Death, funerals and beliefs of Eberron! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Death, funerals and beliefs of Eberron! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
technodemon
10-18-04, 12:25 PM Hey all I have question for every. I asked this in the Ask Kieth thread and to get other people feedback. I came up with an odd charcater idea that is an Arcane Cemetary Director which will be an Aereni Elf that is wizard or a cleric. I am wanting to have the elf set up a funeral palor in or near a major sity and provide services for the departed families. Of course he is there to do other reasons for his family and anscentors

Now the question is how are funerals, cerimonies and all that are done in Eberron, mostly in the big cities and towns? I like my elf to cater to all beliefs about death for everyone.
xcorvis
10-18-04, 02:56 PM Great idea!

Here's a couple things off the top of my head:

Talenta halflings are nomads, and nomads typically do not bury their dead. (I might be wrong.) They could burn them on pyres, or perform a "sky burial". (A sky burial is a Tibetan ritual where they chop up the body and feed it to the vultures - or in this case, dinos. It's not a punshiment or a bad thing - cycle of life, and all.) Mourning periods are usually short - life goes on and attention must be paid to what is important - survival. Halfling grief is brief but intense. Widows and widowers remarry in a matter of months, perhaps sooner if they have young childen, or later if they are alone or have grown ones.

Mror Holds Dwarves are very consious of their ancestors. Not to the extent of the elves, but dwarves hold their memories dearly. They typically inter a body in a family tomb. The tomb is an important place for dwarves - various ceremonies are held there, "in the presence of their ancestors," including coming of age ceremonies, weddings, certain religious events and funerals, of course. Tombs are frequently decorated with the likenesses of ancestors, particularly stone carvings. After the deceased is embalmed or magically preserved, the funeral typically begins with a procession, where the body is carried on a liter (or in a casket, if necessary) through the family holdings and then into the tomb. Mourners will spend 3 days in rotating shifts holding vigil for the deceased and reflecting upon their life and deeds. At the end of the three days the body is interred in it's final resting place. Wards are placed with the body and on the tomb to prevent the dead from being corrupted or raised as undead. Mourning typically lasts for 2-3 years, and dwarves rely heavily on their families for support. Dwarven widows and widowers rarely remarry if they have children, and if they do it is typically after a decade or more.

I'll post more later, if I think of good stuff. I suspect the Karnathi rituals could be very interesting.
Edymnion
10-18-04, 03:24 PM And I can certainly see Changlings using a death mask.

Warforged, well, I doubt they would have any death rituals at all. Too young of a race, and since they were built as warriors, they likely leave the dead where they lie.

Half-Orcs, I see them as being rather Klingon-like, especially in this case. And, if you remember your Next Gen, Klingons have the death scream, to warn the dead that a warrior is coming to them. After that, they treat the body as an empty shell, to be disposed of in the most efficient means available.
xcorvis
10-18-04, 03:46 PM I think the hobgoblins are more like Klingons than the half-orcs are. Eberron orcs are not nearly as martial as regular D&D orcs, and seem to have a relatively peaceful culture, without the focus on battle and war that the hobgoblins (and klingons) have.

Here's some more stuff:

Galifarian burial customs
Before the break up of the Empire, the most common burial custom was a basic burial. The deceased was usually not embalmed and simply burried about 6' underground in a wooden casket. For higher (and wealthier) social classes, better preservation techniques, burial plots and caskets are highly desireable. The dead are usually not buried with belongings. Funeral customs vary somewhat, but usually the body was burried as soon as possible and is followed by a reception or wake where the deceased is remembered. Mourning periods vary by area, but intense morning is usually very brief. Widows and widowers frequently remarry, especially if they are young or have children. Most of the human-dominated nations still follow these basic cusoms, but some, most notibly Karthath, do not.

Karnath
When Karnath first began to harvest dead soldiers for their armies, it was ill recieved. Even today it is not well-liked. Burial customs have changed radically because of this. When a soldier dies in battle, he is reviewed by a member of the Ministry of Death (IIRC), who determines if he is a suitable candidate for undeath. If he is not, he is usually burried in a basic battlefield graveyard with the other soldiers. If he is suitable, he is taken to an appropriate facility, usually on a military base or outpost, and turned into a Karnathi Skeleton or Zombie. His family is notified of his sacrifice and continued duty and given his back pay and an "undeath bonus," consisting of a fraction of the soldier's salary. Families of the fallen soldier typically go through the motions of a normal funeral and bury something iconic of the deceased. Frequently, an empty suit of clothing is laid out in a casket in place of the body.
Among farmers and small communities, public funerals have become rare. It is common for a poor family to take their dead to a hidden location and bury them there, without an obvious marker. This is done to protect them from being turned into undead by the Ministry of Death. The Ministry denies that it still uses graveyards in this fashion, but many do not believe them. Because of the lack of public grieving and support, there are many Karnathi who have not dealt with their losses very well. They harbor great resentment and anger concerning the dead, and greatly fear undeath and the Ministry of Death.
In large cities, crematoriums are an "open secret". If you have the money, you can take your deceased to a crematorium, where they will cremate the body. Usually the ashes are placed in a coffin and burried in the normal fashion, but the families can rest easy that their loved ones will not rise again. However, crematoriums are quite expensive and the poor typically cannot afford them. The Ministry of Death frowns on crematoriums and while they were technically illegal during the war, they are tolerated now.
It should be noted that some Karnathi who consider themselves patriots will their bodies to the Ministry of Death to either be raised as undead or for magical experimentation. Publicly this is considered a brave deed and very patriotic, but privately it is rather unpopular.
Just another user
10-18-04, 05:27 PM Half-Orcs, I see them as being rather Klingon-like, especially in this case. And, if you remember your Next Gen, Klingons have the death scream, to warn the dead that a warrior is coming to them. After that, they treat the body as an empty shell, to be disposed of in the most efficient means available.

Don't forget the strong druidic tradition of some half orc.
Actually I think we are making a mistake differentianting between races when we should differentiate between places first and eventually race.

The burial customs of Demon wastes's half orcs are very different from those of Eldeen Reaches's half orcs, but not so distants from those of Demon Wastes's human tribes.
Splendide
10-18-04, 09:28 PM A good one for someone who loved Sharn would be a scattering of ashes from the top of a tower.....with the manifest zone, its romantically possible that they'll float around Sharn forever.
zambuka
10-18-04, 10:14 PM ... Ministry of Death (IIRC), who determines if he is a suitable candidate for undeath. If he is not, he is usually burried in a basic battlefield graveyard with the other soldiers. If he is suitable, he is taken to an appropriate facility, usually on a military base or outpost, and turned into a Karnathi Skeleton or Zombie. His family is notified of his sacrifice and continued duty and given his back pay and an "undeath bonus," ...

I would think that any soldier not deemed suitable to become a Karnathi zombie or skeleton would just be turned into an ordinary skeleton or zombie. Unless of course the body is too damaged for this.

... The Ministry denies that it still uses graveyards in this fashion, but many do not believe them. Because of the lack of public grieving and support, there are many Karnathi who have not dealt with their losses very well. They harbor great resentment and anger concerning the dead, and greatly fear undeath and the Ministry of Death.

There would probably be a massive PR campaign comparing the work of the Ministry of Death with the Undying court. This campaign would be running through the Last war and wouldn't stop with the current peace, so there would be plenty of people who would buy into the idea that offering your dead up for service to the country would be an honour. Particularly if the Ministry offered a grievance payment for the family of the deceased.

This idea could create all sorts of interesting tension and feuds between families who support the idea of using the dead in this manner and the families who would prefer to go with traditional burial or cremation.
technodemon
10-18-04, 10:47 PM Hey all, check this out!

Actually, the Sharn book notes that the most trusted embalmers and crypt builders in Sharn are Aerenal elves, so you're right on target. This is a complex subject, and I'm only going to give a brief answer; I think your best bet is the thread you started on the general board, and I know that most of the ideas I saw when I skimmed it seemed reasonable. A few other things:
* Followers of the Sovereign Host generally bury their dead, either interring them in the earth or in crypts; the dead are believed to be under the protection of Kol Korran. Properly, the first night after death, a corpse should be attended by a priest or friend, to protect the soul from the Keeper during its passage; if no-one is available, a weapon of some sort should be left on the body, even if it's just ceremonial. You may say "Protect it on its passage to Dolurrh? What's the point?" But remember that a common belief is that Dolurrh is a waystation, and if nothing else, it is forgetfulness and death. The Keeper is where you'll get your eternal torments.

* The kalashtar and followers of the Silver Host typically cremate the dead. Once your soul has joined the Silver Flame, there is no need for the body.

Of course, these are short answers, and there are many many more customs. Like I see, I'd see what people suggest in the other thread.

I am really gonna get this book now... :D
ChronosCrow
10-18-04, 11:56 PM A PC died in my game and the PC's didn't have his body at the time let alone time to worry about a funeral when presumably died. So they had to wait until they got back to Sharn. One PC really wanted to hold reverence for his death so I ended up making something up on the fly about Sharn and I think it's pretty interesting.

Since Sharn is mostly towers and they had to build up and it's unsanitary to keep corpses above ground in the towers the Sharn of my world has it's own way of dealing with funerals and death. The most southern tower of Sharn, now dubbed South Tower or Day of Flight Tower by natives has a large number of platforms that the living cast off flying machines that carrier remnants of the individual out to sea. Things like either ashes or small cherished things and floral things. If wished for, the body is cremated and a small flying mechanical contraption is created. Probably mundanely powered by magic or a low powered dragon shard. Didn't get that technical with the PC's. Different religons do differrent things, but mostly people say their peace about the person and then watch the little thing fly out to sea.

One of the PC's stayed behind and shot off a flame arrow in reverence also. He kinda treated the dead PC badly and it was his character's way of showing though he was hard on him he cared in the end. The whole thing was touching. Since they didn't have the body they all put in some money inside the machine since the character was a pick pocket thief that often got them into a bit of trouble due to his natural tendancy to steal money.
technodemon
10-19-04, 10:22 AM After thinking more on my PC concept, been wandering how would he being a divine/arcane caster (elite caster in ECS) class fit in this role? with this, what would be a good prestige class for an Aerenal Elf that is has this concept.
technodemon
10-23-04, 04:05 PM *bump*
Flack Jack
10-24-04, 02:04 AM Great idea!

Here's a couple things off the top of my head:

Mror Holds Dwarves are very consious of their ancestors. Not to the extent of the elves, but dwarves hold their memories dearly. They typically inter a body in a family tomb. The tomb is an important place for dwarves - various ceremonies are held there, "in the presence of their ancestors," including coming of age ceremonies, weddings, certain religious events and funerals, of course. Tombs are frequently decorated with the likenesses of ancestors, particularly stone carvings. After the deceased is embalmed or magically preserved, the funeral typically begins with a procession, where the body is carried on a liter (or in a casket, if necessary) through the family holdings and then into the tomb. Mourners will spend 3 days in rotating shifts holding vigil for the deceased and reflecting upon their life and deeds. At the end of the three days the body is interred in it's final resting place. Wards are placed with the body and on the tomb to prevent the dead from being corrupted or raised as undead. Mourning typically lasts for 2-3 years, and dwarves rely heavily on their families for support. Dwarven widows and widowers rarely remarry if they have children, and if they do it is typically after a decade or more.

I'll post more later, if I think of good stuff. I suspect the Karnathi rituals could be very interesting.

When I took a look at races of stone I found that the standard grey hawk dwaves cremated their dead as to be reforged by Moradin, aka reincarnation. Of course grey hawk aint eberron.
Neofish
10-24-04, 02:16 AM A good one for someone who loved Sharn would be a scattering of ashes from the top of a tower.....with the manifest zone, its romantically possible that they'll float around Sharn forever.

"Oh man, I got some dead dudes ashes in my mouth, pew, pew...."

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
technodemon 10-18-04, 12:25 PM	Hey all I have question for every. I asked this in the Ask Kieth thread and to get other people feedback. I came up with an odd charcater idea that is an Arcane Cemetary Director which will be an Aereni Elf that is wizard or a cleric. I am wanting to have the elf set up a funeral palor in or near a major sity and provide services for the departed families. Of course he is there to do other reasons for his family and anscentors Now the question is how are funerals, cerimonies and all that are done in Eberron, mostly in the big cities and towns? I like my elf to cater to all beliefs about death for everyone.
xcorvis 10-18-04, 02:56 PM	Great idea! Here's a couple things off the top of my head: Talenta halflings are nomads, and nomads typically do not bury their dead. (I might be wrong.) They could burn them on pyres, or perform a "sky burial". (A sky burial is a Tibetan ritual where they chop up the body and feed it to the vultures - or in this case, dinos. It's not a punshiment or a bad thing - cycle of life, and all.) Mourning periods are usually short - life goes on and attention must be paid to what is important - survival. Halfling grief is brief but intense. Widows and widowers remarry in a matter of months, perhaps sooner if they have young childen, or later if they are alone or have grown ones. Mror Holds Dwarves are very consious of their ancestors. Not to the extent of the elves, but dwarves hold their memories dearly. They typically inter a body in a family tomb. The tomb is an important place for dwarves - various ceremonies are held there, "in the presence of their ancestors," including coming of age ceremonies, weddings, certain religious events and funerals, of course. Tombs are frequently decorated with the likenesses of ancestors, particularly stone carvings. After the deceased is embalmed or magically preserved, the funeral typically begins with a procession, where the body is carried on a liter (or in a casket, if necessary) through the family holdings and then into the tomb. Mourners will spend 3 days in rotating shifts holding vigil for the deceased and reflecting upon their life and deeds. At the end of the three days the body is interred in it's final resting place. Wards are placed with the body and on the tomb to prevent the dead from being corrupted or raised as undead. Mourning typically lasts for 2-3 years, and dwarves rely heavily on their families for support. Dwarven widows and widowers rarely remarry if they have children, and if they do it is typically after a decade or more. I'll post more later, if I think of good stuff. I suspect the Karnathi rituals could be very interesting.
Edymnion 10-18-04, 03:24 PM	And I can certainly see Changlings using a death mask. Warforged, well, I doubt they would have any death rituals at all. Too young of a race, and since they were built as warriors, they likely leave the dead where they lie. Half-Orcs, I see them as being rather Klingon-like, especially in this case. And, if you remember your Next Gen, Klingons have the death scream, to warn the dead that a warrior is coming to them. After that, they treat the body as an empty shell, to be disposed of in the most efficient means available.
xcorvis 10-18-04, 03:46 PM	I think the hobgoblins are more like Klingons than the half-orcs are. Eberron orcs are not nearly as martial as regular D&D orcs, and seem to have a relatively peaceful culture, without the focus on battle and war that the hobgoblins (and klingons) have. Here's some more stuff: Galifarian burial customs Before the break up of the Empire, the most common burial custom was a basic burial. The deceased was usually not embalmed and simply burried about 6' underground in a wooden casket. For higher (and wealthier) social classes, better preservation techniques, burial plots and caskets are highly desireable. The dead are usually not buried with belongings. Funeral customs vary somewhat, but usually the body was burried as soon as possible and is followed by a reception or wake where the deceased is remembered. Mourning periods vary by area, but intense morning is usually very brief. Widows and widowers frequently remarry, especially if they are young or have children. Most of the human-dominated nations still follow these basic cusoms, but some, most notibly Karthath, do not. Karnath When Karnath first began to harvest dead soldiers for their armies, it was ill recieved. Even today it is not well-liked. Burial customs have changed radically because of this. When a soldier dies in battle, he is reviewed by a member of the Ministry of Death (IIRC), who determines if he is a suitable candidate for undeath. If he is not, he is usually burried in a basic battlefield graveyard with the other soldiers. If he is suitable, he is taken to an appropriate facility, usually on a military base or outpost, and turned into a Karnathi Skeleton or Zombie. His family is notified of his sacrifice and continued duty and given his back pay and an "undeath bonus," consisting of a fraction of the soldier's salary. Families of the fallen soldier typically go through the motions of a normal funeral and bury something iconic of the deceased. Frequently, an empty suit of clothing is laid out in a casket in place of the body. Among farmers and small communities, public funerals have become rare. It is common for a poor family to take their dead to a hidden location and bury them there, without an obvious marker. This is done to protect them from being turned into undead by the Ministry of Death. The Ministry denies that it still uses graveyards in this fashion, but many do not believe them. Because of the lack of public grieving and support, there are many Karnathi who have not dealt with their losses very well. They harbor great resentment and anger concerning the dead, and greatly fear undeath and the Ministry of Death. In large cities, crematoriums are an "open secret". If you have the money, you can take your deceased to a crematorium, where they will cremate the body. Usually the ashes are placed in a coffin and burried in the normal fashion, but the families can rest easy that their loved ones will not rise again. However, crematoriums are quite expensive and the poor typically cannot afford them. The Ministry of Death frowns on crematoriums and while they were technically illegal during the war, they are tolerated now. It should be noted that some Karnathi who consider themselves patriots will their bodies to the Ministry of Death to either be raised as undead or for magical experimentation. Publicly this is considered a brave deed and very patriotic, but privately it is rather unpopular.
Just another user 10-18-04, 05:27 PM	Half-Orcs, I see them as being rather Klingon-like, especially in this case. And, if you remember your Next Gen, Klingons have the death scream, to warn the dead that a warrior is coming to them. After that, they treat the body as an empty shell, to be disposed of in the most efficient means available. Don't forget the strong druidic tradition of some half orc. Actually I think we are making a mistake differentianting between races when we should differentiate between places first and eventually race. The burial customs of Demon wastes's half orcs are very different from those of Eldeen Reaches's half orcs, but not so distants from those of Demon Wastes's human tribes.
Splendide 10-18-04, 09:28 PM	A good one for someone who loved Sharn would be a scattering of ashes from the top of a tower.....with the manifest zone, its romantically possible that they'll float around Sharn forever.
zambuka 10-18-04, 10:14 PM	... Ministry of Death (IIRC), who determines if he is a suitable candidate for undeath. If he is not, he is usually burried in a basic battlefield graveyard with the other soldiers. If he is suitable, he is taken to an appropriate facility, usually on a military base or outpost, and turned into a Karnathi Skeleton or Zombie. His family is notified of his sacrifice and continued duty and given his back pay and an "undeath bonus," ... I would think that any soldier not deemed suitable to become a Karnathi zombie or skeleton would just be turned into an ordinary skeleton or zombie. Unless of course the body is too damaged for this. ... The Ministry denies that it still uses graveyards in this fashion, but many do not believe them. Because of the lack of public grieving and support, there are many Karnathi who have not dealt with their losses very well. They harbor great resentment and anger concerning the dead, and greatly fear undeath and the Ministry of Death. There would probably be a massive PR campaign comparing the work of the Ministry of Death with the Undying court. This campaign would be running through the Last war and wouldn't stop with the current peace, so there would be plenty of people who would buy into the idea that offering your dead up for service to the country would be an honour. Particularly if the Ministry offered a grievance payment for the family of the deceased. This idea could create all sorts of interesting tension and feuds between families who support the idea of using the dead in this manner and the families who would prefer to go with traditional burial or cremation.
technodemon 10-18-04, 10:47 PM	Hey all, check this out! Actually, the Sharn book notes that the most trusted embalmers and crypt builders in Sharn are Aerenal elves, so you're right on target. This is a complex subject, and I'm only going to give a brief answer; I think your best bet is the thread you started on the general board, and I know that most of the ideas I saw when I skimmed it seemed reasonable. A few other things: * Followers of the Sovereign Host generally bury their dead, either interring them in the earth or in crypts; the dead are believed to be under the protection of Kol Korran. Properly, the first night after death, a corpse should be attended by a priest or friend, to protect the soul from the Keeper during its passage; if no-one is available, a weapon of some sort should be left on the body, even if it's just ceremonial. You may say "Protect it on its passage to Dolurrh? What's the point?" But remember that a common belief is that Dolurrh is a waystation, and if nothing else, it is forgetfulness and death. The Keeper is where you'll get your eternal torments. * The kalashtar and followers of the Silver Host typically cremate the dead. Once your soul has joined the Silver Flame, there is no need for the body. Of course, these are short answers, and there are many many more customs. Like I see, I'd see what people suggest in the other thread. I am really gonna get this book now... :D
ChronosCrow 10-18-04, 11:56 PM	A PC died in my game and the PC's didn't have his body at the time let alone time to worry about a funeral when presumably died. So they had to wait until they got back to Sharn. One PC really wanted to hold reverence for his death so I ended up making something up on the fly about Sharn and I think it's pretty interesting. Since Sharn is mostly towers and they had to build up and it's unsanitary to keep corpses above ground in the towers the Sharn of my world has it's own way of dealing with funerals and death. The most southern tower of Sharn, now dubbed South Tower or Day of Flight Tower by natives has a large number of platforms that the living cast off flying machines that carrier remnants of the individual out to sea. Things like either ashes or small cherished things and floral things. If wished for, the body is cremated and a small flying mechanical contraption is created. Probably mundanely powered by magic or a low powered dragon shard. Didn't get that technical with the PC's. Different religons do differrent things, but mostly people say their peace about the person and then watch the little thing fly out to sea. One of the PC's stayed behind and shot off a flame arrow in reverence also. He kinda treated the dead PC badly and it was his character's way of showing though he was hard on him he cared in the end. The whole thing was touching. Since they didn't have the body they all put in some money inside the machine since the character was a pick pocket thief that often got them into a bit of trouble due to his natural tendancy to steal money.
technodemon 10-19-04, 10:22 AM	After thinking more on my PC concept, been wandering how would he being a divine/arcane caster (elite caster in ECS) class fit in this role? with this, what would be a good prestige class for an Aerenal Elf that is has this concept.
technodemon 10-23-04, 04:05 PM	bump
Flack Jack 10-24-04, 02:04 AM	Great idea! Here's a couple things off the top of my head: Mror Holds Dwarves are very consious of their ancestors. Not to the extent of the elves, but dwarves hold their memories dearly. They typically inter a body in a family tomb. The tomb is an important place for dwarves - various ceremonies are held there, "in the presence of their ancestors," including coming of age ceremonies, weddings, certain religious events and funerals, of course. Tombs are frequently decorated with the likenesses of ancestors, particularly stone carvings. After the deceased is embalmed or magically preserved, the funeral typically begins with a procession, where the body is carried on a liter (or in a casket, if necessary) through the family holdings and then into the tomb. Mourners will spend 3 days in rotating shifts holding vigil for the deceased and reflecting upon their life and deeds. At the end of the three days the body is interred in it's final resting place. Wards are placed with the body and on the tomb to prevent the dead from being corrupted or raised as undead. Mourning typically lasts for 2-3 years, and dwarves rely heavily on their families for support. Dwarven widows and widowers rarely remarry if they have children, and if they do it is typically after a decade or more. I'll post more later, if I think of good stuff. I suspect the Karnathi rituals could be very interesting. When I took a look at races of stone I found that the standard grey hawk dwaves cremated their dead as to be reforged by Moradin, aka reincarnation. Of course grey hawk aint eberron.
Neofish 10-24-04, 02:16 AM	A good one for someone who loved Sharn would be a scattering of ashes from the top of a tower.....with the manifest zone, its romantically possible that they'll float around Sharn forever. "Oh man, I got some dead dudes ashes in my mouth, pew, pew...."