Who are the Red Wizards in the DnD movie?

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves released a new trailer that offered more details about the plot of the movie. It is full of references and classic elements of the tabletop game that non-players might not recognize. If you are curious about it, let’s start with the villains. Who are the Red Wizards of Thay in the DnD movie?

The Red Wizards of Thay, also known as the Red Magic cult, are a notoriously cruel ruling class from the Eastern Heartlands. The Red Wizards of Thay gained power through practices of demonology, arcane experiments, and slavery. By the end of their time in power, most of the members of the cult worked to create an army of undeath.

In the trailer, it is revealed that the Red Wizards of Thay gained ownership of an item that allows them to create their army. Fans speculate this item is the Draakhorn, a signaling device that alerts dragons and scares all other creatures. In the trailer, the Red Wizards are seen using the alleged Draakhorn to call on their members.

The trailer has a wide variety of dragons, this could be a confirmation that the item featured is the Draakhorn. Some fans speculate that it could be a mix of Hoard of the Dragon Queen and The Rise of Tiamat, two modules for the 5th edition of Dungeons and Dragons.

What is the Dungeons and Dragons 2023 movie about?

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves follows a band of thieves as they embark on a quest to retrieve a relic, possibly the Draakhorn or a version of it. The item has fallen into the hands of the Red Wizards of Thay, who are rebuilding their cult.

“We’re thieves, but we helped the wrong person steal the wrong thing and unleashed the greatest evil the world has ever known,” the Bard explains in the trailer.

What is Honor Among Thieves based on?

This greatest evil is, of course, the Red Wizards of Thay in DnD. If the cult is not at its strongest point, it could mean that the story takes place after the Civil War that separated the Red Wizards.

Inner fighting was a common occurrence among the group, a product of living separated in enclaves in major cities. It ultimately led to the divide of the cult and its downfall. As expected, the Red Wizards had many enemies that took the opportunity to attack different enclaves during the civil war. A fraction of the Red Wizards went into exile.

Szass Tam, the instigator of the civil war, remained in Thay with his followers, enjoying every privilege possible. Eventually, the exiled members returned to stop Szass Tam from attempting rituals that would give him godlike power. Szass Tam or at least a character that looks exactly like him appears during the trailer.

The story of the movie could revolve around these events and the demise of Szass Tam. On the IMDB page for the movie, there are multiple unnamed characters in the main cast. One of these could be Szass Tam himself.

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves premieres on March 31, 2023.