Can/Do Red Wizards and Drow get along?

[hirojinbrodie]

I am continuing my planing of a campaign focused in Rashemen. Anyway, I want the Red Wizards and Drow to play a roll. Now I know both are very elitist, but they are also both slavers with a love of magic. Would it be possible for them to work together in the interest of common gain, namely the magical artifacts of Rashemen?

[JoshuaZ]

I am continuing my planing of a campaign focused in Rashemen. Anyway, I want the Red Wizards and Drow to play a roll. Now I know both are very elitist, but they are also both slavers with a love of magic. Would it be possible for them to work together in the interest of common gain, namely the magical artifacts of Rashemen?

How closely are you adhering to Forgotten Realms lore? If so, we know there was at least some interaction between the two since there's a short story involving a young Liriel Baenre and a slave who was actually a Red Wizard who was captured and betrayed by his apprentice (I don't unfortunately have the story name off the top of my head, I think it may have been in Tales From the Underdark). The Drow are generally pretty isolationist so even if they would be willing to cooperate, they might not know much about the Red Wizards (and that story certainly suggested that). You also have the issue that both the Red Wizards and the Drow both have chronic backstabbing syndrome.

[hirojinbrodie]

Oh I am planning on the action being temporary. Though both the Red Wizards and the Drow would likely be aware of that. I want to keep close to the lore so the players I am working with get a real feel for Rashemen and the forces that shape its culture. So yeah, want to keep as close to lore as possible while also allowing myself to tell the story arch I am looking for. This will all be based in 3.5 lore. So anything after that probably wouldn't be relevant.

[Calthropstu]

My only experience with Rasheman is Minsc, Boo and Dynahier.

And if there are a lot of people like Minsc and Boo, that could be... disasterous. But hilarious.

[Lazymancer]

I am continuing my planing of a campaign focused in Rashemen. Anyway, I want the Red Wizards and Drow to play a roll. Now I know both are very elitist, but they are also both slavers with a love of magic. Would it be possible for them to work together in the interest of common gain, namely the magical artifacts of Rashemen?
Sure. But the best cooperation happens when both parties are interested in different things, but share common enemy. Here it is not the case. Every single artifact that goes to drow is the artifact Red Wizards don't get - and vice-versa.

Consequently, while neither party is inherently opposed to using the other to further their interests - which is why establishing some sort of treaty is possible - it is unlikely either of them will carry out their side of the deal. And both are aware of this.

I'd say, for the deal to happen, alliance has to be a very convoluted and dysfunctional mess (in a truly drow way): since both sides expect to be betrayed, each side must pretend that they want to betray the other side in some dumb (and easily exploitable) way - and that they are also being successfully duped by the attempts of the other side to do the same.

Since such tactic will be expected by both parties, the pattern will be repeated on a deeper level. Probably, not once. It's turtles all the way down!

[GrayDeath]

It can.

It would be easiest if each factionw ants some knowledge the other has, and as stated above, they share commen enemies.

Still, not going to last long....

[Nifft]

IIRC...

Red Wizards don't get along with anyone, including other Red Wizards.

Drow don't get along with anyone, including other Drow.



Therefore yes they get along, but only briefly, and often under mental compulsion.

[Psyren]

It's no different than any other villain teamup - each believes they are using the other, until either one is proven right or they both lose to something else (hero, or Bigger Bad.)

[Mordaedil]

They get along, but have plans to backstab eachother at all times and respect the other party for doing just that.

It's a constant battle of wits.

[Darth Ultron]

Yes, they get along...as much as any evil folks can do.

There is a huge drow kingdom right under Thay.

The Red Wizards and Drow trade a lot, so there is plenty of that.

[hamishspence]

Yup - Sshamath, the City of Dark Weavings (under Thay), is one of the most trade-friendly, wizard-friendly, and visitor-friendly drow cities in the realms - so it makes sense that drow from there would be willing to cut deals with Red Wizards.

[Oracle71]

I would say it isn't so much "getting along" as it is "both smart enough to be able to work together and trade with each other because it benefits them both, despite how much they each disdain everybody not themselves." They are evil, not stupid.

[Calthropstu]

I would say it isn't so much "getting along" as it is "both smart enough to be able to work together and trade with each other because it benefits them both, despite how much they each disdain everybody not themselves." They are evil, not stupid.

Plus, doesn't Thay have enclaves all over the world?

[Psyren]

I would say it isn't so much "getting along" as it is "both smart enough to be able to work together and trade with each other because it benefits them both, despite how much they each disdain everybody not themselves." They are evil, not stupid.

No one is denying that, but they're both also likely to pounce at the first real sign of weakness too.

[Mordaedil]

It's funny, because the stupid ones frequently kill the smart ones, gets admonished for their stupidity and they end up suffering even worse for it in both societies, when you read books.

Sadly, intellect and long-term planning is often undermined by short-sighted morons.

[Lazymancer]

Yup - Sshamath, the City of Dark Weavings (under Thay), is one of the most trade-friendly, wizard-friendly, and visitor-friendly drow cities in the realms - so it makes sense that drow from there would be willing to cut deals with Red Wizards.
Thay is quite far to the east of Sshamath.

It's the Undrek'Thoz that is underneath Thay (described in Underdark p.180-183).

[Calthropstu]

Thay is quite far to the east of Sshamath.

It's the Undrek'Thoz that is underneath Thay (described in Underdark p.180-183).

Oh yeah... Thoz guys.