Is Kismet's D&D Canon, and Why Should You Care That It's Not?

Earlier this week, lead D&D rules designer Jeremy Crawford said "if it has not appeared in a book since 2014, we don’t consider it canonical for the games." There are so many reasons for WotC to not want to deal with every piece of Forgotten Realms lore published since 1987: there's too much to track; writers don't have time to research everything and usually don't need to just to make new adventures; writers don't want to be harnessed to so much extra information and all the expectations that come with it; all of the old lore still exists and is available via the DM's Guild, if gamers want to access and use it at their tables (everything's discounted right now for the Christmas in July sale, so you can even stock up); 5e is focused on the present and making it easy for new gamers to dive in; and so on.

But just like that, fresh arguments about canon erupted on social media and reminded me that I've been meaning to write about my relationship with roleplaying canons. I started this post months ago but I didn't get far before feeling disgruntled and stopping. Now seems like the right moment to finish it. So strap in, because I'm going to go back in time and broader in scope so you can understand how I got to my own peace with it.

What's a Canon and Why Do Folks Care about It?

We've all probably dealt with a canon at some point. It likely started in school, when teachers chose traditional books for us to read, or in church, when we were told only certain books and ideas were holy. We might have learned about literary classics in college and seen similar concepts in our favorite fandoms. A canon is a collection of works that are considered the best quality, most noteworthy, and most authoritative. They're deemed original and genuine pieces that are relevant to the present and important for most people to experience. We make these lists for books, films, shows, comics, and more.

Nothing about this is new; we've been doing it for thousands of years. And there's something to be said for having a canon. If people study the same sources, they'll be able to discuss them easily; they'll understand each others' references because they share the same knowledge base. Some canon works have many merits of their own and are unique experiences. Some creators seem to know their material better than others, maintain a consistent view and level of quality, and have a unique style others haven't been able to match. A lot of effort is put into creating these works, and that effort is worth recognizing.

But there are many problems with an established canon. For starters, who decides what's best, and by which standards? Much of the time, a canon is agreed upon by a group of fans and then upheld as the standard for everyone, without knowing who started the trend. How much do biases play a part in accepting and rejecting new works? If white men have usually been viewed as proper authority figures with the credentials to produce and be heard, how has that impacted other groups of people who create in similar ways? Are new materials really "worse" than the classics, or are they simply different and being rejected out of hand? As a person with a Master's in English literature, I could go on about troubles canon all day. Suffice to say, I've only scratched the surface. 

Tabletop roleplaying games that develop unique settings often have their own canons. Fans are inclined to accept materials that are published by the original gaming company as the best; everything else is somehow inferior. Fans might also deem certain writers/game designers as the only people who can speak with authority on a game's setting in a general sense. Sure, GMs can do whatever they want at their own tables, but only this company or this writer should be heeded by everyone who plays in that setting.

Roleplaying Canons and Me: A Brief History

Looking back on it now, I suppose it's no surprise that I was drawn to the tabletop games that I've enjoyed most. I mean, I considered majoring in history because of how much I always loved it. As a very young girl, I wanted to grow up to be an archaeologist (okay, I wanted to be whip-wielding Indiana Jones, not just any old archaeologist, but taking a class in college and learning about the painstaking nature of real archaeology finally burst that bubble). So I ended up being sucked in by games laden with histories (and canons) of their own.

I first encountered a canon in gaming with the very first tabletop game I played - Vampire: the Masquerade. The classic World of Darkness had a "metaplot" because official books established fictional supernatural events; many fans accepted these details as valid for everyone who played any of the WoD game lines. Since you could set a chronicle anywhere in the world, the history of the WoD was the only thing fans were likely to have in common. Even though some events were presented by characters who were unstable or openly biased, some gamers insisted that everything in the official books was true for all. And I can see why, since White Wolf writers built on what was already established and seemed to take it seriously. The end result was usually pretty convincing.

I admit, I liked things about the metaplot. I knew parts of it by heart and had fun discussing it with others, but I never felt beholden to it. I used what suited me and ditched the rest. My stance didn't usually lead to arguments because the games I played in were centered in the present day, and the past wasn't usually a major issue. Other gamers, however, felt constricted by it and came to hate it (and the rigid attitudes of fellow gamers probably played a major role in that). So I wasn't surprised that when the classic WoD was retired and the new WoD was unveiled, the metaplot was one of the first things left behind. (What I said in this old post about what we can learn from metaplots still holds true.) Eventually, I got on board with the new system and learned to live without a metaplot. 

Then I discovered the Forgotten Realms. By the time I played the Baldur's Gate games in the late 90s, the Realms had over a decade of lore developed across game supplements, novels, and video games. I fell in love with what I read in the Baldur's Gate series and was inspired to finally try running a tabletop game. I got my hands on the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting book for 3rd edition and found an amazing work that summarized a great deal of lore while establishing the present day.

But then I had choices to make - the same choices that anyone who wants to run the Realms faces early on, namely: Where and in which year should I begin? How much of the lore do I want or need for my game? Do I try to track down lots of books and binge-read them so I can get all the details (because dear gods, the 2nd edition FR game supplements have more frills than a Victorian house)? How do I insert my own views into so much material? My players didn't know much about the setting, so I didn't have to worry about offending their sensibilities, but other DMs may struggle to convince players to accept their visions. The Realms has so much history and detail, in fact, that some gamers feel paralyzed or are instantly repelled.

But I didn't sweat it. I was used to picking and choosing what I wanted by then; the WoD had given me plenty of practice. I stuck with the books I had because there was no way I was going to be able to catch up on everything. I didn't want to put off my campaign so I could become a Realms scholar first - I wanted to run things my way right away. Eventually, when later 3.5 edition books added new events, I realized they weren't entirely to my tastes, so I just didn't allow them into my canon. I took what I could use from new books and left the rest to those who enjoyed it. I had far more problems with 4th edition in general and development of the Realms in particular; I wasn't interested in Realms-wide upheaval and moving so far into the future, among other things. 

So I didn't update my canon with most of that material. I kept advancing my games during play as I desired and in accordance with player character choices. Sometimes my players would find out about developments in the books and complain about them to me. It was nice to know they preferred our Realms and backed my choices. Since we were all having fun, I didn't see the need to conform to anyone else's dictates about how we should run or play.

My Websites Aren't Official Canon, But They Can Be Part of Your Canon

All of this brings me to my website, Kismet's Dungeons and Dragons, which is now venerable, in internet terms. I created it so I could share things I made for my first campaign, which I started by creating my own small city. I placed it on a part of the map that was unclaimed (although later books put the town of Rivermoot in that spot). I used some of what I read in the books to weave it into the region and tie it to other locations but let it be its own place. I inserted my own major Realms event in the form of the main plot. I looked up details about locations the PCs were going to visit beforehand and used whatever seemed to make the most sense and would be of most interest. Some places, I respun almost entirely; other places didn't have many established details to begin with, so I was encouraged to fill in the blanks.

Eventually, this led to me to choose Thay as the setting for my first evil campaign. I read much of the 3rd edition material about it but was left unsatisfied, so I went diving into 2nd edition books but found more of the same. Such a powerful country - a whole country with embassies amidst much smaller kingdoms - seemed half empty, and some of what was written about it didn't jive with its incredible successes. A nation that threw off the yoke of theocracy and declared independence from Mulhorand to do things their way didn't just sound bad, it also sounded badass. A ruling class made up of devious wizards was fascinating; their constant, thoughtless assaults on nearby kingdoms didn't make much sense. On one hand, they were portrayed as a slave-trading powerhouse that prospered greatly from slave-made goods, so much that kingdoms would trade with them even though they hated slavery. In the next breath, they were shown as treating all slaves horribly all the time and killing them wantonly. 

It seemed Thay was written from an outsider's view of the nation and presented to justify making them villains everyone would hate and which would be relatively easy to defeat, because they would sabotage themselves and each other. And that's a valid way to write an evil nation. It encourages heroism, reduces moral complexity, and lets players know who their enemies are quickly. It allows for victories that only go so far because you're not just fighting one Thayan, but a country with corrupt institutions. And it likely leads to less outrage from readers, since Thay touches on so many sensitive and unpleasant topics (necromancy, slavery, etc.). 4th edition developments essentially destroyed Thay as it was, breaking the nation apart and dividing the Red Wizards. 

But I wanted to get to know Thay as it was in the 1370s, so I dove into expanding and deepening my view of it. I started with the basics in the lore but spun my own details from that framework. I didn't usually go out of my way to distinguish what was in the books from what I added because I added so much, and because my site has always been presented as my own view of things as a DM. I contributed to some game books for third party companies over the years, but I've never worked for WotC or pretended to. 

Still, a number of times over the decades, I've stumbled across discussions that mention material on my D&D web site (and this blog) and ask if it's canon. This has usually been the case with people who were searching for more details about Thay and found my writings. These seekers haven't asked me about it directly; they've asked in forums with other gamers who might know the lore better than they do. And most of the time, someone has answered that my site isn't canon, and the person who inquired promptly gave up on their desire to use what they found. I haven't chimed in on these forums for a number of reasons: the seekers got the answers they asked for, and my stuff isn't approved or published by any gaming company (and therefore isn't canon in most people's eyes). 

The Canon and You

What I've wanted to say about the matter is simply this: You ultimately decide what's canon for yourself (and, if you're the DM, your group). Gaming companies can publish supplements and comics and other media all year long, but they don't matter until you deem them worthy of your table. One person will never be able to find, consume, and use everything that's published for the Forgotten Realms or any other setting with so much history (in-universe and in real life). Even if you try, you'll never remember and use it all. That's the nature of the beast and being human. You're going to have to choose - so choose wisely.

You can certainly accept what's officially published if you want to, for your own reasons. It could be great quality material with a lot of thought, effort, and playtesting behind it. It could be exactly what you want and need, and fall in line with your instincts and rationale. It may help you connect with other gamers who only consider official materials to be valid by default. But you don't have to accept it in whole or in part, and accepting material produced by others doesn't mean you're disrespecting the official creators or the history of the lore. It just means that you're adding what you want to your canon.

And if the material I've produced seems consistent, sensible, expansive, helpful, and inspiring - and if you can't tell the difference between what I've written and what's been written by folks at TSR and WotC over the decades - then why wouldn't you use it? Why couldn't it be part of your canon? What would it really hurt for you to make it part of your world?

I get it: Players can be picky. They might argue if you use something that isn't officially produced - but you should get what you want out of the game, too. But compromise shouldn't be off the table, and it's not like players can't read what I've written; my site's been online for about 20 years. I understand that there's only so much you can allow into your sphere of awareness. There are already too many books to keep track of, and you have to draw the line somewhere. But in a hobby dedicated to imagination, why reject material you like and can use just because the people who made it weren't paid by a particular company to do so? Because this isn't just about my site - there's a wide world of great stuff that's been lovingly made by fans, which is part of why the DM's Guild and other sites like it exist in the first place. If official game companies can recognize the talent not under their purview enough to create licenses so others can offer their hard work, you should be willing and able to consider that others have what it takes to make worthy entries to the lore.

Whatever you decide to reject or include, really think about it first. Make sure it serves your needs and desires, and be ready to own your choices. Don't reject it the moment you see it's not official; analyze it based on its own merits. Because at the end of the day, your hobby is yours, and there have never been more ways to find great work outside of official production lines.

And at the end of the day, I'm here to create my own canon, present it in the hopes that it helps others, and often to cover what gaming companies don't or won't. I love the lore, I appreciate the efforts of game designers, and I respect the history of the hobby, but I'm here to do my own thing because I love it, not because I'm on a particular company's payroll. I write with authority because I've chosen to claim it - and I want every game to be able to claim their authority, over the canon and the rest of their experience.

Thay's Slave Trade: An Insider's Perspective

This post is an in-character overview of how slavery is conducted in Thay at its height, and after hundreds of years of supporting the ownership of other sentient people. It's offered as an inside view of how many Thayans see and participate in the practice, which can be helpful when building Thayan characters. Whether they are commoners, nobles, or slaves, everyone in the country will be faced with such views and have to respond to them. If you want ample reasons to despise Thay more, feel free to keep reading. If any of this already upsets you, consider passing on this post.

To make it abundantly clear, this post does not represent my views or feelings in any way; quite the opposite. I hate slavery in all forms with all I have, and believe that we all should. Few things have done as much harm to humanity as the slave trade. However, this is a work of fiction, and I hold imagination in a special place. I firmly believe we can explore things we despise in our minds, our stories, and our games without condoning them in real life. We might even understand these wrongs further - and how to combat them - by doing so.

What you will read below is a twisted perspective that seeks to justify grave crimes and invalidate ethical or humane concerns. These justifications are usually presented as part of national mythology and social rules. In this case, they're presented as a coming-of-age instruction manual to a younger noble who's expected to toe the party line, so to speak. The character speaking, Tari Govannon, has been reared with these views, and has benefited from her station as a noble and from slave ownership, her entire life. Part of the horror of this work is how completely she buys into this worldview. Another horror is that she's teaching it to the next generation, hoping young Salia Valgon will approve. 

It's even worse to know that, given her own warped perspective, Salia probably will.

From the Pen of Tari Govannon

My Dear Salia, 

Now that we are officially cousins, and now that you are on the verge of womanhood, you should learn about a cornerstone of our country's history, present, and future: the slave trade. You have grown up surrounded by slaves of every description, so you might think you already understand all you need to know. But soon, you will be given permission to pick your first personal slaves, and everything about their lives will be up to you. Eventually, you may want to replace them, but how will you know where to find what you're looking for? And someday, you will be sent abroad to find the best slaves for our house first-hand. But do you even know why we do any of this?

The answer is: probably not, because we take it for granted that every Thayan understands what's at stake. But people will take advantage of your ignorance when you're in other lands. They will try to twist the truth and sway you to their side, against your own kin. And they will never accept you as one of their own, no matter what they say. As soon as they are done using you to sabotage us, they will turn on you, and you will either end up dead or in prison for the rest of your life. I would not see that happen. We're better than that, and we are certainly going to be smarter.

So, let's begin with the broad view: Slavery in Thay is a year-round industry. Generally, slave-hunting begins across Faerun in the spring, since more people are on the move and in need of coin after the harshness of winter. (Or at least, the harshness of winter in other regions; our magical weather net saves us from that drudgery.) Caravans, ships, and other mundane means are used first and foremost to gather our servants, which are sent back to Thay through the fall. Winter does not stop our efforts, but it does slow them down on this plane. It's bad enough that Talos hates us and attacks our shipments whenever he can; there is no reason to battle the cold in other lands when we can just wait for the warmer seasons to come around again.  

The whole point of having slaves is to make our lives more comfortable, but that doesn't mean we do not work for our comforts. You have to make some moves to get the best out of this world. But I know you might be wondering why we expend so much effort, when we could just use magic instead. The simple reason is that half the time, we don't have to do more than show up.

Tried and True

Many kingdoms make a big production about outlawing slavery, but their people still contact us with leads. Some of these informants are desperate in one way or another, and we can help them. To a nobody in need of an expensive cure, we offer magical healing; to an official under pressure to make undesirables go away, we offer a solution. Others have grudges they want to take out on their neighbors, and that is their business. In the end, debtors, prisoners, beggars, and orphans are all easy targets, but remote villages and farmsteads work, as well. Never forget: a good portion of our slaves come from "good" and "neutral" lands where the locals sold each other out for a bag of gold or cache of magic items. They are a reliable avenue of opportunity; all we need do is wait. And no amount of self-righteous denial can undo that fact.

Spells are often used to subdue, secure, and transport targets, but selectively. We don't want to kill our prizes before we have the chance to profit from them, after all. Contrary to rumors, however, portals are rarely employed, even though they would bypass most threats. Why wouldn't the Red Wizards push for such an advantage to be used at every opportunity? For many reasons. One is a matter of history and pride: Thousands of years ago, Imaskar relied on portals to gather hundreds of thousands of slaves, but doing so was far too easy. They were able to gather more than they could handle, and then they blocked communication with their gods, which eventually led to their downfall. We are not interested in making the same mistakes of the Imaskari artificers before us.

On a more practical level, the pursuit of slaves keeps us busy and sharp, but focused outward. Rivalries and competition exist, but schemes are difficult to carry out when we are spread across Faerun and using different methods. In the early days after we gained independence, there was a lot of civil strife as families battled for power in the new Thay. No one will tell you this out loud, but it is a truth I have seen all my life, and it seems to be used for our benefit: Engaging nobles in the slave trade keeps us from getting lazy or tearing each other apart. 

It also shows us why we should be proud and present a united front to the world. You will see the conditions of other lands - the weakness, the poverty, and the simpering simplicity. Quaint notions of what is good for all strangle innovation and progress. We have many laws and rules, and some of them are necessary to keep fools from killing us all, but we allow for survival of the fittest. We do not coddle each other. We earn what we deserve, and we know what we deserve. So when we are outside of Thay, we present a united front and show our lessers how it should be done. We are already suspected and disliked by foreigners just for being who we are and having everything we've gained. If we don't at least pretend to get along, we will not make it back home. Expect to be punished harshly for infighting, and avoid it at all costs. Because in the end, we are working for the same goals.

One of the reasons why we have been so successful is because we use what is already present and give it their own twist, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel. For instance, we resort to piracy regularly, but we don't do so openly. Although we have a noble house that maintains proud pirate traditions and connections, House Ankara has been given orders by the Zulkirs to keep any Thayan involvement quiet. As a result, seafaring nobles often work with unaligned pirates or disguise our ships as everyday vessels from other kingdoms. Through our whisper networks, we spread misinformation that makes sorting out the truth a difficult endeavor, even through spells. After all, someone can't tell you the truth if they they do not know it to begin with.

We also see opportunity in every tragedy. We have been known to show up after wars, natural disasters, and magical curses to offer vital aid - in exchange for a certain number of slaves, of course. We let the locals agonize over who is sent with us; we only step in if violence threatens their profits. We give help to those in need and simply ask for what the survivors have to offer in exchange. You could say that we work to keep the peace. The price we ask is small compared to everything we do for strangers in awful circumstances.

Innovations in Tyranny

When we finally felt the need to innovate, we struck gold. The embassies we have arranged across Faerun are another robust source of slaves, whether they wish to be or not. Officially, all enclaves must be allowed to accept slaves as payment; this is part of the basic agreement with a host city. In reality, slaves are rarely used as currency in "good" or "neutral" lands unless the person is a willing adult or a convicted criminal. In a few locations, anyone can sell anyone else, provided they can secure and transport their prisoners. But if slavery is heavily policed and strictly forbidden in the surrounding kingdom, an enclave won't usually waste time trying to sell slaves there.

In every case, we appear to follow and respect local precedent to the letter. Wherever slavery is allowed, House Zurn is in charge of intake and presents a kinder face to the public, keeping most slaves out of sight and only showing them in decent shape. Wherever it is forbidden, it's kept out of the enclaves. In practice, this means that visiting Thayans will hold meetings elsewhere, work through proxies, and operate in secret so an enclave has plausible deniability.

Any error that compromises an enclave's stability - especially its treaty with a host city - will lead to a rash of particularly grisly executions. Anyone responsible will be hunted, found, and delivered back to the motherland to meet their fate. And while lesser conspirators will be slain first (and quite publicly), whoever should have been watching them will be next - and their deaths might be worse. We nobles are usually punished in private, but this is one of the few exceptions, so executioners tend to make a particularly brutal show of disapproval.

In more recent years, House Dasselath has gained prominence by taking slaves from different planes during the leaner winter months. They have access to portals to many other places, including the City of Doors. They barter openly where they can and lead assault strikes where they can't. Since they are only one noble house, however, they often have to ally with others to get the manpower they need. They also refrain from slave-hunting during spring and summer, when their contribution is less likely to be noticed. During those seasons, they maintain connections, gather capital, and harvest information to plan their next moves.

Allies and Ringleaders

The lion's share of Thayan slavery is carried out by merchants, poachers, and pirates. This is one route for our commoners to become wealthy and respected, and a good number of them participate. Not everyone involved is Thayan, however, and some are not even aware of who they really serve - but those in the know are richly rewarded for their efforts.

The highest levels of power in the slave trade are reserved for Thayan nobility, for a number of reasons. It's not just because we can't trust foreigners or the lower classes to be loyal or competent (although we certainly can't). It's because being in charge of every major endeavor is how those in power stay in power. The real capital in the country lies with the noble houses, the Red Wizards, the Zulkirs, and the Guild of Foreign Trade, so the industry can't move forward without our support. And since we are the primary beneficiaries of the system, the houses are the only entities allowed to buy and own slaves en masse.

This is yet another way Thay has distinguished itself from Mulhorand. In our former country, slaves are the property of the temples. Mulan families and organizations can use and transport them, but only with permission. Clergy decide who else might be lent slaves, how many, and for how long. Anyone who draws the ire of a local temple can expect to have some of their slaves repossessed. In this way, the theocracy is maintained and every slave owner is indebted to the temples. 

So in Thay, the situation is reversed: only noble houses, the Red Wizards, and the Zulkirs can own as many slaves as we'd like. Temples are forbidden from owning anyone and must rely on the faithful for their laborers; guilds and most other groups can borrow slaves from patrons for periods of time. The numbers of slaves they employ are watched carefully, and if these groups get too aggressive, they can expect to lose a significant portion of their labor force. Individual citizens can own up to 5; individual nobles can own as many as 15.

This is why no matter who appears to be in charge of slave trading, once you go high enough up the food chain, you will find a Thayan noble who really calls the shots. Since we use magic, proxies, and other means of secrecy, however, it can be difficult to find or prove our involvement. And since most Red Wizards don't bother supervising this enterprise, you might use this path to power, if you choose. Magic is nice, but it is not required to lead most of these operations. 

House Canos and Kul, which specialize (and compete) in shipping, are vital to this process, along with House Ankara, which is dedicated to piracy. House Darnak's caravans are essential, and House Volkos' diplomats have also come in handy. House Kallos usually smuggles objects and forbidden goods into other lands, but has also helped to smuggle living cargo back home. House Focar and Thullos both range far and wide as explorers, and they find their share of prisoners. House Lectos and Mishkov are usually locked in vicious competition to find and tame the most impressive exotic beasts, but when they hunt outside of Thay, they compete to find the most slaves, as well. Houes Qarto and Rhaenys offer trained mercenaries to any other house or Thayan enterprise, and their members are all over the slave trade.

Several other noble houses are actively involved in the hunt for new slaves: Metron, Xeraston, and our own House Valgon. One reason for this is because our houses teach slaves special skills so they can create specialty products. While House Metron has taught alcohol brewing since ancient times, Xeraston and Valgon are young houses that focus on forging and courtesans. Each house is looking for people who already have skills or traits they can build on, but the most promising are usually sold before they reach Thay's heart. We have all had better luck tracking down our own slaves, and as you know, House Valgon's exploits abroad have also garnered grudging respect back home. Never forget that doing what your rivals don't expect of you can reap great rewards.

Closing Thoughts

Now that you know how widespread and intricate our system is, I hope you appreciate how much it takes to bring slaves to our markets and keep them doing the dirty, menial jobs that keep our nation strong. I hope you see the house's slaves in a new light and consider the value of your own property someday. When you see guard patrols keeping the rabble in line, consider that they are securing our investment. When you notice groups of slaves being transported to new tharchs, realize that this is how we maintain our power. And if you hear that spies are conspiring to sabotage a shipment, or hear rumors about runaway slaves, I hope you will consider it your duty as a Thayan noble to crush their efforts relentlessly. Because that is what we do to those who would steal from us.

Cousin Zelsea can teach you the finer points of pricing, bargaining, buying and selling at our markets. While I can do well in such endeavors, she has many decades of experience more than I, and as your cousin Augustus says, she has an abacus instead of a heart and knows the worth of everyone she sees, down to the last copper piece. In short, I bow to her expertise.

You would do well to find the right opportunity to show off this new knowledge to my husband. Augustus is always looking for evidence that your mind is being sharpened, as well as your body, and learning the art of tyranny is sacred to those who serve the glory of Bane. He is, after all, tyranny personified, and has no shame in it. Follow that example: whatever you are, be it completely and unabashedly.

I am ever at your service and watching for your best interests.

Sincerely,

Tari Valgon, née Govannon

A Missed Opportunity in Forgotten Realms Design

It occurred to me this morning, rather out of the blue, that 4th edition was a huge missed opportunity for necessary development in the Forgotten Realms. Now, it's no secret that I dislike the official decisions about Faerun during 4th ed. and the rationale for making them. My version of the Realms (in my games and on my sites) ignores those developments entirely, and I don't own the books. This isn't because I'm behind; it's because after serious deliberation, I opted out. 

But that's not important right now.

What's important is that we're still feeling the effects of what wasn't done to the Realms during 4th ed., but in a subtle way that's difficult to recognize. The changes that were made have been largely incorporated into 5e materials, but there have also been efforts to roll some of them back (like undoing many geographical changes of the Spellplague and returning some gods that had been weeded out). By and large, though, Faerun trundles on, much as it had before, with many of the same elements. But the elephant in the room is made up of old problems that could have been addressed, but remain unresolved.

The 4th edition design philosophy of "points of light" (small bastions of civilization in wild, dangerous regions) wasn't needed in Faerun, where gamers went to experience different fantasy kingdoms at various levels of advancement, including higher levels of organization. The aim to tear down Realms history so it wouldn't intimidate new gamers ran counter to the love of lore that kept people in the setting for decades. Sweeping "Realms-shaking events" weren't needed to make Faerun exciting again; there was already plenty going on in that area of the world. 

It seems like big shifts in lore are now S.O.P. when a new edition comes out, so some of what happened may have been inevitable. But where these design choices were truly needed was in the rest of Toril.

Behold the world in which Faerun rests: 

Map of Toril from the 3rd edition Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting by Wizards of the Coast

Although it's easy to forget, Faerun is just one slice of one continent - and a small slice, at that. There's a whole world out there, and only some of it has been developed before. Once upon a time in 2nd edition, other continents were their own settings: Al-Qadim, Oriental Adventures, and Maztica. They were largely products of the 1990s, when a number of popular game materials (not just in D&D) were based on real-world ethnicities and cultures that had been remixed and presented in a fantasy format. D&D's great competitor during the 90s, the World of Darkness, relied heavily on real-world stereotypes for some basic character types, and while some weren't comfortable with it, there wasn't much blowback at the time. After all, that's just how it was, and all the cool kids were doing it.

But the present day isn't the 1990s, and in some important ways, that's a good thing. Over the last 20 to 30 years, we've heard from various groups of gamers, including those who've seen their cultures loosely pasted onto game products. We've seen that stereotypes can be off-putting to people who would otherwise be comfortable, welcome members of the community. And we've learned that the old approach isn't necessary moving forward. Yes, gaming development often starts with stereotypes because they're patterns we know well and can call upon quickly. But there's no reason to leave those stereotypes in place or to rely heavily on real-world equivalents, and there's a lot to be gained if we don't. 

Fantasy tabletop games are fantasy and deserve to be unique, in their own right. That doesn't mean we can get away from reality entirely; we base what we know on what we've seen. But designers can look deeper into the decisions they make and create more exciting things by going against common expectations regularly. They might start with stereotypes, but they don't have to maintain them. We can all throw more imagination into the blender and mix everything further, not just to see what happens but to respect everyone who might be - or could end up at - the table. 

But this hasn't happened with Faerun's 3 sister settings. For the most part, they've been left to gather dust since 2nd edition, although Oriental Adventures (itself a problematic title) was given a 3rd edition treatment. Each setting still has some fans and is included in Forgotten Realms wikis; they're just frozen in time. The older books are available for purchase via DriveThruRPG, but the disclaimers are some of the only new things about them. For the most part, they've been like an embarrassing family secret that only some family members discuss (and only with others they believe will agree with them). 

On one hand, I can understand why. It would take a prodigious amount of work to update them, and the gaming community explodes into nasty name-calling whenever diversity comes up. "Censorship" and "cancel culture" would no doubt become the buzzwords of the day, and nobody wants to deal with vitriol from customers every day at work. The good people at WotC don't need to deal with the rage that would result, which means the settings will probably remain like vestigial limbs, awkward and without much use.

But it didn't have to be this way. In fact, 4th edition's entire approach would have provided everything needed to solve these issues. The very map of Faerun was changed during the Sundering, with entire countries like Halruaa moving to other planes. Something this could have been done with Kara-Tur, Zakhara, and/or Maztica, if one was looking for the quickest route to resolving them. This doesn't mean each continent needed to be lost, leaving gaping holes in the map of Toril; they could have been replaced by continents from other worlds, or even demiplanes. 

The "points of light" approach could have been employed instead to transform these regions in major ways, while retaining some of the original material. This could have also been used to inject more fantasy elements and move away from real-world stereotypes. Tearing away sections of history could have been helpful for reforging these settings, as well. Updated mechanics could have been used those who wanted to update their old games to the newer edition. Fans who might have been upset by all the changes could have relied on older books for lore and newer ones for crunch, rather like some of us did did after 4th ed. tore up Faerun.

And there was also the possibility of taking one of the unknown continents of Toril and making something great there. 4th edition designers certainly wanted to keep Forgotten Realms players onboard and were bound to handle Faerun in some way, but they didn't have to stick only with Faerun. Imagine it: "Want to adventure someplace new, but still be able to sail to Waterdeep? Here are modules about the X continent, which was protected by a magic barrier for thousands of years. Those in Faerun recently felt the shockwave when the barrier fell - but what's happened to the peoples who lived there? Why was there a barrier in the first place? What kind of legacy can the PCs make by exploring where no one from Faerun has been before?" 

I understand that hindsight is 2020 (ugh, that saying just doesn't feel right after having survived what 2020 was), and many variables go into design choices and philosophies. I respect everyone who worked hard to keep D&D and the Forgotten Realms going; I don't have to agree with all of their decisions to respect designers who were doing their best. Of course, dealing with these old settings wouldn't have been easy, and designers would have run the risk of being crucified either way - but under the banner of updating Toril for a new edition, the Realms could have truly moved forward and some of the explosive reactions could have been reduced to smoke. And it will be awhile before such a golden opportunity comes around again.

Meanwhile, the new Vampire: the Masquerade is showing how these efforts can be made with care and many fans are showing how such efforts can be received with support and gratitude. And WotC, via D&D, seems to be trying to find ways to shift course toward more inclusiveness in the middle of 5th edition, regardless of the waves of outrage that batter their stalwart ship. In that charted course, I am certainly on board.

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.

The Ruins of Thossos

Excerpt from the official map of Thay
On the far western edge of the Plateau of Thay, well away from any major road or river, looms the ancient fortress of Thossos.  It began as a dark secret, swathed in concealing magics for a short time.  The Mulhorandi policy was to leave it alone as a cursed scar on the land.  Much later, the Red Wizards sent agents to explore the ruins and determine what should be done with them.  The good news was that they had some useful aspects.  The bad news was that the site was created too well for anyone's good and getting rid of it would be a monumental task.  

As far as anyone has been able to discover, the mighty complex was a last-ditch effort.  During the final days of the war between Narfell and Raumathar, Nar generals had pushed the boundaries between the empires to their limits.  They needed to gain a foothold close to Raumviran territory, but not so close that it would be immediately destroyed.  To get the most done as quickly as possible, Nar demonbinders made a deal to summon an entire fortress from within the Abyss.  

It was supposed to be a temporary stronghold from which an army of demons could be gated in.  No additional modifications were made to the land nearby and no records of its existence on any contemporary map have been found.  As native stone from the changeable Abyss, it was not visible without true seeing or having demonic ancestry.  Legends say that the central tower had a layer for each layer of the Abyss, spiraling up out of sight, though they seem too fanciful to be believed.  (Thossos is the name of the tower itself but there are arguments as to what it means, since both of its parts have multiple definitions.)

In the end, its insane scope didn't matter.  Raumviran battle-wizards discovered and assaulted the tower mercilessly, ripping it open and killing everyone inside.  The concealing effects fell, leaving the bizarre stones for all to view.  Few battle-wizards made it out of that fight and none were alive to search for it later when it began to reform.  Red Wizards theorize that the pact which drew it into the material world must have specified something grand.  Perhaps the fortress would remain until every trace of Raumathar was wiped from the face of Faerun.  In any event, the terms have not been fulfilled.  As far as anyone knows, the Red Wizards have not tried to complete them.

The fortified walls and outlying buildings are safe enough that guards are stationed there regularly to keep an eye on the surroundings.  It's usually considered a boring assignment.  The central tower, however, is off limits except to Red Wizards and their designated crews.  The top floors reshape themselves sporadically and the gates they possess to layers of the Abyss change, as well.  It seems that the tower has been trying to repair itself but is never quite satisfied.  Demons within cannot leave the structure without making a new bargain, but they can and will attack unwary visitors.  Ghosts of dead Nar demonbinders also remain, desperate to finish ancient business or to fight among themselves, blaming one another forever for failures that cannot be undone.

The underground layers are rumors, but they do exist, and they are not the result of the initial summoning.  As such, they are stable, but far from safe.  Local drow were called to the tower's presence as they ventured up to see what they could take.  They used its gateways well before Thayans claimed it (and there was a vicious fight over ownership of the premises which ended with Thayans allowing the drow access, with their approval and oversight).  The drow eventually herded burrowing creatures and slaves through to create a protective maze to the surface.  

Now it is a place where drow and Thayans can meet to discuss business.  All local drow factions know at least one way through the maze, as do the Red Wizards.  Sometimes slaves are traded, and it is said that no slave who has gone into the tower has ever returned.  Other times, it is the stage for longer term agreements, including ambassadorial trips in either direction.  Together, the drow and the Red Wizards stock and adjust the maze, changing the safe routes so that spies will have a harder time relying on them.

The Red Wizards send groups into the tower at intervals to clear out the upper floors, to search for spies or other meddlesome interlopers (since cultists have been discovered trying to get to their masters), and to see if any of the Nar ghosts can be resolved.  Teams search the mazes below for similar reasons.  Some groups return.  Others do not.  Receiving tower duty is an ambiguous assignment because it could be a way to make one's own pact with a demon, or to visit the Abyss, or to get rid of a rival.  Treachery between Thayans is often suspected but rarely investigated.  But it's also a way to vanish without a trace or lose your life in yet another secret project.  

Fierce but brief wars with creatures who seek to possess the tower have happened from time to time, as the guards outside know all too well.  So far, the worst invasions have not reached a population center.  The complex is a kind of open secret.  Thayans must show their papers upon approaching it as they must do everywhere else, but it is not as tightly restricted as the plateau upon which High Thay rests.  Guards will try to keep the curious away, but if they do get inside, it is assumed they will receive what they deserve.

The Slave Way - The Key Road Through Thay

Dear Salia Valgon, daughter of High Cleric Fury Valgon, squire-in-training to Bane's Blackened Fist, Augustus Valgon (glory to Bane) - 

I could not help but overhear your inquiry about the Slave Way at your family's last gathering.  Unfortunately, I was unable to answer your inquiry right then, but as an aspiring warrior and a noble Thayan young lady, you should know about that road's very special place in our lives.  (Which is why your father probably shushed you; it was harsh, but he saved you some embarrassment, so hate him a little less for it, if you can.)  With this letter, I offer you a less boring way to learn about a path you will travel many times in your life.  Because until you work your way into one of the flying corps, you will be using it any time you travel south.
  

Excerpt from the official map of Thay

You already know why it is called the Slave Way - it's the route we force the slaves to walk once they get here so they can see just how far from help they are.  It weeds out any of the sick or weak we might have missed and gets any escape attempts out of the way.  Those who attempt to flee are brought down mercilessly in front of the rest.  By the time they get up the First Escarpment, most slaves have little fight left in them.  The journey is hard and slow, but it works wonders for morale.  Those who are not sold along the way and make it all the way to Eltabbar are docile and awed.  They accept their fate.

But we did not build the road in the first place.  Mulhorand seized this territory after Raumathar and Narfell blew each other to bits, and the basic path up the middle of the plateau was already in place.  There had been trade between the lake and the sea, but the road was torn apart in the war.  The Mulhorandi improved it when they rebuilt Kensten (which is called Bezantur now), but only as much as necessary.  At the time, Eltabbar wasn't much more than a series of docks and warehouses called Pyceles (its Raumviran name), so the trading was much slower and less valuable.  Like everything else about Mulhorand.

Plans really started to take shape after we won the war for independence.  When Eltabbar was remodeled and chosen as the capital, we knew the road would have to be redone, too.  It led right through Tyraturos, which was already a larger city, and many Thayans had schemes for a more impressive interior.  The Mulhorandi hadn't put many resources into the land because it was so far away from the center of their empire.  Now it was our empire, and once we stabilized our first cities, we began to build it up.

Foreigners do not understand much about how our interior works, which is for the best.  For one thing, the Slave Way has never been just one road, and it was not built all at once.  Different stretches were funded by various patrons between 1000 and 1200 DR.  They have their own styles, defenses, and upkeep.  They also have their own names that locals use.  The Slave Way no longer "starts" in Bezantur, either; acquiring Murbant and Escalant in 1357 gave us an excuse to extend the road out across the Wizards' Reach.  Slaves do most of the basic repairs and cleaning, but citizens take care of any serious problems.  The road carries caravans and our humanoid allies where they're needed, and maintaining the road is much cheaper than trying to teleport everything everywhere.

The main stretches of the Slave Way are:

Escalant to Bezantur: This part is called Wizards' Row, since it's marked with plinths bearing symbols of magic and the Red Wizards.  Some of them are enchanted and some of them are not at any given time, but they are always reminders that we own the area now.  (Anyone found vandalizing them is given a very public execution, but idiots still try.)  The surrounding land is also rigged with magical traps for those who stray from the road without a guard bearing the chosen glyph.  They wear many glyphs stashed on their person to confuse slaves who try to pick-pocket the right one.

Bezantur to Galresh (just before the First Escarpment begins): This stretch is called the Tower Gauntlet because it's lined with impressive watchtowers all the way to Galresh, which is the town at the base of the cliff.  Some say that the towers are based on Raumviran ruins that have been found deep within Thay but no one knows how much.  Spells have been cast from them, but whether they were cast by wizards or the towers themselves is anyone's guess.  Most caravans will stop to rest at Galresh before starting the climb, and the town stays alive by catering to visitors and watching over slaves until they are ready to be moved.

Up the First Escarpment: The road that leads all the way up the cliffside is steep and long, with few alcoves dug into the cliff face for a rest.  It is a place begging for accidents and attempts at revolt, along with attempts at suicide and infighting.  For all of those reasons (as well as the ruddy color of the bare rock), it is called the Red Road by those who survive.  And more survive than you might think.  We learned long ago that crazed slaves will try to throw themselves over the edge because they think they would rather die than serve us - so we have nets and magic in place to catch them.  There are also secret entrances to caves that belong to our humanoid allies.  That is where those who fight or fuss are sometimes sent to be punished.  Most are returned, worse for wear but alive.

Rise to Delabbar: After reaching the main plateau, the path to Delabbar is named Yadara's Way for the patron who finally saw fit to develop it.  It was one of the last lengths to be given a Thayan touch, mostly because those who got past the Red Road didn't care what it looked like, as long as it was mostly flat.  Yadara was the last of her line and too old to bear children, so she chose to leave behind another legacy.  She commissioned statues of Thayan heroes who were not nobles and even placed a likeness of herself among them as a way of revealing that she had been adopted from commoner stock.  She killed herself at the opening ceremony and her ghost is said to wander anywhere along the path she pleases.  She terrifies slaves back to their masters - but she also delights in tormenting nobles who act too proud for their own good.  Trying to replace one of the statutes (or dishonor it) without her leave will result in immediate attack.

Delabbar to Mophur: Tyraturos held a city-wide competition to bring in the bones of the largest creatures their heroes could kill.  Nothing less than gargantuan sized foes would do for what they had in mind, and Spine Row is the end result.  Ribs, tails, other bones and carapaces are embedded in the dirt beside the road all the way up the middle of the plateau.  Closer to Delabbar and Mophur, the ground is moist and the bones stand out from greenery.  Closer to Tyraturos, the bleached remains gleam against desert sand.  At first, there were only so many, but they have been added to ever since.  These trophies make the journey to the massive gates of Tyraturos truly impressive and stand as a warning to any big monsters that might want to drop in on us.  Nobles can submit their trophies for use in the project even today.  I would not be surprised if your cousin Augustus added to the collection someday.  Tyraturos is the city of his birth, after all.

Mophur to Nuthretos: Mophur is the city of satisfaction (because it is the center of the drugs we spread across Faerun, not because they necessarily have more fun).  Nuthretos is the city of poison and basically dedicated to Talona.  Their solution was to sew the area with narcotics and dangerous plants, and good luck figuring out which is which.  Locals refer to it as The Wandering, but most of them won't risk stealing from the noble houses involved.  Slaves sometimes grab what they can, hoping to die, but they only become mildly ill.  Sick enough to wish they weren't.  Others just want to zone out and if they find the right leaves, they have a much better trip.  Some of the slave masters will spread rumors to calm the herd.

Nuthretos to Eltabbar: The influence of Eltabbar begins at the doorstep of Nuthretos, where the road becomes a marble expanse lined with columns.  This is one of the most costly stretches of the Slave Way to maintain but it is also the most elegant, as you've seen for yourself.  The problem is that you have not traveled much or far yet, so you cannot appreciate just how glorious it is.  One day, you will.  One day, you will ride out of the Wizard's Eye gate on your own steed and take the Steps of Thayd at your own pace.  If you follow your cousin Augustus's teachings, you will return a conqueror for certain. 

For you see, it is the Slave Way for the conquered, but it is the High Road for the conquerors.  You will not hear it called the High Road often, even though that is its official name, but it leads to the mightiest cities in Thay and there is no higher path to power here except the one that leads to the Thaymount.  Since neither of us were blessed with the gift of magic, mastering the High Road is our lot.

I hope this will be of use to you, and feel free to show off your newly acquired knowledge at the first available opportunity.  Just do not tell anyone where you learned it from, even if your cousin Augustus asks.  Let this be between us, and between us, let us make your house look even stronger in ways that others do not expect it to be.

Sincerely,
Tari Govannon