Meletis

Meletis
[[File:{{#setmainimage:MeletisSymbol.png}}|250px]]
Information
Plane	Theros

Meletis (Mehl-EE-tis), inspired by Athens, is the largest polis on Theros. It is a city-state of progressive thinkers, pious thaumaturges, and wise oracles on the Coast of the Siren Sea. Meletis was born from the defeat of tyranny, and to this day it retains a spirit of the triumph of free thought over brutish force. Meletians pride themselves on their great temples to the gods, their thaumaturgical academy, their great works of architecture, and their Reverent Army. Meletis is associated with white and blue mana. The Twelve, a council of philosophers headed by Perisophia, serves as the ruling body of Meletis.

History

Birth of the poleis

In the age of antiquity, the humans of the region that would one day become Meletis, the largest polis on Theros, were ruled by the archon tyrant Agnomakhos. Agnomakhos ruled with an iron fist for centuries, apparently immortal, outliving the generations of leonin that he used as his soldiers and personal guard. Agnomakhos aggressively expanded his empire during his reign, spreading it as far as the forests to the north and the mountains to the east, imposing merciless order over the wilds wherever he went.

While numerous rebellions attempted to cast off the archon's rule, each was crushed by his armies of giants, leonin, and other fearsome creatures. When the heroes Kynaios and Tiro sought to inspire an uprising, few flocked to their banner. According to legend, the god Ephara offered to aid Kynaios and Tiro in their battle against the tyrant, supplementing their martial skill with a new weapon: magic. With their new power, Kynaios and Tiro overthrew Agnomakhos, cast out the leonin, and freed Meletis from tyranny.

The polis of Meletis was founded on the ruins of Agnomakhos's empire as a beacon of freedom and enlightenment. Ephara established the polis's legal code and defended it for decades, and its people chose Kynaios and Tiro to be its guardians. For a time, Kynaios and Tiro ruled Meletis, striving to govern by the highest philosophical and ethical principles, which ultimately led them to relinquish their power and establish a philosopher-led republic. After the kings' deaths, two great statues were built in their honor. The council of scholars known as the Twelve took up the rule of the polis, with the sage Elpidios serving as the senior member. Agnomakhos's fall remains a point of honor in the minds of Meletis's people, a moment immortalized in relief upon countless civic buildings throughout the polis. To this day, the leonin remain detached from Meletis and uninterested in trade or dialogue.

The rise and fall of Xenagos

When the satyr planeswalker Xenagos returned to his birthplane, he found his old hedonistic lifestyle exceedingly dull and the gods to be a farce in which he was no longer willing to participate. His ambitions had evolved into a desire for outright godhood, to join or replace the pantheon of Theros, and so in 4559 AR he began gathering his forces of eldritch, otherworldly monsters to attack the poleis of Meletis, Akros, and Setessa. These attacks became so severe that the gods themselves began to go blind, cut off from their oracles. This drove them into a panic which escalated as they blamed the others of their kind for the transgression. Only Nylea seemed to be aware of the threat he played, but with his otherworldly magic, none of the gods could truly stop him.

In circumstances largely under mystery, Xenagos managed to ascend to godhood. This occurred during a minotaur siege at Akros, battled off by armies led by Elspeth. The victory celebration was the final ingredient to Xenagos' divine ascension, and in the ensuing turmoil, the Sun god's champion was ironically scapegoated for this, resulting in her exile to the wilderness. Xenagos now held the position of the God of the revels, furthering the chaos and distrust of the established pantheon. Heliod was particularly offended by his ascension and sought to destroy the satyr, whom he referred to as "the usurper". He planned to punish all of mortal-kind for the actions of the new god.

Beyond Death

Roughly one year later, the god Heliod contemplated the fragility of his immortality. He would not allow anyone to take his place in the pantheon—not even the other existing gods. To that end, he pulled the soul of the oracle Daxos and transformed him into his champion in the mortal realm. Now a demigod, Daxos was instructed to remove all traces of the other gods from the great city of Meletis. The other gods, refusing to stand for such an affront, called upon their champions from the Underworld; with this, the gods were at war.

Phyrexian invasion

In 4562 AR, led by a Phyrexian Ajani Goldmane, the first wave of New Phyrexia's Invasion of the Multiverse targeted temples and other places of worship. Due to the nature of faith on Theros, compleating the gods' devotees meant that the gods themselves, influenced by their new Phyrexian worshippers, succumbed and became Phyrexians as well. In the course of the invasion, most of the gods were compleated. Meletis stood as the last bastion of resistance against an endless onslaught of Phyrexian armies. Hordes of Phyrexian monstrosities assailed the city from air, land, and sea, while Meletian defenders fought valiantly to drive them off. With the aid of Ephara, one of the few surviving Theros gods, sustained by the belief of those within the city walls, they managed to hold their own. Outside of Meletis, the omenpaths of Realmbreaker reached into the underworld, where they were met with Kroxa, whose voiding maw completely obliterated the invaders.

Geography

Meletis Harbor. Concept art by Adam Paquette.

Meletis sits on the coast of the Siren Sea, surrounded by rivers and vast, stepped grasslands. Fields of a cultivated type of barley called sitra provide sustenance to Meletians and their animals. Well-trod roads wind their way through the region, but most locals travel along the coast in simple boats. A great sea wall protects the polis's port on the Bay of Meletis, while a lengthy channel cuts through the surrounding land to reach Meletis Harbor on the Siren Sea.

The polis of Meletis embodies the heart and mind of what it means to be Meletian, but the polis's lands also include numerous other settlements and wildernesses. The people who live in these holdings are no fewer Meletians than the inhabitants of the city, and they share the values of other Meletians even if their lifestyle affords them little opportunity to study magic and philosophy.

Known locations

• Within the city of Meletis:
  • The Dekatia Academy, the legendary academy at Meletis, is the most elite academy for philosophers and mages on Theros. After receiving basic education elsewhere, the most promising thinkers and mages spend up to ten years training at the Dekatia, apprenticing to master priests, thaumaturges, philosophers, and military heroes. Those who manage to complete this decade of training is renowned as the wisest of the wise and the bravest of the brave, combining all the essential learning of the polis into one heroic package.
  • Meletis Harbor
  • The Observatory is a tall viewing platform and a windowed structure offering a splendid view of the sky, renowned as a place to study Nyx, the home of the gods. Special crystals shaped by thaumaturges and blessed by the oracles of the gods enhance the view, making it easier for observers to see the workings of the gods among the stars and constellations. Priests, mages, and philosophers interpret what they see in the Observatory as signs and omens from the gods.
  • The Pyrgnos, Meletis's repository of scholarly knowledge. The Pyrgnos is a glowing stone tower standing near the coast. It is formed from the collected learnings of the polis, recorded on carved stone tablets and glowing letters hovering in the air. At night, the Pyrgnos shines like a lighthouse where the sea wall meets the shore, gleaming on the waters of the Siren Sea. Partially destroyed by the kraken Tromokratis around 4550 AR, it has since been repaired and continues to grow.
• The Four Winds Plateau sits just inland of the mouth of Meletis Harbor, before one reaches the city itself.
• The Guardian Way, flanked by grain fields.
• Branches of the river Kheir splay out across the landscape, bringing fresh water and trade from distant villages.
• The Meletian Holdings, the numerous settlements that are settled on the polis's lands.
  • Altrisos. A kraken that escaped its sealock once threatened the small seaside city of Altrisos. Recently weakened by a triton raid, the city had no defenses left and would be destroyed by an attack. The people prayed to Ephara, and the large image of her face on the city's wall came to life. The walls of the city grew impossibly high and strong, and the kraken could do no more than dash its head against the impassable barrier. The monster soon returned to the ocean to find an easier meal. Altrisos now has Ephara's face on nearly every building and wall in the entire city in gratitude.
  • The small coastal town of Glossion boasts a remarkable library that according to local legend was a gift from Ephara. Other tales suggest that the library was founded by an ancient sage named Anatheia, but then a terrible fire destroyed the place, and along with it generations of collected knowledge. Once the people finished rebuilding the structure to start the library over, Ephara is said to have appeared and restored the books and scrolls the library had lost, copying the information from her scrolls of sacred knowledge. The bulk of the town's economy revolves around maintaining the library and meeting the needs of travelers who come to visit it.
  • Krimnos, home of the famed philosopher Anapse. The village of Krimnos attracts many philosophers who share Anapse's delight in the pleasures of a simple life.
  • Listes is a fortress marking the northeastern border of the polis. The civilian population is hardly less disciplined than the members of the Reverent Army stationed there, and the whole population observes Iroas's holy days together.
  • Natumbria. The residents of Natumbria are famous for training sea animals as skillfully as Setessans train land and air animals. They train sea snakes, dolphins, and even sharks on a few occasions to be combatants, working animals, aquatic mounts, and companions.
  • Though they are regarded as Meletians, the people of Neolantin view themselves as citizens of Olantin, a coastal polis that long ago vanished into the sea. According to legend, an angry Heliod smote the polis with his spear, sinking it in punishment for its people's utter hubris. The fact that the Neolantians were spared this fate, they say, is evidence of their humility, and they take special care in their sacrifices to Heliod.
  • Oxus is a quiet town with a notably wealthy population, consisting largely of merchants who have retired from trade with large fortunes at their disposal. The tomb of Kynaios and Tiro stands in the center of the town, the subject of many local legends.
  • A small fishing village, Phaela is most noted as being the literal "end of the road" for travelers venturing south from Meletis. The rugged lands beyond are rocky and scattered with forgotten ruins.
  • The coastal town of Sitrium is known for the way many of its buildings are on stilts to accommodate the changing tides. Sitrium is famed for its skilled shipwrights.
  • The village of Thesteia is little more than a crossroads, but it's notable for its temple to Karametra. The site draws farmers from the region who offer a portion of their crops to the god of agriculture.

Culture

Religion

Meletians are very concerned with the actions of the gods. Even the streets of Meletis are formed of bricks of interlocking geometric shapes, demonstrating mathematical and mystical principles. The wildlands of Theros feel distant, almost mythical, from inside the city's bounds. Meletis does suffer attacks from sirens, tritons, and larger monsters, but many citizens of Meletis have never seen in person any monster bigger or more exotic than a centaur.

Almost every street of Meletis bears a temple, from simple, one-room neighborhood shrines to six-story temples held up by phalanxes of marble columns. Every god has a temple in Meletis, and many temples are devoted to multiple gods. Artisans continually improve the temples in Meletis, swapping out broken marble or crumbling sculptures with fresh materials, and painting over grand friezes with even grander ones.

The temple of Ephara in Meletis is the god's largest and grandest place of worship on Theros. It is kept in perfect repair, and worn or damaged pieces of the structure are quickly replaced. During an enormous earthquake, many of the structures in Meletis crumbled. Ephara kept her temple standing throughout the mighty quake, making it a place for Meletians to take refuge in the following days during the aftershocks. After the cataclysm, she shared designs from her scrolls of sacred knowledge with the architects of Meletis so they could rebuild the city to be much more resistant to earthquakes.

Many families in Meletis followed a practice of bowing or winking in the direction of dawn's first light, in a gesture of respect for the sun god's luminous "eye." More dedicated worshipers offer short litanies at dawn, noon, and dusk, acknowledging the sun's passage across the sky.

Calendar

Although the method of marking years on Theros is unknown, Meletis has developed a calendar that has been at least partially adopted in the poleis of Akros and Setessa. The calendar is composed of 12 months, each beginning with the new moon, alternating between 30 and 29 days, and named after a festival celebrated during that month. Roughly every three years, an extra 30-day month is added to the end of the year, giving Theros a 364-day year, meaning its years are likely the same length as on Earth.

1. Lyokymion
2. Protokynion
3. Astrapion
4. Polidrysion
5. Thriambion
6. Megasphagion
7. Chalcanapsion
8. Necrologion
9. Therimakarion
10. Katabasion
11. Cheimazion
12. Agrypnion
13. Anagrypnion (occurs every three years)

Inhabitants

Meletian citizens. Concept art by Steve Prescott.

The people of Meletis take pride in their city's grand architecture, especially the great temples of the gods. They value philosophy and other intellectual pursuits, especially the practice of magic. Meletis's army is known for its discipline and its piety, and its navy is unparalleled. The city observes every one of the gods' holy days in various ways, and most residents try to live as the gods' demand. Rich fields and the bounty of the sea support most people throughout Meletis. The people have reputations for being accomplished weavers, skilled sailors, and cunning merchants. Books and literacy are also common throughout the land, and the work of scribes, cartographers, musicians, and storytellers is well regarded. The people of Meletis believe themselves to be the inheritors of a heroic tradition, and each person owes it to themselves and to society to strive for greatness. Beyond Meletis's common folk, a few groups that hold noteworthy standing are detailed here.

Citizenship is limited to those whose parents were both citizens of the polis. Citizens of other poleis, and their children, aren't permitted to participate in the government of the polis.

Weaving magic is a time-honored tradition in Meletis; magic is seen as one of the greatest arts an artisan can master. The most accomplished mages are known as thaumaturges ("wonder workers"). Many Meletian mages are trained at the elite academy of the Dekatia, but countless smaller schools and private tutors teach the magical arts. These lessons in magic typically include a well-rounded education in the sciences and philosophy. Some thaumaturges find their magical studies aligning with popular Meletian philosophies and choose the schools of magic they focus on based on such teachings. The mark of a true thaumaturge, though, is a gift or positive omen from the gods; even the most accomplished student of magic can't earn the title without such a sign of divine approval.

Prized among Meletis's thaumaturges, anvilwrought raptors are often crafted in the form of a hawk or an owl. Most serve as messengers and spies, flying over the busy streets or high over the land while carrying or seeking vital information for their masters.

Meletis is a polis of industry and building. Stonewise thaumaturges specialize in magic that erects and restores buildings and other such edifices. Stonewise mages are crucial to the Reverent Army when creating inland military outposts.

Aether is of particular interest to Meletian scholars, and many study its use in magic. Some believe that aether is the realm of abstract entities, such as numbers, concepts, and theories. Some formalists study magics that allow them to cause objects to disappear from physical reality. They say they are "perfecting" real, necessarily flawed, concrete objects by transferring them to the realm of perfect, abstract entities.

Non-Humans

Meletis strives to be a beacon to all of Theros's people. Well-intentioned members of any culture are welcome on Meletis's streets, and the polis's people work to earn the trust of their neighbors.

Of all the poleis, Meletis has the closest relationship with the tritons of the Siren Sea. Tritons can survive for only a short while on land, yet a few tritons make their home in the coastal city of Meletis. Some serve as lookouts and tower-keepers who watch the shores, warning Meletians of attacks by krakens, archons, or other monsters. Others attend the baths or even instruct students as adjunct philosophers at the Dekatia. Many take part in work near and under the water that other peoples are ill-suited to, but increasingly tritons find work not related to the sea, with triton restaurants, chemists, and members of the Reverent Army being increasingly common.

Many Pheres Band centaurs are hostile to Meletians, but Meletis officially maintains a fragile peace with the Lagonna Band. Some smaller centaur tribes have established a profitable trade with the polis. It's not uncommon for small groups of centaurs to set up shop in the polis market for short periods, though few spend more than a night or two in the city, most finding it claustrophobic at best. Meletian officials even designate two holidays during the year, making allowances for the overlap with certain centaur celebrations. By the peace, Meletian outposts generally allow smaller centaur bands to move across their surveyed lands, but some Meletian soldiers aren't happy about it.

Few leonin journey to Meletis; most view it as a cursed place. Those few who have traveled to the polis in recent years find it changed, with great potential for trade and cooperation, but no Meletian or leonin has yet initiated an official dialogue between the two peoples. Most satyrs have little patience for Meletian philosophy, visiting largely out of curiosity or on elaborate larks. Minotaurs are rarely seen in Meletis, though those who visit with peaceful intentions are welcome.

The wise and ancient sphinx Medomai is not a consistent resident of Meletis, though he appears a few times a year during moments of historical import, such as religious ceremonies, coronations, and the onset of wars. Medomai has been part of Meletis's history for many decades, seeming to possess cryptic knowledge of future events, but since his predictions tend to be dire, his arrival is generally viewed as a bad omen.

Military

Meletis is defended by the Reverent Army, religiously trained soldiers who fight monsters and exalt the gods. The Meletian Reverents are not as fierce as Akroans nor as sturdy as Setessans, but they are clever and resourceful, and they believe their superior piety for Theros's pantheon leads them to more success in battle. Bolstered by trained griffin and pegasus steeds, they strike foes where they least expect.

Meletian soldiers are trained to manipulate the battlefield primarily through tactics rather than through physical strength. Their hoplites, known as the Battlewise use clever ruses, unusual or rapidly changing troop formations, and even outright deception to score victories. It's said that every Meletian soldier knows at least one spell. That may be an exaggeration that Meletians allow to circulate, but many Meletian hoplites could indeed be considered low-level taskmages. Spells of healing, endurance augmentation, and battlefield trickery are often taught during soldier training.

Meletian hoplite units include:

• Kraken's Claw
• Hands of justice
• Thassa's Spear
• Ephara's Shield
• Kindred of the Deep
• Riders of Heliod
• Keepers of Pyrgnos
• The Skysworn

Philosophy

Meletis is world-renowned as the center of philosophical thought. Many Meletians speak of the "edifice of knowledge," referring in the abstract to the sum of all learning and scholarship. Every citizen is expected to help improve this edifice for the good of the polis, whether through philosophical exploration, advancements in magical technique, the investigation into the nature of the gods, or perfection of techniques in crafting and trade.

Though they aren't necessarily heroic, philosophers are highly valued in Meletis. They form a privileged class, often coming from wealthy families but also supported by stipends from the polis's academies and their students. They are often attended by servants so that they might spend more of their time debating, thinking, and teaching. Different philosophical schools hold political as well as intellectual power in the polis, with five schools of philosophy dominating Meletian discourse.

Perisophia's optimistic Elpidian school currently predominates Meletian thought and politics, carrying on the works of the heroic Epharan oracle Elpidios. The Elpidian school strives to put magic and philosophy to use in improving the lives of all Meletians. Elpidian mages embrace the magic in all its forms.

Formalist philosophers believe in a realm populated by abstract entities such as numbers and theories. They focus their efforts on trying to improve the moral fabric of the polis, hoping to create the ideal society, where people live together in peace, and where war and crime disappear. This school is based on Platonism.

The Uremidean school emphasizes logical reasoning, rhetorical excellence, and theories of ethics and virtue. Uremideans are eminently practical governors who seek to balance ethical ideals and realistic necessities. This school is named after the philosopher Uremides and is based on Aristotelianism.

Nyklean philosophers teach that reason or destiny underlies all of reality so that everything that takes place must unfold just as it does. These philosophers train themselves to accept and endure whatever befalls them, enjoying good fortune but not grieving its loss. This school is named after the philosopher Nyklos and is based on Stoicism.

Anapsian philosophy embraces the fine delights of life: the pleasures of love and friendship, fine food and drink, art and music. Anapsians have few strong opinions about governance, except that an ultimate good end should be kept front of mind in all decision. This school is named after the philosopher Anapse and is based on Epicureanism.

Government

Ephara is credited with establishing the first code of law, which Meletis has preserved and the other poleis have imitated. She is most beloved in Meletis, whose citizens credit her with the city's founding. Kynaios and Tiro, the original rulers of Meletis, relinquished their power to establish a philosopher-led republic.

A council of philosophers called the Twelve now serves as the ruling body of Meletis. They are elected by popular vote among the citizens of Meletis and serve for terms of four years at a time. They are supposed to govern by philosophical principles of justice and social order, and many of them do strive to uphold the highest ideals in their decisions. Others are more grimly realistic, and a few are deeply corrupt, serving only their interests. The most senior member of the council is recognized as its leader, responsible for bringing the assembly to order and moderating its debate.

Known current or former members of The Twelve include:

• Perisophia, the current leader of the Twelve.
• Elpidios, the original leader of the Twelve.
• Olexa, a member of the Twelve in 4559 AR

Economy

A Meletian coin.

Trade between Meletis and Akros is constant and productive. Caravans make the two-day journey between the poleis at least once a week, carrying fine Akroan metalwork and pottery to Meletis, and Meletian fabric, stonework, and fish northward. Both poleis mint coins of copper, silver, and gold, with the equivalent value. Setessa trades with the other poleis as well, but less extensively. Its Abora Market, just inside the city gates, is open to outsiders only on certain days, and Setessan merchants prefer to barter goods rather than accept the currency. Despite these restrictions, Setessan food, woodwork, and trained falcons are highly valued in the other poleis.

Aside from the other human poleis, Meletis and Setessa both trade with the centaurs of the Lagonna band. The centaurs don't work metal, so they trade woodwork, the produce of the plains, and woven blankets to the human poleis in exchange for weapons and armor.

Notable Meletians

• Callaphe, the plane's greatest mariner and a legendary trickster. Later chosen by Thassa as her demigod and champion.
• Daxos, renowned oracle able to hear all of Theros's gods. Later chosen by Heliod as his demigod and champion.
• Elpidios, oracle of Ephara and first leader of the Twelve after Kynaios and Tiro's death.
• Kydele, oracle of Kruphix at his temple in the city.
• Kynaios and Tiro, the polis's founders.
• Niko Aris, gifted athlete and Planeswalker.
• Perisophia, most influential of the Twelve that rules Meletis.
• Thrasios, a Triton hero who lives among the humans of Meletis.
• Tymna, a former Battlewise soldier and current weaver.

Gallery

• 

  Concept art by Adam Paquette.

• 

  Concept art by Adam Paquette.

In-game references

Associated cards:

• Daxos of Meletis
• Guardians of Meletis
• Kynaios and Tiro of Meletis
• Meletis Astronomer
• Meletis Charlatan
• The Birth of Meletis

Referred to:

• Alseid of Life's Bounty
• Anvilwrought Raptor
• Archetype of Imagination
• Boulderfall
• Chosen by Heliod
• Deepwater Hypnotist
• Dryad of the Ilysian Grove
• Elite Instructor
• Epiphany Storm
• Fleetfeather Sandals
• Floodtide Serpent
• Flummoxed Cyclops
• Glimpse of Freedom
• Hold at Bay
• Lampad of Death's Vigil
• Leonin Snarecaster
• Loathsome Chimera
• Naiad of Hidden Coves
• Nessian Hornbeetle
• Nyxborn Shieldmate
• Oread of Mountain's Blaze
• Pull from the Deep
• Sinister Starfish
• Surge of Salvation
• Thaumaturge's Familiar
• Thundering Chariot
• Vexing Gull