About the Empire
Officially known as the "Divine Light of the Ever-Expanding Rays of Splendour", or more informally the "Empire of Splendour" by its inhabitants and even more simply "The Empire" by those who live outside it, this political entity has existed for thousands of years though in recent centuries it has shrunk to a shadow of its former self.

Government
The Emperor is the Bearer of the Undying Flame of Heaven, a divine fire that is continually reborn in each new Emperor. His role is to intercede with the Immortals on behalf of the mortal realm.
Mundane affairs are overseen by a stratified bureaucracy of Magisters Administrator and Judiciary who have achieved their station through merit and study.

Religion
The Celestial Emperor, Guide of Heaven and Lord of the Four Suns governs all of creation. The Immortal Realm mirrors the mortal, with a Divine Bureaucracy (the Ten Thousand Immortals) overseeing the workings of the world, like tides, harvests and earthquakes.
The peasants revere local spirits, the lowest of the Immortal realm, or follow the teachings of wise sages like Manrupashnar. Educated men practice mystical philosophies like the Path of Water and Mountains, or the Way of Six Energies.

Way of Life
All men are equal before the law of the Empire, from the lowliest farmer to the Emperor himself. No man may own another, or hold another in bondage or serfdom.
Nature is seen as a thing to be tamed or improved upon. From great public works like the dams and aqueducts that supply Imperial cities with running water, to the breeding of ornamental plants and animals, the people of the Empire bend nature to their will.
Order is important to the Empire. Everything has its place, and there are rules to cover all occasions. Although once the Empire stretched across the world and brought many innovations in magic and technology, now it has become hide-bound and stagnating, suffocating by its own rules.

Places of Interest
From the capital of Reflected Glory to the desolate Oracle of Kulaban, from the wonders of Sunset Canyon to the might of the dam of Sepuraabi, the Empire is home to many wondrous locations.

Who are you?
I am Arjenchashur, Magister of Dawn and Birds for the Ward of Plentiful Abundance.

Who are we?
We are free citizens of the Divine Light of the Ever-Expanding Rays of Splendour, that people more commonly call the Empire of Splendour. We are educated men of a fine Ashara blood-line.

What makes us great?
The Empire is the most civilised nation in the whole world. We are more advanced and more cultured than anyone else, for only in the Empire may any man strive to better himself through education, only in the Empire can even a simple peasant accuse his superiors under the law, and only the Empire receives the Divine Wisdom of the Celestial Emperor.

What is the difference between men and women?
Men are of the Sun and women of the Moon. Just as the sun's light is stronger than the moon's, so men are physically stronger than women. But both men and women may learn the classics, and both men and women may defend their nation. We do not bar anyone serving the Empire on the basis of their sex.

Where do we live?
We live in the fine farming town of Many Nightingales, the market centre for the Ward of Plentiful Abundance. It is a peaceful place, rich with orchards and rice paddies. The River of No Geese waters the land on its way to the Nine Spirits River in the east.
Our home is a fine manor, the official dwelling of the local Magister Administory. It has a red tiled roof atop wooden walls on brick and mortar foundations. There is but a single story and the undercroft, for a Magister may not show impertinence to the Celestial Emperor by reaching for the Heavens.