When nobles die, they are buried in a nearby graveyard. A dead body exists for one game year, at which point it fully decomposes, and the dead noble's spirit passes on. The bodies of nobles lost a sea will wash ashore somewhere, and be buried by the locals. Bodies may be obtained from graveyards with the exhume command.
Bodies decompose after one year regardless of whether they remain in the grave or are exhumed.
Priests may learn a skill to administer last rites, hastening the passing of the dead noble's spirit. Some exceptionally skilled priests possess the ability to resurrect dead characters. Once a dead body decomposes, or last rites are administered, the former owner of the noble will get back 1 Noble Point. NPs are not returned for nobles who are resurrected or defiled by Necromancy spells.