King Zerenda's Proposal Goblet

A proposal goblet is an important traditional Ivendarean item specifically made for marriage proposals (see also: Courtship, Love, and Marriage Customs of the Gaanar), and therefore an important part of nyr culture. Proposal goblets come in many shapes and sizes, the most traditional ones are made by hand by the parter who proposes, but over time goldsmiths, woodworkers, glassblowers, potterers and the like have started to include them in their businesses for sale or offer creating them based on the customer's specific wishes. They can be plain or extravagant, feature symbolism and stories engraved onto them, be richly decorated with gems, or come in unusual shapes.
The most valuable and expensive proposal goblet ever made was ironically not manufactured by the nyr. It was commissioned by king Zerenda himself, the last person one would think to respect the customs and culture of the nyr after he violently conquered their country.

Significance

After the Cleansing of Saratheas and the death of Iovana Ylla, her child Brestine seized the throne of the Nyr in Panthil. Zerenda had become an old man finally tired of the conflicts and fighting. He had established his dominance over the country, made himself at home in Saratheas, founded a family and waited for the day he would die so that his son could succeed him as the first human Ivendarean king born in this nation. Yet, Brestine posed a problem and a risk; she was (and is to this day) a radient personality, always choosing her words carefully and wisely, always inspiring, always strong. Zerenda didn't think she would start yet another civil war, after the last one had only just come to an end, but once he was gone and his son and son's children would succeed him, Brestine would still be around and a threat to the throne he had conquered with such effort. This is when an idea started to manifest in his head. The nyr wanted peace, and so did he after spending most his life fighting. What better way to form peace and unity if not through a marriage?
Brestine had already contacted him at this time, because she wanted to talk about creating a peace treaty between their people - to prevent further conflicts and make sure this new political "arrangement" would work out for the generations to come. A lot of the Nyr, especially the refugees on Maan Garth, initially weren't fond of this proposed peace treaty. They wanted the fighting to stop and be able to return to the mainland and the homes they had left, definitely wanted peace, but they didn't want to bow to the Assadin invasor king. But still, Brestine called for patience and arranged a meeting in Saratheas to talk to Zerenda, and he agreed.
Zerenda in the meantime had studied the Nyr's customs for a few years, actually not disliking all of them. He wanted Brestine to become engaged to his son, so once Zerenda died both of them would be rightful rulers. Brestine wouldn't have a reason to fight against them anymore - already having her throne and her power back - and Zerenda's family's bloodline would be carried on. But Zerenda also knew that it would be difficult to convince Brestine of his plans. After all, he had killed her father and caused her people a lot of suffering.
Therefore he put all his efforts and large sums of money into creating the most perfect scenario for a marriage proposal in the way of the Nyr, to show her that he had changed his ways, learned, and become respectful of the natives' land and culture. He was no young warrior striving for power anymore, he had become an old leader looking back on a life of achievements but also many mistakes. He also wanted to impress Brestine, reflect both her beauty and power in the proposal goblet he commissioned from one of the best artisans of the nation.
Fully according to the customs and traditions of the Nyr he placed the finished goblet outside on the days prior to Brestine's visit to have it fill up with rain water. The peace talks were to be held in the gardens of Saratheas' palace, under the open sky; yet the fact that it stopped raining the moment Brestine entered the city should have already been a first warning sign that the gods weren't in favour of Zerenda's plans.
The peace treaty was written and the talks actually went down much more smoothly with Brestine than Zerenda had anticipated. She was a charismatic woman, and he felt that she would be reasonable and see the advantages of his idea of marrying her to his son. Towards the end of the peace talks he finally let a servant bring the goblet to the garden and handed it to a very surprised Brestine, then explained his plans. Brestine remained silent, holding the goblet as Zerenda talked. Before he even reached the part in his monologue where he intended to properly introduce her to his son, Brestine slowly emptied the goblet onto the ground between them while looking Zerenda dead in the eyes. Immediately emptying the cup after receiving it was already a punch in the face, as it meant she declined the offer without even wanting to consider it; spilling the water onto the ground and not into a natural body of water, was almost sacrilegious. She returned the goblet to a very displeased Zerenda with the words that she hadn't come to bow down in front of him or, even worse, hand over her souvereignity to the invaders of her homeland; all she wanted was the fighting to stop and their peoples being able to arrange themselves with each other, living side by side and in peace.
Enraged about her words and actions, but also not willing to let this incident cause another outbreak of war, Zerenda begrudgingly agreed to the peace treaty they had set up together under one condition: neither Brestine nor any of her heirs, by blood or by choice, would ever be allowed to return to the mainland as long as a member of Zerenda's bloodline was sitting on the throne in Saratheas. In the name of peace, although not happy about this condition, Brestine agreed. She would be cut off from the mainland and therefore the majority of her people; but the Nyr lead long lives, and she speculated that by the time her future children or grandchildren would be old enough to rule, Zerenda's bloodline would already have died out again. To her it was merely playing a waiting game, and for the price of peace Brestine played along, seeing her people in the advantage in the long run.
Zerenda's last years though were dominated by bitterness. He kept the proposal goblet Brestine had so fiercely declined as a reminder to not ever again put his trust in the Nyr - particularly not Brestine. After Zerenda died the goblet even received an honored place within the palace of Saratheas. It has become a monument of the nyr's resistance and a warning to the Assadin kings and queens until today of Brestine's words: she and her people would never bow down.
All this combined makes Zerenda's proposal goblet probably one of the most valuable items to exist in Ivendarea; both through its sheer material worth, but also because it has greatly influenced the image and opinon the assadin rulers have created in their minds of Brestine and her people over the course of centuries.

Item type

Religious / Ritualistic

Rarity

one of a kind

Weight

1.5 kg

Dimensions

height: 30 cm, diameter: 12cm

Raw materials & Components

The base shape of the goblet is made from crystal glass with a flaming red base changing to a rich emerald green at the rim. Its asymmetrical shape makes it look like a whirl of water has been magically solidified in its bearers hands. It is partly plated with silver that purposefully looks as if it is being washed away by the swirling shapes of the glass base, and small gems are embedded in the stylized waves. It appears lean and elegant, but is actually a lot heavier than it looks, mainly due to its large dimensions.