Theryssa

Overview

Theryssa is a northern island nation in Valrindor, paired with Thiravos, with Pelagia as its capital. Lucilla is head consul, Nerissa is worshiped as the nation's goddess, and Nero carries the wave shard as Nerissa's mortal wielder.

Theryssa preserves Malverand-derived language, gates, skyships, and essence-engine technology and remains wary of mainland Valrindor. It sends skyships and mages into Nerissa and Gabriel's attack on Xalmyrra after Gabriel pressures Nerissa, Nero, Lucilla, and the island nations into Raphael's plan.

Geography & Layout

During the Malverand era, Theryssa begins as the northern region of the new continent of Thiravos. Over time it becomes a separate nation paired with Thiravos. After the Thiravos-Theryssa Civil War, Remiella uses the wave shard to sever Thiravos and Theryssa, shattering the lands into smaller islands scattered across the sea.

Theryssa and Thiravos share one large landmass and also control or use scattered islands. Theryssa is close enough to Thiravos for skyships to travel between Pelagia and Pelagos. Large cities across the two nations use controlled gates. Smaller islands and nearby societies such as Shanari are in the same maritime region.

Design & Architecture

Theryssan civic spaces are oceanic in style. In Pelagia, people wear ocean-blue clothing and wave motifs, and the city has white and white-brown buildings, earthy rooftops, marble halls, wide windows, essence lights, and coastal markets.

The Pelagia Consulate houses Theryssa's consul government. It includes a grand stair, guarded doors, marble chambers, a council room with a marble table, and a courtyard with statues of Nerissa and Pyragos. Pelagia also has a lighthouse on a small offshore island, protected against great waves by divine shields and used to scan the ocean for threats.

Theryssa shares advanced gate and skyship technology with Thiravos. Large cities can have gates. Gate travel is reserved for elite use because activation requires skill, resources, specific sequences, and essence-tower power.

Society & Culture

Theryssan civic life is maritime, local magic includes water and divine magic, and Nerissa is Theryssa's goddess. Thiravos also worships her and separately honors Pyragos. Nerissa was once the sole goddess serving both nations before Pyragos appeared beside her.

Theryssa and Thiravos have long avoided mainland Valrindor. Their leaders know the mainland mainly through old warnings and Malverand dangers. Because of this isolation, they keep their gates guarded and hesitate when mainland rulers seek alliances.

The two nations retain Malverand-derived knowledge. Their language, Malverine, descends from the ancient empire, and much of their technology comes from Malverand designs that evolved locally over time. Theryssa's engineers receive further essence-engine knowledge from Blackcrag after Lucilla negotiates a secret bargain with King George.

Government & Power

Theryssa is governed by consuls, and Lucilla is head consul during Renneth and Maric's visit and the later Nerissa's Invasion of Xalmyrra. The consuls meet in Pelagia, deliberate over diplomacy, host foreign visitors, and plan gate use and military decisions with Thiravos's leadership. Lucilla holds formal political authority. Nerissa's divine authority strongly directs national policy until Lucilla turns against her.

Nerissa's mortal wielder, Nero, defends both Theryssa and Thiravos. He carries the wave shard, channels Nerissa's water-and-earth power, and deters fleets, gods, and mainland threats against the two nations. During the Malverand era, Remiella held the wave shard as the Malverand guardian responsible for Thiravos and Theryssa.

Theryssa's policy is usually defensive and isolationist. It refuses Blackcrag's request to send mages against Shroudvale, and Nero later insists that Theryssa and Thiravos will not join Raphael's planned attack on Xalmyrra as long as their homelands remain safe. That stance fails under the pressure of Raphael, Gabriel, and Nerissa's fear for her nations.

Features & Locations

Pelagia, Theryssa's capital city.
Pelagia Consulate, the seat of Theryssa's consul government.
Pelagia's offshore lighthouse, skyship docks, amphitheater, gate chamber, and coastal markets.
The controlled gate network shared with Thiravos.
The scattered island network shared with Thiravos and neighboring societies.

History

During Malverand's expansion, Remiella leads thousands of colonists to establish colonies on the new continent of Thiravos and its northern region, Theryssa. She governs both regions as a Malverand guardian and wielder of the wave shard.

Theryssa and Thiravos prosper under Remiella for a time. Unrest grows into the Thiravos-Theryssa Civil War. Remiella pours the wave shard's power into separating Thiravos and Theryssa, shattering the lands into countless islands and unleashing a massive tsunami across northern Valrindor. Nerissa manipulated Remiella into overloading. The overload killed Remiella, shattered the land, and left Nerissa greatly weakened until Theryssan and Thiravosi worship restored her strength.

After Malverand begins to fracture, Eremion attacks Thiravos and Theryssa, and the islands temporarily agree to serve in his army. Nerissa wanted the two nations free from Malverand so they could govern themselves once the old guardians were defeated.

When King George comes to Pelagia seeking an alliance against Shroudvale, Lucilla refuses to send the forces of Theryssa and Thiravos against Shroudvale. She negotiates a secret bargain: Blackcrag will teach their engineers better essence-engine technology, and Lucilla will provide an heir for George's line. Nero later delivers the child, Garrik, to Blackcrag.

Renneth and Maric arrive first in Pelagos and then in Pelagia through the shared gate network. During their stay in Theryssa, they encounter Lucilla's position, the two nations' isolation, their technology, Nerissa's secrets, and clues that Renneth may have lived before as Pyragos during Malverand's ancient history.

After Zarephon's destruction near the source, Nero returns to Pelagia and Theryssa's consuls debate whether neutrality is still possible. Gabriel arrives in the Pelagia Consulate and pressures Nerissa, Nero, Lucilla, Kalyx, and the others toward an alliance with Raphael's side. Theryssa and Thiravos then mobilize skyships and mages for Nerissa and Gabriel's attack on Xalmyrra.

During Nerissa's Invasion of Xalmyrra, Nerissa's alliance with Raphael against Xalmyrra turns Lucilla against her. Lucilla unmakes Nerissa on the battlefield, leaving Nero's shard dimmed. Theryssa loses its long-standing goddess.

Secrets and Mysteries

Theryssa's hidden history includes Nerissa manipulating Remiella into overloading the wave shard, Pyragos's disappearance and later life as Renneth, and the fall of Malverand. Lucilla is Nerissa's daughter and the head consul of Theryssa, and Isandriel is her father. The secret Blackcrag bargain makes Lucilla Garrik's mother, and Nero delivers Garrik to Blackcrag. Gabriel and Nerissa then send Theryssa's skyships and mages into Nerissa and Gabriel's attack on Xalmyrra, where Lucilla unmakes Nerissa herself.

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