Thayan Town Mix

Running scenes in Thayan towns and cities should feel different than the usual high fantasy fare, or at least that's how I feel.  I've cultivated a collection of music over the years to get the sounds that seem right to me, and have shared some here.  Our group tends to favor instrumental songs rather than those with lyrics, and for this list, I had to mix it up, since 8tracks only lets you use 2 songs by the same artist in a mix.  I think it works out well, since it forces you to go further.  

You can listen to this mix for free but it is presented through the use of ads.  I have had a lot of fun sharing and discovering music on the site, before and after subscribing, but the subscription opens everything up and is worth it.  You can have someone gift you a subscription, and they do have holiday sales.  Consider it, and happy gaming!

Thayan Town Mix from KismetRose on 8tracks Radio.

The Salamander War - Differences from Canon and Rationale

Art by SPRSPRsDigitalArt

I have woven materials from Forgotten Realms lore into my own work here for many reasons, and I'd like to share my fretwork and rationale with you.  

The official books do not specify which forces were part of the Thayan armies that attacked before the fire elementals were called.  While Thay is known to have many smaller armies under various leadership (Zulkirs, tharchions, nobles, cities, etc.), in a country that is run on slavery, it makes sense that those of noble blood - the high-born - are the only ones trusted at the top of the armed forces.  I specified that the armies were made up of slaves, humanoids, and undead led by nobles from various families.  Most if not all of the noble houses would have been involved in some way, either in support of the action or working secretly against it.

Although much of the Salamander War was between the free cities and Thay, when allies of the free cities saw how vicious Thay was being in taking over the area, they sent what aid they could.  There was a lot of smuggling and many battles at sea, as some of the cities had ports to receive aid from.  Piracy was used to get supplies to besieged cities, and battles with the Thayan navy were plentiful.  This led to the damage and loss of many ships on all sides.  Since the books did not provide a ready explanation for why the islands of the Alaor was damaged in the war, I came up with one that fit the narrative.  Since the Alaor is a good distance away from the Priador and the islands are, well, islands, the devastation mentioned in the books didn't add up.  If you look through the secrets in my other posts, it should make sense.

On a personal note, I had to name the unnamed Zulkirs who were responsible for the trouble; it was driving me crazy to have unnamed villains of such importance being referred to.  It strikes me as a sad statement on Thay, and yet another way that the country is left half-developed in order to keep them as villains in the mustache-twirling vein (or is destroyed in order to undercut their power as an evil nation, which was done in 4th edition).  In my Thay, everyone has a name, everyone is a person, and though most Thayans are quite evil, there are various reasons for it.  There is nothing simplistic about them or the mustaches (when they grow them).

Please do not continue beyond this point if you are a player; the rest refers to secrets that are best left in the keeping of the DM.  Thank you!

Next, I decided to make both of the Zulkirs women.  Thayan power is based in arcane magic, intimidation, smarts, and social power, rather than sheer physical brutal strength, and gender is no impediment.  Thayan women are equally as dangerous as men.  For their failures, however, the Zulkirs faced harsh penalties as their war fell apart around them.  The Canos family, invested in shipping as they are, suffered a great deal due to the disrupted trade and the attacks on their ships.  The few Canos nobles who knew who the Zulkir of Conjuration was decided that they would not allow her to remain in any kind of power after such a mess.  Likewise, Ivania had the seat that Aznar wanted - Evocation - and the might to serve as a fine sacrifice to the Fire Lord.

And then there's the case of Mari Agneh.  In the official materials, she has her own power but is taken down by Thrul easily and for keeps.  She exists only as his "plaything" after the war and supposedly vanishes from the public.  As a woman of means and station, she was undoubtedly a noble, and I have established her family as such, using the Agneh name in my writeup of noble houses in Thay.  No noble simply vanishes without their kin either agreeing to let them go or going after them with real resources, let alone one as important as Mari was.  Her fate has never made sense to me, and I finally have the chance to change it.

I gave her more prominence as a conspirator in the war for the Priador, since she was the Tharchion of Bezantur, a great port city and the greatest point of contention.  And though she was no match for Aznar's arcane might, she was not a stupid woman.  She knew things Aznar didn't and provided the backing he needed to make his moves.  While he was powerful, he would not have seized Zulkirship or the Tharchion title on his own or without local aid.  Since she was noble and part of a powerful house, the Zulkirs used her against Aznar as best they could.  I used the war to establish Szass Tam's rivalry with Aznar Thrul but Aznar's movements were such that there wasn't much the Zulkirs dared to do against him.  He was the hero of Thay, the one who saved the day.  The Zulkirs figured they could distract Aznar with her and/or use her against him.  

What they weren't counting on - and what one of the best kept secrets of the war is - is that Mari and Aznar are on the same side.  His domination of her, and her act as a lovely puppet is a ruse.  She hears and sees more than anyone realizes, and remains a potent mover behind the scenes.  Neither of them are as simple as others believe.  Taken together, I hope these changes introduce an additional level of nuance and humanity to this chapter of Thayan history and to all of the participants.  

Secrets Within Secrets - What Only A Select Few Know

Art by Artastrophe

Players & DMs Beware!

Below is the most dangerous and private information that a PC can uncover about the Salamander War.  Skill checks will not be enough to gather such intelligence; only direct and risky adventures have the chance of yielding these secrets.  Thayans at all levels of society will perish to protect them, and magical means have been used to obscure them at every step.

This is DM-only material, so if you anticipate playing in Thay and want to do your DM a favor, stick with the post about what most Thayans know about the war.

Mari Agneh sent private forces to extinguish fires throughout the Priador to secure her holdings, and because she was unaware of the deal between the Zulkirs and the elementals. Ivania and The Unnamed Zulkir, who was in actuality Desa Canos, could not afford to unveil their plan to Mari but found her efforts fortuitous, so they made no effort to resist. This outraged the fire elementals, who demanded the Zulkirs build the permanent portal they'd promised or they would forfeit their deal. Desa was able to banish the efreeti back to their home plane, where they had to remain silent or risk revealing their meddling to Kossuth. Ivania sought to placate the salamanders who remained by offering to reset the fires in the Priador and bring them the person who had been stamping them out. The salamanders acquiesced, at least temporarily. Ivania traveled the Priador and set it aflame herself with great gusto, taking out some Thayan outposts in the process (as a way of further appeasing the salamanders who traveled with her).

Aznar Thrul, an up-and-coming wizard dedicated to Kossuth, started investigating the war once the fire elementals became involved. He caught the rumors that Mari was behind the drive to put out the fires and learned that she was involved in the assault of the free cities. She was also more accessible than the Zulkirs or Hargrid, who was always on the move with his army. Aznar quietly made his way past Mari's defenses to capture her and offer her as a sacrifice when she revealed that neither she nor Hargrid were in on the scheme with the elementals.
While they unpacked the plots together, word arrived that the salamanders had suddenly turned against Thayan forces. The elementals had also secured a portal - slaying Hargrid in the process - and were using it to strengthen their numbers. Thrul lashed out at Mari in frustration, but she put up enough resistance to get him to listen. She reminded him that all was not lost: Kossuth would probably be displeased that so many elementals were plotting to abandon his realm. She suggested Aznar contact the Fire Lord directly with the news. Mari also agreed to throw all of her remaining resources into the ritual to get the Fire Lord’s attention, but only in exchange for becoming Aznar's right hand in the region forever after.

Aznar Thrul managed to connect with Kossuth and convince the deity to send forces against the elementals that were ravaging the coast. He argued that Kossuth’s religion would rise to prominence throughout Thay, even in the besieged cities, if the Firelord was seen saving the day. No one, save perhaps Mari Agneh, everything he said or offered in return; Thayans only know the Firelord agreed. When the counter-offensive was over, the elementals were routed and the Zulkirs had been swept from the board. Ivania Yonago was confronted and defeated publicly by Aznar Thrul as he pelted her with accusations of treason with the rebel elementals. Although others tried to find and assassinate the Zulkir of Conjuration for years, this was what finally sealed her doom. Mari's whisper network ensured that the worst mistakes of the Salamander War were laid at Desa's doorstep.  When the wizard retreated far from the battlefield, House Canos sent its regards before others could get the chance. Desa's mishandling had cost the family and navy dearly - too much to allow her to live.  Szass Tam seized the opportunity to claim the assassination as his own work. Through his network of spies, it became known that the lich was wroth at the waste and stupidity of the war and took it out on Desa easily once she withdrew from the public eye. Tam’s reputation was strengthened and House Canos was content to let him take the credit.

Thrul summoned the Zulkirs to inform them of the situation as it stood: He would take over as Zulkir of Evocation, since he had beaten Ivania fairly, but the empty seat of Conjuration was now theirs to fill; he had no challenge or suggestion to offer for it. He alone had reached Kossuth, so he alone would work with the deity’s forces as they helped Thay’s beleaguered army to take down the remaining salamanders. For his services, he would become Tharchion of the Priador. The Zulkirs knew that he was in the position to demand much more and that attacking him would turn public sentiment against them in a frothing tide; Mari's agents had turned Thrul into the hero of the war, after the Firelord himself. They had also seen proof that Thrul was in Kossuth's good graces. What they did not know was that Ivania's demise was part of the price Thrul paid for the Firelord's aid, nor did they guess that the last explosive attacks on the Alaor were related to Kossuth's price. The Zulkirs agreed to Thrul's demands so long as Mari Agneh was not killed in the process. Not only was she from a preeminent family, but having to keep her alive would keep Thrul busy for years to come.

But Mari has only appeared to be his burden and his slave. Having secured his life and a unique position as Zulkir and Tharchion, Thrul returned to claim Bezantur. Rumors spread of a devastating private showdown in which Mari was conquered as his thrall and plaything. He has made vicious displays of controlling her in public ever since. She has never failed to seem haunted, obedient, and even crushed in front of others. She has remained under the best guard, however, and every attempt on her life has been brutally repelled. In truth, she is the secret heart of the region's whisper network, and continues to guide Thrul's efforts through her cunning. They have a very different relationship when in complete privacy, and she is the only one who has been able to temper his most dangerous instincts. In top secret records that are to remain sealed until after their deaths, proof of their marriage exists, as well as titles for their offspring. No signs of pregnancy have ever been witnessed and no children have been close to them, but their bloodline will remain one of the most powerful in Thay, if they have anything to say about it. If they extend their years magically, however, these revelations could take much longer to surface.

This series of posts about the Salamander War have been rewritten and improved with the aid of sleyvas at the Candlekeep forums.  Many thanks!

Secrets of the Salamander War - What Some Thayans Know

Art by Joakim Olaffson

Players Stay Out!

When I started developing the Salamander War in depth for my game, I first did the research on what had gone before.  Then, before I knew what was happening, I began to develop three tiers of information about what went on.  When I got done, it made sense to me that there would be three basic tiers of access to the truths of the situation.  First, there are the well-known tales of the war and those involved; they are told all over the place and are accepted by the general populace.  Anyone can dig them up without many problems, if they don't already know them.  Then there are the maneuvers and motivations that have been kept quiet and are more risky to pass along.  

Below is information that any PC might be able to find about the war, but only with real effort.  Noble heritage can help but bribes, intimidation, and stealing will likely be required to uncover much of it.  History-related checks between DC 21 - 30 will result in varying amounts of what follows.  Fewer Thayans know the real schemes behind the war and fewer still are willing to admit them, especially since power players like Aznar Thrul are still quite influential in the country.  

Click the button to show the details, but only if you are not a player whose DM might be using this information to entertain you.  Thank you for respecting your DM's hard work!

The Zulkir of Conjuration, whose identity was never made public, and Ivania Yonago, Zulkir of Evocation, made a deal with Hargrid Tenslayer, Tharchion of Lapendrar, to use Lapandrar as a springboard for the attack.  They also wooed the Tharchion of the Bezantur, Mari Agneh, to clear away the competitors of the city forever. Mari was promised the seat of the expanded Tharch once it was fully under Thayan rule, so she had a vested interest in the operations from the beginning.The Zulkir would receive a tithe from all trade without having to take on the title and responsibilities of being Tharchion, which was a fine deal for him/her. When the Thayan army did not bring the Priador in line fast enough, they decided to reach out to fire elementals for support. The Zulkir of Conjuration opened a gate to the Plane of Elemental Fire and Zulkir Ivania secured the help of the Lords of Fire, who sent regiments of salamanders and efreeti to serve as shock troops.

In return (and unbeknownst to anyone else), the Zulkirs promised to keep the South Coast on fire as a permanent place on the Material Plane to welcome and host fire elementals. The Zulkirs never intended to keep this promise; they planned to make it seem like they tried and failed. The Zulkirs and the fire elementals made an agreement to keep the arrangements to themselves, since they faced great opposition if the word got out. The Zulkirs knew the Lords of Fire only wanted a staging ground to launch offensives elsewhere in the Realms and fully believed the elementals would turn on their allies once they were strong enough in numbers. A lesser portal was created for the expeditionary forces to use, however, and a greater one was promised at the heart of the territory once the war was over.

The site of the gate was near a village named First Falls, which sat on the River Lapendrar overlooking what would become the Priador; it was also the first settlement to be sacrificed, with each villager burnt to a crisp. The site became marked by pillar of smoke, not because of its magic but due to the salamanders burning everything near it for their own pleasure. The portal was 10 by 6 feet high and heavily guarded, and it was at the gate that one of the final major battles of the war took place.

History of the Salamander War - What Most Thayans Know

Art by Sandara

What the War Has to Do With My Game

The Salamander War is a SNAFU in Thayan history that was outlined in depth in the 2nd edition book, Dreams of the Red Wizards.  It was fleshed out further in Spellbound, but not without significant contradictions being introduced.  Dreams of the Red Wizards states that the Zulkirs of Conjuration and Evocation are involved in the plot but does not name either of them.  It can be difficult to confuse them with other characters of power because they remain unnamed.  Some details remain the same, but when viewed together, the narrative becomes a mess.  This is somewhat understandable, since the first was published in 1988 and the second in 1995, but more efforts for continuity and clarity would have helped.

Since then, it has been merely mentioned in a number of products and has been summarized officially thusly: "During the Salamander War (1357 DR-1358 DR) that ravaged the coastal cities of the Priador, the forces of Thay found themselves sorely beleaguered by former salamander allies. The salamanders burned everything in their path, because the Red Wizards had betrayed a promise to them to build a permanent portal to the Elemental Plane of Fire. An up-and-coming Red Wizard, Aznar Thrul, pleaded with the fire god Kossuth for aid, and Kossuth drove the invading salamanders away with his own elementals. Thay then occupied the Priador March and Thul was named tharchion of the land."

The Salamander War started out as a power grab over a region that Thay had been struggling to keep control of for centuries.  It had heavy costs for Thay because their key allies, fire elementals, turned on them.  In my game, it also took a toll on the Valgon noble family.  Halav Kallos, a shadowdancer who married into their ranks, was sent on a top secret mission during the trouble and never returned.  He has not been located via magical means, but he has not come up as conclusively dead.  The house standard bearer in Eltabbar and son of the head of house and Red Wizard Boris, Balogh Valgon, met his death during the initial treachery.  One of the PCs, the blackguard Augustus, lost both of his parents when they refused to retreat from the counter-offensive that herded the remaining elementals against the walls of Escalant.  They earned their legends by their deaths, especially since they were representing a  house that was derided as providing nothing but soft, weak schemers.  

The events of the war have been mentioned throughout our campaign, which has continued despite many breaks since 2009.  The war has now taken center stage in our game, so to speak, because a play called The Burning March is being written and produced in Eltabbar, Thay's capital, to commemorate its 20th anniversary.  Its writer/director is Igan Nymar, who has a lot of pull given the high reputation of his house. It is set to portray a number of key nobles, so it is a big deal even for Thayans who would otherwise pooh-pooh it as bardic frippery and egotistical nonsense.  It also has the input of the scribes of House Delizan, which is dedicated to preserving Thayan history. Casting has begun and though some roles will be dangerous to fill (out of fear for their living counterparts finding offense), many nobles are interested in taking part for their own reasons.

In order to keep themselves from being sent out of the city and to secure safety for Augustus's bride-to-be, Tari Govannon, the PCs have decided to become directly involved in the production.  Azonia urged her husband, the great bard Roniran, to endear himself and find a great role for himself and a place backstage for her (likely as a cleric to heal and buff actors).  Augustus has commanded the role of his father; a woman who had been vying to marry him has taken his mother's role, though she didn't expect him to join the play.  His bride-to-be has yet to be placed, but might try out for the role of Mari Agneh.  Viktor Valgon is aiming to portray Balogh, backed by his flare for the dramatic, his great disguise talents and his natural resistance to flames.  It is likely that Roniran will convince Azonia's mother to come out of retirement and that she will bring his son Nikos with her.  

It is safe to say that the Valgons are going to be up to their necks in the history, myths, and propaganda of the war, so I felt it was time to begin fleshing it out in earnest.  What I found in official sources was interesting but fell short of the kind of situation I had in mind, so I have started rewriting it and bringing my own vision to bear.  Below is information that any PC might know or easily be able to find about the war; any history-related checks below a DC 20 will result in varying amounts of what follows.

Reworked Known Events  

The cities of Delthuntle, Nethra, Teth, Laothkund, Hilbrand, Lasdur, Taskaunt, Escalant, Murbant, and Thasselen were known as the Free Cities. Most were founded by Unther as it sought a foothold in the region and welcomed reinforcements from the West. They remained as independent of each other as they dared out of pride and the spirit of competition. They fought among each other or trade rivals in Chessenta  more than anyone else, including Thay, for most of their histories. They fell under Thayan control at intervals for four centuries, but often earned periods of freedom. Thayans christened the area “the Priador” but they were the only ones to use the term or consider it to be part of Thay. Then the “free cities” began to work together to weaken trade to Bezantur and thwart Thayan influence within their borders, schemes which became their final mistakes.

When open hostilities began at the start of 1357, Delthuntle and Loathkund had populations of 70,000 each, and Hilbrand and Escalant boasted 30,000 inhabitants. Lasdur, Taskaunt, Murbant, and Thasselen were anywhere from 5,000 to 15,000 people apiece and were utterly devastated during the war. The first assaults were waged by slaves, humanoids, and undead under the control of Thayan nobles, but they were only the opening salvo. Mid 1357, elemental reinforcements arrived with orders to burn everything in their path. Hilbrand swiftly surrendered when it saw the devastation of the elemental legions. Escalant was besieged but held out due to support from outside towns horrified by the Red Wizards’ scorched earth policy. It was on the fields outside of Escalant that the worst battle was fought, when the salamanders turned against Thayan forces en masse in late 1357. 

Although no one was sure of why the elementals attacked Thayans at the time, it was later revealed that they had been promised a grand, permanent portal to the Plane of Fire by the Zulkirs of Conjuration and Evocation. When no efforts were made to build it, the elementals grew impatient and delivered an ultimatum.  Many were banished back to their home plane (namely the efreeti); the salamanders initially agreed to continue their work but turned on their former allies during the battle.  They went on to terrorize the countryside, destroying free city people and Thayans alike, until Aznar Thrul contacted the god of fire, Kossuth, and convinced the deity to rein in the wayward elementals.

The end of the war led to a number of major changes in the balance of power in Thay: First, Hargrid Tenslayer was lost in battle, so another Tharchion rose in his place.  The tharch of Lapendrar was drained of many resources and people, so it fell into relative obscurity.  The Zulkirs of Conjuration and Evocation was reportedly killed in the fray, leaving Nevron to take over Conjuration.  Aznar Thrul became Zulkir of Evocation and Tharchion of the Priador (the tharch of Bezantur was erased, swallowed into the larger whole), garnering enough influence to set him up as a rival to Szass Tam.  This made many Thayans uneasy, since no other Zulkir had been a Tharchion, but since he saved the tharch, there was no denying him the right to be its governor, if that was what he wished.  He also defeated and claimed Mari Agneh as his own in the aftermath, before she could scheme to save herself.