Aminade and the Silver Torc of Bau

Sit down, my disciples and listen to the story of Aminade the chosen of Bau.
When she was naught but a stripling, a scion of the Duke Drommon, when, by the hand of Bau, she became lost in her wandering about the forest surrounding her family's demesne. For days she was mazed by the trees and paths that had once been familiar to her, but now, under the mist of Bau, became as inscrutable as the heart of an A'Chi'in. Being a pious child who had been raised in a family that revered Bau, she recognized the hand of the creator and submitted herself to Bau's guidance and soon found herself near a clear pool of water that she had never seen before.
The water was as still as glass and looked to be refreshing to the hungry and thirsty young girl. As she approached the water, the trees in the small glade seemed to crowd in behind and push her towards the small tarn. As she knelt in the thick moss at the verge of the pool, she glimpsed her reflection in the water, but lo, not as a hungry, dirty young girl, but as a mature, beautiful woman dressed in regal attire who radiated confidence and authority. She was moved to tears at the vision (whom she recognized through countenance to be herself) and ventured a hand to touch the image of beauty and power and as her fingertip brushed the water, a ripple passed through the image to coalesce into a bright, silver torc that bound the throat of the queen. Upon forming the image of the torc, the image of the beautiful queen shattered into a thousand scintillations of light that eventually calmed into the reflection of the dirty, bedraggled Aminade of the present, with one exception, the image of the torc remained.
In wonder, Aminade stretched forth her hand once again to plunge into the icy waters of the pool and there her hand fumbled upon the cold metal of the silver torc and upon grasping it, an icy shock ran to the core of her being. She stumbled back, her prize in her hands and for the first time she heard the voice of Bau.
"Worship me and you,and your line, will be glorified and exalted above all others of the Kingdom."
With a hymn of adoration, Aminade lifted the beautiful silver torc to her neck and sealed the pact that carried her to the the throne of the Kingdom.

Summary

Aminade was the chosen of Bau and the torc was the symbol of this blessing. Through the power of Bau and the torc, she became something more than human and rose to the throne as an elemental force. The story of her acquisition of the torc is a staple of any wandering minstrel's repertoire and has been embroidered to the point that any given telling has become much like a signature. The story of her taming of the Ju'Nai steppes and their wild horse clans is also well known and the ballad of the Three Loves of Aminade is a tale of poignancy and sacrifice that feeds the romantic core of every Kingdom man.

Historical Basis

Aminade's ascension during the first succession war was meteoric by any measure as she appeared from the relative obscurity of the oldest daughter of a frontier duke of the house Drommon to the throne. Her reign was marked by significant expansion of the Kingdom as well as an establishment of Bautinem as the sole religion of the kingdom. Her exploits both in battle and through diplomacy are the stuff of legend. Peace and stability were woven into the fabric of the kingdom for generations after she passed.
The torc was rumored to have been a gift from the god as an acknowledgement of her right to rule and for generations after, was sought as confirmation of the divine right of rulership by all who would lay claim to the throne. The torc was lost during the interregnum of the fifth succession war when the lines of succession and worship of Bau were brought to an end by the Council of Nine.
Beyond the symbolic importance of the torc, the legends of the torc imbuing the wearer with divine wisdom and insight were many and varied.
Queen Aminade herself was rumored to never have been defeated in battle when wearing the torc, no matter how poorly the odds were against her. Even in dealing with matters of statesmanship, the queen was always able to find a route to prosperity and advantage for her people.

Spread

Aminade is well known to those of the Kingdom. Within the Bautinem there are many who believe that a return of torc will herald a return of the worship of Bau and there is a sect that is devoted to finding the location of the torc and keeping tabs on the descendants of the kings and queens who possessed the torc. Purists insist that only a descendant of Aminade can wear the torc and be blessed by Bau.
The Council of Nine has always suppressed the Bautinem and any citizen in good standing with the Council, denounces the stories of the torc as a myth.

Variations & Mutation

The silver torc was originally an angel of Bau that agreed to be a protector and guide for Aminade.
The torc confers invulnerability upon the wearer.
The torc tarnishes when the heart of the wearer forsakes Bau.
Bau abandoned the Kingdom with the rise of the council of Nine and with the cowardice of Ban-Haden.

Cultural Reception

The stories of Aminade are still told and retold throughout the Kingdom. They are held up as moral lessons of virtue with lessons of honor, justice, and love woven into the fabric of the story. Many in the Kingdom would welcome the return of the torc and of the return of the times when the Kingdom was ascendant. The council of Nine is seen as decadent and corrupt by many and time has washed away the memories of the succession wars and left those years covered in a fine patina of nostalgia and glory. There is a sense of biding time until someone worthy is found to return the torc to the light of day. There is a great deal of ambivalence about the return of Bautinem, however. Many feel abandoned by Bau and the secular views of the council have grabbed the imagination of many.

In Literature

The Baulem scrolls never directly mention the torc, although many have found obscure references in some of the prophecies that are widely considered to have been fulfilled by Aminade.
The great works of the Kingdom from the dynasty era almost always make mention of the torc and the possessor of the torc is always aggrandized, but none so much as Aminade. There are epics written bout (and commissioned by) all the rulers who possessed the torc. Many of these epics have been sought out and destroyed by the council of Nine as they seek to redefine the Kingdom.

In Art

Most of the epics have numerous illuminations of the Kings and Queens with the torc riding their throat. It is never pictured in absence of a ruler.  Depictions of Queen Aminade are rare indeed, but always they show a beautiful woman, tall in stature, garbed in robes (rarely in armor) with a distant look in her eyes.
Various tapestries and shreds of manuscripts also contain images of the torc, but these are becoming rare and the tapestries are often hidden and highly prized. All statues of the kings and queens from the dynasty period were destroyed by the council of Nine after they assumed control of the Kingdom.