📝 Author's Note
I've been thinking a lot about how to present the world to you. My initial idea was to explain it gradually as the story progressed, but I realized it is far more complex than it seemed at first glance. Until now, we haven't talked much about the Empires, but with the wars to come, they will play a crucial role and will be constantly highlighted.
For this reason, I decided to create this World Guide, an extra chapter where you will find important information about hierarchy, systems of power, and even the functioning of the economy.
🏛️ Imperial Gods Classification
Emperor – Sovereign GodSupreme deity of each Throne. Rules the Empire with absolute authority, capable of rivaling any other god.
Imperial Archduke / Archduchess – Superior GodGods with power almost equal to the Emperor. Direct pillars of the Empire, able to challenge lesser gods.
Grand Duke / Grand Duchess – Powerful GodSupport the imperial order and govern large regions. Can be elevated demigods or smaller divisions of great strength.
Three Kings – Medium GodRegional gods who govern specific territories. Influence wars and maintain local stability.
Duke / Duchess – Common High GodIntermediate-level gods controlling smaller parts of the Empire. Power above most nobility but below the pillars.
Marquis / Marchioness – Common Medium GodMinor deities who govern medium or important regions, dependent on higher orders.
Count / Countess – Common Low GodDeities of lesser influence, limited to their lands and territories.
Viscount / Viscountess – Common Inferior GodSmall-scale gods with limited local authority, often warriors or strategic administrators.
Baron / Baroness – Fragile GodDeities at the base of the pyramid, with restricted command and lower power compared to superiors.
Knight – Warrior GodWeaker deities who sustain power through physical strength or military skill. Essential to maintain structure.
🏛️ Divine Origin and Influence over the Empires
After the fall, humans were directly exposed to divine power, which influenced their lives, laws, and the very structure of the world.
With the collapse of democracy, technological advancement was halted; the gods of each Empire destroyed much of the advanced technology to stabilize their monarchies and ensure their authority.
Each Empire reflects the characteristics of the god who governs it:
Zeus Empire → Architecture and culture inspired by Ancient Greece.
Other Empires follow the same logic, incorporating their own aesthetics, figures, and laws.
Divine influence shapes the political, cultural, and technological aspects of each Empire.
🌌 Awakening and Abyss
1️⃣ Awakening
At 14 years old, a mark appears on the human's body, allowing them to awaken as a god at 15.
They train in the Empire's temples, which teach culture, history, and about the gods, regardless of social origin.
During the Awakening (at 15 years old):
The human officially becomes a god.
They receive a noble title according to the strength of the god who awakened and their position in the hierarchy (Archduke, Grand Duke, Duke… down to Knight).
The Awakening formalizes the bond with the deity that has chosen that human.
2️⃣ The Abyss
Humans who do not awaken face the Abyss, a test created by the ancient gods and divine enemies.
The Abyss serves as a filter of strength: only the strongest or most capable humans survive.
All who pass the Abyss receive a black mark (which can be hidden), indicating they faced the test.
Survivors do not automatically receive a title or nobility and are often seen as heretics by the temples and Empires.
Extremely strong humans may gain a place as central pillars of the Empire.
3️⃣ How Awakening and the Abyss Work
🔹 1. The PactThe pact occurs in a moment of desperation when the human faces the Abyss.
The human may form a pact with a deity, paying a variable price depending on the chosen god.
🔹 2. The TrialThe human faces an escape within the Abyss:
If they win, they devour the god, gain memories, and awaken as a new god.
If the god devours the human, they return to the physical world.
🔹 3. CoexistenceHuman and deity can make an agreement to coexist, using each other's powers.
The balance is 50/50, with the god able to devour the human or vice versa, depending on strength.
💡 Social and Cultural Summary:
Marked by temples → Training, noble identity, and future divine title.
Abyss survivors → Seen as heretics, accessible without strength or influence.
Power and title → Only after official Awakening.
🏛️ Temples and Training
Each Empire has temples dedicated to the marked, providing training, education, and noble identity.
Children of any social origin receive instruction in culture, history, and laws of the gods.
The temples formalize that the human is destined to awaken as a god.
Abyss survivors receive a black mark, which can be hidden, and are accessible depending on their strength.
💰 Imperial Monetary System
1️⃣ Copper
Use: everyday trade and small purchases.
Examples: bread or a simple meal → 1–2 coins; basic potion → 5–10 coins.
2️⃣ Silver
Use: larger business, city-to-city trade, tributes.
Examples: medium armor → 20–50 coins; monthly salary of an average soldier → 100–150 coins.
Conversion: 1 silver coin = 5 copper coins.
3️⃣ Gold
Use: elite, politics, armies, and temples.
Examples: small fortress → 50–100 coins; army of 500 soldiers → 20–30 coins; temple or sacred artifacts → 10–50 coins.
Conversion: 1 gold coin = 100 silver coins = 500 copper coins.
💰 Economy, Social Class, and Power
Use of coins by social class:
Peasants/common population → copper.
Soldiers, merchants, minor nobility → silver.
High nobility, temples, and gods → gold.
Relationship between title and economic power:
The higher the title, the greater access to gold and control over resources, political, and military influence.
Example: Emperor/Archduke controls gold reserves and armies; Count/Viscount has moderate access; Knights/Barons → limited resources.
Cultural and economic integration:
Each Empire maintains its own coins, reflecting the aesthetics of its ruling god.
Wealth and monetary control reinforce cultural identity and tradition.