Theri is the name of both a minor ford and a small nearby village on the south bank of the southern continent's Main river. It was mentioned only in Shadow Games.
Theri is one of the 4 seasonal fords – all found within a particular 80-mile stretch of the Main – that appear only during the dry season across the otherwise impassible river. Theri is the easternmost and farthest upriver of all four, and is downriver of rugged canyons too steep and bleak for military operations. Following the westward flow of the river, the other fords in order are: Numa (another minor ford which was likewise only mentioned in Shadow Games); Ghoja (by far the most important to the Black Company); and Vehdna-Bota (the westernmost and nearest to the sea).
After being the site of a minor military movement concurrent to the Battle of Ghoja Ford in Shadow Games, Theri is not mentioned again in the Annals. Also, only Ghoja ford received a bridge and the sturdy Rock Road serving it. Theri, Numa, and Vehdna-Bota benefited from no such construction, so none of them experienced the natural growth and expansion that Ghoja was seen to sustain in the ~25 years after Shadow Games.
Shadow Games
Although the Main River was the traditional southern boundary of Taglios, the small villages of Ghoja, Vehdna-Bota, Numa, and Theri were Taglian despite being on the southern shore of the river. But they became the northernmost points of the Shadowlands after the four Shadowmasters ceased their internal feuding and began consolidating their combined territories. While the small villages of Ghoja and Numa were fortified by the Shadowlanders, Vehdna-Bota and Theri were simply abandoned and were not even repopulated with Shadowlanders later. As Willow Swan observed at the very start of the Shadowmaster wars: "the Taglians gave up their territories below the Main without a finger raised to resist".
A sizable force of Longshadow's soldiers – accompanied by at least 6 shadowweavers – made the dangerous journey through the rugged canyons upriver of Theri. They took this route to avoid being spotted by the forces serving the other 3 Shadowmasters. Goblin later interrogated one of them and learned that they had lost a third of their number in those canyons. The survivors were later seen at the Grove of Doom, in Idon, and as far north as distant Thresh.
After the Black Company arrived in Taglios, its Captain, Croaker, quickly realized that Ghoja was the key crossing. He and Goblin personally scouted the crossing; meanwhile he ordered Sindawe and Blade to Theri, Shadid and Willow Swan to Numa, and Murgen and Cordy Mather to Vehdna-Bota.
Croaker, now hired as "Liberator" of Taglios by the Prahbrindrah Drah, concentrated his efforts on militarizing the Taglian population to prevent Ghoja from being crossed by the Shadowlanders. He even abdicated the defense of the other 3 fords to the religious cult leaders: Jahamaraj Jah and his untrained 2500 Shadar were sent to protect Numa; a Gunni force above the Theri ford; and apparently a Vehdna force above Vehdna-Bota.
Theri during the Battle of Ghoja Ford
The immensely powerful sorcerer Shapeshifter crossed the Main at Lady's direction and reported back to her with vital intelligence: the Shadowlanders were preparing to cross 10,000 at Ghoja ford, 3000 at Numa, and 1000 each at Theri and Vehdna-Bota. He later reported the startling revelation that the enemy was using dams to flood a plain to allow the Ghoja ford to be crossable sooner than expected.
After Lady's victory at Numa and immediately before the Battle of Ghoja Ford, she sent a messenger to the Gunni force above the Theri ford to seize it. Theri is not mentioned again, so it is unclear if a small battle took place or if the 1000 Shadowlanders simply retreated.