THE EMPEROR: The Divine Emperor is a spiritual entity who long ago shed his human form and clothed himself in crystals. Therefore, the Emperor inhabits all crystals within the territory of the Empire; they are his body. Through them, he is present, and through them, he perceives. The more pure, firm, and immutable a crystal is, the more the Emperor’s essence is present within it. Consequently, all gemstones (with the exception of amber, pearls, and other non-crystalline stones) are sacred; they are not objects of trade, but of religious veneration. It is said that when one possesses a sufficiently pure crystal at home, they are under the protection of the Emperor himself. Furthermore, he who speaks his wish with a hand upon a stone shall surely have it granted.
The Emperor inhabits only the jewels within the territory of his Empire. A stone brought from the outside must first be consecrated to him before he can permeate it; conversely, a stone being taken away must be carefully divested of the divine presence.
Whoever removes a stone from the Empire without the proper rites harms the Siranian God-Emperor and shall be severely punished. Gemstones must not be cut, crushed, or treated harshly.
Through his form, the Emperor can speak to his people. The common man usually perceives only feelings but does not hear the voice of his ruler. This voice can be perceived only by the Empress and a special group known as the Listeners.
THE EMPRESS: The supreme human ruler of the Empire. A specially chosen woman with the ability to hear the Emperor’s will and share the rule with him. The Empress hears the Emperor’s will and is able to consult with him.
She usually makes decisions on her own or with the help of her ministers, but in matters of true importance, she is always obedient to her sovereign (this is ensured by the Listeners). During her reign, a special bond is forged between the Empress and the Emperor, which could be called a spiritual love. The Empress lives practically in celibacy and is revered by her people as a holy being. Through contact with the divine ruler, she herself grows wiser over the years and becomes enlightened. She lives to a natural human age, and when she dies, she departs to her God-Ruler-Husband in the heavens among the crystals of the stars. In the Golden Pyramid of Sirgon, there are statues of all previous Empresses, and they are honored as ancestors and goddesses.
THE LISTENERS: A special privileged group enjoying many benefits (they are untouchable, beyond the law, and beyond the need for money). They are trained and raised from childhood, selected from particularly sensitive children. These can hear the Emperor’s will as clearly as the Empress herself. Unlike her, however, they are forbidden from speaking it. They serve only as witnesses that the Empress interprets the sovereign’s will correctly and that she conveys it without omission or distortion. Their sole task, therefore, is to be present at assemblies, to listen to the speakers and the words of the Emperor, and to utter the magical incantation “awtas-nai afait”—which means in archaic Siranian, “He does not say this”—at the moment a decision deviates from the will of the heavens.
The people hold the Listeners in great reverence, for they deal with God himself and constantly hear his polyphonic speech. They too, like the Empress, are irrevocably marked by this constant proximity to the divine. Many become wiser, some become indifferent, some become poets, while others remain in deep contemplation and meditation, no longer wishing to interfere in worldly politics.
THE MINISTERS: They form the Grand Council of Sirania. It consists of representatives of city-states, social estates, and advisors to the Empress. Following the model of the Sairissian magical schools of Nantu, there are twenty-one of them:
- The Empress / Empresses
- Ruler / Representative of Sairis (Valmos)
- Ruler / Representative of Adamas (Adamas)
- Ruler / Representative of Arkagant
- Ruler / Representative of Asvittara
- Mayor of Sir
- Mayor of Sirgon
- The High Priest
- The White Vizier, Grandmaster (Head of the White Mages)
- The Black Vizier, Archmage (Head of the Black Sorcerers)
- Maghavan Coris (Gen. Corinta)
- Minister of War
- Minister of Trade and Finance
- Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Minister of Justice
- Minister of Culture and Architecture
- Minister of Education and Morality
- Minister of Information (Secret Services)
- The Chief Justice
- Representative of the Guilds
- Philosopher
