Thayan Escarpments

The Thayan Escarpments are two rugged cliff-faces that separate the three plateaus of Thay from the ground level of the surrounding lands. These escarpments are jagged and relatively steep, though they are climbable in most places.

The First Escarpment

The First Escarpment separates the lands surrounding Surthay in the north and Bezantur in the south from the Plateau of Thay which rests atop it. It is pierced by numerous rivers and can be most easily accessed by the High Road from Bezantur or the Long Portage from Surthay.

The Second Escarpment

The Second Escarpment separates High Thay from the surrounding Plateau of Thay. This jagged face of basalt and obsidian is topped by the rugged and volcanic mountains of Thaymount.

Surague Escarpment

Like the First Escarpment and Second Escarpments, the Surague, or Sunrise, is a long line of steeply layered precipices climbing from the Plateau of Thay toward the Sunrise Mountains. It is much more broken and rugged than the other escarpments, sometimes vanishing entirely for dozens of miles before reappearing. Most of the Surague (the land above the escarpment) is at an elevation of about 6,000 to 7,000 feet and quickly merges with the steep foothills and sheer peaks of the Sunrise range. The Thayans maintain few watchposts or fortresses along this frontier, since the Sunrises are virtually impassable to any but skilled mountaineers who know where they’re going. Slaves hoping to escape into the mountains usually meet a quick end from the arduous conditions or the hungry monsters that plague the high vales. A few ragged bands of escaped slaves eke out a hardscrabble existence in the lower slopes, fleeing the approach of Thayan forces and raiding down onto the plateau when they dare. From time to time Thayan nobles organize expeditions to hunt these wretches for sport.