Dragon Tavern

The Avatar is the embodiment of the Emperor's will. He is an extension of his lord, ceasing to be truly him or herself, but rather a hybrid of the two beings.  Only the greatest of champions are selected to partake in the highly secretive ceremony of extension, where they are whispered to link their soul with the Emperor's for all time, as an act of purest devotion.

In exchange for this, the Avatar is able to channel the immense power of the Emperor like no other, effectively becoming a new body for this immensely powerful entity, who'd rule the universe and have his Avatar's as his lords.  Avatar's find their chance of success increasing almost each round, making victory more of a certainty the longer a fight goes on.  The most powerful Avatar's also learn to simply cause their enemies to die by simply staring at them, should they be weak willed enough.

Not all of the Steel Empire's greatest champions are offered the chance to become an Avatar. Some instead are said to be Chosen.  Chosen are above the nobles in many ways, acting as a enforcers and guardians for the Empire, as well as vassals given tasks of great importance.  The Chosen attains its immortality by regular infusions of essence from the Emperor himself, and a ritual of transformation into a physically perfect individual.

The Chosen becomes a true hero to his people, with immense fighting ability that reaches supernatural heights, and the ability to slaughter enemies before they even get a chance to fight back.  Due to their physical perfection and sharp mental abilities, they learn faster, some say via connection with the Emperor's network of other Chosen, who subconsciously share experiences.  The end result is a bonus to the amount of xp earned for kills, especially bosses.