Stygian was looking for a foothold in Fort Vehl to use as a launching point for operations in service to the Dark Lord. It seemed a logical step to ply a trade that would give him access to raw materials and victims who would never be missed or mourned. He headed to one of the local mortuaries, 'Goude & Partner, Morticians and Burial Services, intent on submitting an application for employment.
Upon entering the front office and asking for an application a bored and sullen attendant placed a parchment in front of him, with a number of questions on it. "I assume you can read?" He looked at Stygian blankly. "Fill this out and bring it back when you're done."
Stygian took the offered form, laid it on the counter, and pulled out a writing instrument and began filling out the form.
1/ What is your full name and what city, nation were you born in?
Stygian Achnuman. Born in the city of Arnax, Kingdom of Nesar.
2/ How deep must a body be buried to prevent the earth sinking in during the putrefaction and bone stripping phase of decomposition?
This question can have several answers. If the body is contained inside a stone casket or coffin the burial depth is sufficient at 36 inches, as the rigid surface of the container will keep any earth sinking event from occurring.
Most jurisdictions require a depth of 6 feet for burial of linen clad bodies and wooden caskets, which is sufficient to both prevent earth sinking during the putrefaction and bone stripping phase of decomposition... and to provide sufficient weight on top of the body or container to prevent movement in the case of undeath taking hold.
Also, earth composition should be considered. Loose loamy soils and aggregate materials are more susceptible to settling, thus may require greater depth then heavy clays.
3/ Have you worked with dead bodies before? If so where and why?
Yes. I worked for five years as an apprentice mortician to a Nester Bondalavalin in Arnax. I also worked as an assistant to a Reedlin Stirelin in Arnax for another 6 years.
4/ Do you have any references? If so, please provide at least two.
Nester Bondalavalin -- Deceased. Plague was cause of death.
Needlin Stirelin -- Deceased. Taken by the Temple of Corath.
I am also proficient in standard burial, embalming, mummification, and cremation. In short, I can probably answer any question you have or demonstrate any procedure required. And yes, I can read very well.
5/ Do you have a particular faith you ascribe to?
None.
6/ Do you have a fetish about the dead?
No fetish. Necrophilia is disgusting, if that is what you're getting at...
When complete, he pushed it across the counter and stared at the clerk with the same blank look he had received from him earlier and waited....
The attendant looked at Stygian several times after reading the form, then excused himself and hurriedly headed into the back of the office through a single door. Moments later he returned with a tall, lanky man in a dark embroidered suit. He approached the desk with Stygian's application in hand and looked at him for several minutes. When he spoke, it is with a slow drawl and soft demeanor.
"You have some experience then, you are fortunate. My last mortician tried to rob a corpse he was supposed to bury two weeks ago. The father of the woman who died caught him and killed him with his own spade. I too knew Needlin in Arnax, he was very skilled." Without letting you speak further he continued.
"I will give you a three month trial. You start tomorrow. I am Vilhelm Goude, your new master."
Stygian worked diligently in his new position, ever conscious that he was under the scrutiny of a master of the craft. Many months passed, and those months turned to years. From time to time the occasional street urchin, addict, or beggar would disappear, never to be heard from or seen again. Although he often had to leave on "personal business" for short periods, he always returned to provide services for his employer and delve deeper into the knowledge and practices of the mortician. He was hoping that soon he would be in a position to be declared a Journeyman mortician and licensed to practice in some of the smaller outlying towns and villages....
