Villains' Lorebook.pdf - Department of Political Science

Thayan culture, such as it is, makes extensive use
of slave labor. Slaves of all races work the Red Wizards’
mines and farmlands; many also are forced into
military servitude under the watchful eyes of the Red
Wizards’ humanoid servants, summoned monsters,
and the handful of apprentices each Red Wizard
holds. Slaving raids into Rashemen and Aglarond
are quite common; The slaves gathered in these
raids are roughly treated while they’re marched to
the nearest Thayan city, herded into pens like cattle,
and auctioned off in public. Bidding contests over
prized slaves is just another reason for Red Wizards
to bear resentment, and desire revenge, against one
another.
History: The modern nation of Thay was
founded over 400 years ago by a group of renegade
wizards from Mulhorand. These spellcasters, who
called themselves the Red Wizards, began as a secret
society to win independence from the empire
and create a magical realm apart from the godkings’
theocracy. Under the leadership of Ythazz Buvaar,
the Red Wizards raised an army and sacked the imperial
capital in 922. After several disastrous battles
for the forces of the godkings, the Red Wizards won
their freedom. While Mulhorand still claimed the
plateaus of Thay as their own, they did little to enforce
their claims.
Within 100 years however, the number of Red
Wizards had grown to the point that no efficient ruling
of the country could be accomplished, with important
decisions getting bogged down in endless debates
over trivial details and each Red Wizard seeking
to improve his own lot and reputation at the expense
of every other.
After much civil strife, the Thayans agreed on the
current political system. The Red Wizards would
select eight of their number-one for each school of
magical spells-who would in turn select those
who’d rule the nation’s provinces. Tharchions (and
tharchionesses) had total power over their domains,
but all remained answerable to the zulkirs, who
could remove them from office at will. (The least
painful fate the Red Wizards could choose for an offending
tharchion.) Some Red Wizards objected to
this system, but they were put down for good by the
year 1074.
This is not to say that infighting and strife ceased
to exist among the zulkirs. Open war between zulkirs
became regarded as crass, however: the last refuge of
incompetent mages. Intrigue and acting out their
schemes through agents within Thay and abroad be-
came the fashion, and this continues to this day.
As noted above, Thay has long held imperial aspirations,
and the two most common targets of military
forays have been Rashemen and Aglarond. The
Red Wizards first invaded Rashemen in 934. While
this and other attacks have met with limited initial
success, the Red Wizards’ alliances soon break down,
allowing their opponents time to counterstrike. This
fact, along with the potence of the Rashemi witches
and Rashemaar berserker-warriors, has kept Rashemen
free to this day. Similarly, the realm of Aglarond’s
ruler, the Chosen of Mystra known as the
Simbul has kept the Red Wizards’ schemes at bay for
some time.
More recently, the Red Wizards struck a deal with
the Tuigan Horde of barbarians. When the mounted
warriors poured from the steppes to the east, the Red
Wizards and their servants went to battle them.
While the Thayans held their own for a time, the
Tuigan soon gained the upper hand. Zulkir Szass
Tam then stepped forward and offered to aid the Tuigan
in the conquest of Rashemen if the Tuigan
horse-warriors left Thay untouched. Since it’s unlikely
that Yamun Khahan would have chosen a protracted,
literally uphill battle over uneven terrain
against an army of mages and their magical servants,
he agreed.
Despite the Thayans aid, the witches and warriors
of Rashemen dealt the horse-warriors their first defeat
since they had turned toward the Realms’
Heartlands. One Rashemi witch even journeyed to
Cormyr to aid King Azoun IV in raising the Crusade
army to stop the Tuigan once and for all.
With these setbacks, and the mysterious loss of a
magical artifact of some kind that weakened the Red
Wizards themselves, some foretold the doom of
Thay. Such has not occurred however. In fact, if the
level of bickering between the Red Wizards is a sign
of health, the nation of Thay seems quite vigorous.
After putting down a scheme of the then Zulkir of
Alteration, Maligor (see his entry for details), Szass
Tam, Zulkir of Necromancy has put forward his own
plan to unite all of Thay under his undead thumb.
While the details and any results of this plan are unknown
at this time, experts on the Red Wizards say
that if any can pull off the considerable feat of uniting
the fractious mages, Szass Tam is likely the one
to do it.
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