They kept getting invaded and they wanted no part of the Empire doing its thing, so yeah. They made a pact with the locals and built a whole village under the water. It's, uh, not a great situation... I had a friend from there, and once you leave the bubble you're banished forever.

[That's pretty much it. Gods are just really strong people with a lot of believers, like Santa. It's why Amal doesn't put much stock in religion.]

Not to mention there's easier ways to get complete obedience. I can't imagine the scope of the magic that keeps this place working.

You know what this calls for? [He rubs his chin and grins.] Snooping.