Empire

Biodata

Background / History

The empire was founded amid ruin and a shortage of talent. Its first emperor reformed the state by appointing capable people regardless of birth and establishing an academy system that judged students by talent rather than lineage. Nobles retained the right to establish academies in their own territories as a compromise. Over subsequent decades, the empire consolidated its lands and became the continent’s second-strongest power through the legacy of the Ancient Magic Empire’s royal heritage. In the 300th year of the Radiant Era, the first emperor passed authority to Gloria II, left behind the Star Crown and King Selection Sword, and disappeared 52.

The Four Great Families accumulated extensive lands and resources over millennia, hardening the empire’s class structure. Their dominance made them targets of rising minor nobles, major merchants, and the Rebel Army, while the royal family’s stance toward this broader conflict was initially unclear 15.

Government and Political Structure

• Imperial Royal Family — Holds the throne and the inherited Eye of Destiny, an artifact with fate-interfering power comparable to that of a Ninth Rank Diviner 864.
• Four Great Families — The empire’s old-noble bloc; their territories and influence place them in recurring conflict with the royal faction, minor nobles, and the Marquises 15 831.
• Nine Marquises — Nominally independent nobles allied with the Royal Guardians 864.
• Royal Guardians — Three powerful protectors of the royal mausoleums and Royal Bloodline crystal:
  • Heart of Darkness — A Conservative who favors lasting imperial stability 681.
  • Guardian of Stars — A Reformist who advocates embracing change 681.
  • Gray Robe — The oldest and strongest guardian; politically centrist and focused on the empire’s continued existence 681.
• Upper House — Formed after Gloria III’s disappearance. The First Prince and Fourth Princess each hold veto power, while the three Royal Guardians render final rulings in disputes 682.

Military and Security

• The empire can deploy Ninth Rank professionals from the royal family and major ducal and marquis families throughout its territory during major crises 298.
• During the Dark Tide of Beasts, it deployed all High-Ranked Professionals to defend its cities, leaving the Rebel Army to contend with the threat independently 318.
• Players equipped with Magic Constructs became a recognized elite force during the beast-tide invasion despite most not yet being High-Ranked 322.
• The Eye of Destiny was mobilized for an empire-wide purge of the Star Praise Sect after the cult’s attack in the Glory Secret Realm 569.

Technology and Development

• The inauguration of the magic train Radiance signaled an official push toward Magic Construct development 9.
• Construct airships made travel between kingdoms substantially more accessible despite the dangers of wilderness routes 403.
• The widespread presence of Fourth Rank players in Star Territory boosted trade and drew merchants from across the empire, potentially making it an economic center of Carlas Province 784.

Major Events

Fallen Star Crisis

A fallen meteor in Magna Province was identified as the wreckage of a possible Ancient Magic Empire Floating City. The discovery shook the continent’s Web of Fate and drew representatives and Ninth Rank experts from major factions 295.

A Holy Radiance Church ritual struck the ruins expedition’s temporary command post with power roughly equivalent to a Ninth Rank Limit attack, injuring three of the empire’s Ninth Ranks 318. The ensuing Dark Tide of Beasts swept across the empire, requiring a nationwide defense 318.

Glory Secret Realm Attack

Following the Heretic God Cult attack in the Glory Secret Realm, the Imperial Royal Family designated the Star Praise Sect an extreme evil organization and ordered its complete eradication. The sect’s main forces escaped into the Iter Free Federation before the empire could capture them 569.

Xia Ye Ying Huo and the Last Dragonborn received Imperial Honorary Viscount titles and resources for relaying intelligence from the secret realm 569.

Imperial Succession Crisis

Gloria III’s disappearance destabilized the upper ranks of the empire. First Prince Ferdinand Augustine prepared to assume the throne, while Fourth Princess Osfia’s Ninth Rank breakthrough and support from the Guardian of Stars disrupted his plans 681 682.

Gloria III was granted a three-year buffer period during his absence. The resulting Upper House divided authority between Ferdinand and Osfia under the oversight of the Royal Guardians 682.

Civil War and Fragmentation

The conflict expanded beyond a struggle between royal siblings. It involved the Royal Guardians’ ideological divisions, High-Ranked Prophets, the Marquises, the Four Great Families, the Spark Rebel Army, the Star Praise Sect, and outside powers 755.

The royal faction and the Four Great Families became openly opposed after the Aluke Marquis returned and accused the Enoch Family of conspiring against him 831. The Seventh Prince, supported by the Aslaid Family and Dragon Island, seized much of the northern territory, prompting the First Prince and Fourth Princess to form a temporary alliance against him 767 779.

The war eventually ended with the empire re-divided among the involved parties. The Marquises disappeared, and their forces turned against one another 879.

Relationships

• Imperial Royal Family — The ruling dynasty; its internal succession struggle became a central cause of civil war 681 682.
• Four Great Families — Historic old-noble powers whose resources and territories made them targets during the era’s political realignment 15.
• Nine Marquises — Allied with the Royal Guardians despite their outward independence 864.
• Royal Guardians — Protect the royal mausoleums and bloodline while exerting decisive influence over succession and imperial disputes 681 682.
• Spark Rebel Army — An armed anti-noble movement that exploited imperial crises to capture cities and operate underground 317 683.
• Star Praise Sect — Declared an extreme evil organization after its attack on the Glory Secret Realm 569.
• Aslaid Family and Dragon Island — Their alliance gave the Seventh Prince overwhelming military leverage and violated a founding-period agreement between the Four Great Families and Emperor Gloria 767.
• Holy Radiance Church / Saint Messiah Empire — Its ritual attack at the Fallen Star ruins created a major diplomatic and military confrontation 317 318.