An exclusive military group within the Empire that is in charge of the protection of the Imperial Family, and the safety of the Capital. The Elite is primarily made up of those of Southern descent. Originally, the hierarchy of the Empire was completely based upon the assumed divinity of the Emperor, who was said to be a direct descendant of the Ancients.

During the early days, the Academy was primarily made up of the Emperor’s relatives, who were divine by association, and were often referred to as the “Chosen Ones.”

Although the Academy members of the previous Empire had good relations with the military forces of the people to the South, some of the leading members of the Academy, instilled with the pride of being Chosen Ones, felt much animosity towards the Southerners who were slowly taking over all positions within the Imperial government.

It was in Imperial Year 148 when this rift within the government finally split open. Military authorities within the Empire passed a decree forbidding the practice of Southern religious rites on Imperial soil. The reasoning behind this drastic measure was, as the supporters explained, in order to “ensure that all faith and loyalty be concentrated on His Majesty, the Emperor.”

In response to this, armed monks, led by former eunuch officers from the Southern Royal Family whisked the Eighth Emperor away, and brought him to a Southern church. After a long night of negotiations, a compromise was reached by the next morning, and the problem was addressed.

However, this entire event caused two factions to rise within the Empire: the “Academy Faction” whose support was completely with the Eighth Emperor, and the “Prince Faction,” primarily made up of Southerners who supported the Ninth-Emperor-to-be, who was half-Southerner. Ever since this split internal strife has slowly begun to corrupt the Imperial government from the inside out.

It was due to this that the Prince Faction organized the Imperial Elite and stated that Elite would be in charge of guarding the Capital and the Emperor. However, this overstepped the authority of the Academy, who was unofficially in charge of those duties previously. Thus, the chasm between the two factions continues to grow.