Unapproachable East.pdf - The Forgotten Realms

farmers or artisans, although many seek power that does not
depend on their family’s wealth, becoming bureaucrats, soldiers,
or priests. For those with the aptitude, the path of the
Red Wizard lies open. In fact, most Red Wizards come from
Mulan families of relatively humble means (although highborn
Red Wizards have the advantage of personal wealth and
noble alliances to aid their advancement when they complete
their training).
RASHEMI
The common people in Thay are almost exclusively Rashemi,
kin to the folk of Rashemen. The Rashemi are a hardy people,
short and stocky with dusky skin and dark eyes. They all have
thick, dark hair, although most free Rashemi choose to shave
their scalps (or at the least, crop their hair quite short) to distinguish
themselves from slaves, who are forbidden to cut
their hair. Wealthy Rashemi often have themselves tattooed
in the Mulan style.
Thayan Rashemi are not a conquered people, nor are they
oppressed. They do not have the same opportunities for advancement
or wealth that people of Mulan descent do, but
they think of themselves as Thayans first. The Rashemi are
not happy about having the Mulan as their overlords, but they
are resigned to their lot and take fierce pride in the strength
and dark majesty of their land. Any Rashemi with sufficient
means owns slaves, and most likely treats those slaves as
harshly as they are treated anywhere in Thay. Few Red Wizards
are of Rashemi descent, but Rashemi make up the bulk
of Thay’s free soldiers. Many of the most elite military forces
are composed of cruel Rashemi warriors who are happy to
serve the tharchions and Red Wizards.
Life and Society
There are four levels of Thayan society. They are, in order
of increasing influence: slaves, commoners, nobles, and Red
Wizards. It’s no coincidence that this is also the decreasing
order of population. There are far more slaves in Thay than
any other group, but they have the least power. The Red Wizards,
on the other hand, have few members but easily the
most power.
SLAVES
The lowest level of Thayan society is, of course, the slave. The
economy of Thay is built upon slave labor, and without it the
country would quickly collapse. The current trade in magic
items has changed this only a little, and it has not improved
the lives of slaves one whit.
Slaves are not considered citizens and have no rights. They
are chattels, like livestock. Killing or harming a slave is not
murder or mayhem. It is merely damaging someone’s property.
A slave’s owner can do with his own slave as he wishes,
but if he harms someone else’s property, he is expected to
make reparations.
THAY
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Slaves are costly (a young human field slave sells for about
50 gp in the markets at Eltabbar), so few commoners have the
means to own them. Since slaves represent a significant investment
for a small farmer or artisan, common Thayans
take good care of them. Slaves consigned to the broad estates
of noble Thayans face a harder existence, and those unfortunate
souls sold off to the vast state-run fields or mines are
treated as nothing more than beasts of burden.
Thay imports slaves from all over Faerûn, and just about
every race is represented among the servile population. Those
who survive the trip are usually the hardiest, but most do not
last long in their job. House slaves live in relative comfort,
caring directly for the needs of their Mulan masters. Those
consigned to the mines rarely survive a year of scratching
metals from the unforgiving Underdark.
COMMONERS
As a whole, commoners do not have much better lives than
slaves do. However, they are citizens, not property, which
means they can’t be indiscriminately tortured or killed. The
Red Wizards can usually get away with such behavior, but they
usually have to invent some sort of pretext for their actions.
Commoners have a far better life expectancy than slaves
and better prospects overall. The worst jobs go to slaves, so by
default, the commoners are a slight step up. Some have even
managed to claw their way to the top of the heap, usually by
becoming successful adventurers or wealthy merchants. A few
are actually wealthier than most of the nobles and even some
Red Wizards. Most commoners are Rashemi, although there
are a few members of this class from more distant lands.
NOBLES
Most of Thay is owned by ancient noble families of Mulan descent.
The dividing line between a well-off Mulan commoner
and an impoverished Mulan lord is starkly defined by ancestry.
Certain Mulan families are noble, and others aren’t. The
nobles of Thay are content to be governed by the Red Wizards
(after all, the most influential mages in that order are
nobles themselves), but they jealously maintain control over
the elevation of commoners, even heroic ones, to noble status.
Nobles enjoy two paths to comfort, power, and wealth: land
and service. Wealthy nobles often own vast tracts of land and
make money by leasing it to those who reside upon it, whether
they are farmers, ranchers, or miners. Land ownership is not
restricted to the noble classes, but in practice, most land in
Thay is already owned by a noble, so it is difficult for a commoner
to acquire land of his own.
Landless nobles (or those who simply wish to make something
of themselves) often take up service in Thay’s army, bureaucracy,
or clergy. While any free Thayan can become a
soldier, official, or priest, leaders are most often drawn from
the ranks of well-off nobles who purchase their rank or title.
For example, in a typical Thayan garrison, the captain is a
minor landed Mulan noble, his officers are landless Mulan