Zothay has historically been ruled by hereditary Tyrants, who are the sole rulers and arbiters of justice.
Their rule has, however, been tempered by the influence (to various degrees) by the temple of the city’s
patron goddess,
Athena. The current Tyrant, Kristas the Red, is considered
strict but benevolent. He
has a small coterie of advisors including it is believed at the current time
Kleantes the Wizard. A dominant
feature of the city politics is the
Treaty with Ossary with stipulates that Zothay must pay tribute to the Skandiks.
The Treaty gave the
Skandiks the right to appoint a Governor to oversee the
rule of the city. In practice the
Governor has little interest in the day to day running of the city as long as the tribute is
paid, the terms of the Treaty are met and the city
functions as a convenient trading centre for the Skandiks.
See also Spies for the activities of foreign powers in Zothay.