The Magistracy
While famous generals and shikari are well known throughout the Realm, magistrates are the real heroes of the common people. They roam the land, meting out justice in the Empress’ name and protecting citizens from predation and corruption.
Peasants recount the heroics of magistrates current and historical, elevating their deeds unto legend. A magistrate’s appointment or death is gossip of the highest order, for they’re champions of the people and defenders of the Realm, awesome figures that leap straight out of epic tales to slay monsters and punish wrongdoers — the Empress’ will made flesh. The first magistrates were the Empress’ colleagues from her days as a Shogunate officer.
Before the Realm was stable, she needed mouthpieces to carry her decrees far and wide, and she chose only those few she truly trusted. In time, she refined these unofficial proxies into the magistracy: a body of plenipotentiary Dragon-Blooded problem solvers with sound judgment and singular talents, tasked with traveling the Realm to act in the Empress’ stead in virtually any situation.
To make her magistracy as incorruptible as possible, the Empress decreed that magistrates cannot acquire wealth, making them technically poorer than most peasants. However, Realm citizens are required to make available anything a magistrate needs, from food and lodging to artillery and courtesans, and even artifacts if the situation is dire enough.
As a result, bribes are generally meaningless to a magistrate, who can command anything she desires but take nothing with her when she leaves. The Empress appointed the magistracy primarily to root out corruption among the backbiting ministries.
The magistracy held authority over the Thousand Scales, and ostensibly the ministers ultimately answer to it. Naturally, tension arose between the two bodies, as magistrates traveled the Realm disciplining government officials for taking bribes or plotting to gain power beyond their ambit. Without the Empress, this tension has exploded into a shadow war, and the ministries are winning.
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