| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Delwa |
Posted - 18 Aug 2015 : 23:37:15
I did a quick search, I thought I'd seen this asked before, but I didn't see it.
Headstones in Faerun, what designs do they take? Crosses are typical in America, like at Arlington, presumably due to Christian influence. In cases of Jewish faith, you'll see a Star of David instead of a cross. With a pantheonic society, that wouldn't necessarily be the case.
Does the Realms do your standard rounded headstone with maybe a deity's emblem carved into the top? Is a flat plaque at the head of the grave typical?
Do certain faiths have a unique headstone design? Maybe a sunburst on an obelisk for Lathander or something?
Has Ed mentioned any differences like this?
If there's nothing official, I'm open to speculation. I've got it in my head to do a diorama of a graveyard as part of the 3D terrain I use in my games, and thought I'd give it a more "Realmsy" flavor. As some deity emblems are more difficult to slap on top of a stick than a Star of David or Cross, I was looking for ideas beyond a rounded tomb stone with a deity emblem carved on it. |
| 18 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| TBeholder |
Posted - 26 Aug 2015 : 13:20:07
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Vampire of the Mists (a Ravenloft novel) describes a Realms gold elf, Jander Sunstar, who is afflicted with vampirism. The nature of his curse is revealed over time as he grows into his powers, but an underlying theme is how his sanity unhinges from the horror of being undead
Not a lot, really. More of surly with temper.
quote:
The concept of undeath seems especially abhorrent to elvenkind, they would rather destroy themselves before being reanimated and they are ready to do the same for all other elves.
Not as much "do the same" as "completely lose it", especially if certain short stories are any indication.  |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 25 Aug 2015 : 19:54:41
There are also baelnorn (elven liches, kinda) who sacrifice their lives to function as custodians of dead-and-buried elven things. And banshees (elven spectres, kinda) who often seem anchored to sites related to the dead (or living) bodies of their families and loved ones. And there are also special elven tomb guard kits/classes (such as Galaeron Nihmedu in the Return of the Archwizards trilogy) who guard elven tomb things very seriously. A lot of emphasis seems to be placed on the powerful magical trinkets and elven treasures found in these sites, not a lot on the actual bodies wearing them - but it seems that elves are willing to take some extraordinary measures to insure the tombs of their kind are not desecrated.
Vampire of the Mists (a Ravenloft novel) describes a Realms gold elf, Jander Sunstar, who is afflicted with vampirism. The nature of his curse is revealed over time as he grows into his powers, but an underlying theme is how his sanity unhinges from the horror of being undead, completely cut off from life and nature (aside from feeding upon it). The concept of undeath seems especially abhorrent to elvenkind, they would rather destroy themselves before being reanimated and they are ready to do the same for all other elves. Drizzt once commented that Lolth-cursed driders are hated and pitied less than undead surface elves. |
| Delwa |
Posted - 25 Aug 2015 : 01:37:37
quote:
Originally posted by Kentinal
I pulled up the 2nd Edition text.
quote:
When faithful and allies of a
priest fall in battle, any priest present must, if possible, provide
burial, a funeral song, and comfort to the bereaved.
As you see here no marker in the dogma/rules of actions.
Thanks! Was that one of the 2e deity books? |
| Kentinal |
Posted - 25 Aug 2015 : 00:53:02
I pulled up the 2nd Edition text.
quote:
When faithful and allies of a
priest fall in battle, any priest present must, if possible, provide
burial, a funeral song, and comfort to the bereaved.
As you see here no marker in the dogma/rules of actions. |
| Delwa |
Posted - 24 Aug 2015 : 23:55:43
quote:
Originally posted by Kentinal
quote:
Originally posted by Delwa
quote:
Originally posted by Kentinal
For what it is worth, canon did (if no longer does) indicate that the faithful of Eilistraee were buried, foes burned (2nd Edition). It did not say anything about tombstones or markers for the grave.
In one role play for a surface burial I planted a tree for each the three fallen faithful (clearly not canon, just felt right to me at the time).
So there is canon support for a more traditional burial, but not necessarily a headstone or grave marker. Good to know.
Yes at least in second and maybe third Edition. I can not refer third Edition right now. As for 4th Edition the Goddesses did not exist, she does have some appearance in 5th, however it is possible canon has changed.
Gotcha. As long as it happened at one time or another in the past two centuries, I'm good. Thanks! |
| Kentinal |
Posted - 24 Aug 2015 : 23:25:39
quote:
Originally posted by Delwa
quote:
Originally posted by Kentinal
For what it is worth, canon did (if no longer does) indicate that the faithful of Eilistraee were buried, foes burned (2nd Edition). It did not say anything about tombstones or markers for the grave.
In one role play for a surface burial I planted a tree for each the three fallen faithful (clearly not canon, just felt right to me at the time).
So there is canon support for a more traditional burial, but not necessarily a headstone or grave marker. Good to know.
Yes at least in second and maybe third Edition. I can not refer third Edition right now. As for 4th Edition the Goddesses did not exist, she does have some appearance in 5th, however it is possible canon has changed. |
| Delwa |
Posted - 24 Aug 2015 : 23:16:32
quote:
Originally posted by Kentinal
For what it is worth, canon did (if no longer does) indicate that the faithful of Eilistraee were buried, foes burned (2nd Edition). It did not say anything about tombstones or markers for the grave.
In one role play for a surface burial I planted a tree for each the three fallen faithful (clearly not canon, just felt right to me at the time).
So there is canon support for a more traditional burial, but not necessarily a headstone or grave marker. Good to know. |
| Kentinal |
Posted - 24 Aug 2015 : 23:13:59
For what it is worth, canon did (if no longer does) indicate that the faithful of Eilistraee were buried, foes burned (2nd Edition). It did not say anything about tombstones or markers for the grave.
In one role play for a surface burial I planted a tree for each the three fallen faithful (clearly not canon, just felt right to me at the time). |
| Delwa |
Posted - 24 Aug 2015 : 23:12:32
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik
Haha, I'd always thought Uthgardt would prefer Kurgan-style barrows. I recall some mention in one of the novels that worthy champions would be put to "rest" (wearing weapons and armour ready for battle) in some special shamanistic-ancestral fashion which promises they will guard their tribe and return to fight whenever desperately needed. Could be campfire stories, could be powerful tribal magics, sorry I can't recall.
We're always told that - unless they meet a violent end in battle - elves "go west" or somehow mysteriously vanish when it's time for them to die. Seems ridiculous to me, they can't all just step sideways into the Feywild or teleport to Evermeet at the last moment of their life. Methinks they must just plant them in the ground underneath a nice tree, in a secret fashion (especially from non-elves) so that outsiders cannot violate their remains - I'm imagining an elven "burial detail" composed of commando ranger-mages employing paranoid stealth, lol.
Dead halflings? I have no idea. Maybe they're decomposed into wine and cheese?
We all know how solemn dwarves get about death. Fanatically obsessed with death, really, unless they're busy helping some kind of non-dwarf meet death a bit faster. They build entire mountain strongholds filled with treasures mined over a century just to properly bury an epic dwarf. Kinda like Pharoahs and pyramids, but probably more drinking and fewer whips and much less sense of humour.
Which reminds me, Bruenor was buried in a stone Sarcophagus, wasn't he? Or, at least, he pretended to be. |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 24 Aug 2015 : 23:00:06
Haha, I'd always thought Uthgardt would prefer Kurgan-style barrows. I recall some mention in one of the novels that worthy champions would be put to "rest" (wearing weapons and armour ready for battle) in some special shamanistic-ancestral fashion which promises they will guard their tribe and return to fight whenever desperately needed. Could be campfire stories, could be powerful tribal magics, sorry I can't recall.
We're always told that - unless they meet a violent end in battle - elves "go west" or somehow mysteriously vanish when it's time for them to die. Seems ridiculous to me, they can't all just step sideways into the Feywild or teleport to Evermeet at the last moment of their life. Methinks they must just plant them in the ground underneath a nice tree, in a secret fashion (especially from non-elves) so that outsiders cannot violate their remains - I'm imagining an elven "burial detail" composed of commando ranger-mages employing paranoid stealth, lol.
Dead halflings? I have no idea. Maybe they're decomposed into wine and cheese?
We all know how solemn dwarves get about death. Fanatically obsessed with death, really, unless they're busy helping some kind of non-dwarf meet death a bit faster. They build entire mountain strongholds filled with treasures mined over a century just to properly bury an epic dwarf. Kinda like Pharoahs and pyramids, but probably more drinking and fewer whips and much less sense of humour. |
| sfdragon |
Posted - 23 Aug 2015 : 10:00:26
you know what, the uthgart, wont likely use a tombstone as I bet they would all get a warrior's funeral aka funeral pyre.
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| Delwa |
Posted - 23 Aug 2015 : 04:46:31
Thanks for the feedback, guys! I really hadn't thought of polytheism having that kind of view of the afterlife, but it makes sense in the way Ayrik pointed out. Add to that the undead factor, and now I see why graveyards are usually missing from maps.
Learn something new all the time.  |
| Ayrik |
Posted - 22 Aug 2015 : 22:19:29
I would expect burning/cremation to be far more common than burial in a world threatened by undeath.
Monotheism usually promotes burial, often with prized possessions, apparently so the dead can remain "intact" throughout their afterlife. Polytheisms usually promote burning, apparently so the transcendant spirits of the dead won't be anchored to our world or so that the pervasive spirits of the dead can't afflict the living. This tends to cause a lot of grief when religions collide, each attempts to service the dead "properly" while being horrified by the "atrocities" inflicted on the dead by the other.
Harsh environments tend to harden people's opinions of death, it holds less fear on them (unless the manner of death is truly awful, like an incurable plague or somesuch). And they tend to view the bodies of the deceased as empty husks, the living will take whatever the dead no longer need to continue surviving.
Some religions place more emphasis on the ceremony than on the actual disposal of the body, the rituals must be performed, the words must be spoken, the people must do whatever they do to remember and celebrate and honor the deceased. I think this ritualistic ceremony might hold much more significance for people of the Realms than it does for most of us, since magic and divine interventions (and even complete resurrections) can manifest in their world often and in very real, clearly unambiguous ways.
Common folk might prefer some sort of burning or destruction of their remains, nobody wants to see their loved ones return as zombies, most people can't afford things like holy water or eternal rest ceremonial magics to protect against it. More affluent folk might prefer some sort of burial, possibly in the hopes of communing with or raising the worthiest dead - it seems like crypts and mausoleums and catacombs are in every city and near every large village in Faerun, and these places need to be filled with dead bodies to be useful places for adventurers to visit! It seems like gargoyles and sarcophagi and mummification are, or at least once were, immensely popular as well. |
| Rymac |
Posted - 19 Aug 2015 : 18:49:29
I would only add that different faiths would have different ceremonies and traditions in how their dead are memorialized, prepared, and buried/interred. The difference would be vast between the faiths of Lathander vs Shar, or Kelemvor vs Velsharoon (or Myrkul). |
| Delwa |
Posted - 19 Aug 2015 : 17:32:45
quote:
Originally posted by Bladewind
It depends. Most would probably adapt the amount of protection the corpse gets to the threats the corpse will probably face. (Demi-)Humans of Faerun need to take in account carrion feeders, grave robbers, necromantic corpse defilement and rate of decay/preservation in the local climate.
Area's with access to plentiful stone and stoneworkers and high decay rates will probably try to make graves from stone and will try to mitigate the stench of the decomposing corpses. Sarcophagi made from heavy stone slabs might prevent easy grave robbing, and inclusion of herbs and spices will mitigate stench. Perhaps stone caves are hewed out to allow for more corpses and sealed with heavy stone slabs.
Areas with access to streaming water will favor the (burning) burial at sea/river/lake option.
Areas with lots of woodland might favor burning, with grave hills left only for kingly figures, accessed by stone dolmen entrances.
In most maps of small villages cemetaries are absent. So if rural area has a communal graveyard, it might be several miles off from a couple of settlements, far enough that an outbreak of undead can be repelled in time (by your traveling adventuring party, locally mustered militia or passing kingmens patrol.
Thanks for the input! It does make sense, now that you mention it. In a world where undead are a real thing, having fields of minions free for the taking to any passing necromancer might not be a good idea.
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| Bladewind |
Posted - 19 Aug 2015 : 17:13:21
It depends. Most would probably adapt the amount of protection the corpse gets to the threats the corpse will probably face. (Demi-)Humans of Faerun need to take in account carrion feeders, grave robbers, necromantic corpse defilement and rate of decay/preservation in the local climate.
Area's with access to plentiful stone and stoneworkers and high decay rates will probably try to make graves from stone and will try to mitigate the stench of the decomposing corpses. Sarcophagi made from heavy stone slabs might prevent easy grave robbing, and inclusion of herbs and spices will mitigate stench. Perhaps stone caves are hewed out to allow for more corpses and sealed with heavy stone slabs.
Areas with access to streaming water will favor the (burning) burial at sea/river/lake option.
Areas with lots of woodland might favor burning, with grave hills left only for kingly figures, accessed by stone dolmen entrances.
In most maps of small villages cemetaries are absent. So if rural area has a communal graveyard, it might be several miles off from a couple of settlements, far enough that an outbreak of undead can be repelled in time (by your traveling adventuring party, locally mustered militia or passing kingmens patrol.
EDIT:
And in these rural communal cemetaries I think one would probably see our traditional gravepit and headstone designs. These headstones can be intricate stoneworked inscriptions detailing the name and lifetimes of a person, adorned with symbols of his or her clan, patron deity and country/state; or they can be a simple piles of stones with a wooden plank for its inscriptions or something in between.
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| Delwa |
Posted - 19 Aug 2015 : 16:44:17
quote:
Originally posted by Bladewind
Not sure if tombstones are even used that much in Faerun.
For example, Waterdeeps City of the Dead has tombs for its dead spread over an area the size of an entire ward. Its graves were replaced in the late 13th century DR, because of space issues. So common sights are burial vaults and crypts, adorned with religious monuments (like somber angelic statues or grotesque gargoyles) with little entrance steps into cold mortared underground rooms, with walls filled with row on row of corpses. People that can afford it (most noble clans) have family mausolea built on portals that link to extra dimensional spaces where the honored dead are laid to rest. A clans' servants tend to be included on family grounds if the clan elder deems them worthy (or in older more savage lands demands their sacrifice to ease their god of the death's judgement).
Eventually the people who can afford a permanent tomb (successful adventurers, artisans and merchants) are few and far between. Most commoners are probably burned (perhaps after having been laid and preserved in a crypt for a significant period of mourning).
So it'd be safe to assume that temples of various gods have catacombs beneath them for the deceased of their faith?
What about more rural settlements? Is it safe to assume cremation is the default in any given area? |
| Bladewind |
Posted - 19 Aug 2015 : 16:40:47
Not sure if tombstones are even used that much in Faerun.
For example, Waterdeeps City of the Dead has tombs for its dead spread over an area the size of an entire ward. Its graves were replaced in the late 13th century DR, because of space issues. So common sights are burial vaults and crypts, adorned with religious monuments (like somber angelic statues or grotesque gargoyles) with little entrance steps into cold mortared underground rooms, with walls filled with row on row of corpses. People that can afford it (most noble clans) have family mausolea built on portals that link to extra dimensional spaces where the honored dead are laid to rest. A clans' servants tend to be included on family grounds if the clan elder deems them worthy (or in older more savage lands demands their sacrifice to ease their god of the death's judgement).
Eventually the people who can afford a permanent tomb (successful adventurers, artisans and merchants) are few and far between. Most commoners are probably burned (perhaps after having been laid and preserved in a crypt for a significant period of mourning). |
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