One possible way of adding a lot of flavor to Fort mode (most likely as part of the Religion arc) would be to diversify funeral practices. During worldgen, each civilization could be randomly assigned their own set of approved ways of treating the dead. For extra depth, each civ might have their own opinions of how honorable / shameful various methods are, and some rites might be reserved for certain castes / religions / etc. Note that some of the options are more appropriate for invaders / criminals / undead than for respectable citizens. No civilization will know
all of these practices (especially the ones that require large bodies of water or magma, or huge trees), but all civs will practice at least
some of them.
For greater diversity potential, I've divided this into sections. Pick one from each list (as applicable), and mix & match for variety!
1. Preparing the Body: What is done with the deceased?
A. nothing, the person is left in the exact same state they died in.
B. the body is looted for anything of reasonable value.
C. the body is stripped naked.
D. the body is washed.
E. the body is annointed with oils.
F. the body is drained of blood. [remains: blood]
G. the body is eviscerated. [remains: all organs, except possibly the brain]
H. the body is dismembered.
I. the body is butchered. [remains: all bones]
J. c, then d.
K. c, then f, g, d, and e.
L. b, then h.
etc.
: What does it wear?
A. whatever garments it had on upon death.
B. nothing.
C. the shabbiest clothes that will still cover its nakedness.
D. undamaged, ordinary clothes.
E. the owner's finest garments.
F. the owner's armor, exactly as it was upon death.
G. the owner's armor--repaired, cleaned, & polished.
H. some moderate jewelry / other accessories.
I. the owner's finest jewels.
J. a tightly wrapped shroud.
K. a tightly bound rope or chain.
L. d, then h and j.
M. e, then i.
N. c, then j and k.
etc.
: What is the body stored in / on?
A. nothing, the shroud / clothes / skin is enough.
B. a bag.
C. a barrel.
D. a stone pot.
E. a coffin.
F. a cage.
G. a layer of clay.
H. a sarcophagus, which no longer means "a coffin, just made of stone", but now specificially refers to a coffin sculpted to resemble the occupant. May be stone, wood, metal, clay, or even glass.
I. a metal coffin, sarcophagus, or barrel, which is then crimped or riveted shut.
J. a bed.
K. a wheelbarrow.
L. a shield (presuming the culture has developed tower shields).
M. a chair.
N. a boat.
O. a stretcher.
: What additional objects / creatures accompany the deceased into the beyond?
A. nothing.
B. a tool/weapon/item representative of the owner's main profession, especially if it was already owned by the deceased.
C. a tool/weapon/item symbolic of the deceased's secondary profession.
D. regalia showing the deceased's noble rank, and/or government / religious office.
E. an example of the deceased's own craftwork.
F. religious icon(s).
G. gifts given to the deceased by friends / relatives / lover in life.
H. gifts given to the deceased by friends / relatives / lover, posthumously.
I. other personal items owned by the deceased.
J. food and drink, to sustain the deceased in the afterlife.
K. LOTS of food and drink, to enable the deceased to throw a party & gain acceptance among those who went before.
L. good boots and a traveling cloak: The afterlife is a journey, not a destination.
M. a rope, knife, backpack, axe, torch, and tinder & flint: The afterlife is an adventure, best be prepared.
N. money, and maybe a couple of gems.
O. A trophy from a notable kill made by the deceased: a body part if applicable, otherwise some item taken from the enemy.
P. at least one of the deceased's pets is killed (optional: unless there are previously-dead pets that can be placed next to the deceased).
Q. one or more livestock animals are killed.
R. one or more captured enemies are killed.
S. one or more slaves, preferably from among the deceased's own slaves, are killed.
T. one of more personal bodyguards are killed.
U. The tomb contains a bed, table, and chair.
V. The tomb contains a weapon rack & armor stand.
W. The tomb contains a coffer and cabinet.
X. The tomb contains a statue, of the deceased or his favored god.
Y. The tomb contains representational art of the deceased or his family members.
Z. The tomb contains religious iconography.
AA. b, h, g, e, and v.
BB. n, t, and j.
CC. d, k, x, q,s, and t.
etc.
:
A. nothing, leave the body where it fell.
B. Dumped: The body is tossed onto the refuse pile with all the other useless garbage.
C. Flush grave: A channel is dug in level ground, the body is lowered into it, and the hole is re-filled.
D. Burial mound: A mound of earth (at least 3x3) is piled atop the body.
E. Cairn: A pile of loose stones (not blocks) is built atop the body. Can be as small as a single tile, does not contain miasma.
F. Mass grave: Just like either b, c, or d, except there can be any number of burial tiles, with a maximum of 3 bodies per tile.
G. Tomb: A room carved from stone (or ice), with a doorway shut by a door or upright slab. A tomb that contains multiple people who were all related by blood or marriage ("Lover" counts) is called a crypt, and one that contains unrelated individuals is called a catacomb. There may be crypts that contain occupants linked by a shared profession (especially if that profession is priesthood to the same god), but these will be more difficult to name.
H. Mausoleum: Like a tomb, but constructed either above ground or in a cavern, and must contain at least two statues of occupant(s), and every occupant must have a memorial slab--either inside the structure, or just outside.
I. Immuration: Like a tomb, but only a single tile in size (containing only a single body), and with any entryway sealed with blocks. All tiles in the 3x3 area must be stone, wood, or ice--not dirt. The body is almost always positioned standing up.
J. Pyre: A stack of wooden logs, with the body(ies) to be burned placed atop it. The size of the stack is 1 tile per body, and the wood requirement is (1 unit per body) + 3. [remains: ash]
K. Crematorium: A specialized furnace building. Contains the heat for greater efficiency, uses 1 charcoal or 2 wood per body, but only burns one person at a time. Magma crematoriums may also be built, but have the additional requirement of a magma-safe cage (to contain the body as it is lowered into the magma). [remains: ash]
L. Magma cleanse: Magma is allowed to flow over the body long enough to burn away everything it can, and then drain away. [remains: ash]
M. Magma plunge: The body is dropped or pitched into a large quantity of magma.
N. Burial at sea: The body, weighted down & tightly wrapped in a shroud, is dropped or pitched into a large quantity of water. May cause disease (or at least a foul taste) if the body of water is too small and/or too slow-moving.
O. Boat funeral: The body (along with any grave goods) is laid out in a boat built for the purpose, and pushed away from shore--into a flowing river, or the sea during an ebbing tide, or perhaps with a sail to keep propelling it. The boat is usually given a small leak, to help it sink once it gets sufficiently far away. The boat and its contents will be have to be allowed to leave the map. Unlikely to be implemented.
P. Aquatic cremation: Just like a boat funeral, but the boat is also loaded with wood/charcoal fit for a pyre, which is set alight just before or soon after the ship is set adrift. Extremely unlikely to be implemented.
Q. Charnel-house: A building with the specific purpose of being a mass grave. Built as a 3x3 workshop, with a chimney that rises 4 z-levels. Additional walls must exist to completely enclose the workshop (and any additional space, if desired), including from above, and the top of the chimney must be accessible, for dropping in new corpses. Charnel-houses can fit 4 bodies per enclosed tile, and will leak miasma from the chimney when they approach capacity. [remains: bones, but only if the surrounding wall is breached.]
R. Sky burial: The body is laid out in a spot inaccessible to any but flying creatures--usually a platform atop a scaffold with a removable ladder, or a cliff ledge which can be reached only by a locked door. Limits consumption of the body to flying scavengers (vultures, crows, etc), and of course natural decay. [remains: bones, any grave goods not carried away by crows]
S. Arboreal burial: Just like a sky burial, but high in the branches of a tree. Falling body parts may feed ground-based scavengers as well.
T. Tree immuration: Trees with trunks at least 3 tiles in diameter may be used as tombs, by carefully cutting a single piece out of the trunk to be the "door", hollowing out a small space, standing the body within, replacing the door, and using elven magic to seal the bark closed again.
U. Tree burial: Like a flush grave or burial mound, but with a tree sapling planted just above the corpse, or with seeds/nuts implanted within the deceased's clothing/coffin/etc.
V. Mushroom burial: Like a tree burial, but with giant mushrooms instead, and of course located underground. Believe it or not, this is already a real thing. Copied from
Wikipedia: "Mushroom burial has been developed by Jae Rhim Lee and her colleagues . . . it is an eco-friendly process which consists of dressing the cadaver in a bodysuit with mushroom spores woven into it . . . as the mushrooms grow, they consume the remains within the suit as well as the toxins that are being released by the body."
W. Mushroom immuration: Just like tree immuration, but using a giant mushroom instead of a surface tree, and dwarven beard powers instead of elven magic.
X. Mummification (simple): The body is drained of blood (laid out head downwards, incisions to the carotid arteries, followed by strong chest compressions to simulate natural blood flow), eviscerated, washed, packed with ash and/or sand, and finally sewn shut. It is then left exposed to the elements in a very arid location, which is commonly either quite hot or extremely cold. Mountaintops, dry caverns, and rooms directly atop magma are all good. After many days, the process is either a success or failure--in the latter case, the body rots normally, and must be moved to a coffin or other receptacle. Mummies may be dressed, but only in clothes that are cut and sewn closed around them. The mummy is finally moved to a tomb--which must still be kept reasonably dry, or decay will set in after all. [remains: organs]
Y. Mummification (ornate): The body is drained of blood, which is then replaced with strong alcohol (sliced arteries sewn shut, booze injected into the heart, chest compressions to circulate it). The body is eviscerated, with the organs either sealed into small stone urns, or dried separately & re-inserted into the body later. The body is washed with soap, then dried, and washed again inside & out with strong alcohol. It is scrubbed inside & out with ash, salt, and dried herbs, and then completely covered in a bed of salt for 70 days. Placing this bed in an arid location both speeds the process and guarantees its success. If applicable, the organs are re-inserted (if not, more dried herbs instead), and the body is sewn shut. The mummy's skin and hair are anointed with aromatic oils, it is dressed & ornamented, and given painted stones to replace the eyes. Particularly fine or important mummies are usually placed in coffins or sarcophagi made of glass. [remains (optional): organs]
Z. Ritual cannibalism: May be practiced to spiritually acquire desired traits of the deceased ("I eat your heart to gain your courage," etc), to show contempt ("Your people are nothing but food to us!"), to gain communion with the deceased and grant them a form of immortality ("Part of you now lives on as part of me"), or simply because meat is/was scarce. Not all the body need be eaten, especially if it is only for spiritual reasons. [remains: anything from bones to nearly the entire body]
AA: Bedroom tomb: The body is laid out in their regular bed, in their own bedroom. The room is tidied, and all of the deceased's belongings are placed inside, before the door is sealed shut. Anyone else who shared that room must now sleep elsewhere. Forts that commonly practice this method will eventually develop entire sections that are essentially ghost towns.
BB. Ritual arson: Similar to a bedroom tomb, but for aboveground, wooden structures: After all of the deceased's property is placed in his house, it is burned down around him. Any family members are now homeless. May be useful as a punishment, or in containing diseases.
CC. Displayed (honor): The deceased is placed in some prominent location to be respected. If in a coffin or sarcophagus, it may be stood up and decorate a throne room, dining hall, barracks, church, or library, just like a statue. The body may be immured within the base of a statue (typically of themselves) near a main gate or busy thoroughfare. Priests who found / hallow a temple may have their coffins be designated as the altar of that temple. Etc.
DD. Displayed (dishonor): The body, or pieces of it, is similarly placed in a prominent location, but as a gesture of disrespect, victory, or warning. Hanged bandits may be left dangling from trees outside the fortress gates. The combat arena may be ringed with troll skulls erected as totems. Heads of traitors may be impaled on upright spikes atop the walls. A slab may be placed as a milepost, showing the distance back to the goblins' tower, with a dead goblin strapped to it to helpfully point the way. Etc. [remains: any unused body parts, and eventually bones]
EE. Atom-smashing: I can't decide if it should be reserved for the very worst enemies as the ultimate act of obliteration ("We hate you so much we're going to kick you out of the entire goddamn
universe"), or ignored altogether as something that shouldn't exist.
: Where do friends & family gather to pay their respects to the deceased?
A. there isn't one, the body is moved to its final destination without fuss.
B. at the site of the grave / tomb / crematorium / whatever.
C. the deceased's living quarters.
D. a church of the deceased's favored god.
E. the deceased's own workshop (if applicable).
F. a tavern or dining hall.
G. a combat arena or barracks.
H. the fort's primary throne room.
I. a farm plot.
J. a cavern.
K. a hill- or mountain-top.
L. the shore of a body of water.
M. a glade in the woods.
N. funeral guests [talk among themselves / give speeches / hold hands / pray / etc].
O. food & drink are [mandatory / customary / discouraged], and provided by the [next of kin / guests].
Etc. There is also room for additional variation, depending on whether the body should or should not be present.
: What happens while the body is moved to its final resting place?
A. there is no procession, the memorial is already held AT the pyre / cairn / boat launch / charnel-house / whatever.
B. the "procession" is just the people moving the body.
C. the body [may / must] be followed by family members only.
D. all funeral guests [may / must] join the procession.
E. expressions of grief are [mandatory / encouraged / allowed / discouraged / forbidden].
F. expressions of joy are [mandatory / encouraged / allowed / discouraged / forbidden].
G. mourners perform a ritual, marching dance.
H. mourners simply walk.
I. the procession is accompanied by one or more musicians.
: If there are any remains remaining, what to do with them?
A. [ash] used to make soap.
B. [ash] used to make potash.
C. [ash] used to make clear glass.
D. [ash] used to make steel.
E. [ash] stored in an urn, and kept in a loved one's home.
F. [ash] stored in an urn, and kept in an appropriate tomb.
G. [ash] scattered from a high place on a windy day.
H. [ash] scattered over farmland.
I. [ash] scattered in a cavern.
J. [ash] scattered over a body of water / magma.
K. [bones] dumped in a refuse pile.
L. [bones] buried as per an appropriate pactice of burying a whole person.
M. [bones] scattered & buried in farm plots.
N. [bones] scattered & buried in unused land.
O. [bones] stored in an ossuary [bin], and kept in a loved one's home.
P. [bones] stored in an ossuary, and kept in an appropriate tomb.
Q. [bones] left to be eaten / carried off by scavengers.
R. [blood] drunk.
S. [blood] boiled & poured out as a sacrifice.
T. [blood] scattered over farmland.
U. [blood] poured into a body of water / magma.
V. [organs] cooked & eaten.
W. [organs] burned as a sacrifice.
X. [organs] stored in urns, and kept in loved ones' homes.
Y. [organs] stored in urns, and kept in an appropriate tomb.
Z. [organs] buried as per an appropriate practice of burying a whole person.
AA. [organs] chopped up & scattered over farmland.
BB. [organs] chopped up & scattered in a cavern or unused land.
CC. [organs] dumped into a body of water / magma.
DD. [unused body parts, up to nearly the entire body] buried / cremated / entombed / whatever, as per an appropriate practice of burying an entire person.
Note that remains do not have to processed after the "main" funeral practice is completed, they can be dealt with as soon as they are freed from the rest of the body. For example, suppose an elf has an arm torn off in combat, and dies. Her fellow elves might decide to *eat* her arm, but bury the rest of her. In this case, the elves do not have to finish cooking & eating the arm before they can start preparing the body for burial--they can wash & dress the body right away, and have the arm as a ceremonial snack at the gravesite, with the arm bones buried along with the rest of the body.
Along with each civilization randomly choosing different customs, there could be race-based tendencies as well, so that dwarves would be far more likely to use earth- or magma-oriented rituals than, say, elves, who would have their own, probably tree- or air-based practices. This would be most visible in forts with sizable visitor populations, so that as your dwarves form a solemn funeral procession, weeping and playing a dirge as they follow a stone sarcophagus being wheeled down to the catacombs, they might cross paths with a party of elves singing and laughing as they prepare to bury one of their own, bundled into a cloth bag with a sapling sticking out of it.
There could even be further ramifications added beyond what's listed above--for example, civs might develop certain music / dances / foods that are only appropriate for funerals. Body position might be taken into account: A culture might decide that bodies should be buried/entombed sitting down, or facing a certain direction. (Both of which are currently impossible to see, and would therefore take place entirely in the player's imagination--so there's almost nothing to code!) There could be even
more complex practices, like some civs developing the tradition of taking a few locks of hair from the deceased, and incorporating them into garments worn by their children. The potential for depth is vast, it's only a question of how deep is
too deep; at what point will players cease to notice, and appreciate, Toady's labors.
What would I, as a player, expect to see / be expected to do? As the game currently stands, each dwarf expects to have a designated tomb, which must meet certain standards of size / monetary worth in order to match the dwarf's social rank and sense of self-importance. In this new expansion, the "C"ivilizations menu would provide much greater detail about your home civ, including a sub-menu about funerary practices. Expect to see statements like:
"It is quite acceptable for invaders to be stripped naked, thrown into a mass grave, and buried, with no further care given to them."
"An honorable treatment for soldiers who fall in battle is to be immured inside a wall they died protecting."
"To bury a baron or count without a scepter is considered a slight--but for a duke or king, it is a gross insult."
"All forms of cannibalism are strictly forbidden, but body parts of sentient beings may be used to fertilize farmland."
"Followers of Uzol (deity of mountains, volcanoes, & fire) greatly desire to have their bodies consumed by fire or magma."
"Craftsdwarves who have attained the rank of Master or higher expect to have their own burial mound, not a flush grave."
Examining an individual dwarf, you will be able to see the general status of their living / burial arrangements, and see how satisfied they are with same. This is just like the current game, except in the new system, if the dwarf is dissatisfied with their arrangements, they will spell out precisely
why, starting with their most important grievance first--as each desire is fulfilled, their "needs" will grow more trivial. Expect to see things like:
"Rakust wants to be entombed in a stone pot, and is angry that no tomb area has been designated yet."
"Rakust wants to be entombed in a stone pot, and is annoyed that no such pots have been made."
"Rakust wants to be entombed in a stone pot, and is disappointed that no pot has been assigned as his."
"Rakust would like to be entombed holding a copper ladle, and is disappointed that he does not have one of his own."
These thoughts can also bleed over into the dwarf's main Emotions screen, particularly if they are unusually concerned with their own mortality.
Then, when somebody dies, an executor will be appointed--usually a friend or relative, otherwise it defaults to the fort's manager. They will Conduct Meeting with the mayor, going over funeral arrangements. If the deceased was a criminal (particularly if they were executed), the sheriff will also attend. Together, they will agree on those matters that do
not require the player's approval, and deliver a summary of same, things like:
"Rakust's body will be washed, dressed in his best clothes, and adorned with his silver necklace and a horse bone figurine of him raising one of his masterwork fish stews. He will lie in his bed while we hold a wake for him at his Kitchen and adjoining dining hall--those who wish to personally pay their respects may do so. Afterward, we will carry the bed to the stone pot assigned to him, with lamentation from his parents and siblings. Rakust will be placed into the pot to the chanting of prayers to Momuz the Wooden Bone, and sealed away for eternity. We will then carry the bed back to his room, which will be left untouched until it is spiritually cleansed seven days later."
Then, the player will be presented with any matters that
do require attention, such as:
"Rakust wanted to be laid to rest with a copper ladle--we could use the one from Kitchen 4, although that would hurt that Kitchen's productivity. May we do so [Y / N]?" N
"All right, Rakust's sister Inod will gift her bronze carving knife to be used instead."
"Rakust wanted his cat Ezum to accompany him, should the cat be sacrificed to follow her master [Y / N]?" Y
"Good, and there is room in the pot for both of them."
The meeting ends, and events proceed as planned. The actual handling of the body is undertaken by Hospital staff--unless the fort has a god of death with enough loyal worshipers to take over the task instead. Mourners attending the memorial service or procession are given the Attend Funeral job, although they can multitask and Eat / Drink during it. Other affairs that may require the player's approval are whether any adamantine items should be given to the dead,
which crown the queen should be buried in, whether the "mourners" at the "procession" of an executed criminal should be allowed to kick the body as it is dragged past them, what sort of ossuary should be fashioned to house the bones of the deceased, etc. The player will also have to designate, if they have not already done so, the final resting place of the dead: This could mean assigning them an already-built burial receptacle, selecting (or building) a good cliff / tree / platform for sky burials, channeling out a grave and using the Burrow menu to assign the deceased to it, or selecting an appropriately prominent spot for the body (or its receptacle) to be displayed. In other words, the micromanagement involved is scarcely any more than what is already required.
Visitors are a special case: If there are a significant number of people from another civilization present in your fort, they will share with you all pertinent information--in the "C" menu, you will be able to view the details of their civ just as well as your own. If there are only 1 or 2 survivors from that civ present, they may not know
everything about their own civ (I figure, every person knows 75% of their own culture, and you keep adding people until the random overlap covers everything), but they'll at least know what constitutes a decent burial. If the deceased was the
only representative of their civ to visit your fort, then you have to either go by what they mentioned in passing at the tavern, or just give them what would be a proper burial in
your culture.
Important Note: The player is NOT actually required to abide by the requirements of most prescribed methods. Suppose a duke dies, and he wanted his own burial mound. "Too bad," says the player, "everybody in my fort gets a tomb," and sticks the duke in a coffin located in the old quarry, just like everyone else.
The game doesn't check--the description of the funerary method is for
flavor, and if the player doesn't
want flavor, the player doesn't have to taste. As long as the duke's actual resting place is surrounded by enough wealth to keep him happy, he will not rise as a ghost--the player will probably have to designate a *fake* burial mound, with some statues in it, to keep the duke pacified while he's alive, but he doesn't have to actually bury anybody there . . . he can just re-assign the mound to the duke's successor, and everybody's appeased. The most intricate aspects of the funeral (dressing the body, grave goods, the memorial service/profession, processes like mummification) happen almost entirely without input from the player.
Thoughts?
Author
Topic: Funerary rites (Read 2597 times)