Unapproachable East.pdf - The Forgotten Realms

more than 17,000 feet high. In the youth of the world, basalt
flows from these now-slumbering giants formed the mighty
plateaus of Thay. While a number of people live in High
Thay, few settlements stand close to the peaks of the Thaymount—minor
eruptions are common, creating ash falls and
clouds of sulphurous fumes that drift northeast, rendering a
large area of the plateau virtually uninhabitable.
At the eastern edge of the country, amid the foothills of the
Sunrise Mountains, rises a third series of cliffs—the Surague
Escarpment. This forms a shelf atop the First Escarpment,
and like the plateau of High Thay, averages about 6,000 feet
in elevation. Numerous streams spill down from the heights
of the Sunrise Mountains, creating a tangled maze of gorges
and canyonlands in this corner of the country.
Just east of High Thay, near the eastern foot of the Second
Escarpment, lies Lake Thaylambar. Fed by the River Surag,
born of the snowmelts of the Sunrise Mountains, this deep,
cold body of water is nearly eighty miles across. Its outlet is
the River Thay, which flows north to Lake Mulsantir near
the Surmarsh. The Sunrise Mountains also give rise to two
other great rivers—the Thazarim in the south and the Gauros
in the north. The soot-covered glaciers of the Thaymount
feed two more great rivers—the Umber, which flows west to
Aglarond and the Sea of Dlurg, and the Lapendrar, with
flows southwest through the Priador to meet the Wizards’
Reach at Escalant.
Thay is a naturally warm, dry land whose lofty elevation
prevents the moisture-laden winds from the Sea of Fallen
Stars from bringing much precipitation to the interior.
Never ones to be satisfied with their lot, the Red Wizards
have created a network of spells that maintains pleasant
weather conditions all year round. This plays havoc with the
weather in Thesk, but the Thayans do not concern themselves
with the difficulties of their neighbors. The days are
warm but not unpleasantly so. The plains are regularly
soaked with rains, but only in the dead of night. Just about
every day in Thay is a fine one, in stark contrast to the miserable
lives most people lead here. The weather spells ensure
fine growing conditions for vast croplands, worked by the
uncounted thousands of slaves upon whom the Thayan economy
depends.
Major Geographic
Features
Thay is blessed with many special natural features,
from the glaciers and volcanoes of the Thaymount
to the beaches of Bezantur. Those traveling
along one of the few main roads are treated to breathtaking
views as they mount first one escarpment
and then another. The distant snow-covered
peaks of the Thaymount seem to watch
over it all like sleeping kings, a
landmark visible from almost any
spot in the country.
THAY
150
The Eastern Way
Illustration by Mike Dutton