Nasher Alagondar

Lord Nasher Alagondar was the fearless former adventurer and ruler of Neverwinter throughout much of the 14 century DR. He was the "founder" of the Alagondar royal family.

Description
Nasher had a receding hairline. He was a deadly swordsman, and remained strong even into old age.

Personality
He was brave in the face of his enemies but affable when among his people. He was renowned as a decisive, efficient, and fair ruler whose faith in Tyr made him a steady and just man. Accordingly, Nasher was much-beloved by his subjects, and was sometimes said to have been as much a shepherd of their wellbeing as a ruler over them.

He had a great love of music and of hearing tales of faraway lands.

Possessions
Nasher had collected numerous magic items during his adventuring career and was noted for wearing a ring of the ram, a potent ring of protection, and a belt of regeneration (which worked much like a ring of regeneration). He was equipped with some powerful weapons in the form of a mace of disruption and a frostbrand longsword. At some point before the late 13 century DR, he owned a pair of enchanted boots later called Nasher's nimble boots; how he parted with the precious magic boots was a secret revealed only to his closest friends.

The potent Crown of Neverwinter was a symbol of his authority. It was enchanted to bolster his political rehetoric, but also to punish any wearer who was not among his true heirs.

Activities
As the ruler of Neverwinter, Nasher kept his city firmly aligned with the Lords' Alliance and wielded influence on par with that of High Lady Alustriel Silverhand of Silverymoon. He was closely allied with Waterdeep and was noted for his steadfast opposition against Luskan and the orcs of the North. He was responsible for laying many plots and magical contingencies against assaults from the city's warlike rival, Luskan, even going so far as banning maps of the city being made in order to throw off the spies of Luskan and their potential invasion plans. He was supported in these endeavors by the mages of the Many-Starred Cloak, who were believed to have been the real power behind the throne.

Nasher ruled from Castle Never and deferred matters of civil justice in Neverwinter to Reverend Judge Oleff Uskar at the Hall of Justice. Even before being officially named a "king", he wielded the power of a monarch over the city.

Relationships
Nasher once had a wife and his son and heir was Bann Alagondar, although it was widely believed that he also had a bastard son known as Vers Never. He was always accompanied by his bodyguards, the Neverwinter Nine, to whom he gave many magic items from his adventuring days.

Young days
During his younger years, Nasher adventured extensively for around ten years and garnered a great trove of magical items. His adventuring party was called The Northern Four Adventuring Troupe. The Adventuring Troupe included Dumal Erard, who later in life founded Helm's Hold; Ophala Cheldarstorn, matron of the Moonstone Mask; and the future high captain of Luskan, Kurth. One of the most famous tales of the Lord Nasher's past was the rescue of the Black Raven Tribe from an evil white dragon. During those adventuring days, it was common knowledge that Nasher once slew a minotaur.

Ruler of Neverwinter
By the, Nasher had retired from the life of an adventurer and had became ruler of the city of Neverwinter.

In the, a merchant named Furjur gifted a spellbook known as Nchaser's Eiyromancia to Lord Nasher in exchange for a charter. It was unclear whether Furjur was aware that the book was designed to administer a fatal dose of poison to whomever opened it, and a member of Nasher's court was killed while handling the book.

In the, the Wailing Death began afflicting the citizens of Neverwinter on Tarsakh 30. Within a few tendays it had brought the majority of the city's inhabitants to death's door. With the help of Khelben Arunsun, a ritual was devised to cure the magical disease.

Later in 1372 DR, on Flamerule 7, Nasher magically traveled with Piergeiron the Paladinson to Cormyr as a representative of the Lords' Alliance. There he took part in a council, chaired by Alusair Obarskyr, to discuss how to deal with the machinations of the Shadovar and phaerimm after the destruction of Tilverton.

In the, Nasher was targeted in an assassination attempt by agents of the King of Shadows. He would go on to participate in the conflict against the King of Shadows, in which he was wounded at Highcliff, prompting concern about what would happen to Neverwinter's rulership should he fall in battle.

Nasher rejected the position of King of Neverwinter for much of his life, accepting the title only in old age. After his death, he was succeeded as king by his son Bann Alagondar.

Legacy
Many details of Nasher's life were forgotten because of the uncertainty that followed the Spellplague of the the and the Ruining of the the. However, he became an object of nostalgic patriotism for Neverwintians, who took pride in the fact that their rulers&mdash;the Alagondars&mdash;had been his descendants, even after the last of them were evidently wiped out when Mount Hotenow erupted. Any who wished to be seen as a legitimate ruler of the Neverwinter in the 15 century DR sought to claim or fabricate descent from him, including Dagult Neverember (who claimed to be descended from Vers Never), Seldra Tylmarande, and Gyrion Farseeker.

Circa the the, a rebel faction calling themselves the Sons of Alagondar emerged in Neverwinter and waged a campaign of insurgency and propaganda against the rule of Dagult Neverember, whom they saw as a usurper of Nasher's legacy. Proclaiming themselves as the descendants of the servants and retainers of Lord Nasher&mdash;with one of their leaders, Arlon Bladeshaper, claiming to be a descendant of one of the Neverwinter Nine&mdash;they wished to restore rule to the rightful line of Alagondar. When the Sons split into two groups, circa 1478 DR, one of the splinter groups further named themselves "the Nashers" in his honor.

Background
Lord Nasher was voiced by Gregg Martin (credited as Greg Martin) in Neverwinter Nights 2.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Cold Steel and Secrets
 * Video Games
 * Gateway to the Savage Frontier • Treasures of the Savage Frontier • Neverwinter Nights (AOL game) • Neverwinter Nights series (Neverwinter Nights • Neverwinter Nights 2)
 * Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark • Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir
 * Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark • Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir
 * Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark • Neverwinter Nights 2: Storm of Zehir