The Priador

The Priador extends along Thay’s southern coast, from the

River Lapendrar all the way east to the River Thazarim. Its

northern boundary is the Lapendrar and the First Escarpment.

Along with the Alaor (Tharch) in the south and Surthay (Tharch) in the distant north,

the Priador is not actually part of the Plateau of Thay. Besides

Bezantur, the tharch holds two other major settlements. Thasselen

lies on the shore seventy miles west of Bezantur. Another

hundred miles or so farther in that direction squats the

port city of Murbant. Both of these ports are closer to the Sea

of Fallen Stars—and therefore the bulk of Faerûn—than

Bezantur, but they are poor sisters to the tharch’s capital.

Bezantur is one of the largest and wealthiest cities in eastern

Faerûn, and its port is thronged with the ships of a dozen

lands at all times.

The High Road, one of the nation’s two major roads, starts

in Bezantur. From there, it climbs the First Escarpment,

passes through Tyraturos, and ends in Eltabbar. Some of the

locals call this road the Slave Way, for large numbers of slaves

are driven north along it to the markets of Eltabbar.

Cities and Sites

The Priador is the melting pot of Thay, and Bezantur doubly so. Despite Mulhorandi colonists coming to the shores of the Priador almost a millennium before the founding of Delhumide, of perhaps because of it, the Mulan culture is more dilute in the Priador than in the northern provinces. The Rashemi Thayans who dominate the north are uncommon in Bezantur; no more so than any other minority.

In contrast to the rest of Thay, the Priador is a very diverse populace, and the rule of the Mulan master race is not so absolute. People from every corner of the Sea of Fallen Stars inhabit the tharch, and their blood has thinned that of the Mulan. Even the weather itself has an effect; the people of the Priador are shorter and darker-skinned than their northern brethren.

Despite the lack of racial homogeneity, the people of the Priador have a common culture, thanks in no small part to Tharchion Aznar Thrul. In this province, the spirit of equality and unity are stronger than anywhere else in Thay; that is not to say particularly strong, but at least present. Bezantur was devastated during the Time of Troubles, and, in the Reconstruction that followed, men and women of every color worked together to rebuild their once-proud city. In that act, a new culture began.

Now, almost twenty years later, a young generation calls itself "The Priadorans", and refers to their tharch as "The Empire". Though such talk is technically considered sedition, Thrul does little to dissuade them. Indeed, the Priador alone conquered The Wizards' Reach, and alone controls Thay's access to the Inner Sea. The large volunteer army of the tharch speaks well of Thrul's commanding presence, but also gives him a very free hand in his foreign dealings.

Having been years since any major military action, the Priadorans are getting restless. They clamor for conquest, for glory, and even for independence from decrepit Thay, whose lofty folk disdain them for their success. Many common folk are not opposed to the prospect, seeing any gain for the Priador as a gain for themselves.

Thrul does not plan to ignore the support of his people. He has many plans for conquest and empire, and is even now positioning his resources to best effect those plans.

Before Thay

Founded some time around 700 before DR.

Years of Neglect

Early Thay could not protect it; pirates ruled the day between Mulhorandi occupations.

The Guild Era

The Guild takes control, uniting the people under a common cause--greed.

The Rise of Thrul

Reconstruction

After the chaos of the Time of Troubles, the Priador had nearly slipped out of Thrul's grasp. On the first day of 1359, he began a program he called The Reconstruction, wherein he would repair damage, restore order, and purge the corruption that had so long plagued his tharch.

His primary target was The Guild of Foreign Trade. This organization, a cartel of independent merchants, had lost much of their influence with the ousting of Mari Agneh, and sought to regain the stranglehold they once held on Thay's harbors and roads.

Thrul, being a brilliant strategist and forceful commander, had the will, but not the wherewithal to destroy the old organization. To this end, he begrudgingly accepted the assistance of then-rival Zulkir Lauzoril, whose expertise at intrigue and espionage far exceeded his own. The young enchanter had presumably meant to lash himself to a rising star; certainly he succeeded in earning an ally.

The Priador is a military dictatorship. Though this is not dissimilar in practice to the rulership of other tharchs, Thrul's refusal to even thinly veil his tyranny offends the other tharchions. The delegation of authority to military officers, rather than civil servants, is a form of cronyism they simply cannot accept. On multiple occasions, the tharchions of Thay have resolved, with narrow margins, to censure Aznar Thrul for his defiance of their laws and traditions. None of these resolutions have been binding, with no superior governmental body to bind them, so Thrul has paid them no mind.

Aznar Thrul is the absolute leader of the land. All executive, legislative, judicial, military, and economic authority is vested wholly in him. He delegates this power to a hierarchy of officers, mostly military, though he has more recently begun vesting power in "civil servants" of The New Nobility. In practice, these officers are even more loyal to Thrul than his military cronies.

Despite widespread cronyism, the government of the Priador is very efficient under the circumstances. The tharch had little infrastructure in place to support effective government. In the time before Thrul, it was near effortless to smuggle contraband, evade tariffs, and even embezzle from governmental funds. It was expected and accepted that anyone in The Guild of Foreign Trade participated in this, and anyone outside the guild was crushed by the guild's collusion. Since Thrul's Reconstruction, the word of law has begun to prevail over old corruption, even in the furthest-flung outposts of the province.

Under Thrul's watch, the population of the Priador has swelled, even as wealth per capita has increased. Poverty and homelessness are on the decline, and the stability of the realm has never been higher. Thrul has cultivated a culture of personality, in which all beneficial effects of his reign (or just random chance) are attributed to him, and to his selfless regard for the common man. His eloquence and forceful personality convince even the most staunch opponents of his rightness, and no doubt are to thank for the minimal resistance he has encountered.

Still, though reduced to little more than a gentlemen's club, the Guild of Foreign Trade nurtures an undying hatred for the tharchion, and is willing to sink to any low to enact their revenge. They funnel money into thieves' guilds to disrupt Thrul's operations, and bribe his officials to reduce his government effectiveness. Hundreds of raving beggars, drunkards, and madmen who roam the street, decrying Thrul's every move are actually on the Guild's payroll.

Recently, the Guild has come into contact with an official from Mulhorand who wishes to discuss their grievances. Even as much as they despise Thrul, they hesitate to consort with Thay's hated enemy--and yet, the aid of the powerful nation would be a fine ally in their quest to depose the tyrant. The matter remains unresolved.