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Legend of Lunaria Captain
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 Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 4:04 pm
THE EMPEROR'S LEGION • Who are they?
In general, the Emperor’s Legion is composed of military families, known for their fighting prowess and steeped in thousands of years of the tradition of defending the Emperor and his divine right to rule. They are commanded by the Emperor and his Four Generals, who were anointed by the Goddess through the Priestess Mizuki. In the face of the relative inexperience of the new Emperor, however, and continuing the balance of power in place with the previous Emperor, the Generals have assumed almost exclusive command of the Legion. The four are in charge of the North, East, South, and West sides of the continent, and have their armies stationed at their respective corners. According to religious accounts, the Goddess has tasked the four generals with maintaining the balance in the world, and has entrusted them with the spirits of the four great constellations, powers only to be used when times are dire. However, whether anyone has witnessed these powers is yet unclear – or perhaps, the Goddess has not willed for them to unleash their full potential just yet.
Because the Legion chain of command is so intimately tied with the temple of the Goddess, their dealings are often shrouded in mystery, even to fellow Legionnaires. The political particulars of the Imperial office are frequently left unexplained, and this does not afford the Legion many followers aside from the ones they’ve had for generations. Though only numbering one-third of the population of Lunaria, the fighting Legionnaires are a formidable force.
• What are they fighting for?
The Legion fights for tradition, for preservation of a system that has been in place in Lunaria since the very beginning. They place full faith in the Goddess’ hand in choosing the Emperor and his council, believing in Her protection through the Generals’ cosmic powers. In particular, they severely doubt the abilities of the imperfect people to rule the continent. Those who are less attuned to the Goddess fight because they see the present system as effective, stable, and they believe that it is going against wisdom to fight something that has worked for thousands of years—in good times and bad. The long history of tradition and success, they reason, is far wiser than any individual or group of individuals in the present. THE NOBLE RETAINERS • Who are they?
Despite their name, the majority of the Noble Retainers are common folk, headed by a few small, but wealthy families who have grown unsatisfied with the Emperor’s rule. Tenjou emerged as the charismatic leader of the group, winning over the people with well-worded promises of change and self-government. Beginning as a small movement among the rich and well-to-do, they have since expanded to include the majority of Lunaria at two-thirds of the population, even going so far as to include Shinta Ringo, the younger brother of one of the Four Generals.
The Retainers are very passionate about their beliefs, revolutionary for this time, and hold public rallies by day, sending troops to harass the Legion by night. Their military expertise lies only with those among them who have defected from the Legion, and they are poorly trained and disorganized compared with their loyalist counterparts, but their strength is in their passion and numbers.
Not to be forgotten is the influence of the temple on the people, who do not view their desire for a new government as contrary to the will of their Goddess. They have pushed an alternate view to the traditional, that the government and the temple should be separate entities instead of entwined as the Legion would have it. Additionally, they do not fear the Generals the same way the Legionnaires do, ascribing to the belief that the protectors of the four cardinal points are not physical avatars, but unseen spirits.
• What are they fighting for?
The Nobles want a government by the people, to have the option to lead themselves rather than wait for appointment by the Goddess. The Emperors and their Generals weren’t elected, after all—they were chosen. Tenjou has promised a system of administration based on merit, in which governmental positions and responsibilities are assigned to individuals on the basis of their credentials and not on the temple’s appointment. By this the leading Nobles mean to suggest a representative democracy, although some among the people suspect that their intentions may not be so pure. 
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Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2012 4:06 pm
 Six months after the events of The Ancient North.
“I, Jia Xuanjing, do solemnly promise to govern the people of Lunaria according to the law, to protect and maintain the Temple of the Goddess, and to faithfully and impartially discharge the duties of the kingdom to the best of my ability.”
All of Lunaria seemed to hold their breath as the priestess Mizuki moved to crown the new Emperor, who sparkled in the finest gold and red. The occasion was not without a gloomy cast—neither the Legion’s sharpest minds nor the Nobles’ most diligent had been able to piece together the story of the late Emperor’s disappearance, even six months hence. By now, most were content to believe that the Goddess had taken him, though many still suspected foul play. For this reason, the four generals were poised just behind the kneeling man, ready to spring to protect their new ruler should danger rear its ugly head.
But there was nothing to worry about as the priestess moved aside, revealing the newly crowned Emperor to his people. He was met by a smattering of applause, the sound of a people divided and unsure. It had been 80 years since Lunaria’s last coronation ceremony, but their doubts ran deeper than that, for Jia Xuanjing was the son of the late Emperor.
“Thank you, my people. I am honored and humbled by your support. Today, eighty years after the coronation of my father, Jia Zhaolie, the kingdom moves forward...”
The Legion had been thrown into chaos since the confrontation at the northern temple, growing more and more hysterical over the months as they remained without a ruler and were left with no explanation as to why. A select few continued to investigate the previous Emperor’s death, but most, as indicated by their vehement cheers and applause, were simply happy to have a new Emperor and balance restored. They clung to his every word now as he addressed them, letting their hopes run high for the new era, the new government, the new beginning. They had not been blind to the previous government’s shortcomings, and now, the Goddess had shown her will and replaced the king. For them, it meant the promise of something better.
The Nobles were uncharacteristically quiet as they regarded the events unfolding before them, their faces a mixture of disappointment, confusion, and conflict. They had taken the Emperor’s disappearance to mean the Goddess’ acquiescence to their views, a sign of her approval. Their faith had been strengthened the longer they went without crowning a new emperor, yet Tenjou and the others had not moved to establish the new government in that time, and now the old system prevailed. Those who were only displeased with the previous Emperor were at a loss now, torn between the novel idea of democracy and the deep-rooted desire to follow their Goddess’ apparent will. Already, many of the Legionnaires who had left to join the Nobles were filing back to the front of the crowd to rejoin their clansmen.
Shizuka bristled near the back of the crowd, her normally pretty features drawn in disapproval. “It’s too soon,” the lieutenant muttered, apparently to no one, “They’ve condemned us to endure another 80 years of incompetence, unless we act now.”
“No, not yet.” Tenjou spoke from a few paces behind the woman, his regal bearing showing no signs of concern, “It’s not yet time.”
“But we’ll lose them all!”
The leader of the retainers quirked his lips, the smile nearly imperceptible on his face as he surveyed the shifting mass before him. “In due course, my dear Shizuka, we’ll gain them all.”
Results of the update:
The Emperor has finally been put to rest, and most Lunarians have moved on from the events of the previous meta. His son, Jia Xuanjing (surname first) has been crowned as the new emperor.
The Legion has been bolstered, convinced of the Goddess’ approval in their ways, and their faith has been restored in the Imperial Court.
The Nobles have taken a blow, their numbers decreasing as the less staunchly liberal of their ranks return to the Legion. They are confused as to why the leading Nobles did not make their move, and Tenjou and the others are coming under fire by a few for allowing a new emperor to be crowned. They fear that the new emperor’s reign will simply be an extension of the old era, for he is the previous emperor’s son.
Yet to be seen:
The Noble leaders’ motives
How this new emperor will rule
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Legend of Lunaria Captain
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