Spirit Rising

Spirit rising is the funerary practice of the Kozkonyonyaosi. The practice has gone on for thousands of years, thought to have started around -5000.

History

Maria Eakdesonn

The Kozkonyonyaosi started using this technique to honour the dead about 7 thousand years ago. The first body used was of Maria Eakdesonn, who said when she died she wanted her body to be turned into her favourite creature, which was a cloud ray. Her son was a mage, and so when she died her body was taken to a remote part of the Frost Mountain Range, and was placed on a special alter made with earth magic, and a spell was cast on her body, which turned her corpse into small blue specks which manifested into a cloud ray, who flew into the clouds and disappeared.

The practice was then used for several other people, who transformed into their favourite creatures. Each person was transformed at the same altar as the one used by Maria, and became the place that everyone would use. After a few years more and more people would be taken after death and transformed into their favourite animal and it became more of a tradition with the Koz.

Execution

After a person has died, their body is taken to a special altar known as a pelerec. Only a few pelerecs exist and they are found deep in the Frost Mountain Range, away from civilisation and can only be accessed by thin pathways that navigate the steep surroundings.
Once the body is placed on the perelec, a mage - either a relative or a hired mage - will cast a soul spell and this will cause the body to start glowing. After a few seconds the body will break down and dissolve into snowflake sized blue specks, which will float into the air above the altar and form the deceased's favourite animal. The animal spirit will then float into the sky and will explode in a shimmering cloud of blue specks.

Observance

Spirit rising usually takes place from one day to a week after someone has passed. It is generally done only a few days, that way nobody has to drag a smelling corpse up a mountain.