Dead Vens Cliff
It is unusual, but we have no spare wood to burn and no crypt can hold all the bodies.
The cliff is located on the north-eastern side of Hala and it overhangs a drop of about a kilometre.
When standing near the cliff edge one is said to have the best view in the world. The view spans the hilly forests ahead, the desert in the distance and some claim to be able to see the glimmer of waves of the sea in the distance.
Purpose / Function
The Veniran culture has developed three basic ways of taking care of the bodies of the dead, depending on the available resources.
In the wood rich hills beneath Hala the bodies are usually cremated. In the desert of Karra people are buried in small graves.
For those living in the capitol of Venira, Lenia, wood is too sparse to use for cremation and it would be too much work to create a place in a crypt for all the bodies, so another solution was established.
The solution was to let the bodies decompose naturally, but there was not enough space on the mountain to do so. However there was a cliff at the edge of Lenia, where bodies could be thrown off, which became known as Dead Vens Cliff.
Normally bodies are wrapped in cloth and brought to the cliff where they are left for a day so that those who wish can strengthen their memories of them, which is a part of how Venirans view death.
Alterations
It started as a completely natural feature, but after it got popular it was also altered.
The most important changes are stairs leading to the flat area before the cliff edge, which was also expanded, in order to accommodate larger groups.
There has been a long standing discussion about whether or not to create some sort of railing in order to increase safety, but thus far it has not happened.
Comments