Thyatis
Encyclopedia
The Empire
of Thyatis is a powerful state in the Mystara
campaign setting
for the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy
role-playing game
. Thyatis was first mentioned in Module X1, Isle of Dread
, which describes it briefly. Along with the Alphatian Empire
, Thyatis was more fully detailed in the Dawn of the Emperors
boxed set. Along with Alphatia
, Thyatis is one of the "great powers" of Mystara.
Conceptually, Thyatis is a mixture of different parts of the various historical Roman empires. It is governed by an Emperor and an Imperial Senate as per the classical Roman Empire
, but enfranchises a feudal noble class similar to that of the Holy Roman Empire
. The Emperor himself is akin to that of the Byzantines
(as is the capital city's placement on a major strait
). The Imperial Bureaucracy as described in Dawn of the Emperors
is clearly inspired by that of the British Empire
, as is, at least in name, one branch of the Thyatian Armed Forces, the "Retebius Air Corps" (RAF), which consists of cavalry on flying mounts (Pegasus, Hippogriffs, Griffons, Sphinxs, Rocs, and Dragons).
Karameikos
is ruled by a Thyatian nobility, but the Empire's territories consist of the western half of the Isle of Dawn, the island realms of Ochalea and the Pearl Islands, and the Thyatian Hinterlands on the southern continent of Davania, in addition to its mainland territories on Brun
, which are the smallest of the Empire's territories by geographic size, but the most heavily populated and developed of them. The total land area of the Empire is approximately 800000 square miles (2,071,990.5 km²). Because of its political geography, Thyatis can best be described as a thalassocracy
.
In its long history, Thyatis has ruled other lands, including Traladara (which became Karameikos
), the islands of Ierendi, the southern half of Ylaruam
, and the city of Oceansend in Norwold. Thyatian settlers have colonized part of the Savage Coast and also the Heldannic Freeholds, which are ruled by a religious order devoted to the Thyatian-descended Immortal Vanya.
Thyatis has a historic rivalry with the Alphatian Empire
, and the two imperial powers devote much of their energy and attention to each other. At the start of the official timeline (AC 1000, or thousand years after the crowning of the first Emperor of Thyatis, in the Thyatian calendar), they are locked in a struggle resembling that of the Cold War
, and several published high-level modules have their territorial disputes as a backdrop (notably CM 1, M1, M2, and M5).
. Subsequently, Thyatis conquered a few formerly Alphatian territories, suffered setbacks and plague, and by the final official publication that made much mention of Thyatis (Joshuan's Almanac) seemed to be on the road for a gradual recovery. Many campaigns did not use Wrath of the Immortals and the development of their versions of Mystaran countries, particularly Thyatis and Alphatia, may have diverged greatly. In particular those who used earlier published modules, such as CM1 Test of the Warlords
or M5 Talons of Night
, which involved different conflicts and possible resolutions, could have ended up with very different versions of the Empires than what occurred in the Wrath timeline.
Empire
The term empire derives from the Latin imperium . Politically, an empire is a geographically extensive group of states and peoples united and ruled either by a monarch or an oligarchy....
of Thyatis is a powerful state in the Mystara
Mystara
Mystara is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role playing game. Although it has officially been dropped from production by its creators, many fans continue to develop and evolve this fantasy setting jointly, continuing its original theme of group development.-Development:It...
campaign setting
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
for the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
. Thyatis was first mentioned in Module X1, Isle of Dread
Isle of Dread
The Isle of Dread is an adventure for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. The adventure, module code X1, was originally published in 1981. Written by David "Zeb" Cook, and Tom Moldvay, it is among the most widely circulated of all Dungeons & Dragons adventures due to its inclusion as part of...
, which describes it briefly. Along with the Alphatian Empire
Alphatia
Alphatia is a continent and empire in TSR's fictional fantasy game setting, Mystara for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The continent of Alphatia is nearly in area and has approximately 7,500,000 inhabitants...
, Thyatis was more fully detailed in the Dawn of the Emperors
Dawn of the Emperors: Thyatis and Alphatia
Dawn of the Emperors: Thyatis and Alphatia is an accessory for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:Dawn of the Emperors is a campaign setting in the world of the GAZ series, and describes the two warring empires of Thyatis and Alphatia.The 32-page "Player's Guide to Thyatis"...
boxed set. Along with Alphatia
Alphatia
Alphatia is a continent and empire in TSR's fictional fantasy game setting, Mystara for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The continent of Alphatia is nearly in area and has approximately 7,500,000 inhabitants...
, Thyatis is one of the "great powers" of Mystara.
The Thyatian Empire
Thyatis (the city) is the capital of the Empire and the largest city on Mystara. It is on the southeastern coast of the continent of Brun, situated between the trade lanes of the Sea of Dread to the south and the Sea of Dawn to the east, alongside a canal ("Vanya's Girdle").Conceptually, Thyatis is a mixture of different parts of the various historical Roman empires. It is governed by an Emperor and an Imperial Senate as per the classical Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
, but enfranchises a feudal noble class similar to that of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. The Emperor himself is akin to that of the Byzantines
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
(as is the capital city's placement on a major strait
Strait
A strait or straits is a narrow, typically navigable channel of water that connects two larger, navigable bodies of water. It most commonly refers to a channel of water that lies between two land masses, but it may also refer to a navigable channel through a body of water that is otherwise not...
). The Imperial Bureaucracy as described in Dawn of the Emperors
Dawn of the Emperors: Thyatis and Alphatia
Dawn of the Emperors: Thyatis and Alphatia is an accessory for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:Dawn of the Emperors is a campaign setting in the world of the GAZ series, and describes the two warring empires of Thyatis and Alphatia.The 32-page "Player's Guide to Thyatis"...
is clearly inspired by that of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, as is, at least in name, one branch of the Thyatian Armed Forces, the "Retebius Air Corps" (RAF), which consists of cavalry on flying mounts (Pegasus, Hippogriffs, Griffons, Sphinxs, Rocs, and Dragons).
Karameikos
Karameikos
The Kingdom of Karameikos is a fictional nation located within the Mystara campaign setting, in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game....
is ruled by a Thyatian nobility, but the Empire's territories consist of the western half of the Isle of Dawn, the island realms of Ochalea and the Pearl Islands, and the Thyatian Hinterlands on the southern continent of Davania, in addition to its mainland territories on Brun
Brun
Brun may refer to the following:* the French word derived from the Germanic word for "brown" . If applied to hair, see brunette* Brun, Duke of Saxony, died 880-Place name:*Brun, Armenia, also Romanized as Brrun...
, which are the smallest of the Empire's territories by geographic size, but the most heavily populated and developed of them. The total land area of the Empire is approximately 800000 square miles (2,071,990.5 km²). Because of its political geography, Thyatis can best be described as a thalassocracy
Thalassocracy
The term thalassocracy refers to a state with primarily maritime realms—an empire at sea, such as Athens or the Phoenician network of merchant cities...
.
In its long history, Thyatis has ruled other lands, including Traladara (which became Karameikos
Karameikos
The Kingdom of Karameikos is a fictional nation located within the Mystara campaign setting, in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game....
), the islands of Ierendi, the southern half of Ylaruam
Ylaruam
The Emirates of Ylaruam is a fictional nation located within the Mystara campaign setting, in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.-Geography and climate:...
, and the city of Oceansend in Norwold. Thyatian settlers have colonized part of the Savage Coast and also the Heldannic Freeholds, which are ruled by a religious order devoted to the Thyatian-descended Immortal Vanya.
Thyatis has a historic rivalry with the Alphatian Empire
Alphatia
Alphatia is a continent and empire in TSR's fictional fantasy game setting, Mystara for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The continent of Alphatia is nearly in area and has approximately 7,500,000 inhabitants...
, and the two imperial powers devote much of their energy and attention to each other. At the start of the official timeline (AC 1000, or thousand years after the crowning of the first Emperor of Thyatis, in the Thyatian calendar), they are locked in a struggle resembling that of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, and several published high-level modules have their territorial disputes as a backdrop (notably CM 1, M1, M2, and M5).
Metropolitan Thyatis
"Mainland" Thyatis, which includes several islands, has 3,200,000 inhabitants and consists of the following dominions:- Actius a small southeastern island County known for its shipbuilding and sea elven community.
- Biazzan a trading city in a mountain pass in northwestern Thyatis, home of a respected university.
- Borydos an eastern island used as an imperial prison.
- Buhrohur a mountain Barony inhabited by dwarves, in northern Thyatis.
- Carytion a lush eastern island used as a luxury retreat by Thyatis' wealthy.
- Halathius a mountain County in northern Thyatis renowned for its gold mines.
- Hattias a County covering a large island directly south of Thyatis City, across Vanya's Girdle, known for its population of militant, often racially jingoistic, Thyatians.
- Kantrium a small Duchy in eastern Thyatis.
- Kerendas a large, populous Duchy known for its horse breeding and for training the best cavalry in the Empire.
- Lucinius a county on a peninsula east of Thyatis City, known for its shipbuilding and maritime skills.
- Machetos a small Duchy in western Thyatis, bordering KarameikosKarameikosThe Kingdom of Karameikos is a fictional nation located within the Mystara campaign setting, in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game....
. - Mositius an island Duchy in eastern Thyatis, known for tourism and the magical mists that often cover the island.
- Retebius a Duchy in eastern Thyatis renowned for training Thyatis' aerial cavalry.
- Sclaras a small island in southeastern Thyatis, carved into 250 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) estates, each held by a powerful Thyatian archmage (36th level D&D).
- Tel Akbir eastern Duchy inhabited by Alaysians, known for their light cavalry skills.
- Terentias island in western Thyatis known for their seafairing and swashbuckling ways. High proportion of elven inhabitants.
- Thyatis, the Duchy of - dominion held directly by the Emperor, most densely populated realm in the Empire and a center of war and trade "for a thousand years, and may be for a thousand more" per Dawn of the Emperors
- Thyatis City - largest city in Mystara, situated on Vanya's Girdle and along the Mesonian River, north of the island of Hattias, in the center of the Dutchy of Thyatis. The Empire's "Heart" and Mystara's RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
or ConstantinopleConstantinopleConstantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. Note that the inhabitants don't refer to it as "Thyatis City", they simply call it "Thyatis". - Vyalia a woodland County in western Thyatis inhabited by the Vyalia Elves. Known as the home of the Foresters, a fighting order of wizard-warriors.
Imperial Dominions
Thyatis' overseas territories, which cover most of the Empire's land area, include:- Ochalea a large island domain south of Thyatis, west of the Isle of Dawn
- The Pearl Islands an island chain south of the Alatian Isles and west of Belissaria.
- Caerdwicca a domain on the southern coast of the Isle of Dawn.
- Furmenglave a small domain near Caerdwicca on the Isle of Dawn.
- Provincia Septentriona a province on the Shadow Coast of the Isle of Dawn.
- Provincia Meridiona a province on the Shadow Coast, south of Septentriona and north of Furmenglave on the Isle of Dawn.
- West Portage a trading port in the neck of the Isle of Dawn.
- Redstone a fair domain on the western portion of the Isle of Dawn, opposite Thyatis itself across the Western Sea of Dawn.
- Kendach a fortified county in the center of the Isle of Dawn.
- Westrourke a large Grand Duchy in northwestern Isle of Dawn.
- Helskir a sometime dominion at the northern tip of the Isle of Dawn.
- Thyatian Hinterlands a recently conquered dominion on the northern coast of the continent of Davania, south of the Sea of Dread and west of Ochalea.
Further Development
The adventures of the boxed set Wrath of the Immortals takes place within the context of a great war between the two, climaxing in the weakening of Thyatis and the sinking of the continent of AlphatiaAlphatia
Alphatia is a continent and empire in TSR's fictional fantasy game setting, Mystara for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. The continent of Alphatia is nearly in area and has approximately 7,500,000 inhabitants...
. Subsequently, Thyatis conquered a few formerly Alphatian territories, suffered setbacks and plague, and by the final official publication that made much mention of Thyatis (Joshuan's Almanac) seemed to be on the road for a gradual recovery. Many campaigns did not use Wrath of the Immortals and the development of their versions of Mystaran countries, particularly Thyatis and Alphatia, may have diverged greatly. In particular those who used earlier published modules, such as CM1 Test of the Warlords
Test of the Warlords
Test of the Warlords is a 1984 adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Its associated code is CM1 and is TSR's product number 9117. The adventure takes place in Norworld, which is located in the north east corner of the Known World on Mystara...
or M5 Talons of Night
Talons of Night
Talons of Night is an Egyptian-themed adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, set in that game's Mystara campaign setting. TSR, Inc. published the module in 1987 for the D&D Master Set rules. It is part of the "M" series of modules. The module was designed by Paul...
, which involved different conflicts and possible resolutions, could have ended up with very different versions of the Empires than what occurred in the Wrath timeline.
External links
- Vaults of Pandius Official site Mystara site's Thyatis page, and source of most of the current fan based projects.
- Thyatis at the Mystara Wiki Project