An empire long divided must unite.

The once resplendent Empire of Yi Ti has fallen steeply from its zenith. Where Imperial Authority once ruled without question from the Jade Gates to the Five Forts, it barely extends beyond the Imperial Capital Yin. In its absence, the many governors and officials of the empire have saw it fit to carve their own petty fiefdoms, falsely styling themselves as princes and kings. Men and women have lived and died without ever seeing the banners of the Azure Emperor.

The Imperial Army, before a well-regarded institution of order and security, now rots from corruption and abuse. Many have become mercenaries in all but name, offering their services not to the Emperor but to the highest bidder. Many still have turned to crime, with some becoming no better than highwaymen while others organized into militant gangs. A select few have even joined the ranks of the petty pretenders and established their own territories, acting like warlords of old. Their fall from grace also had the effect of encouraging raiders to frequent from beyond the mountains of the east, khals to descend further into Yi Ti from the north and pirates to become bolder in the southern seas.

Already, the favor of Heaven seems to be slipping away from the Azure Dynasty. In the north, the arrogant general Pol Qo has taken Trader Town and has declared himself as the first of the Orange Emperors, contesting the Azure's Mandate of Heaven. Far beyond the eastern reaches, a sorcerer has declared himself the 69th Yellow Emperor as he rules in the cursed City of Carcosa.

Even within the Imperial Capital, Imperial Authority is contested by various factions vying for control and power. It is the Court of Eunuchs that holds the advantage within Yin, their influence like a weed spreading and strangling anything it can. They manage the Azure Palace and hold many courtly positions, allowing them to wield their influence with some legitimacy. Contesting them is the Empress Xi Yue and the Imperial Harem who seek to reestablish Imperial Authority within the court through the Imperial Heir, Bu Gao. It is the Four Commanders and the Heavenly Guard that creates the precarious balance of power that the court finds itself in. Not always operating in unity, the Four Commanders and the Heavenly Guard nevertheless keeps the other factions in check by not fully committing to any single one. Their ambitions may be divided, but they are united by an aversion against the dominance of the other two.

Yet in the face of all the ills of the empire and the deterioration of his authority even within his own city and palace, the 17th Azure Emperor, Bu Gai, remains uncaring. He heeds the poisoned advice of the eunuchs, is weak to the sweet sighs of his harem, and listens to the empty words of his guard captain. Through him, they rule in his stead. For within the high walls of Yin and the extravagant halls of the Azure Palace, it is easy to ignore the issues of beyond them.

Still, there is one man that would not see this decadence and rot continue. Bu Gao, firstborn of the Azure Emperor and Heir to the Empire. From atop of Yin's strong walls, he gazes beyond with great ambition. His forefathers did not just rule over Yin, they ruled over the entirety of Yi Ti. Past dynasties have even extended their reign over the island of Leng in the south and over the prosperous Asabhad in the west. The Empire was Bu Gao's birthright and he was determined to receive it in its entirety.

However, before he can even begin a campaign to unite the fragments of the empire, Bu Gao knows he must put the Imperial House to order and rid himself of the burdensome chains around him. The Court of Eunuchs and their corruption must be rooted out. The Imperial Harem must be forced to subservience to his authority. The military must be reigned in into a united force under the Imperial Banner.

Most of all, Bu Gao must deal with his brother, Bu Gan.

Bu Gan, secondborn of the Azure Emperor, is a sword hanging dangerously over Bu Gao. Quiet and reclusive since his childhood, Bu Gan's only notable qualities were his skill with the guqin and and the qian. It was hoped that he would show his quality when he was sent to serve in the Five Forts but he only returned with men of dubious repute and station, as well as an interest in the arcane. Still, Bu Gan is a son of the Azure Emperor, and that made him dangerous.

If Bu Gao's ambitions were discovered prematurely, the other factions can simply replace him with his brother. Bu Gan can provide the sort of legitimacy that would embolden the otherwise cautious and conservative factions to stronger actions.

Ironically enough, that same threat to Bu Gao is also the only safeguard he has against the more malicious schemes of the factions. Bu Gan provides the factions safety if ever Bu Gao strays too far, allowing Bu Gao to plan relatively unhindered. While Bu Gan's removal would also mean opening himself to conflict with the other factions, it was necessary for Bu Gao's destiny.

Bu Gan will not die. Bu Gao will not have his divine destiny stained by kinslaying. He will be God-on-Earth reborn, not the second coming of the Bloodstone Emperor. The only other option was exile to somewhere far from the reach of the factions and the influence of the Imperial Court.

It may be cruel to send away his own blood from the only home he every knew, especially one as unwitting and vulnerable as Bu Gan, but what is the life of a second son compared to the destiny of the Son of Heaven?

The empire long united must divide.

For Bu Gao, the choice was simple.