Townsfolk Funeral

Background

Although all Townsfolks will deny that their attitude to death and funerals is deliberately the opposite to the traditions that are held around Nomad Funerals, many only do so from a lack of awareness of their own history.
Unlike Nomads, Townsfolks see themselves as fundamentally civilised, fighting against the chaos of nature at every turn, and that includes in death. While it is never explicitly stated, there is an unspoken feeling that someone who dies young has failed in some way. It may be "natural", but it is something to be fought against.

Funeral

It should be noted before getting into the details of the Townsfolk Funeral that different people within Townsfolks society will receive very different funeral services. The information below is based on a man of good standing within the town dying at the age of at least 55 years old.

Purpose

Townsfolk Funerals have several purposes, which can be broken up into explicit and implied. The implied purposes are never spoken of.

Explicit

• Commit the dead to join The Protector in His battle against The Forces
• To say goodbye

Implied

• To get rid of the body
• To establish succession
• To see how important they were

Preparations

Between the death of the person and the funeral itself, the body is kept in the front room of the house where they lived. Here it might be visited to those wishing to pay their respect in the form of gifts to the family.
The body is dressed in black, as are the family and most mourners choose to follow this tradition. From the day of the death to up to six months following, the widow is expected to wear a black veil, known as the 'Silent Shrowd'. She may not speak until the shrowd is lifted six months later or until she marries again, whichever comes first.

The Day

On the day of the funeral, the body is carried to the nearest Church. This is known as The Procession and doesn't necessarily take the shortest route. Anyone who sees the body being carried through the streets is expected to follow behind it until it reaches its destination.
At the Church the body is laid out on the steps, with a large white blanket underneath it. This is when The Gifting takes place. This is when people from the Town lay gifts down on the large blanket next to the body, for the person to take with them into the battle. The Town Cleric always goes first, placing a sword on their chest. The wealthier the person, the more ornate the gifts are expected to be. These could be anything from weaponry, to a favourite book, to practical items like lanterns or bags of coin.

Schedule

1. The Procession
2. The Gifting
3. The Blessing
4. The Departure

The Blessing

In the name of The Great and All-Powerful Protector, who watches over us all, we pray. We commit this person unto you, oh Mighty Protector, that they may fight by your side and assist in whatever small way they can. That their death may yet have meaning.
We offer you their strength, that they may fight for you, their will, that they may stay with you, their fortitude, that they may hold true, and their faith, that they may always be as they were in life, your loyal servant.
Forever in your name, we pray.

What follows next is known as The Blessing. Once all the gifts have been laid down, four men take hold of each corner of the blanket. This might be any number of the Clerics or Trainee Clerics who operate out of the Church, or it may be Men of Authority or a combination.
The Town Cleric stands on the steps of the Church, looking down on the body, and speaks the words of The Blessing. At the mention of "strength", the man holding the upper right corner moves towards the middle, draping his corner over towards the bottom left side of the body. At the mention of "will", the bottom left steps forward and ties his corner to the one that is already there. The same thing is repeated with the words "fortitude" and "faith" and the two remaining corners, each tying theirs on to the ones which are already there.
Finally comes The Departure, when the body, wrapped in the blanket with all the other items, is carried by the four men (and more if necessary), through the Church and down into the Ossuary beneath it.

Afterwards

As the body is carried beneath the Church, the Town Cleric takes his position at the pulpit, and a service is held. The topic is usually something to do with avoiding whatever is believed to have caused the death of the deceased but may be anything depending on what the Town Cleric deems necessary.

During the service, the Trainee Clerics who carried the body into the Ossuary unwrap it and sort the presents into various donation piles, based on useability by the Church and the Town Cleric.
The sword is returned to the Town Cleric's chambers for safekeeping.

The body is then buried in a temporary grave which had previously been prepared, where it will lie for several years until the flesh has fully decomposed. Its bones will then be removed, washed and carefully placed within the dedicated space depending on rank and status.

Social Importance

As previously noted, the above ceremony is for a man of a certain status. For Clerics, the funeral is more elaborate, with everyone in the Town and Clerics from other Towns expected to attend.
For anyone below Men of Authority in the Social Hierarchy (other men, women and children), the amount of grandeur of their funeral depends on their connections within the Town. For example, a woman married to a Man of Authority may expect a similar, if toned down, version of what is mentioned above. However, a woman married to a poor man, or worse yet an unmarried woman, would be lucky to have more than a handful of people attend and would be unlikely to have any kind of blanket or gifts.

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