Communion of Souls

Crack them bones and wake the dead

Its time to celebrate death instead

Gather around the great big pyre

So that we gain the death that we so desire

Laugh and wail for all to hear

So the collector may draw near

Scatter these rotten bodies

So that we may rest in peace before we are disembodied

Break the chains that keep us here

End this pain that that so we no longer trapped here

-The Chant of Release

History

Wanderers have a thing about being bored since they are dead an can't really do some of things they did when they were alive. Which is why they devised a decided to a festival dedicated to their undeath and celebrate their damnation as much as possible by doing things their own way. This would bring about the group known as the Restless to emerge amongst them and began to entertain themselves and to possibly finally embrace true death by gain the attention of the Collector of Souls by doing as anything the living would to as much possible. In doing so they believe that if they are enjoying themselves much in death the Collector of souls shall carry them away to the afterlife as the living should only be allowed to enjoy such things in life. By becoming care free and neglectful of their actions to ensure that the collector can release them from their lifeless state and into the afterlife. In doing so they have become much larger in numbers over and years and Communion of Souls has become popular celebration even though very few of them manage to pass on during the event. Making in more of a glimpse of what life use to be for them to bring back better times.

Execution

The Gathering

The Restless dig up things from the dead earth to be used as decorations for the celebration made from bone, metal and stone to be used as furniture and shrines to the Collector of Souls. They also collect any corpses they can find for Wanderers to possess to join the festivities and gather around in a large masses to conduct the beginning of the communion by playing obnoxiously loud music to gather more Wanderers to them and get noticed by the Collector of Souls.

Harvest of Rot

Though they no longer need things like food or sleep, the Restless have created their own from of feasting even though it is mostly made up of things they find out in the lifeless lands of the Great Tomb. Such as rotten food or substances that no living thing should touch, which the give out to all attending the celebration. Eating at their very long and unstable makeshift tables, they begin to eat and it literally goes right through them as they are unable to keep it in them. Though it may seem disgusting they are unable to actually taste it as their bodies are dead and really don't feel anything at all. But the downside is that they leave a huge mess when they are done with it all. They eve start food fights with it when they are tired of eating and the bodies do drop when that happens. As some of the material they are flammable and flesh eating to anyone who touches it and leaving the Wanderers to end up in their astral form.

The Dance of Death

As the name implies the dead begin to dance for days on end with no end in sight with music and song at every moment of it. Well they try to dance at least but once you've been dead for a while and float around without a body that tends to be a bit difficult to remembers. So it pretty much free still most of the time with only a few that can actually to it. There is also a catch to the dance once their tired of it as they start to fight one in a free for all battle with what ever they have. No one really knows how this part of the dance actually started as the undead tend to be forgetful after so long. With some saying it over a dance partner or two sworn enemies meeting once more and trying to at least kill each other despite being already dead. All in all it finally ends when the moons come out on the final night for the great pyre to be built.

Cleansing Flame

A massive pyre is built at the end to make the end of the communion and all gather around and tell stories of what they remember how they lived when they were alive. It is a final way to pass on as it is said the most Wanderers often stay in the land of the living when they have unfinished business that they never were able to finished. By telling their stories they hope to let go in order to move on. Once they are done they throw themselves onto the pyre and hope they may pass on. Those who do often turn the fire into a deep green as a sign that they are free and those don't just float around until the celebration is over. Once they are done talking they often just keep throwing whatever they can onto the pyre to watch it burn and accidental catching on fire themselves at time. They keep doing this until the sun rises and say final prayer to those who were successful on passing on into the afterlife before scattering across the land.

Components and tools

Shrines of the Collector: Since the Collector of Souls is the bringer of death meant make shift shrine are made to honor him and get his attention.

Observance

It takes places at the end of the summer and into autumn when it begins a week before the twin moons are full.

Primary Related Location

Great Tomb

Related Ethnicities

• Restless