My players are about to embark on Rise of Tiamat but have not yet attended the first council meeting. One of the PC's is a paladin of Lathander, so I expect there will be interaction between them and Sir Isteval.
The adventure says that:
Sir Isteval is a former adventurer and Purple Dragon Knight of Cormyr. Though not an actual member of the Lords’ Alliance, he is present at the Council of Waterdeep as the alliance’s nominal representative for Daggerford. That small settlement can contribute little to the effort to defeat the Cult of the Dragon, however, and in truth, Isteval has been drafted by Cormyr to gain insight into what looks to be a war brewing on its western border.
and
he assures those present that his loyalties—to Daggerford, to Cormyr, to the Lords’ Alliance, and to all good folk—are not at cross-purposes.
I'm having a hard time understanding Isteval's exact position with regard to Daggerford. He is a Purple Dragon Knight of Cormyr, but Daggerford is not in Cormyr. Daggerford is part of the Lord's Alliance, but Isteval is not a member of the Alliance. He is the "nominal representative" for Daggerford - but who named him, and for what purpose?
Cormyr's interest in having someone at the Council meetings is obvious, but the Alliance's interest in having Cormyr involved is less clear. Does Isteval have any ties to Daggerford? Do the local rulers of Daggerford feel resentful or disenfranchised?
It seems like someone in the Alliance is basically saying, "Daggerford isn't really capable of representing themselves on the Council, so we have named this all-around good guy to represent the interests of Daggerford, even though he has no natural connection to the place. And maybe if he feels responsible for this adopted ward he'll bring some of his companion Purple Dragon Knights along to help our cause."
Is that the gist of it?
