Thayan Enclave

Summary

Quick Traits:

• Less secretive about their work; 'show-off' what they have achieved
• Up-tight and arrogant; believe everyone is below them and are like 'dirt' or 'slaves'
• Very clean and keep everything tidy
• Don't get their hands "dirty"; use diplomacy and gold to work their way out of things
• Main users of drugs, slaves and prostitution in Sundren and see this as something normal

The Thayan Enclave is considered a state unto itself on Sundren soil. While others may not quite understand why Sundren's laws do not apply to such an entity, they are quite literally a foreign diplomatic embassy. As such, the laws of Sundren do not reach past its gates, where only the laws of Thay hold power.

The Thayans have had a vested interest in Sundren ever since Mundus himself hired them to open the way into the valley. As such, they have decided to place one of their many Enclaves within Aquor. This Enclave serves as a base for all the Thayan Knights as well as their Red Wizard masters. No one quite knows what they do in there, but the Red Wizards are always pleased to meet a potential customer, depending on how much gold he has on hand.

Their organization is run by a council of Masters, each specializing in a specific school of magic. The head of the entire Enclave is the Master of Necromancy, or Alcazar Tel'rune. A lofty and powerful magi, he rules the Enclave with a will stronger than any metal.

Thayan Caste

The Thayans have a very rigid caste system, one based not only on race but on family line. Only nobles are usually allowed to become Red Wizards, and only those of Mulan decent are considered for the position. Rashemi and other races are considered lesser beings, and as such are treated as though they are under the Mulani Red Wizards.

Slaves

Slaves make up the vast majority of the Thayan population. They can be of any human race as Thay imports them from other countries regularly. Elves are rare, and anything else is practically non-existent. Most of the slaves are procured legally with other nations, despite fearful claims of Thayan slavery parties. While Thay used to conquer and raid for its slaves, most are now prisoners from other governments sold to them as payment for the economic boost their Enclaves provide.

Slaves are not allowed to cut their hair except in the very rare situations that a master wishes them to. If a slave goes sick and has to have its hair cut, it is often kept in isolation until its hair grows back. Usually, a slave that does have its hair cut is one a master has grown fond with (such slaves can even sometimes be given their own private estates and attain some measure of power. However, they can never be freed. Once a slave, always a slave). Slaves that are granted permission to have their hair cut are still not allowed to have it cut shorter than halfway down the back.

Slaves serve most lower positions in Thayan society. Manual labor in fields, mines, and so on. Other slaves, usually the better looking, are personal servants in rich Mulan estates, and often have much better existences than the slaves used for manual labor. In addition, some very few slaves are used for magical experiments. Though people in other nations like to yell about this, it is actually far rarer than the tales--slaves are too expensive to be used as such lab rats except for the richest of Red Wizards. Generally, other, more easily procured creatures are used, unless experiments specifically would be better with a human subject.

Slaves have no rights. They are treated as property for their master to do with as they will. Murdering a slave is not murder, it is damaging one's property.

Addendum: It is possibly possible for slaves to purchase their way out of slavery or be bought and freed, however, such a thing is probably underhanded and not officially recognized.

Commoners

Commoners aren't much better off than slaves, though the fact that slaves have all of the worst jobs put them as a cut above automatically. Commoners in Thay are not all that common, at least in comparison to other nations.

While commoners used to have a rather drab rating on the importance scale of Thay, the Enclaves and growing of Thay as a mercantile state have served to bolster them. The merchant class, especially members of the Guild of Foreign Trade, is growing exponentially and some merchant commoners are now richer than some Red Wizards.

Most commoners are Rashemi.

Nobles

Nobles own most of the land of Thay, and are often strictly of the Mulan class. Elevation to noble status is something very few commoners manage to achieve, as the nobles zealously guard their elite position. Being a noble is by family line, and most noble families have been in existence for generations. Those who become Red Wizards are automatically ennobled, as is their family line.

Those who serve well in the bureaucracy, military, or clergy can also work their way to noble status, or increase their status among other nobles.

Red Wizards

The highest and most important class of Thay, Red Wizards own the country. All Red Wizards are chosen at an early age, as children of noble families are tested for magical aptitude. This happens among noble families only, commoners and slaves are not tested (though in rare instances, powerfully magical capable commoners and slaves may be taken as apprentices and eventually achieve the status of Red Wizard).

Wizards are apprenticed to a Red Wizard and taught magic in a long and arduous apprenticeship before eventually graduating as a full Red Wizard. Many do not survive this process, as it is, essentially, a survival-of-the-fittest education.

It is illegal for Red Wizards to take on non-Mulan apprentices. However, in practice, some do, and openly so, and this law is rarely enforced.

Only Red Wizards are allowed to wear robes. It is legal to execute an impostor on the spot.

Red Wizards are lead by Zulkirs, service-for-life masters of the 8 separate schools of magic. While there is no declared single leader of the council of Zulkirs, Szass Tam, the lich head of the necromancy school, is generally regarded as the leader of the council and of Thay.

Addendum: Red Wizards all wear the same crimson robes, however, each school has different coloured trim indicating what school the individual Red Wizard belongs to. For instance, Necromancers have a black trim along their robes.

Schooling

Schools are the most important aspect of the Red Wizard society, and one's power base is often measured in how many, how good, and how loyal the other members of their school are. High-ranking members of another school don't have nearly as much power over low-ranking members that are outside of their own school, and, while they can make threats, backing up those threats takes careful politicking and maneuvering in order to make a reality.

Therefore, a tiff between a high-ranking member of one school and a low-ranking member of another school is unlikely to result in the dismissal or death of the low-ranking member of the other school, as such action would be direct aggression against the high-ranking members of another school as it'd be seen as attacking one's power base (for instance, if a high-ranking member of Illusion got into an argument against a low-ranking member of Evocation, while they could try to take action against the low-ranking member, it would cause tension if not outright hostility between the entire local Evocation branch against the local Illusion branch). Such may still happen, however, it would require one to do extensive work and favor-brokering in order to 'win' the 'permission' to take action against someone one may be at odds with. Thus, few go to such great lengths to remove a dissident of another school due to the hassle in doing so unless the argument is extensive enough that the dissident is a true threat rather than just an annoyance.

Laws of Thay

Since the laws of Sundren aren't applicable within the Enclave walls, the Thayans are always eager to provide Sundren inhabitants a list of the proper rules and regulations that govern their stronghold. This list is for any and all Thayans moving to Sundren to begin their careers as magi or knights.

Customs of Thay

The majority of the behavioral customs and practices of the Thayans can be found HERE.

Leadership/People of Note

Name: Tao
Title(s): Master Diviner
Location: Thayan Enclave Aquor
Birthplace: Thay
Age: 36
Race: Human
Gender: Female
Deity: Polytheisic
Alignment: LN
Classes: Wizard/Red Wizard

Tao is the master Diviner of the Red Wizards. Her divining sight and skill with divination is unparalleled despite her affliction. She is eccentric and tends to poke her nose in the business of others. She dislikes the use of slaves but does not work to stop others from using them. She feels slavery weakens individuals who need to work for what they have and grow. Tao despises death and murder, as she receives the strongest visions when such occurs as well as the horrors afterward. These often feel as though she herself has died. So her actions tend not to kill, only disable.

Tao's hair is longer than that of other Red Wizards. This is due to her disbelief in slavery. This often causes other Red wizards to look down upon her, as a shaved head is a sign of nobility. However, she is careful not to allow her hair to grow too long, often clipping it herself.

Objectives

The objective of the Red Wizards, and the Enclave, is to gather as much power as possible. They seek to dominate everything from drug trafficking (although they would never admit to such) to slave trade, to power within the Sundren government. They are ambitious, ruthless, and calculating magi intent on seeing just how far they can spread their influence.

Ranks

• Slave
• Apprentice
• Arcanist
• High Arcanist
• Master

Initiation Process

If one wants to become a Red Wizard of Thay, he or she needs to head to the Enclave within Aquor and speak to the wizards present. If he or she is of acceptable descent and power, they will be considered as an apprentice Red Wizard within the Enclave.