Cormyrian Adventuring Charter

a medieval style manuscript

Text of the Document

Know ye all by this good and true document that these bearers are granted right and privilege to wield steel & weave spell within territories of the Crown of Cormyr. Let no War Wizard, Purple Dragon or officer of the Kingdom restrict these rights so long as this charter remains in good standing with the Throne.

Bearers are expected to obey & when called upon help local magistrates in enforcing laws and rules of the realm. Members of the group are also required to wear a badge or coat of arms identifying themselves, as such, at all times & have this document readily on hand whenever called for. These rights and responsibilities shall extend to all members listed:

Let it be known that any untoward behavior acted against these bearers shall be taken as a threat to the Crown and accepted civilized behavior as witness of note & standing everywhere. Consider & conduct thyself accordingly.

I, Westar, King Herald of Arabel, do witness that this charter was issued by the authority of Baron Evenstar, and revised, on this, the Ninth of Ches, 1357 years since the founding of the Obarskyr Dynasty, a la, The Year of the Worm

Lord Tessaril Winter

Symbolism & Meaning

Starting in the center, the large A and C are to emphasize the letters, drawing attention to the eye. The letters are ultramarine blue, a very expensive pigment for the time, only made from lapis lazuli, a sodalite mineral only found in certain mountains. The yellow is for accent.

In the top left corner is possibly a grotesque, with a man facing right and a woman facing left. The man's head is covered in scrolls(?) likely meaning he is representative of the merchant and legal class of Cormyr. The woman represents the families and common folk of Cormyr. In the top right corner is a purple dragon, symbolic of the Kingdom of Cormyr. Normally is it seen inside a shield, but it appears the scribe didn't have room to fit it and just drew the awkward dragon.

Throughout this document there are various symbols of Cormyr and Evenstar. The principle economic outputs of Evenstar are: parchment, apples, cheese, wool, and wine.

Along the left margin are three items of symbolic importance to Cormyr and Evenstar. The coin purse and pile coins, obviously, is representative of commerce and the entire purpose of this adventuring charter: gold. Gold makes the wheels of commerce turn. Below that in the middle is a scroll of parchment and an bright red apple below that. The vine and leaf works is purely aesthetic and there to fill up the page without being overly intrusive.

The right margin is much the same as the left, continuing the theme of symbols of the wealth and identity of Evenstar. At the top is a cap of wine surrounded by two bunches of grapes, one of red grapes, the other of white. The runners from their vines are intertwined, just as a the wine of Evenstar & Cormyr are intertwined throughout the Forgotten Realms. In the center is a sheaf of cloth made of wool. Normally these are represented with a tartan pattern common of the region, but it's quite likely that the original artist just forgot. At the bottom is a wheel of cheese, a well known export and import throughout the Realm.

The bottom of the document holds a number of extra symbols and glyphs of varying importance. The left and right corners show two roundels spiraling toward the center in red with leaf work in the center. Both spiral in a way that is symmetric on either side of the page. The scholars are unsure what these actually mean, if in fact they have any meaning at all. It is not uncommon for documents of this era to have meaningless imagery added by the scribes and artists as nothing more than a flourish to fill both the page and their time, giving visual enjoyment to the eye and to the mind.

However, we do know with some certainty what the rest of the symbology at the bottom of the page means. Lord Tessaril Winter is the ruler of Evenstar. We know she was a fighter and a wizard before becoming ruler of Evenstar. The sword & shield as well as the tome sitting on a cloud with a crackle of lighting are both likely visual homages to her past endeavours. It is unclear from historical records if the coloration on the shield, yellow and blue, have meaning or were just her preferred colors.

Some assert that the colored triangle below Lord Tessaril's name is the coup de gras of the entire piece, others argue is is a flamboyant disgrace on the holding and Kingdom. It is a symmetrical triangle made up of 9 smaller triangles of colors. The center is yellow and is said to be symbolic of the sun, which gives life and energy to all things in the land, which creates wealth, and it is also the color of gold. To either side of are orange, said to be representative of the cheese made in Evenstar and surrounding farms, which have rich grasses (and plenty of annato) which make a hearty orange cheese, not unlike the cheddar of the modern era. The red carries a dual meaning: it is indicative of both the juicy red apples, but more importantly, the blood spilling in defending the town and Kingdom. The purple symbolize the famous wine of the region. And lastly, the blue on the outside represent the sea at the southern border of the Kingdom.