Lothos

Lothos
Leader	Queen Zephra
Founder	King Lothidas
Allies	Phereklos, Riparium
Enemies	Arcadia, Scyros

The triton kingdom of Lothos is an underwater city located in the Bay of Dardanos. It is the only city-state of the Eastern Tritonic Empires yet discovered by adventurers.

Geography

Lothos sits within the Bay of Dardanos in the Lothian Reaches east of Sapience's Northreach Forest and west-northwest of the islands of Colchis and Umbrin. Within the city itself, rolling undersea sand dunes, minor coral ranges, algae-covered rock formations, oyster beds, and waving seagrass fields characterise the natural areas of the city-state.

Economy

The city is relatively wealthy, cultivating pearls from the abundant number of oyster fields residing within its bay and growing prosperous from the large amount of sea life that converges there. It also has a large agora with many shops selling unique goods, from edible Eusian crustaceans, to coloured ink-absorbing coral in bronze braziers, to large marble statues.

Culture

The pearl is the symbol of Lothos, as it is the charge exhibited on their banner and their major source of economic prosperity. The pearl is represented by a single white circle on a field of black. Black and white are the official colours of the city. Lothos has had holidays and celebrations centering on the local bivalve, such as the Lothian Oyster Festival of 250 AF.

Lothos is a monarchy with two loose social castes: an upper/middle caste consisting of the royal family, nobles, merchants, and the Lothian military, most of whom are tritons, and a lower caste of servants, all of whom are merfolk. The relationship between the castes is not one of oppression; they live in harmony with one another and the merfolk seem content with their social position. The castes' boundary is also traversable: mermen and merwomen can earn rights to mercantile status, as is the case with Acrages. No racial animosity exists between the castes.

Lothos is a strong military power within the underseas, characterised by its tritonic hoplites. Other soldier types as seen in the Battle of Lothos include armoured dekarchs and nimble pelastai. Its military can be broken down structure-wise into numbered legions led by ranking officers and, as with most tritonic warfare, is heavily dominated by the use of polearms (spears, tridents, and javelins) for thrusting and jabbing. Daggers and weighted nets are also used. Large, swung weapons such as maces and swords are not conducive to underwater combat and are thus not very popular.

Relative to, and from the perspective of, the tritonic worldview as a whole, Lothians are the least abrasive to landwalkers in general, with whom other undersea cultures share an increasingly hostile relationship. Like others from the underwater world, however, many are distrustful of Grooks and recently Atavians (Arcadians in particular) due to their relationship with Vastar, Lord of the Skies, and His role in tritonic mythology.

History

Lothos was introduced to Sapience by means of war in the Battle of Lothos, although the city-state is much older than Ashtan or Shallam. It has an ancient rivalry with Scyros, another triton city within the Eusian Ocean, with whom they war constantly. Other details of Lothos' rich history are known only to oceanic scholars and the Nerai, followers of Neraeos, God of the Sea.

Royal Family

Lothos' ancient line of ruling Kings extends back many eras, with the earliest known monarch and founder, King Lothidas. Only the three most recent generations are also known, consisting of King Libtaerius and his wife Queen Arista, their son King Democritus, Democritus' wife and current ruler Queen Zephra, and their two sons Prince Odius and Prince Eurybates. Only Zephra and her sons are still alive.

Points of Interest

Some notable points of interest within the city of Lothos:

• The Lothian Palace: Sitting atop an underwater acropolis, the palace is home to the Galleria of Art and the Hall of Statues within which the giant Lothian Pearl is kept.

• The Aquatilis Orchards: An arboretum of suspended sea blossoms, hanging vines, coral gardens, and sea snail groves.

• The Ludus Magnum: This is the city academy, housing a scriptorium and library.

• The emporium: Amongst the smaller tents and stalls within, this bustling agora has at least six large shops and is where merchants are found yelling to advertise their wares.

• The Hippodrome: Located across from the coliseum, adventurers may race chariots in this large racing stadium.

• The Odeon: Home to Lothos' greatest playwrights.

• The Lothian Temple: This holy site, where one can learn name pronunciations, may be visited south of the Ludus Magnum.

• The Eubulean Inn: Partake of oceanic cuisine here. No drinks are served as Lothos is underwater.

• The catacombs: Containing tombs and bones of the dead, the catacombs are filled with mysteries and holds the Dome of Ages.

Inhabitants

Besides hoplite soldiers, merfolk, nereids, and triton citizens both young and old, there are notable individuals worth mentioning:

• Acrages, the metallurgist

• Adelphie, the potter

• Aegles, the mute

• Asopos, the Sea Dragon

• Brasidos, a Scyrian war-prisoner

• Cephisoditus, the Dekarch

• Cratinus, the Playwright

• Docimos, a burly phaeston

• Eubulus, the publican

• Eurybates, Prince of Lothos

• Eutropia, the harpist

• Hecataeus, the Pontifex of Lothos

• Ioene, the sculptor's pupil

• Kleophon, the Lothian pearlist

• Lacydes, the weaver

• Menedema, the mathematician

• Miltiades, the magician

• Odius, Prince of Lothos

• Pheidippides, the charioteer

• Phoebidas, the grocer

• Stilpus, the sculptor

• Theusippus, the horse breeder

• Trygaeus, the oyster farmer

• Zephra, Queen of Lothos

Flora and Fauna

Amongst other creatures, Lothos is home to little sea snails, sea bass, bull sharks, bivalve oysters, colourful sea anemones, schools of clownfish, black and white spadefish, and massive spider crabs.