A Dwarven Funeral

Bard Judith

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A Dwarven Funeral

« on: 18 September 2005, 07:41:00 »

Apparently, though there is a reference in the Rockwool entry in the Compendium, this story which I wrote at least a couple of years ago never made it into the Compendium - nor did the entry on Dwarven Aging and Death (which might have gotten lost in the EZboard catastrophe not so long ago). So without further ado, here is a little account from our Thergerim, written by the Masterbard Judith who was privileged to both attend and record a dwarven funeral.

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--------------------------A Tale from the Dwarves --------------------------

The females of the cavern stood in a quiet circle around the motionless form on the stone. Mututaph Foodmaker, skilled cook and tastesinger, had ended her Pragorsthomm in the same dignity with which she had always moved through her life; she had felt the final stiffening coming upon her and laid herself down on one of the great hearthstones where she had served the clan of AverimTyr for so long. She had set her favorite pareknife and ladle beside her, a small bag of spices, and a tiny book - her much-thumbed copy of the RockTales, the sacred writings of the dwarves. 'Mututaph has become stone,' her friend and co-cook Tareignzen finally broke the silence, 'she has gone to Trum-Barol as she hoped...'

The silence broken, the dwarven females began to move in the patterns of the death ritual - unplaiting their hair to hang loosely, rolling down their sleeves, untucking and untying parts of their rockwool garb. Their feet moved on the cavern floor, back and forth in a slow shuffle that became a sibilant hissing of sound, the drag and roll of leather against stone like deep tides in unlit pools. Breathing became faster, audible, blending with the hiss and echoing eerily from the stalactites high above. One dwarfmatron lifted her arms high and began rubbing her palms together in imploration, quickly copied by the others.

In the shadows around them the males watched, heads bowed in respect. As the dwarven females began a soft wailing, the Denirim emerged from among them and came towards Mututaph's body. The females moved to let him through, still shuffling their erratic dance, the wail mounting. Behind them, the hearthfire leaped, painting orange light on the Denirim's wrinkled face. He touched Mututaph's open, filmed eyes, a symbolic confirmation of her death, and then picked up the little book with respect. 'She held Trum-Barol high,' he intoned, 'She will be truestone of his choosing.'

The wail rose louder at this, and the dwarf males began a sympathetic patting of their legs and knees, rocking back and forth on their feet. 'Hush, hush, hush...' Tareignzen's husband was the first to speak for the men's group. 'Hush, hush, she is stone, she feels no more.' The males moved forward, splitting up to choose a female partner and join seamlessly in the griefdance with her. Palm to palm they joined, their feet moving unlifted across the stone, a waft and shift of sound made lyrical by the muted cries of the dwarfmaids and matrons.

Above them, the Morjualerons - the batkeepers - released their charges into the confined 'sky' of the cavern, and the hardly audible sound of bat piping joined with the emotive song.

'Hush, hush, hush,' the males crooned, 'she is stone, she is stone...'

'Truestone,' sang the Denirim, tossing Mututaph's flavourbag into the flames.

A aroma of spice and savory filled the air, a scent so poignantly associated with the dead dwarf that many gasped aloud in reflex, male and female alike. The dance blended, softened, became a bare swaying of motion, a comforting hug, shoulders touching; a reassurance that the community was still bound together, still whole.

'Carry her to the Lower Ground,' came the Denirim's voice again, as the hum of music faded and the cavern became still again. 'Carry her down, and lay her with care, for she is stone, truestone.'

Mututaph's friends and family moved around the body, setting her rigid form on a litter made of crossed shovels and picks, hefting it to their shoulders, and standing ready. The Denirim glided to a tunnel mouth and took a covered lantern from the ledge beside it, gesturing them onward and down the tunnel.

'Truestone, true stone....true…stone…' their voices faded against the moss-hung walls, and the bat echoes sang their answer.


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"Give me a land of boughs in leaf / a land of trees that stand; / where trees are fallen there is grief; / I love no leafless land." --A.E. Housman

Ta`lia of the Seven Jewels

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Re: A Dwarven Funeral

« Reply #1 on: 18 September 2005, 09:10:00 »

Splendid and moving , Judy!

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"For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart. There I travel, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length. And there I travel looking, breathlessly. ~Don Juan"
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Artimidor Federkiel

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Re: A Dwarven Funeral

« Reply #2 on: 19 September 2005, 00:37:00 »

Just a technical question: Where do you think should we put it, Judy? The Library as you posted it here? Under what category? Or should we integrate it into a sub-entry on the dwarves, like we have "Dwarven Food" etc., then we'd need at least some general notes to make an entry out of it.

How's the Dwarves rework progressing BTW? Maybe preparing it all on your computer first and then sending it together wasn't that ideal, because now we cannot integrate anything before it is complete.

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Bard Judith

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Re: A Dwarven Funeral

« Reply #3 on: 19 September 2005, 11:32:00 »

Actually I should have noted that as well, Art.

What I'd like to do, with your permission, is post sections for comment - as absolutely no one, even yourself, is going to have the time and energy to read through the whole finished cross-linked thing at once! Then, once each section has been approved/edited/commented etc. I will save the most recent version and add it into my HTML-ed mini-site on my computer. Then I'll email you the whole thing.

If you'd prefer, I can at least mail you the Overview with the various links in place - and then as each subentry is completed you can go back and activate the correct links... up to you!

As I just noted to Talia, though, I start work tomorrow. I'll probably be less active for a couple of weeks until I 'settle in' and feel a bit more secure in my new job - I hope that's understandable! (However, my current timeline is to have the complete Dwarven rework up before Christmas, and I think that is realistic....)


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"Give me a land of boughs in leaf / a land of trees that stand; / where trees are fallen there is grief; / I love no leafless land." --A.E. Housman

Coren FrozenZephyr

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Re: A Dwarven Funeral

« Reply #4 on: 01 October 2005, 14:39:00 »

This is so beautiful Judith! And very emotive... Took me right into that cavern, watching the dwarfmaids sigh and dance.

I am glad there isn't more of this coming or I might have asked for apprenticeship on dwarves under you!

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Artimidor Federkiel

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Re: A Dwarven Funeral

« Reply #5 on: 02 October 2005, 12:43:00 »

Judy, in order to make progress here I would really recommend that we start integrating dwarven things part by part, starting with the Overview you mentioned. I'm used to add links when putting things up, so that's not really the big trouble for me. Whenever another section or sub-entry is complete, I'll add it in and make links whereever necessary. Don't concern yourself with the HTML page, I'll complete this job, don't worry.

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"Between the mind that plans and the hands that build there must be a mediator, and this must be the heart." -- Maria (Metropolis)

Bard Judith

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Re: A Dwarven Funeral

« Reply #6 on: 02 October 2005, 18:10:00 »

Then I'll get you the Overview ASAP, Art, because that's the biggest rework right there. Not this weekend obviously as you are busy with updates - not to mention that I have training both days

I had Hi-5 training from 9 to 4 today (Saturday), so no time to rest or be with my family - and I have an intensive First Aid course starting tomorrow (Sunday) that goes from 10 to 5. I'm pretty tired already so I think I'll just head for bed early and worry about the Dwarves next week.

Later - if I survive simulated CPR!
Judith


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"Give me a land of boughs in leaf / a land of trees that stand; / where trees are fallen there is grief; / I love no leafless land." --A.E. Housman

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