EXOHUMAN FUNERAL RITES IN THE BETA AGE

The Beta Age was a time of transition, experimentation, and adaptation for ExoHuman society. Unlike the highly regulated funeral practices of the later Gamma Age, the Beta Age had no universal standard for honoring the dead. Each settlement developed its own traditions, leading to diverse and, at times, conflicting burial practices across the Habitual Belt and the Dark Side.

The first ExoHuman deaths on VOI 700 D occurred on Day Zero, the day of the crash landing of the Last Frontier, which resulted in the single largest loss of life in ExoHuman history — 1,500 settlers perished in the disaster. Their bodies were consumed by fire, reduced to ash in the wreckage. While their remains could not be recovered, the settlers of the Free State of Settlers organized a Day Zero Remembrance Ritual, burying a symbolic vessel of ashes into the soil of their new home world.

Following this tragedy, funeral rites diverged in two primary directions:

• In the Habitual Belt, settlers attempted to revive Earth-like cemeteries, marking graves and personalizing burials.
• On the Dark Side, settlers turned to fire burials, developing an early version of the Ralar Ritual, where bodies were cremated in volcanic heat.

Without centralized governance or established religious institutions, funeral traditions varied widely, influenced by geography, settlement culture, and personal beliefs.

The Day Zero Remembrance Ritual: The First Funeral on VOI 700 D In the aftermath of the crash landing, the surviving ExoHumans faced collective grief on an unprecedented scale. The destruction of the Last Frontier left no remains to bury, forcing the settlers to confront their loss in symbolic ways.

On the first anniversary of the crash, leaders of the Free State of Settlers gathered representatives from all settlements for a Day Zero Remembrance Ritual:

• A vessel filled with ash and soil from the crash site was carried to a designated burial site near New Kourou.
• Settlers spoke the names of the deceased, reciting the last known crew manifests and passenger lists.
• A memorial stone was erected, engraved with the phrase: “We who remain, remember. In their ashes, we find our future.”

This ritual marked the first and only unified funeral practice of the Beta Age. Afterward, settlers developed regional variations in how they honored the dead.

Unlike the Last Frontier, where composting was the only method of body disposal, settlers in the Habitual Belt sought to reintroduce Earth-style burials.

Settlers began constructing cemeteries, erecting wooden grave markers and establishing family burial plots near their homes. These cemeteries reflected personal traditions, with graves often featuring:

• Personal possessions of the deceased.
• Hand-carved tombstones with names, professions, or last words.
• Protective charms and symbols, some inspired by forgotten Earth traditions.

However, the return to burial traditions led to conflict with the Native Tribes of VOI 700 D as settlers unknowingly built cemeteries on Native sacred lands, disrupting their spiritual and territorial claims. This led to disputes, forced removals of graves, and, in extreme cases, violence between settlers and Native groups.

Due to the lack of governing authority in the Free State of Settlers, burials were often informal and unregulated:

• Many settlers were buried near their homes or where they died.
• There were no official burial records, leading to lost or forgotten grave sites.
• Some settlements forbade cemeteries, insisting that settlers be buried only in wilderness areas to avoid land disputes.

Without a standardized practice, burial customs varied from town to town, often depending on a settlement's cultural background, available resources, and stance on land disputes.

The Fire Funeral and the Ralar Ritual of the Dark Side Unlike the Habitual Belt, where soft soil allowed for burials, the Dark Side posed a unique challenge. The frozen ground made digging graves nearly impossible, and settlers needed a new way to honor the dead.

Cremation quickly became the standard practice in Firetown. Early settlers built funeral pyres, using salvaged materials and dried vegetation to create intense flames. This method ensured that bodies returned to the air and the land without leaving permanent burial sites.

As Firetown expanded, settlers began utilizing the near Ralar Volcano’s natural heat for cremations:

• The deceased was wrapped in a simple cloth shroud, embroidered with their name and last words.
• The body was carried in a silent procession through Firetown to the volcano’s rim.
• A final farewell was spoken, often including the phrase: “Let the fire remember you.”
• The body was lowered into the volcanic heat, where it was instantly reduced to ash.
• Family members gathered volcanic stones from the site and marked them with the deceased’s name, leaving them near the volcano as a form of remembrance.

The Ralar Ritual became deeply ingrained in Dark Side culture, emphasizing fire as both a destroyer and a purifier.

The funeral rites of the Beta Age offer unique opportunities for missions, mysteries, and political intrigue in ExoHuman campaigns.

• The Day Zero Mystery: One year after the Day Zero Remembrance Ritual, a settler claims that their loved one’s name has vanished from the memorial stone. Was it a simple mistake — or does someone want certain people to be forgotten?
• The Graveyard Conflict: The settlers of Hope have built a new cemetery — but overnight, it’s been destroyed. The players must investigate whether this is the work of Native Tribes, rival settlers, or something far more sinister.
• Smuggling the Dead: With tensions rising between settlers and Natives, a grieving family wants to secretly bury their loved one in forbidden land. The players must escort the body past both settlers and Native patrols to grant them a final resting place.

• Last Frontier
• Day Zero
• Free State of Settlers
• Ralar Volcano
• New Horizon’s Rest Cemetery (New Kourou)
• Harvest Rest Cemetery (Hope)
• Mistfall Rest Cemetery (Morningstar)

Funeral Homes and Services in the Beta Age:

• New Horizon Funeral Services (New Kourou)
• Schmitz Funeral Home (New Kourou)
• Hope Funeral Parlor (Hope)
• Kuhl Funeral Home (Morningstar)

The Ages of ExoHuman History:

• Alpha Age
• Beta Age
• Gamma Age