Not everyone here is actually dead.

To your first question, I think the answer is a bit up in the air still. The locals defer everything to the Emperor, as I'm sure you've become aware. Some of them are more informative than others, if you can find the right kind of chatty folk.

As for why we're here, word through the grapevine is the Emperor summoned us to save the kedan from some kind of threat. But the actual reason has yet to be properly revealed.