The Crown of Ernica
It had taken many years, but now Haergar had no problems with talking to this man. He had discovered his existence only a few months into his reign, but he was sure Hroth IV would become suspicious if he had talked to him so soon; this man knew of his father's resting place, and the resting place of his Crown. It would take some doing, but he must have that crown before his plots could come to fruition. He walked forward and knocked on the door.
The door was opened, first a fraction and then, quickly, the whole way. An old man, still retaining some signs of his youthful vigor, stood there, slightly stooped, with an amused look on his face.
"I would have expected you sooner," he said, somewhat wryly. "Much sooner, in fact." He ushered Haergar inside, who choose to keep his voice for business. What he saw was an ordinary house, small but not unusually poor in its decoration; the fireplace was empty, as was the custom for this man's ancestors. Haergar found an empty chair and helped himself to a seat.
"You may sit, if you wish," said Haergar, not bothering to bow or make any sort of gesture.
"You, King, might deign to show me some manners," said the man. "You must know who I am, and what my duties are, or you would not be here. Stand and recognize me, or you will not hear what you came for." Haergar thought for a moment, and then stood, realizing his mistake.
"I apologize for the mistake, Burier," said Haergar. "I come seeking my father's resting place. You must surely know where he is laid, the place where all Oerdon's leaders have lain since the time of the Sargothi." As he said this, Haergar gave a slight bow; the Burier was a man to be respected, burdened as he was with the knowledge of Oerdon's history and the duty of burying it's King.
"That is much better. Much," said the Burier. "I know where he lays. However, I seem to have mislaid my memory when I lost my house. Perhaps you know where I put it?" Haergar knew of what he spoke: his fear of Varica had led him to hide this man, the Burier, away soon after the burial of his father's body. He had dismantled the Burial Hall and banished the Burier from Ernica.
"I know where your house lays. Destroyed, yet all parts still present. Perhaps you would like to have it back?" said Haergar. The Burier smiled again, nodded, and moved towards a chest at the foot of his bed; unlocking it, he removed a tome, one that Haergar knew well.
"That is the Burial of Kings?" questioned Haergar. When the Burier nodded and placed it on the ground in front of him, he smiled.
"I had thought to possess it when I banished you, but it seems to well like its proper owner," said Haergar, while picking up and opening the Burial of Kings. Looking at the first page, he was filled with anger.
"What is this!?" shouted Haergar, tossing the book at the Burier, "I cannot make sense of this writing! It is not that of Hroth, nor does it resemble that of the Thunes!" The Burier caught the book, rather adroitly for such an old man, and began a speech of such interest to Haergar that he listened without reprieve for nearly three hours...
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Haergar left the Burier's house with a somewhat triumphant smile upon his face. He saw nothing now preventing him from gaining the Crown of Ernica but the supposedly cursed Sargothi Ruins that laid somewhat north and west of Ernica, the burial place of Oerdon's Kings. He was sure the rumors of ill were nothing but rumors.
However, for now he had promises to fulfill. First, he must rebuild the Burial Hall in Ernica, the Hold of Oerdon's Kings for time immemorial. Then, he must summon the Burier to the Hall in all its glory and wring from him the last secret, the one that no coercion could bring forth. Then, he must find the Crown of Ernica. And, finally, the head of Hroth IV.
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And now on to a little background on Oerdon. Because of its rather troubled past and the broken, non-hereditary method of moving between Kings, Oerdon's longest standing tradition is that of the Burial. The Burier was the direct descendant of the First Burier, who supposedly Buried Oerdon's first King, after whom the tribe is named. The Burier was the most respected and honored figure within Oerdon after the King; the King's Hold, Burial Hall, was named after the tradition of Burying the Kings in the same place and in the same manner, a mythic lineage that linked all in death where they were not in birth.
It was also his duty to keep the Crown of Ernica, after which the city is named, and the lore of Oerdon. The Burial of Kings contains recordings of past events in script that, supposedly, non can decipher but the Burier himself. Many believe it to be the ancient script of the Sargothi, although this has been actively denied by the Buriers. Regardless, it is such a large book that every part of recorded Oerdon history fills only a third of the book.
The Crown of Ernica itself is a mythical symbol to the Oerdon, representing the right of the King to rule the people of Oerdon. It is the one link that nearly every recognized King of the Oerdon has possessed. It was buried with Haergar I by the current Burier at the command of his son, Haergar II. The banishment and dismantling of Burial Hall were all meant to draw Hroth IV's attention away from the provinces of the Oerdon and Paredor so Haergar II might properly prepare his rebellion. Now, however, he must retrieve the Crown of Ernica, rebuild Burial Hall, and reinstate the Burier before he may properly claim the title of King, which he does not currently hold.
