Red Wizards

The Red Wizards of Thay are a fictional organization and social class of evil aligned wizards in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the Dungeons & Dragons and Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing games. The Red Wizard prestige class is associated with this organization.

According to Ken Rolston, "The haughty and arrogant Red Wizards of Thay employ their awesome sorcerous powers in their expansionistic and imperialistic policy of swallowing up neighbor states."

According to the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting book, Red Wizards are the usually notorious and nefarious spellcasters who are the ruling class in the inhospitable but well-inhabited country of Thay. The Red Wizards are slavers, demonologists, magical experimenters and scholars. They constantly scheme to bring down their neighbouring nations of Rashemen—where they are thwarted by the Witches of Rashemen; Aglarond—where they are turned back by the Simbul of the Seven Sisters; and Mulhorand—where the people of Thay originated. There are certain academies, such as the Academy of Shapers and Binders in Thaymount, that are considered "anomalies" among the Red Wizards, as they discourage betrayal, deceit and slavery; their members show compassion and mercy unlike most others of their kind.

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