George E. Firedawn Tomb

The George E. Firedawn Tomb, also referred to as the Tomb of George E. Firedawn or simply the Firedawn Tomb, is the burial place of George Firedawn, one of the founders of the United States of Quentin who was put to death for treason in 1845 after the Founders Conflict. Located in Northarbore, GA, the tomb is one of the most hated and shunned places in the entire nation, perhaps the entire world, and the tomb is never lit or given any special honors, being covered completely in black and surrounded and concealed by a small hall, which has only one small entrance. The Founders Tomb Guard, a special unit of the Fort McCarthy Defense Force, constantly guards the tomb from the inside, with muskets drawn and continuously aimed at the tomb.

The tomb was built in 1847 for the deceased Firedawn, and attempts to create a burial site for Firedawn and his conspirators were not succeeding. Finally, in 1846 the city of Northarbore volunteered itself as a site for the burial of Firedawn, however only accepted if they could gain control of the design of the tomb. Congress accepted, and in 1847 the tomb was built. Northarbore was the site of the Battle of Northarbore during the Quentinian War of Independence, and the city's council accepted as it felt they had a lasting debt to pay to the former general. This sparked acceptances from other cities for the burial of the traitors, and the final resting places of Firedawn's co-conspirators include the Penswill Tomb in Kauffmansville, Snowland, and J.P. Tomb in Stevenstown, DA. All three are national monuments.

Tomb

The tomb is located in Northarbore, GA, and is located outside the city, with a view of the Gulf of Creed. The entrance of the tomb faces the city, and the tomb is built into a hill which faces the water. A small square is located outside of the tomb, with no decorations except for lighting and that of a stone slab, which has often been vandalized with hateful messages. The path leads out to a gated administrative building and visitor's center, which is on a road outside of the city. Grass surrounds the monument, and the entrance is very small, nearly 8 feet tall and 1.5 feet wide. On the top of the entryway is carved the latter portion of Stevens 7:23 from the Bible, "I never knew you; depart from me, you worker of lawlessness." By law, no other messages or official notices are to be displayed in the square or tomb, only at the visitor's center.

Inside the tomb, which is white, there are no lights, and the tomb is a simple square slab cover with a sphere top. Visitors are prohibited from walking freely in the tomb, and must stay behind a certain point. The tomb's ceiling is tall, at 25 feet, and 3 armed military guards from the Founders Tomb Guard of the Fort McCarthy Defense Force stand on guard of the tomb, with weapons continuously drawn and pointed at the tomb. These guards have remained continuously in place, 24 hours a day, every day of the week, since 1927. Inclement weather, national emergencies, attacks, etc. does not affect the guard. Firedawn's tombstone is inscribed, "To him who we owed a final debt, to him who desecrated his honor," with only the word, "FIREDAWN," identifying the tomb. The tomb is made of marble.

Founders Tomb Guard

Main article: Founders Tomb Guard

Weapons

By custom and tradition, the Founders Tomb Guard is armed with Kind Lady rifles, which were the most popular rifles in the world at the time of the death of Firedawn in 1845. The rifles are cleaned and kept maintained continuously, and in addition each guard carries a long knife and modern pistol.

Changing of the Guard

The guard of the three soldiers at the George E. Firedawn Tomb is carried out every 37 minutes on weekdays, and every two hours on weekends. The guard on holidays is changed every 17 minutes. Visitors can witness the changing of the guard, and the inside of the tomb is closed for approximately 1.7 minutes while the guard is changed. The relief commander of the guard will enter the tomb, walk up to the first guard on the right, and say, "Pass your orders" to the guard, who will then exit the tomb and pass the orders to one of the three oncoming guardsmen, with the traditional phrase, "Guard until rapture, death, or relieved." Both guards will salute, and the oncoming guard will take the guard's place at the right of the tomb. This practice is repeated two more times, until the guard is changed. The guard may not be changed at the same time, and guards must be changed one at a time, so that two guards will always remain, with rifles pointed at the tomb.

Dedication and Traditions

The three soldiers from the Tomb Guard stand near the tomb from the left side, right side, and back side of the tomb facing the entrance. Their rifles are continuously pointed at the tomb, in constant vigilance, and the soldiers stand 24 hours a day, for seven days of the week. The guard was first posted in 1848 by the city of Northarbore, which the city council said was to, "Prevent degradation of the tomb, thievery, or the return of treason and dishonor of the highest order," treason and dishonor being interpreted as the resurrection of George Firedawn himself. The guard was not regular and was inconsistent from year to year, until 1927, when Executive Order 1 by President Adithan Kumar ordered the Fort McCarthy Defense Force to establish the guard as a special unit, and for it to be posted all the time.

There are currently 45 members of the Founders Tomb Guard, with 17 dedicated to the George Firedawn Tomb, 17 dedicated to the Penswill Tomb, 7 dedicated to the J.P. Tomb, and 4 dedicated to the Founders Conflict Tomb, which contains other unnamed co-conspirators. The guard must pass a 77 question test, as well as perform 77 practice ceremonies at a facility before becoming an official guard, and must have been serving honorably for 7 years before appointment either in the Defense Force or another branch of the military. There can only ever be a maximum of 77 officials, as laid out by the executive order, and applications can not be made if the maximum has been reached. The Badge of the Tomb is awarded to all soldiers who guard the tombs, which is kept for the duration of careers, unless stripped.