#thay

[masterfuldoodler]

The wizard girlies!

[gloura]

The Magical and Mundane Goats of Thay 🐐 (Forgotten Realms Lore)

While technically unofficial, the 5e supplement Thay: Land of the Red Wizards by Ed Greenwood, Alex Kammer, and Alan Patrick introduced a lot of new lore about the mysterious, magocratic country of Thay. The most important lore it included, however, was about the country's various breeds of goats and their cultural significance.

A many-hued goat next to what is not a goat (and therefore doesn't matter). From Thay: Land of the Red Wizards.

Overview

Goats are very important to Thay’s overall economy and a significant export. The country’s developed a reputation for having some of the most luxurious types of goats and even have specific breeds used for wool production, dairy, and eating. The “intensely rich milk” from some is often used in soap making – as well as consumption – and while others offer meat that is “so intensely delectable . . . it is said to cause a pleasant delirium upon completion of the meal.” So, goat features in a lot of Thayan cuisine, especially upscale meals like Anathur’s Feast (a mix of roast lamb, goat, and fowl, in lemon-dominated spices).

Thasselen, located just south of Aglarond, is also particularly known for their goat-herding and goat cheeses. In general, Thay’s goats are in high demand across Toril, with nobles all over the world favouring their goat products and some merchants outside of the country even entering in franchise farm agreements with Thay.

As Elminster summarizes: “goat, goat, and more goat, but [Thayans] do prepare it in some very succulent ways.”

Magical Goats! 🐐

Thay, as a magocratic society ran by a tyrannical lich, was unable to resist the allure of magically experimenting on goats. Consequently, there are a few magical breeds of goats seen only in Thay.

The many-hued goat came about when a merchant turned to arcane research so she could have a range of fabric colours without having to use up expensive dyes and pigments. Eventually, her research allowed for a command word to be spoken, changing both the goat’s flesh and coat to whatever colour she desired. This breed’s legacy has since been secured, with many kept in Thay today.

The bogmaw (left) and the poltergoat (right). Both from Thay: Land of the Red Wizards.

Although, because Thay is still the Land of Red Wizards, not all goat-based experiments have been very nice.

The bogmaw, a gargantuan goat-headed hydra, arose when Red Wizards sought to duplicate the power and might of a legendary creature of near unimaginable size that was able to lay waste to multiple settlements with ease. For whatever reason, they decided goats would be the perfect creatures to experiment on but, unfortunately, the goats escaped and fled into the wilderness. Now, the bogmaw stalks Thay’s wetlands and causes as much destruction as its tormented existence will allow. It’s also able to hold its breath for 1 hour and the standard hydra rules about regrowing heads apply – fun!

The poltergoat similarly arose from Red Wizard experimentation. It’s goats but invisible. Like, literally — the Red Wizards sought to eventually give non-spellcaster soldiers spell-like abilities and used goats as a test subject. One of the proposed abilities was plane shifting between the prime material plane and the astral plane at will. Something went wrong and so the goats just ended up invisible before escaping from the wizards. (It's... interesting that the Red Wizards have a pattern of being outsmarted by goats.)

Szass Tam, benevolent leader that he is, killed everyone involved with the failed poltergoat project out of spite. So now there’s an unknown – but presumably quite large – population of feral, invisible goats wandering Thay. Also! They can cast telekinetic thrust so it's probably best not to antagonize them.

This concludes the very essential, very important lore about the magical and mundane goats of Thay.

[thefandomentals]

Dungeons & Dragons Explores Horror And Magic In New 2026 Roadmap” - The Fandomentals

A new trio of books will take players back to Ravenloft, add new spellcasting options, and adventurers against the Red Wizards of Thay.

Each new Dungeons & Dragons book will be the anchor point for new "Seasons" that will connect play initiatives and releases. The "Season of Horror" kicks off in April with Ravenloft: The Horrors Within, followed by the "Season of Magic" and a pair of Arcana Unleashed titles, and then finally a mysterious "Season of Champions".

[rinwellisathing]

Hey, did you hear about the non-binary wizard? Their pronouns were Thay/them.

[jmallory]

So, Locutus got nervous and screwed up. It happens.

[oldschoolfrp]

"Why is the city so smoky, Daddy?" "Because for several years in the late '80s & early '90s TSR's editors thought it would be cool & evocative of ye olde fantasy worlde to print a blotchy orange/brown parchment pattern across the pages of many D&D books, with apparently no thought given to how difficult it would be for many people to read the text and images with the resulting murky low contrast." (Valerie Valusek -- who illustrated with clean clear lines, it's not her fault, AD&D Forgotten Realms supplement FR6: Dreams of the Red Wizards by Steve Perrin, TSR, 1988)

[nyxiemania]

I am your ghost, a fallen angel

So excited to finally share my new DND character, Destiny! She may look like a tiefling, but she's actually an aasimar. She's an Oath of Devotion Paladin; a Thayan knight in service to her lich father and deeply protective of her charges. There's much more to say about her, I've been obsessed, but I can't accidentally spoil my group so that'll be it for now!