Discord
Changelog
Despite lethal attempts to keep word from spreading, the secret gets out:
Less than a tenday ago Szass Tam, the greatest archwizard in eastern Faerûn, had his master plan for becoming emperor of Thay foiled by a band of lowly adventurers. His attempt to bind control of Thay’s ancient and deadly ‘ally’ -Eltab- to his will has failed. Amazingly, the band of adventurers penetrated the Citadel itself, braved the Paths of the Doomed, and reached Tam’s inner sanctum to disrupt his Ritual of Twin Burnings. At least some of these adventurers were also said to have participated in the defense of Bezantur.
Upon word escaping of his failure to complete his plan, Tam found it a political necessity to call a rare meeting of all the zulkirs and tharchions, whereupon he was besieged from all sides about the danger of his plan, how such a powerful wizard could allow such a petty force to cause such damage, and how his failure means that Eltab appears to have now escaped Red Wizard control entirely - no doubt to return some day and exact vengeance upon his long-time captors.
Many conspiracy theorists surmise that the zulkirs Nevron, Lauzoril, and Thrul commissioned the party that disrupted Tam’s plans. Just as they surmise Tam was the individual behind assault against Bezantur in an attempt to keep those zulkir’s focused on defense and protecting themselves so they could not mount an expedition into Tam’s stronghold and interrupt the final stages of his plan. But just as Tam could no longer take credit for an attack against Thay’s largest city (which could have precipitated all-out civil war) meant only to gain time to complete his ritual, the triumvirate of zulkirs could not take credit for the interruption of a ritual which caused the freedom of the dreaded Eltab.
At this meeting, virtually all tharchions and several of his allied zulkirs expressed their reservations that Tam was not the all-powerful leader they thought he was. Support for his becoming emperor of Thay withered with each word they spoke, while the three zulkirs of the previously disgraced triumvirate were lauded for their successful defense of Bezantur.
With Tam’s plans now in shambles and the three zulkirs of the ill-fated Rashemaar invasion returned to their previous (or even elevated) position, the meeting broke down to arguments and petty bickering. Thay has now returned to its original state - that of a land of near-anarchy, with power divided between squabbling wizards and tharchions and a threat more to itself than any neighboring lands.
This marks the conclusion of the Runes of Chaos campaign. Thanks to everyone who participated! Keep an eye out for a thread with all of the details of this campaign sometime in the near future.
Less than a tenday ago Szass Tam, the greatest archwizard in eastern Faerûn, had his master plan for becoming emperor of Thay foiled by a band of lowly adventurers. His attempt to bind control of Thay’s ancient and deadly ‘ally’ -Eltab- to his will has failed. Amazingly, the band of adventurers penetrated the Citadel itself, braved the Paths of the Doomed, and reached Tam’s inner sanctum to disrupt his Ritual of Twin Burnings. At least some of these adventurers were also said to have participated in the defense of Bezantur.
Upon word escaping of his failure to complete his plan, Tam found it a political necessity to call a rare meeting of all the zulkirs and tharchions, whereupon he was besieged from all sides about the danger of his plan, how such a powerful wizard could allow such a petty force to cause such damage, and how his failure means that Eltab appears to have now escaped Red Wizard control entirely - no doubt to return some day and exact vengeance upon his long-time captors.
Many conspiracy theorists surmise that the zulkirs Nevron, Lauzoril, and Thrul commissioned the party that disrupted Tam’s plans. Just as they surmise Tam was the individual behind assault against Bezantur in an attempt to keep those zulkir’s focused on defense and protecting themselves so they could not mount an expedition into Tam’s stronghold and interrupt the final stages of his plan. But just as Tam could no longer take credit for an attack against Thay’s largest city (which could have precipitated all-out civil war) meant only to gain time to complete his ritual, the triumvirate of zulkirs could not take credit for the interruption of a ritual which caused the freedom of the dreaded Eltab.
At this meeting, virtually all tharchions and several of his allied zulkirs expressed their reservations that Tam was not the all-powerful leader they thought he was. Support for his becoming emperor of Thay withered with each word they spoke, while the three zulkirs of the previously disgraced triumvirate were lauded for their successful defense of Bezantur.
With Tam’s plans now in shambles and the three zulkirs of the ill-fated Rashemaar invasion returned to their previous (or even elevated) position, the meeting broke down to arguments and petty bickering. Thay has now returned to its original state - that of a land of near-anarchy, with power divided between squabbling wizards and tharchions and a threat more to itself than any neighboring lands.
This marks the conclusion of the Runes of Chaos campaign. Thanks to everyone who participated! Keep an eye out for a thread with all of the details of this campaign sometime in the near future.