The Fingers of Szass Tam were five defensive towers placed equidistantly around the perimeter of Surcross in Thay.[1]
Structure[]
The towers were tall and skinny cylinders, standing several hundreds of feet tall but only a few dozen feet wide. They were built from bone and marble, although several sections of the walls were magical, such that they only existed when viewed from the outside. These walls concealed rooms that thus had access to the outside, and allowed for arcane siege engines within the Fingers to fire on enemy targets. The towers had no other windows.[1]
Interior[]
The towers served as defensive and tactical hubs for the Thayan soldiers of Surcross.[1] They were connected via teleportation circles to the city's Garrison, allowing troops to quickly deploy into the Fingers.[2]
Powers[]
Upon the command of a Thayan officer, each Finger could project a field of force. This could be used either to create bridges and ramps (allowing troops within the Fingers to directly deploy to anywhere in or immediately outside of Surcross) or to create shields to protect the city from aerial bombardment (including spells). Such shields were usually deployed to protect vulnerable locations, but the five Fingers were also capable of extending a shield over the entirety of Surcross (although this could only be maintained for a few minutes).[1]
History[]
The towers were constructed sometime after the Spellplague caused the rising of the Thayan Plateau. Realizing that any enemies who sought to attack Thay proper were likely to use flying magic or vessels to scale the Plateau, Thayan military leaders concluded that Surcross required defenses to protect it from aerial attacks. Thus, these defensive towers were built and were named for Thay's regent, Szass Tam.[1]
When the Netherese enclave Koltunral arrived to lay siege to Surcross in the Year of the Ageless One, 1479 DR, the Fingers of Szass Tam were the only thing that kept the city from being destroyed by Kolthunral's deadly meteor tubes.[3]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Matt Sernett, Erik Scott de Bie, Ari Marmell (August 2011). Neverwinter Campaign Setting. Edited by Tanis O'Connor. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 216. ISBN 0-7869-5814-6.
- ↑ Matt Sernett, Erik Scott de Bie, Ari Marmell (August 2011). Neverwinter Campaign Setting. Edited by Tanis O'Connor. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 217. ISBN 0-7869-5814-6.
- ↑ Matt Sernett, Erik Scott de Bie, Ari Marmell (August 2011). Neverwinter Campaign Setting. Edited by Tanis O'Connor. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 218. ISBN 0-7869-5814-6.