Dungeons and Dragons Lore: Thay

Thay, land of magical power, mystery, plots, subjugation, monsters, iconic red wizards and exotic vices. Let me take you on an in-depth tour and by the end of it, I would wager you will want to run some games in this fascinating region of Faerun.
Tips on Paypal gratefully accepted (ad4emperor@hotmail)
• Indian, Egyptian, Leba... For an example of some accents.
www.realmshelps... For more detailed information on Thay's history and the relations with other neighboring regions.
TIMESTAMP INDEX
0:01 Introduction to Thay
2:28 Ancient Past: Imaskar
3:17 Origin of the Mulan people
4:41 Last days of the Old Empires: Mulhorand and Unther
5:00 Thayd and the Orc Gate War
7:50 Thaymount
8:33 Modern Thay
11:46 Szass Tam
12:22 Enemies of Thay
12:45 Slavery in Thay
13:55 Internal politics, the Tharchs
14:28 Thaymount
15:23 Priador
16:29 Alaor
17:16 Thazalhar
18:33 Eltab and Eltabbar
22:22 Lapendrar
24:11 Surthay
25:26 Gauros
26:03 Pyrados
26:52 Tyraturos
27:31 Delhumide
28:53 The Mulan and Thayan culture

[@TheGreatDanish]

I use Red Wizards as villians so much my players have vocally suggested we go to Thay proper, so here I am, looking up details for my players to go. I know its been 3 years, but thanks for summarizing it very well in this video!

[@bleekskaduwee6762]

​@@grahamward7 I concur

[@pauljinkerson6359]

Ah yes. The”magic” of slave traders

[@stripe1000]

You mentioned the seven sisters in this video. I would love to see a video on them, or even a series. Keep up the great work AJ, loving it.

[@Vondarkstar]

I slow you down to .75x so it’s more chill. I’d love a series about Thay and about the well known reds like Szass! Live for the lore!

[@RayJackson88]

I like how D&D occasionally crosses into our real world. I didn't know the early slaves were taken from Earth. It adds a bit of magic to our "ordinary" world.

[@krispalermo8133]

Quantum Realities , alternate time lines. Thay show up on " a " Earth in the early bronze age, around 2,700 years ago on our time line. After nearly 3,000 years of "that "Thay Forgotten Realms time line. Thay is still a late medieval tec and social development. Where in our own world's time line. We have smart phones and air craft. 20 years ago, my game shop ran a Planescape campaign where Baator devils had smart phone that ran off of wizard spells.

[@delicathvrenitah4282]

@Harvey Dustin Quantum theory

[@samuelyoung5664]

@Harvey Dustin lazy map making is more likely.

[@tsoliot5913]

@@krispalermo8133 o was gonna object to smartphones 20 years ago and then I realized that was 2000.

[@kharijordan6426]

Now that's an isikai. The day I became a slave.

[@andrewvincent7299]

Correction:Warcraft and their orcs are a ripoff of Forgotten Realms lore and orcs.

[@DCdabest]

They're like a joint rip off of Warhammer Orcs combined with DnD Orcs

[@ArantyrDarkhand]

Warhammer beagn in 83 forgoten realmes 87, warcraft 94

[@dubuyajay9964]

@@DCdabest Warcraft was originally a Warhammer game before the deal fell through. Just like Starcraft was originally supposed to be 40K.

[@DCdabest]

@@dubuyajay9964 Indeed. Hence warcraft orcs being green. Admitedly i think i like Starcraft exactly the way it was

[@yellowmartian]

@@ArantyrDarkhand well technically forgotten realms is from 67ish, but didn't make it to its own official campaign until 87 after TSR bought it from Ed greenwood.

[@17Scumdog]

Don't eat the berries in Methwood maaaan! You won't sleep for weeks!

[@jaymevosburgh3660]

@Florida Under Moonlight Ov course someone from Florida wants to eat methwood berries lol ;)

[@MisterTutor2010]

Who do Thay think Thay are? :)

[@dubuyajay9964]

Your betters... :7

[@SomethingWiley]

That's funny because when I'm playing PlanetSide 2 I'm always telling the TR THEY'RE THEIR THERE, TAUNTINGLY, using the incorrect forms, so I guess it'll be There their thay

[@rustyshackleford9588]

Thay got another think comin’

[@randyloyd9262]

that was funny!

[@fromachat]

Booooooo

[@davidlewis8814]

The series by Richard Lee Byers covers the assassinations and deaths of every one of the names said in this video - fantastically!! Along the way the reader is exposed to every conceivable type of undead - and some that are just wildly unique. And it’s also super cool to see an examination of a master of every individual school of magic. What threat would a master of divination magic pose, you ask yourself late at night? Well…

[@hysterical5408]

Okay, I'm definitely setting my upcoming campaign here, sounds way too interesting to just not be used.

[@elricengquist9989]

Always found the region, and state of Thay so very interesting. Even the Red wizards on a individual basis was so fun to research. Though while doing alot of adventures both within the region of Thay an against it, I had thought it would be interesting to adapt a style of magic from a anime called "Record of Lodoss wars", which is more spirit based yet not really summoning as it is more about making deals/bonds/pacts with different spirits that the priest-mage calls on for their spell, as a opposition style of magic to Thay's own more traditional magic styles.

[@NodDisciple1]

Elric Engquist You know that Lodoss was originally a homebrew DnD Campaign in Japan, right?

[@SomethingWiley]

You, are a gifted speaker AJ, thanks for you. These lands of Toril were not manifested enough. You breath life into the lore. Bringing attention too.

[@themindofdirge3809]

You just covered my favorite bit of lore in Faerun and I can not thank you enough for it, keep up the great work.

[@demonlordotrt754]

I'm lisimimg to your videos again I work 7am to 530pm its one of the best ways to past the time doing construction lol

[@HBHaga]

Szass Tam: It would have worked if it weren't for you meddling kids and your hound archon!

[@user-fy3lg1hu2i]

this was hands down one of the best videos i've seen for d&d, little lone thay

[@flibbernodgets7018]

this is such a cool area!!! Thank you for bringing it to life

[@AJPickett]

My pleasure :)

[@antwan1357]

I would seriously consider using the modern languages as the staple languages of the Thay residence . I would love to see the look on a player's face as soon as a NPC trying to sell them items is trying to speak to them using all the languages he knows. Using Syrian, Lebanese , or any of the other languages sourced from the lore.

[@RaraAvis23]

This is brilliant! Playing a Red Wizard right NOW, and devouring all the lore I can get.

[@dubuyajay9964]

What edition?

[@bovrar2nd861]

AJ your content is widely known for the excellent quality and depth, but this video on Thay made me imagine an ocean of new possibilities for a new set of campaigns and even a book. I can't thank you enough! Now it's time to get the hands dirty 😎

[@Thorn99855]

F*ck Yes Thay! I read the Harpers books as a kid and loved every bit of them. Thay was a cool location.

[@BP-ff9qn]

I liked this video so much i watched it twice. Now I need a video on Rashaaman ;D

[@thedarkmaster4747]

same.

[@johnnikyecole9114]

Aahhhh I love these so much. I watch and rewatch these old vids over and over and they always hold up to the last time I saw them. I can not get enough.

[@Christopher_Pug]

This video is a very helpful tool for building ancient histories and dangling superpowers and the majesty of an ancient magic civilization in front of players. You really make it feel alive!

[@sufferinsuccotash8981]

The best so far AJ!!

[@AJPickett]

Thanks, I was happy with this one.

[@patrickhenry6695]

Bless this patron! My fave faction, thank you for your work and passion

[@kimh9337]

This is one of the better videos yet, imo! Thanks a lot for this tour of the city! I especially like the parts of how the community works and behaves in the different parts, as well as the different leader structures. Makes for awesome lore creation and inspiration for me to prepare for my own players. Keep up the awesome work!

[@PoloDavey]

this is hands down the most info about thay I've ever seen. i have loved thay since I've read the haunted lands trilogy

[@H3xx99]

So... Thayian Foriegn policy in general: LEAVE US ALONE OR BUY SOMETHING\ONE!!!

[@dylanreeck1589]

So pre-imperial Japan?

[@nimbus7239]

@@dylanreeck1589 More like Switzerland but with added slavery.

[@michaelfrost7467]

AJ another great video your interaction with your fans and the love you put into these videos can only make it grow whenever I'm in a live d&d chat I suggest your channel to people and I believe I'm not the only one keep up the good work

[@AJPickett]

Thank you Michael :)

[@AmandaTroutman]

Thanks for mentioning the power of voice acting. I have it my games and my players love it.

[@TheFattdragon]

I feel like I just took A Hollywood star tour and my camera is jammed full of awesomeness.Please smash that like button for the tour guide.And next times you haters should listen and keep your last hand inside the vehicle at all times =D

[@sanddry738]

I first got a look at Thay through Mark Hulms’ Dead Reckoning mini-campaign and it was a place that was absolutely fascinating to me. It has such a unique society and setting that it demands attention and different thinking then what you normally see. Thanks a lot for giving such an in depth insight into more of the country’s history and culture!

[@gabrieladerre2862]

Thank you AJ, for yet another amazing, informative video!!! :)

[@areelu-classicwow5845]

You should do a video on Larloch. I feel like a lot of people don't regonize how much this guy could screw entire nations.

[@chabreed3714]

Jose Leon yes yes yes i second this request

[@Tovish1988]

Definitely. Larloch's Crypt is a long lasting and stable undead city, probably the only one in the realms. It's an extremely interesting location and it's King is a huge part of that.

[@Daimon-X]

Ah magic. Ever overpowered. Ever awesome. MAGIC... What could possibly go wrong?

[@FromAgonyToLight]

Awesome. So the spirit of Netheril and Imaskar persists in Thay...

[@AJPickett]

And Halruaa

[@lorenzo4637]

@AJ Pickett; this is still my favorite video of yours. Not that there’s anything wrong with your other videos. I just like the feeling of mutual fascination this one has. Keep up the good work, my friend!

[@Recardoguy007]

I loved it all AJ. Thank you so much

[@mrl9418]

I want a setting where the Netherese never fell 😀 Maybe I should write it. Karsus launched his Avatar spell and was imprisoned on the material plane because of that, the goddess of magic died and was reborn but that didn't cause the whole civilization and flying cities to fall down straight away, both because in my view the gods aren't the prime principle (goddess of magic doesn't imply essence of magic, just the patron of mages, so to speak) and because, being gods, they'd seen that coming long before it happened and put wards in place against straight up catastrophe. Finally, the enemies of the Netherese are happy with their reduced power and with the fact that the lower cities are all but gone (or that wouldn't really explain why they never resurfaced to bug others). So now the Netherese are basically a civilization of the clouds, their main preoccupation is the Shade Enclave returning with nostalgia for their former glory and (although they'd stress other points,) what really bothers even the more nostalgic is they they know the Shade Enclave is subsevient to the goddess of death and they're loathe to see their civilization reduced to the service of a god.

[@AJPickett]

Mr L have you considered Deep Imaskar?

[@mrl9418]

AJ Pickett you mean the Netherese would have magically hidden themselves from the world?

[@AJPickett]

Absolutely, they could create demi-planes and planar gateways, there may be a large number of them which were off-world at the time.

[@mrl9418]

AJ Pickett And gods are multidimensional, so other dimensions mistal may not have perished, only the one in the same dimension as karsus. Also they could have outright banned the worship of all evil deities, but basically tolerate it and in fact, behind the anti-evil rhetoric, they only prosecute the suspected followers of shar, to keep the shade enclave scrying at bay

[@TDuBs97]

Ik I’m late to it but I’m throwing an NPC from thay into my campaign and this vid was crazy informational, thanks AJ!! Gonna need to take notes but fantastic vid

[@DrakeHunter324]

"My name is Edwin Odesseirion but you simians may refer to me as sir." Turns out Edwin was fairly mild by Thayan standards.

[@general0ashnak]

I am currently playing a Half-Orc Paladin in service to Kossuth, thanks to you I am able to give his backstory more flavour as I now know he's from the Tharch of Lapendrar and that part of his prejudice against the undead is linked to his father having been killed, if indirectly, by a vampire. I've got him coming from Nethentir, which the DM and I have agreed is a declined trading centre in comparison to Nethjet due to the difficulties of overland trade to the north. Now I think his secondary long-term goal is to become the Tharchian of Praidor!

[@AJPickett]

Jeremy Clarke its a possibility for sure, half orcs are relatively common around Thay.

[@general0ashnak]

AJ Pickett There is a distinct feel that Thay is like the ottoman empire in its location and trade, I think it's general portrayal as an evil empire of doom has prevented people from using it as a very rich setting for a campaign.

[@elricengquist9989]

Always good to work with your DM both on things that deal with your character in it's creation, but also in the history an motives of your character too. It gives the DM a good measure of ideas that they can embellish, and personalize a adventure even more to the players, and also create some side-adventures that could be linked to specific characters. I had a group in which thru side missions, and info they discover over the course of the adventure that the group had some quite interesting links. like that the Half-elf/orc character was the grand-daughter of the npc that had actually killed the Male Elven mage's father, which caused some quite interesting dynamics an tensions in the group. I would also say that your character's hatred of undead could also stem from the fact that many tribes of Orcs have a very brutal form of druid/shamanistic belief systems. So the twisting of the natural states of life, and death into what they would see as the corrupted state of undeath would naturally give the character a much more intense dislike of undead. I have also always liked using the idea of a brutal sense of honor, and code of conduct with Orc, which to the outside world gives them a look of being very evil an brutal, but once you look at their history an the lands they occupy it makes sense.

[@Ben_Carter.]

Thanks for this! Was Fantastic. I've been working on my first home brew campaign and had an idea of an evil necromancer who ruled undead armies and scourged the land. The campaign takes place millenia later and has to do with his potential resurrection. Little did I know most of my ideas mirrored the story of Szass Tam and Thay! I'm now working my way through the Haunted Lands trilogy for more ideas. Loving it.

[@orhansumen]

so amazed with the artwork shown in this vid

[@camerondilbon2248]

Another fantastic vid! I thoroughly enjoy all your work. Very informative and the art shown is always top-notch!! I see a lot of requests for other topics and can say that any of the aforementioned would be great. I especially liked the videos on the demon lords and would love to see some on the archdevils. I know you have covered Asmodeus , one of my biggest interests, and I would love to see any and all videos made on the parts of the nine hells that haven't been covered. I also would like to see a video on Baphomet. Keep up the great work and thank you for all the hard work you put in to these videos

[@alanschaub147]

AJ: I kind of like Thay! Does that make me Lawful Evil?

[@Undeadscoll]

The history i never knew amazing video

[@flaredrake2093]

I absolutely love this video, and I've watched it no less than four times now. As a fairly new player to the Forgotten Realms, my group hasn't had a lot of a interactions with this very interesting country. Thay is so unique and different feeling than any other human settlement I've had the pleasure to learn the history of, and I'm so excited to make my own Red Wizard to play in Tomb of Annihilation.

[@kyskei]

amazing video mate. the info about the specific regions in Thay was very good. if I were to say something that could be improved upon is (in my opinion) that it would be very nice to get a few key words or sentences to describe at a basic level how things are in the other less fleshed out/important/used areas. and if there isn't enough info then some speculation with your educated guesses as to how things are there would be much appreciated

[@AJPickett]

I could make a video of equal length just on what I think could be found on and within the Thaymount. Or the horrors of the slaves who live in Delhumide, with a nice long list of the mewling abominations that lurch, crawl and undulate around in those gods forsaken ruins. Half the battle of making this sort of video is deciding on what to include and what to exclude, such as, I never talked about the shining silver armor the Thayan army is reknowned for, or mentioned Deep Imaskar, and as someone else noted, I made no mention of Warforged or talked much about the Undead in Thay.I do appreciate the suggestion, it is something I consider a lot as I make these vids :)

[@kyskei]

That would be awesome. I love how much there is to dig in here, though I am one of those people that always crave to know more and love hours long videos that can stimulate me with information and ideas so I've been watching and listening to your videos for a while now :) absolutely love it!

[@AJPickett]

I recall the video where I talked about Flail Snails for 26 minutes and the reaction from one commenter... let me paste it here... "Half an hour on a FUCKING PUN".lol, I love the outrage.

[@kyskei]

indeed quite amusing and it was a good video too so personally I think it could have been 4 minutes longer just so it reached propper half hourage :D I would have more to say about comments but I mostly only pay attention to the videos

[@kyskei]

I remember how after watching your video on liches my opinion of them changed drastically from: oh this sounds like a pretty good deal to: well shit they have to be pretty fucking desperate to do this to their souls

[@kingstewy]

My favorite land in Toril besides Cormyr and Waterdeep.

[@Dule810]

Been waiting for this one, now I am ready to send my PCs to Thay!

[@kaijukoopa1248]

Love this video, sharing it as I took a quiz and got thay as my nation in dnd

[@CNNBlackmailSupport]

Thats how Thay are, you know? Thay watch and Thay wait until Thay pounce.

[@peridoodle2644]

This is gonna be useful for my campaign! Thanks!

[@That80sGuy1972]

They seems like a place where an adventurer can play out his entire career without leaving the area, kind of like the city of Lankhmar. Thayian: What part of Thay you from? Outsider: I'm not from Thay. I'm actually a world-traveling gypsy like my family. Thayian: Oh, so outside of Thay. You travel around the whole outer borderlands? Outsider: There is more to the world than what you can see from Thay's borders. Thayian: I know, at least a few miles or so. Outsider: No, Thousands of miles, the world is huge. Thayian: It IS? Do the Red Wizards know about this?

[@krispalermo8133]

Star Trek the Motion Picture movie, .. Thay have shaved headed tattoo women. What more could you ask for ?

[@That80sGuy1972]

@@krispalermo8133 Well, now that you want there, maybe a PG-13 love scene that borders on a rated R one... that actress was drop-dead gorgeous and we all pictured her far more than in R-rated ways. I was thinking that of her and I don't even think puberty started for me at the time yet.

[@krispalermo8133]

@@That80sGuy1972 I forgot to add Star Wars Dark Horse comic art of Asajj Ventress, she is another hot looking bald woman. With 3.5e rules a 10th-level wizard/2nd-level fighter/3rd-level rogue, CR: 15, BAB:+9 She could create her own magic items of Rapier 1d6+3 crit:18-20/x2 (14-20/x2) upgraded with Scarber of Keen Edges and Improved Critical( rapier). Other than what her str is to Power Attack, her crit rolls will do 2d6+6dmg on nearly each hit if rolled high enough, and with her Bluff skill back with Tumbling to move her into a flanking position to do sneak attack dmg of +2d6. So on a sweet hit she does 4d6+6dmg. To trip it out use True Strike and Power Attack to land 1d6+12 each round, crit rolls become 2d6+24dmg per hit. Even if you factor in the penalty of two weapon fighting on melee atk rolls to Power Attacks, she is still tapping 50dmg to her target. " cough, cough," Due to the way drow society is built around military conquest and mention how the adults take bets on how long it takes for their grade school children to cord strangle kobolts & goblins. All drow in my gaming shop has a base of rogue3/fighter2 before they take on wizard or cleric classes. And since 3.5e wizard supplement book, .. " Tome & Blood," states anyone that can learn the Knowledge(arcane) and Spellcraft can learn wizard spells if they have the base Int:10 or higher. So even the run of the mill low level Lolth priestess of rogue3/fighter2/wizard3 .. then three or more levels of cleric. Why, cause why not, wizard magic is just a hobby to play around with. We just need to come up with high level CR opponents for our human or dwarf PCs to gain Xp to defeat in game play. My shop also just traded gp value of magic item creation Feat: Craft Wonderous Item by paying it off with Xp, hence they level cap themselves by the number of self-made magic items they have. Where they sacrifice their life force/experience points locked into magic items to Lolth. We also ran Epic level 20th-level or higher campaigns so we did not regard drow being over powered or too high in class levels. Menzoberranzan dance clubs it is consider bad taste to go dancing in armor or carrying any weapons at all. Their frenzy rave dances are know to devolve into rowdy brawls, so dog packing happens. So if you are mob by six drow starting damage is 1d2+2d6 per drow = 1d2+2d6x6 or 6d2+12d6 per round of beating. So in a way, a 10th-level half-orc barbarian could get beat down with in two or three rounds by .. teenagers. As a teenager and young adult I could never really fetishize drow women from what I read about them. I had a sister and many teenager girls around growing up outside of city limits. They get bored and jump you just the way the boys did, main different the guys didn't paint your face up with makeup the way the girls did. Along with having a few really bad spider bites that needed medical treatment, spider venom in D&D is under rated .. spider venom is more like acid damage. Chaotic evil cleric, that get bored, and uses acid to torture people .. uh, .. no thanks. I would rather deal with nighthags and Baator. Menzoberranzan have a couple yearly festivals that last for a full month where it is .. safe .. to travel and trade with them without being capture by them for mine labor or scarifying. So the plot is to go in and tick off as many priestesses you can within social limits then run for the surface as you can after wards.

[@mercurialsilver5688]

With all the slavery going on in Thay, I am pretty sure this is where all of the Isekai protagonists get sent when summoned to the Forgotten Realms.

[@kennedyteixeira2570]

Thats just perfection. Nice work mate

[@justinbose8204]

and lizards starting #Metoo movements....this is getting better 24:10 CC

[@dubuyajay9964]

I don't get it. :-/

[@linguisticallyoversight8685]

In one of the games I ran I used a similar theme to one of my kingdoms however the taint that was upon it was almost like a magical leprosy and the more that use magic the more it rotted them

[@pst5345]

Ooooh my favorit region and classes. RIP my 2nd character, a Thayan Knight. Good times.

[@ADT1995]

My players after finally having enough of Szass Tam's bullshit have decided to take the fight to Thay itself. Glad I found this

[@allistancooper1502]

I don't even play d&d infact I don't like to play tabletop games I can never see the fun in it but what I do like is lore which d&d has in spades I can never get enough of it I always what's more.

[@rusto3618]

Love watching your videos, you put in a lot of work and it shows. If I can suggest a video, I'd like to see one on factions. Thanks.

[@AJPickett]

The Harpers really need a video.

[@JLKnoxville]

AJ Pickett Yes!

[@patrickhenry6695]

AJ Pickett yesssssss

[@reubenholcomb8568]

Love all your content. Great stuff. I think it would be cool to get videos about the history of towns like phlan and other cities. Keep up the good work brother.

[@ThetrueDrnastyflaps]

Love it. Brilliant & fascinating video.

[@atomicnectar]

Such a great video I’m working on sending my PCs here so it’s good for world building

[@adamholcomb200]

Thay is my Favorite Land and as of right now In Adventures League Thay has attacked Port Nyanzaru in Chult in the AL DDEP season 7 second Epic so things will be interesting indeed for Thay😈💯

[@TheLict0r]

amazing as always!!

[@JesseBooth01]

Hey AJ, Can you please reference your information on the most recent Red Wizards lore? Running Rise of Tiamat and just wanted to grab the latest iteration of them for the game.

[@AJPickett]

I posted this video in February of 2018 Jesse, my suggestion is go to the Forgotten Realms wiki, scroll down to the reference list and check out those sources. They never steer me... well, they rarely steer me wrong.

[@grahamward7]

@@AJPickett Worth mentioning that the adventurers league has a whole arc of adventures that have updates to current Thay lore, and feature the Red Wizards prominently. Lots of new stuff that’s considered official but doesn’t show up on the wiki. Look up DRW (Dreams of the Red Wizards) on DM’s Guild.

[@123thebigdog]

So I’m going too be running a spalljamer campaign soon and I’m thanking that the thay and probably some other group are all on one planet.

[@davidfletcher6703]

That's pretty cool that you used a picture of the original form of Nar'Zül, the Lich King from Warcraft

[@evilminion4989]

Still my favorite lore video...

[@Ope_itsadam]

Does anyone think that Thay would be a fun candidate for becoming a realm in the demiplane of dread?

[@DrakeHunter324]

I doubt they're far off from somebody going completely overboard and making that happen.

[@rjanssafttheiii4697]

So much of interesting FR lore has been shredded or retconned. It’s a real pity.

[@001shadowknight]

I’m now adding this to my home brew campaign. Thanks, I now need to work on my acting some more. :)

[@humbertocobian4740]

Richard Lee Byers does the Lord's work in his trilogy the haunted lands.

[@schwann145]

You mean destroying a deep and interesting culture full of intrigue and politics and magic and turning it into yet another boring necropolis? Turning Szass Tam into a wannabe Larloch? 😭

[@humbertocobian4740]

@@schwann145 if you're looking for blame perhaps focus your angst at wotc for going in that direction and fifth edition. What Richard Lee Byers did with his exquisite writing style was weave an amazing narrative full of compelling characters and such beautiful descriptive insight into the psyche of his characters. Did you know he's a psychiatrist by trade?

[@humbertocobian4740]

@@schwann145 you must not have read the books because you are woefully ignorant in your summery if you can even call that. Have you read any of his other works? The dead God trilogy perhaps? Did you even read the books?

[@schwann145]

@@humbertocobian4740 Don't worry, I don't actually blame RLB, I'm veeery aware it's WotC's fault. ;) I do find his writing to be hit or miss though. I didn't much like the Haunted Lands because I was excited to finally get a Thay-focused trilogy, but instead essentially got the story that destroyed what made Thay, Thay. It was well written, however, and my dislike has nothing to do with his penmanship here. I thought his parts of both The Sembia series and The War of the Spider Queen series were great, as was The Black Bouquet, but I was pretty disappointed with The Year of Rogue Dragons and Queen of the Depths. I haven't read Brotherhood of the Griffin or The Reaver as I basically stepped away from The Realms with 4th edition D&D. Can't say I've heard of the Dead God trilogy but I haven't read any of his non-Realms stuff.

[@humbertocobian4740]

@@schwann145 I hear you on that brother. Juat his writing style man so visceral so gut wrenching like main characters die like in real life people betray like I'm real life it's not all Mary sues people are evil bad like Thayans yet they are who you are rooting for? So gray not black and white like fuck that shits compelling as fuck.

[@levimorne]

Very interesting.... I really need to get into this setting more. Nice video it was really informative yup yup.

[@Brilchan]

I play a runaway slave Warlock so this is very useful thank you

[@VengefulJarl]

Ive been running a mix of modules with a lot of red wizards. Ghosts of dragonspear, scourage of the sword coast, dead in thay etc. I liked the suggestions on the language. Ive been trying to implement language and writing scripts in my game. I can't recall the name at the moment but the last language used in ancient egypt is what i used for Thayan Mulan language i plan to play samples of when the players hear it hopefully to the point where they can tell which is thayan, untherian etc

[@joshchandler13]

“Pesky mortals” 🤣😂🤘🏼

[@dubuyajay9964]

*Random zombie servant groaning noises.*

[@linguisticallyoversight8685]

Since the slave trade so essential to their overall economy I could imagine them using Wizards or clerics to search for Magical diseases like lycanthropy and vampirism since they wouldn't want it to spread through their slaves and any other diseases

[@AJPickett]

That is a quite a brilliant insight, thank you, I will certainly incorporate that into any games I run there :)

[@jonathancampbell5231]

They actually employ Vampires and Lyncanthropes in their armies, so not necessarily.

[@vilkarmooringstead5346]

@@jonathancampbell5231 they'd still look for it, to cull outliers and probable carriers from the general population of slaves. Don't want your pens going wild on the full moon. Nor lose stock to an unrecognized lycanthrope

[@ericjkier]

I would really like to learn more about Chult. I'm running a West Marches game and I borrow heavily from you. Also, thank you for the idea of murder sheep, my players send their regards.

[@AJPickett]

*bows* my pleasure. Chult! I'll see what I can do. Nightmare jungles in general perhaps.

[@ericjkier]

@@AJPickett that would be fantastic! Also, I found one of your videos on Chult right after this, awesome, love the input. I'm doing more research on epidemiology.

[@brothermutant7370]

So...the Red Wizards are like Slytherin? Pureblood wizards/witches?

[@AJPickett]

Brother Mutant73 pretty much, yeah.

[@NodDisciple1]

Brother Mutant73 You need to remember that TSE was originally a Forgotten Realms series. I don't think the similarities are coincidental.

[@iamvigant]

@@NodDisciple1 What is TSE?

[@Insane-Howl-Cowl]

Always love your videos. Have you ever thought about going over the Elder Evils stories? I'd love to hear your thoughts on some of those campaign ideas.

[@AJPickett]

Jeremy Moore yes, that's why I made the vid on Kyuss

[@docbrown7916]

Great vid, love back stories, real or fictional.

[@rizuopal8153]

Awesome thank you AJ

[@victorvaldez8869]

This reminds me of Hazlik Rex who was originally a Red Wizard. Any chance of a Ravenloft series?

[@kyleschlief4857]

Wow never thought Thay was so complex

[@NTJ1984]

I wish you had gone into detail on the Thayan Knights. Maybe in a new video?

[@PlayerSkillFTW]

As of the most recent times, Thay is ruled by the lich lord Szass Tam. Szass Tam had slain all the other Zulkirs of the various schools of Magic, and became the supreme ruler of Thay in doing so. Most of Thay's upper echelon of leadership, is undead, and the living are very much second-class citizens compared to the higher undead that inhabit Thay. The undead freely walk the streets of Thay, from Dread Zombies, to Ghosts, to Mummies, to Vampires and Liches. It's very much become a nation of the undead. Szass Tam is probably the most ambitious villain in the entire Forgotten Realms setting, even more so than Larloch, Telamont Tanthul or Manshoon. In fact, an illusory image of Szass Tam was used to scare the shit out of the vampiric Manshoon clone, Orbakh, for which Elminster's daughter gave her life to do (invoking Szass Tam's image killed her due to the magical protections upon it). Szass Tam wishes to enact the Ritual of Unmaking, which would unravel the entirety of creation (including all the planes and gods), and bestow upon him all the raw potential, essentially making him the new Overgod, like Ao, so he could recreate the universe to his specifications. His ambition goes far beyond that of Larloch or Karsus, for he doesn't just want to become *a* god, but *the* God. During the direct aftermath of the Spellplague, Szass Tam had summoned Bane (God of Strife) himself (for which Bane punched Szass Tam in the face for his arrogance), then proceeded to make a Faustian bargain with Bane. In exchange for all of Bane's knowledge of magic and the Weave at the time, as well as a temporary portion of Bane's divine might, Szass Tam pledged to Bane his soul, to be retrievable 1,000 years hence. Considering Szass Tam's plans of the Ritual of Unmaking, this was potentially a bad deal for Bane, since Szass Tam plans on uncreating Bane along with all the other gods and existence. Szass Tam also has deals or even an alliance with Larloch. Szass Tam is also immensely powerful and tough, with probably only Larloch being a more powerful Lich in the Forgotten Realms. Szass Tam was able to defeat a horde of Beholders, then immediately afterwards defeat a powerful Mage/Monk of the Long Death (Malark Springhill), as well as the last 4 remaining Zulkirs (Nevron, Samas Kul, Lallara, Lauzoril), an undead Dirgesinger (Bareris Anskuld), and a spectral Paladin of Amaunator (Mirror), while sending a spellscarred Thayan Warmage (Aoth Fezim) and his Griffin familiar (Jet) fleeing. Szass Tam's toughness is well beyond that of most Liches. Mirror had plunged his spectral sword deep into Szass Tam, and then screaming out the name "Amaunator!", channeled all the divine power that he could into a Holy Explosion centered within Szass Tam's ribcage, sacrificing himself in the process (Mirror's divine channeling would also harm himself, due to his undead nature). This attack would've vaporized most Liches, but Szass Tam survived it. Szass Tam's current blackened and charred appearance, is due to that Holy Explosion. Szass Tam had also survived a punch to the face from Bane. Furthermore, Szass Tam is insanely intelligent and ingenious. When the pattern formed by his Dread Rings were broken, he began looking through the various dimensions of perception to see if they still formed the pattern in one of them, going from the third dimension of perception, all the way to the 76th dimension of perception where he found the pattern, and was able to mystically re-connect the Dread Ring through it. This is a level of ingenuity that even Elminster doesn't exhibit.

[@schwann145]

Szass Tam doesn't even make the Top 5 of powerful mages. Heck, any surviving Netherese Archwizards trump him easily (Larloch, Iolaum, Telemont, e.t.c. ). Depending on whether she's still around or not, The Simbul is his magical superior, as well as any powerful mage with the gift of Mystra's Silver Fire (Larloch was wary of this power for a reason, after all). That'll put most Chosen of Mystra above him too. He's ambitious and smart and interesting... but he's overhyped to the nth degree by his fanbase.

[@ddickson1167]

AJ, love your ecology vids! They are the Simirillion of DnD.

[@jeffreylucier5266]

Awesome!

[@Angel.Winter.]

video on 10 towns from the north please

[@scottmcley5111]

Hey AJ excellent info! Is it fair to say that Thay was Lawful Evil previously to the Spellplague, but now, due to the magical trade, they are closer to Neutral, or am i off base? I havent kept up on any of the novels. Thanks again!

[@AJPickett]

No Thay still falls pretty snuggly into the category of Lawful Evil, the systematic subjugation of tens of thousands of slaves, the creation and use of an army of the dead, the bureaucracy and hierarchy is all very familiar.. as the saying goes "It's not the nine hells, but it is certainly hell adjacent"

[@scottmcley5111]

OK thanks! I remembered that the Necromancers had the numbers advantage in Thay due to being the type of magic that extended life/unlife while other schools weren't as prone to take the plunge into lichdom. It would appear then that Zass Tam would LIKE everyone to view Thay economically neutral, but their evil practices have continued.

[@jonathancampbell5231]

Zass Tam himself is listed as Neutral Evil I believe, but the rest of the country is Lawful Evil. So its like the Empire in Star Wars in some ways. NE ruler with LE kingdom.

[@jeffreyballinger133]

Ha! I see you snuck in Edwin! The future grumpy bar wench. That was awesome!

[@eduardoeugenio6004]

New Dungeons & Dragons movie looks like involves the Red Wizards

[@viciouskoala2163]

This was an excellent video and wonderfully time

[@sameraiza5767]

Thay and Luskan are the only societies I don't alter when I play forgotten realms

[@pbr-streetgang]

Thanks for the vid sir.👍🏼👍🏼

[@vardellsfolly5200]

10:54 Gorgeous sorceress lady. Wonderful video, Pickett. Keep up the good work! I subscribed to support you, bye!