Hi Ed! I’m currently running a Forgotten Realms campaign set in Thay (which is among my favourite stomping grounds) and @xLadyGamerx is playing a former house slave adopted into a noble Thayvian family. The Alemok family hasn’t taken her in out of altruism, (cont.) but due to her possessing magical aptitude, which the family in general lacks. What's your view on a non-magically inclined family adopting a girl for her magical ability so they can "grow their own Red Wizard", and how such a family might treat such a potential asset? (cont.)
— Matthew Dawkins (@clackclickbang) March 25, 2020
1)
In general, slaves in Thay are expensive, valuable commodities, considered by most owners to be inherently more loyal than free, middle-class Thayans because they have to be; there’s no place for them to survive in Thayan 2)
…society if they aren’t, and a wise owner rewards good behavior and achievement so a slave sees clear benefit in ‘being good.’ So slaves get training to become the practical hands-on experts an owner needs (gem polisher, …#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) April 1, 2020
3)
…cook, smith, vintner, etc.).
In the case of this former house slave, she would be a ‘house treasure’ if she’s good at the Art and can be developed into a powerful mage. They would indeed get her a bodyguard, and try to keep 4)
…all word of her talent utterly quiet. If she did any spellcasting training, they’d want it to be in a private cavern or a very secluded outdoor spot far from habitation, to keep anyone else from seeing it. They’d not speak…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) April 1, 2020
5)
…of her training, or her at all, where non-family members and non-their-household staff could hear. And for her tutors, they’d likely hire outlander wizards or renegade Red Wizards outcast for past indiscretions (or, far more 6)
…often, being on the losing side in some internal power struggle or other), and preferably the former, to cut down on the chances of word getting out and around in Thayan society. As the Alemoks generally lack aptitude for…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) April 1, 2020
7)
…the Art, the former house slave is a treasure beyond price to them. She will herself be watched, of course, to make sure she doesn’t use her developing skills against the family, or ally or befriend others who might be family 8)
…rivals or whom she might confide in, and so on (in other words, her bodyguard will be keeping her apart from most public contact).
Adroit segue to discussion of that bodyguard. Barbarians are viewed in two ways: dangerous, … #Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) April 1, 2020
9)
…disposable fodder (and to a Thayan noble, anyone at all who’s not a Thayan noble or a powerful mage or a cleric is a barbarian), and useful but expendable tools, if they can take a modicum of training. A former gladiator- 10)
…slave is obviously in the second group, and therefore his or her position now is perfectly understandable (even to someone who has no idea that the recruited barbarian is the former house slave’s bodyguard, and just think…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) April 1, 2020
11)
…he or she is an Alemok family bodyguard, guarding the former house slave because she’s a family asset currently considered useful/worth guarding for some reason—and it might be something so mundane as being in training to… 12)
…be a good cook, when the family only has lousy ones, or being trained to be a gemcutter and polisher when the family has had to overpay for outside third parties to do such services for them).
A barbarian running around…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) April 1, 2020
13)
…loose is a peril to be slain, or captured and enslaved, but a barbarian who’s obviously a slave and therefore the property of a Thayan house (i.e. wearing harness with an Alemok badge or livery) would be assumed to be 14)
…working for the house if not running amok and attacking random folk in public, and would be accepted for that and not even arouse much interest, unless they were themselves visually interesting or doing something interesting…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) April 1, 2020
15)
…(like carrying a sheep on either shoulder, or a struggling trussed human).
This barbarian-heritage bodyguard would be most likely to venerate Malar or Kossuth (or, if he or she has worked as a a soldier, Helm) as patron 16)
…deities, but could have Gargauth as a patron if they feel ‘apart’ and ill-regarded in Thayan society, Loviatar if he or she is sadistic or masochistic, and even Shar if they want Thayan society to come crashing down…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) April 1, 2020
17)
…and be swept away.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) April 1, 2020
