Staff of the Raja

The Staff of the Raja was the traditional symbol of the authority of the Raja of Katrapetch during the many centuries when the Court Circle of Katrapetch governed the city.
It was passed to a new ruler on their ascension to the throne and had a specific purpose in supporting the line of succession which is explained further within the article about the ceremony known as the Confirmation of the Anointed Successor.
In addition to the very special role the Staff played in determining the line of succession, it was also used in other lesser ceremonies, including ones to welcome new members to the Court Circle of Katrapetch, such as the one Clarise Vabatan describes at the beginning of her diary.

History

The Staff of the Raja was crafted for the third Raja of Katrapetch, Dravindra Rholab, by his senior magician, Yanavik Jecinth in 9571 BPC. It was made to host the great Succession Ruby which Yanavik had also cut and enchanted and its purpose was to validate the line of succession of the Rajas. Its origin story, told in detail in the article about Dravindra Rholab had a strong personal element to it, but it was always envisaged that the staff would serve an important public and political goal to settle succession arguments quickly and accurately. Dravindra could never have guessed quite how long the Staff would serve this role.
In 383 APC, the original design of the staff, shown in the image at the head of the article, was modified by enriching the weight and length of the shaft and embellishing it with more gold and more ornamentation. This was done to celebrate the 10,000th anniversary of the founding of Katrapetch, which was not quite the 10,000th anniversary of the staff itself. It is this second version of the staff which is shown at the head of the article about the Confirmation of the Anointed Successor.
The staff continued to serve as a vital part of the ceremony of the Confirmation of the Anointed Successor until it was physically broken by Prince Rygarde in 5155 APC as the Limit Protectorate disbanded the Court Circle of Katrapetch and abolished the title of the Raja. Although the Succession Ruby would go on to have an interesting afterlife, freed finally from its fifteen thousand year service to the staff, the staff itself was not recreated in a third incarnation and the line of the Rajas came to an end with it.

Item type

Magical

Creation Date

5th Kerax, 9571 BPC

Creator

Yanavik Jecinth

Raw materials & Components

The staff was made of tempered gold infused with arcane powers and at its apex was set the great Succession Ruby, powerfully enchanted with a specific ability to validate the heir to the throne of Katrapetch.