The Golden Legion was a mercenary company known for an expedition to Maztica in 1361 DR. It was formed by Captain-General Cordell as a consolidation of his previous adventuring companies, slowly training these remnants into a single military unit.[1].
History[]
Sometime in the early 1350s DR, Cordell and his mercenaries fought a battle with an alliance of others, in which they were routed and Cordell barely escaped with his life. [note 1] The Legion fought in many other campaigns in the decade that followed. [2]
By the early 1360s DR, Akbet-Khrul, Grand Vizier of the Pirate Isles of the sword coast[note 2] (the Nelanther Isles) had grown in strength to the point that he was poised to dominate the sea routes out of Amn. The merchants of Amn hired the Golden Legion to fight Akbet-Khrul. They fought the pirates and defeated them in a battle near a beach in Amn[1]. Akbet-Khrul seemed to have been killed in the battle and the threat of his pirates ended thereafter. Asavir's Channel became open for travel following this campaign.[3]
Following their victory, Cordell was granted an audience with Amn's Council of Six in which he persuaded them to sponsor his expedition to sail west in order to open a new trade route to Kara-Tur. The legion, composed of five hundred men, along with two hundred sailors, boarded fifteen ships in Murann, along with their horses and wardogs, and sailed westwards in 1361 DR. They passed through Asavir's Channel and stopped in Lantan to shore up on supplies, before they continued west through the Trackless Sea.[4]
They arrived at the Green Sisters after 40 days voyage from Murann. They quickly realized that this was not Kara-tur, but a new land altogether. The natives of the islands, while poor, welcomed the legion and told them about the much wealthier lands of nearby Maztica, to which Cordell decided to seek next. After another few days voyage, they arrived at the Twin Visages near Ulatos in mainland Maztica. The Legion ventured ashore, but some of them were ambushed by some of the Payit, who captured and sacrificed Martine, the daughter of the Bishou Domincus, who was the spiritual leader of the Legion. Some of the Legionnaires fought back and killed a large number of Payit in order to rescue the others who had been taken captive. Following this, the Payit amassed a huge army and attacked the Legion on the beach next to Ulatos Lagoon, where the Legion's ships had landed. The Legion soundly defeated the Payit and proceeded to slaughter huge numbers of Payit civilians following their victory. Their use of steel weapons and armour, as well as cavalry and their magic from Faerun, were all new to the Mazticans and provided them a great advantage on the battlefield. They captured the city of Ulatos, looted its vast quantities of gold and forced it into submission to the Legion. The Payit informed the Legion about the much wealthier city of Nexal far to the west and Cordell decided that he would take the Legion to go there next. They also began construction on a new port next to Ulatos named Helmsport that would serve as a base for the Legion.[5]
Kardann, the assessor for the expedition who had been appointed by the Council of Six to represent them, protested and said that they should return to Amn to get reinforcements, since they were only five hundred legionnaires against the forces of an entire continent and Amn would surely send more once they saw how much gold could be acquired. Cordell insisted that they would not return without finishing their expedition and he had the Legion's ships burned in Ulatos Lagoon within sight of Kardann and the Legionnaires to make them understand there was no going back. [6]
Cordell conscripted a large number of Payit warriors to join the Legion and start the long march westwards to Nexal. [7]
Description[]
The Legion at the time of its campaign in Maztica was composed of infantry, including swordsmen and spearmen, four wings of lancer cavalry, a company of longbowmen and a company of heavy crossbowmen. Its patron deity was Helm, whose holy symbol appeared on the Legion's golden eagle banner. It also included a cleric of Helm and a mage. It's golden banner was chosen by Cordell following his disastrous defeat in the early 1350s DR. [8]
Appendix[]
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Notes[]
- ↑ Ironhelm doesn't specify what war or battle this was, but based on the dating and other details (an alliance with mercenaries), it may be referring to Gondegal's war in Cormyr in 1352 DR
- ↑ Ironhelm refers to Akbet-Khrul as Grand Vizier of the Pirate Isles, but the book clearly seems to be referring to the Nelanther Isles in its description, which are also called the Pirate Isles of the Sword Coast in other sources
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Tim Beach (1992). Gold & Glory. (TSR, Inc), p. 12. ISBN 1-56076-334-5.
- ↑ Douglas Niles (1990). Ironhelm. (TSR, Inc), chap. 2. ISBN 0-8803-8903-6.
- ↑ Douglas Niles (1990). Ironhelm. (TSR, Inc), chap. 3. ISBN 0-8803-8903-6.
- ↑ Douglas Niles (1990). Ironhelm. (TSR, Inc), chap. 5. ISBN 0-8803-8903-6.
- ↑ Douglas Niles (1990). Ironhelm. (TSR, Inc), chap. 19. ISBN 0-8803-8903-6.
- ↑ Douglas Niles (1990). Ironhelm. (TSR, Inc), chap. 20. ISBN 0-8803-8903-6.
- ↑ Douglas Niles (1990). Ironhelm. (TSR, Inc), chap. 20. ISBN 0-8803-8903-6.
- ↑ Douglas Niles (1990). Ironhelm. (TSR, Inc), chap. 1. ISBN 0-8803-8903-6.