Overview

Pelagia is the capital of Theryssa and the seat of Lucilla's consuls. The city has magic academies, a coastal amphitheater, a gate chamber, skyship docks, and the Pelagia Consulate. Nerissa descends into its council chambers, and Theryssa's skyships assemble over the city before Nerissa's Invasion of Xalmyrra.

Geography & Layout

Pelagia is a coastal city with beaches, open ocean approaches, fishing waters, and a small offshore island that holds a powerful lighthouse. The lighthouse overlooks the full city across the water, fishing boats on the sea, and skyships moving through the open sky.

The city has a gate chamber on a hill, a sloping road down into the city, skyship docks near a forested edge, crowded streets and markets, and a coastal amphitheater. Pelagia and Pelagos are strongly mirrored in layout, including their gate-chamber hills and consulate-centered civic design. Aquilara, a city to the west, also uses the gate network.

Design & Architecture

Pelagia has pristine white buildings, white-brown structures, earth-toned rooftops, marble civic buildings, and a white-roofed consulate.

Essence lights line the city and its buildings. The offshore lighthouse projects a sweeping beam across the ocean, and the city also uses sequence-based gates and skyship docks like those in Thiravos.

Pelagia Consulate

The Pelagia Consulate is Theryssa's consular seat in Pelagia, with Lucilla as head consul. The building stands out over the city with a pristine white rooftop, grand stairs, guarded doors, marble halls, white columns, wide windows, broad stone chairs, and a council room with a marble table beneath a crystal essence light. Its courtyard has a circular opening, trimmed hedges, and statues of Nerissa and Pyragos.

Foreign delegations and emergency councils meet there. Nero escorts George, Ulrich, and Bastian to the consulate during the Blackcrag negotiations in 5208 AX. Brontes later brings Renneth and Maric there after the direct gate route from Pelagos opens. After Zarephon's destruction near the source, Nero returns to the consulate for emergency talks, and Gabriel enters during the unnatural snowstorm that leads Theryssa and Thiravos toward Nerissa's invasion of Xalmyrra.

Society & Culture

Pelagia's culture is ocean-oriented and openly devoted to Nerissa. People wear ocean-blue clothing and wave motifs, and the city is accustomed to water magic, skyships, gates, consuls, and strong magical training. Nero was raised in a Pelagian magic academy before becoming Nerissa's wielder.

The city has markets, diners, crowded streets, beach life, and an amphitheater where mages duel. Its people greet Nero respectfully, and its consular procedures receive foreign rulers formally. Theryssa and Thiravos have long kept their politics separate from mainland Valrindor.

Government & Power

Pelagia is governed through Theryssa's consul system, with Lucilla as head consul. The Pelagia Consulate is the seat for Theryssa's political decisions, including meetings with foreign delegations, emergency councils, and decisions involving Nerissa, Nero, Kalyx of Pelagos, and the Theryssan and Thiravosi consuls.

Nerissa's worship, pact with Nero, and descents into Pelagian council chambers give her authority in Pelagian politics. Lucilla holds formal political authority as head consul. After the source explosion and Gabriel's consulate visit, Nero is Theryssa and Thiravos's strongest defender. Pelagia honors Pyragos with consulate statues, and Pyragos takes human form among the consuls during the Blackcrag negotiations.

Features & Locations

  • Pelagia Consulate, including the consul chamber, grand stairs, marble halls, white rooftop, and courtyard statues of Nerissa and Pyragos.
  • The gate chamber on the hill, with sequence-based gate access to Pelagos, Aquilara, and the Theryssan-Thiravosi gate network.
  • The coastal amphitheater used for magical training and public duels.
  • The offshore lighthouse, whose beam scans the stormy ocean.
  • The sandy shoreline and roads along the beach, where Nero, Nerissa, Lucilla, Renneth, and Maric gather before Maric receives the lava shard.
  • Skyship docks near the city's edge and forested approaches.
  • Markets, diners, magic academies, and city streets filled with ocean-colored clothing and wave motifs.

History

In 5208 AX, Pelagia is already the capital of Theryssa. Soon after Nerissa chooses Nero as her new wielder, Blackcrag's fleet approaches the city through a storm. Nero intercepts the fleet from the lighthouse and escorts King George, Ulrich, and Bastian into Pelagia for negotiations. Lucilla and Theryssa's consuls refuse Blackcrag's request for military aid against Shroudvale. The meeting in the Pelagia Consulate creates a secret agreement involving Blackcrag technology and Lucilla bearing an heir for George's line.

After Renneth opens the direct gate from Pelagos, he and Maric reach Pelagia through the gate network. Lucilla hosts them at the consulate. Nerissa brings Renneth and Lucilla back from the lighthouse to the consulate by water, where Nero, Kalyx, Brontes, and the consuls discuss Raphael, Malverand history, and whether Theryssa and Thiravos can avoid joining Gabriel and Raphael's planned attack on Xalmyrra.

On Pelagia's beach, Maric accepts Renneth's pact and receives the lava shard. Afterward, Lucilla stays behind in Pelagia while Nero and Maric travel elsewhere.

After the destruction near the source, Nero returns home to Pelagia. The Pelagia Consulate gathers for emergency talks, Gabriel arrives there, and Nerissa pushes Theryssa and Thiravos toward Raphael's side in Nerissa's Invasion of Xalmyrra. Two dozen Theryssan and Thiravosi vessels then ascend over Pelagia before moving toward Pelagos and then Xalmyrra.

Secrets and Mysteries

Pelagia's hidden stakes include George's heir through Lucilla and Nero, Renneth's past as Pyragos, and Nerissa's fear of Raphael as Theryssa and Thiravos move toward Nerissa's invasion of Xalmyrra.