Alaor (Tharch)

See Also: Thay

The Alaor comprises two islands off the southern coast of Thay, where the Wizards’ Reach meets the Alamber Sea. While this is the smallest of the eleven tharchs, its position makes it one of the most vital. The bulk of the Thayan navy is housed here, along with the primary Thayan shipyards. The principal harbor of the Alaor is an expansive cove guarded by a sea-arch. In the rock of the headlands lies a network of sea caves large enough to hide an entire fleet. The rugged islands have no other good landing spots or sheltered bays, which is one reason no other country thought to use them as a naval base.

Tharchion Thessaloni Canos (LE female human Ftr17) commands the tharch; the evoker Mur Vhol (N male human Evo7/Red5) assists her, supervising the various magelings assigned to the tharchion’s fleet. Over 15,000 souls call this tharch home, including sailors. The fleet consists of a dozen slender, deadly dromonds, powerful galleys each crewed by over one hundred well-armed warriors and twice that number of slave rowers. Each warship carries a pair of Thayan bombards, as well as a ship’s mage and a ship’s acolyte—a wizard and a cleric specializing in battle magic. The pride of the Thayan navy—a massive warship known as the Red Scourge—lies at anchor here when not escorting Thayan merchant ships in and out of the area. Most pirates flee at the first sight of the ship’s crimson-colored sails, for they know that to confront such a powerful vessel is to invite a swift and sorcerous death. Altogether, the fleet is crewed by almost 5,000 officers, soldiers, and slaves; most of the remaining folk who call this barren island home are carpenters, stevedores, provisioners, sailmakers, shipwrights, and all the other artisans and professionals needed to maintain a fleet in port.

With the advent of Thay as a mercantile power, the Alaor has become even more vital to the nation’s interests. The Thayan navy had long worked to keep the waters of the Sahuagin Sea (as the Alamber Sea is also called) free of pirates. They have since extended their operations to include a good stretch of the Wizards’ Reach. Between the forces of Thay and Aglarond, there are few safe places for pirates to operate in this region. Several naval ships have even been converted into mercantile vessels carrying Thay’s goods to the rest of the world. Merchant ships from Bezantur carry much of Thay’s trade to other lands, but shipments to and from major enclaves are entrusted only to Thay’s navy.

The Alaor is well defended. The zulkirs know the islands are Thay’s first line of defense against an invasion by sea. If the islands were to fall into a foreign power’s hands, the results would be disastrous. Any foe who had control over such a base could attack up and down the southern coast of Thay with impunity.

Besides the garrison of 1,000 soldiers on duty here at all times, the islands are outfitted with dozens of batteries of Thayan bombards.