Citizens Burden

Appareance

Despite being the symbol of the god Richardus himself, his former crown is modest in appearance. Forged with iron, it is composed of an iron band, adorned with jewels. The band itself may look cheap to some, as no effort was put into smoothening or polishing the iron, giving it a rough and dull exterior.
The gems, on the other hand, are a different story. There are seventeen of them, six on each side and one above the forehead of the wearer. Six on each side, each representing one of the sixteen provinces that were part of the Empire Richardus built. The jewels themselves are diamonds, with the same color code on every side.
First comes a black one, symbolizing the darkness that came before his ascension. The second pair is red, symbolizing the blood he shed when fighting back the raiders. The third pair is green, symbolizing the crops harvested under his guidance. The fourth pair is blue, symbolizing his cure of the debauchery destroying his home from the inside. The fifth pair is purple, symbolizing the nobleness of his planned expeditions into the lands of the barbarians. The sixth pair is white, symbolizing the righteous fury with which he came down upon the barbarians. The seventh pair is grey, symbolizing the grief over the loss of many good people who died for his plans to work. The eighth pair is golden, symbolizing the golden age about to begin when the crown was forged.
The central diamond is special. It symbolizes Richardia, the jewel of the Empire, for which it is white and radiates in bright light. But it also symbolizes the Empire as a whole, spontaneously switching colors and shining in ever different colors, symbolizing the diversity of beings inhabiting, areas encompassing and power within it.

History

The Citizens Burden, the original crown of Richardus was forged in the year 14 after the emperor finished his four year mourning period for the fallen in the barbarian expeditions. It was supposed to be a symbol of the empire and its ruler, the mere sight of which would be proof of their power. It served this purpose for the entire existence of the Empire, each ruler wearing it with pride. Although the crown was not supposed to have any magical attributes those wearing it at the time thought differently. They claimed that their minds were clearer, their thought more concise and the temperament more controlled when wearing it.
But even if the crown may have had magical attributes, it did little to stop the downfall of the Empire. Even worse, during one of the many civil wars ravaging the heartland, the emperor fled the city, dying in the process and losing his crown. This was devastating, as one of the principal symbols of the Empire and its faith was gone, weakening the moral strength of both. While this in of itself would not be enough to make a nation crumble, the combination with the already desolate situation only quickened its fall into anarchy.
For centuries the fate of the crown remained a mystery, both due to the unclear nature of its disappearance, but also due to the lack of anyone motivated enough to find it. The primary successor group, the order of the old Empire was to busy with staying alive, then with searching for a symbol of lost glory. The first important successor state, Uphratus, had renounced the faith of the Empire and had little use for it. The situation changed with the emergence of new successor states. The Richardian Republic was determined to reforge the Empire of old, albeit with slight changes, for which it wanted the symbols of old as well.
Fueled by the promises of incredible wealth an army of adventurers searched the world for any sign of the crown. Eventually, a group of adventurers called the Fireborn was able to reclaim the crown after a long and harrowing journey. Their return to Richardia was triumphant, two hundred years after the search had begun. Not only could the Republic now claim to be favored by Richardus himself, but the Hogeprester was able to access the holiest sanctum for the first time in over four hundred years.
Since then, the crown has been worn by all Stadtholders having taken office since then. It serves as a symbol of Richardian strength, while at the same time showing the dedication of the Republic to go to the extremes to reclaim its old power. During its time in the Republic, it has been renamed into the Citizens Burden, emphasizing the nature of the Stadtholder as a simple citizen burdened by the weight of leadership.

Significance

As it is the primary symbol of the old Empire and its deified ruler, the Citizens Burden is of great importance for all successor states of the old Empire. To own it means to be favored by Richardus himself and gives the person or organization holding them great legitimacy to call themselves the true heirs of the Empire.
Other than being a symbol, the crown also is used for some of the most important ceremonies of the Church of the Ascended. It is the key to unlock the holiest sanctum in the seat of the Hogeprester, containing some of the original texts of Richardus. Though many have tried throughout the centuries, the crown has been the only way to open the sanctum. Due to this, its loss for several centuries after the fall of the Empire was devastating to the church, as they couldn't access their holiest texts anymore.
If an enemy of the old Empire and its successor states were to claim the crown for themselves the consequences would be disastrous. While the crown does not have any magical properties, the mere knowledge that the symbol of the main deity himself has fallen into enemy hands would be morally destructive.

Item type

Unique Artifact

Current Location

Richardia

Current Holder

Bertus van Grenäu

Owning Organization

Richardian Republic

Rarity

Unique

Weight

400 g