Welcome to the Codex! Every Friday, we will focus on one topic from one of the upcoming books, or one of the books that have been published. The Codex will review what is commonly known about that topic in the world, even if just at a scholarly level. There will still be mysteries, but if you are interested in learning more about something you read in the book or in another blog post, the Codex is the way to go.
To continue our exploration of Mathklyr, the setting of Ghostblood, we now turn to one of Mathklyr's most unique traditions: the Sevenfold Burial, Mathklyr's funerary tradition.
Mathklyrians who follow the Kerrethain are buried in tombs upon death, after a ceremonial period of mourning and preparation of the body. The duration of the period of mourning varies based on the social class of the deceased, with the longest period - forty days - being reserved for the Emperor himself. During this time, family members are in mourning, and must offer prayers to the gods to intercede on behalf of the deceased.
When the mourning time is over, the deceased is buried into one of Mathklyr's great necropolises. These cities of the dead often welcome the dead from various outlying villages and small towns who cannot support their own necropolis. But even in a Mathklyrian necropolis, social class continues to matter. Each necropolis is divided into six subsequent graveyards (except for the necropolis of the Imperial City, as we will see), one for each caste. The deceased is buried into the graveyard that is appropriate to their caste, and the tombs grow in size, complexity and decoration as one moves from one graveyard to the next one. Slaves are tossed in common graves, farmers have rough stone mausoleums that often house multiple families; but the further one goes up the social ladder, the more elaborate the stone mausoleums become, all the way to the mighty and skillfully decorated funerary complexes of the Emperors themselves.
Heavy gates (typically wrought iron) separate the graveyards. The last section in most Mathklyrian necropolis is dedicated to major nobles, and as such, it may be relatively empty in remote necropolises.
This disposition rises from the belief that the tombs of those in higher social classes are defended by those who are in lower social classes: it is believed that the dead would rise to protect the tombs of those who were their betters in life. That is, whoever tried to violate the tomb of an Emperor would supposedly have to first go through the other six graveyards and face the risen slaves, farmers, artisans, merchants, minor and greater nobles who would rise from their graves to stop the criminal.
But the necropolis of Mathklyr's Imperial City is different. The sixth graveyard of that necropolis lies against a sheer cliff wall, but a narrow gorge cuts through the cliff, forming a canyon that has its opening at the end of the graveyard dedicated to major noble families. The entrance to the canyon is sealed by silver gates marked with the Imperial Raven. What lies beyond these gates is known to few - only the Emperor, the high priest of Oinrin, a few chosen attendants of the latter, and the Emperor's Warshifters are ever allowed inside. The canyon is known as the Hand of Destiny, and it is the final resting place of the Emperors of Mathklyr.
Only full-fledged, Crowned Emperors are buried in the Hand of Destiny: even the Emperor's own family members are only buried in the sixth graveyard. But the Emperors are not buried alone: when an Emperor dies, his most loyal guards are buried with him, encased in clay and set as statues watching over the Emperor's tomb. These are the akun-hem, eternal guardians of the Emperor's rest, and it is said their spirits guard their Emperor's sleep as they guarded him in life. Being selected as an akun-him is a great honor for a warrior, perhaps the highest for a man loyal to the Emperor. The families of akun-hem are often elevated to a higher social class by the Emperor's successor, or at least granted significant wealth in the traditional way of thanking their paragon for his eternal service.
Beyond the presence of the Imperial tombs, carved in the walls of the Hand of Destiny itself by the priests of Oinrin, and of the akun-hem standing eternal guard, little else is known of the place. However, it is also known that the heir to the throne undergoes a mysterious ceremony called the Crowning in the Hand of Destiny, communing with past Emperors for days to seek their guidance and approval in claiming the Raven Throne. In the past, some usurper dynasties have chosen to forgo this ceremony, afraid perhaps of the judgment of their predecessors. All such dynasties only held the throne for a short time before upheavals, revolutions or justice dethroned them. Among the priests, it is said that Oinrin herself must judge the new Emperor, and by not submitting to the ceremony, one incurs her wrath. Whether this is true or not, the Emperor does not say. However, scholars suspect that whatever happens to the Emperor in the days of the Crowning may have something to do with the uncommonly long lifespans of Emperors.
Whether there is anything to this theory or not, is unknown. Yet for all their attempts, not a single person is known to have succeeded in entering the Hand of Destiny uninvited - and escaping to tell the tale.
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