Tabaxi Funeral Rites and Traditions
Curiosity, as they say, can be lethal to felines of all colors and stripes. Yet, their family groupings seem to be quite strong and emotionally invested, leading to a lengthy grieving process and some interesting burial rites. Death comes to all except the gods, after all; and the Tabaxi are quite unlike the gods in that they are no exception to this universal truth. So, let us look at the history of our wonderful and witty feline friends, the Tabaxi.
During the research necessary for the production of this white paper, knowledge of our history as neighbors was obtained that is not widely known. The reasons for this are not entirely known to the writers, and far beyond the scope of this scholarly product, so will only be referred to nominally, with citations and footnotes to follow as necessary. The writers are assuming a basic anthropological and historical framework from which the esteemed reader may work; for instance, a sophomore certificate, from The Bardic College Campus, would ensure all of the requisite terminology and symbology is well and truly understood.
The vast majority of this research was obtained and catalogued by the writers while living with the Wanderers on the Wind over the course of two years.
History
The Wanderers on the Wanderers on the Wind inhabit a cave system near the snowline of Mount Toppick. It is noteworthy that the College of Entomology at The Bardic College Campus has also worked extensively in this area, discovering an entirely new species of spider in 5419NG1.
If one is to believe the myriad of similar myths and legends, the darkness of the days following the impact (itself an event of much contention amongst scholars), Mount Toppick is the place where many of the tabaxi tribes sheltered from the firestorms and the angry sky. Finding fissures and passages just big enough for a curious tabaxi to squeeze through is fairly easy as a general rule, and the Toppick cave system is no different. They delved deeper, ever deeper, finally reaching the very heart of the mountain. They lived there for generations; adorning the walls with art and filling the caverns with music and laughter. It is from these times that these beliefs and rituals were born. All knowledge of the spiritual life of the tabaxi before the impact was apparently wiped out by that self-same disaster.
Execution
The Vigil
A three day grieving period, wherein the body is displayed. Or, if impossible to display the beloved's body, cunning portraits will be hung for viewing. The deceased, having been Lain in State, is watched and guarded in rotating shifts for seventy-two hours by the family and closest friends of the dearly departed soul.The Sacrament
A short religious ceremony wherein the loved one is, symbolically, handed into the care of the gods in the afterlife. Interestingly, originally the ceremony only mentioned the goddess Bast.The Committal
A religious ceremony committing the recently deceased's body to Mother Tellus. There have been many ways to do this, over the course of the generations; but the interment is as deep underground as possible, the tabaxi believing Heaven is deep under the ground. Of note is that very special tabaxi are honored by having their corpse burned to ashes and brought to the cave systems within Mount Toppick. This is reserved for very few; prophets, for example, or wise leaders that led their people to prosperity.Exequy
Sometimes irreverently referred to as "The Afterparty". Once the dearly beloved has been committed to Mother Tellus, the tabaxi proceed to drink dandelion wine, smoke cannaweed, and generally party quite hard until the sun rises the next day. Some Exequys have been held on the Western side of Mount Toppick, so the sun takes an extra full hour to "rise above the horizon". This is an intense celebration of life, and a glut of luxuriant pleasure dedicated to the decedent. There are songs composed and sung on the spot. Line dances and spontaneous hoe-downs spring up, improvised dance-offs, and lawn darts are just some of the fun-to-play-wasted games they adore playing.
Components and tools
According to orthodox traditions, known as Cattane, the ceremony's officiate can be literally anyone, but they must wear a purple robe with twenty-three ochre-painted handprints placed randomly all over its outer surface. The only words specific to this part of the ceremony are:
The body is then lowered into whichever receptacle has been prepared for it; whatever the vessel, the inside will be liberally sprinkled with glittersand, and then the body is treated with silent reverence as it is interred.
Roam free, and far, cousin
Participants
An officiant, a witness, and either a good bartender or a reliable drug dealer.
Observance
Generally, the funeral is after the death, but this is the tabaxi we're talking about here.
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