Funeral Ceremonies

stephenhamilton · Post by **stephenhamilton** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:01 pm

I'm playing a paladin of Kelemvor and would personally find it more satisfying if I actually knew more about how funeral ceremonies are done and how they are different for the different playable races and faiths of the realms. I remember being told that I made a big mistake by cremating the remains of an elf once, which my character would have known better if I had known better. Hopefully you will be able to assist me in keeping my character more canon friendly and help me make a bigger contribution to the setting of the scenes.

If no specifics are made about what kind of ceremonies are performed for them, can you at least tell me what I shouldn't do?

hollyfant · Post by **hollyfant** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 6:52 pm

"Demi-Human" rituals can be difficult to get right, as there are just too many conflicting sources. My Gnomes have always claimed dead Gnomes are buried, encased in (gem-studded) clay. But for the life of me I can't recall where I read that. And was it 2nd edition? or Greyhawk? Or canonical Faerûnian? I've no idea...

Spider Jones · Post by **Spider Jones** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 7:51 pm

Sorry to say, there's little written in that regard. Here's what there is about how Kelemvorites handle matters:

As someone dies, a priest or priests of Kelemvor performs the Passing, a simple ceremony of last rites that is a chant of comfort calling on Kelemvor to be alert for the coming essence of this person, who has enriched life in Faerûn in his or her own way and earned this salute. The Lament for the Fallen is a larger ceremony of this sort sung over a battlefield, ruined village or fortress, or other site where many folk have recently died.

Scattered about are tidbits of culture specific bural rights, there are of course, tombs and graveyards, cairns and ancestral mounds, et cetera. I'm afraid they were too busy stuffing the deity manuals with deific stats and avatar stats to include more.

Storm · Post by **Storm** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 5:33 pm

Use whats posted above as a core essence of the ritual, but expand it to fit your characters personality. Like priests in RL will use a general core for a funeral, they alter it to fit both their own personality, and the needs of the deceased and their family.

The one tyhing to not fall into is believing that the guide books are the be all and end all, even WotC have stated more times than anything that the rule books are nothing more than guide lines to help you get started. Ultimatly its upto the players and DM's to take those bits given and expand them.

Thats why i love both AD&D and D&D, there are no lmits to what you can do, other than your own imagination.

stephenhamilton · Post by **stephenhamilton** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:35 pm

Well that is pretty much what I have been doing, except my character has had run ins where people get offended by the ceremonies that he chooses to go by, even though there is no information that says anything against it anywhere and if anyone would know the protocol for funerals, it would be him.

I guess I just take it seriously that he takes his faith seriously and a screw up would mean a lot to him, but people (points a finger at the DM's) tend to try and use his methods against him quite frequently for plot development. I mean let's face it, he didn't just walk in off the streets and get handed an ordained title by the church.

RangerDeWood · Post by **RangerDeWood** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:11 pm

Meh, there's ppl in the real world offended by certain rites of burial. Some cultures have been called cannibals because they will each a portion of a deceased relative out of respect for that person. The ancient egyptians felt it a dishonor to be buried in ways very similar to how we bury our dead now. The highest honor was to remain forever, of course, so being allowed to rot away in a pine box must look like blasphemy.

I've always looked to the nature of the deity when talking about burial rites. A follower of Shaundakul would probably wish to be cremated, his ash strewn to the wind. A follower of Kossuth would probably also be cremated while a follower of Umberlee would be cast to sea. Kelemvor's clerics seem to be more like overseers to funerals, though I would imagine they would take certain precautions with the body to ensure it won't rise as an undead, perhaps burning or doing things that others might consider desecration (like the traditional method of removing vampires by decapitating them and crossing their thigh bones over their chest).

wvincenti · Post by **wvincenti** » Thu Jul 27, 2006 1:42 am

Ask the friends & family of the deceased for suggestions before performing the funeral then as RDW said improvise along the lines of what might fit for the diety & culture of the deceased. I think we've all had to make it up as we go along. Just be prepared to bury a lot of PCs your PC knows, and a lot more who you've never met before.

-Bill

stephenhamilton · Post by **stephenhamilton** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 2:58 pm

Heh, do you have any clue how many corpses I come across in Selgaunt?! Do you think a single one of them carries any form of identification, let alone a way to contact their next of kin?! Contact their families...right. I'll just drudge up the rotted and 85% eaten corpse of what I think used to be an elf from the sewers, parade the corpse past the black knights and through the streets, and then deliver it to those easily found elven rangers who battle all the human loggers. No problem

Even if I managed to carry the corpse to where their families are supposed to be, how long am I supposed to walk around with it draped over my shoulders because they are currently gone fishing or somesuch? lol. I appreciate the thought honestly, and in a case where I actually had some proper funding and assistance, I would see to such. Unfortunately I am an errant knight alone in the corrupted and desperate city of Selgaunt.

Kildahr · Post by **Kildahr** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 3:45 pm

Unfortunately I am an errant knight alone in the corrupted and desperate city of Selgaunt.

Now, you've hurt me man..........here I thought Meru was a loyal friend.

Brokenbone · Post by **Brokenbone** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 3:52 pm

"Hiding the body" is a traditional Sembian funeral ritual. Very private though.

AcadiusLost · Post by **AcadiusLost** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 4:30 pm

See, to me it sounds like you've got your work cut out for your PC. Sure, try to find kin for the dead, try to see as many as possible granted a peaceful Final Rest.

See if you can find a cleric sympathetic to your plight, who can cast Speak With Dead to learn the names and wishes of those you find- or try to have such an item enchanted, to aid you in Kelemvor's work.

It's an uphill road, but that's what paladins are for, right?

stephenhamilton · Post by **stephenhamilton** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 4:56 pm

Kil, I meant alone in his plight to save and properly conduct last rights to those that have fallen. I'm not saying your and others efforts haven't assisted, but I havent seen a single person as interested in dealing with the orpses as Jacob has been. No offense man, our priorities of our faiths simply differ a bit.

Broken- True, but usually it is only conducted by those who have taken the time in preparation for that ceremony by properly slaying the person themselves first.

Acadius- Yes I most certainly do, and I have yet to find the assistance I require, but am still looking. Before I find them though, I can't just set the bodies aside in the Foxmantle manor to wait....or can I? And actually, I am thankfully for the plight, helps keep my characters story going

darrenhfx · Post by **darrenhfx** » Fri Jul 28, 2006 5:17 pm

Hey I found a lead for you.

www.candlekeep.com

Check out the Candlekeep Compendium Volume V and on p. 45-7 there is an account of several Kelemvor rituals. Before someone jumps on me and whines about this not being canon material, the burial ritual is from Ed Greenwood himself. There are also several potentially useful canon references mentioned in the piece.

Lots of good (non-canon) stuff to be found in the compendiums and there is a brand new one out for July.

Hope this is of some use for you.

stephenhamilton · Post by **stephenhamilton** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 7:36 pm

Wow Darren, thanks so much for the link which led me to the burial ritual written by Ed Greenwood. Thanks to this new info, you have helped me from making a major mistake regarding the cemetery I was planning on designing in Selgaunt with large catacombs available...which would have been frowned upon by the church. You also inadvertantly taught me something that I did not know in that the material often used for death shrouds is muslin, which will help me with visuals for future character portraits.

Once again, thank you.

wvincenti · Post by **wvincenti** » Sat Jul 29, 2006 8:09 pm

stephenhamilton wrote:Heh, do you have any clue how many corpses I come across in Selgaunt?! Do you think a single one of them carries any form of identification, let alone a way to contact their next of kin?!

*chuckles*
It sounds like Selgaunt is killing off PCs at an admirable rate.

I don't want to get into a spitting contest about corpses carried, buried or what have you, but I have quite an imagination after being on Daggerdale back when there would often be a dozen dead PCs in Lathandar's temple stacked like cordwood. It was grim.

Do those things IF you find someone willing to identify the dead PC.
If not, as someone else pointed out, find someone who can Speak with Dead. (I wonder how many times you and the DMs will want to RP that scene out though?) Post notices with drawings of the PCs so that folk have the chance to identify the bodies. It's up to you. I hope that content from Candlekeep helps out.

Good luck!

-Bill