The Necropolis of Myr

The Necropolis of Myr

Home Nations/Region: The Necropolis is located on the far northwestern border of the Empire and south of the Draconic Theocracies. It is said that the city sits on the ruins of a long forgotten Draconic City. The place has been called Myr for longer than any mortal living can remember, and many (unverified) rumors abound as to the source of the name. Some claim it was the name of the Dragon who once reigned, others say it is the ancient name of the valley the Necropolis sits in, and some few say it is because of the chained censers the city guard patrol with, filled with aromatic incense to hide the smell of rot.

Culture:

A hodgepodge of cultures from times lost up to yesterday. Filled with architecture, art, music, and languages spanning thousands of years, the city is a museum to all that once was and is. It does not merely accumulate these items though, but cultivates them as well. The city houses a university beyond compare and scholars who are interested in looking both at where they came from and where they are going as well.

For those unfamiliar with the city, it is a surprise that a place such as this is filled with indescribable beauty. As many artists who have come to reside in the Necropolis say though, “Some works take more than one lifetime to complete.” Sadly, most residents of the world are terrified to ever think of coming here and witnessing the glories.

The only area of culture the city fails by general standards is in food. The sense of taste for the Unliving is a weak thing and to taste food it must be filled with flavors and spices beyond what any living being can stomach. They do enjoy these extreme concoctions. A select few are exported under the title “Nectars” far and wide across Bil Hanna. After a feast, the Unliving retire to a vomitorium since digestion is not really their strong point any more.

The Fashion of Myr is a bewildering spectacle. It is a collection of styles from across the world and across time. Funeral Clothing, of course, is always a hit. Keeping a  neat appearance is expected. The Unliving are not mindless rotting creatures, but thoughtful, spiritual people of reason and intellect. Many fashionable morticians ply their trade, maintaining appearances, weaving hair, or restaining eyes to their original living color.

The healers of Myr are said to be the greatest in all of the world, but only the desperate will travel to the city’s gates, despite the fact that medical care is given freely to all those who need it. There is something strange about The Necropolis of Myr, as those who are wounded recover more quickly even without medical attention. This miraculous effect is unexplainable but may have something to do with how the Unliving appear in the city.

Ecology of the Unliving

Unlike most undead of Bil Hanna, the Unliving of the Necropolis are “naturally” occurring. They are not the product of Alchemy or Will. When a mortal dies within the limits of the city, or when an uncontrolled undead makes its way to the Necropolis, they will begin to change. The mortal will shortly rise again, looking very much like they did in life, though close examination can discern that this is one of the Unliving. They are colder, paler, and unless they are talking, they have no need to breathe. A cut to the unliving will produce little blood, as their circulation is not that of the living. Some unliving have experimented with extreme body modification since, they can simply remove the modified part and wait for it to grow back. An uncontrolled undead will slowly start to heal, its decomposition reversing until it resumes a close approximation of its form before death. If the Unliving has a body part that is either missing or simply not repairable, one will be found for it from the Gardens, the name for the vast and beautiful combined cemetery and catacombs of the Necropolis that are deep beyond reckoning.

 

Those who are already dead do not arise when brought to the city; only the living who die within the city, or those who are already undead seem to benefit. No explanation is known for this peculiar exception. Those who arise from death to become one of the Unliving are often initially confused; their memories may be clouded, hazy, or even completely forgotten. Many recover some, or even most, of these memories. A few never recover. Those of exceptionally strong mind awaken with their memories fully intact. This is not the only change, the Unliving innately can tell the difference in their state, and this affects them profoundly. Their emotions do not die, but change; passions burn less bright and displays of emotion are less obvious. The Unliving are more serene, even spiritual. The Unliving do feel, but those feelings are less likely to be displayed in public exhibitions. The Unliving can hate, but it is a cold, purposeful hate. The Unliving can love, in a deep, quiet, and often unspoken way. The humor of the Unliving is often dry and less prone to crudeness. The general philosophy taught to the new Unliving is, "Your life is over; make your unlife your own, freed of the chains of the past."

 

The Unliving don’t have sex and don’t need to eat, though they may choose to do so. The Unliving can't get drunk. (Barring some extreme, forbidden magical concoctions because it creates some really negative “undead-like” behaviors.) Though they do brew some amazingly powerful drinks--strong enough that even their Unliving palettes can sense what they are drinking. Indeed, one whose talents as a brewer are well known may receive a secret request to sell their wares to the Unliving of Myr.

 

The city is ever moving, as the Unliving don't pause for eight hours of sleep, but the pace is never rapid, as no one is ever in a hurry. They don't need to rest for physical exhaustion. The only “rest” they take is to recover from mental or emotional exhaustion--another reason why their emotions become more muted, more passive. Extreme feeling and passion is tiring.

Myr is beautiful. Myr has amazing wonders and knowledge. Myr is filled with amazing people from every area. However the nightlife is dead.

Life span: 

Within the city, they have an unlife span. Until destroyed by some powerful force that leaves little of the body left, the Unliving shall rise. Mortals who come to the city to die usually join its ranks. For some unknown reason, a select few do not rise again. This is always seen as a sort of miracle, a sign of possible ascension, and an actual funeral in the city of the dead becomes a wake of fantastic proportions, where the living and the dead costume themselves as each other in a period of revelry.

Once an Unliving leaves the City, the undead of Myr may be destroyed as any other undead. Therefore, few residents take the risk of leaving. Still, eternity in one city can get boring and groups of residents will leave suddenly, seeking adventure or their final death in a great cause, or to achieve some feat of glory or extreme infamy.

Notable Features:

The Gardens house dead from across the World and are securely protected by ancient spells, powerful Unliving warriors, magic, and monsters. Many nations, families, or exceptional individuals pay exceptional rates to have someone buried in the Gardens in vast, elaborate tombs filled with wealth, treasure, books, secrets, servants, or whatever belongings they wish to send with the deceased. For here, the dead never decompose but retain the full beauty of their prime, preserved forever.

The Gardens welcome not only the wealthy. Those who are poor and destitute may be laid to rest here if they have nowhere else to go, though they must pay a price; the tenders of the garden may take a “gift” of up to two limbs to aid an Unliving resident. This missing limb is always replaced by an artful creation to preserve their appearance.

Government:

The Necropolis of Myr is a democracy. All Unliving of sound mind may have a voice in determining their laws and electing members of government. Myr has no poverty or hunger.

Faith:

Many religions are practiced here, some in forms or to beings long forgotten. Ultimately, most of the unliving find themselves drawn to either  Oblivion or The Healer, in both their Upright and Reversed Aspects. Ironically, the embracing of these aspects aid in an issue of great concern to a city where the residents never die: population control.

The Necropolis boasts an Ascendant among its people.

There is an old Wracked Elf, who goes by the moniker of Saint Georg of Berns. He has worked as a gravedigger and crypt keeper in the Garden for nearly three hundred years. He was a well known and widely feared adventurer before he came to the city. No one, could stand before him.He his skill with sword and horse, and the suffering he has caused in his wake ascended him to the role of Oblivions upright card, The Ferryman. It was said to seek out this man to combat, was the seek out Oblivion itself. Georg in fact hunted down the previous Ferryman to challenge him in armed combat. His predecessor knew that even with Oblivion’s power at his back, he could not defeat Georg of Berns. He laid his sword at Georg’s feet and the mantle slide so easily to George it was as if it was there all alone. But when he came to the city, he was awestruck by it’s beauty. His favor was so powerful with Oblivion that the nature of Oblivion is said to have changed to accommodate his new life. He laid down his sword for a broom and shovel. He is well loved by the people of the city and many come to him for guidance and comfort.

Some Unliving remain in their state out of stubbornness, or have no faith in what lies beyond. These Unliving respectively reflect the reversed Oblivion and Star. These Unliving eventually grow weary, and decide to end their unlife. Others embrace the upright paths--and those paths may lead them to end their existence and move on, to leave the City to do some good deed (and perhaps be destroyed), or otherwise leave and make room for others.

Culturally ritualized ‘suicide’ is accepted as a noble act, and can be a cause for a celebration.

Military

The most famous of the city’s guardians are the Knights of Sirtnale. Though few in number, these Death Knights are pledged to Justice, Good, and are among the few residents who regularly leave the city. Most were aged holy warriors who chose to come to the Necropolis shortly before their end so they would rise to battle evil eternally.

The City proper is protected by warriors who also double as a police force. These Myrmidons mainly protect the Unliving residents from the cruelty of living beings. Occasionally they are sent out into the world to find uncontrolled undead. Most of these, if uncontrolled, will naturally find their way, no matter the distance. Many are left in conditions that make this impossible, missing multiple limbs or given bodies so tortured and twisted that it is impossible for them to make the trek on their own. It is these the Myrmidons assist, for all Unliving are citizens of the Necropolis.

The sheer terror of a city of the Unliving is enough to keep most armies at bay. And, the fact that the dead of an attacker who falls within the city may arise as an Unliving, and have a vested interest in protecting the Necropolis from destruction from that point on.

Of course, the fact that the uncontrolled undead of the world constantly wander to the Necropolis is a barrier: many can't traverse some of the harder terrain, thus making most approaches to the Myr filled with angry roaming uncontrolled undead. Myrmidons can’t round them all up. This makes the approach to Myr difficult for armies, but impossible for small parties of adventurers.