Degrading Dead Bodies

Last moon, I received reports that people were casting prayers and spells on dead bodies to reduce them to dust. In relation to that, I also received complaints about this practice. I was informed also that it happened to my dead body Sunday morning which I personally find distasteful. After consulting with Captain Tenderson, I am announcing the following:

If you wish to use any prayer, spell, or ability to reduce a corpse to ashes, you must ask the spirit first. That can be through Galladellian prayers or Galamachian prayers or some other form of speaking with the dead that I am not aware of. On that note, if there IS a way to do that that I am not aware of, please inform me. Should the spirit acquiesce, you may do so. If the spirit does NOT, you may NOT do so. Doing so without the spirits consent will be treated as assault as you are going against someone's wishes.

Any questions, please direct them to myself or Captain Tenderson or both.

-Lieutenant Allyce

((OOG: Not Chenjing))

DOESÐISAPPLYONLYTOTRAVANCIANSORALSOTOSOCALLEDENEMIESOFÐETOWN
WILLTHEREBEANYPENALTIESTOÐOSEWHOBURNEDHUNDREDSOFVENIERCORPSESORAREÐEYCONSIDEREDLESSBECAUSEÐEYCAMEINWAR

AGHARÞA

So allow me to ask the questions that have seem to come to multiple people's minds.

First, you are allowing people to use a Galmachian prayer to speak with the dead? Last I checked you would need to possess a Writ to Practice Dark Arts in order for this to be valid. If I am wrong then I shall offer my services in making psalms for everyone to use.

Secondly, while most prefer their bodies to be buried or burnt, decomposing a corpse does not make it ash, it speeds up the natural decay of a corpse. This proved beneficial in this past feast as not to allow the bone harvesting beast to feed off of the corpses. I myself presided over several acts of burial rites combined with the decomposition of bodies. They were consecrated and decomposed so the beast could not desecrate them in death as it had in life.

Thirdly, I would like to point out that during the early hours of the sunday of this past feast YOU we afflicted in some manner by a plant of some sort and the only way to rid your body of that parasite was to decompose you and the plant, this was once again performed by me.

Lastly, In light of this coming up I wish to leave you with this bit of knowledge. If bodies are not tended to, taken care of or ultimately dealt with in a short period of time they are typically left and never taken care of at all. Too many has been the time that I have seen Travance as a whole destroy their opponents and do nothing to tend to the dead. This is a problem. Necromancers thrive in this accursed land, have you wondered why? Also please allow me to point out the two individuals who were SELLING body parts and not one but TWO dead bodies. The only judgement was simple arrest. That is unforgivable, that is a violation of faith not just my own and nature as a whole. You ask people to use their abilities to defend Travance but bind the hands they use to do it with. I have my faith and it always comes first, I will not begin to riot or speak against the barony and her laws but I will not be told I cannot fulfill my tenants, so long as I live and breathe my service is to Galmachis. Please ask the Captain to expect a private missive regarding this matter no later than tomorrow afternoon.

Father Damien Mograinne,

I did not ask reasons why it was done. I am stating what it is now. If you have a writ- and I know you and Merikh do- you may do as the law requires and ask the body that simple question if you wish to decompose it. Or dont ask and dont do it. Consecrating the body I am told eliminates the danger of a necromancer raising it and it is applauded. The body decomposes naturally after a few hours or after the spirit comes through. Speeding that process up reduces the amount of time that someone can actually perform burial rites and take care of their dead. Excuse me if I am wrong, but isn't that important as well?

I am binding no hands by this declaration. Asking a spirit (and Galladellians do not need a writ for this- very simply find one and ask) if they wish their body to be subjected to something further is respecting the dead to my mind. In the circumstance you speak of, I would think having a druid come and investigate and find out exactly what happened to me a better idea then just destroying my body. The "bone eater" was dead and gone before I died the second time. Indeed, my body was actually not decomposed Friday night after my encounter with it- I came through the phokus and the body disappeared as is normal for that way. Others may have been grateful for your intervention because of the creature using their body. Hence you ask. Either way. Write as you wish. Justify as you wish. This is not retroactive. This is how it is going forward until and unless it changes.

As for the arrest you speak of, many people are arrested and charged and sentenced later. I cannot speak for this case because I was called away but I do assure you, jailtime is never a suitable punishment and is never the outcome.

-Allyce

[OOG: Nalick did his level-best to imitate the spelling]

AgharÞa,

All who set foot in Travance are subject to her laws, so long as the crime was committed within her borders. That the laws of the Barony make no distinction and the impracticality of investigating every single body as to whether or not they are an official subject here, should be enough reason not to desecrate.


In Service,
Sgt. Nalick DeMonteforte

Mr. Nalick,

I think he or she means does this law still protect the enemies of Travance from having their bodies decomposed, or just citizens. Is that right, AgharÞa?

-Midori Suarez
Daughter of Mercy