🔴 LORE: The Thayan Civil War

Parent Note: 120_🏛️ The Great Archive of Faerûn
Status: Final

The history of modern Thay is the history of Szass Tam. His transition from a Zulkir to the absolute Lich-Regent transformed a nation of merchant-mages into a necropolis-state that threatens the soul of the world.

The Purge of the Zulkirs (1375 DR)

The 1375 - Thayan Civil War Begins was the turning point for the East. Szass Tam initiated a systematic purge of the other Zulkirs, ending centuries of shared rule. This conflict turned the plateau of Thay into a wasteland of perpetual war, as the living wizards were replaced by Tam’s tireless undead legions.

The Transformation (1385 DR)

During 1385 - Ascension of Szass Tam, the Regent attempted to use the chaos of the 1385 - The Murder of Mystra to fuel his own godhood. While he failed to achieve true divinity, the ritual successfully raised thousands of "Intelligent Undead," creating the modern Thayan social hierarchy where life is a temporary state and service to the Regent is eternal.

The Global Threat (1478 DR)

Szass Tam’s ambitions extended beyond his borders through the construction of the 1478 - The Ritual of the Dread Rings. These obsidian soul-harvesting engines were placed in strategic locations across Faerûn, including the North, to siphon the life-force of the land. Although his grand ritual was thwarted, the Rings remain active anchors for Thayan influence, ensuring that Szass Tam remains the "Final Ghost" of the Age of Upheaval.