The Gravedigger's Daughter
A dreary painting that depicts the young maiden, Adelisa Whelani, the daughter of a peasant gravedigger, Destrian Whelani. She holds a wilting rose, symbolizing the corruption that would move through her father's life after he had come into contact with a body that was infected with mummy rot. The painting was rediscovered by the descendant of the original artist and donated to the Grove of Foxes.
History
"The Gravedigger's Daughter" is an old piece of artwork from the years after the War of Life and Strife. Destrian Whelani was a gravedigger for a church in what is now known as Trieste. The fall of the Oracle of Bones made Destrian's job much more demanding. Many bodies had to be laid to rest and others burned because of the possible contamination of Mummy Rot.
Working tirelessly day and night, Destrian became sickly and sleep-deprived very quickly. Mistakes were made, one such mistake tearing his life apart until there was nothing left. While lowering the body of a former knight into his final resting place, Destrian was unable to keep up with the parishioners who were tasked with helping him. The ropes snapped and dragged Destrian into the grave as well. Unbeknownst to anyone, the knight had contracted mummy rot during the war, which then spread to Destrian through a wound he sustained during the fall.
Destrian carried on with his life, failing to realize he had contracted the disease and that was the cause behind several of his loved ones falling ill. His own father was ravaged by the disease, losing several of his limbs and his eyesight before death claimed him. His wife, who was pregnant with his second child, miscarried as the rot took hold of her body. Destrian and his surviving daughter, Adelisa, watched in horror as everyone they had ever cared for was reduced to ash one by one.
The disease claimed Destrian months later. After his flesh began to decay despite his heart still beating, he finally realized that he had unleashed the mummy rot on his loved ones. He turned to self-isolation in the mountains, hoping his body would never be found. It was a last ditch effort to save what was left of his family, but it was a fruitless endeavor as the disease had been passed to Adelisa shortly before his departure. Due to this horrific event, the Whelani family name is only remembered through various works of art and cautionary tales.
Adelisa, despite the pain she was in, allowed herself to be studied by clerics who were searching for a cure or treatment for mummy rot. Unfortunately, no such cure was ever found, but Adelisa held onto the hope that something would turn up even if she was no longer around to see it. Her sapphire necklace remains in her favorite, heart-shaped trinket box which is now on display in the old church her father worked for.
Significance
This painting was created by a close friend of Destrian Whelani as a way to commemorate his daughter and the struggle she went through in the hopes that other families would never have to experience that level of tragedy. "The Gravedigger's Daughter" drew the attention of many, leading to safer practices when tending to the dead in Trieste.
by Frankie V. (generated with OpenAI)
Item type
Art
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