Faction Overview
No nation is as loathed or feared throughout Faerunn as the necromantic magocracy of Thay. In the remote Neverwinter region, far west of Thay's borders, opposition to Szass Tam's empire takes many forms. Upstanding citizens and would-be tyrants find themselves on the same side in an effort to fend off and repel the shambling undead creatures that slink through forests and brush along the outskirts of urban areas. Whispers course through the region's city folk, nomadic tribes, and wandering travelers. No one feels safe. Thay is watching, Thay is plotting, and Thayan operatives are working inside the city. How much more fear-how much more hate would the people feel if they knew Thay was responsible for Neverwinter's devastation? What if they knew Thay still sought to take advantage of its earlier failures, to squeeze out the region's remaining resources at the expense of more lives?
History
The Red Wizards of Thay, colloquially known as the Red Magic Cult in the Eastern Heartlands, were a secret cabal of 10th century Mulhorandi spellcasters, known as the Red Wizards of Mulhorand, who sought nothing more than to achieve sovereignty away from their overmasters. They won a decisive victory at the Battle of Thazalhar in the Year of the Spouting Fish, 922 DR. The wizards delved into the demoncyst beneath Thaymount and used dark rituals to elicit the aid of the fearsome demon lord Eltab. The Red Wizards were then able to overwhelm the city of Delhumide, defeat the Mulhorandi god-king, and gain independence for the province of Thay.
Historically they owed their power to being cruel slavers, demonologists, and arcane experimenters, before most of their numbers wholly dedicated themselves to creating a nation of undeath. For centuries, the leaders of the Red Wizards and in fact all of Thay was the Council of Zulkirs. The ruling body comprised eight of the most powerful Red Wizards, each of whom represented one of the schools of magic. Each of the Zulkirs and their subordinates fomented intense rivalries with one another, leading to great feuds and near-crippling internal strife.
The Red Wizards led Thay's first attempted annexation of Rashemen in the Year of Fell Wizardry, 934 DR, but their advances were repulsed. In the Year of the Telltale Candle, 955 DR, the Red Wizards managed to magically transport an entire horde of orcs from the Spine of the World mountains to the lands south of Thay. Their role in the Orcgates Affair, as it came to be known, was taken to diminish the prestige of the Covenant alliance of mages. The Red Wizards led an assault on the Covenant's arcane school in Neverwinter during the Year of the Disastrous Bauble, 1081 DR, leading to the death of Aganazzar and a "wizardwar" between the two groups. This conflict would continue until the Year of the Maelstrom, 1101 DR with the dissolution of the Covenant.
In the years following the War of the Zulkirs, the Red Wizards of Thay were led by the feared lich and supreme regent, Szass Tam. Since Szass Tam's takeover, the exiled Red Wizards have transformed enormously, becoming a loosely organized chain of merchant enclaves that specialized in procuring magical items.
Society
Each Red Wizard was expected to wholly dedicate themself to a single school of magic. While they could prepare more spells each day than other wizards and cast exceptionally potent spells from their preferred school, Red Wizards were forced to forego spells from two separate schools of magic. They were considered to be among the most powerful spellcasters, with access to the most potent spells and stalwart arcane defenses. Due to their unique arrangement of mercantile enterprise, Red Wizards had access to the finest magical items and seldom saw the need to attend magefairs. They carefully transformed their homeland of Thay to their liking using powerful weather-controlling spells, and set up magical barriers that barred unwanted travelers from the entrance.
The Red Wizards were known practitioners of circle magic. This form of magic allowed several spellcasters to combine their arcane power in order to bolster the prowess of their "circle leader", or maximize the efficacy of the leader's spells. They were also among the numerous groups to have independently uncovered information about contingent spells.
When conflict arose, Red Wizards gave decisive orders to the soldiers, knights, or other allied forces under their command. They worked especially closely with Thayan knights in order to coordinate defensive and offensive shifts in combat. Red Wizards were well-trained in the arts of war, but still readily listened to those trusted individuals who offered tactical advice. During battle, Red Wizards acted aggressively. They often utilized large-area-of-effect spells to incapacitate or harm a large number of their forces. They regularly employed the various spell scrolls and wand to which they had such ready access.
From the mid–14th century onwards, the Red Wizards maintained enclaves in many major cities all across Faerûn. While each one was considered an autonomous entity, each of them had the shared goal of greater accumulation of wealth. Prior to the Thayan civil war, the Red Wizards could act with complete unity within their enclaves, as they were considered to be set upon Thayan soil and only subject to Thayan law. There were sizable Thayan enclaves in the cities of Athkatla, Baldur's Gate, Calaunt, Calimport, Chavyondat, Cimbar, Hillsfar, Hlath, Hlondeth, Innarlith, Iriaebor, Marsember, Messemprar, Mulmaster, Procampur, Proskur, Ravens Bluff, Saerloon, Scardale, Scornubel, Skullport, Soorenar, Telflamm, Veltalar, Westgate, and Yhaunn .Only the tradition of separated autonomy survived the war. Those Red Wizards who lived as merchants throughout Faerûn no longer received the support of their home nation of Thay.
While the Red Wizards held supreme authority in their homeland of Thay, they were not well trusted and in fact reviled across the Realms. Despite the suspicions held by many, the Red Wizards were often allowed to operate their enclaves in many Faerûnian cities. From here they ran a lucrative business in the trade of magical items, spells, and even artifacts. This made them virtually indispensable to many of their clients, and as such allowed them to further expand their sphere of influence.
(Thayan and allies planning conquest over Faerun)
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