Embalming manual

The embalming manual, or The Little Book of Embalming, is a book written by Bod E. Wrapper which can be found during the Icthlarin's Little Helper quest. The manual is found in Sophanem on the floor of the embalmer's house. After the quest, the manual can be found in the bookcase of a player owned house whether or not it was obtained during the quest.

The book details how cadavers are handled in Sophanem, and contains hints as to where the player can find the items requested by the embalmer during the quest.

Transcript
Introduction:

Embalming is an essential part of Menaphite funerary practice. It is believed that 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 jeopardized. As an embalmer we seek to prevent this decay and offer our clients the best afterlife that money can pay for. As we are of a scientific persuasion I will only deal with the technicalities of the job. Prayers and other religious ceremonies will be left the priests and acolytes of Icthlarin.

The Process:

1: Remove the body’s large internal organs

2: Apply preservatives to the corpse

3: Wrap corpse in bandages

4: Seal bandages

5: Give final blessing

1: Removal of large organs

Incisions are made in the body to remove most of the large organs. These are then placed inside large canopic jars. Each jar is blessed and put under the protection of one of Icthlarin’s minions.

2: Application of preservatives

Salts are applied to the body in order to dry out the body and reduce decay. Salt is a valuable spice but thankfully it can be easily obtained in the Sophanem area. However the process of creating it is slightly complicated. A small salt water lake exists to the north of Sophanem, water from this source can be evaporated off leaving a residue of salt. Natural evaporation is a long and time consuming process. At the time of writing of this book a sun focusing device is being constructed in the south of Sophanem in order to speed the crystallisation process up.

3: Wrap corpse in bandages

For our executive customers we have added a new stage to the embalming process – that is wrapping them up in linen. This further decreases the decay of the body. Linen should be available from any half decent cloth merchant in the area as it is the cloth of choice for most Menaphites.

4: Seal bandages

To seal in all the bodies goodness sap is essential. The body can either be covered in this or the linen bandages. 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 dry desert climes. The smart embalmer should always try horde sap in times of plenty as they have little time to be travelling to distant lands. The process of collecting sap is a simple one though and all that is needed is a knife and an empty bucket. A small cut should be made on the tree with the knife and the sap collected with the bucket.

5: Give final blessing

The priests of Icthlarin then finish the process by carrying out a final ceremony where the deceased spirit departs their body and leaves for the afterlife. The details of this are of little consequences to the embalmer.

By Bod E Wrapper

Trivia

 * The author's name, Bod E. Wrapper, is a homophone of "body wrapper".
 * The funerary practices detailed in this book are similar to those of the real-world Ancient Egyptians.