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=== Races | Culture | Institutions | Buildings & Organizations ===

====== SCHMITZ FUNERAL HOME ======

{{:schmitzfuneralhome_newhorizon_scenic2d.png?direct&400|}}

===== Overview =====

  * **Location:** Public Services Ring, [[new_kourou|New Kourou]]
  * **Address:** NE Public Services Ring Road 4
  * **Surroundings:** Adjacent to [[new_horizon_funeral_services|New Horizon Funeral Services]]


Schmitz Funeral Home was the first [[the_humans|ExoHuman]] funeral parlor on [[the_planet_voi_700_d|VOI 700 D]], founded in early 2626 by twin brothers Ernest and Joe Schmitz. Both had survived the crash of the [[last_frontier|Last Frontier]] and initially shared the belief that settlers needed a dignified, [[the_earth|Earth]]-like burial tradition to anchor themselves in the new world.

But unity lasted only a few weeks. The brothers disagreed on everything: the design of the building, the philosophy behind funerals, the level of tradition versus innovations — and even how much light should fall into a mourning hall.

The conflict escalated until Joe made a dramatic decision: He tore down the old [[hoos|Hoo]] stable at the right hand side of the shared property and used the ground to build a new, two-storey funeral home, which he named [[new_horizon_funeral_services|New Horizon Funeral Services]]. 

From that moment on, the Schmitz twins were competitors.

Ernest kept the original half of the property and the funeral home they had built together. The business continues to operate under his preferred philosophy of solemn reverence and dark, wood-scented spaces, while Joe’s New Horizon next door represents the opposite: light and renewal.
===== Architectural Significance =====

  * **Construction Material:** Built from repurposed containers and salvaged parts of the spaceship [[last_frontier|Last Frontier]] 
  * **Floors:** 1½ (main floor + loft-storage mezzanine)
  * **Design Purpose:** Evoke solemn respect; dark exterior contrasts warmly lit, wood-scented interior. 

===== Building Structure =====

**Main Floor**

  * **Reception & Waiting Alcove:** Butler-configured desk, condolence ledger, small tea urn.
  * **Laying-Out Rooms (3):** Each curtained, candle-lit space accommodates up to ten mourners; adjustable stasis mats keep remains cool.
  * **Coffin Workshop:** Rear chamber where bespoke Morningstar cedar coffins are planed and stained.
  * **Body-Prep Suite:** Wash table, simple embalming rack, and salvaged medical lighting.
  * **Public W.C.:** [[aurorasan_system|AuroraSan]] toilet & hand-wash basin.

**Loft Mezzanine**

  * **Stock Storage:** Spare coffin panels, linens, and flowers grown in hydroponic trays.

**Courtyard**

  * **Hoo Stable:** Small two-stall shelter with straw bedding, feed bins, and a rain-catch cistern; sized for the black-coated [[hoos|Hoos]] that pull the funeral cart.
  * **Cart Shed:** Lean-to structure adjoining the stable; houses the black coffin cart.
===== Look and Feel =====

As soon as you enter the building, the improvised chaos of New Kourou is left outside. 

At Schmitz, everything is tidy and orderly. And there is a scent of citrus, wood shavings, wax and clarity in the air. No one here says much – everything runs its orderly course. 


===== Roles and Responsibilities =====

  * **Ernest Schmitz (Owner / Mortician):** First point of contact for relatives. Builds the coffins, prepares the deceased, and oversees every ceremony.
  * **Cart Driver / Mount Handler (1):** Guides the cart to Horizon’s Rest; doubles as cemetery liaison.
  * **Cleaning Bot (1):** Sterilises prep suite and sweeping floors.

===== Public Access, Operating Hours and Operational Rhythm =====

**Public Access:** By appointment; walk-ins accepted for emergencies 8 AM – 8 PM.

**Service Windows:**

  * **8 AM – 12 PM:** Body preparation & coffin carpentry
  * **12 PM – 6 PM:** Viewings in Laying-Out Rooms
  * **6 PM – 8 PM:** Procession to New Horizon’s Rest Cemetery

===== Security Measures =====

  * **Locked Entries:** Front and rear doors are secured outside business hours; only Ernest and the Cart Driver carry physical keys.
  * **Guarding Trooper Patrols:** Ring patrols of the [[guarding_troopers|Guarding Troopers]] pass the parlor regularly, checking doors and perimeter.
  * **Cart Yard Gate:** Hoo stable and cart shed padlocked nightly; key shared with the Cart Driver.
  * **Owner’s Windstrike Rifle:** Ernest keeps a loaded [[windstrike_rifle|Windstrike Rifle]] locked in his office cabinet for last-resort defense.


===== Player Interaction Possibilities (Legal / Illegal) =====

**Legal interactions:**

  * Commission a Coffin: Custom symbol or hidden compartment for smuggling.
  * Attend a Wake: Gather intel, eavesdrop on grieving NPCs.
  * Escort a Procession: Protect mourners from bandits or wildlife en route to Horizon’s Rest.

**Illegal interactions:**

  * Exhume Evidence: Sneak in after hours to inspect a corpse before burial.
  * Sabotage Rivalry: Persuade Ernest or Joe to undercut the other — social-intrigue subplot.

===== Tactical Advice for Dungeon Masters =====

  * Use the parlor for quiet, emotional beats or as the start of darker mysteries.
  * A body shows unexplained nanite scars—murder, not accident?


===== Related Pages and Further Information =====

  * [[beta_age|Beta Age]]
  * [[free_state_of_settlers|Free State of Settlers]]
  * [[new_kourou|New Kourou]]
  * [[New Horizon’s Rest Cemetery|New Horizon’s Rest Cemetery]]
  * [[New Horizon Funeral Services|New Horizon Funeral Services]]
  * [[exohuman_funeral_rites_in_the_beta_age|Exhohuman Funeral Rites of the Beta Age]]