Thay

Thay is a nation on the east coast of Faerun, bordering the Star Fallen Sea. For the vast majority of its history, Thay has known nothing but tyranny and oppression. Emperor Szass Tam, who ruled the country for nearly half a millennia, was recently deposed by the Acquaintances With Weapons. The People's Council made up of elected officials now rule.

The nation has the largest concentration of undead beings in Toril.

## History

Prior to Emperor Szass Tam, Thay was ruled by King Barov Moros. History tomes tell us King Barov was a cruel king, especially in his later years. His family was one of the first to colonize Thay and took it from the Visanti, the original people of Thay.

Emperor Szass Tam was born in 992. In 1017, King Barov killed Raven Tam, Szass' mother, after she denied his marriage proposal. This sparked a rebellion led by Szass. He was joined by those loyal to his husband Sirgay Von Astra, whom he married in 1013, the vampire Belladonna Suprema and her forces, Cleo Patra, the magister of the Purple Sands and Raven's close friend, the drow elves, and his personal army of undead soldiers. At the age of 30 in the year 1022, Szass Tam was crowned emperor.

The common people celebrated Szass as a hero and liberator. The emperor spent the next 25 years rewarding those loyal to him and punishing those who sided with King Barov. At the age of 50 in 1042, the emperor survived an assassination attempt when his wine was poisoned. The culprit was never identified but Szass executed every member of the kitchen and wait staff.

Seeing his life and reign almost come to an end, Szass dedicated himself to magical research that would grant him immortality. Emperor Consort Sirgay pleaded for Szass to not practice such dark magic. This betrayal led to Sirgay being the first soul in Szass' phylactery.

Under Szass Tam's reign there was no legal limit or regulation on magic. However, religious practices were strictly outlawed as the emperor wanted to be the only god in his citizens' lives.

Thay’s economy was built on the slave labor of undead and humanoid creatures. Agriculture was the biggest market followed by mining for precious minerals as well a magical craftsmanship. Agriculture primarily focused on wheat, grains, citrus fruits, and timber. Mining usually focused on gold, diamond, and silver. The class structure is broken down by slaves, commoners, and nobility. There are 800,000 slaves, 685,000 commoners, and 15,000 nobles.

There are very little jails or prisons in Thay. The largest one was Mother’s Mercy Asylum where political prisoners, especially rebels and dissidents, were tortured and “reeducated.” Most people found guilty of a crime were given the choice of slavery or execution no matter the offense. The accused were believed to be guilty until proven innocent.

Slaves were also bought from other parts of the world or illegally kidnapped and smuggled in. All children of slaves were automatically slaves.

The middle class was made up of merchants, sailors, soldiers, and Red Wizards.

Nobility was given to those at birth based on their family ancestry. Positions of the nobility include powerful mages, Magisters, and high up government advisors and workers. Some middle class citizens could become noble if they gathered enough favor with Thay’s elite. All nobility had to show an affinity and talent for the magical craft. Only the most elite of Thay’s nobility were allowed to become immortal.

Under Szass' leadership, Thay became even more isolated than it already was. Szass Tam greatly expanded the country's spy networks and it's generally believed Szass Tam had spies in every country in Toril. Whether this was actually true, propaganda, or paranoia is up for debate. The county had no official or public allies or partnerships. However, it was common for political entities and businesses to buy stolen secrets from Thay to learn more about their enemies. Most nations took no action against Thay, and many believe it is because of Thay's large catalog of blackmail on them.

## Recent History

During the Death Curse, Emperor Szass Tam sent Red Wizards led by Valindra Shadowmantle to Chult to find a way to control it or destroy it if it proved unmanageable. This effort was a failure as Valindra abandoned her position after obtaining the Ring of Winter and declaring war against the emperor. Thay then support the rise of the new Merchant Princes in Port Nyanzaru in hopes this would give the country greater access to Chult's occult relics and a slave network. Despite their support, the Acquaintances With Weapons defeated the Merchant Princes and solidified Queen Maxima's hold on Chult.

For these offenses and the heinous crimes against his own people, Queen Maxima sent AWW to Thay to kill the emperor and help establish a new free society. They were successful in this effort, killing both Szass Tam and Valindra Shadowmantle. The People's Council now governs Thay. Its elected members include Rhiannon Nyx, Flumphy Cave Princess, Willy Wingman, Bruce Vayne, and Elfy Highman.

Cleo Patra agreed to step down as Magister of the Purple Sands so she could seek therapy. She was replaced by the Sand Council, which includes Madame Eva, Horus Patra, and a citizen named Osinoe Nyle.

Magister of Manipular Abnegazar Falzor refused the concession offered by AWW and died fighting them. He was replaced by Willy Wingman. He would be replaced by a dwarf blacksmith named Magda

Magister of the Dreadwood Belladonna Suprema abdicated after losing a fight with AWW. She was replaced by the Ilmater priest Donner Blitzen.

The Wytch Elms and Lazarus thalmonts were conquered, or more accurately destroyed, by Valindra Shadowmantle. The two were combined into one thalmont called Arisen. Bruce Vayne ran it but was later replaced by Magister Hazel Montgomery.

## Notable Locations

**Crooked Maw -** The mountain range that wraps around the northern, western, and southern borders of Thay. The mountains are mostly rocky with sparse vegetation. The peaks are covered in snow and notable volcanoes spew pillars of smoke into the sky.

**Lake Styx -** The country’s largest lake is located directly in the center of Thay with rivers sprouting from, resembling the legs of a spider. No matter the season or the weather, the water is always freezing cold with small ice caps and icebergs floating in the waves. It’s a major source of water for the country.

**Star Fallen Sea** - The ocean that covers Thay’s eastern border. Its bioluminescent wildlife make the water resemble the night sky. Provides the bulk of the country’s seafood.

**Weeping Swamp** - The only swamp in Thay. It’s known for being haunted as the swamp is used as a dumping ground for destroyed undead and slave corpses that prove to have no necromantic or magical purpose. Home to Baba Lysaga and her young Szass Tam clone.

**The Purple Sands** - The Thalmont that takes up the entire western side of the country. A desert with enigmatic, deep purple sand. At night, it sparkles in the moonlight. Sandstorms are known to cause hallucinations and even madness when they strike. Many magic users congregate here, especially on full moons, to practice their craft and conduct rituals. Most pople in The Purple Sands live in small communities or nomadic tribes. It’s capital is Atem. Also home to the ruined city of Sable.

**Dreadwood** - The Thalmont situated between the Purple Sands and the Wytch Elms. All of the plant life in these woods appear to be dead due to necromancy. The entire land is in constant shadow thanks to the Crooked Maw and Thay’s cloudy skies. To make it even darker, the branches of the trees stretch out like claws holding hands in the canopy. It’s capital is Obsidian, which is home to the Blood Pool lake. Azul is also located in this Thalmont.

**Manipular** - The largest Thalmont in Thay by size. It’s home to the country’s vast farmlands that provide most of the country’s food and cash crops. Produces grapefruit, lemons, limes, and oranges. A secret tribe of duergar live beneath these lands. The largest city is Azura, the region’s capital. Also home to the cities of Tempus, Nocturna and Ravena. The Weeping Swamp is situated here.

**Arisen** - Made of the former Wytch Elms and and Lazarus thalmonts. It's home to Thay’s largest forest, which is filled with trees found nowhere else in the world. The ivory trees are all white with bright red leaves. When cut, the sap is blood red. The serrated tree is covered in sharp thorns with light blue leaves. This is the ancestral home of Thayan elves. It's major cities include Nightfall, Zelena, and Necropolis (the country's capital and the only part of the Lazarus thalmont Valindra didn't conquer).