The city of Tethis bears the distinction of being the only polis in Aegea named for a deity. Perhaps the Tetheans wished to appease the Mother of Storms and Waves and hoped that honoring her would quell her wrath. Perhaps they simply know that their close ties to the sea means she is always near to them.

Tethis has long held a bitter rivalry with Versinae, their seafaring neighbor to the north. The two compete for control of the eastern trade waters and shipping lanes across the Shallow Sea, especially those running to Delia’s western shore. Some say the rivalry was born of economics. Others say there is bad blood between the prince of Versinae’s family and the admirals who make up Tethis’s ruling council. Whatever the origin, tempers run hot.

Whatever fealty the Tetheans have pledged their goddess, it has not spared them the worst of the Grief. The ghost mist lies thick upon the city’s interconnected islands, driving the Tethean navy further into Versinae’s claimed waters. Once the Grief rose the Admirals began a desperate measure: all Tetheans drink silvered water. It has the effect of bluing their skin but is meant to make their blood less palatable to the dead. Whether or not this technique is working has yet to be proven, but tensions between Tethis and Versinae continue to rise. Conflict between the two powers seems inevitable and so far only the Hierarch’s balancing authority has prevented open war.