Typical Brunari Burial Vault

In Alidor different cultures deal with the dead in different ways. In Jelling the dead are burned in funeral pyres this came out of necessity to protect the populations from disease and from a common problem of the dead not staying still for long. The ancient Brunari people tended to bury their dead in deep pits, 20 to 30 feet deep; the wealthy would build up the pits to resemble great trophy rooms and have their prized possessions entombed with them. The burial vaults of wealthy Brunari were almost always designed with two to three rooms, and usually marked above ground by a stone monolith carved with images of dragons and a tomb tree. The tree was planted after the vault was sealed and it is know for its steal hard roots the grow vigorously down deep into the earth. The roots of the tree would encase the vault entirely in about 20years making the place nearly impossible to break into by common grave robbers. Wizards and druids who know the language of the tomb trees can coax the tree into releasing its grip.

By design these are very simple dungeons to run; there is a top or surface level feature consisting of a tree and a lone standing stone. A large stone laying flat on the ground near the monolith is the only entrance. Spells or some supernatural force is needed to break the trees grip on the vault stone door. Once open there is typically a vertical shaft leading 20 to 30 feet to the room below. The room can be barren, if grave robbers have been there in the past, or full of treasures or trapped. Real important Brunari trapped their vaults with false floor pit traps and all kinds of clever and usually deadly devices.

Leading off the main room was usually a false vault and a secret vault where the dead were laid to rest. In jelling the dead are almost always not resting, but in other parts of the world they are usually quite dead. Only the wealthiest of the Brunari had extra rooms and secret doors and traps.

The secret door into the actual burial chamber in the vault.

Knowledge of these vaults is not common but can be researched in places like the great library of the City of Alidor or at the headquarters of the Queens Archeological Society in Port Headland, Jelling. I almost always use these as introductory dungeons or for side stories that help introduce players to the history of the world.

Possibly Related Posts:

• Sometimes all you need is some dice, some legos and a colossal red dragon
• Xmoniuum Lizard and Other Beasts Imagined on Road Trip
• Mt Laudin Dwarves
• Another Fun Home Rule for Aid Another
• No Common Language