Unapproachable East.pdf - The Forgotten Realms

Today, the Shadowmasters control or influence the merchants’
councils of almost all Thesk’s towns and cities.
Through bribery, corruption, or intimidation, the thieves of
Telflamm have brought many of the ruling merchants around
to their point of view. The Shadowmasters oppose steps to
unite Thesk, establish central authority, or introduce accountability
over the merchants’ councils, but other than that,
they leave the oligarchs to run the country as they like.
Enemies
With the vast amount of wealth flowing through Thesk, it’s
inevitable that the country would draw the envy of all sorts
of foes. The most notable of these are described here.
THE SHADOWMASTERS
The rest of the world is likely not aware that the powerful
thieves’ guild known as the Shadowmasters runs Telflamm,
but it’s an open secret among the residents of that
city. What is interesting is that most people really don’t
seem to mind. The machine of corruption the thieves have
set up actually does a better-than-average job of keeping
the city running.
The Shadowmasters realize they need the acquiescence of
the people to maintain their position. They are careful not to
skim too much off the various operations they set up, for if
they make the costs too onerous, they’re sure to end up with
a revolt on their hands. It’s a lot better for profit margins to
extort money from people who don’t find it worthwhile to
fight back.
Of course, the forces of good in the city see this reasoning
as a slippery slope of complicity and corruption. They are quietly
taking the good fight to the Shadowmasters, hoping to
free the city from the thieves’ unwholesome grip. Prince
Balindre is secretly backing these opponents, at great risk to
both himself and his family, because he resents having to
dance to the Shadowmasters’ tune. He wants his family’s city
restored to what he calls “its former greatness,” and he’s willing
to do whatever he can to help that along—provided he
doesn’t get caught.
THE RED WIZARDS OF THAY
Over the centuries, the most consistent threat to Thesk has
come from Thay. The Red Wizards have always coveted the
nation’s easy access to the rest of Faerûn and even Kara-Tur.
For that reason, Thay attempted several invasions over the
years and managed to capture Nethjet and Nethentir. The
Thayans have not had much success in extending their control
farther north or west, mostly because the wild and empty
land between the Thesk Mountains and the Surmarsh is not
worth fighting over. The Red Wizards could seize Tammar
or Two Stars easily enough, but holding their conquest against
the armies of Phsant, Telflamm, and Nyth—all of whom
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would march to reopen the Golden Way—would be a much
more difficult task.
These days, Thay is on relatively friendly terms with Thesk.
One of the first of the Red Wizards’ trade enclaves was opened
in Telflamm, and the relationship has been strong ever since.
Average Theskians don’t trust the Red Wizards, as their long
history of aggression is too much to ignore, but in the meantime
they are happy to take the Thayans’ money.
Cities and Sites
Large stretches of Thesk are empty plains, rugged mountains,
or impassable forests. Most of the land’s settlements lie along
the major trade routes running from the Easting Reach
toward Rashemen and Thay. The cities of Thesk concentrate
not on industry but instead exist for trade or providing services
to those involved in trade. These cities bustle with activity.
The competition for money is fierce, and while most of
the people are honest folk, they’re willing to push the limits
to get a leg up on their fellows.
Most cities in Thesk are not walled. Buildings are made of
wood, often stacked high upon one another, as everyone wants
to be as close as possible to centers of commerce. This should
make them dirty, crowded places, but the merchant councils
pay to keep the streets clean. It’s a small price to encourage
more business to come their way.
Fort Thesk
The Thesk Mountains have been contested by Thesk and Thay
several times over the years. Although the Thayans have
never overrun the mountains in their entirety or held their
gains for long, they have managed to set up several fortifications
and outposts in the eastern hills, extending their control
deep into the Theskian borderlands.
Fort Thesk is one such fortification, established many years
ago on the far eastern edge of the range. It was originally
meant to be a watchtower, keeping a cold eye out for any
Theskian attempt to retake the land the Thayans had wrested
from them. But when the merchants of Phsant finally hired
mercenaries to push back the Red Wizards, Fort Thesk was
cold and silent. No one has been able to determine what happened,
but expeditions to the stone-walled fort found no
Thayans and no sign of a struggle. Plates were left with halfeaten
meals, mugs of ale remained half-drained, and a patina
of dust lay over everything in the place.
There are many theories about what caused the people of
Fort Thesk to suddenly disappear. Perhaps an experiment
of the Red Wizards working there went awry. Maybe monsters
from the Underdark invaded the place, but the lack
of any sign of a struggle argues against that. Sometimes
travelers report seeing a great flame blazing at the top of
the fort’s observation tower, but no one has been able to
discover the cause.