Kalistan

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Imperial Seat receives an Upgrade
Throne Room now includes Skylight and Gem encrusted Throne
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
August 5, 5651


The New Opium Throne now stands in Her Imperial Majesty's Formal Audience Hall

The Imperial Seat in Kaliburg has been a long storied location in the Empire. It is the place where Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Mary I Ananto receives all formal audiences, to include Foreign Diplomats, international representatives, and petitions by citizens. Until recently, it has been a dais with a jewel encrusted Throne, and while that throne radiated majesty, it is nothing compared to the new Imperial Seat which has been unveiled in a rare showing this week.

The new Imperial Seat, which Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Mary has dubbed The Opium Throne, was designed by a team of artisans including master silversmith Ronnie Hanson of Kalburg, as well as the imperial jeweler Melvin Reed, who hand selected the Jewels which are featured on the Imperial Seat and inlaid into the Silver. The remodel of the Imperial Seat was commissioned by House Ananto Head Lady Helen Ananto-Reynolds, who spoke with reporters about the new Opium Throne.

"I was tired of having my Empress sit on a common throne," said Lady Helen. "Most monarchies want to see their monarchs decked out in the finest, but I thought Her Imperial Majesty needed a throne room that radiated power and strength. Not a mere throne, but a whole Pavilion, decorated with gems of every size and shape, to represent Kalistan's unequalled wealth and prestige in the world today. And my only regret is that we can't further encrust it without sacrificing structural integrity."

Lady Helen Ananto said that the structure, which is made of approximately 19.5 metric tons of polished silver (with an additional 1 ton going into the Throne itself) was fabricated using special molds crafted by the National Foundry in Sulari for this specific purpose. "The silver was provided by Her Imperial Majesty her self and is worth, just in terms of weight alone, about ₭19.7 million Imperial Rubles," said Lady Helen. "This silver came from her vault, where it has been sitting since the reign of Pavlina Ananto, who acquired it at the beginning of her reign. The gems, they are quite another matter entirely."

Reed said there are more than 10 thousand gems inlaid into the silver. "Each requires its own setting," said Mr. Reed, who oversaw the selection, the grading and the cutting of each gem used in the new Imperial Seat. "Most of the diamonds we recovered from the seat-backing of the previous Imperial Throne, and many of those stones were recycled. But we had countless one and two carat stones, especially rubies and emeralds that we inlaid in the actual structure and the new Throne, not to mention Sapphires and Amethysts that went into the Structure. And many of the larger gems are actually mosaics designed to look like a single stone, though they are numerous gems each." Reed said he could not put an estimate on the value of the gems alone, but they, like the silver, were all provided by House Ananto. He said he was particularly proud of the massive Opium Poppies that form the mosaic that cover the floor of the platform of the Throne pavillion.

"The House has a massive gem vault," said Lady Helen. "All of this stuff was just sitting down there, collecting dust. I think it was always Her Imperial Majesty's desire to create a piece of artwork like this for Kalistan with her wealth, and that's precisely what we've been doing over the last year." Lady Helen said it took about a year to piece the new Imperial Seat together, and the labor of more than 4500 individuals, who worked in shifts and in secret to unveil the new Imperial Seat only when it was completed. The pavilion was built entirely inside the Imperial Seat complex, and while the construction of the Silver Pavilion was being completed, Kaliburg construction crews were also employed to remodel the Complex to add a skylight in the Throne Room, as well as three apartments for visiting dignitaries, and office space for Her Imperial Majesty's Staff and legislative liaisons.

"When Her Imperial Majesty is not at the Imperial Seat, the Throne Room will remain open to the public," said Lady Helen. "It is Her Imperial Majesty's desire to permit the public to enter the Throne Room to view the Opium Throne when it is vacant, and create a small exhibit for visitors who wish to know more about the Monarchy and the Empress' role in it. Then when some event is scheduled, such as the meeting of a foreign dignitary, or a proclamation, we can easily close the building off to visitors until she has conducted her business from the Seat."

One gem which is noticeably absent from the new Opium Throne is the Kundrati Diamond, which remains locked away in a secret location. "Her Imperial Majesty believes that this diamond is cursed," said Mr. Reed. "It is only meant to ever be worn once by any monarch, and then it goes into storage. I'm not sure if I would agree that a diamond could be cursed, but the Empress believes that emphatically, likely due to something Empress Carolina told her about the stone, and therefore has kept it hidden since her coronation.

"But of course, there are much more practical concerns too: By including the Diamond in the Imperial Throne, it creates a target for thieves and wicked people to attempt to come and take it for themselves. There are likely over ten thousand gems in this pavilion but only one Kundrati Diamond exists. And once it is lost, it stays lost. So. She was clear that I should not even consider including it in the design, but work with any number of other stones she had available." Reed said the diamond remained set in her Cross Botonny Necklace, that both she, her father and her Grandmother wore during their coronations.

As for now, the Opium Throne will continue to function as the symbolic locus of Anantonese Power and Prestige. Most of the Empress' duties do not involve sitting at the Imperial Seat, but now it is available for when her tasks take her there, and meanwhile, it shall stand as a testament to Kalistan's fine artistry, as well as her opulence and majesty. Kalistan takes one step closer to Her Imperial Majesty's aspiration of a glittering Empire.

@LaModa