The Danger of Not Having a Floating Crown
[07/22/2002] [Roger]As many people know, the Burning Lands does not have a floating crown. They live in a desert; this probably was not an issue there. In January of 1998, then king of the Burning Lands, Sir Ahira, came down to Silverwater to attend our Winter War event. At the time the issue of a floating crown was on everyone's mind as the groups in Florida were pushing towards kingdom status. While privately many of us did favor a floating crown, we were worried that such a position would incur the displeasure of the Burning Lands, whom we were on very good terms with. To our surprise, Ahira beat us to the punch and actively encouraged us to set up our kingdom around a floating crown. It was only logical, given how we were set up. We would go on to proceed and use a floating crown in the formation of the Kingdom of Neverwinter. However, one anecdote from that event reveals the real danger in not having a floating crown, and the potential treason possible when one is not governed by one. Ahira stated several times he did not like the crown (the actual metal thing that sat on his head in court) of the Burning Lands. He had wanted to get a new one made, but had not gotten the approval of the BOD to spend moneys on such a thing. Quite frankly, I heard him confiding, he was hoping that someone would swipe it, and was even leaving it lying around apparently unwatched hoping someone would do so. No one took the bait. That evening after court, we had a fire circle/ceremony (where Tonbo got knighted) on a small island in the middle of the lake adjacent to the campgrounds. This island was about 50 yards in diameter, and reached by a rickety wooden bridge lacking a railing on one side and with warped boards... the bridge was maybe 200 feet long. The center of this little island had a nice firepit. On the way out to this island one time the subject of the crown came up again. "If you really don't like it that much," suggested someone he had come down with (it may have been Nikos), "why don't you toss it in the lake?" Ahira appeared tempted by the thought, but decided he could not do it. He ended up disappointed in this regard, and returned to El Paso with the crown intact. And there lies the danger. A less scrupulous king might have abused his power and the trust given to him and tossed the crown in the lake. And as it was not a floating crown, it would have been lost, and the people of the Burning Lands would have been forced to ante up for a new crown - something which the desert-dwelling original writers of the Burning Lands corpora had never considered. We here in Neverwinter, and other kingdoms with such floating crowns, are protected against such abuses of power. Consider: Wet/Rainy Kingdoms:
Neverwinter (floating)
Wetlands (floating)
Mystic Seas (non-floating)
Valley of Silver Rains (floating)
Celestial Kingdom (floating)
Medium Precipitation Kingdoms:
Emerald Hills (floating)
Goldenvale (non-floating)
Iron Mountains (floating)
Dry/Desert Kingdoms:
Burning Lands (non-floating)
Dragonspine (non-floating)
Golden Plains (non-floating)
The danger is clear - Mystic Seas is in grave danger of losing their crown because it does not float.
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