War Empire

The War Empire was a glorious and eternal empire that stretched across countless realms, encompassing myriad people. It did not need a name, because there had never been another one like it, and there would never be, since the Empire was eternal. It was ruled not by mortal monarchs or even Supreme demigods, but by the Dragon himself, who was War. From his throne at the heart of the Empire, a sea of red flowed across the mortal realms, bringing progress and prosperity to all who survived the death and destruction it carried. It was an empire of war, conquest, life, and, most of all, glory.^[2]

The War Empire was ruled by the Dragon, who sat on a towering throne at its heart. He was served by the Four Spirits: the Spirit of Victory, the Spirit of Beauty, the Spirit of Art, and the Spirit of Joy. There used to be six Spirits watching over the Empire, but two had perished in the war against the Jade Court, the only war the Empire had ever lost. The seventh Spirit was said to have not been born yet.

Below the pantheon of the Empire were the seven Supremes, who managed its vast expanse and ruled over its provinces. Those who served the Supremes, as well as the Transcendent champions of its unstoppable legions, held noble status among the people and formed the aristocracy and priesthood of the Empire.^[2]

The Empire was ruled by the Supremes, the High Priests and Priestesses of the Cult of War. Each of them was a famed hero whose deeds had long become legends.^[3]

The Dragon had founded the Empire and overseen it during its early years. Dwelling atop a great tower in the heart of the Empire, the tower was so tall that it scratched the sky and imposed on the realm of Sun God. The Dragon was a living vessel of War God and continued to watch over his subjects from his empyrean throne, his fearsome gaze scaring other deities and the Creatures of Corruption away. War God no longer ruled the Empire personally, as the days of gods walking the earth had long passed into the mythical Ages of Gods and Heroes.^[3]

The War Empire had a strict social hierarchy. The citizens occupied a position below the aristocracy and priesthood, with warriors being the most privileged class among them. Those born in the outer provinces were not afforded citizenship but retained the lofty status of imperial subjects and could elevate themselves through meritorious deeds.^[2]

Below the free population were the slaves, who were widespread throughout the Empire but possessed no rights or status. Even the lowest of free men was considered a person, while slaves were not. Despite this hierarchy, citizens could enjoy prosperous and comfortable lives, particularly those belonging to military families. However, the Awakened were the true elites of the Empire.^[2]

The Empire distinguished between its citizens and its subjects. People living in distant conquered lands were subjects of the Empire, but they were not necessarily its citizens. The glamour and splendor of the imperial heartland was like a myth to those living in the remote periphery.^[3]

Slaves occupied a lower position in the social hierarchy. They tended the lands of wealthy people, while serfs looked upon them with disdain, taking comfort in the distinction between their own condition and that of those wearing collars. Convicts who were shackled and transported under military escort were described by the veteran soldier as despicable slaves and the lowest of the low.^[3]

The Empire's distant provinces were governed through local authorities, including governors associated with nearby fortresses. In the protagonist's homeland, the governor of a nearby fortress took most of the harvest produced by the serfs. Fortresses also served as places where imperial soldiers could be stationed when there were no active campaigns. Soldiers might be left to rot and die of boredom in these fortresses, with few opportunities to distinguish themselves in battle or participate in the pleasures of war. Suppressing occasional uprisings in newer provinces was another duty assigned to the imperial legions.^[3]

The War Empire possessed unstoppable legions that waged wars of conquest across the realms under its dominion. Military service was associated with glory, and victorious soldiers returning from war were welcomed by roaring crowds whose deafening cheers made the ground shake and the glass in windows tremble. Such celebrations inspired admiration and a longing for glory among the young.^[2]

Soldiers could accumulate considerable wealth during their years of service and receive further rewards upon returning to the Empire and leaving the legion. However, the Empire's military campaigns also brought death and destruction to the realms it sought to subjugate.^[2]

The imperial legions were the Empire's great military force. Its soldiers marched beneath red banners, wearing garments painted with vibrant dye and armor that glistened brilliantly in the sun. To people living in remote provinces, the imperial soldiers represented the epitome of wonder, brilliance, pride, and the Empire itself.^[3]

Military service offered opportunities for social advancement. Joining the imperial army promised riches and glory, while providing a direct path to citizenship. Even an untrained youth from a remote outer province could be recruited when the Empire prepared for a new campaign and the legions needed fresh bodies.^[3]

The Empire's military life also provided soldiers with a sense of pride and belonging. Through service, the veteran soldier gained the right to hold his head high and to consider himself an important part of something great and fearsome. He regarded the Spirits as his parents and his fellow soldiers as his siblings, believing that he was never alone on the battlefield.^[3]

Soldiers who accumulated sufficient merit could retire and live comfortably in the imperial heartland as citizens. Many of the veteran soldier's comrades eventually chose this path, although he remained devoted to serving the Empire.^[3]

The War Empire expanded its influence through conquest, bringing progress and prosperity to those who survived its campaigns. Its invasions could devastate entire realms, as demonstrated by the subjugation of a peaceful realm whose people attempted to resist the imperial legions. During the campaign, the realm's cities and temples were burned, its rulers—including royals and oracles—were slaughtered, and the survivors were sold into slavery. The riches of the conquered realm were gathered and sent as tribute to the heartland, while the soldiers received their share.^[2]

Despite its reputation for glory, war could also involve avarice, lust, stagnation, and plunder. The Empire's only known defeat was its war against the Jade Court, during which two of the Spirits watching over the Empire perished.^[2]

The legions of War had conquered distant lands and expanded the Empire across vast territories. By that time, the Empire had existed for a thousand years, and few places remained untouched by its legions. The Empire periodically launched new campaigns, requiring fresh recruits for its armies. Soldiers could gain riches and glory through military service, and joining the imperial army offered a direct path to becoming a citizen.^[3]

The imperial legions also suppressed uprisings in newer provinces and fought Creatures of Corruption. They were accustomed to fighting the Corrupted, and their soldiers participated in battles against these dangerous foes.^[3]

Slavery was widespread throughout the War Empire, and slaves occupied the lowest position in its social hierarchy. Individuals could be sold into slavery after falling into debt or committing crimes, while others were born into it. Slaves could be assigned to different masters and used for various purposes, including gladiatorial combat.^[2]

Battle slaves who fought in arenas could enjoy more boons and pleasures than many citizens. However, those who were considered to have no other value or had committed crimes worthy of execution could be sold as imperial slaves and used as cannon fodder in future military campaigns. Even temple slaves could be captured following the destruction of their religious institutions.^[2]

The War Empire's religious hierarchy centered on the Dragon, the god of War and Life, who was served by the Spirits of Victory, Beauty, Art, and Joy. The people of the Empire worshipped the greatest god of all, the War God, and had little reason to concern themselves with other deities, particularly those considered weak or obscure.^[2]

The Empire's campaigns could also result in the destruction of other religions' places of worship. At one point, the Imperials destroyed the last temple of the Shadow God, leaving no temples of that deity anywhere in the world.^[2]

The Empire had several Spirits associated with its beliefs and traditions. The Spirit of Victory was the guardian deity of soldiers, a valiant descendant of the Dragon and a warrior of unmatched skill. The Spirit of Beauty, also known as the Sacred Maiden, was the deity of perseverance, harvests, and motherhood. The Spirit of Art was the patron of all craftsmen and artisans, whose brilliance and ingenuity ensured the prosperity of the Empire. The Spirit of Joy was the carefree deity of festivity and merrymaking.^[3]

The Cult of War was central to the Empire's leadership, with its High Priests and Priestesses serving as the Supremes who ruled the Empire. The Dragon, as the living vessel of War God, remained a figure of reverence and protection for the Empire and its subjects.^[3]

The War Empire offered its citizens prosperity, comfort, and privileges that people from outside its recognized citizenry did not necessarily enjoy. Military families benefited from generations of service, while warriors could pursue wealth, prestige, and glory through their participation in the imperial legions.^[2]

The Empire's victories were celebrated through grand homecomings, where crowds gathered to welcome returning soldiers with cries of glory. Nevertheless, the pursuit of glory did not always bring satisfaction, as the reality of warfare could reveal plunder and destruction rather than valor or honor.^[2]

• It was the same Empire in Sunny's First Nightmare, protected by the War God, had burned down a few temples of the Shadow God.^[4]
• The War Empire was known for conquest and warfare, which were its bread and butter. However, its fate was sealed when Eurys, described by Azarax as a cunning wretch, killed the avatar of War God. As a result, when the Doom War started, an avatar of War God was nowhere to be seen.^[1]
• The War Empire was described as eternal because it was ruled by the Dragon, who was not only the god of War but also the god of Life. Despite the death and destruction associated with its conquests, the Empire's existence was connected to the enduring desire to live and survive.^[2]
• The Empire existed during the Age of Humans, described as a golden age that followed the mythical Ages of Gods and Heroes. By this period, the days when gods walked the earth were long over, and War God no longer ruled the Empire personally. Despite the passing of the ages, the Dragon continued to watch over the Empire from his empyrean throne, while the Spirits remained important figures in the beliefs and devotion of its people.^[3]
• One of the past life of Shadow was born into a family of serfs in one of the distant lands conquered by the legions of War. His family did not own the land they farmed, and most of their harvest was taken by the governor of a nearby fortress. Although they were free men and women rather than slaves, they lived through hard labor and had little opportunity to see the world beyond their village.^[3]