Lore:Keepers of the Dead

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Uniform of the Keepers of the Dead
Mark of the Dead Keepers
"The voice of the dead must be listened to.
Descendants must always be directed to the ancestors they seek.
The homes of the dead will be cleaned regularly.
Offerings shall be left at the tombs of the dead.
None shall disturb the rest of the ancestor spirits.
When the time comes, treat the remains of the deceased with dignity.
The dead must cared for.
All these duties I swear to uphold upon the life I live and the one I shall inhabit thereafter." — Oath of the Keepers[1]

The Keepers of the Dead (or the Dead Keepers)[2][3] are a hierarchy of priests and attendants in Morrowind who serve as the caretakers of the large Necropolis expanse in Necrom, the City of the Dead. They are responsible for handling the deceased Dunmer who are brought and prepared for burial with the appropriate rituals within the Catacombs of Necrom.[4] Wooden ramps on the city's staircases serve to transport the bodies.[5] As a sign of great honor and sacrifice, often part of the family member's will, ancestors may grant that part of their remains be retained to serve as part of a ghost fence protecting the clan's shrine and family precincts. The stewards handle the arrangement, where the ancestor's body part (and sometimes their entire skeleton/preserved corpse) is incorporated with solemn magic and ceremony into a clan ghost fence.[6] Heavy cold-iron shackles and ice staves used by the keeper guards to keep recalcitrant undead and unruly ancestor spirits in line.[7][8] The keepers store the Indigo Tomes in the vaults of the city,[9][10] and are in charge of other monasteries in the area.[11][12]

The priests are part of the Temple, but their ancient traditions predate the formation of the Tribunal.[4][11] With the collapse of the Tribunal and merger of House Indoril and the newly formed New Temple, the keepers are under administration of Indoril.[13]

See Also[edit]

Books[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Oath of the Keepers
  2. ^ The Spires of the 34th Sermon — Zamshiq af-Halazh, University of Gwylim
  3. ^ Preparing Necrom Kwama, Fifth Draft — Arsyn Herandus
  4. ^ a b Pocket Guide to the Empire, 1st Edition: Morrowind — Imperial Geographical Society, 2E 864
  5. ^ Visitor's Guide: Telvanni Peninsula — Olyn Varkenel
  6. ^ Ancestors and the Dunmer
  7. ^ Dead Keeper's Shackles item description
  8. ^ Mortal Chill staff item description
  9. ^ Ayrenn: The Unforeseen Queen — Headmaster Tanion of the College of Aldmeri Propriety
  10. ^ Loremaster's Archive - House Telvanni‎‎ — Divayth Fyr
  11. ^ a b Incident in Necrom — Jonquilla Bothe
  12. ^ Keepers of the Dead in ESO
  13. ^ The Reclamations — Thara of Rihad
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