There are more than 3,000 elves in the standing army of Cor- manthyr, and nearly every able fighter among Cormanthyrs populace (elf or NTelQuess) would gladly join the fray if needed in times of crisis. Of all the elven races, the moon elves eclipse all others among the armys overall member- ship. There are four main groups among the akhvelahrn: scouts, the troops, the noble knights and guards of Myth Drannor, and the cavalries.
The scouts are led by Otaerhyn Hawksong, the second-in- command of the akhvelahrn. The bulk of the scouts are green elves, and their skills as archers, rangers, and spies (rogues, thieves) are invaluable for reconnaissance and quick-strikes against minor invasions in the forest. Most of the scouts wear leather or no armor, boots and cloaks of el- venkind, and all arm themselves with bows, daggers, and a variety of weapons (as per each individual). This is the least- disciplined part of the army, since their skills make them less effective in groups larger than three or four and individuality is essential to their jobs. As the farthest-ranging of Corman- thyrs soldiers, they act as perimeter sentries and are most beloved among the border colonies and the human Dalelands (though most shy from the latter).
The warriors and common foot soldiers of the army com- prise more than two-thirds of its total strength. The armys bulk consists of commoner elves (40% of total army, 60% of these are moon elves), NTelQuess fighters (10% of total army, 70% of these are humans), and varied mixes of allied sylvan races such as centaurs and satyrs. The army itself has standard long swords, broad swords, shields, and spears for weaponry; the armys common armor varies from studded leather to chain or (rare instances) scale mail. The officers have improved weapons, including some magical weapons, and they all have elven chain mail or better armor.
The Protectors are the elite troops and those specifically as- signed to defending Cormanthyrs nobility. Comprised almost entirely of gold elves, these troops tend to be bladesingers, higher-level rangers, or fighters. In fact, many of the Protec- tors opted to remain as rank-and-file among the elite rather than become officers of the lower-status common army. Al- most all Protectors have elven chain mail, though the officers
among them have elven plate mail (strong, light plate mail that allows elves to cast spells from within it). The standard weapons for the elite (long bow, spear or other polearm, long sword or broad sword) are all at least of +1 enchantments. A sign of prestige among the elven nobility of Myth Drannor is an honor guard of personal Protectors, rather than standard mercenary guards from the common army.
While technically part of the AkhVelahr, the Wing and Horn are the elite cavalry troops that are accorded a certain amount of autonomy by Cormanthyrs Captain due to their specialized skills. Their commander is the gold-dragonrider Lady Ahskahala Durothil (CG gold elf female F16). Among the Wing & Horn are six distinct cavalry units comprising less than 15% of the army.
The most elite and the primary officers of Wing & Horn are the dragonriders. Numbering five in all, they were once far more numerous in the early days of Arcorar; most have flown west to aid in the defense of other realms, most especially Evermeet. This quintet remains as a personal favor between Lady Ahskahala and the Coronal Eltargrim; she and her mount (plus her faithful lieutenants and their mounts) will remain to defend Cormanthor and Myth Drannor until the end of the Sixth Rysar. At that time, she and the other drag- onriders (all windriders) and their mature dragons will wing west toward Evermeet. Each dragonrider either commands a Wing (flying) or Horn (grounded) cavalry unit.
Lady Ahskahala rides Haklashara, a gold dragon of 488 winters, and she commands the Wing & Horn.
The moon elf lord Avourel Omberdawn (LG em F14) com- mands the hippogriffs, the largest Wing contingent of cav- alry. Avourel is acclaimed for his aerial battle tactics, with he and his Wing scoring over three dragon kills inside two centuries. Of course, the bulk of the strategies come from his silver dragon companion, the 350-year-old Otaaryli- akkarnos, though she doesnt mind him taking the credit. Hippogriff-riders are the most common of the cavalry troops of Wing, and most of them are moon elves. Numbering about 250 riders and mounts at any given time, they are im- pressive in their tight regimented formations and attack pat- terns. As the slowest among the flying cavalry, they rely on group tactics and teamwork to defeat their foes. Their Sixstar Maneuver (named after the site in Myth Drannor) is their most famous, where six hippogriffs pilot into positions in which all six riders can perform lance charges and pull away safely from each other and their outflanked target.
Lord Avourels moon elf wife, the Lady Fieryat Omber- dawn (CC ef F13), rides the 332-year-old silver dragon Evenaelorathos the Blackspine, an affected name from his atypical jet-black dorsal spine and horns. Even and Lady Fieryat command the pegasi Wing cavalry together and have made their reputation as incredibly fast cavalry support for beleaguered ground troops.
Next among the cavalry of wing are the pegasus-riders. One hundred pegasi from the herds among Cormanthyr and
the northern lands west of the Dragon Sea fly at the ready with their exclusively gold elf riders. With the Lady Fieryats extensive training of them, riders are capable of brief ma- neuvers at a +1 Maneuverability Class once an hour, with a successful NWP check.
The ever-unpredictable pairing of the moon elf Ievos Ulondarr (CG em F12; Str 18) and Sunsettalithanz (CG bronze dragon of 403 years) strikes pride, exasperation, and abject fear into the heart of both Lady Durothil and the Coronal. Commanders of the equally rambunctious Eagle Wing cavalry, these two bring their flamboyant daredevil tactics to bear at every occasion, as if they both had death wishes. All attempts to discipline them are wasted, but neither are they struck down in rank due to their importance and their accomplishments.
The smallest and newest of the Wing cavalry, the green and moon elves giant eagle mounts, amount to no more than 30 birds and riders and most are limited to the southern forests. When in full attack formation, they are a savage, blood-chill- ing sight. Still, while many elves and all NTelQuess are in awe of their triumphs, many elder elves shake their heads at their recklessness and lack of discipline. One would believe they were almost human, given their behavior. Still, they are among the best strike forces Cormanthyr has. . . .
There are also rare inclusions among the Wing cavalry of
wyvernriders or griffonriders. While these spectacular mounts and their riders were welcome for their offensive ca- pabilities, they were problematic among the other cavalry due to the difficult-to-restrain natural feeding habits. There- fore, if wyverns or griffons were among the army, they often gained solo missions to prevent their feeding on fellow cav- alry troops, since both species love pegasi, hippogriffs, uni- corns, and other types of horses. Given his own flair for unpredictability, Ievos commands these rogues as well.
The sole sylvan elf commander among the dragonriders, Laamtora Kevanarial (NG ef F12) is among the quietest of elves, never saying more than is necessary. In fact, she almost prefers to let her bronze dragon Xanscilathampos (LG bronze dragon of 277 winters) command her troops, since his voice is far more easily heard between ground and sky. Laamtora is the commander of the Horn cavalry, the ground troops. She and Xan plan out the broader ma- neuvers and where they will reconnoiter with the ground troops, and they often take to the air early in battles, leav- ing the two commanders of the ground cavalry to work out the specific details within the ground plan.
The unicornriders of Cormanthyr range from 50-100, de- pending on the season and the location within the forest. While the cavalry may be called all about the forest, no uni- corns are found south of Old Elven Court, nor will any enter
that area or Tangled Vale without urging from their riders. The unicorns are found in some wandering herds in the northern forests of Cormanthor. All unicornriders are female elves, though they are a mix of all the surface breeds.
The moon horses are the magical mounts exclusive to moon elven fighter/mages (but not bladesingers). These intelligent horses were among the natives of Arcorar long before the elves arrived, and they volunteered their services to aid the elves defense of the forest. Now, after long millennia, the moon-horse herds are dwindling, and only 20 serve as mounts for their moon elven riders at any given time. Still, they are often set as the shocktroop cavalry, their spells and speed breaking many opposing charges for easy attacks by the uni- corn cavalry following them or the hidden scouts arrows.
All of the Wing & Horn cavalry riders are fighters from 5th to 11th level; some may be fighter/mages of up to 9th level in each class. They all are capable of handling either ground or flying mounts, and their weapons match the type of fighting involved (as noted above). All are armored with leather or elven chain mail. Only Horn cavalry use shields, but all are armed with bows, arrows, at least two spears or some other style of polearm, and some hand-to-hand weapon of personal choice. Lances are known weapons to all cavalry (i.e., re- quired WP), though they are only used against major aerial targets like dragons.