In battle, Azoun wears his Plate Armor +3, carries his Shield+2, and has his Vorpal Longsword in a scabbard on his belt with a sheathed Dagger+1. He will usually be mounted on a barded warhorse (usual warhorse stats but AC 18, Plate) which has a lance+2, his Defender Greatsword, and a Saddle of the Cavalier on it.
He normally wears a Ring of Free Movement, which he is attuned to. While he wears this ring, difficult terrain doesn't cost him extra movement. In addition, magic can neither reduce his speed nor cause him to be paralyzed or restrained. He is also attuned to both swords.
Born to the Saddle. Azoun has advantage on saving throws made to avoid falling off any mount. If he falls off his mount and descends no more than 10 ft., he can land on his feet if he`s not incapacitated. Mounting or dismounting a creature only costs him 5 ft. of movement. While in the saddle on a mount with the Saddle of the Cavalier, he can't be dismounted against his will if he`s conscious, and attack rolls against the mount has disadvantage.
In social settings, Azoun because of the very real threat of assassination wears Bracers of Defense, an extremely rare Ring of Protection+3, the Ring of Free Movement, the Vorpal Longsword and the Dagger+1. This reduces his AC to 19 and the Longsword`s stats down to Attack +10 Hit (1h): 7(1d8+4), Hit (2h): 8(1d10+4) as he`s not attuned to it.
Multiattack. Azoun can attack four times whenever he takes the Attack action on his turn.
Action Surge: (Special). Azoun can take one additional action on his turn. This can be used twice per short rest and is in addition to the Multiattack.
Dual Wielder. Azoun adds a +1 bonus to AC while he is wielding a separate melee weapon in each hand, he can use two-weapon fighting even when the one-handed melee weapons he is wielding aren't light, and can draw or stow two one-handed weapons when he would normally be able to draw or stow only one.
Dagger+1. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, range 20/60 ft. Hit: 5(1d4+5) piercing damage, simple, finesse, light, thrown.
Vorpal Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, range 5 ft. Hit 1h: 8(1d8+7) Hit 2h: 9(1d10+7) slashing damage, martial, versatile.
Defender Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, range 5 ft. Hit: [/rollable] Hit: 10(2d6+7) slashing damage, martial, heavy, two-handed.
Lance+2. Mounted Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, range 10 ft. Hit: 10(1d12+6) piercing damage, martial, versatile (mounted).
Unarmed Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, range 5 ft. Hit: 5 bludgeoning damage.
Ferocious Charger: (Special). Once per turn, if he moves at least 10 ft. in a straight line right before attacking a creature and Azoun hits it with the attack, that target must succeed on a STR saving throw (DC 18) or be knocked prone.
Hold the Line: (Special). Creatures provoke an opportunity attack from Azoun when they move 5 ft. or more while within his reach, and if he hits a creature with an opportunity attack, the target’s speed is reduced to 0 until the end of the current turn.
Indomitable: (Special). Azoun can reroll a saving throw that he fails - he must use the new roll. he can use this 3 times per long rest.
Unwavering Mark: (Special). When Azoun hits with a melee weapon attack, he can mark the creature until the end of his next turn (or if he is incapacitated or he dies, or if someone else marks the creature). While it is within 5 ft. of him, a marked creature has disadvantage on any attack roll that doesn’t target him. If the marked creature deals damage to anyone else, he can make a special melee attack against it on his next turn as a bonus action with advantage and +10 extra damage. He can make this attack 4 times per long rest.
If either weapon has the thrown property, you can throw the weapon, instead of making a melee attack with it.
Description
Characteristics.Alignment Lawful Good Gender Male Eyes Hazel Size Medium Height 5ft 11ins Faith Torm Hair Brown, greying Skin Tanned Age 50 Weight 191lb.Personality Traits. Despite my noble birth, I do not place myself above other folk. We all have the same blood.Ideals. Respect. Respect is due to me because of my position, but all people regardless of station deserve to be treated with dignity. (Good)Bonds. The common folk must see me as a hero of the people and I must live up to that expectation.Flaws. In fact, the world does revolve around me, I AM the King though sometimes I wish I wasn`t.
Azoun’s story:
Those who have seen the good king of Cormyr report him to be a handsome man, standing just under six feet tall. He maintains the regiments of exercise and drills he adopted as a young cavalier and is in excellent shape for a middle-aged man. Azoun’s brown hair and beard are only now beginning to show hints of silver.
King Azoun Obarskyr IV is happily married, and his wife, Filfaeril Selzair, is as strong-willed and as cultured as her husband. Azoun and Filfaeril have two daughters, Alusair and Tanalesta. Their only son, Foril, died when he was only two. The loss of his only male heir remains a source of great anguish for Azoun.
Azoun’s nickname, “The Purple Dragon,” is derived from his battle standard. The banner with the purple dragon on a black field has flown over Cormyr for many relatively peaceful years. This long period of prosperity, coupled with Azoun’s reputation of being a just ruler, has made Azoun’s subjects loyal and content. However, Azoun himself has found the price of rulership difficult to pay. Because he is a devoted father and husband, he has often found the demands of the state far too taxing on his personal time. Also, because Azoun is idealistic, he finds the idea of sometimes placing the survival of the state over the needs of its citizens very disturbing. Yet, despite any momentary doubts Azoun may have about the conflicts of individual liberty versus duty to the state, he will always make his decisions based on loyalty and duty to the “higher” good of the state and the promotion of peace in the kingdom. In functional terms, this means he expects all able citizens of Cormyr to serve or support the kingdom`s large standing army.
Any adventuring parties of four or more members based in Cormyr must be registered with the king and will likely have a set term of service they must fulfill in the army each year. Azoun recognizes the sacrifice his citizens must make to support the state. Because of this, he is determined to make Cormyr the safest and most peaceful kingdom possible. Adventurers will encounter many facets of Azoun’s “peace policy” every day they spend in Cormyr. Azoun does not permit mercenaries or adventurers free rein of the city when they are not under a binding contract to a local merchant or nobleman. Adventurers wishing to make their permanent residence in Cormyr must obtain a charter from Azoun. Public display of weapons is also limited, and adventurers who travel armed in public must have their weapons bound in “peace strings,” ornate cords that are knotted around a weapon to deter its quick use.
Though Azoun does maintain his skills as a swordsman, he favors the finer things his position can offer him. He is a patron of the arts, and his court at Suzail is one of the most refined in all the Realms. He dabbles in both poetry and music and is especially fond of drama. This may account for his penchant for disguises. Often, when he ventures out of the court, he will try to pass himself off as a merchant. He is, in fact, quite adept at this and can sometimes fool even the most astute observer.
The other possible motivation for Azoun’s use of disguises is his longstanding feud with the thieves’ and assassins’ guilds in and around Cormyr. Azoun detests thieves and assassins, and he has gone so far as to drive the Fire Knives, an organization of assassins, from Cormyr. Many practitioners of the thieving arts would be happy to see Azoun dead, and he has been the object of many assassination attempts.
One of these attempts involved the Fire Knives in the creation of the hero Alias. For their very substantial financial backing of Cassana, as she prepared her experiment in life creation, the Fire Knives were allowed to include their sigil on Alias’s arm and program her for one task. The Fire Knives decided their highest priority was the assassination of Azoun. As soon as she heard King Azoun’s voice, Alias was instructed to attack and kill him immediately. The plot failed when Giogi Wyvernspur, a Cormyrian nobleman, imitated Azoun’s voice at a wedding. Alias attacked Giogi, and it was only luck, and the interference of Alias’s friends, that saved Giogi’s life.
Azoun has a very high regard for magic and magic-users, and he recognizes the great potential for good and evil in practitioners of the magic arts. Mages of 5th level or higher must register with the government.
Azoun wears Bracers of Defense and a Ring of Protection when not in battle. He also wears a Ring of Free Action at all times. In battle, in true cavalier style, Azoun wears a magnificent suit of armor, full plate, and carries a shield emblazoned with his standard. He owns a large number of enchanted swords but prefers to fight with either his Vorpal Longsword or Defender Greatsword.
In playing Azoun, the DM should remember that the King is committed to the safety and freedom of his people. He will deal harshly with troublemakers and will tend to be overgenerous to those who want to help the kingdom. However, Vangerdahast will be at his side or very close nearby at all times to make sure things don’t get out of hand.
Campaign Uses:
This version of Azoun is intended for use in an updated Curse of the Azure Bonds campaign and by the current default setting of 1490s DR he`s long dead and his story passed into legend.
In a mid 1300 DR setting though, Azoun's courtiers or subordinates may seek out the PCs if they are believed to bear information that Azoun deems important to the protection of Cormyr. At the same time, Azoun was once a roving adventurer himself and has a soft spot for those valorous enough to remind him of his youth. If circumstances warrant an investigation but Azoun hesitates to use "official" channels, he may call upon good-aligned PCs and offer them a mission.
Adventurers should note that Azoun does not allow heavily armed civilians free rein in Cormyr. Any armed person in public must bind his weapons with "peace strings" or "peace cords" that hold them in their sheaths or scabbards or keep them fastened to the belt from which they hang.
Azoun was born in the Year of the Mace, 1307 DR, and died at the age of 64 in the Year of the Unstrung Harp, 1371 DR in the Goblin War of 1370-71, killed by the dragon Nalavarauthatoryl. At the time of "Curse of the Azure Bonds," he`s about 50.
Sources.
A lot of this comes from the FRC-2 Curse of the Azure Bonds module with some additional lore from the 2e Heroes Lorebook. Any mistakes in translation from 1e/2e are probably mine.
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