EXOHUMAN FUNERAL RITES IN THE GAMMA AGE

ExoHuman funeral rituals on VOI 700 D reflect the ecological, cultural, and political conditions of the Gamma Age. Rooted in traditions from the Last Frontier, they emphasize sustainability, resource efficiency, and the cyclical nature of existence.

Under the oversight of the Federal Confederation and GAIA, funeral practices differ between the Habitual Belt and the Dark Side. While the Habitual Belt focuses on composting and ecological renewal, the Dark Side centers on volcanic cremation and symbolic return to the earth.

Funerals serve both as moments of mourning and as communal rituals that reinforce the values of the Confederation. At the same time, they expose cultural contrasts and political tensions between Communards and Individualists.

In settlements such as New Kourou, Hope, and Morningstar, funeral rites mirror practices from the Last Frontier, where waste was minimized and organic matter repurposed.

Key Elements

• Preparation: The deceased is wrapped in a biodegradable shroud painted with natural dyes and adorned with herbs and flowers.
• Composting Ceremony: Bodies are placed in composting chambers with organic matter (straw, woodchips, plant waste). Families and mourners gather in farewell rituals.
• Reintegration: After 6–12 months, composted remains are sanitized and returned to the community, often used to plant memory trees or enrich communal gardens.

These rites reinforce the interconnectedness of death and renewal, central to the Confederation’s ecological philosophy.

A defining element of Habitual Belt funerals is the White Sun, a biodegradable paper sun worn by mourners during ceremonies.

Symbolism

• Blank paper: life’s unwritten potential.
• Sun shape: cyclical nature of life and death.
• Biodegradability: ecological consciousness.

At the end of the ceremony, each mourner places their White Sun into the compost, symbolizing collective continuity.

In Firetown, located in the Ralar Region, funerals follow the volcanic traditions of the Dark Side.

Key Elements

• Preparation: The deceased is wrapped in a symbolic shroud and laid on a bier.
• Procession: Families and friends carry the body to the Ralar Volcano, torches lighting the path, with songs and chants marking the way.
• Cremation: At the crater rim, the body is slid into the molten rock under the guidance of the Federal Mortician.
• Commemoration: Families place volcanic stones on a memorial platform, often carved with symbols or inscriptions.

This ritual represents the return of the body to raw elemental power, reflecting the Dark Side’s spirit of endurance and independence.

Funeral rites offer symbolic and dramatic opportunities for narrative arcs:

• Ritual Disruptions: An outlaw funeral, a stolen White Sun, or sabotage of composting chambers.
• Moral Dilemmas: Investigating swapped volcanic memorial stones, uncovering illegal burials, or fulfilling a dying character’s last wish.
• Cultural Conflicts: Balancing Communard law with local traditions or navigating tensions between Habitual Belt and Dark Side practices.

• The ExoHuman Way of Life in the Gamma Age
• Federal Confederation
• Communardism
• Last Frontier
• Asari Region
• Ralar Region

Funeral Homes within the Federal Confederation:

• Funeral Home of New Kourou
• Funeral Home of Firetown
• Funeral Home of Hope
• Funeral Home of Morningstar

The Ages of ExoHuman History:

• Alpha Age
• Beta Age
• Gamma Age