Yuurei

The Yuurei Empire, formally known as The Holy Empire of Yerushalayim, are a group of religious extremists originally designed for the Dystopia role-play setting. The initial Yuurei plot was played out over the course of several months, and was intended to be a great deal longer; time ran low for all players involved in the plot, and it was ended early. The Yuurei have made appearances in several settings, including Realms and Sokmet. The information here deals, mostly, with the Yuurei as they were on Dystopia.

= In Game Information =

All information here will be written from an in-universe perspective.

Yerushalayim
Yerushalayim refers to both the Holy Empire of Yerushalayim, and its capital city for which the Empire is named. The Empire is a highly diverse nation, containing within its borders several distinct species. It is ruled by a representative parliament made up of members from the Yuurei species.

Founding
The Empire records its founding as the moment that Shiranai Itami, the Messenger of God, arrived on the world. His descent from Heaven brought him to the location of Yerushalayim, then an Edija colony. There the Messenger conversed with the Queen of the Angels, and spoke their language as though he had known it all his life. To win the faith of the Angels, and demonstrate his connection to God, the Messenger summoned a burning green comet that night. The comet was named Neda Yisrael, the Voice of Yisrael. That night a treaty was drafted and signed between the Messenger and the Angels; they would serve him in bringing God's will into being, and he would place them at the head of God's Empire. Come daybreak Yerushalayim was founded and the hosts of the Angels went forth to spread the word of God.

Unification War
The hosts encountered many tribes and brought them into the Empire peacefully. One tribe, led by the sorcerer-king Iblis, resisted the Angel's advance. Iblis rallied the remaining tribes to his banner and marched toward the Holy City itself. Many battles were fought, and Iblis cut through the hosts with fell magics. His ferocity earned him the title Al Shaitan, The Enemy. When Al Shaitan's legions neared Yerushalayim itself, the Messenger rode out with his personal host to meet Iblis in battle. The Messenger's host was victorious, smashing the tribe of Al Shaitan and scattering it to the winds. The victory was short lived, as the battle proved a feint while Al Shaitan himself infiltrated Holy Yerushalayim and put it to the torch. The Messenger, through the grace of God, returned to Yerushalayim faster than Iblis had expected, and caught Al Shaitan at his foul work. There the two battled, and the Messenger quickly gained the upper hand. Iblis was slain beneath the ruins of the first Temple of God. With Iblis' blood still hot on his blade, the Messenger gave God's mercy to the sorcerer-king and brought him back from death. Though Iblis was never known to speak of what he experienced, he became a loyal servant of God, and the first of the Yuurei-- the sorcerer-spirits who escaped death by God's grace.

Pax Yerushalayim
When the Unification War ended, Yerushalayim was at peace for the first time since its founding. Years had passed since the Messenger had come to the Edija, and the tribes of Yisrael were loyal to God. Minor border skirmishes with the undead of the Valley of the Lotus to the south occurred periodically, and even scarcer were conflicts with Albion and the Twin Countries of the Kirin. Peace reined across the continent, enforced by the iron fist of Yerushalayim. The ruling elites of the Vassal-States muttered to each other of Tyrants, but the common men and women of Yisrael enjoyed a prosperity that was unknown previously, and that would never be known among the Heathen nations to the East. It was during this time of peace that Yerushalayim prepared itself for war; mighty fleets were built, armies were levied and trained, and the first scouts were sent across the great ocean.

Conquests
While Yerushalayim grew powerful, the Heathen nations across the great ocean were brought low by war, famine, and disaster. The Messenger deemed that the time was right for war, and the hosts sailed off in the dragon ships. The Vanguard landed at Masena, and took the city in the night. The Vanguard advanced south from Masena into the densely populated regions of the Heathen nations. Battle was joined in Xexoria and Prompt, against national defenders and third parties. Xexoria fell after the Battle of Rivenfelde, when a Vanguard attack acted as a diversion while the Messenger and Iblis led an attack into the heart of the capital to capture the Royal Family. Caela Xanathi-Rivenfelde, the Queen of Xexoria, surrendered the nation in order to save her newborn children's lives. The twins and their mother were taken by Iblis and Eru of the Edija to Yerushalayim itself. Rebel Xexorian elements were defeated shortly afterward in a brief engagement against Vanguard artillery.

Yerushalayim Divided
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After The End
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Government
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The Council of Sages
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Elections
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Government Divisions
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Culture
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Art
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Cuisine
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Language
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Races
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Slavery
Yerushalayim has outlawed all forms of slavery save one: human spell-casters are always taken as servants of the Empire, and their entire species is referred to as "slaves" in the Yuurei tongue. Dorei, as they're called, are paired with a Chiri to control their magical power. Private citizens are not allowed to own slaves, and any caught doing so are severely punished by the Empire.

Technology
Yerushalayim is noted for utilizing crystal technology, powered by mana.

Military Divisions
The Yerushalayimite military is broken down into two distinct groups: the elite Vanguard and the Regulars. There is some rivalry between the Vanguard and Regulars, with Vanguard soldiers looking down on Regulars as being a mere occupation force.

The Vanguard
The Yuurei Vanguard is an elite force of roughly 30,000 soldiers, broken down into 15 Legions of 2,000 soldiers each. The Vanguard, true to its name, is the first section of the Yerushalayimite military deployed during conflicts. Most Legions are made up entirely of Edija warriors, with small numbers of Chiri and Dorei support units. The Vanguard was the primary Yuurei forced engaged in the Yuurei Conquests.

The Regulars
The Regulars is a large force of nearly 300,000 soldiers, broken down into 15 Battalions of 20,000 soldiers each, with each Battalion holding 10 Legions. The Regulars are commanded directly by the Council of Sages. Defense of the homeland, and occupation of newly conquered territories, falls to the Regulars.

Religion
The Holy Empire officially worships the greater God, Gaia. This worship is organized around the concepts of the Holy Empire as the only government to follow Gaia's precepts. Imperial worship is headed by the Messenger of G-d, Shiranai Itami.

God
The Empire worships the greater God, Gaia, as the true creator and ruler of the universe. All other deities are considered false. The Gods Death, Battle, and Sentinel are termed Usurpers by the Empire. All Imperial citizens avoid using the name Gaia out of a sign of respect. Gaia is often referred to as Adonai, Elohim, Hashem, G-d, and God. It is believed that, while Gaia created the universe, He has no interest in the daily goings on of the mortals that inhabit it.

The Messenger
Shiranai Itami acted as the Messenger of God, bringing the word of Gaia to the mortal races of Utopia. It is a pillar of Yerushalayimite belief that Itami has direct access to Gaia, and can inform believers of God's will.

Canaan
The Empire refers to all non-Imperial territories and nations as Canaan. In Imperial worldview there are only Yerushalayimites and Canaanites, with little difference between the Canaanite nations. It is commonly held that Paradise can only be reached when all Canaanite nations have been conquered by Yerushalayim.

Holy Yisrael
Yisrael both refers to the physical continent that the Empire is located on, and the religious concept of a paradise beyond the mortal world. Imperial religion holds that when the Empire has conquered the world, and all mortals worship Gaia, an age of peace and prosperity will begin. It is unclear if this age will occur on the planet itself, or if all life will be brought to some new location, as the Empire was prior to The End.

Angels
Yerushalayimites believe that the Edija are Angels in the service of God. It is believed that the Edija Hive is representation of what Paradise will be, and that the Hive itself is the gateway to Holy Yisrael.