An evil arcane faction active in northern politics. Their goal is to conduct arcane experiments and accumulate power; they seize control of civilizations to use them as laboratories rather than out of conquest for its own sake.
In recent Luskan events, they established anti-scrying barriers over the city. They also sent a Tarkion to Luskan, though the purpose of this deployment is unknown.
They now control most of Luskan and appear to be testing a colonial model of control rather than pursuing simple conquest. Their administrative tunnel network has weak points, and their diviners are believed to be based in a central tower.
Organization
Their forces are highly stratified. Common soldiers are individually capable; knights possess basic magical knowledge. Above them are war mages trained in specialized Thay spellwork, and higher still are specialists and archmages. The organization also fields undead abominations and is governed in part by a council of liches.
A lich from this council was responsible for the burns and black mask now worn by Lavinia, who bears slave marks from the Red Wizards on her neck.