In light of the importance of Turtleback Ferry in HMM, and Russell Akred aka Rustle's excellent map, I thought it would be an interesting idea to collaborate on fleshing this town out, starting with the bit that is present in HMM.
Three main areas I see are
- Atmosphere: Smells, the feel of the air, a twisted tree stump, etc, etc
- Buildings: Rustle has some names assigned on his map, these could be filled out, but there is also a number of other buildings. Cannot have enough places, imo, as you never know what the players will do.
- NPCs: The most important element. Who makes up the town?
I was just thinking of this idea, and decided to post it. I'll offer some ideas on the 'morrow.
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first thing I notice looking at the map...the GRAVEYARD. So now I know where I will respawn when D&D 4E comes out! Not a long corpse run at all. :)
Actually, kidding aside, I find it interesting how many maps leave out the graveyard, or do not explain what the town does with its dead. Now, personally, in a world where the dead can be raised, it makes sense for the proper disposal of the dead to be cremation. After all I really don't want great grandpappy coming back some night and eating my brains (he would still be hungry). So, unless there is a religious imperative for burial I just don't get why there are graveyards in D&D. So this, to me, is something that could be fleshed out more.
Interesting point Krome. While I do not really have an answer I do have a comment. In history man Cristians and Catholics preached that if your body is burned you cannot go to heaven till Judgement Day. Maybe there is a similar dealings within fantasy religeons that just hasn't been touched upon. As far as I know in most cultures and religeons cremation has always been a bit taboo, and it wasn't till modern days that it's become a common disposal of bodies (outside of war time that is).
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Guys, given the track record religions have for practicality, reason, and logic, I have the feeling that in a zombie-infested fantasy world, they would be even more likely to insist on corporial burial, just out of sheer bloody-mindedness. Apparently, nothing tests your faith as effectively as a ghoul trying to consume your entrails.
the idea of corporial ressurection seems a wee bit...infantile. It only makes sense if you're a small, poorly educated child that has a shaky understanding of death to start with. unless of course, you dont bother to think about it, and thats something that can be done by individuals of any age. I mean, most people that have ever been dead are now completely skeletonized or worse, and in order for them to come back properly, a god would have to pull all those bits out of the surrounding ecology. that would mean taking bits of molecules and atoms out of existing soil and living things. Who know's where all those molecules have wound up, and some people might find themselves a bit lighter, what with missing 20% of their liver, 10% brain matter, and 4% fat and all. I suppose that a god could sort of "create" new flesh and marrow for the bones, but if he can do that, why bother with the bones at all? you see, the idea only makes sense if you accept it at face value and dont think about it. Or dont know that bodies rot when they're in coffins. And then, how do they get out? Do you get super recently-dead-guy strength to claw your way out?
Though living in a fantasy world does make your coffin selection very importaint. here's a question: if you're about to be hanged, and the hangman asks you what kind of wood your coffin should be made out of, what's the best answer?
Funeral proceedings are among my interests in religious background. I enjoy having a background for what clerics do in the meantime, and what would be expected of them. In a homebrew, I can design my own set of rituals per god.
I think anticipating undead creations should be considered when formulating death rituals.
With an adaptation of the Hallow spell, or something else, I could see how a typical Animate Dead spell could be foiled.
In Golarion, I'd find it interesting, either way, why bodies would otherwise get cremated or buried. Would they seek cremation to foil Animate Dead? Do they need intact bodies with coins on their eyes or on their tongues to journey into the underworld as a petitioner before becoming segregated into the correct final destination? If a body has no access to receive spells to keep the body intact/ protect them from being animated, cremation, or other procedures to assure a safe passage (if there is an afterlife for some cultures in Golarion), BUT, they're never animated as undead either, do they face any other consequence? For example, maybe some sod is too poor, or fell among the countless, forgotten soldiers in a battlefield, etc., do they face a waking life of limbo?
Reasons why people wouldn't be cremated in D&D:
1) Speak with dead is there for a reason. If you need to speak to old grandpappy to lean were he left his heirlom sword...
2) You never know whether the guy you're burying is going to want to be raised/resurrected or not.
Thosa are all of course Metagame reasons, though maybe in a world were coming back from the dead is slightly more common than in our, a greater taboo would lie on destroying your remains.
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Lots of early cultures liked to go back and fiddle with corpses once they had decayed, and many seem to have had a ceremonial reason for this re-use of the dead.
ie. The Mycenaeans buried many people in one tomb, corpses went through several phases of 'burial' resulting (in some tombs) in only the skull being retained whilst the rest of the remains were taken elsewhere.
All of this precludes cremation.
Funerary ritual in D&D campaign worlds is a very interesting topic, but it seems a bit of a digression from the OP's intentions. Shouldn't we carry this to a more general forum?
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Funerary ritual in D&D campaign worlds is a very interesting topic, but it seems a bit of a digression from the OP's intentions. Shouldn't we carry this to a more general forum?
You're completely right.
Back on-topic then. The obvious things i'm going to try and put in place are the systems of governance (mayor, sheriff, watchmen) and business (tradesmen, producers, processors) and their facilities.
Sandpoint is such a lovable place that my temptation is to make Turtleback Ferry a bit maladministered and shoddy. Not a terrible place, just dog-eared. Then I can also play up the desire for a little escapism (pleasure boats, anyone?) and perhaps some stuff that conflicts with modern mores (cock-fighting perhaps, or bear-baiting).