Celestial Empire (Old Lore)

## Introduction

The Celestial Empire is the largest human nation across the dimensions and streches across the majority of Xyrillias main continent. Since its creation in the earlymost Dark Ages it has been refounded five times. Led by the Ethyrion and the Prefects of the Empires region it leads the Xyrillians under divine supervision.

## Culture

### Eunuchs

Eunuchs are an essential part of the imperial bureaucracy. They are its administrators, advisors and royal representatives. The Quey Ryu, the *Heavenly Balance*, requires the political power of the Celestial Empire to rest upon three pillars: the administrative power of the eunuchs, the representative power of the royalty and the executive power of the priesthood. The trinity of these enlifted castes ensures that the empire will not fall into chaos. The eunuchs are devoted to their given tasks. They are masters of finance, regulation, bureaucracy and consultation. They council the royal rulers while being the oil that keeps the political machinery of Xyrillia running smoothly.

#### Philosophy

The act of castration symbolically removes ones ties to their own humanity. They will be freed from the obligations of family, flesh and desire. A eunuch is no longer part of their bloodline or class. They do not need to answer to a fathers call or a childs begging. They have no family they own loyalty to, no love they can overvaluate, no desire that can make them corruptable. Eunuchs are only bound to the task that was given to them and the only they are loyal to is their masters. A eunuch can not recieve pleasure, joy or titles. A eunuch will only serve.

For that reason they are trusted across all of Xyrillia. While many lower Prefecti loathe this practice, they still accept eunuchs and the work they do. The belief that castration purifies the mind is rooted deep in the western soceities of the High Prefecti. In their eyes, a eunuch is no longer a human being. They are mere machines, made to perform a single purpose and that is to think. Neither emotion nor prejudice clouds their judgement.

#### Creation

Eunuchs are mostly made since the operation transforming them is rather easy. Xyrillian surgeons have perfected this operation which is done quick and painless. The risk of severe bloodloss has been reduced to a minimum due to the advancements in medical science. Only one in ten-thousand males dies during this procedure. Yet, especially in the west, female eunuchs are also not an uncommon sight. There are various ways of sterilising a women which have been developed across the centuries. Doing so via surgery is far more dangerous then for their male counterparts, yet it has arisen to become the most common method of turning them. While it is also possible to sterilize them with elixirs, the process may not always result in total infertility and thus be less common. No matter in what way the ovaries are neutralised, every female is "circumised" to ensure they may not feel pleasure.

While most eunuchs choose their role for various reasons; be they escaping modest means, gaining influence, embracing mental mastery or purifing the mind; it is not uncommon for a noble to be forced into this "enlifted caste". For many royals it is a conveniant way to dispose of undesirable heirs or unworthy represantatives for their bloodline. Although it is a common threat to turn someone into a eunuch to inspire obedience or empower an enforced marriage, only few rulers would really make use of it.

#### Xil Xai

The Xil Xai or *Enlifted Minds* are a unique type of eunuchs created only in the Xyrillian realm in the forbidden halls of Xilian. They undergo a special set of rituals that turn them into eunuchs. What these include is unkown, although there is a dreaded mystery that surrounds their turning. While it is a common stereotype that all eunuchs are coldhearted and calculating, this is certainly true for the Xil Xai. They display few to no regular human emotion and resemble thinking machines of unmachted intellect. Every Xil Xai is photographic memory and is able to process thoughts and calculations far quicker then any other human. Xil Xai surround themselfes with secrecy and for some reason they never act against one another, even if it may increase their personal power. Xil Xai have been reported to be immune against magical commands from the Path of the Mind or the touch of spirits. The Ethyrion and the highest authorities across the entire Celestial Empire only accept these as their servants and advisors.

#### Ranks

There are many types of eunuchs employed in the Celestial Empire, each serving a single purpose. Most of them are trained in *Wahaichais*, eunuch academies. There they are educated about bureaucracy, finance, history, culture, military, magic or science.

* **Advisors**- These are the highest ranked eunuchs in all of Xyrillia. They undergo half a lifetime of academic studies before they are deemed worthy of advising a noble. Once they achieve a sufficient amount of knowledge they are send to a royal court where they council their repective ruler. Imperial law dictates every relevant ruler must have one of the following advisors: *Cultural Advisors* which are concerned with manners, ettiquette, sociological dynamics and customs; *Strategic Advisors* which are educated in all manners of military strategy and organisation; *Political Advisors* which are aware of the complex entanglements of local and global politics; *Magical Advisors* which are trained by the priesthood and are keepers of arcane knowledge, often functioning as soothsayers or inquisitors; and at last and least the *Historical Advisors* which are concerned with the teachings of the past and the cultural heritage of the nation.
* **Administrators**
* **Treasurers**
* **Bureaucrats**
* **Academics-** Although it is not mandatory to be a eunuch in order to become a professor, reseacher or scholars, yet it is not uncommon as they are seen are more rational and clear minded.
* **Attendants**- These are the lowest of eunuchs and are amongst the most numerous. They function as simple valets for sons, daughters, concubines, wifes or husbands to ensure no "impure" serves them that may corrupt them. These are often drawn from people of low birth and undergo little to no training

## Institutions

* The Imperial Army protects Celestial Empire on the land. It contains over a million soldiers drawn from each of the great Prefecti. Lead by the *Lord Commander of the Imperial Forces* in Sheiley they employ every weapon, unit and strategy available to the xyrillian people.
* The Imperial Fleet