The Dead Accords (closed lost age only)

[Dbrought]

After the Death wars, and the reemergence of the Queen of Parasites, much had changed in the Northlands, despite their isolation from each of the wars. For centuries before such conflicts and events played out, the Houses of Zelbae had been amicably independent and divided in their own practices of honoring the dead of their people. In the Southern coastal cities and villages, who lifeblood was its galleys, an honorable death was observed by the cremation of ones body with their own longboat filled with a few coin to pay passage to the afterlife a smashed drinking horn and a broken weapon each to be reborn with the deceased soul. In this fiery ceremony the body was burned in its entirety, leaving nothing but ash. Further north, however, in the colder forests and mountains where ships were not as sacred, this practice was not observed. In some villages there lay family crypts, where the dead had been stored in their cold stone tombs since ancient times. For some these mausoleums were the place that the spirits of their ancestors' spirits remained, to give protection and fortune in return for offerings and observance. For others it was merely a location to honor the dead that were not decreed by belief or practice to be persevered in the tomb, but done so out of convenience. Yet still, even in the places with tombs and graveyards some still preferred to burn their dead in pyres.

With the stories of horror of the chaos caused by necromancers and undead in the south, some of the more outspoken people called for making all dead undergo cremation arguing that to truly honor the dead, their bodies must not be available to be used. The most zealous of the movement even went so far as to call for the cremation of even the most ancient of skeletons dead for centuries. In response a counter movement grew that rallied behind the idea of how sacred their families crypts were to them, suggesting instead that if it was so important to protect the living from the possible rise of the undead, that a guard must be levied by the houses to provide constant watch. The houses themselves had diffing views. If a guard must be levied, would it come from the forces each house pledged, or would it be disproportional and force the houses who had crypts in their territories to levy a guard themselves.

The debate had been ongoing with little movement to action, until a small group of necromancers raised an evil entity know as Didric from one of the neighboring islands of the Zelbaen continent. Though there were no deaths save those of the necromancer cult, the news spread, and the threat of the undead was to all no longer a southern ailment. The people demanded action, and the Lords of the North were called again to the Council of Winterwald discuss what would be done. With but one difference. Seeing that the issue of the undead, and what threat they now posed, if any, on the living, was an issue that affected the world, it was decided that the world itself would all be called in an attempt to resolve what action would be taken to safeguard against the undead. Perhaps an alliance would be formed? A coalition to crusade against all forms of necromancy? Perhaps the dead would see to represent themselves to the world, and step in to govern their own, as the Zelbaen Covens did against rouge vampires. Not matter, what agreements made one thing was certain. Zelbae would see the full extent of the views and advice of those who came to its lands, and upon hearing all to be said, act to protect its people.

From High Lord William Solomon Broughton III, Archon of the Council of Winterwald, Protector of the Land of Brought
Transcribed Honorably by His Steward Richard Constantine Lane

Lords, Rulers, and people of Influence,
I, High Lord William Solomon Broughton III, Archon of the Council of Winterwald, Protector of the Land of Brought, of the Northlands of Zelbae in Osentona, have recognized that the forces of undeath are not restricted to those who reside south of my lands. As such, with the growing recognition that something must be done to protect the living, and that such measures may threaten the sanctity of places where the dead have been entombed from the dawn of time, I have called for all people of power from the South, who have more experience in such matters than, to join me and my people's Lords at Winterwald. Together perhaps, we can find means to protect our own. Mayeven our congress may cause a representative of the dead to emerge to speak for their own. All that come to speak shall be welcome.

May honor give us strength,
High-Lord William Solomon Broughton III, Archon of the Winterwald