Halmunds Funeral

Life, Death

A funeral pyre to honor the life and memory of Halmund, retired dragonslayer, and biggest hero of Seconvale to date.

In a small section of the graveyard the party had gone into what feels like an eternity ago. However, unlike before, there are people there to witness the funeral. Friends, family, freinds of family, the entire graveyard for once in what may be a lifetime, is filled with living people there to see the funeral of Halmund. From rich to poor, the basic farmer, and several people in armor and fantastical weapons, even a few magical creatures have arrived for Halmunds funeral.   Halmund lays in a funeral pyre, his armor still on from when he left it before, and several burnable trinkets layed about him. Books, toys, letters, many things of value have been layed about, and resting in his hand is a beautiful sword, crafted and containing many fine gemstones. Also a small cloth has been draped over his eyes.   Seven people are separate from the rest of the congregation, all of them in fine clothing, one of them being Lady Gray. the other six the party would not be familiar with. the party (save for the bird) is also present at the front of the congregation with the most elite of the elite in the city, encircling the funeral pyre. the party even sees the dwarven blacksmith and his son, with numerous other dwarves in another section of the front, next to a few choice elves, but some of the dwarves and the elves seem wary of each other.   Outside of the circle, stands have been erected so that even the commoners would be able to watch and hear the funeral. Some songs are sung outside the gates, loudly proclaiming Halmund as a hero. It is as if the entire city got together to honor this fallen hero. A short, thin man makes his way from his seat in the middle of the procession, next to Halmunds funeral pyre to a single golden rail that was recently put down for the procession. He places his hand on the rail, as a robed figure makes his way behind the procession (Knowledge Religion DC 10, anyone can roll to figure out what the symbols on the robe meen) He clears his throat with the sound of an explosion, but only one that is able to be heard by everyone gathered both in and around the graveyard.   "As the council member of House Autumnport, the grandmaester of Seconvale, and knighted Sir Autumnport the honest, I thank everyone for coming out today to honor this fallen hero... Halmund the Slayer, the protector, the comet, the hero of the people, the patron of the Vale.""Those of us in the council were sure he waas to die of old age... in his bed, safe and sound from the worries of the world. Even after rejecting the call to arms on numerous occasions, a knighthood, and even going back to the life he lived before he came to our town nearly thirty years ago." "He has been nothing, but a fine and shrewd buisnessman, a protector of the people, and a hero that the people themselves wanted in as one of our ranks." "The greatest shame, would be that he died defending those who set fire to our town, and tried to-" Lady gray stands up and moves to the bar, with both a hint of anger and grace as even some cries of outrage start to bellow from outside the graveyard. She places a hand on the golden bar, interrupting Sir Autumport the Honest. "I think you have said enough Sir Autumport. This is not a place of politics, and you have turned it into one. sit down" she snaps at him, at which point he flinches his way off of the pole, and makes his way to his seat. She sighs, and looks out to her audience. "Halmund was a friend to all but the worst of the enemies of the city. He cared not about race, age, or past lives. everyone was equal in his eyes. Mostly because people were too scared to start a brawl in his own tavern." Several chuckles are heard throughout the graveyard, however distant. "Here are the facts. Halmund died in the way he should have, fighting that dragon thirty years ago, but he lived on, and helpd our city prosper." "And yet died to another fire... protecting the same people he swore to protect on that day. And even when he had fallen to the flames that rocked our city, after saving hundreds of lives by evacuating an entire quarter of the city, and preventing the spread of fire as far as he could.. There were four that appered to help him, even in the darkest of times for perhaps hundreds more people." "And unlike our politics or history would have you belive, none of them were human, save for the men and women who came to quench the fires that day." "Humans saved the lives of many... just as those of different races came and saved the humans that lived in that quarter." "I dare any of you... Any single one of you to step forward in the memory of THIS man!" she points a finger to halmunds still corpse. "And say that he did nothing to save everyone... because we should follow the example of the most honorable man... no... Hero this city has ever seen." The sun begins to breach over the city itself from the east, setting a golden glow about everything now that dawn has come. "Let us not go backwards in progress for opportunity for everyone. Gold will flood the pockets of everyone here if we can just... work... together." A few more of the council members stood, but Lady Gray takes her hand off the rail and moves to sit down. The council members slowly sit down while the man in the hooded robe makes his way to the bar, gingerly putting a hand on it. "though the city," says the aging man, "has been followers of Gryinism for some time. Halmund, though devout, wished for a service from the morvit as his will proclaims. The wanderer himself may have talked to him, or perhaps he rests in the eternal sleep. Let this day be another constant reminder to us all, that though death is inevitable, it affects us all someday. Do not fear death, for The Morvit will welcome you with open arms." he says as a slow flame starts to trickle upon the funeral pyre. "May death avoid you, but may you also welcome him when the time comes." he takes his hand off of the golden bar, taking a key from around his neck, and tossing it atop halmund, as the pyre sets aflame. The preacher himself, who tossed the key is a priest of Vagus the wanderer. It is said that in death, the dead will be transported from this life to the next. Without a key to guide them, they will only fall pray to the horrors of the afterlife, and travel for a lifetime to find the world they will be in. The tossing of the key is supposed to represent the spirit catching the path to find the way "home". Tempri Ino, or the eternal sleeper, is specifically there to guide those in great pain to the wanderer, who then transports the dead to the afterlife. The council stands up at this point, and each bow to the pyre before walking off. The hooded man stays where he is, near enough to the pire to assist or answer questions, but not enough to burn himself. Everyone then starts funneling in a single line to the pire to bow, and pay their respects. Some even tossing flowers into the flames. After the service, the party returns to the tavern and is approached by lady gray. She informs them that Halmund had included them in his will, gave them the entire tavern, and two hundred and twenty thousand gold pieces to share. She also shares that he wished for the majority of his funds to be used to help the town from a disaster, and Lady gray promised she would help honor him in such a way. Lady gray also asked the party to make a promise to her. To stay in the city, to be the heroes that the city needed. Soon after she left, while the party was deciding how to operate the place without Halmund, another man came to visit them, Gregor, leader of the adventurers guild in the capital. The man gave them an offer to operate their tavern for them from afar, to ensure that they could continue adventuring. The party gladly accepted.