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A Note From Me |
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On this page you will find a ton of resources dedicated to the land of Thay, and even some of its surrounding neighbors. I must also credit Catherine Keene for her incredible research and documentation on Thay for all of this, as it`s her words, and not mine. Also,
if any of you have
information of any
kind about the land
of Thay that`s not
already listed,
please feel free to
e-mail me here,
or check out the
contacts page. And
if you`d like to see
some information
that ISN`T already
on here, I`ll see if
I can get that up,
too. I`d
highly appreciate
hearing from you! |
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Thay - General Capital: Eltabbar Population: There are close to 5 million citizens in Thay, with humans being the majority. Government: Magocracy Major Religions: Bane, Gargauth, Kelemvor, Kossuth, Loviatar, Malar, Shar, Talona, Umberlee
Thay is ruled by cruel wizards who rely on slavery to provide them with the wealth and luxury they need to support their magical research and dreams of conquest. The country is ruled by 8 Zulkirs, one representing each school of magic. The Zulkirs choose Tharchions, civil governors who manage the mundane affairs of the land and serve at the pleasure of the Red Wizards. The Red Wizard constantly scheme and plot against one another and their neighbors. Thayan armies have marched on Aglarond and Rashemen many times, and most people think it's only a matter of time before the Thayans return to their old habits of taking what they want though force of arms and magic.
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Overview of Thay Most of Thay is located on top of the heavily settled Thayan plateau, accessible only at a few well guarded locations. The nation is otherwise surrounded by high cliff walls known as the First Escarpment, which have proved virtually impregnable to large military forces. The central volcanic peaks of Thaymount sit atop the inner fortress of the Second Escarpment (another series of cliffs). From the mountains pour the three major rivers of Thay -- Eltar, Umber, and Lapendrar. Most of Thay has been thoroughly tamed and cultivated by the Red Wizards and their subjects. The bulk of the plateau is covered with slave plantations, villages, and small fortresses known as tax stations. Commerce and trade in Thay centres along two great highways: the north-south High Road, and the east-west artery called the Eastern Way. But Thay is known more for its inhabitants than its geography. The Red Wizards are a threat to all of Faerun, held back by the Simbul and Rashemen and their own disorganization. Those who know Thay realize that it is the Red Wizards` own lack of a coherent structure and their refusal to combine forces that keeps them from conquering the rest of Toril. The nation is divided into 11 political sectors, known as Tharchs.The rulers of the Tharchs -- the Tharchions and Tharchionesses -- are selected by the ZUlkirs, the council of eight powerful Red Wizards who truly rule the land. Within a Tharch, the Tharchions and Tharchionesses have absolute power only so long as his or her will does not conflict with that of the Zulkirs. In Thay, the Zulkirs reign supreme. Geography of Thay The First Escarpment: This long line of sheer cliffs, ranging from 50 to over 200 feet in height, forms Thays western border and first line of defense. A natural fortress protecting Thays fertile highlands, the First Escarpment provides the land with greater security than the largest army. This is not to say that the Thayans skimp when it comes to their military defenses. The high cliffs are honeycombed with tunnels, barracks, and fortresses carved from the living rock. Here, garrisons of gnolls and other troops keep watch at all likely invasion points. Small citadels, also manned by gnolls or elite h There are only a handful of major routes up the Escarpment and onto the Plateau of Thay beyond. These routes are detailed below and are all well guarded by the Thayan military. The High Road and the Eastern Way: These two main arteries of travel in southern Thay were originally constructed by the god-kings of Mulhorand. Elevated several feet above the ground and covered with sturdy alchemical tar, the roads are carefully maintained by the Red Wizards, who constantly send out teams of slaves to repair and resurface them. Tax stations and their attendant villages lie at regular intervals along the roads, and patrols of humans and gnolls are a constant sight to travelers and merchant caravans. Lake Thaylambar: This vast and deep lake is located in central eastern Thay and feeds both the Thay and Thazarim Rivers. Both the ruins of the old imperial capital of Delhumide and the Thayan capital of Eltabbar are located along Thaylambar's shores. Lake Thaylambar contains rich fishing grounds but also harbors a number of dragon turtles in its icy depths. As the River Thay flows north toward Lake Mulsantir, it descends the slopes of the First Escarpment. Although most of the Escarpment is quite sheer, the River Thay has carved a relatively gentle descent down the cliffs. It is still far too rough and swift moving for upstream boat travel, and passage downstream is fast and hazardous. Land portage in this area is required for efficient travel. Over 300 years ago, the Guild of Portagers charged exorbitant rates to haul vessels overland. The Red Wizards took exception to the rates charged by the guildmaster, killed him and most of his guildsmen, and transformed them into zombies who, to this day, haul vessels and goods up and down the escarpment. Although Thays borders stray beyond the line of the First Escarpment in a few places-- most notably in the Priador and the lands surrounding Surthay-- for the most part the nation occupies the highlands known as the Plateau of Thay. The Plateau is a vast and fertile region, covered with farmsteads, Red Wizards demesnes, and the villages that surround Thayan tax stations. Completely cultivated and tamed, the Plateau contains vast plantations, orchards, and tree farms, where slaves tend crops, pick fruit, fell timber, and perform other tasks under the watchful eyes of their overseers. Gnoll and human troops constantly patrol the area, keeping a sharp lookout for escaped slaves and foreign travelers. About 150,000 free Thayans inhabit the Plateau, living in small villages or overseeing slave farms. Vast barracks house over 1,000,000 slaves and their gnoll guards. These slaves are worked mercilessly, tilling the land, planting, and harvesting Thays crops. The realms enormous free (slave) labor pool enables Thay to produce huge amounts of grain and other food crops, which are exported throughout the eastern realms, bringing further prosperity to the Red Wizards. Travel on the Plateau is dangerous, since this land comprises the heartland of Thay itself. The small fortresses known as tax stations are located at strategic points throughout the regions; each contains dozens of troops, and most have small villages attached to them. Many Red Wizards maintain towers or palaces throughout the region, and keep tight control of the land around their domains. Trespassers on Red Wizards estates are dealt with harshly-- lucky ones are enslaved, while the less fortunate meet horrific fates in the wizards dungeons or laboratories. To the south of the Plateau of Thay, beneath the sheltering ramparts of the First Escarpment and between the Lapendrar and Thazarim Rivers, lie these coastal plains and rolling grasslands. With the exception of independent small slave farm complexes and the coastal settlements of Bezantur, Thasselen, and Murbant, the Priador remains in a largely wild state. It also harbors a number of preserves where the Red Wizards keep monsters required for research and spell components. There are no restrictions on these creatures, and Thayan law states that the creatures owners are not liable for any damage they do or deaths they inflict. Originally under the nominal control of the Tharchion of Lapendrar, the region was given full Tharch status after the capture of the coastal cities and the Salamander War of 1357. The old Tharch of Bezantur was incorporated into the new region, and that thriving port city now serves as the Tharchions seat. The Priador is the area that the Thay series is most concerned with, and you`ll become well acquainted with it by the time you`re through. Looming above the Plateau of Thay is another ring of cliffs called the Second Escarpment. Similar in appearance to the First Escarpment, these cliffs rise up to a second plateau, then swiftly to the craggy peaks of Thaymount. Not much is known about the Second Escarpment and its features. The Thayans maintain several garrisons in the same manner as the First Escarpment, and access to the lands surrounding Thaymount is tightly controlled. This may be due to the many secret goings on at Thaymount itself. The Second Escarpment contains extensive gold mines, worked by slaves and overseen by the Tharchion of Thaymount. Yet another line of towering cliffs forms Thays eastern borders. Beyond the Surague Escarpment lie the Sunrise Mountains, guardians of the Endless Waste and the far eastern lands beyond. This is a wild and underpopulated region of Thay, and the Red Wizards maintain minimal forces here beyond a handful of small fortresses. This dreary, fever-ridden swamp is claimed by Thay and inhabited by tribes of lizard men, possibly the degenerate descendants of the Citadels original builders. Thayan nobles sometimes venture into the swamp on hunting expeditions, hoping to bring home a black dragon, roper, or otyugh-- all of which are known to dwell in the Surmarsh. Each tax station is a small fortress featuring a tower and defensible keep and containing a garrison of 30-50 gnoll or human fighters. Villages have sprung up around most tax stations, providing such services as smithies, wheelwrights, livery stables, inns, and caravan suppliers. Each tax station is responsible for taking a fee from travelers for the upkeep of the road and maintenance of its garrison. Ambitious young civil servants often volunteer to manage tax stations as a way of gaining recognition from their superiors. Tax stations are maintained by their regions Tharchion or Tharchioness, who sets the tax rate and oversees maintenance of roads and trade routes. The tax rate varies from Tharch to Tharch but is rarely exorbitant. Woe to the traveler who refuses to pay, however, for the Tharchions have little patience with lawbreakers. Rising up in the center of Thay are the rugged volcanic peaks known collectively as Thaymount. Access to Thaymount is tightly controlled by the Red Wizards, who maintain numerous fortresses in and along the edge of the Second Escarpment. Exactly what the wizards do on Thaymount is not known for certain. It is known that Thaymount contains the ancient fortress complex known as the Citadel and the thriving gold mines that help maintain Thays prosperity. The Tharchion of Thaymount, one of the most powerful nobles in Thay, has an extensive estate here, built into the slopes of Thaymount itself. This vast fortress and palace contains barracks for Thay`s military reserve-- thousands of gnolls, darkenbeasts, and other fell creatures. In addition, a number of minor earthquakes and ash clouds rising from the higher peaks of Thaymount suggests that volcanic activity in the area is increasing. People and Society In Thay, there are four societies: the Red Wizards, the nobility (mostly the Mulan), the commoners (mostly the Rashemi), and the slaves. The slaves far outnumber the others, and the commoners labor nearly as strenuously as the slaves; the nation is controlled absolutely by the Red Wizards, and they share their authority with no one. Many other races inhabit Thay as well, but most are not considered civilized beings by the general populace. These are the slaves, and they come to Thay from many lands. The most common slaves are those from neighboring Rashemen and Aglarond, captured in slaving raids by the forces of various Red Wizards and Tharchions. Humans from dozens of other nations may also be found here along with dwarves, halflings, gnomes, orcs, goblins, gnolls, and other nonhumans. Elves are the most prized slaves in Thay, but they are rare, being hard to get in the first place and having a tendency to die rather than submit to captivity. Drow are the rarest slave race but seem to take to it better than their Elven cousins. Slaves crouch at the lowest rung of Thayan society. They are considered nothing more than property and are treated as such-- bought, sold and traded, mercilessly punished or thoughtlessly put to death for the smallest infraction. Most agricultural and mining slaves wear only the most minimal clothing: rags, loincloths, or tattered tunics. To distinguish them from their masters, slaves are forbidden to cut their hair, and one can tell the length of their enslavement by this. Manumission, or freeing, of slaves is forbidden in Thay. Once an individual is sold, he or she is considered a slave for life and nothing short of escape can bring freedom. Particularly beloved or successful slaves are sometimes given their own estates by grateful owners, or are given positions with considerable authority and freedom, but in the eyes of Thayan law they remain slaves. The children of a slave are likewise considered slaves and can never be freed, either. The Rashemi: The common people of Thay are descended from the same racial stock as the inhabitants of nearby Rashemen, but they differ greatly in history and culture. They are tough and sturdy, averaging a little over five feet in height, dusky of skin and dark of eye. Men are hirsute, often bearing bushy beards, and are handsome in a somewhat ursine manner. Women tend to be short and muscular, and wear their black hair long, often in elaborate braids. Both sexes are strong, hard workers and make good warriors. Rashemi in Thay dress simply, in baggy trousers, tunics, or smocks. Personal decoration is limited among the lower classes, though an occasional earring, bracelet, or ring is not uncommon. Wealthier Thayan Rashemi wear rich robes and cloaks and often shave their heads and bear tattoos in imitation of the ruling Mulan class. Although
common Thayans
are the most
likely to be
encountered by
visitors and
adventurers,
the real power
in Thay lies
with the Mulan,
the
descendants of
the renegade
Mulhorandi who
first founded
the nation.
They are tall,
spare, and
sallow
complected.
Fashion
dictates that
the Mulan
remove what
little body
hair they
possess,
usually
replacing hair
with fanciful
tattoos--
stylized
representations
of dragons,
fiends,
legendary
monsters,
cryptic runes,
or abstract
designs. Among
the Red
Wizards,
tattoos are
often magical
as well as
decorative.
This passion
for tattooing
has spread
throughout
Thay, and it
is said that
the skin
artists in the
port city of
Bezantur are
the best in
all the
Realms. The most important group in Thay, and the one most often associated with the nation, is the Red Wizards. Originally a dissident faction of Mulhorand magicians, they have evolved into the elite ruling class of one of the most evil and corrupt nations on Toril. Red Wizards are always Mulan. It is forbidden by custom for a Red Wizard to take on an apprentice who is not of Mulan extraction. They are the only group in Thay allowed to wear red- anyone else foolish or ignorant enough to wear such color is rewarded by instant death at the hands of the Red Wizards themselves. The wizards choose eight representatives, or Zulkirs, from among their ranks, one for each school of magic. Zulkirs are usually the most powerful member of each school, though occasionally the rank falls to the most politically astute. Competition for the position of Zulkir is intense, since Zulkirs are the most powerful individuals in Thay. Once elected to the position, a Zulkir serves until they can no longer hold the position. The identities of the various Zulkirs are usually kept secret from the general public, though rumor and high level leaks usually reveal their identity.
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