Tomb Robbing while Venerating the Dead

[Endur]

I had to deal with this situation recently. My dwarf said that the tomb-raiders could copy information found in the tomb, but couldn't take anything out of the tomb.

 

[clark411]

I would either:

a) Have no problems with graverobbing if it is for my lord... it's for my lord after all.

b) would have problems and would send the expedition to find treasure elsewhere.

b) would have problems and stage something which would cause the lord to ban his practice of graverobbing. Haunted crypt, rumors of curses, etc etc.

 

[Sarellion]

My character who is a priestess of the god of war (the god is married to the goddess of death) robbed some graves for a more personal gain. Her justification was that her own people bury their dead without other offerings and that the dead won´t take anything with them. We didn´t open the sarcophagi or disturbed the bodies in any other way.

 

[Argent Silvermage]

Talislanta has an Archtype called the Yetek Tomb Raider. (also the Yetek Spirit Singer) The premise of the Yetek peoples is that they live in a wasteland that is the graveyard of an ancient race. they survive by being part thief and part Archeologist. They have a great reverance for the dead and learn the religous and funerial rights of other cultures inorder to get what they need to survive without angering the dead.

It's a nice concept and makes for a great Cleric/Rogue or bard concept.

I would have the warf contact his local Dwarven clergy and have one tag along. It's very lawful fo try to aid the living if the only one who looses out is the dead. (as long as they are actualy dead!)

 

[Dr.Dan]

Thanks to everyone for your input. All of your advice has been very sound (even from those of you who still think my character's a dwarf - see post #6). I have a few clarifications for you, if you're interested:

From Voadam
Would you as a Famori want to bring out the bodies for proper burial?

In the world that this game occurs in, bodies don't linger after death. When one dies, their body dissipates (a la Yoda) and they go to Fate for judgment. So, barring some unusual circumstances, there should be no bodies just lying about in the ruins. (Of course, there may be a few bodies that are not 'lying about.') That, of course, doesn't make the place any less of a grave sight. There are no bodies remaining on the titanic either, you'll note.

From BardStephenFox
. . . but he can then set it up as a museum, with an entrance fee.

This isn't a terrible idea, but is complicated by the following factors:
1 - The town in question is a rather rural community, thereby limiting the number of visitors that this 'museum' would see.
2 - The land is torn by war and, frankly, we don't have much time for such niceties.
3 - The dark elves, who occasionally use the ruins as a 'hunting ground' of some sort, might not make the best attractions for our visitors.

Thanks again for your ideas. If you have any other thoughts, do share them. And if any of you happen to be in, or regularly visit, the New England region do check out the web sight. It's a hell of a lot of fun.

P.S. - No, I'm not associated with the company. I just love the game.

 

[Norfleet]

ruins in question were once part of an arcane academy of higher learning which was destroyed in a magical cataclysm some 260 years ago.

Firstly, it was 260 years ago, which puts it into the realm of archaeology, not tomb raiding, and secondly, it's not a tomb anyway, so it's not tomb raiding at all, it's a salvage operation. If a ship sinks, and I decide to dredge it up and loot it several years later, this is a perfectly legal salvage operation.

 

[Sanackranib]

Ok the big thing is how they treat everything as they go in. Do not break apart bodies to get rings off of fingers, etc.

If you are the leader of the expedition you can make sure that everyone going understands it is a hallowed place to be treated with respect, so no joking around with old corpses, etc.

I think your right on with the idea to treat it as if you had the right to salvage the titanic and all the possessions of the deceased. Now go in with the idea that a member of your family was onboard when it went down. Treat it with that level of respect and ensure those who go in do so as well.

Would you as a Famori want to bring out the bodies for proper burial?

I agree. if you can "slide" the rings off then take them if you have to break bones to get them then leave them.

'course you could just send in a necromancer and let him create the "party" nessicary to bring back your ill gotten gains.