Hello everybody Jorphdan here the ph is silent.
Today we’re continuing the lands of intrigue with an in depth look at Tethyr.
Tethyr is a land rife with political intrigue, civil unrest, prejudice and assassinations.
In the beginning elves settled into the forests of present day Tethyr, but humans have been
the dominate race in Tethyr for nearly 4,000 years.
Tethyr is a hodgepodge of people but the true natives are descendants of escaped slaves
from Calimshan and the native human tribes.
Halflings live here with the humans in the cities and rural towns along trade routes.
Tethyr holds the largest surviving settlement of forest elves on the Sword Coast.
During the fall of Myth Drannor many elves escaped the carnage by fleeing into the forests
of Tethyr.
The elves and humans don’t get along much, due to the fast that the last three kings
of Tethyr sanctioned the slaughter of elves and destruction of their trees.
There were tribes that lived north of Calimshan in Tethyr.
In -387 DR these tribes or villages attacked Calishite controlled areas looting and burning
cities.
By -288 DR Calimshan agreed to Tethyr independence due to losing the war between the two.
But it wasn’t until -212 DR that Tethyr became united under a crowned King named
Darrom Ithal
By -2 DR after 18 months of War the city of Ithmong was destroyed and the now King of
Tethyr swears fealty to Syl-Pasha Shoon, which starts the Shoon Imperium rule of both Calimshan
and Tethyr.
This leads into 27 DR when the ruler of both Calimshan and Tethyr crowns himself emperor
over both and joins them together as one nation.
Thus begins the Sixth Age of Calimshan which is also known as the Age of Shoon.
Then in 450 DR Price Strohm avenges his father by slaying hundreds of Shoon Loyalists as
well as the emperor, which marked the end of the Shoon Imperium ending the Age of Shoon.
More info on this in a previous video.
Land ownership is important in Tethyrian society.
Your class is determined by the land you own, far more than the wealth you have acquired.
Tethyrians show their respect for the land by surrounding themselves with growing plants,
even in cities, citizens have window boxes of flowers and courtyard gardens are common.
Numerous religions are found in Tethyr, but gods that condone the destruction of land
are shunned by the locals.
Nature gods and gods such as helm, Ilmater, Torm and Tyr are revered.
Certain laws have also been put in place to avoid the practices of evil deities.
Worship of a god cannot involve the theft or destruction of other beings, no human or
animal sacrifices are allowed.
The goddess Chauntea is significant to Tethyrian society.
Land-holding and agriculture stems back to the country’s founding and the goddess’
ideals hold true today.
Tethyr is ruled by a royal family, but the duties of that royal family have been outlined
in a charter of sorts.
It says that the rule of the family is in direct correlation to the people they govern.
In a sense the people don’t vote on their monarch, but they do have the option to abandon
that family line if royalty is not protecting and serving the people.
Tethyr has suffered much during it’s history and the current ruling class wanted to make
sure that the people were put first, and not forgotten.
Dukes of Tethyr must maintain the health, welfare, and productivity of their lands for
the Crown.
These standards are in place thanks to the Ten Black Days of Elient.
Which was an uprising of the people of Tethyr against their oppressive royal rulers.
1347 DR this event brought down eight entire noble families, four of Tethyr’s larger
castles, and six temples (to Bane, Bhaal, Helm, Lathander, Mystra, and Oghma).
It caused the deaths of more than 600 people with ties to royalty such as guards and servants.
No place was safe if the mobs believed a location harbored anyone of noble birth.
Of the 56 seated nobles (and over 100 titled lesser nobles) that ruled before 1347 DR only
two dukes, one count, and five barons survived.
Directly after this destruction wars over the succession to the vacated power structure
began.
Returning nobles, military powers, merchants all vied for power.
Tethyr suffered without a stable government and much of the population dwindled heading
for neighboring states looking for protection.
A group known as the Company of the Star arose in Tethyr when it was riddled with bandits
and robber-barons.
Zaranda traveled westward subduing or slaying these foes for their crimes against the people.
Evil barons tried to imprison Zaranda and the Company of the Star, but they escaped.
11 Months they lived among the common folk of Tethyr and taught many locals how to defend
themselves from bandits and squatter-lords who demanded tribute.
Zaranda and her crew ended up defeating a great evil underneath the city Zazesspur known
as The One Below that was causing much evil and chaos within the city.
Because of this the people crowned her their queen, and Zaranda accepted the mantle that
she would rule Tethyr only if Tethyr knew that she ruled at the bequest of the people,
for the people.
This occurred in 1367 DR.
Tethyr is home to a large forest, that intersects its trade routes with Amn and Calimshan.
It’s boundaries are from the city of Velen to the Omlarandin Mountains.
Zazesspur, the largest city of Tethyr, is the first and primary port of Tethyr.
It’s the capital city and is unique because of the influences from Tethyrian, and Calishite
rule.
SouthEast of Tethyr lies the forest of Mir.
It’s a monster-riddled thicket, ancient stories mention ogres, giants, and goblins
living under the trees.
The forest's inhabitants are problems for Tethyr and Calimshan alike.
There are even some reports of drow elves within the forest of Mir.
And that’s it for today, Tethyr seems like a solid location for a political setting.
There’s lots going on, more than I could cover.
If you’d like to know more about Amn and Tethyr I recommend the AD&D book “Lands
of Intrigue.”
Thanks for watching everyone, please give a like if you enjoyed this video and I’ll
see you all in next time.