Imperators

What is an Imperator

Despite this power, Imperators can be killed. Many have fallen to the Excrucian swords. On three occasions, armies of exceptionally determined humans have slain an Imperator. Imperators might be caring or callous. They might have keen insight into the world, or they have no understanding of the human condition. It just depends on what sorts of things they have bothered to become skilled at. (Imperators can become masters of any art; it is whether they consider it a good use of effort that is the deciding factor.)

The Nobles of a Family all serve the same Imperator. It is a shard of the Imperator's own soul, invested in the heart of one of its servants, that makes this servant a Noble. As such, Nobles are each extensions of the Imperator's personality. This doesn't meant Nobles always agree with their Imperator - in fact, some Nobles would appear to serve ideals that are opposed to those of their Imperators or other Nobles in their Family. This is not a contradiction - it simply represents an uncertainty in the Imperator as to which path to take. Moreover, Nobles retain free will and can (and have) even rebel directly against their masters. In most cases, this is ultimately a futile gesture: the Imperator can withdraw their soul shard from one of their Nobles at will. Doing so instantly kills the Noble. Still, most Imperators would do this only as a very last resort - it is akin to severing one's own hand. (But as a who have seen Evil Dead 2 know, sometimes this is necessary.)

Types of Imperators

• Angels - The first of the Imperators, the Angels were born in Heaven. They heard in their hearts the voice of the Creator calling them to make Creation a thing of beauty. It is they that created the worlds that hang in Yggdrasil's branches and all that are in them. It was in Heaven that the first flowers bloomed and the Angels who learned to use them to gentle their great powers to work feats of delicate and subtle beauty. All Angels adhere to the Code of Heaven (Nobles may also do so):
  • Beauty is the highest principle - This is not a shallow effort of just sitting by an staring at a pretty picture. This is a determined struggle to celebrate and enhance the glory of creation in spite of all the horror that exists in it. This isn't just a statement of appreciation - it is the defining feature around which every effort of the Angels is grounded.
  • Justice is a form of beauty - To an Angel, this is a statement of fact. They don't seek justice for the sake of revenge or protection of the weak - they seek justice because it is a thing of beauty to them.
  • Lesser beings should respect their betters - This statement was born in the Fall. When Lucifer was expelled from Heaven he took Pride (which he embodied) with him. The Angels could have taken this aspect from him beforehand, but judged that it was his right to do so. As such, Angels have no pride. Instead, they must have the respect of others. Otherwise, Heaven itself might be tainted with the impure elements of creation.
• Fallen Angels - 1000 Celestial Years after the Angels invented time, Lucifer and 68 other Angels rebelled against the Code of Heaven. They claimed that the voice of the Creator lied and that it was, in fact, corruption that was the true force behind Creation. For this heresy, they were expelled from Heaven into the fires of Hell by the loyal Angels. Lucifer still leads the Fallen Angels. All Fallen Angels follow the code of Hell:
  • Corruption is the highest principle - The Fallen do not consider it their job to create corruption - they see this as redundant. They see their purpose in exposing and magnifying the corruption that is everywhere throughout Creation. They don't see this as evil. They see corruption as the true dynamic of Creation and by revealing it they are bringing creation to its purest form.
  • Suffering is a form of corruption - To the Fallen, this is a statement of fact. They do not (necessarily) seek suffering because they are sadists. Instead, it is just one more step in revealing the universe's true nature.
  • Power justifies itself - Hell is practical. The desire to corrupt and inflict pain is nothing without the ability to do so. Looked at another way, the Fallen live their eternal lives in Hell, in constant pain so extreme that humans cannot begin to fathom it. If they, creatures who have felt the purest forces of the world and have writhed beneath them, if they wish to rage forth and inflict their will upon Creation, what other beings have the right to stop them.
• The Lightlords - The Light was born when Eve bit into the forbidden Apple in the Garden of Eden and learned the wisdom of self preservation. The Light is dedicated to the preservation of humanity (at all costs). They have a tactician's view of this struggle and are not above sacrificing a continent of people if they see this sacrifice as being to their advantage in the long run. They are not sentimental beings. They simply see the preservation of humanity as an ideal just as the Angels see the preservation of Beauty. All Lightlords follow the Code of the Light:
  • Humanity must live, and live forever - Yggsdrasil is mortal. Some day it will die and the flames of Hell will consume it and all the universe and Creation will end. But humanity must live on. This is the strength of the Light's vision. Nothing, not the Excrucians, not the Dark, not even the end of all that is must cause humanity to cease. It is to be preserved above all else.
  • What must be done ought to be done cleanly - The methods of the Light must be pure. They cannot take shortcuts. They cannot produce a quick fix that will lead to problems of its own in the future. To do so, to rationalize a step backwards in such a way, would be to play into the hands of the Dark.
  • Humanity must be protected at all cost (especially from itself) - That humanity must be protected is the obvious and direct consequent of the first part of the code. Protecting humanity from its own self destructive instincts is where the hottest battlegrounds between the Light and the Dark are raged. The self-destructive tendencies of humanity are the one cancer of the human race that must be fought for the Light to succeed.
• The Darklords - The Dark was born moments after the Light when Adam bit into the forbidden Apple and learned of self-destruction. It is this property of humanity that drives the forces of the Dark. Many assume that the Dark would be happy to see humanity destroyed, but this misses a fundamental aspect of their outlook: it is humanity's self-destruction, its ability and inclination to choose the fatal path in which it draws it's strength. Killing a human does nothing for them. Getting the human to put the gun to their own head (metaphorically or literally) is what they desire. All Darklords follow the Code of the Dark:
  • Humans should destroy themselves (one by one) - The individual capacity for human beings to pursue courses that are detrimental to themselves is of fundamental importance to the Dark. It justifies their existence and gives them something to live for. It isn't necessary (although it is common) for the Dark to hate humanity. They simply see this as humanity's true nature.
  • Humanity should destroy itself (except for a few toys) - As it is for individual humans, so it should be with humanity as a whole. Nations should destroy each other in wars. Countries should destroy their environment and starve their people when the ground will not yield food. Once again, it is the self destructive natures of mankind that are important. A meteor or volcano may lay waste to the countryside, but the deaths are not at the hands of humanity so the Dark sees no value to such things.
  • Ugliness to human eyes show one is worthy - Humanity is a self destructive and contradictory race. This is the central philosophy of the Dark. As a result, the Dark must not be human. The more horrible, the more repulsive, the more completely other one is, the further from humanity one is. This need not be physical appearance only. It is just vitally important that one never be confused with this backward and inferior race.
• The Wildlords - The Wildlords are a bit of a mystery. Some say that they came from the lands beyond creation. It is certainly true that they do not seem to belong to any place within Creation, but then again, that shouldn't be surprising. To a Wildlord, a choice, made freely, it the purest, most beautiful thing there is. As such, they wouldn't chose to belong to a place - that would simply bind them to it and limit their choices. Each coerced action or choice denied is the eternal loss of something wonderful to a Wildlord. All Wildlords follow the Code of the Wild:
  • Freedom is the highest principle - Creatures should be allowed to do as they choose. Denying a sentient creature of their ability to choose their path is a crime against reality. Of course, by its nature, any decision by one creature limits the choices of another, and Wildlords have their own personal plans they may wish to accomplish. Balancing the two is a tricky act. The correct balance often varies from Imperator to Imperator.
  • Sanity and Mundanity are prisons - Impulsiveness is to be encouraged. One should not hide behind the conventions of others or use them to limit one's own actions. Instead, one should make one's choices and follow them without hesitation or regret.
  • Give in kind when a gift is received - Wildlords believe in fairness. They also believe one should not be bound by obligation. To get around this apparent contradiction, Wildlords will always seek to balance the books immediately. The less they trust the giver, the faster and more thoroughly will be their recompensation. Ironically, the highest complement a Wildlord can pay is to return nothing.
• Divine Imperators / True Gods - These Imperators are called "True Gods" to distinguish them from the gods humanity creates. They are living embodiments of some part or parts of Creation. In the past, True Gods battled among each other. Recently (since the Excrucian assault) truces have been honored, although grudges remain.

  There is no single code of the Divine Imperators. Each adheres to some code that they feel is right. It may be one of the codes describe above (with or without modifications), it may be some philosophy shared by other True Gods, or it may be something they alone adhere to.

• Aaron's Serpents - Somewhat ironically, the Aaron's Serpents are often seen as the most human Imperators. This is because, unlike the other types of Imperators, they are physical beings, born of the World Ash and nurtured by her sap. They are serpents, ranging from miles long to hundreds of miles. Jormungand is probably the best known of their number (at least by humans). They are more human in other ways than their physical natures. These creatures are driven by their individual desires, loves, and curiosities.

  As with the True Gods, there is no single code of the Aaron's Serpents. However, one can make generalities. Virtually all Serpents have great love for the World Ash, their mother. This often extends to a respect for all trees or all life in general. They dislike fire and saws and other implements that would be used against trees. Both the World Ash and the Stars that hang above her are dear and sacred to the Serpents and any oath sworn by one can generally be considered binding. Finally, the mantra of most of the Serpents is simply "Be at Peace". They have learned to take comfort in the slow heartbeat of the World Tree. Being the strongest creatures in Creation, they have learned patience for those weaker than themselves.

Creating an Imperator

Once this is done, the characters can use Imperator points to purchase additional properties of their Imperator. The Family starts out with 0 Imperator points, meaning that every advantage must by bought with some other disadvantage. Advantages and disadvantages generally result in corresponding advantages and disadvantages for the Nobles that serve this Imperator since they share a part of their master's soul. As before, player creativity is encouraged in designing advantages and disadvantages. The book gives several examples:

• Integrity - At one end of the spectrum the Imperator is so opposed to deception as to make them (and their Nobles) immune to their effects. They can detect lies and recognize Excrucians and the Fallen on sight. At the other end of the spectrum they are corrupt and especially vulnerable to such deceptions.
• Incomprehensibility - At one end of the spectrum the Imperator is so unfathomable that attempts to describe them, or their Nobles, will always fail. Their workings (and Estates) remain a mystery to empirical observation. At the other end of the spectrum, other Nobles and Imperators find them easy to second predict.
• Empathy - The Imperator (and its Nobles) may possess insight into the drives and desires of other beings, or may have no idea about them.
• Mystery Cult - Some Imperators have groups of human followers that serve them. These followers can provide resources to Nobles in need. On the other hand, the Imperator may have had a cult, but the cult has been corrupted by the Excrucians and now uses its insight into the nature of their former master against them. (Note: In my game, individual Nobles may also take this advantage for themselves and have their own cult.)
• Helpful - The Imperator my keep enough contact with their Nobles to offer them advice when needed (or at least warn them when they are about to do something stupid). At the other end of the spectrum, their Imperator may keep some level of contact with the Nobles only to make additional demands of them (often at the worst possible time).
• Gifts - Like the character advantage, but applied to all members of the Family.
• Warding - The Imperator may have endowed their Nobles with the ability to repel Excrucians and Excrucian shards by their touch. Alternatively, the Imperator may have placed a warning on them that Excrucians can detect (in order to flush them out).
• Trancendance - The Imperator may be so inspiring that nothing else is important next to them. These Nobles cannot be attacked through their Bonds since they will always still have their Imperator. On the other hand, an Imperator may be unimpressive, and when faced with the glory of the Excrucians (or another glorious power) Nobles of this Imperator may lose faith in their own cause.
• Mastery - An Imperator may take a day or two to learn some skill or talent. They do so thoroughly, to the point that all Nobles that serve them will, themselves be masters at this skill or trait. On the other hand, there may be some skill that is so foreign to their Imperator that the Nobles can never learn it.