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[NW_Kohaku]

The notion that cremation or other forms of corpse destruction are terrible things, however, come from cultures that specifically believe that a body rising from the dead is a good thing, like the Egyptians, who thought that their physical body would be needed, or the early Christians, who, again, thought that after the last judgement, they would be reborn on earth in their physical bodies. 

With nothing saying what religious structure dwarves follow in explicit detail, and with the threat of actual bodies rising from the grave being seen as a very much bad thing, I'd think cultural norms would likely shift very much towards the "burn 'em just to make sure" and "souls don't need a body after death" route.

[Neonivek]

Other forms are that doing bad things to the body causes restless/evil spirits. Let me see, another is that a corpse must be facing up instead of down upon death.

All I am saying is that JUST because the dead come to life it doesn't mean they will suddenly develop the practice of corpse destruction especially in the light that their current burrial technique quite litterally prevents zombies as it is.

Especially since that prevents haunted graveyards since everyone would be doing cremation.

Though I guess this means they should include Dust ghosts.

[NW_Kohaku]

It prevents their own dwarves from becoming zombies, but what about the goblins'n'bits at the gates?

[Neonivek]

It prevents their own dwarves from becoming zombies, but what about the goblins'n'bits at the gates?

Well them they may not even care about.

[NW_Kohaku]

Exactly! If a crematorium is too much trouble, just douse the whole thing with tar and spare kindling, and have yourself a bonfire!

Mass burning of bodies, even in generally preserve-the-body Christiandom in the Middle Ages would happen, especially when there were wars or plagues generating very large numbers of bodies at a time.

It's simply more efficient than burying them all.

[Neonivek]

"If a crematorium is too much trouble, just douse the whole thing with tar and spare kindling, and have yourself a bonfire!"

Well if you generate enough heat the bodies should burn on their own. Though it takes quite a bit (dang 70% water).

[Pilsu]

Except that your applying your own cultural values to the Dwarves who may not agree with cremation (In fact a few religions don't)

You'll start agreeing with cremation if you think it'll keep your brother from trying to eat your brains, my friend. Religions evolve with the same principle as viruses and the sect that mandates burning bodies in holy fire to keep them from being desecrated sure as hell would dominate in conditions where people get up as zombies.

A Coffin would stop undeath in the sense that a zombie couldn't escape from the coffin... Especially a solid rock coffin. Especially a sealed solid rock coffin like the dwarves make.

Yeah, that works. Aside from the whole "your brother still becoming an undead monster" thing. I doubt it'd soothe people much knowing their undying relatives are trapped in a box. Especially when you can hear your mom scratching the lid when you place the yearly candle in her crypt.


I'd skip any fancy crematoriums and just have dwarves burn bodies in some activity zone or the like and haul the leftovers to a coffin. It's more grim that way, the way an undeath scenario should be.

[Neonivek]

"You'll start agreeing with cremation if you think it'll keep your brother from trying to eat your brains, my friend"

There is no way my brother is going to escape his coffin in time for me to be concerned about it.

Though this does bring up the topic of reactionary jobs.

On a side note: Should the food stock come to life?

[NW_Kohaku]

"You'll start agreeing with cremation if you think it'll keep your brother from trying to eat your brains, my friend"

There is no way my brother is going to escape his coffin in time for me to be concerned about it.

Though this does bring up the topic of reactionary jobs.

On a side note: Should the food stock come to life?

Umm... is there any particular reason you don't use the quote function?  It's on the top right of every post if you want to quote someone.

[Neonivek]

"is there any particular reason you don't use the quote function?  It's on the top right of every post if you want to quote someone"

So I don't have to selectively erase the quotes of quotes and other sections.

[Pilsu]

So you're just cool with your mother scratching the coffin lid for all eternity?


Someone mentioned food coming to life. I had the same idea but thing is, smoked meat and leather scarves don't really have means of movement. They are already rendered inert. I suppose the steak could hiss or something.

[TomiTapio]

Ghosts are undead like zombies and skelletons except for three remarkable things:
those undeads are benign, meaning they wont attack, just scare the crap out of your civilians (bad thought: haunted by a ghost recently/lately)

I made "ghostly apparition" puny-attack ghosts last year, they were fun when they scared the population.
They had a big damage reduction on them so the military had to swing a lot at them and incidentally gain skills.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

[CREATURE:GHOST_APPARITION]
   [NAME:ghostly apparition:ghostly apparitions:apparition]
   [TILE:'G'][COLOR:1:0:0]
   [ALTTILE:'¨']
   [MODVALUE:2]
   [LARGE_ROAMING][FREQUENCY:85]
   [POPULATION_NUMBER:2:12]
   [CLUSTER_NUMBER:1:4]
   [MEANDERER]
   [LARGE_PREDATOR][AMBUSHPREDATOR] --boo!
   [BENIGN]
   --not good or evil or savage.
   [PETVALUE:20]
   [GRASSTRAMPLE:0]
   [NOT_BUTCHERABLE]
   [BLOODTYPE:SLIME]
   [ITEMCORPSE:BAR:NO_SUBTYPE:ASH:NO_MATGLOSS]
   [NOPAIN][EXTRAVISION][NOBREATHE][NOBLEED][NOSTUN][NONAUSEA][NOEMOTION]
   [NOSTUCKINS][NOSKULL][NOSKIN][NOBONES][NOMEAT][NOTHOUGHT][NOEXERT][SEVERONBREAKS]
   [NO_EAT][NO_SLEEP][PARALYZEIMMUNE][NO_DRINK][NOFEAR]
   [PREFSTRING:vague forms]
   [BODY:GHOST]
   [SIZE:6][DAMBLOCK:5][SPEED:1600] --0.62x --too much damblock might make them great archery targets.
   [ATTACK:MAIN:BYTYPE:GRASP:touch:touches:1:1:COLD]
   [CREPUSCULAR][NOCTURNAL]
   [BIOME:ANY_LAND]
   [HOMEOTHERM:10070]
   [SWIMS_INNATE][SWIM_SPEED:2500]
   [CANNOT_UNDEAD]

[Neonivek]

So you're just cool with your mother scratching the coffin lid for all eternity?

Ignoring that eventually my mother's hands would erode off... she would decompose eventually even if she is a zombie.

Unless she becomes a mummy, but then again she would be even more fragile.