Royal Sacrifice to Inar

After another twelve years of peace and prosperity, the kingdom of Simarah was threatened again. This time by a more dangerous enemy. The barbarians beyond the Plain of Burning Sands attempted to raid the kingdom once more. But this time multiple chieftains coordinating with each other conducted a more effective method of attack. Not expecting such cooperation between the hordes, the kingdom was once again being overrun.

Prince, now King Rrork, without the legendary sword, knew this time there was no chance to obtain victory. He remembered his father Goron left sealed and encrypted instructions for him that were to be opened in the event of another crisis. Going to the lords chambers and opening the hidden compartment that hid this set of instructions and broke the seal on them. Removing the encryption with the decoding tables, what he found shocked him to his very core.

Inside was a confession that revealed the true origins of the legendary sword, the pact made with the pagan goddess Inar, the situation that forced him to violate that pact, and the lies about it told by the Church of the one True God. It also stated he suspected in the back of his mind that the sword was cursed as some kind of punishment but that he dared not disclose his suspicions to anyone due to the possibility of his heresy being found out.

Following that, the instructions provided the location that king Goron went to in order to make the pact with the pagans and their goddess Inar and how to arrive there. It was an undisclosed location that Goron secretly left alone when he was forced to resume his crusades. The instructions told Rrork to go there, and beg for forgiveness as it might be the only way to avert the current crisis.

King Rrork, seeing no other option, decided to follow the instructions and head out to the marked location. Once arriving at the place, Rrork approached the druids and got on his knees. He showed them the decoded instructions and pleaded his case to them. To his good fortune, they listened and agreed to consult the goddess on what can be done. Rrork was asked to remain with them overnight until a decision has been made.

The next day, the head druid told king Rrork that Inar wished to speak with him personally. He was escorted to their hidden shrine where the legendary blade was lying on an alter. The goddess appeared before him and his advisors. She confirmed that everything in the confession he read was true. The sword was secretly recovered after she revealed to her people where it was lost which is why no one was able to find it.

Inar said that considering the circumstances of Goron's situation, she did not totally fault him for his betrayal. She told him that she would lend him assistence in the crisis but said that Goron's violation of their pact cannot go unpunished. She removed the curse on the sword and restored its powers. Then she instructed Rrork to go and defeat his enemies and save his kingdom. Then return to the shrine once his victory is achieved.

After the barbarians were driven back to where they came and the kingdom was safe once more a great calamity occured at the temples and worship sites of the One True God. All of them suddenly collapsed and every priest and clurgy member was killed in the destruction. Seeing that there was no threat of dethronement this time, King Rrork returned to Inar's shrine as instructed. Goddess Inar appeared before him once more and showed him the destruction of the Chruch of the One True God.

She then told him that this was a show of force to prove that their god is false. Inar then told him the kingdom's punishment. It consists of three conditions:

1. All of the populations of the entire kingdom are to cease worshipping the false god and begin worshipping her and the other pagan gods. This is to be done by force if needed.

2. All destroyed churches are to be rebuilt into temples dedicated to her and the other gods.

However the third one is the most important of them all.

From now on, everytime a new king is crowned, the old one shall go the main shrine and offer himself up as a sacrifice as an act of penance. As long as these conditions are met, the kingdom will be under Inar's protection. BUT should the old king refuse to offer himself up or the new king attempt another crusade, the kingdom will be destroyed for its disobedience.

The sword is now known as the Sacrifical Blade and is now used to perform the ritual.

And so it has been that the coronation of the new king is done as follows:

Both the old and new king go to the Shrine of Inar that Rrork went to. They are accompanied by a group of Royal Knights for protection and another reason as well. Once they arrive at the shrine, they approach the alter with the Sacrificial Blade lying on top of it. This is a sword that is very ornate. The blade dazzling and keen, the humongous serpent shaped hilt inlaid with precious stones in the sacred pentacle of the pagan faith. The ritual is then started.

As the crown is placed on the new king's head, the old king takes the sword in his hands and kneels before the statue of Inar. He recites a prayer to initiate the sacrifical ritual. The goddess will appear before them all and explain the purpose of the ritual that is about to take place and how to perform it. The old king then takes the sword and points the blade at his heart. Then with both hands on the hilt, he plunges it into his own body and kills himself.

Technically it doesn't matter how the kill is done. Just as long as someone of royal blood uses the sword to do it, Inar will accept the sacrifice. Becuase the kingdom's entire existence hinges on this sacrifice, the Royal Knights and the new king will step in and "assist" the old king in performing the sacrifice should he be unable or unwilling to do it himself. Should the royal family fail to perform the sacrifice in 72 hours from the start of the coronation, Inar will be angered and destroy the kingdom.

The goddess Inar has warned Rrork and everyone after him that no attempts to outsmart her in anyway shape or form are to be made. On the first attempt Inar will destroy a part of the kingdom of her choosing as a warning. The second attempt will result in another part of the kingdom she selects being destroyed. The third attempt will result in the total destruction of the entire kingdom.