In most parts of the world, death and those that deal in it are things to be feared; this is not the case in the city of Veiligheid. Nestled deep within the deserts of the Dirt Spire, the city’s changeling inhabitants do not allow a single corpse to go to waste. Employing the service of professional necromancers called Gravewakers, the bodies of the dead are transformed into a durable, tireless, nearly unlimited workforce.
Somewhere between a psychopomp, undertaker, and performance artist, Gravewakers help the spirits of the dead pass on to their next life. The people of Veiligheid believe that bodies are afraid of being without a soul, and will not let the dead pass on to their next life without a replacement. To both free the trapped soul and satisfy the body, artificial souls are created by Gravewakers. In thanks for being given new life these risen corpses, called the Benedicted, serve their families by working their fields, repairing their homes, and tending to their sick and elderly.
Gravewakers train for years to master their craft, learning both the nuances of raising the dead, as well as the proper rites and precautions to take to do so safely and humanely. The extensive knowledge required for, the necessity of and the danger inherent to the profession has led to Gravewakers being both highly valued and revered by the people of Veiligheid. The most skilled of these necromancers make up the city’s noble class, granting power and status in exchange for their knowledge and services. The twelve most talented Gravewakers make up the city’s ruling body, the Pale Council. While both knowledgeable and just, the advancing age of many of the council members has led to the city’s isolationist tendencies.