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Birth and Death in Gior

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Birth in Gior

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Death in Gior

Mourning color is black. It is expected of the remaining family to dress all in black at the funeral and for a suitable time following. Some elect to have mourning rings or other jewelry crafted out of jet as a symbol of their loss, and also a tribute to the deceased.

Funerary practices are cremation atop a pyre at a high point in the city. This is thought to allow the dead to return to Imaan on the wind. The bodies are burned until nothing but ash remains, and the family of the deceased and those close to them are obligated to stay by the pyre until the process is finished. This can take nearly a day. The pyre is generally lit by next of kin (spouse, sibling, parent, or child), or if no next of kin is available, a close friend may be named in the will. If the deceased died in a manner that means the body cannot be recovered, then possessions belonging to them or another representation of them is burned instead.

Ashes are gathered and sealed in urns, then stored in an alcove in a spire magically sculpted from the stone. Each family living in the city has their own alcove. Depending on the age of the city, there can be several smaller spires near one large spire to allow for more families and more alcoves. Humans also cremate their dead, but due to the lack of magic, it is more common for human urns to be kept in the family’s home or buried, or for ashes to be scattered over a place of great importance to the deceased, or simply over their property. The spreading of the ash also helps to keep the soil fertile.