Embalming manual

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Embalming is an essential part of Menaphite funerary practice.

After death, the spirits of the deceased return to their bodies to find sustenance. However, if their body decays or becomes unrecognisable, then the spirit goes hungry and their afterlife is jeopardised.

Through embalming, we seek to prevent the decay of the body. In doing so, we offer our clients the best afterlife that money can pay for.

As embalming is of a scientific persuasion, I will only deal with the technicalities of the job in this book. Prayers and other religious ceremonies will be left to the priests and acolytes of Icthlarin.

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The first step of embalming is to remove most of the large organs from the deceased. This done using incisions made in the body.

Once removed, the organs are placed inside canopic jars. Each jar is then given to Icthlarin's priests to be blessed.

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Once the organs have been removed, salts are applied to the body in order to reduce moisture and prevent decay.

Salt is a valuable spice, but it can thankfully be easily obtained from a saltwater lake north of Sophanem. However, the process of separating the salt from the water is slightly complicated. Natural evaporation is long and time consuming, so sun traps are used to speed up the crystallisation process.

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An optional step reserved for our executive customers is the wrapping of the corpse in linen. This further decreases the decay of the body.

Linen is available from any decent cloth merchant in the area. After all, it is the cloth of choice for most Menaphites.

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Regardless of if a corpse is wrapped or not, the next step is to seal the body using sap.

Sap is a sought after and expensive commodity for those who live in desert climes. This is because it is only obtainable from evergreen trees whose natural habitat exists far from the harsh desert. The smart embalmer should always keep a plentiful supply of sap to avoid needless traveling to and from distant lands.

To collect sap, a knife should be used to make a small cut in the tree. The sap can then be collected in a bucket.

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Once the body is fully prepared, the priests of Icthlarin finish the process by carrying out a final ceremony. In this ceremony, the deceased spirit departs their body and leaves for the afterlife. The details of this ceremony are of little consequence to the embalmer.