Contents
Location
The Eastern Empire lies east of Paladia, beyond the river basin and continental interior. For several centuries, its borders remain largely closed to outsiders, with Paladians barred from entry until after the war.
Description
The Eastern Empire is highly secretive regarding its alchemy. Access to imperial materials, techniques, and research is tightly restricted, with certain substances reserved exclusively for the Emperor.
Among these is mo’lian’shi, a rare metal found deep within the Empire’s mountains. Mo’lian’shi is described as rarer than gold and is normally permitted only to the Emperor. Unlike lumithium, which produces resonance, mo’lian’shi creates inertia, suppressing or negating alchemical effects. When fused with lumithium, the result produces an unstable resonance haze. Such fusion is considered both rare and dangerous, and pure mo’lian’shi is ordinarily inaccessible without imperial authority.
Imperial control over mo’lian’shi is enforced through strict trade laws and direct oversight by the throne. The metal is typically processed or alloyed immediately after extraction to prevent degradation.
Relevance
For centuries, the Eastern Empire has remained politically and physically isolated from Paladia. After the war, a Paladian envoy is permitted to cross its border for the first time in several hundred years, marking a significant shift in diplomatic relations.
The Empire becomes relevant to the conflict through the appearance of mo’lian’shi outside its borders. Shiseo identifies the presence of pure mo’lian’shi fused with lumithium in an alloy used during the war, indicating that someone with access to imperial authority may have enabled its removal. Because only individuals of royal birth, acting with an Emperor’s seal, can legally access pure mo’lian’shi, its use raises questions about secret trade, political corruption, and the funding of foreign military forces.
Speculation surrounding the new Emperor includes unexplained wealth used to pay armies, suggesting a possible connection between imperial succession and the illicit release of restricted materials. These developments imply that the Eastern Empire may be indirectly entangled in the wider destabilization surrounding Paladia.
