Deadman's Keep

Written by strawberryAle

Deadmen tell no tales. But their bodies...they tell the whole story. --Statement recited by the Brine Bishops of Deadman's Reef.

While the Rana's so-called 'Religion' places faith in no Gods, they still maintain one of the largest temples ever established in the world. Much like the people that built it, this great mausoleum offers tribute or faith to no God, but instead focuses on commemorating the great deeds accomplished by their own two hands. It is dedicated to act as a memorial grave to all who died in service to the Rana people, a solemn reminder to the great warriors that died in battle, and sacrificed their lives in the name of the Iron Way.
Unlike most faiths, the Iron Way puts faith in oneself, rather than a God. It is often mistakenly called the 'faith in no God at all'. The true focus of the Iron Way is faith in oneself. Should there be any Gods, then the very idea of putting faith or tribute in them is considered a cowardly affair. To place blame or hardship on the shoulders of something aside from oneself is simply looking to escape one's own mistakes..

Purpose / Function

The Salt Locker is an enormous mausoleum dedicated to serving as the final resting place towards all those who died heroic deaths throughout Rana history. It is an enormous grave that seeks not to leave its dead rotting beneath the dirt, but instead preserved forever in the state they were in at their final moments. Bodies are brought to the Salt Locker from raiding parties or battles, where they're then placed and preserved in a special brine within a glass case. This keeps the body from suffering any form of wither or decay, and keeps them forever young -- so long as they're tended to by the Brine Priests of the keep.
It also serves as the closest thing to a 'holy temple' that the Rana have. It is an enormous place of faith to those who believe in the Iron Way; Rana soldiers are brought here at a young age to observe and hear the tales of the countless heroes that passed in battle, so that they may look forward to receiving the greatest honor of being preserved within the mausoleum.

Blood Burial:

Though not quite as gratuitous or 'messy' as the title may suggest, those with family ties to the men and women that managed to find their final resting place in Deadman's Keep often make way for the temple to mourn their death. They make a deep cut upon their palms before letting the blood flow into the brine of their fallen's grave, to symbolize that they will always have family at their side, even in their final resting place.

Denizens

Brine Priests: Also called 'Drowned Men' or 'Salt Keepers', the Brine Priests are the keepers dedicated to maintaining Deadman's Keep. Being a Brine Priest is an exceptionally honourable position, held only by those that have managed to prove themselves to the Arl as a capable warrior. Brine Priests are expected to live their entire life within the mausoleum, spending their time tending to its facilities. In return for this privilege, they are given their own personal spot within the keep to be preserved in upon death.

Contents & Furnishings

Salt Lockers: Pools of water, filled with a preserving brine that forever keeps a corpse fresh and young. Whenever a body is preserved in these glass cases, they are unable to wither or rot away. The water is specially created by the Brine Priests, and are tended to on a weekly basis. While the preserving brine can last for months, the Brine Priests frequently enchant the waters to maintain its strength.

Architecture

As with many Rana buildings, Deadman's keep makes use of several spiraling towers. These towers are all connected towards the central building, which is denoted as the 'Iron Hall.' While it is a great honor to be preserved in the brines of Deadman's Keep, there is no privilege greater than to be preserved within these halls. They are at the very entrance of the keep, dedicated to serving as the final resting place to the great Kings, Queens, and warriors of legend throughout Rana history. Relative to how long it's been standing, very few rest in the entirety of Deadman's Keep, and fewer still have the esteem great enough to be placed within its Iron Halls.
The towers placed across Deadman's Reef each have a floor of grated stone. The tanks occasionally drip water into a deep reservoir at the bottom of each tower, which flows into a special rune maintained by the brine priests. This rune causes the water to collect at the very top of the tower, which creates a thick cloud that occasionally rains down upon the different 'lockers' found throughout the temple towers.

Alternative Names

Salkatr, The Salt Lockers, the Brine Shrine.

Type

Temple / Church