The crown could be long gone by now; a rusty piece of scrap under an unmovable pile of rubble. Yet despite all that, there is still a strange belief that it could have possibly maybe just somehow survived and that this bulk of rusty metal is the key that will give its wielder immense power.
The Crown of Qerthéllnaval is an ancient artefact that once belonged to the monarchs of the
Imperium of Qerthéllnaval. The crown was brought to
Lethea from the faraway continent to the east by Imperatrix
Alécia Riannan. Though it was lost during the abrupt fall of the imperium, there are many who still search for this valuable asset. Lords and ambitious warlords view the relic as a sign of power and they covet it for it would grant them legitimacy as the rightful rulers of former imperial lands.
Search for the Crown
Since the imperium's downfall, most have suspected that the crown was lost in the ruins of
Dé Aniés Labill, the shattered capital of Qerthéllnaval. International agreements such as the
Treaty of Toffin had imposed harsh penalties on all who crossed into the heartland of the imperium, dissuading many in search of the artefact in their quest. Despite all that, there were still some who dared to break international law in search of the crown.
Kikerosi's Approach
Even with the laws in place that forbid travel to their lands, sailors from far and wide have tried moving up the imperial coast in search of treasure. All of those who had sailed north were lost forever. Only one man had miraculously survived, and he revealed what had happened to all the others.
The survivor,
Demetrios Kikerosi, claimed that a toxic cloud of gas covered the land and sea. It made the sailors confused and altered their personalities until they had finally lost their humanity and desired the flesh of their companions.
Demetrios escaped and returned to civilisation, informing the world about the condition and warned sailors to steer clear of the northern waters. Eventually he too succumbed to
Kikerosi's Disease and died.
Saralian Expedition
The people of the
Kingdom of Sarala consider themselves a successor state of the old imperium and their monarchs believed it was their duty to defend what remained of their overlords. While content to abide by the Treaty of Toffin for a time, the
Saralians have brought upon the ire of the international community for their recent transgressions.
Under the orders of King
Tambet, an expedition was set out to explore lost lands and to recover artefacts. On their travels, these expeditionaries stumbled across the
Nehenian people who still survived out in the dark and dangerous woods. While the two peoples were eager to reestablish their relationship, misunderstandings led to conflict and the king’s quest to recover the crown was foiled as his country entered a war it couldn't win.
I'm interested if it will ever be found, but I feel like it's kind of risky with that gas...