The Echoes of Empire Wiki



About
The Echoes of Empire is a fantasy series by Mark T. Barnes, based on the continent of īa.

The world, along with its characters, cultures and creatures, history, science, and political machinations, is rich and complex, and this wiki makes up field notes to catalogue and explain the background and details as a reference for the reader.





Ia
Ia is the author’s imaginative world upon which all the events of the books are playing out. The world of Ia is alive in a obscure way. It seems that the great consciousness of the world is sleeping and it grants to some people who are initiated to the higher mysteries great power when they undergo the High communion ritual and the Unity phase of the phenomenon described as awakening. It is also indicated that the vitality of the world is withering (tOH).



 

The Governing System of the Awakened Empire
From the content of the three books published to this trilogy we could assume that the Awakened Emperors/Empresses or as the writer names them in High Avan, Mahj were absolute monarchs of all the subjects of the Imperium. Their reign lasted many years as they were all scholar-trained and have achieved ranks within (usually) the Seq Order of Scholars. The Mahjs usually formed an Imperial Government with members assuming positions similar to those of the Great Houses' households and the Shrianesse Government. The Mahj' highest confidante and High Advisor seemed to be their own appointed Lore Master and Rajir, who usually held the highest position in the Mahj' household. The authority and jurisdiction of the Magistracy during the empire is unclear as of yet. The Mahj' jurisdiction though seems to surpass even that of the other Mahjirahns. The Mahjirahns or Scholar Kings/Queens were monarchs of their own Prefecture (Imperial Territory or Province), but whereas the Mahj was the absolute ruler of all the Imperial Lands the Mahjirahns had semi-autonomy and were able to self-govern their own Prefecture. For example, the Mahjirahn-Erebus during the Empire ruled the Prefecture of Erebesq but was answerable to the higher authority of the Jade Throne of the Mahj. We could possible compare the governing system of the Empire to the mediaeval feudal dukedoms and kingdoms or the princedoms of the Holy Roman Empire of Prussia. 