The Celestial Dragon Throne
The Iron Emperor rules from the Celestial Dragon Throne. once the chosen son of the Diamond Matrix, wherein are stored the immortal recorded personas of the Empire's noble ancestors, he now defies the ancient customs and seeks immortality for himself and his oppressive regime. Such entities are known as Hsien and are accorded respect as befits the traditions of the Empire. The Diamond Matrix is vast; encompassing the length and breadth of the empire it is administered by a privileged administrative strata – Mandarins – wielding great influence across the imperial fiefs, for they tend to the wishes of the Hsien within. They also attend to the machinery of the Matrix that allows Hsien to again interact with the mortal world. Most notably these include android forms that individual Hsien can control, known as Chibots.

Such machinery dates back to the wars of old when the first Diamond Emperor ascended to the throne. With the help of cultural heroes such as the Sublime Engineer he constructed the Diamond Matrix and civilised the Ten Thousand Stars, bringing order and an end to the superstitious ways of old. Most Chibots are still made from the superior alloy known as Dantien: the material from which the machine guardians of the first emperor's mausoleum are made.

The Sublime Engineer is also the hero responsible for the construction of the great energy network that orders the flow of universal energy, Dragon Blood or chi, favourably through the empire. This flow maintains the fortunes of the empire – so long as he who sits on it observes correct rule and ancestral piety. It also ensures the fortune of the imperial mandate. This network is maintained by the Empire's elite cabal of Alchemists who use the empire's technology to keep the chi flowing – even at the cost of entire worlds. Unfortunately it seems the current emperor wishes to remain on the throne.