Whadi's Necropolis

Description

If Whadi is the 'Jewl of the Sands', then Necropolis is the 'Crown Jewl' of Whadi ! it is an area immensely serene and beatiful. The architecture is impressive and a tribute to the former living. It is a walled 'city' where all buildings are sandstone and painted with symbols and ornaments in dark colors. It has an ecclectic building composition with tall towers, low-flat buildings and also massive underground complexes. Streets are very narrow and sinuous since traffic is nonexistent.

History

Since ships often stopped in Whadi before their relatively near final destination: Salt-Town; they resupplied and also burried their dead. At first there was a regular cemetery in close proximity to the settlement, but since it quickly filled, bodies were moved further from the city to be able to use the valuable land in proximity for housing. All those bodies weres stored in very simple crypts. Those buildings were half in-ground andhalf above ground for realestate optimization. As more and more ships arrived; existing buildings were expanded in height creating towers for the dead. New buildings were instead dug deeper to store more bodies. Because of the realestate value smaller footprint buildings are associated with 'poorer deads' and wider buildings associated with 'wealthier deads'.

As the necropolis gained notoriety, wealthy sailors (and pirates), nobility and successful adventurers started to afflux to find grandiose resting places for their famous figures. Of course, the wealthier chose wider lots with opulent buildings. Some rites also have customary treasure or afterlife posessions including art, coins and magic items. Each building being sovreign, defence mechanisms are often put in place by owners to protect valuables and exists in various forms such as magic wards physical locks and traps.

Notoriety and wealth attracts shady figures and over time tomb robbing became a growing problem. Laic and religious authorities made the decision to erect a great pallisade around the Necropolis. Armed guards patrolling the area, watch towers and non-lethal defence mechanisms were implemented. Room for expansion was planned when constructying the wall, but the even more restricted realestate started to attract even more prominent figures thus increasing demand for lots. A schism has fractured the various religious factions in different point of views. Some favor expansion others want to inflate rarity others are concerned to grant access to all dead, not just rich ones.

About twenty years ago, bodies mysteriously started to rise and deambulate seemingly without cause. It became a perillous affair to move new bodies into the resting places as most undead are violent and also cause street jams. At first guards patrolled the area right before a procession, but this became untenable. A new ritual was created: "The Grand Soothing" of the dead. This ritual is surrounded with controversy as it clearly conflicts with the purpose of a place of rest and peace. The 'ritual' basically involves sending parties of adventurers into the necropolis and forcefully putting back the dead to rest. Authorities also turn a blind-eye on 'ethical looting' as long as it is done without sacrilege.

Buildings

1. Kelemvor's Palace
2. Croc swamp
3. Keepers Pantheon
4. Dust Parlor
5. Phanthos' Tomb
6. Koroo's Palace