The Transcendent Emperor
Tennōjin Ren Aldìfāng (a.k.a. Ren the Resplendent, The Peerless Man, Father of the Empire, Emperor of Gods)
"The self-realized man has no purpose to fulfill, nor does he have innate duties, nor has he any need to depend on any other living being."
"Thus, with no attachment to the results of labor, the one who acts according to his duties comes closer to Transcendence.
"I have seized perfection through acting upon My duties to you. To educate you, My brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, uncles and aunts, grandfathers and grandmothers, My cousins and My friends, I perform My duties."
"When I act, men see Me and follow My Road. I am the example by which all Humanity pursues the highest mysteries."
"There is no duty prescribed for Me in this universe, nor do I want for anything. I have attained all - and yet I still work."
"Were I to engage in inaction and sin, there is no doubt that all men would follow My Road."
- The Absolute Mantras, Chapter 2, Verses 28-33
Divine Domains
Humanity, Law, Warfare
Holy Books & Codes
The Absolute Mantras.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Six spirals, each a different color, all sprouting from the same point while spinning in the same direction.
Divine Goals & Aspirations
The Transcendent Emperor, across all reincarnations, is devoted to a singular goal from which all else stems: Universal enlightenment. Not content to simply understand the fabric of reality, He considers it His innate duty to use His gifts and knowledge to enable others to follow Him into true comprehension. It is an inevitability, as nothing else matters to Him - not even Himself. Every action He undertook was to further these ends for the good of Humanity.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
The lost town of Dìfāng, said to have once stood in the deserts of western Zamzara, has since vanished from history, swallowed up by the sands of the desert - but not before the greatest Human to ever fight in the arena of Zamzara left it behind. Born simply as Ren, He was raised alongside the other youths of His village and instructed in the ways of defense, for the deserts, if not all the land, were plagued by violent barbarian tribes. Even as a child, it is said that Ren had the eyes of a man a hundred years old, always twinkling as if He was about to laugh at a story.
According to the Absolute Mantras, the holy book written by Him, there was no singular moment of realization or awareness that pushed Him to action. There were no divine signs, no omens, and no portents: He simply picked up His spear out of duty to His brothers and sisters and the highest concepts of Humanity, such as honor, justice, and piety. To put an end to the uncivilized hordes of monstrous men, Ren and 50 men (the entire village, according to some early sources) left their village behind. In the years of conquest to follow, Ren and his original force would pass near Dìfāng several times, but not once did He stop there, claiming that He could not return to His home while so many others had theirs taken away from them. Fifteen years later, He returned to His hometown after creating the Zamzian Empire as a wiser and more loving man.
Accomplishments & Achievements
- -15 BC - The militia that would serve as the core of Ren's army leaves the town of Dìfāng with him as their leader, beginning His campaign of unification.
- 1 AC - Ren creates the Zamzian Empire.
- 6 AC - Ren begins his Walkabout, to learn more about his Empire
- 16 AC - The Walkabout ends, and Ren begins construction of Zamhita at the center of the continent, serving as the heart of Humanity.
- 25 AC - Ren introduces the Six Seeds to the far reaches of His Empire, creating the agricultural base that would truly allow it to grow into the vision that He foresaw.
- 57 AC - The Divine Bureaucracy is created to help administer the rapidly-growing Empire, also marking the beginning of formal education.
- 63 AC - The Ministry of Truth is created as an extension of the Divine Bureaucracy, but would quickly become its own entity, bringing justice to even the most remote corners of Zamzara.
- 93 AC - In response to the largest wildfire ever known at the time, Ren created The Earthly Servants - the first public service organization, with the intent to prevent and ameliorate future natural disasters. In their downtime, they often fulfilled other public duties.
- 131 AC - Due to external pressure, Ren appoints his firstborn son as heir to the Empire, firmly cementing primogeniture as the main form as succession not only for the seat of the Empire, but in all aspects of succession.
- 150 AC - After years of effort, Imperial Cultism is born with Ren at its center, guiding Humanity towards Moksha.
- 183 AC - Ren attains Moksha.
- 184 AC - The Worldly Palace, centerpiece of Zamhita, is completed. Within days, Ren vanished without a trace and was never seen again. His son was appointed Emperor shortly thereafter.
Morality & Philosophy
As the centerpiece of the Cult of the Emperor, no single person has been as important to the foundation and development of Zamzian morality and ethics. It is by His piercing gaze and stoic wisdom that the nature of the universe is laid bare, a revelation that informed His goals and values when He embarked to unite all of Zamzara under His banner. The Zamzian Empire was created for a singular purpose: To make it possible for others to follow Him into enlightenment and bask in cosmic bliss and universal consciousness.
The Transcendent Emperor was filled with love for His fellow man, but He had no attachment to them - a key part in achieving Moksha. He fought many wars and killed many men, but out of love, not malice; seeing it as His duty to Humanity to impartially move them forward to peace and greater understanding of one another and themselves. Inaction, to Him, was a moral failing worse than any other, and He had a duty to all people to help them escape the cycles of reincarnation. He did not seek death, nor did He shirk away from it. He held no malice towards His enemies, but no attachments towards His allies. Only results mattered to Him, even if the results did not motivate Him. He was distant, yet warm; contemplative, yet unhesitating; open, yet closed. It is said that when a person looked at Him, they saw the best in themselves.
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments