Forgotten Realms Wiki
Forgotten Realms Wiki
Well met, adventurer...
58,609
pages
in: Locations, Graveyards, Locations in Ravens Bluff,
and 4 more

City Cemetery (Ravens Bluff)

Edit

The City Cemetery, also known as the City Graveyard[3] or Central Cemetery,[1][2] was the central public graveyard of the city of Ravens Bluff in the 14th century DR.[4][5] While by that time there were many graveyards in and around the city,[3][5][6] both public and private,[3] this cemetery was the foremost resting place for Ravens Bluff's most important residents.[5]

Location[]

The cemetery was located some distance east of Ravens Bluff, atop a bluff overlooking the Fire River,[4][7][5][8][9] across from Castle Iron Guard.[5][8][9] A bridge spanning over the Fire River connected it to the opposing side of the river.[8][10] The distance of the graveyard from the city proper was a deliberate choice made to minimize the threat of undead intrusions in the Ravenian streets.[4]

Description[]

A fence measuring 4 feet (1.2 meters) in height surrounded the cemetery.[5] At its gates stood a small office[5][11] where the night-shift caretaker would reside.[11] The cemetery had a rather dark and gloomy atmosphere, punctuated by the shadows and silhouettes cast by trees and its ancient mausoleums.[12]

Law[]

The cemetery was originally overseen by the city's Lord Regent,[5] but the duty later turned to the Regent of City Works.[13] Exhumation of bodies from the cemetery required permits from the office of the Regent. Any unlawful digging in the cemetery would be judged as grave robbing and punishable by 10 years imprisonment in the Golden Ball.[5] Following the establishment of the city's temple of Kelemvor, it was expected for one to pay the clergy a service fee for exhumations.[14]

Notable Locations[]

Carrague's Mausoleum
The personal mausoleum of Ambassador Carrague. It was a rather plain-looking mausoleum, though parts of it were adorned with gold and silver. Back when it was originally constructed it was quite the elegant structure.[15]
DeFrague plot
Located near the center of the cemetery, was a plot owned by the DeFrague family. It had several tombstones, dating back as far as 1300 DR.[16]
DeVillars Mausoleum
The personal mausoleum of the DeVillars noble family. It was a large and ancient mausoleum, elegantly carved with coins of various varieties and origins. Atop its entryway was carved the words "The Family DeVillars" in Old Common.[17] It measured around 20 feet (6.1 meters) x 30 feet (9.1 meters) and stood an approximate 15 feet (4.6 meters) tall. At one point it acted as the home of the vampire Ramsey DeVillars.[1]
Guarded mausoleum
A mausoleum of unknown ownership. It was owned by some member of the Ravenian nobility in the late 14th century DR, possibly a member of the Knights of the Hawk, who frequently hired individuals to guard it throughout the day. The interior of the tomb was empty, save for a large resting stone and six empty stone coffers along the sides. Its door was trapped with a heavy crossbow bolt.[18]
Helthgather Mausoleum
A very large and extremely well-decorated mausoleum belonging to the Helthgather family. It had all manner of symbols and wards etched into its stonework. The sealed door was tied to an alarm and had four wards that fired electricity and fire, drained life, and turned flesh to stone respectively.[19]
True Temple of the Dead
The city's dedicated temple to Kelemvor.[4] Attached to the temple was the city morgue.[20]
Van Gryphon Family Crypt
The personal crypt of the Van Gryphons family.[21]

Notable Inhabitants[]

In the mid-to-late 14th century DR, the cemetery was originally under the care of Graham Wolfe.[5] Whenever he was away on business, his three other caretakers would manage the property. These included Moe, who worked day shifts, and Fijar Smokewind, who worked night shifts. The duties of these caretakers included preventing graverobbing, caring for any plants or objects left on graves, keeping the cemetery clean, and locking it up at night.[11] Following the establishment of the True Temple of the Dead, the local order of the Church of Kelemvor assumed responsibility of caring for the city's dead.[4] The Temple of Kelemvor, or the Office of the Undertakers, could be approached with inquiries as to the location of a specific grave or tomb,[22] as they kept records detailing who was buried in each plot.[14]

Other individuals known to work at the cemetery included John Porter, a part-time gravedigger;[7][23] Jerry, assistant mortician to the True Temple of the Dead;[20] and Morry, a mortician.[24]

History[]

Late in the Year of the Tankard, 1370 DR, a night after the funeral service for Deputy Mayor Belanor Fenmarel,[4][25] a group of adventurers defeated the Cyricist lich Tindel Miller and his undead minions, who had been eliminating Kelemvorites in an effort to improve his standing with Cyric.[26] A minor death then appeared, judging some of them worthy of one day being specialty priests of Kelemvor, and then motioned towards a dark mausoleum. The adventurers watched as the structure warped, growing in both size and height,[27] until finalizing into what would be the True Temple of the Dead.[4][27] The temple's doors then swung open and a priest who had spoken earlier at Belanor's funeral, Damien Rethart, stepped out. He proclaimed himself to be "a priest of the people and Kelemvor's representative to all Ravenians", then implored those who could see the good in death to consider this new temple as "the rightful home for all souls." Following this decree, two minor deaths joined Damien, one emerging from the temple walls and the other erupting straight out of the ground. Damien then announced that these two minor deaths would be permanent guardians of the temple's interior.[4]

Following the establishment of this temple, Damien approached the city's Clerical Circle and declared that his order would from then on be seeing to the care of the city's dead. The assembly were uncertain what to make of Damien's words, whether to consider them a mere request or an authoritative ultimatum.[4]

In the Year of the Unstrung Harp, 1371 DR, a group of adventurers visited Damien and were informed that the necromancer Szass Tam was posing a threat to the city. When the adventurers tried to leave the cemetery, they found that dread warriors had cut down the far side of the bridge and were in the midst of cutting down the remaining pieces of their side.[10]

Appendix[]

See Also[]

  • Cemetery of Peace, a graveyard on the other side of town.
  • Unnamed Sarbreen cemetery, a small dilapidated graveyard predating Ravens Bluff's founding.

Appearances[]

Organized Play & Licensed Adventures

A Goodly Apple • Attention Shoppers • Fire's Eye • Stairway to Heaven • Eyes of the Raven • The Twilight Avenger: Second Nightfall • The Heart of Darkness • Shadows Rising • Knight and the Living Dead • The Laws of Luck • Raven Knights
Referenced only
Spirits of the Night • A Simple Man • ...And the Body Dies • A Near Death Experience • Tears of Selûne • Civic Duty

References[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Gail Reese (November 1998). Eyes of the Raven. Living City (RPGA), p. 17.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Gail Reese (November 2000). The Laws of Luck. Living City (RPGA), p. 13.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Daniel S. Donnelly (February 1996). A Near Death Experience. Living City (RPGA), p. 5.
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 Ed Greenwood (October 1998). The City of Ravens Bluff. Edited by John D. Rateliff. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 31–32. ISBN 0-7869-1195-6.
  5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 Robert Wiese (September 28, 1995). A Goodly Apple. Living City (RPGA), p. 19.
  6. ↑ Alex Lombardi (March 1994). And Justice for All. Living City (RPGA), p. 12.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Ed Greenwood (October 1998). The City of Ravens Bluff. Edited by John D. Rateliff. (TSR, Inc.), p. 140. ISBN 0-7869-1195-6.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Poster map included in Richard Rydberg, et al. (August 1989). Gateway to Ravens Bluff, the Living City. Edited by Jean Rabe, Skip Williams, Ed Sollers. (TSR, Inc.).
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 ProFantasy Software Ltd. (1999). Forgotten Realms Interactive Atlas. TSR, Inc. File: Ravens Bluff.FCW
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Daniel S. Donnelly (August 1998). The Heart of Darkness. Living City (RPGA), pp. 2, 4.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Robert Wiese (September 28, 1995). A Goodly Apple. Living City (RPGA), p. 20.
  12. ↑ Daniel S. Donnelly (May 1996). Attention Shoppers. Living City (RPGA), p. 8.
  13. ↑ Ed Greenwood (October 1998). The City of Ravens Bluff. Edited by John D. Rateliff. (TSR, Inc.), p. 66. ISBN 0-7869-1195-6.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Erik Mona (January 1999). Shadows Rising. Living City (RPGA), p. 12.
  15. ↑ Daniel S. Donnelly (August 1997). Stairway to Heaven. Living City (RPGA), pp. 8–9.
  16. ↑ Daniel S. Donnelly (May 1999). Knight and the Living Dead. Living City (RPGA), p. 12.
  17. ↑ Daniel S. Donnelly (August 1997). Stairway to Heaven. Living City (RPGA), p. 7.
  18. ↑ Daniel S. Donnelly (August 1997). Stairway to Heaven. Living City (RPGA), pp. 7–8.
  19. ↑ Daniel S. Donnelly (August 1997). Stairway to Heaven. Living City (RPGA), p. 8.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Daniel S. Donnelly (May 1998). The Twilight Avenger: Second Nightfall. Living City (RPGA), p. 5.
  21. ↑ Robert Wiese (September 1995). ...And the Body Dies. Living City (RPGA), p. 28.
  22. ↑ Daniel S. Donnelly (May 1999). Knight and the Living Dead. Living City (RPGA), pp. 8–9, 12.
  23. ↑ Ed Greenwood (October 1998). The City of Ravens Bluff. Edited by John D. Rateliff. (TSR, Inc.), p. 17. ISBN 0-7869-1195-6.
  24. ↑ Daniel S. Donnelly (September 1996). A Simple Man. Living City (RPGA), p. 5.
  25. ↑ Daniel S. Donnelly (August 1997). Stairway to Heaven. Living City (RPGA), p. 2.
  26. ↑ Daniel S. Donnelly (August 1997). Stairway to Heaven. Living City (RPGA), pp. 17–19.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Daniel S. Donnelly (August 1997). Stairway to Heaven. Living City (RPGA), pp. 18–19.
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.
More Fandoms