Crown of Servan
Emblem of the Servan Emperors
The Crown of Servan (also known as the Sacred Crown of the Empire or just the Imperial Crown) was, despite its name, not made for Servan himself- he wore a ceremonial helmet, gilded and merged with the old
Griffin Crown. It was, rather, his grand-daughter Marcia I (99- 106 YT) who decided that a less overtly martial symbol of authority was required for the ruler of a burgeoning civilian Empire. She therefore commissioned Tabarias Chrysopraxis, the most famous smith of the age, to fashion a diadem worthy of the Tethan sovereignty. A precious gem from each province of the Empire was incorporated into the band, and each of the pendilia were ornamented with four pearls, one each from the seas of the north, south, east, and west. As more provinces were incorporated into the Empire, more gems were added to the crown- the final gem, added during the reign of Calkhas VI, was a grey-green shard of Adunatia to celebrate the completion of the Imperial Highway and the supposed extension of Imperial rule over the Central Wastes themselves.
By tradition, the Crown was placed upon the head of the monarch when death was near, a sign that only death had the power to end the reign of a Servan. Upon their passing, the Crown was then removed and conveyed to the heir in silence (generally by the Protolegomenos or some similarly top-ranking official, who was not permitted to speak until the task was completed). Once presented, the heir placed it on their head and spoke the formal Oath of Succession- "I, *name*, born of true blood and consecrated by the right of Servan the Founder, dedicate myself to the life, prosperity, and health of all between the four seas. I dedicate myself to the glory of the Empire and the maintenance of its sacred laws. Should I speak falsely, may all the gods, powerful or small, known or unknown, cast my soul into the Great Emptiness". From this moment, the heir became the sovereign; the lavish coronation ceremonies which later took place were for the benefit of the people rather than of legal necessity.
The Crown was last worn by Calkas XI, the final Servan Emperor. Upon his death and the accession of Teilaea IV, the Crown was presented to her, but not worn. Officially, this was a symbol of the former general's reluctance to rule as the latter Servans had, and a sign of her innate humility; however, it would have escaped the memory of none that ancient tradition stated that only a Servan could wield the Imperial Regalia, and that death would be the reward for any other who tried. Following the short ceremony, the Crown was placed in the vault of the Palace of the Griffins, along with the rest of the Imperial Regalia. There they remained for the next thirty years, through the murder of Teilaea and the subsequent Wars of Sundering. As the usurper armies approached the city and the first skirmishes of the Great Sack of Tethas broke out, the Kyrios Protolegomenos Namoris ordered the Regalia, along with several other key treasures of the Empire, to be secreted away. Although Namoris himself survived the Sack (and formally dissolved the Empire afterwards), the lost items were never retrieved- it is generally believed that the truth of their location, like so many secrets of the fallen Empire, died with him.
Item type
Jewelry / Valuable
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