The Hollow Hearth
Owner: Veyda Mournwhisper
The Hollow Hearth is a somber and ethereal establishment, standing at the crossroads of life and death. Located on a quiet street in University City, this humble yet atmospheric shop is dedicated to helping those who have lost loved ones, guiding them through grief and providing sacred rites for the deceased. The store exudes a serene, almost haunting aura, with dim lighting and the soft scent of incense and myrrh filling the air. A large, intricately carved hearth sits in the back of the room, its fire never going out, symbolizing the eternal journey of the soul.
Veyda Mournwhisper, the owner, is a mysterious figure—her pale skin and silvery hair speak of someone who has communed with death in more ways than one. As a practitioner of soul-binding magic, Veyda helps the living with their grief, assists in ensuring the proper rituals are performed for the dead, and offers various magical services that honor or guide the departed souls. Her knowledge of both the spiritual and arcane allows her to offer services that many would consider forbidden or taboo.
The Hollow Hearth isn’t just a funeral home—it is a place of respect for the dead, a sanctuary for souls transitioning to the afterlife, and a refuge for the grieving. Veyda’s services are respected, albeit feared by some, for she has the ability to bind spirits to objects or offer glimpses of the afterlife through her enchanted rituals. While not the most popular place in University City, it certainly has a strong, devoted clientele.
| Item | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Burial Shroud | A simple, plain cloth burial shroud for wrapping the deceased before burial. | 5 gp |
| Candle of Mourning | A black candle that burns for hours, used in memorial services to honor the deceased. | 7 gp |
| Ceremonial Incense (Pack of 5) | A set of five incense sticks infused with calming, sorrowful fragrances, often used in memorial rituals. | 10 gp |
| Wooden Memorial Box | A small, engraved wooden box where personal items or remains are kept for remembrance. | 12 gp |
| Soulstone Fragment | A small shard of enchanted stone, used to store a fragment of a soul’s essence for posthumous contact. | 15 gp |
| Grave Marker (Simple) | A basic, engraved stone marker for gravesites with the deceased’s name and birth/death dates. | 20 gp |
| Eternal Flame Lantern | A lantern that emits a faint, perpetual flame, used to mark the graves of important individuals. | 25 gp |
| Embalming Kit | A basic embalming kit that includes oils, herbs, and tools for preparing the body for preservation. | 30 gp |
| Ceremonial Tombstone | A larger, ornate stone tombstone with intricate designs, ideal for significant memorials. | 250 gp |
| Golden Ash Urn | A decorative urn made of fine metal, often gilded in gold, for holding the ashes of a loved one. | 50 gp |
| Service | Description | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Cremation | The body is cremated, and the ashes are returned to the family in a simple urn. | 150 gp |
| Funeral Rite (Standard) | A simple funeral service with prayers and a brief eulogy, no soul-binding involved. | 200 gp |
| Embalming | Preservation of the body through magical or herbal methods to slow decomposition, allowing for an open casket viewing. | 300 gp |
| Soul-Calling (Minor) | A service to temporarily summon the spirit of the deceased for one last conversation or to receive a final message. | 500 gp |
| Soul-Binding Ritual (Simple) | A ritual to bind the soul of the deceased to a soulstone fragment, allowing family or loved ones to communicate with the spirit once per week. | 750 gp |
| Soul-Sending | A service where the soul of the deceased is guided to the afterlife, ensuring they are peacefully passed on. | 750 gp |
| Funeral Rite (Elaborate) | A grand funeral service, including full rituals, a procession, and a large memorial speech, often with magical enhancements to honor the deceased. | 1000 gp |
| Soul-Binding Ritual (Advanced) | An advanced binding, allowing the soul of the deceased to be permanently stored in a soulstone, permitting permanent spiritual communication (requires the deceased’s consent). | 1500 gp |
| Resurrection Rite | A powerful ritual designed to resurrect the recently deceased (within 10 days), if the soul is still available to be brought back. This service requires rare reagents and a significant fee. | 3000 gp |