Tesh

Tesh, also known as The City of the Crawling Liquid, is a powerful city-state to the far west of New Crobuzon, adjacent to the Firewater Straits.

Politics

Little is known about the domestic situation in Tesh. Passing reference is made to something or someone called the Crying Prince, but it is not clear if this refers to a landmark, a ruler, or some other significant figure in Tesh culture.

Culture

The city of Tesh is walled, with large gates barring passage into the city from the Catoblepas Plains that surround it. The city itself is known for its "glass cats" and numerous moats, located in the aptly-named "Moatlands" that lay between the city and the surrounding Briarlands and Catoblepas Plain. As of the war with New Crobuzon, the moats have been refilled. Tesh likely shares its cultural history with the Witchocracy, as indicated by the two city-states' proximities and their similar systems of government. The great importance that Tesh attaches to its elite ambassadors and the large, seemingly exclusive role of arcane arts in the Tesh military indicate that the hidden science plays a much larger role in Tesh's culture than in New Crobuzon's. Trade
Teshi sea traders who cross the Firewater Straits to trade with New Crobuzon are known to have filed teeth and henna tattoos and to travel on "barquentines and dandy catboats all raggedy with colored cloth". Tesh is also known for importing large quantities of olive oil and vinhog wine from the nomadic tribes who inhabit the surrounding Galaggi Veldt, and likely has trade relations with the Witchocracy. Diplomacy
By tradition the Tesh embassy has always been empty, with the ambassador living as "a vagrant" in New Crobuzon, unknown to the city officials. During the Tesh-New Crobuzon War, New Crobuzon's Parliament has severe difficulties even communicating with Tesh. Religion
Although most Teshi are not religious, certain Teshi follow the philosophy and religion of the Manifold Horizon. Followers of the Manifold Horizon worship a variety of "Moments", something between gods and locations. The Briarlands on the outskirts of Tesh were home to a monastery of monks who follow the Manifold Horizon. Prior to the monastery's destruction by New Crobuzon slave-assassinl, there were a variety of monastic orders there:

The Monks of Cadmer, Moment of Calculation - These monks were essentially mathematical savants who sacrificed their emotions for incredible mathematical prowess. During the New Crobuzon attack on the monastery, the Monks of Cadmer realized that they would not survive, and allowed themselves to be killed without resisting.
The Monks of Zaori, Moment of Magic Wine - The Monks of Zaori drank themselves to a "visionary death" when the New Crobuzon militia approached the monastery.
The Monks of the Moment of Doves - These monks were able to command doves, and used their abilities in concert with the Monks of Desiccation, the Monks of Tekke Shim, and the Monks of Pharru to send flocks of doves to attack the slave-assassins in defense of the monastery.
The Monks of Desiccation - These monks were able to turn their enemy's blood to sand.
The Monks of Pharru, the Moment of the Forgotten Snow - The Monks of Pharru were able to command ice and snow. They used this ability to slow and degrade the New Crobuzon militia during their attack on the monastery.
The Monks of Tekke Shim, the Moment of Memory - The Monks of Tekke Shim worked with the Monks of Pharru to create ice storms to hinder the progress of the militia.
The Monks of Tekke Vogu, the Moment of the Hidden and Lost - The monks of Tekke Vogu were the only survivors of the monastery. Although the order's neophytes were quickly killed by the militia, the senior monks were able to hide themselves and make themselves lost to their attackers.

Despite the destruction of the monastery during the war, it is likely that there are other monasteries scattered throughout the Tesh outlands.

Military

Teshi science and magic is radically different that that of New Crobuzon, leading to further miscalculations and confusion during the Tesh-New Crobuzon War. For much of the war New Crobuzon and Tesh are fairly evenly matched, although the war's exact toll on Tesh's military is not known. During this war, it was not uncommon for Tesh to use children as suicide bombers, carried out by loading them up with flesh-melting hexes and sending them at New Crobuzon soldiers. Toward the end of the conflict, Tesh sent a witnessing as a form of intimidation and as a means of gathering information. Tesh's most potent weapons of war were also its ambassadors, each one a highly skilled wizard with the ability to destroy city-states so absolutely that ripples are sent backwards in time from the moment of destruction. Weapons
The Teshi military uses a variety of weapons and forces, including "Ifrit winds", "soulcannon", and "toothbombs". In at least one instance, it is believed that Tesh also used a colorbomb against the New Crobuzon Militia during an engagement. Naval Forces
Reference is made to the use of "shunboats" as a means of enforcing tariffs and patrolling the Firewater Straits. It is not clear what kind of vessel this term refers to.