The Lost Continent · Chapter
The Burying Alive of Nais explained
Phorenice's edict to bury Nais alive is carried out with brutal efficiency.
What happens
Phorenice's edict to bury Nais alive is carried out with brutal efficiency. Deucalion is forced to participate in the construction of a granite throne and the subsequent ceremony where he marries Phorenice and then entombs Nais beneath the throne-stone as a public spectacle.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak where the protagonis…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Power and Tyranny
Phorenice's edict is carried out instantly and without mercy, showcasing her absolute control over life and death.
- Love and Sacrifice
Deucalion's hidden love for Nais and his forced participation in her entombment highlight the theme of sacrifice for a greater cause.
- Gender and Authority
Phorenice, as a female ruler, exercises supreme authority, while Nais's defiance and Deucalion's subordination reflect complex gender dynamics.
Characters to notice
- Phorenice
The Empress who decrees Nais's burial and marries Deucalion, displaying both cruelty and passion.
- Nais
The victim condemned to be buried alive; she refuses Phorenice's offer of pardon and remains stoic.
- Deucalion
Forced to marry Phorenice and personally entomb Nais, struggling with his duty and his love for Nais.
- Zaemon
Mentioned as having commanded Deucalion to play his part for Atlantis' good.
Key passages
“There is no denying that the wishes of Phorenice were carried into quick effect in the city of Atlantis.”
Phorenice's commands were executed without delay throughout Atlantis.
Highlights the immediate and unquestioning obedience to the Empress.
“I could not lie to her any more just then. The Gods know how honestly I had striven to play the part commanded me for Atlantis’ good, but there is a limit to human endurance, and mine was reached.”
Deucalion could no longer pretend affection for Phorenice, having reached his breaking point despite his efforts to serve Atlantis.
Reveals Deucalion's internal conflict and the strain of his duty.
“I, who had never embraced a woman with aught but the arm of roughness before, now held pressed to me one whom I loved with an infinite tenderness, and the revelation of how love can come out and link with love was almost my undoing.”
Deucalion, who had only known physical force with women, now held Nais with deep love, and the emotional impact nearly overwhelmed him.
Emphasizes the contrast between his brutal public role and his private love for Nais.
