Location The Last Row

[Nemesis]

x x The Last Row The Last Row takes up the entirety of a three-story building on the outer edges of the Docks. Looking upon it, one would not guess it was a mortuary. The aging building appears to be of the usual Ravokian design, complete with prettily-arranged external filigree and a fading pink-white facade. First Story The first story of The Last Row contains cold storage for up to five bodies (via ice box stocked twice per week), has two medical examination tables* that can be wheeled around as necessary, and is stocked with the usual equipment necessary for the inspection, dissection, and treatment of deceased persons: medical toolsbone saw, scissors, forceps, rib cutters, scalpels, hagedorn needle and thread, skull chisel, enterotome, hammer with hook, breadknife for performing autopsies the usual buckets and jars and other necessary containers measurement tools (ex: tape measures for recording bruise/wound sizes and a large scale for weighing various substances) sanitary garmentsdoctor's overcoat, apron, gloves, elbow-gloves, mask, goggles, shoe covers rudimentary plumbing and sink for running water and disposal of fluids a small supply of embalming substancesformaldehyde, embalming salts, certain dyes, clear alcohol (methanol), water, certain herbs and perfumes and equipmenthoses, buckets, needles/injectors, trocar, embalming hand pump, drain tube, aspirators, stopcock, and a variety of other such tools. Note: embalming in Ravok is rare. In addition, a dumbwaiter is located at the far end of the room that can be manually powered (through muscle strength or the application of weights) to lift heavy objects from Exam Room 1 on the first floor to Exam Room 2 on the second floor. It is roomy and sturdy enough to support a full grown humanoid body, with proper usage. Used to lift deceased bodies to the second story for cosmetology and preparation for funerals. The entrance to the first story is normally only used by employees of The Last Row, as it leads directly into Exam Room 1. In order to enter the building for any reason, guests should go up the outside stairs to the second floor balcony, where they can find assistance in the small front lobby. There are directions indicating the appropriate entrance and a sign above the door on the second story. Second Story The second story of The Last Row contains the front lobby for any wayward visitors and holds the second examination room. The front lobby is a small, quiet room with a desk and a cabinet for files (usually unmanned, though there is a bell to ring in order to attract an employee's attention) and a singular couch in the tiny waiting area. The lobby typically goes unused, for the living do not often come to inquire after the dead. Most visitors (unless they are coming in for identification of a body) will not be allowed into either of the examination rooms, or out of the front lobby at all. There are not a lot of reasons for someone to be invited further into the building. Any inquiries should be taken care of at the front desk. The second examination room contains cold space for two more bodies if necessary, and a third gurney, though all autopsies are done in Exam Room 1. The third gurney, instead, is generally used for prepping bodies for display-- as for funerals. As such, Exam Room 2 contains the necessary equipmentshampoos and combs, hair products, razors, cotton/gauze, needle and suture thread, glue, makeup, moisture cream for the beautification of the dead. It also includes a sink for running water and second-floor access to the dumbwaiter. The dumbwaiter does not go any higher up than the second floor. Both Exam Room 1 and 2 look remarkably alike, with smooth plastered floors, metal furniture, and white-painted walls covered in pictures of anatomy, medical instructions, and other such diagrams. There is little in the rooms that could not be cleaned off or wiped down, and everything is kept pristine, clean, and at the ready. Third Story The third and final story of The Last Row is divided into two portions: a large storage room for extra supplies, and the Master Undertaker's chambers. The storage room is as utilitarian as the examination rooms, with all supplies in their respective places. Anything that needs storing, from extra parts of tools to cleaning supplies, are stacked neatly in rows of cabinets and on shelves lining the walls. Each item is easily accessed and types of items (items for autopsies, items for cosmetology, items for burials, etc.) are typically found labeled and in proximity to one another. Within a corner of the storage room can be found various weights used for the disposal of bodies in the lake; in another corner are a collection of four-or-five caskets of varying sizes and quality, which can be used for delivery to and presentation during funerals. The quality of the casket depends on the status of the deceased and their family: non-citizens, if they have a funeral at all, would be in a simple unstained wooden box of basic proportions, while a member of the Black Sun or one of the prominent families would receive an ornate casket with expensive carvings, lined with embroidered silk. These caskets are usually recollected and reused by The Last Row (as they are not necessary for burial in the lake), unless the family of the deceased wishes to pay to purchase one. The undertaker's quarters are composed of a simple open room with an area for sleeping, eating, and study. Each Master Undertaker can do with his quarters as he wishes; Jalos Tzarin, for example, had the room lined with bookshelves filled to bursting with notebooks on poetry, medicines, and his studies. Though the quarters might be somewhat cramped, they are also relatively comfortable.   Prices Retrieval: 15gm Inspection/Autopsy: 30gm Beautification: 14gm Embalming: 20gm Disposal/Burial (Basic): 40gm Disposal/Burial (Exavagant): 70gm Embalming Salts: 10gm per 10lbs Should a person require access to a body, they should contact Jalos Tzarin to set up a meeting (storyteller permission for the purchase/attaining of bodies for any reason, including Nuit).   NPC Name: Jalos Tzarin (pronounced Jay-los Zar-in) Race: Human DoB: Spring 12, 472 AV PoB: Syliras Title: Master Undertaker Skills: Undertaking 65, Cosmetology 45, Poetry 32, Embalming 30, Medicine 27, Investigation 18, Herbalism 16, Poison 16 Gnosis: Lykata 2 Additional Info: Citizen of Ravok since 491 AV, Master Undertaker of Ravok since 493 AV Jalos Tzarin was born the son of a doctor in Syliras. Ever since he was a young boy, Jalos was expected to help his father as an assistant, in preparation for the day that he would eventually inherit his father's title. However, his own interests tended towards the macabre, and asking strange questions that made patients uncomfortable. In the years that he spent in tutelage under his father, it became commonplace that he would be chased away by the other nurses for his abysmal and inappropriate bedside manner. By the time he was twelve, it was clear that Jalos just didn't have the right personality to make for a suitable doctor. His father instead apprenticed him to the city undertaker. Here, Jalos found his calling. Despite being more suited for undertaking, Jalos could never stay out of trouble for long. He was caught doing a number of analyses on deceased bodies that his master considered quite heinous, including dissections and experiments (in order to further some personal research), as well as selling bodies to Nuit for discount prices (just to make some extra cash). Though his master kept him on, it was under the stipulation that he never do any of these things again under the threat of law. Jalos accepted the terms, but only grudgingly, and because of these limitations he came to despise what he considered the uninspired, neat-and-tidy, goody-two-shoes order of Syliras. As soon as he was old enough (age 16), he left the city. Perhaps it was out of spite that he came to Ravok, Syliras' enemy city. Making his way in Ravok was not easy for a natural-born Syliran, but Jalos still much preferred it over where he had been. After several years of apprenticeship under the Ravokian undertaker, his master fell ill and Jalos graduated to Master Undertaker, becoming lord of all undertaking responsibilities. He became an integral (if unseen) part of Ravokian society, sometimes going so far as to aid the city in uncovering crime with the help of his level two Lykata mark; using the mark on bodies as part of the autopsy process. Since taking on the position, Jalos has had a few apprentices of his own, but perhaps due to his peculiarity (his strange, often absurd sense of humor and continuing performance of experiments on bodies), his apprentices have never stayed long. Besides undertaking, medicine, and the like, Jalos has always held a particular fondness for poetry. It is not uncommon for him to mutter self-written verses under his breath, or ask passerby what they think of his eclectic and sometimes disturbing prose.   Services The Last Row has many duties when it comes to the dead. Those duties are: Retrieval of bodies. People die at all times of day, so the Master Undertaker and his apprentice(s) must always be prepared to be called to collect. For this purpose, The Last Row owns its own ravosala (equipped with a stretcher, sheets, and body bag). This ravosala is painted pure black, and is fitted with a black lantern, which hangs dourly at its front. Its pole is decorated with black flags which flutter at the upper end. These somber decorations signal the citizens as to its use, warning them not to flag it down. One of the undertakers typically handles the steering and propulsion of the boat. Inspection of bodies, and, if necessary, autopsy. The Last Row keeps detailed records of every body that comes between its doors. Should the death seem odd or the Black Sun suspicious of foul play, the body will be autopsied and thoroughly investigated. Reports on findings will be given directly to the authorities. Beautification of bodies. Should the deceased require a funeral, The Last Row will tend to all needs. An undertaker will collect funeral finery from the grieving family, and will set and restore the body as needed to appear as if sleeping. Gruesome deaths will require closed caskets. Undertakers will deliver the body to the funeral and remove it once the funeral has concluded. Embalming of bodies. If, for some reason, a body needs to be embalmed (an unusual request, due to Ravokian burial practices), The Last Row will do so for a heightened price. Disposal of bodies. After funerals and autopsies, The Last Row will give a person their final send off into the depths of Lake Ravok. Family members may or may not be present; it is up to individual desires. The disposal of a body is done by ship (owned by The Last Row), where a body is taken from the city out into open water, weighted down, and lowered into the lake. Note: Any unclaimed or unwanted bodies (such as those collected from the KRI or of non-citizens), are subject to dissection or other abuse according to the undertakers' discretion.   Adratlas The Adratlas (literally meaning 'to water' in the ancient tongue) is The Last Row's ship, used to perform burials in Lake Ravok. It is a small vessel with black sails that requires only 1 crew member and can take up to 5 passengers. During the short journey out on the lake, the deceased will be kept in a coffin in a small storage area away from the passengers. Once anchored, the coffin will be carried to the side of the boat. If the coffin has been purchased for burial, it will be weighted and lowered into the water to sink along with the deceased. If not, the deceased will be raised from the coffin in a special black cloth body bag that will have already been appropriately weighted. The body and bag will then be lowered. After burial, passengers are allowed to perform a small service or wake upon the deck of the Adratlas. Once concluded, the ship will return back to Ravok and the mourners will depart. The Adratlas docks immediately beside The Last Row for easy access. Bodies that are unclaimed or unwanted will not be given such ceremony during disposal. [Credit for Location to Xii]