The Burial Rite of the Frostborn

The Release of the Soul

 

The Circle of Farewell

The community gathers in a half-circle—those who knew the deceased, who walked alongside them in life. No one stands alone, for farewell is not a solitary act. The body rests on a simple walrus-bone stretcher, slightly inclined so the face remains visible—a final glimpse of what once was.
  One by one, they step forward. A family member begins, finding words to honor the departed. Some speak of deeds, others share stories of shared time. A few sing—old songs that were never forgotten. When one finishes, they step back, and the next follows. Until every voice has spoken.
  Then an elder or council member steps forward. Their voice carries far across the ice—calm and resonant: *"The ice bore you as long as your step was firm and your heart strong. None of us live forever, but we leave traces that do not fade. This is only a shell you leave behind—your soul is lifted by the winds. It is now free."*
  Gently, the mouth of the deceased is opened. It is not a moment of fear, nor of doubt. It is the final act of reverence—so the soul may find its path into the wind.
 

Legacy and Return

The Rune Mage steps forward. He stands before the Frostglass, where the name of the deceased was once engraved as a child. With deliberate motion, he draws a line through the name—not to erase it, but to mark that the person has departed. The name remains, eternal in the ice, but now belongs to the past.
  Then the Rune Warriors lift the stretcher. Their steps are slow, silent, as they carry the body to the cliff above the Ice Sea. The community follows in a quiet procession—no one breaks the silence, no one interrupts the final walk. At the cliff’s edge, they pause. The elder speaks once more: *"Another Frostborn has left us, tearing a gap in our circle. But we close that gap with our memories of them. We stand firm. Together."*
  The warriors tilt the stretcher and give the body to the sea. It glides down, vanishes into the icy waves, becomes part of the depths. The creatures of the sea will take it, as they always do—not out of greed, but as part of life’s cycle. The community lingers, for a moment. No one speaks, no one moves. Then, slowly, they return—carried by the strength that binds them.