Zahl I of Thay

Empress

Title

Her Imperial Majesty, Zahl, By the Grace of the Gods, Empress of Thay, Rashemen, Aglarond, and Thesk, Defender of the Faith, Light of the Inner Sea, Steward of Unther, First Among Equals, Tharchioness of Eltabbar, Lord Provost of the Eight Collegia, Queen of the Moonsea, Emancipator of the Slaves, Chosen of the People.

Style

Your Imperial Majesty

Becoming Tharchioness

In 1358, Dmitra Flass took up a quest for Szass Tam. He wanted someone to infiltrate the Wychlaran for a mission of dire importance, which could mean the future of Thay. She took up his challenge, and, naturally, asked Zahl to accompany her. They set out together for Rashemen.

The details of the quest are not known. What is known is that, upon her return (now disguised as Dmitra), she earned the full support of the Zulkir for her accomplishments, including a vast sum of wealth and magical artifacts.

Upon her return to Eltabbar, she became far more active in the social scene, using her wealth and tenure as leverage to climb higher and higher in the social strata. With the sponsorship of Szass Tam, she was named the Autharch of Security. In this capacity, she outed a number of political officials who had had illegal dealings with the hostile nation of Rashemen. She appointed interim successors to the traitorous officers, from the ranks of those loyal to her.

Finally, in a lightning campaign in 1359, she exposed the ruling Tharchion Abraxes Halk and his network of cronies as being in collusion with the crime syndicates who had so infested the city's politics. With the blessing of Szass Tam, she personally executed justice on the Tharchion, and arose to fill the position he left behind.

Political Career

The first years of The Tharchioness's reign were greatly successful. Crime in the tharch dropped dramatically, economic reform swept across the land, boosting tax revenues considerably, and the city of Eltabbar returned to a state of prosperity it hadn't known for generations. With the great financial and military strain suffered by Thay in the Salamander War, and the prospect of conquest by The Tuigan Horde, the tharch of Eltabbar was the calm amidst the storm of Thay. Many credit her efforts with providing the nation with enough stability to last through those troubling times.

Meanwhile, The Tharchioness was turning down all suitors, including a show of interest by Zulkir and newly-risen Tharchion Aznar Thrul. Instead, she was secretly courting The High Blade of Mulmaster. Very few know how the two originally met, or how their relationship progressed, only that her efforts eventually bore fruit: in 1366, the two were wed in a ceremony in Mulmaster.

After her marriage, which was never fully consummated in Thayan law (until 1375; see below), she became less active in politics. Some criticized her for resting on her laurels, while others lauded her previous accomplishments and proclaimed she had the right to enjoy the fruits of her labor.

She spent much of the first year of her marriage commuting between Eltabbar and Mulmaster. She was gone for a full six months in 1367 when earthquakes struck the capital city, inflicting significant damage. Criticized for her absence at first, allowing the citizens to languish for days, she made a triumphant return and worked tirelessly for the restoration of the city. She had much help from Szass Tam, who brought a veritable army of undead servitors to clear away rubble and gather material for rebuilding. Zulkir Druxus Rhym and his entire circle worked long hours in the coming weeks, under the direction of The Tharchioness, magically rebuilding the city from its own ruins. The end result was an improvement; she had the opportunity to make great and sweeping changes to the architecture of the city, freed from the constraints of its unorthodox canal system.

It was learned months later that she had been in labor during the earthquake, a very difficult childbirth. Having lost her son, she was undoubtedly in terrible pain, both physical and emotional, through the ordeal of rebuilding. When light was shed on these events, a grim and stunned silence fell over those who often criticized her. She gained a solemn respect from her political peers.

She spent much of 1367 in her mansion. Her servants said she was ill, and while it was no doubt correct, her true ailment was likely one of the heart. The Year of the Shield had not been kind to her.

In 1368, she became actively involved in the movement for the establishment of more and greater foreign enclaves. She offered considerable resources for the construction of enclaves and the production of goods for sale in foreign markets. She was an outspoken supporter of the plan, and is widely credited with convincing her patron, Szass Tam, to support the idea. She constructed the Hall of Ways, which proved a tremendous boon to the enclaves. Among all Tharchs, Eltabbar contributed the majority of resources for Thayan enclaves.

Much of her largely successful efforts were overshadowed by the disaster of The Ship of the Gods in 1369, and Aznar Thrul's subsequent defense of the southern coast from an impromptu Mulhorandi invasion. The upstart Tharchion stole further glory by garnering great support among the tharchs for massive economic and military contributions to Free Unther during the Mulhorandi invasion. Despite the grievous loss of precious resources in this campaign, with no real success, Thrul's southern accomplishments overshadowed her own.

A Coup in Unther

Main article: Thayan Intervention in Unther

In 1375, Zahl received a visitor, one Hamurza Warbringer, an Untheric priest of Gilgeam, who beseeched her for aid in reclaiming his nation from the marauding Mulhorandi, who were now besieging its final stronghold of Messemprar. Aznar Thrul was already aiding Unther, working with The Northern Wizards to try to delay the fall of the city and broker a peace with the Pharaoh. This opportunity gave Zahl a chance to circumvent Aznar's efforts and secure an alliance with Unther on her own terms.

She granted aid to Hamurza, from her personal resources. Her agents accompanied him to Unther, and soon were able to accomplish something extraordinary: they discovered the long-lost Tomb of Enlil, and returned his worship to the Realms. Soon, priests of the Untheric pantheon were suddenly restored their magic, and the tide of the war turned sharply against the Pharaoh. Messemprar broke the siege, and as the Pharoah withdrew his forces to Mulhorand, Hamurza quickly led his people to recapture Unther's lost territory all the way to the River of Swords.

Zahl secured a powerful ally in Unther, and had greatly upstaged Aznar Thrul. She knew he wouldn't waste time in retaliating, so she moved quickly to end his threat once and for all.

First Among Equals

On Nightal 13, 1375, The Tharchioness held a grand and formal ceremony celebrating her marriage to Selfaril Uomdolphin, the first of its kind in Thay. She shocked and awed the assembled crowds as she paraded down the Grand Canal, dressed like a Moonsea Queen. Sporting pale skin, long, black hair, and the black colors of the foreign land, she announced the world in no uncertain terms that she was royalty, and that her union with Mulmaster was no mere trifle.

In truth, she had resumed her natural appearance. She had discovered that Selfaril was in fact his twin brother Rasendyll, and when she called him on it, he revealed that he knew her dirty little secret as well. If she were to publicly out him, he would do the same for her, so instead she chose to outwardly revel in their relationship. However, she was able to use the even to conveniently shed her disguise as Dmitra.

The same night, a fortnight of festivities began, paid for by the vast fortunes of the royal couple, while Eltabbar plays host to a grand convocation of Tharchions. All but two of the Tharchions honored their invitations; Aznar Thrul and Thessaloni Canos were too busy meeting with Mulhorandi and Untheric officials due to the Thayan Intervention in Unther. Homen Odesseiron arrived late, and seemed mildly confused about what events had precipitated his tardiness.

Just prior to the nuptials, it became known that Tharchion Hezass Nymar of Lapendrar was assassinated, apparently by inquisitors of his own church of Kossuth. The same inquisition saw the exile of former Eternal Flame Iphegor Nath. The Eternal Flame Alerion Flameborn of the superior temple in Bezantur offered his son, Ardyn Flameborn, as a replacement.

The early meetings between Tharchions brought swift and far-reaching political reforms, said to usher in a new era of cooperation between tharchs. A full and permanent alliance was forged with the city-state of Mulmaster. This offered not only a foreign legion surpassing the strength of most tharch's legions, but also a very competent navy with full access to The Inner Sea. The two nations would also share economic prosperity, which both had in droves. The sovereign state of the Moonsea would be able to provide access to markets hitherto unavailable to Thay, including The Dalelands, Cormyr, The Silver Marches, and the cities of The Sword Coast.

Though no official declaration claimed so, it was understood that The Tharchioness was now the superior ruler of Thay. While she had no direct authority over other tharchs, her fellow Tharchions were expected to comply with her decrees as best they could. All understood the mutual benefit of such an arrangement, and more so the danger they face opposing her, with the might of Mulmaster at her back.

The Zulkirs remained completely silent about these developments, but it was well-known that those Tharchions who opposed the Zulkir Szass Tam and his policies had been eliminated or subjugated, save for one: Aznar Thrul.

When Thrul and his armies met with the conquering nation of Mulhorand, all eyes were on Messemprar. The Zulkir/Tharchion had hoped to rise to heights of power hitherto unimagined, but his failure there would spell his doom.

Rise of the Empress

:Main article: Rise of the Empress

In 1376, having consolidated her power over all other tharchs, Zahl made her move against Aznar Thrul, her chief rival in the struggle for absolute power over Thay. With the backing of Szass Tam's majority faction amongst the Zulkirs, she made an end-run around his political power. Without any need of his vote, she passed a resolution requiring that no Tharchion or Autharch may also be a Zulkir, and the Zulkirs approved the measure. Thrul was called to Thaymount to choose, once and for all, if he was to be a Zulkir or a Tharchion.

Thrul opted to rebel against both authorities, massing his armies for an assault on Eltabbar. Confidence was low in Zahl's ability to repel his attack, for Thrul had been building a vast army for decades, and she had only the disorganized masses of the disparate tharchs of the north. Still, she took the field; despite being bolstered by armies of the dead, likely conjured by Szass Tam, she was unable to defend the escarpment, and lost the pivotal Battle of Tyraturos. Thrul's armies were on the march to Eltabbar, where she would surely be removed from power.

Instead, she invoked her right as a Red Wizard, challenging Thrul for leadership of the Collegium of Evocation. The move was thought beyond laughable--insane, really--but he accepted. They met in the fields south of Eltabbar, and, witnessed by Zulkirs and Tharchions alike, they conducted a magical duel to the death.

Thrul had long had a well-deserved reputation of power. He was considered, in his day, the finest example of an Evoker in all the Realms. His battlefield magic could disintegrate whole armies, and a duel with him was a sure way to die a fiery death. Zahl, on the other hand, was thought to be a middling illusionist at best, with very little offensive magic.

In fact, Zahl had been concealing the depth of her talents for decades. Her true talents did not run along the lines of the civilized magic of the modern Red Wizards, but the older witchcraft of the Rashemi. She repelled his fire, grounding herself to the very earth, and sent magicks at him that none on the battlefield had ever seen. Even as his body withered and his mind dissolved under the weight of strange curses, she did not let him die; instead, she delivered his useless form to Tharchioness Mari Agneh, his predecessor, and now successor, who had similarly toiled as his slave for decades.

Having won the Zulkirship of Evocation, she immediately abdicated to a puppet successor, in accordance with her own rules, and returned to Eltabbar. Some of Thrul's armies attempted the siege without him, but most dissolved on that day, cementing her inevitable victory.

With her choice of spell-battle to resolve her disupte with Thrul, she sent a clear message that she was no mere manipulator, but a rightful Thayan sorceress to behold, one who could end Zulkirs as readily as Tharchions. The message was not lost on the Zulkirs.

When the siege broken, she returned to Bezantur, to symbolically reconquer the city, which had already been secured by Agneh's forces. With her entrance, it was clear that she had become the foremost political authority in Thay.

Upon her return to Eltabbar, a grand ceremony was held in her newly-completed palace.

On Midsummer, 1376, Zahl was crowned Empress of Thay.

The Great War

Shortly after crowning its Empress, Thay was attacked by Rashemen and Aglarond. In truth, they were responding to aggravated assaults, hit-and-fade operations designed to inflict as much pain and injustice as possible. The Simbul and the Wychlaran agreed that a sole ruler of Thay was too dangerous, and they sought to take her down as quickly as possible.

The initial assault on Eltabbar was devastating, until the Zulkirs aided Zahl in harnessing the power of Eltabbar's Great Seal to construct a ward even the Simbul and her witch allies couldn't easily penetrate. The Red Wizards, under unified rule, showed greater battlefield prowess than ever before, and the assaults soon turned inward, with Thayan boots on Aglarondan and Rashemi soil within the first month.

With the invasion of said countries, Thay had triggered several defensive pacts. Mulhorand declared war on Thay, but was quickly checked by Thay's ally, Unther. Thay's fleet protected the vulnerable shores of the Priador as they marched on Immilmar and Velprintalar.

Even as the war raged, Zahl began to manipulate public opinion back home. She sowed the seeds of discontent and fear about the Red Wizards, painting them as warmongers who continued to operate independently of the crown, who had caused a senseless war for their own greed. She carefully balanced her manipulations, trying to keep her control of the wizards as long as possible.

When Immilmar fell, Zahl called a cease fire, and recalled most of her wizards to Thay. She called for a peace summit in neutral Two Stars, to discuss the terms of Rashemen's surrender and the cessation of all hostilities with other parties. While she attended the conference, she ordered the Red Wizards to mass secretly in the Dragonjaw Mountains for a surprise attack on Aglarond. She was deliberately lax in securing the critical information of where and when to arrive for staging.

The Simbul and the Wychlaran couldn't pass up such an opportunity. Thousands of Red Wizards, and most of the Zulkirs, all in one place, away from their power base, crammed into a narrow mountain valley--they had to attack. The site was well-chosen; Zahl's agents had prepared a massive array of magical glyphs which would aroint all flight and dimensional magic. When the witches appeared in the sky, the trap went off, and everyone was caged together. A terrible bloodbath ensued.

The witches and the Simbul had the advantage of surprise, but the Red Wizards had numbers. Still, the choice of a natural battleground gave the witches further advantage, as they coaxed the mountains themselves to tumble upon the weak creatures of flesh in red robes. The majority of Red Wizards and witches alike died, including many zulkirs. The Simbul, Szass Tam, and others, realized the deception in time to save themselves, but few others. Warned by the Simbul, the Wychlaran massed to effect a retreat, but were stabbed in the back by Durthan agents amongst them, with whom Zahl had conspired all along.

The result: two-thirds of the Red Wizards and Zulkirs were dead, the majority of the Wychlaran along with them. Futhermore, Zahl called Rashemen and Aglarond for their dastardly attack, and canceled the peace negotiations, now with a doubly righteous cause to finish them once and for all. Her armies easily digested Rashemen, bereft of the Wychlaran's power, and fell upon Aglarond.

Zahl had set a trap for The Simbul, for she still hadn't revealed her ace in the hole: her alliance with The Shadovar. However, instead of attacking Eltabbar directly, The Simbul erected a massive barrier, now known as the Simbulwall, which barred any man or woman born in Thay from entering Aglarond by any means. It devastated Thay's war effort against them. Frustrated, they turned to conquering Thesk.

Thay's navy was still blockaded by the Mulhorandi, and Zahl wished to encircle Aglarond entirely. Seizing Telflamm, she commissioned the creation of 100 galleys in as many days, a remarkable feat of engineering, made possible by the artificers of the Priador. Upon this new navy, she launched an invasion fleet, capturing Altumbel, and even The Pirate Isles, to completely surround Aglarond with Thayan territory.

But not all things were going well in the south. Unther was capably warring with Mulhorand, until Chessenta, newly under Sceptenar Tchazzar, attacked Unther from the west. Distracted, they could no longer press the Pharaoh over land, and thus he was free to send troops en masse to the Priador. Instead of breaking through the naval wall of Bezantur, he littered the southern coast with hundreds of thousands of land troops, who assaulted the wall-less city from both sides. Bezantur fell quickly, and the army massed to attack Thay's soft underbelly.

Zahl weighed her options, and they were few. She could probably win the war against the Pharaoh, but not without heavy losses which would ensure the liberation of her new territories, and cost her dearly of the hearts of her people, particularly those in the south still bitter over the loss of Thrul. Instead, she chose to parlay. The Pharaoh's gains were immense, but he knew that, in a long campaign, he would be forced to choose between assaulting Thay further and defending himself from the inevitable and massive Untheric counterattack. He also knew of the Shadovar, and though they were not a full party to the war, he worried at what hand they may yet have to play.

Zahl offered a white peace, and Horustep refused. He countered with the cessation of Bezantur and the release of all conquered lands. She laughed in his face.

The play soon gave way to real negotiations. Zahl gave him an earnest and tempting offer: the Alaor. Ceding the Alaor would mean a major shift in naval power in the region, something the Pharaohs had wanted for centuries. She would keep her territories, but allow the Pharaoh passage through her waters, and safe harbor on her islands, for a nominal fee of course. For once, Mulhorand could trade directly with the rich nations to the west, rather than having to sell their goods at a steep discount to opportunistic Thayan and Chessentan merchants.

He acquiesced, but only on the promise of a cessation of further conquests. He proclaimed a guarantee of the independence of Aglarond, and demanded an exception to the Thayan blockade of that land's ports, so he might assuage the suffering her grand siege was sure to bring them.

Through it all, she maintained her innocence, blaming the whole war on the Red Wizards. She decreed new laws, barring any Red Wizard from holding any political power, or raising any army, and disavowed any personal connection to that organization she once had. She called upon all Thayan wizards to swear loyalty to her above all, and executed all those who disobeyed. Red Wizards fled Thay in droves, after their first few attempts to assassinate her failed miserably.

She eliminated the title of Zulkir from the Collegia, and symbolically banished those Zulkirs who had already removed themselves. She rearranged the structure of the Collegia to ensure their loyalty to her and her alone, and began to build an organization of wizards that could serve in the same capacity as those she had destroyed.

In the end, despite her setbacks, Zahl had achieved the unthinkable: Thay was united under a single ruler, and had proven its long promise of such power by conquering its longtime rival in Rashemen. It had even extended its reach to the center of the Inner Sea, and was sure to become a major mercantile power should it prove able to maintain its hold on the Pirate Isles. She had destroyed the organization of Red Wizards, and even betrayed her long-time patron Szass Tam, eliminating all possible rivals to her rule.

Death

On 22 Kythorn 1381, Zahl was slain by Red Wizards in the Dragonjaw Pass between Aglarond and Thay, en route to a peace conference which would have created an alliance between the two realms. Her people were devastated by the news, and rebellions raged, especially in northern Thay, when Aznar Thrul claimed her throne, apparently risen from the dead.

Very few would record it, but Zahl, in fact, survived the attack, and purposefully allowed herself to become a martyr figure.