Myoo’s current political system is the result of a long evolution that unfolded over several Eras and profoundly changed the way the continent is governed. Its origins date back to the ancient Kingdom of Luminara, when the entire territory formed a single kingdom governed by a Circle of nine mages.
During the Fifth Era, continued population growth made it increasingly difficult to administer such a vast territory under a single authority. The First Senshi Mage of the time therefore decided to divide the ancient Kingdom of Luminara into ten separate kingdoms, appointing a sovereign to rule each one. Thus arose Narashin and the other nine kingdoms, whose names were inspired by the nine signs of Kuji Kiri as a way of honoring the virtues and powers they represent. Each kingdom was meant to embody one of those principles.
The division granted each kingdom a degree of political and administrative autonomy, but it was not enough to ensure lasting peace. During the Sixth Era, the First War of Myoo broke out, a conflict that profoundly altered the balance of power across the continent.
At the end of the war, the peace treaties led to the creation of a new political system. The Circle of nine mages relinquished power, and the first Emperor of Myoo was elected. The position was established so that a higher authority could oversee relations among the different kingdoms and prevent the conditions that had led to the conflict from arising again.
The Emperor’s seat was established in Chushin, capital of the Kingdom of Narashin. The other nine kingdoms retained considerable independence: each sovereign continued to govern their own territory and oversee its internal affairs, while the Emperor was entrusted with safeguarding the overall balance of Myoo and overseeing relations among the different kingdoms.
To enable the imperial authority to identify potential threats to the stability of the continent, seer mages reside exclusively in the Kingdom of Narashin, where their abilities can be used to help preserve the balance among the kingdoms.
The autonomy of the individual kingdoms also extends to economic matters. Each sovereign administers their own revenues and determines the taxes imposed on the people of their territory. Ten percent of the taxes collected, however, is paid to the imperial authority in Chushin and contributes to the maintenance of the Empire’s shared institutions. The Emperor does not impose taxes directly on the inhabitants of the other kingdoms, leaving the administration of internal taxation to their respective sovereigns.