Thay

Thay, Szass Tam and any related content belongs to Wizards of the Coast and originates from the D&D Forgotten Realms setting.

Thay is a mysterious and powerful magocratic nation in eastern Medina. Originally it was part of the Caelian Empire, but a cult calling themselves the Red Wizards successfully wrestled control of the region from the empire sometime during the Age of Arcanum. For centuries afterwards Thay was governed by a council of powerful wizards called the zulkirs, but in the early stages of the Age of Conquest that council fell to a coup led by the zulkir of necromancy, the lich Szass Tam. Thay's elite believe in the endless pursuit of arcane knowledge and power, a dynamic that's fueled by rampant slavery. This driving force permeated the country's dark history since its founding to current day. Necromancy and infernal contracts are commonplace in Thay, with most of its army consisting of undead and gnolls. Thay is used by many as a cautionary tale against the potential dangers of arcanists, as well as being despised by all organisations that fight against undead. Thay's only neighboring country is the stratocracy of Vrox, with which it has been in constant war for the last two centuries. Thay is situated on a high plateau girded by high mountains, making it a difficult country to enter even without considering the presence of paranoid mages.