War of the Zulkirs

The War of the Zulkirs was a civil war in Thay that took place from 1375 DR to 1385 DR, between the self-proclaimed regent of Thay, the lich Szass Tam, and the combined forces of the other zulkirs: Lallara Mediocros, Nevron, Yaphyll, Lauzoril, Kumed Hahpret, Mythrellan, and Samas Kul under the guidance of Dmitra Flass.

Szass Tam and the Undead
The necromancer and lich, Szass Tam, and his armies, consisting of loyal Red Wizards from the necromantic order and uncountable undead minions.

The Council of Zulkirs
Lallara Mediocros, Nevron, Yaphyll, Lauzoril, Kumed Hahpret, Mythrellan and Samas Kul under the guidance of Dmitra Flass, along with representatives of the Church of Kossuth and armies led by Nymia Focar.

The Beginnings
In the, Szass Tam caused the murders of the zulkirs Druxus Rhym and Aznar Thrul and betrayed a Thayan army under the command of tharchions Azhir Kren and Homen Odesseiron to the Rashemi to create a climate of fear within the Thayan population. He further hindered proper investigation of the murders to solve these issues by himself. Szass thus tried to convince the nobles, legions and common people that he was the only one able to deal with these problems, in order to get himself elected supreme ruler of Thay.

His former ally Dmitra Flass discerned Szass Tam's plan and rallied the zulkirs originally loyal to the lich to stand against his aspirations. Szass then chose to achieve rulership by force and declared war on all opposing zulkirs.

The Progress of War
When Dmitra's council achieved a great victory against Szass Tam's undead army at the Keep of Thazar, Szass called upon the united armies of Gauros and Surthay to march south towards the great city of Bezantur.

By 1377 DR, Szass had established his seat of power at Thaymount by evicting his enemies from their estates on the plateau.

Over the ten years of warfare, some of the zulkirs changed sides a couple times and became Szass Tam's allies, such as the diviner Yaphyll who ended up as prisoner of Szass in the, and died during a divination performed for Szass Tam. As Yaphyll predicted, the fight at the Keep of Sorrows turned in Szass Tam's favor. But then the Spellplague struck and rendered Szass Tam's magical powers useless, forcing him to flee from the scene with his ally Xingax.

By revealing to Malark Springhill, Dmitra's former trusted ally, why he killed Druxus Rhym, the lich convinced the spymaster to switch sides and work for him and his greater cause henceforth.

In order to learn more about the ways of magic in the time of the Spellplague, Szass summoned Bane and made a bargain with the evil god: Bane would reveal to Szass his knowledge about the chaotic magic, grant the lich the ability to raise more dead for his cause, and augment the lich's powers. Szass in turn would surrender his soul after 1000 years had passed when his quest of conquering Thay was completed. When it came to another fight at the Keep of Sorrows, Szass used his god-bestowed powers and summoned a dream vestige to turn the tide in his favor.

Tam succeeded in beating the legions of the zulkirs, chasing them all the way to Bezantur and even out of the town itself, forcing the zulkirs to flee aboard vessels. Szass followed the fleeing zulkirs, entangling them in a marine war between his enemies and Nevron's conjured denizens of the infernal oceans and the lich's own undead aquatic minions. When the zulkirs seemed to gain the upper hand, Szass conjured the dream vestige again, finally exhausting his magical powers bestowed by Bane. The bard Bareris Anskuld defeated the dream vestige and the zulkir's forces beat Szass Tam's minions, forcing the lich and Malark to withdraw to the Thaymount. Szass didn't bother chasing the remaining zulkirs any more, leaving Aloar and the Wizard's Reach to them as he did not fear any retribution by the depleted zulkir's forces. In any case, the continuing Spellplague effectively ended the civil war.

Appearances

 * Novels:
 * Haunted Lands: Unclean • Undead • Unholy