Nucleus
Deep into the jungle of Stunveldt, in the centre of the island and in an area barred to most outsiders is an ancient settlement that seems too big for its sparse population.
The stone constructions in the town also offer themselves to question by those that wouldn't know the purpose:
Nucleous is a funerary town and the place all Stunveldti are taken after they die in order to return to the natural cycle of the island they consider themselves to be a part of.
The town provides a couple of alternative ways for the departed to be given back to the creatures, the soil and the plants.
The most common is being laid in an open pit for scavengers to consume the body, though some will prefer to be taken to a specialized tower for carrion birds to take them instead; these open-air towers would drain liquid remains into the tower's centre, where a feast of smaller decomposers ensues.. A devoted minority chooses to be split into pieces and have each return to a different part of the ecosystem, such as the soil, the towers, the sea and the island's white forest.
The most common of these are aromatic herbs that are made to grow on top of the pits where the remains are buried, many times paired with shed feathers of scavenger birds. Others go for simple packets of compost.
While little adornments made with bones or chitin from the departed are an option, these are not as popular as the Stunveldti prefer items that remind them that their loved one has now become one with the island, and a nurturer or all the things that nurture them in turn.
Returners are involved in all steps of the care of the dead person: They work cleaning, preparing, transporting and burying the bodies, dig the pits, clean the towers, maintain the gardens and plant the herbs. They can also be companions and counsellors, assisting grieving families, and become part-time artisans, making memento mori.
It is not uncommon for long-standing Returners to be granted the honour of a neutral gender in recognition of their empathy and strength of mind.
The stone constructions in the town also offer themselves to question by those that wouldn't know the purpose:
Nucleous is a funerary town and the place all Stunveldti are taken after they die in order to return to the natural cycle of the island they consider themselves to be a part of.
Architecture and Landscape
Most buildings in Nucleus are stone constructions, made to withstand the high humidity of the jungle. The biggest and highest are all related to the services provided by the town, surrounded by smaller, sparse housing for the Returners and their families. Many of the decorative elements of the town are items that the Stunveldti associate with calmness, meditation and easing the mind and soul: Aromatic herbs are planted around many buildings and over the funerary mounds, the imagery in statues and mouldings uses motifs of meditating lyraiks and cuppat skulls, and many indoor areas use soft fabrics as dividers to make rooms smaller and more private.The Funerary Rites of The Town
This section discusses the topic of death. Some content can be considered gruesome or sensitive and has been blurred. Hover or click on the text to reveal it.
The purpose of the town of Nucleus is to serve as the graveyard of the entire island's population.
The Stunveldti consider the life of everyone and everything on the island to be part of the same cycle, and consider that, upon their death, the land needs to receive them the same way they received everything from the land.
For this reason, they take their dead to the centre of the island where Nucleus is located, to perform the Return to the Land of the deceased.
For this reason, they take their dead to the centre of the island where Nucleus is located, to perform the Return to the Land of the deceased.
The most common is being laid in an open pit for scavengers to consume the body, though some will prefer to be taken to a specialized tower for carrion birds to take them instead; these open-air towers would drain liquid remains into the tower's centre, where a feast of smaller decomposers ensues.. A devoted minority chooses to be split into pieces and have each return to a different part of the ecosystem, such as the soil, the towers, the sea and the island's white forest.
Tokens from your dearly departed
One of the services offered to grieving families by the Returners is the manufacturing and delivery of tokens made out of materials harvested from the living beings that consumed the departed's body.The most common of these are aromatic herbs that are made to grow on top of the pits where the remains are buried, many times paired with shed feathers of scavenger birds. Others go for simple packets of compost.
While little adornments made with bones or chitin from the departed are an option, these are not as popular as the Stunveldti prefer items that remind them that their loved one has now become one with the island, and a nurturer or all the things that nurture them in turn.
The Living Inhabitants
The town of Nucleous is sparsely inhabited by people known as "Returners", almost all of them working in some area of the funerary process. It is rare for a Returner that goes to live in the town to bring family members unless those are going to be employed as Returners as well.Returners are involved in all steps of the care of the dead person: They work cleaning, preparing, transporting and burying the bodies, dig the pits, clean the towers, maintain the gardens and plant the herbs. They can also be companions and counsellors, assisting grieving families, and become part-time artisans, making memento mori.
It is not uncommon for long-standing Returners to be granted the honour of a neutral gender in recognition of their empathy and strength of mind.
Labour of Love by Naelin
Type
Town
Inhabitant Demonym
Returners
Location under
Related Tradition (Primary)
Entry for Worldbuilding Summer Camp 2023
Answering: "an ancient city that is still inhabited today"
In response to the prompt Write about a city or town in your world which is unusual or unique in some way.
I love Nucleus. It's got some lovely traditions. <3