Which Thay Are We Talking About Here, Anyway?

Official map of Thay

If you have kept up to date on recent canon events in the Forgotten Realms, you've definitely noticed that what I've been writing about here is very different.  There has been no mention of the Spellplague, the war between the zulkirs, or the destruction of just about everything that Thay was.  If you haven't kept up on the latest for whatever reason, never fear.  In this blog and on my larger D&D site, Thay remains a nation under the zulkirs, Mulhorand still exists in conflict with Unther, and Luskan's Arcane Brotherhood hasn't been reduced to a homeless gang.  The drow gods have not been decimated.  Nor will these things necessarily happen in the Realms I envision, set as they are in the mid to late 1370s DR.

There are a number of reasons why I will continue to develop the Realms from this point, and they are constructive rather than resentful.  I know there was some resistance from many long-time fans against the changes instituted in the 4E Realms, and they had some valid reasons for being disappointed.  But I don't want to dwell on what has now become an old argument, even if I do have my own bones to pick.  I respect the great deal of work that has been poured into the setting over the decades.  I now have more perspective on just how much work is involved since I've been writing on my own book (Drow of Porphyra).  The canon is what it is and won't be changing, but people are free to make the Realms what they need them to be.  And I want to share what I'm building so that others can have more to work with when they create their own games and characters.  

So here are the keys to what Kismet's version of Thay is all about:

Kismet's Thay is progressive, not regressive.  I didn't start playing the 4E or 5E versions of the Realms and then decide to roll them back to some earlier state.  When I first started running D&D in the early 2000s, the campaign setting book's timeline ended in 1372.  My group did some playing in that year, and most of my DMing has been done through the 1370s.  There's been so much to see and do and develop that we haven't advanced far in game time - but we have done a hell of a lot of exploring across Faerun.  Rather than advancing the timeline in a major way, destroying entire regions, or adding new lands out of nowhere (as was done in 4E), I intend to move forward naturally, explore the many areas that could use a lot more detail, and appreciate the places that exist.  That doesn't mean nothing bad will happen, that nothing will be demolished, or that there won't be major events; they just won't fall in line with the official outline.  If that excites you, welcome!  If you are looking for material that will follow the canon, you are still very welcome, but please know that I have no intention of doing so.  

Kismet's Thay does not tarnish the nation simply because of its evil doings.  Much of the materials I've found about Thay seem to be written by someone looking on with disapproval.  This has been the case regardless of edition.  There's a sense that Thayans have little to be proud of besides their magic, since many of them are evil and they are ruled openly by cruel wizards with ruthless reputations.  Bezantur, for instance, is described as a rather ugly and joyless city to visit, if for no other reason than it is a major port for slavery.  It's as though Thayans can have no taste or desire for finer things.  Yet empires in the real world have also been built on slave labor and bloody politics, and they left artworks and locations of great beauty behind.  And evil is not always deemed to be a bad thing so by those for whom it is a native element.  While some organizations have such hazardous methods and goals that they can't maintain nice things, in my designs the Red Wizards isn't necessarily one of them.  There are spots of blight and ugliness in Thay, to be sure, but not nearly as many as foreigners assume.  And they are not always viewed negatively by Thayan folks who were born and raised to understand the world in a different way.  With that in mind...

Kismet's Thay is approached from an insider's perspective.  While written in a third person, purportedly objective manner, it soon becomes clear that official manuals present Thay from an outsider's view (I can't speak to the novels; I haven't read them).  Not all sanctioned books are written that way in every case, but the more evil the focus becomes, the more the distance becomes apparent - and begins to affect the quantity and quality of the information offered.  There are many understandable reasons for this, but when it comes to Thay, it begins to hurt one's understanding and suspension of disbelief.  

The country itself is described as rugged and unpleasant, crawling with the zulkirs' monsters as well as humanoids, with little to offer the citizen.  No country exists quite like that, even if the benefits are only in the citizen's mind or the nation's propaganda.  The enclaves are the closest you can get to a taste of the real Thay, and that's only because they are essentially rated PG-13.  They are tiny slices of the mother country, watered down but just ethnic and exotic enough to enthrall, censored by local laws and only rumored to be corrupt.  Safely muzzled, the enclaves offer bargains and quests to those who are willing to deal with colorful reputations.  They don't explain why Thayans act as they do, think as they do, or are as they are.  They only showcase their wares and some of their attitudes and methods.  

I have had native-born Thayan characters in my imagination telling me all about their ways and people for a few years now.  Going with the insider's view has always granted me a more intricate and rich view of everything Thayan, and I hope to share the rewards.  But because of this perspective...

Kismet's Thay is skewed in Thay's favor and will remain so.  This is not a flaw or an accident but a deliberate and ingrained feature.  I'm not going to focus on writing about Thay from the point of view of characters who are enemies of the state or slaves.  We've already been given ample reasons to hate them.  Instead, I am going to show you the reasons why Thayans love themselves and their society (even as they despise many aspects and people with a fierce passion - but that should come to make sense, as well).  Dissenting characters might be used for future posts, but they will stay in the minority.  This doesn't mean that I will be writing a glorified travel manual that only highlights the best things about the place.  There are numerous weaknesses and failings in Thayan society and they will become apparent to the discerning reader.  I actually hope to show why the country hasn't advanced even further than it has.  But don't expect the narrators to turn into traitors, undergo major alignment changes, or abandon their country.  Even in the darkest hours, they will love their land above all others.  Even so...

Kismet's Thay isn't dedicated to the usual stubborn reactions and strategies.  Thus far, the majority of Thay's history has been taken up by a succession of failed invasion attempts.  The Red Wizards have lashed out at virtually every neighbor they possess and continued to send armies even when those tactics reaped few rewards.  They have expanded their territory but little for so much expense and repetition.  They continued attacking even after they started opening commercial and diplomatic enclaves in foreign cities, until just recently (1371).  To say that it's become a worn-out refrain would be putting it mildly.  While the zulkirs do not always present a united front and hatch their own schemes, they are also supposed to be some of the more intelligent wizards around, and they must present at least something of a united front to keep hold of such a country.  Surely their approaches should show more variety, pizzazz, and learning, and with any luck they will here, when it comes to that.  But no one will be attacking Aglarond in winter any time soon in this blog's contents.

Last but not least, Kismet's Thay is an exercise in fiction, world-building, and imagination - but does not condone the way Thayans live or treat others.  Regardless of my enthusiasm for writing here, I am fully aware that the world I am exploring does not exist.  I would not want to live in such a place, and am well acquainted with the horrors of slavery, oppression, and the rest.  But this is not real life.  This is fantasy of a special sort for folks who are ready for it.  You can enjoy reading about things you would never want to see happen, and that is part of the miracle of art.  So I produce this blog as an adult for adults, for readers who are comfortable with the material and would like to see more of it, and for readers who are ready for the bad guys to win some battles.  While I do not support the many cruel things Thayans take for granted, I am also not going to undercut or condemn them at every turn.  They reap their rewards and punishments, just like everyone else.  The evil have gods on their side, just like the good and neutral in Faerun.  

What Thayans have not had is enough of the spotlight, at least for my taste.  While Waterdeep has been detailed in hundreds of pages across editions, Thay has more than one city worthy of such attention but has received a fraction of the love.  So whether you're looking to understand what it was like before the Spellplague or if your vision of the country is similar to mine, at least now you know what you will find when you visit Kismet's Guide to Thay.

From the Correspondence of Tari Govannon: A History of Thayan Marriage

Art by fantasio

Dear R.D.,

It's wise of you to seek my advice, considering you've just announced you are entering the marriage market in Eltabbar this season.  You might have consulted me before you made yourself conspicuous, but you are not at a great disadvantage yet.  Marriage in Thay has always been a maddeningly complicated affair, and much more dangerous for citizens of our stature.  As a person of decent Mulan pedigree, your peril is moderate for now, with a chance to escalate quickly, depending on whose eye you catch (or vice versa).  I would rather you made a match that does not descend into the hells known as Thayan divorce.  You have, after all, committed no offenses against me.

I will not be commenting on the candidates we spoke of, so if you are hoping that I will make the decision for you, you will be disappointed.  Instead, I will seek to educate you about the realm you have entered so you will feel confident in acting on your own behalf.  Keep in mind, I have used much of the coin you offered me for research and nothing I am about to tell you is worthless.  Tedious, perhaps, but not worthless.  To understand the process ahead, you must know how and why our customs came to be.  If you wish to prosper in the long run you will study my words, but as with everything else, I leave the choice to you - while you still have one.  In several years, as you draw closer to the age of compulsion, you will wish you still had my letter.

The archives of House Delizan will tell you that our oldest noble houses descend from those of Mulhorand, which is true.  What the archives skip over is the social chaos that followed our war for independence, which we won in 922 DR.  Everyone already knew who the nobles, commoners, and slaves were.  A few slaves won their freedom and several commoners were given titles because of service during the worst battles, but most stayed as they were.  The actual problem was that we expected our lives to stay the same after we'd staged a revolution against everything we had been.  We had not planned for mundane matters much at all.

The first few decades following our freedom were a time of experimentation.  We considered dissolving the traditional noble houses and beginning anew, but there was such an outcry that those plans were abandoned.  Instead, the houses were ordered to declare themselves to the zulkirs, register, and petition for domains in the nation we were building.  And they did, and then went about their business trying to grab as much land, influence, and minions as they could.  What many of them forgot to do in the ensuing shuffle was marry and produce legitimate offspring.

Oops.

House Delizan was the first to notice the issue as it cataloged our family lines, whose younger ranks and couples were dwindling.  When given the chance to pursue their own ends and forego producing their own families, many dove in head-first.  That does not mean they weren't diving into other people's warm bodies.  They had dalliances with commoners that could not be acknowledged.  They laid with slaves whose offspring were chattel, even if they were owned by their fathers or mothers.  But socially sanctioned unions blessed by the gods?  Those were few and far between.

Gods, of course, were a major source of the dilemma.  Our split with Mulhorand was a rejection of their theocracy.  The clergy had grown spoiled, crushing any other source of power but their own for over a thousand years.  But in Mulhorand, the gods were not distant figures - they were living, breathing avatars who dwelt among the people and ruled directly.  They and their underlings set all the laws and oversaw all marriages.  (And they took their own mortal brides and concubines.  The wealth of aasimar in their land is a lasting testament to the divine breeding program.)  If a match seemed like it would be dangerous to the clergy's interests, it was denied and the seekers married elsewhere.

So, as Thayans who had just outlawed the worship of our former gods, to whom were we to pledge our wedding vows?  For about a decade many of us were faith-hoppers, seeking patrons we could respect.  But most of the deities we chose were not particularly interested in wedlock, so the old pressures did not resume.  And why bring faith into it, anyway?  For a while the zulkirs allowed civil unions to be registered with the new bureaucracy, but they didn't hold as much weight.  Since we have always been quick to hold grudges, most arrangements fell apart before they had even begun.  The few blue-blooded children born during this time suffered as the houses fought to claim rights over them.  

An unlikely alliance formed to push for laws regarding marriage among nobles, if no one else.  Esteemed followers of Bane, Beshaba, Loviatar, Siamorphe, Waukeen (and some say Gargauth) pressed for tight regulations to be enacted.  Some argued that we had to maintain the strength of our bloodlines; others knew we had to keep inheritances from reverting back to Mulhorandi hands.  More than one believed our noble houses would fall if they continued as they were, and that our nobles had a duty to showcase our highest culture, our greatest talents, and the pride of Thay.  And there were jokes about teaching nobles to suffer that were not merely for entertainment.

So, some of the earliest work of the Crimson Courts had to do with marital regulations.  The first ruling was that procreation, bloodlines, investment, and inheritance would be the pillars of wedlock; love, religion, and other concerns were inferior.  All nobles would be required to be married and to have produced at least one sanctioned heir by age 35.  Any who were barren had to show proof that they had exhausted all reasonable avenues to restore their ability before they would be excused.  Bastards or unregistered children would not be counted, especially if they were from slave or commoner stock.  If a noble tried to flee or refused to choose their own mate, the head of house was expected to choose for them and see the duty done.  

A union had to be approved by the head of house, as well as any clergy petitioned to perform the ceremony before the marriage contract could be drawn up with the Court.  Families quickly stepped in to pressure for matches that would yield the most benefits for the noble houses involved, but most of them had no real power unless the head of house wanted the same thing.  By law, no noble can be forced to marry or breed by any means unless they are near the age, some extraordinary circumstance arises, or the head of house can make a case for its necessity.  Most of us have forgotten this and many heads of house have found ways to get what they desire, so few of us risk their wrath anymore.

Besides, if you participate in your own arrangements, you can negotiate for the terms of your nuptial contract.  Each contract is decided by the couple and witnessed by barristers and clerics and any other guests.  A head of house can only veto something if it can be shown to endanger the house.  Breeding is restricted to the official couple but sex doesn't have to be.  Which spouse controls the wealth is decided, as well as which house the couple will be registered with (also the house their children will be part of).  Any deeds that must be performed for the wedding, between spouses, or anniversaries are chosen, as well as any lines of behavior that must not be crossed.  These agreements are quite detailed but they must be agreed upon without force before they can be filed with the Court.  They can be amended in the future if both spouses agree, but that rarely happens.

And of course, there are always exceptions.  Nobles who breed out of wedlock but with each other can cause infighting between their houses, but they might be able to negotiate a truce that fulfills their obligation without getting married.  Likewise, officers or others heading into great danger can try to arrange a mating, leaving their children behind to be counted.  Nobles from other lands who prove their allegiance to Thay can substitute for Mulan.  Spellcasters certainly have the most loopholes.  If they manage to breed with outsiders, dragons, or other mighty creatures, their need to marry is usually waived.  Dmitra Flass's husband has no noble heritage, but he does possess a powerful role.  But even Red Wizards must comply with the Doom of Matrimony (and yes, you may laugh at the title, but it is the official designation of this section of our legal code).

Which lessons can we glean from this history?  I will point out only a few; the rest are yours to discover.  

First, you must plan as much as you can in advance.  Do not leave your situation to chance or it will be messy, perhaps lethally so.  Second, you will have to consider how the gods play into it, but you will not be able to rely on them.  Do not think that you will be assured a pleasant experience simply because your spouse follows your faith.  If they have other interests that you despise, the time you spend showing off in church together won't matter.  Third, do not just consider the social position of a candidate.  Look at their features, talents, and especially any arcane ability that may run in their family.  Most times it will not be a Red Wizard that you will want to aim for, but their brother or sister.

Fourth, expect to suffer during the courtship process and beyond.  Whether Beshaba takes an interest in your union or not, we cannot wear our vulnerabilities openly.  Some of us are distant or vicious as we test our potential spouses, especially if we are under a great deal of pressure from other sources.  It can be difficult to interact with someone who feels little attraction to you or who already prefers someone they cannot have.  And then power dynamics will come to bear as you set up your contract.  You may have to get creative with compromises, but it does not have to be a battle.  It can be a trade agreement.  Consider what you can offer in exchange for something you want.

Fifth, always remember that we are proud, possessive, and territorial as a people.  The same spouse that allows you to entertain yourself with slaves will hunt you down and murder you in the street for trying to leave them - and they will be within their rights to do so, if you have violated your oath.  If you want to be free once your child is a year and a day old (the minimum amount we must stay married), be sure to stipulate that in your contract (with an option to stay if you choose).  Otherwise, your spouse will likely decide to keep you.  But the fact of the matter is that most of us do not divorce soon, often, or easily; once bound, we tend to find ourselves inextricably linked.

We have so many rules about wedlock because as nobles we have the most to lose of all Thayans - but since their inception, most of the basic regulations have not changed.  They may have been added to, but they are the same throughout the country.  The more you know about the statutes, the more you can use that knowledge to strengthen your position, in the marriage market or any other.

Sincerely,
Tari Govannon

Rumor #2: Gauros is Poor and Half-Empty

<Lucindiya Szollos sighs and rolls her eyes before she quaffs from her stein.  The bartender, Reggia, just had to ask about where Luci came from in those warbly, perpetually drunken tones.  But Luci is far more annoyed by having to talk about her roots than by the bar wench to end all bar wenches.

Luci seems mostly out of place in the deliberately roughshod tavern called the Withered Rose, which is secretly owned by her patron, the tiefling noble Viktor Valgon, and openly run by his merry band of followers.  But as a mid-level commoner with special circumstances, Luci can risk being seen here with few consequences.  And some days, she shows up for a small reminder of where she grew up, not that she would ever admit it.

Better dressed than the main, it's the added delicacy of Luci's bone structure and the slight pointing of her ears that makes most others glance twice.  Her thick, wavy mane of dark hair and the dusky cast to her skin otherwise mark her as Rashemi.  Unlike most commoners she bears more than one piece of gold jewelry, and one bracelet which clearly marks her as a citizen rather than a slave.  (When those signs aren't enough, she has her full paperwork tattooed on her back in ink which resists removal by magic.  When you're from a race that's normally owned in Thay, you can't be too careful.)  

Her robes, however, are of an embroidered style which suggest wizardry, and while they are not red they keep most patrons from making the jibes which come to mind about little half-elven ladies.  At least while they're sober enough.  She's fully expecting to catch some jokes about whether she can enlarge certain body parts with magic eventually.  Elves are just too tiny for big Rashemi tastes - or at least big Rashemi talk.>

Look, nobody should be in Gauros if they have real taste, or if they need high society, or if they like big cities, but it's not exactly what you've heard.  And believe me, I'm the last person who would defend the place.  It was bad enough to be a child there, but once I showed arcane skill it was unbearable.  I couldn't wait to get out.  But we should leave the lies for the foreigners, right?  And I'm sure you won't spread the word from our little girl chat, not if I buy you a drink of your own while I'm having mine.

<Coin is placed on the bartop with slim fingers, and Reggia's gently wobbling "Well, thank you, don't mind if I do," assures Luci that the bard will in fact spread some of the more interesting parts of their conversation.  The woman has a stein in hand with hardly a pause but her eyes are eager for the tale.>

Gauros is poor compared to Eltabbar, but then so is most of Faerun.  It's not destitute.  There aren't people starving in the streets.  They might be dirtier, but that's because they have to be.  Some of them even like to be.  They have dirtier professions and they take pride in how hard they work.  They also live closer to the land than the Mulan like to, as they always have.  The Mulan didn't intermarry as much in those woods, so the stock is still mostly Rashemi.  They only give a shit about manners when it keeps them alive.  But the tharch isn't a ghost town.

Map from the 3rd Edition Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting

The area doesn't have cities because the land's been left more wild than other tharchs.  Nobody cared enough to cast big spells to whip it into shape, and why should they have?  It's in the far reaches of the country, not close to any of the hustle and bustle.  Major commerce isn't going to go there; resources are going to be sent out.  They keep the towns small and scattered because that's how they need to be.  I also think a zulkir or tharchion figured that leaving it dangerous would provide more defenses.  Slaves who try to escape usually get mauled by some creature before they can get far.  And the woods are good at keeping their own secrets.  

The tharchion and her underlings spread rumors to keep prying fingers out of their business, and to make it look like there's hardly any business worth speaking of.  Nothing worth relocating for.  Nothing worth trying to take out of their control.  Some of her lackeys were assigned to their posts from elsewhere and can't stand it, so they don't make things up; they just bitch about everything they despise.  It works just as well.

Yes, there are plenty of trees and goats, but those ugly, barren hills you've heard of?  There's mines hidden in some of them, decent ones.  The forests go all the way up to the Sunrise Mountains with all the timber you could ask for - more, because Gauros is one of the best tharchs to be in if you're a ranger or a druid.  They grow and breed what they want.  The ancient ruins that've been already been looted?  Some of them just have new loot from the treasure hunters who've died there.  The keeps that are supposedly empty?  Why would the tharchion leave them that way?  Would you?

No, you couldn't pay me enough to move back to that sty, not after I've lived in Eltabbar.  I'll return to visit my father, perhaps, because he's too stubborn to live anywhere else.  He won his freedom in those woods in a High Hunt of Malar and then married a local woman when he should have wanted to get back to his own people.  He'll be buried there someday, and when he is, his bones will be the best part of Gauros for me.

Now if you don't mind - it seems like that man is about to challenge me to a drinking contest.  It's not his fault.  He doesn't know where I was born or whose daughter I am.

How To Get the Best Cheap Meals in Thay

<On his way down the street in the dim early morning light, tucking and arranging his clothes and not paying much mind to the simple neighborhood where he lives, Liroq the sailor once again has had to leave his cozy home and wife without breaking his fast.  But this wasn't exactly unplanned.>

Ah, hello!  Decided to meet me here at the corner like I suggested yesterday, eh?  Good!  I am going to show you how to get the best cuisine Thay has to offer the poor working sap at just about any time of day, in any corner of the country.  It just takes a little time and persistence, so that's why we're getting started so early.

We'll pick up Nuaros on the way, probably - if he's managed to crawl his way out of bed and whichever bottle or woman he crawled into it with.  That poor man needs to be married.  I know most Thayans would never say such a thing except as a punishment, but that's just because the wrong gods smiled on their match.

My wife makes every day worthwhile!  Each time I don't get eaten by some monster out on the lake, I come home to all the stews and breads and sweets she's been making while she's been doing everything else.  Oh, don't think she doesn't have her own job.  She certainly does!  My Brekka's a fishwife for House Kul, but she has more breaks to check on things at home.  I hate having to leave her behind when they want us out for days or weeks at a time, but what are you going to do?

Do I what?  Trust her while I'm gone?  Why wouldn't I?  She knows the terms of our marriage contract.  A copy of it is hanging on the wall above our door.  We both blow it a  kiss every time we leave.  It's our little ritual.

Anyway, we're not doing this because my wife can't cook.  We're doing this because you never know where you're going to need to catch a hearty meal.  

Why don't we just eat at an inn or a restaurant?  Yes, there are plenty of them around, but let's be honest: Most inn food is as bland as an Aglarondan's face.  And common restaurants either charge too much or you can't trust what they say is on their plates, and their food is mostly lard either way.  Eating well all day can run five silvers or more, and those are silvers you could be using to buy other things or get in on a game.  

Ah, there you are, Nuaros!  Had a late night with a bottle, by the smell of it.  Just try to keep up.

So, my young friend, since you say you want to see everything Thay has to offer on less than a gold piece a day, here's my first piece of advice: Don't pay for food in the usual places if you can help it.  Inns and restaurants will drain you dry.  Any establishment backed by House Wenz is going to be far too rich for your blood, so avoid them, no matter how wonderful they smell or how pretty their waitresses are.  You might find a stall that has something good-smelling and cheap, but make sure it's also grilled to a crisp or deep fried, otherwise you'll probably spend the next day feeding the otyughs in the sewers.

Are you alright, Nuaros?  You look a little green around the gills.  Don't be feeding the otyughs until later; we have to get our new friend around first.

My next piece of advice is this: Look for places where food is but isn't sold.  You might not even think of it as food yet.  

For instance, if there are fighting pits of House Mishkov or Lectos around, go there and see if any defeated critters were left behind.  Not all of the gladiators claim their kills or care what happens to them.  House Gordesh has to put down their mounts sometimes, too.  The bodies do get tossed into a cold place so they might be sold in the markets whenever someone can get around to it, but you might get lucky.  Strike a deal for a pound of flesh from a hippogriff's leg and it'll cost you some coppers or a silver, or a half an hour mucking out a stable.

If you learn your herbs well enough, you can go to any place House Lloros runs and ask for damaged herbs they can't use that you can still eat.  That will cost you coppers or maybe a job running a message somewhere across the city.  Just make sure you know what you're asking for and that you're getting what you should.  They can be sneaky and the wrong herbs from Lloros can do some serious harm.

The plants that House Zalios grows are drugs, but not all parts of them are.  If you learn your drugs like your herbs, you can figure out what to ask for or which parts are safe.  They can be good greens, stems a lot of times, but perfect for chewing or stewing.  You can dry them out and grind them up yourself for a vial of homemade spice.  If you want a lesser high, I suppose you could ask for the bits that might have some intoxication left in them, but you'll pay more, depending on who sells them to you.

House Koraz's chop shops are probably your best bet.  They usually have a market stall or store where anyone can bring the bodies of creatures they kill.  They take exotic components from the carcasses, right?  And usually they break them down for whatever they think they can use or sell.  But there's always extra bits left over - bone, gristle, meat, clawed feet that can be very tasty when they're fried and tossed in spices.  Sometimes they take the leavings for sausages, but again, that takes time and labor.  If you show up asking to see the leavings and offering coin or trade right then, you could wander off with meat that only nobles usually get to taste.

Then you can take your food and find someone to cook it.  If you can bribe your way into the slave quarters for next to nothing, I'd go in there and ask around for who can cook the best.  All you have to do is offer them some morsels and they'll cook up your whole day's meals right there.  Travelers with House Darnak caravans might have nothing to do until they get their orders, so you can ask around with them, but they'll want more of the final take.  The fish stalls of House Kul and Vhol might be willing to slip your food in with theirs for some coin or a favor.  

Of course, if you know how to cook and you have the means, you should do it.  You'll want to get very skilled at sniffing out meat that's gone bad unless you have an iron stomach.  You'll also want to figure out fast ways to get everything cooked, unless you have a place you trust to leave a stew brewing.  But either way, once you're done, you will have some of the most savory delights you can get outside of a noble's table or favorite restaurant.  You can stop by the warehouses of House Metron and see if they have any safe brews made by the slaves they train.  Sniff them very well first, though.  They'll be cheap and could be very good and very different, but they could also be wretched.

Whatever you do, do not eat anything offered by House Tam.  You never know what those necromancers have done with the bodies first.  And they tend to be human bodies, so, you know - not very appealing, unless you're into that sort of thing.  And if you are, I don't want to know.

Well!  Now that you know your options, let's see what's left over from yesterday's catch at the chop shop...

Rumor #1: Thay Is a Dried Out Wasteland

Nuaros here.  Since we're just standing around waiting to board the next ship out, let's start the day with a good laugh.  Hopefully one that doesn't end up with me getting hit over the head.  Maybe instead of picking on what the nobles get up to just because they're rich enough to get bored, I'll pick on the stupid things outsiders believe about Thay.

Stop looking at me like that, Liroq.  I haven't said anything that bad yet.

Look, I don't mean 'outsiders' as in demons or creatures like that.  Those are a whole other matter and not one I want to know anything about, thank you very much.

No, I mean foreigners, all the kingdoms and races that are only fit to be here in chains.  <pause to spit off the dock>  Have you seen the way they usually show Thay on their maps?  It's no wonder they talk about us like we're still some sand-scrabbling backwater that needs our slaves to survive.  Everything they show is dry except for a few rivers and the lake.  Not a forest or a farm or so much as a tree.  Just look at it:

Excerpt from the 3rd edition Forgotten Realms map

It's like they think we haven't done anything here since we kicked Mulhorand out!  Or like it was a complete wasteland to begin with, which it wasn't.  (Or at least most of it wasn't.  There have always been some old scars on the land, but, you know, wizards.  They know how to leave a mark.)  The Rashemi who started out here only did so much but they had some forests and their own hardy plants.  The coastline on the Sea of Fallen Stars?  Plenty of green!  Always has been.

Then you have the chumps who think they have the "secret" map of what our land is really like.  Just look.  It has a little more green but none of the deep dark nastiness of the forests of Gauros.  Sure, we cut down whatever woods were in our way in some tharchs, but we didn't completely raze our own territory, not after we fought so hard for it.  (Okay, so we razed some of it, but only until the enemy gave in, and mostly in ways it could come back from.)  

Other cities know we ship tons of food across Faerun after growing it here.  They complain about how it's "slave goods" and morally wrong, but most of them are happy to buy it when their own harvests don't work out.  Just where do they think it comes from, if not from healthy soil?  Not every fucking thing is done by magic here.  Yes, the area around Tyraturos is still too dry, but there's only so much the weather net can do.  But this?  This is nonsense.

Excerpt from Unapproachable East

Much work, blood, and magic went into the land since we claimed it, believe it or not.  You don't have to be an elf to want a little green, and you don't have to be a druid to know that you need it to survive.  The nobles didn't want to live in Rashemi "hovels" or live like the nobles of Mulhorand, so they did something about it.  They did it on their own, some tharchions here, some noble families there, but it got done.  One of the only things the Red Wizards really pitched in for as far as I know was the weather net that makes it rain every night.  But that worked like a charm in most places.  We grow more food and drugs and other things than we know what to do with.

If they knew just how nice most of the First Escarpment is now, they would be bringing armies to our doorstep.  Better for us that they don't - even if it would be fun to kick their asses off the cliffs.  And the rumors will likely continue, anyway.  We have more sweeps across our land looking for spies and escaped slaves than you can get away from.  Even if a slave does make it out by some miracle, most of them keep their mouths shut or have some kind of unfortunate accident not long after.  Or they squeal and nobody believes them. 

And then there's the other major Red Wizard public project - the anti-scrying net of spells they keep running.  It just isn't possible to go scrying around our country, even if you are a powerful wizard.  We have all of the zulkirs making sure of it.  But that's a feature for another time.  We have a ship to board and work to do.

The Voices of Thay

Art by Artastrophe
For me, Thay began with a voice - the sarcastic tones of Edwin in the Baldur's Gate video game.  His endless complaining, threatening, and evading were no end of amusing to me as I made my way around the Sword Coast, and his entire attitude stuck with me.  Half a world away from home and alone among strangers, his swagger was not held back one iota.  He was a Red Wizard and wore his red with an almost ridiculous amount of pride.

When the time came to build my own version of Thay, I did not use Edwin directly - but I did not forget him.  I also did not fail to realize how valuable an insider's perspective and attitude can be.  I began creating characters who were Thayans born and bred, believing themselves above the rest, and they became my guides.  I listened to their reactions as I read my gaming books.  I allowed their views to shape what I saw.  I heard them explain what their country was like and the more I tuned in, the more I understood the hatred, impatience, pride, and power Thayans have been known for across Faerun.

Thus, for this blog, voices are going to be important.  I have ideas about which personalities will take part in these postings and deliver the inside scoop.  I plan to write many posts in character and from fictitious perspectives, but I will always make it easy to follow who is speaking and why.  To that end, I would like to introduce my possible cast to you.  

First, there is the record of House Delizan.  As a part of creating noble houses for Thay (which were conspicuously missing from the canon), I dedicated one whole house to the preservation of Thay's history.  The scribes and adventurers of House Delizan might get their hands dirty to learn more about their people, but they will brush aside the muck in order to produce crisp, precise, and  (mostly) objective observations.  Some posts will be from their archives, speaking for the collective rather than one person.

Next, there are the other castes of Thayan society which must be represented if you're going to understand the entire experience.  To access them and their unique points of view, I am going to draw from special NPCs created for our campaign.  Each of the PCs in our evil Thayan campaign has the Cult Leadership feat (as found in the third chapter of my book, Drow of Porphyra), and has a number of detailed cohorts and followers.  Using their voices here will allow me to learn more about them and their world at the same time.  

The voice of the Rashemi commoner will come from Liroq the sailor and his traveling companion, Nuaros.  These men are hard workers on Lake Thaylambar, but take vacations away from the water and into their homeland.  Without noble blood, they have fewer rights and privileges, but with a noble patron in Azonia Valgon, they have more leisure than they used to.  And while Liroq looks for ways to get the most out of his country on less than 1 gp a day, Nuaros' mouth makes that and most other things quite difficult.  They may never gain access to many inner workings, but they will likely stumble across plenty of things they shouldn't.

The voice of the in-between will be that of Lucindiya Szollos, a rare half-elf, half-Rashemi conceived in Gauros.  Her father is an elven slave who won his freedom by surviving a High Hunt of Malar.  Instead of fleeing, he chose to stay and marry into the local population.  It was a mixed blessing when Luci showed arcane talent because her muddied heritage means she can never ascend to becoming a Red Wizard.  She gladly attached herself to the perverse Thayan noble Viktor Valgon and rode him out of town (literally and otherwise) at the first chance, ending up across Thay and based in its capital city.  She has more access and a few more open doors than most commoners.

I am not settled on the next/last voice of this blog yet.  I am tempted to use the urban ranger Oltan, a free halfling who follows the blackguard Augustus Valgon and views every city as its own jungle, complete with predators, prey, trails, and so on.  His view is one that the PCs seek out often and he is usually at work in Eltabbar, scouting for his master for some reason or another.  He would be a fascinating way to explore any urban environment.  

I am also very tempted to use Augustus' lady of interest, Tari Govannon, a wickedly astute Thayan blue blood whose father works with the enclaves Thay has scattered across the continent.  She is so sharp that I never know what she will do or say next, and while she is on the census of Eltabbar, she can maneuver her way into almost any corner of Thay she fancies.

If you have any preferences or reactions, let me know.  Either way, I am looking forward to striking out into the wilds of Thay in a whole new way.  ;)

A Beginning

2D Digital Art, Fantasy Art, Hyborian Adventures - free computer desktop wallpaper.

If you've dug around on my long-standing fan web site, Kismet's Dungeons and Dragons, then you've probably figured out that I really love the country of Thay in the Forgotten Realms.  When the time finally came to hatch an evil campaign of my own, there were few other places I even considered as a setting, and none of them had half the charm.  Even though I couldn't find the depth of setting information I craved for it, I was so inspired that I didn't mind.

In the years since then, I've uncovered much of the published material scattered across various books and editions.  I gathered a coherent timeline and have made references to known NPCs, but I've spent more of my effort adding new details to Thay.  I haven't tried to stick to the "canon," since I always intended to color it with my own vision.  I've developed a lot of background information for use in our game sessions, and I've offered what I can on my site for other fans who might also be yearning for more.

My gaming group and I return to Thay whenever we are able, which is never quite as much as I hope for.  My mind goes back to the country and its characters whenever it can, which is also never as often as I would like.  I have found myself desperately looking for a way to quickly draft more material for Thay and get it out, while having fun and being able to do it from anywhere.  This blog might just be the answer to those prayers.  (Glory to Bane!)

I hope for most of it to be in-character, and have several points of view I would like to explore.  I will do my best to make the speaker apparent in any case.  I might even get my group members to write a few things, and if they do, I will make sure you know who they are because I am blessed to run for people I love.  With them beside me, I find a lot of laughter in even the darker corners of Thay and a very rich experience of what an evil campaign can be.  Sure, it's a forbidden pleasure, but it's a pleasure nonetheless.  (Glory to Samora!)

You should be warned that I am an adult who runs mature games for adult gamers.  This has been the case for many years.  We do not shy away from sex, violence, racism, or other highly charged topics.  We are not graphic or gory in our depictions or aims, however.  I am not here for shock value, but to provide a more mature lens through which to view fantasy gaming.  Most of what you will find here will be suggestive at best, or direct but cut and dry at worst.  

If you find that you are not enjoying what you are reading and do not wish to continue, thank you for trying it out.  I hope the next blog provides something more to your taste.  I will, however, continue on my own path, and will expect readers to handle their own reactions calmly, respectfully, and wisely.

If you have any questions, requests, or concerns, try checking out my main site to see if I've answered them there.  And if I haven't, feel free to talk to me here.