The Thaymount was a hundred-mile long chain of volcanic mountains at the heart of Thay,[3][10] located within the tharch of the same name that encompassed the entire plateau of High Thay atop the Second Escarpment.[11] Access to Thaymount, along with the corresponding tharch, was restricted to the Red Wizards[3] who regularly traveled to and from the tharch, building new fortifications and attending clandestine meetings.[12]
Description[]
A map of Thaymount at the center of Thay.
Some of the volcanoes of Thaymount were still active, as of the late 14th century DR,[3] with earthquakes and eruptions of ash being commonplace.[12] Those peaks that were not smoldering, were shaped like fangs, darting up into ridges and walls of basalt.[10]
The rivers Umber, Lapendrar, and Eltar all had their source in the soot-covered glaciers in atop the Thaymount. The mountains also housed Thayvian gold mines located south of the Citadel,[5] volcanic forges, magical workshops, barracks of Thay's monstrous armies, and the private fortresses of many Red Wizards.[3] The most notable of them was the Citadel, an ancient fortress carved into one of the highest peaks. It predated humans and was said to have been built by an intelligent race of lizardfolk.[9] Under the Citadel, deep underneath Thaymount, laid the Paths of the Doomed – a dangerous labyrinthine cave system and defense chambers for the Citadel's inner sanctums.[14]
The Thaymount hid tunnels that connected it to the Underdark.[12] With part of Undrek'Thoz, the Segmented City, found in the Underdark under the Thaymount, two of the segments were destroyed in the Spellplague.[15]
Flora & Fauna[]
Areas high in the mountains, close to the volcanos, were inhabited by fire elementals and wild wyverns.[16] Many ancient runaway spells were known to rage around the Citadel, altering unlucky monsters caught within into spellwarped creatures.[12][17]
Government[]
The Thaymount, the tharch, and the Thayvian gold mines were overseen by tharchion Willeth Lionson in 1362 DR, who was murdered and was briefly impersonated by Asp, a naga ally of Zulkir Maligor.[5]The next tharchion to take the rulership was Spiros Dehkahks who came to opposed Tam and disappeared circa 1367 DR, only to be replaced by Pyras Autorian, a young and easily manipulated Red Wizard.[7]
Trade[]
Apart from gold, the tunnels underneath the Thaymount had occasional but rich deposits of crimson gold and kings' tears, that were mostly untouched during Szass Tam's time as the de facto master of Thaymount.[18] Much of the exported enchanted items from out of Thay were created in the laboratories and factories of the Thaymount.[3]
Defenses[]
The Thaymount was well defended by Thay's military reserves stationed in the mountains, including countless gnolls, darkenbeasts,[12] and, by the late 14th century DR, armies of blooded ones created from orcish soldiers.[19][20] Notably, Thaymount's Grummsh's Legion comprised of orcs and orogs was considered to be the best military unit in all of Thay in the mid-to-late 14th century DR.[21]
Magical defenses of the Thaymount included a magical dampening field, erected in the mid 14th century DR. It stopped divinations of all.[22]
History[]
In the Year of the Avarice, 204 DR, the War of Claws came to an end with the demon lord Eltab's defeat and imprisonment within a demoncyst deep underneath the Thaymount mountains.[23]
The imprisoned demon lord was released in the Year of the Shield, 1367 DR by the Zulkir of Necromancy Szass Tam in attempts to steal the great fiend's fearsome powers using The Devouring Chambers under the Citadel. The attempt was a failure, thwarted was a group of heroes sent there by the Simbul. Instead of raging across the Prime Material plane, Eltab hid within the demoncyst.[24]
On Kythorn 3 of the Year of Rogue Dragons, 1373 DR, an opponent of Tam's – Naglatha the Black Flame, the chief of Thay's foreign activities, guided by prophetic dreams, blackmailed thief Thazienne Uskevren into retrieving magic scrolls from the Citadel's inner chambers. Unbeknownst to Naglatha, the dreams were subtle magical manipulations of Eltab, whom she inadvertently released. Now freed, Eltab possessed the body of Tharchion of Thaymount, Pyras Autorian and unleashed monstrous creatures of the demoncyst on the tharch. Eltab caused Thaymont's volcanoes to erupt, sowing chaos and destruction. The demon's old enemy Szass Tam and Thazi assembled Tam's armies of juju zombies, darkenbeasts, and blooded ones and confronted the demon lord and his army of demoncyst-changed monsters. Thazienne barely survived her one-on-one battle with Eltab, winning after suffering deadly injuries and killing the demon's host with her crimson gold dagger. Despite Pyras Autorian's death by Thazienne's dagger, the Tharchion was brought back as Tam's puppet.[25][26]
By the Year of Rogue Dragons, 1373 DR, Thaymount was a heavily guarded territory, off-limits to anyone but the tharchions and zulkirs. Any caught trespassers were executed on sight.[1]
In the Year of the Haunting, 1377 DR, Szass Tam established the Thaymount as his seat of power capital of Thay.[9]
When the Spellplague began ravaging Toril from the Year of Blue Fire, 1385 DR to the Year of Silent Death, 1395 DR, the Plateau of Thay was pushed thousands of feet up from underground, causing large-scale eruption of the Thaymount, which led to much destruction and melting glaciers.[27]
Notable Locations[]
- Academy of Shapers and Binders, a Thayan mage school, was located on the Thaymount, near one of the active volcanos.[16]
- Doomvault, a massive dungeon containing laboratories used by Szass Tam to fuel his ascension to godhood in the 15th century DR.[28]
- Phantasmal Fortress, the labyrinthine keep of deceptions and illusions, the fortress of Hlarkus Baltreyo, the Mad Zulkir of Illusion in the late 15th century DR.[29]
Inhabitants[]
The tharch was home to zulkirs and the most powerful Red Wizards; access to the area was strictly controlled.[11] Along with Zulkirs, the Thaymount was home to their armies of gnolls, many other creatures, and slaves.[16]
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References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Voronica Whitney-Robinson (September 2012). The Crimson Gold. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 6, p. 149. ISBN 0-7869-3120-5.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 181. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Richard Baker, Matt Forbeck, Sean K. Reynolds (May 2003). Unapproachable East. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 157. ISBN 0-7869-2881-6.
- ↑ Steve Perrin (1988). Dreams of the Red Wizards. (TSR, Inc), p. 24. ISBN 0-88038-615-0.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Jean Rabe (December 1991). Red Magic. (TSR, Inc.), p. 91. ISBN 1-56076-118-0.
- ↑ Jean Rabe (December 1991). Red Magic. (TSR, Inc.), p. 219. ISBN 1-56076-118-0.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Anthony Pryor (June 1995). “Campaign Guide”. In Michele Carter, Doug Stewart eds. Spellbound (TSR, Inc.), p. 14. ISBN 978-0786901395.
- ↑ Voronica Whitney-Robinson (September 2012). The Crimson Gold. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 7. ISBN 0-7869-3120-5.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 180. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Richard Baker, Matt Forbeck, Sean K. Reynolds (May 2003). Unapproachable East. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 148. ISBN 0-7869-2881-6.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 206. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 207. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
- ↑ Anthony Pryor (June 1995). “Campaign Guide”. In Michele Carter, Doug Stewart eds. Spellbound (TSR, Inc.), p. 22. ISBN 978-0786901395.
- ↑ Anthony Pryor (June 1995). “Campaign Guide”. In Michele Carter, Doug Stewart eds. Spellbound (TSR, Inc.), p. 17. ISBN 978-0786901395.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 224. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Obsidian Entertainment (September 2007). Designed by Kevin D. Saunders. Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer. Atari.
- ↑ Andrew Finch, Gwendolyn Kestrel, Chris Perkins (August 2004). Monster Manual III. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 163. ISBN 0-7869-3430-1.
- ↑ Voronica Whitney-Robinson (September 2012). The Crimson Gold. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 1. ISBN 0-7869-3120-5.
- ↑ Voronica Whitney-Robinson (September 2012). The Crimson Gold. (Wizards of the Coast), chap. 8. ISBN 0-7869-3120-5.
- ↑ Richard Baker, Matt Forbeck, Sean K. Reynolds (May 2003). Unapproachable East. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 61. ISBN 0-7869-2881-6.
- ↑ Anthony Pryor (June 1995). “Campaign Guide”. In Michele Carter, Doug Stewart eds. Spellbound (TSR, Inc.), p. 15. ISBN 978-0786901395.
- ↑ Anthony Pryor (June 1995). “Campaign Guide”. In Michele Carter, Doug Stewart eds. Spellbound (TSR, Inc.), p. 23. ISBN 978-0786901395.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 67. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 147. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
- ↑ Brian R. James, Ed Greenwood (September 2007). The Grand History of the Realms. Edited by Kim Mohan, Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 154. ISBN 978-0-7869-4731-7.
- ↑ Voronica Whitney-Robinson (September 2012). The Crimson Gold. (Wizards of the Coast), chaps. 11–12. ISBN 0-7869-3120-5.
- ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide. Edited by Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, et al. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 180. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
- ↑ Scott Fitzgerald Gray (April 29, 2014). Dead in Thay. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 19.
- ↑ Cryptic Studios (June 2013). Neverwinter. Perfect World Entertainment.