Funeral Rites of the Aitauan Empire

The dryads and oreads believed that the deceased should be returned to the earth. Remains were often buried with a tree seed (dryads), or a piece of stone that the deceased carried in life (oreads). Bodies would be decorated with flowers or other natural ornamentation.   Observers would gather around, and would take turns sharing a story or sentiment about the deceased. Typically the funerals would be small gatherings of close family or friends, but in the case of a person of high social standing, might include far more people, and could last for several hours, or even days. This individual sharing could be either silent or aloud. After sharing, each attendee would place a handful of stone or earth over the deceased. Once everyone had shared, ceremony attendants would complete the burial.   Oread ceremonies would end with the deceased's name being etched into a monument, city wall, or another semi-permanent object. Dwarf villages, towns, and cities have continued this tradition, and most of the city walls have been covered in names of the deceased over the years.