The Awakening, Act II: The Jukan Traditions II
Title: The Jukan Traditions II
Author: Loremaster Tehrok
The Blessed Halls of
Honor
Every Jukan has their story to tell, and every Jukan who has lived a life of Honor will have their Life Song sung to the Blessed Halls of Honor as they pass from this world into the Embrace of the Great Mother. The Blessed Halls of Honor were built in dedication to the Honor of the Jukan clans and to respect the sacrifices made in the name of the Great Mother and all of Jukankind. The Great Halls of Honor hold the Life Songs of all Jukans that have died after leading an honorable life, and enshrined within are mementos of those who have died. The Blessed Halls of Honor are a sacred place, and no fighting shall ever occur in or on its grounds, on punishment of dishonor and death.
The Life Song
The Rites of the Life Song hold an important place for those Jukans who join the ranks of the honored dead. The Life Song is an outpouring of emotion, respect, and sentiment towards the honored dead that must be performed with sincerity and in the singer's own words. The Life Song does not require words or any 'formal' music, provided it is suitable for telling the story of the honored dead�s life. It is this uniqueness of the Life Song that ensures that the honored dead's Life Song will echo throughout the Blessed Halls of Honor through eternity. It is common for a Jukan to appoint or request a close friend, companion, family member, or lover to sing their Life Song for them upon the embarkation of a dangerous mission or voyage. In the absence of a designated singer, someone close to the deceased will take up the duty and Honor of singing the Life Song to the Blessed Halls of Honor, and depositing their memento within.
Treatment of the Dead
Jukans who die with Honor either on the battlefield or elsewhere must be properly prepared and tended to so that they can pass into the embrace of the Great Mother without complications. In times of war or desperation the honored dead can be burned by funeral pyre with whatever is at hand, but if time is not of the essence the body should be prepared before its cremation. The preparation of the body requires it to be cleansed and bathed, but any scars or wounds that were incurred should be left uncovered; a Jukan's scars are part of their being and should not be hidden. A warrior's body should be burned wearing a robe of grey silk, carrying their weapon for battle, and with their helm adorning their brow. Any other Jukan should be burned wearing a robe of grey silk with a grey silk scarf about their neck. If the Jukan was slain during a Black Duel, their weapon should be wrapped with a black scarf of silk. The body should be burned to ash and the ashes interred at the respective clan's tomb. Those announced to the Blessed Halls of Honor often have a memento left there in memoriam.
If a Jukan dies after
leading a life of dishonor
or has betrayed the
duties of a warrior, then
the Jukan deserves to
neither be remembered
nor treated as part of
Jukankind. Instead their
corpse shall be stripped
bare and left as carrion
to rot in disgrace and be
picked apart by
scavengers. A Jukan
without Honor is less
than an animal, and shall
be treated as such,
whose highest hope of
duty is to fatten the
bellies of bottom feeding
scavengers. Any who die
in such a way shall not
be referred to as Jukan
or as belonging to any
clan, and their name shall
be stricken from the
birth records.
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