Thalasseia

Quick Facts — Thalasseia

How Thalasseia Rules the Shattered Sea

• Pilotage Monopoly. Every captain in the Shattered Sea must carry a Thalasseian pilot‑writ; violators face bonded towage and ruinous fines.
• Pharos Chain. Lighthouses set on skerries and high capes—each a Pharos powered by mirrored fires and wind‑clockworks—mark the safe threads through Crown and Heel archipelagos.
• Lantern Fleet. Long‑keel war galleys and high‑castle caravels operate in paired squadrons (Blue & Brass) with signal kites and lantern code.
• Harbor Dues. Sundertide Dues are levied on spice, amber, relic metals, and arcana with military crossover. Dues are lower for ships posting Neutrality Charters.
• Treaty Web. Thalasseia binds island towns to Nesiarchic Charters: coast defenses and pilot lodges in exchange for grain reserves and rope‑tariffs.

People & Society

Thalasseians are shipwrights, rope‑makers, divers, and accountants. Children race needle‑sails in flooded marinas; grandmothers read weather from laundry lines. The proudest boast is “We know our soundings.” In politics, honor sits with those who keep lanes open—not those who win battles.

Names (Greek‑inspired): Kyra, Myron, Thessa, Nikandros, Meliton, Ione, Kassia, Doros, Pelagia.

Look & Dress: Salt‑bleached linens, bronze jewelry, sail‑cloth parkas for squalls; harbor stewards carry wax‑sealed ledgers on cord slings.

Government & Offices

• High Nesiarch — elected from the Ennearch for an 11‑year term; wields emergency powers at sea only.
• Ennearch Council — Sea‑Archons for Islands and Settlements
• Kybernētēs‑General — master of pilots; sets seasonal safe‑thread charts.
• Pharos Wardens — lighthouse orders sworn to keep fires in any weather.

Law: Admiralty first; land courts second. Written contracts carry more force than oaths; disputes default to weight, measure, and precedent.

Relations

• Rishama: Respectful rivals. Rihsama publishes open standards; Thalasseia licenses the pilots who actually steer them. Joint expeditions chart post‑Thaw slumps.
• Lelien Empire: Trade heavy timber and iron fittings in exchange for grain and manuscripts; tensions rise whenever the Empire escorts convoys with too many soldiers.
• Dravis Arya: Rare but cautious visitors; Thalasseia hires Wolfen stone‑shapers for new Pharos foundations and buys ice‑glass for mirrors.
• Nezb: Most frequent trading partner; Trades timber for glass and exchanges food and spices unique to their respective countries.
• Dajjashi: Infrequent trade; records are redacted.
• Eileanan Abhroin: Intense dislike between two incompatible seafaring cultures.
• Noctyss: Thalasseian's have seen this country continue to expand and suspect that they may be next on the list of conquests.
• Kame'Ryu: Food in exchange for scholastic infrastructure and martial training.

Military & Security

• Galley Types: Hekatónoros (hundred‑oar flagship), Dromon (fast cutter), Phialē (shallow‑draft patrol for reef‑threads).
• Signals: Kite‑flags by day, lantern‑code by night; relay towers on high skerries.
• Doctrine: Win the approach. Force enemies to sail into cross‑currents and rift‑tides; board only when numbers are certain.

Economy

Shipbuilding, rope & sailcloth, amphora ceramics, olive oil, copper‑tin bronze, lighthouse lenses (ice‑glass), pilotage, and transit dues. Grain reserves are strategic: storms can starve islands; the Nesiarchy runs state granaries at key ports.

Sites & Wonders

• Naukrion’s Twin Harbors: Two natural bowls joined by a cut channel; the Pharos of Nine Lamps times its flashes to the Ennearch beacons.
• Saints’ Ladder: Seven cataracts on the Rim with a portage road carved into living stone; caravans halt here for tides.
• Bell of Nine Bearings: A Crown headland lighthouse that rings a different tone for each wind; pilots can dead‑reckon by ear.