|
|
|
The Imperial Flame
Imperial Legend speaks of the First Emperor, and how he received the Undying Flame of Heaven. The sun god sent down part of his fire to the earth as a great pillar of flame along with a prophecy that one would step into the fire and survive, and that person would become Emperor. Sure enough, when the man now known as Divinely Chosen stepped into the fire he was unscathed. In fact, part of the divine fire burned inside him, making him semi-divine himself. That spiritual part of the flame is passed from Emperor to Emperor. The physical part has been kept alight throughout the millennia, constantly tended by priests.
When the Empire settled new colonies, the Imperial Flame would be taken there and a fire lit from it (in the fashion of the Olympic torch). In some cities this would be a huge brazier in the centre of the city, in others it would be a small fire in a cloistered temple. The Imperial Flame is the symbol of the Empire. While it burns in a city, the city is safe (so legend has it). In places where the Imperial presence has been withdrawn, the flame has usually gone out (like Port Linlin), although some places keep it burning out of superstition (in Llaza, the harbour beacons are the "descendents" of the Imperial Flame).
|
|
