-
both raiders and spies-to test the strength of Elturgard.
The knights can't afford to be anything but vigilant, and
fortunately for the folk of Elturgard, they are just that.
I regard crossing the border into Elturgard as a relief,
for it usually means the beginning of a safe haven, with
a need to set fewer guards at night. Many adventurers
find good cause to visit Elturgard, whether pursuing
personal goals or seeking sanctuary from the dangers
that surround the small nation. Additionally, the HighFORT MORNINCLORD
Several years ago, the entire complement of paladins at
Fort Morninglord simply disappeared. The High Observer
at the time ordered the fort, a day's ride west of Elturel,
to be bricked up, and the curious forbidden entrance, for
fear of what evil they might release into the world. The fort
remains sealed today, and guards occupy a fortified en-
campment nearby. The camp serves as a base from which
the paladins of Elturgard can patrol this area of the nation,
and also as a deterrent to adventurers and other ne'er-do-
wells who might otherwise try to find whatever is trapped
in the fort's depths.