The Chosen form a tiny proportion of the population of the Three Lands—by far the most numerous group are the sartlar. The total number of Chosen is just above 8000—of these, around 1600 are of the Great, in 80 Houses; the rest are the Lesser Chosen, in around 320 Houses
The Lesser Chosen constitute four fifths of the Chosen: all who are below blood-rank 1—that is, those whose blood-taint has no zero in the first position
A Legate is a military commander of a legion of Commonwealth, generally appointed from the Lesser Chosen by the God Emperor. During the term of his office, a Legate will reside with his legion at its base somewhere in the Commonwealth. Mostly this will be in one of the cities of the Guarded Land, though there is a Legate in Thuyakalrul who controls, instead of a legion, a fleet of barans
