Kisara's Dagger
"It is no more spectacular than a kitchen knife. Its preservation is a slap in the face to Kisara's sacrifice, and further proves the corruption of the Azhavinian priesthood!"
Amongst the many treasures kept in the Sparhave, an unremarkable steel dagger lies. Its blade is dull and rusty, its hilt well-worn. Nothing about its appearance makes it seem special. Indeed, hundreds of identical weapons could be found throughout Azhavin and beyond.
History
After High Exemplar Kisara announced she was given a sacred, coded message from the sun Sao, Azhavin erupted with controversy. The Cipher Schism was the most violent religious dispute in Azhavin's history. Near its peak, Kisara was assassinated.
She was killed with a dagger to the heart while she slept. The details of her death were made murky through misinformation and rumor. Azhavin maintains that the identity of the murderer remains a mystery. Khetzala, however, is convinced that a member of the priesthood is to blame.
The dagger was discovered alongside her body. Palace guards were the first to pick it up. They then surrendered it to a priest--which priest is not certain. It was kept out of the public eye for many years, until the energy surrounding the Schism finally died down. Sometime between 612 and 614 PD, the dagger was put on display along with several other religious artifacts.
Significance
Taken from the scene of the murder, this dagger was allegedly used to assassinate former High Exemplar Kisara, avatar of Sao, in 609 PD. She was killed by an unknown assailant during unrest caused by the Cipher Schism.
The reverence given to the dagger is hotly debated. Some see it as a necessary--albeit ugly--part of history that should be preserved. Others see it as a way to romanticize the events of the Schism and gloss over the tragedy that was Kisara's death. Some of the most vehement deniers of Kisara's Cipher insist that the dagger is a weapon for truth, sent by the Suns to cast out the wicked and blasphemous former Exemplar.
Whether the dagger should be kept on display is a common discussion topic in Azhavin. Each new High Exemplar has the power to ask it to be destroyed. In 400 years, it has not yet happened.
Interesting relic to keep around. I can see why it's controversial, but I can also see why people would want to keep it as a reminder of what happened.