Emperors

## Leaders of Mortals

An "**Emperor**" or "**Empress**" is a special status, a tittle bestowed by The Light itself to individuals worthy of leading the Mortal Races by virtue and example. Throughout history only three lines of Emperors have ever been formed, the individuals that founded them pleading to The Light for a power to aid them in protecting their homes and people from the great Evils that threatened the world.

Three imperial lines exist:

* The Imperial Line of Summus
* The Imperial Line of Wagashi
* The Imperial Line of the Shining Concord

## Mark of The Emperor

Similar to the Mark of The Hero the Mark of The Emperor is a divine blessing granted only to those The Light deems worthy. Throughout history the Light has created very few of these Marks and only one of each of the three Imperial Marks has ever existed in The World at on time. Much like the Mark of The Hero how one uses the Mark can vary greatly, the abilities that the Mark grants varying from one Emperor or Empress to another. Usually however, the Mark comes in the form of a blessing that improves their ability to safeguard or lead their people and it always manifests as a glowing tattoo located on the body of the Emperor.

### Passing on The Mark

The Mark of the Emperor is not hereditary. Only those worthy of the position can ever and will ever be granted the Mark. The Light, or an Angel tasked with the duty by The Light, determine the the right time and the person to pass it on to.

In rare instances when an Emperor or Empress feels their abilities to lead or their health wane, they (with wisdom an humility befitting their station) can chose to give up the mark and state this desire via prayer. The Light then gazes upon their lands and seeks out a worthy successor, if possible passing on the mark to a new willing individual.

It should be noted that there have been cases where Imperial Lines had time gaps between successors. Individuals with the necessary qualities and character to bare the responsibility that comes with the Mark of the Emperor are even rarer then those who have the quality to become Heroes. The Light has never once made the choice to grant this blessing with lowered standards or has ever been pressured into doing so by circumstance - only when the right criteria are met is the Mark granted.

Another thing to note is that, despite the Mark not being hereditary, it is not uncommon for the mark to be inherited by a child or descendant of an Emperor or Empress. This is not due to a favoritism on The Light's part but due to the fact that the children of Emperor's are usually in proximity to the Emperor themselves and are often influenced by their example. Add onto that the fact that they often have access to some of the best education and training available on Zyreema and it does not become far-fetched for these children to become great champions of Good in their own right.

## Emperors and The World

It should also be noted that the benefits of the mark are not just the ones in the form of the divine abilities granted by it. Good society at large, baring in mind the Virtues, understands the value of the people who have lived up to the criteria needed to become Emperors - giving these individuals immense authority within the League of Good Nations.

However there is no "first among equals" as far as Good is concerned. Emperors bare a great position but the rulers of other Good nations are their equals, each aware that they mutually rely on one-another in the Great War against Evil. Still, with the fact that the three Empires of good are simply much larger than most of their allies the say of their rulers does indeed go a long way.

## Current Emperors

The current bearers of the Mark of the Emperor are:

* Empres Aurelia Claudia Exima "The Shining"
* Emperor..... (Wagashi Emperor)
* Emperor..... (Shining Concord Emperor)