Catacombs of House Lyra

The Catacombs of House Lyra are both a focal and point of pride of Orpheus.The final home of the planet’s dead, they are held in extremely high regard by the members of the House. While being mostly frequented by the Neshmet of House Lyra, most families of Orpheus have a personal tomb for their dead. The Catacombs of House Lyra are large and extensive, running deep under Eurydice, the older the family the deeper the tomb. Despite stories of hauntings and lost souls, most levels of the Catacombs are both easy to navigate, and crowded, it is only once someone unfamiliar makes the descent are they in danger being lost. Mainly frequented by Neshmet, and guarded by the Keepers of Ammit, the danger within them is extremely minimal.

## **History**

The Pre-Scream history of the Catacombs of House Lyra is mostly lost to time, the tunnels have simply existed for as long as the House. Spanning mostly underground, they were left mostly untouched by the devastation of the Scream. During the Silence, and the conception of Truth of the After, the Catacombs reached an even higher importance in House Lyra. Over the following years, since the Scream, they have expanded even further below ground. There is little known about who designed the Catacombs or really many of the occupants of the older sealed tombs.

During times of conflict, the Catacombs have also offered sanctuary to the inhabitants of Orpheus. Over the years the Catacombs have endured major renovations, the most recent being during the reign of the Masked One. This restoration effort was led by Neshmet Lyra Juri Clione. Neshmet Juri wanted to restore the Catacombs to their former glory, as during the multitude of civil wars and the reign of the Blood Eagle, the maintenance of the Catacombs became more functional and from necessity than aesthetic choices.  The restoration project began in 2962 as one of the Orphean projects of the Masked One. The restoration involved rebuilding various older tombs that had fallen into disrepair as well as replacing much of the stone that had eroded over time. During the restoration, the walls of Halls of Rest were also decorated with various stone carvings depicting the various ceremonies of burials of House Lyra. The restoration continued until 3050, where they were declared finished by the now retired Neshmet Juri and her family.

After the restoration very little changes have been made to the Catacombs other than the addition of new tombs to the Halls of Rest. The end of the Masked One’s reign and the Stagnation of House Lyra did not lend to changing the Catacombs and since the restoration they have stayed relatively unchanged.

## Architecture

Lyran CatacombsLyran Catacombs
There are three sections to the Catacombs, the Halls of Rest, the Chambers of Neshmet and the Depths. Each of the sections have a specific purpose and are connected to each other by the various tunnels that exist within the Catacombs. While the first two sections are considered fairly safe, the Depths are not recommended for anyone besides the most experienced of Neshmet..

The Chambers of the Neshmet are where most Neshmet do the bulk of their work, which includes the embalmings and ceremonies necessary for burial as wells as any require autopsies. Due to this function the Chambers include the tanks of vector fluid, used in the Lyran embalming process. Within the Chambers, most Neshmet have their own chamber where they perform their various tasks. The Chambers also includes teaching areas for the Xepers under training, as well as visiting mourners from off world. After being embalmed bodies are then transferred to their individual tomb within the Halls of Rest.

The Halls of Rest, colloquially known as the Catacombs, are where each body of House of Lyra is put to rest. The walls and floors of the Halls of Rest are made with white marble, the colour being a symbol of death within the House. The Halls of Rest are also kept mostly silent in respect to the dead as well as any potential mourners paying their respects. Each family tomb is the size of a room with shelves to hold multiple bodies. The family tombs are affixed with doors in order to allow for private and soundproof mourning. While the tunnels of both the Chambers and the Halls exist in an organized grid, for those unfamiliar with the design it is possible to get lost, though it does not take long usually for a Neshmet to find the lost person and send them back to the entrance.

The Depths of the Catacombs are where the oldest and forgotten tombs are. Forgotten by the restoration they are rarely visited and do not get much maintenance. Due to this, these tunnels often lead into the natural openings of the Catacombs and can be used to access the ice caverns and other parts of the city. However, the depths are extremely dangerous and are considered off limits to any outsiders and most lyrans except for the most experienced of Neshmet , as they are home to flesh-eating bacterial mold, that is a primary component of the drug Apep.

## Folklore

Despite the reality of the Catacombs, there are plenty of stories of death and loss that follow the mention of them. From the rumours of unquiet souls that roam the candlelit halls, or shambling corpses the have removed themselves from their slabs. There are a multitude of stories about the ghosts of the Catacombs, that wander deep within the night. From frightened Trilliant Executives to Neshmet working too late, none are immune to the various spooks of the Catacombs of House Lyra.

### The Woman in White

The story of the woman is an old story often passed around amongst the younger Neshmet students in an attempt to scare students undergoing their first night in the Catacombs. The main legend goes is that during the Separation of Flesh and Soul, her organs did not quite burn, leaving her stuck to wander the Halls of Rest being unable to find rest of her own. Those that have seen her have all been unable to agree on physical description aside from a white dress and impossible captivating beauty.

### Curious Case of Meret Horatio Kiri

Once thought to be one time bad dream of the Head Neshmet Adella Stordiz, upon further research the name has popped up in various journals of other Head Neshmet over the years. Often describing the same type of encounter as Neshmet Stordiz. The encounters have all happened in the west of the Catacombs. All of these encounters include the supposed body of Meret Kiri Horatio disappearing and then attempting to kill the attending Head Neshmet. While it seems to have never been successful there is no explanation for these continued connected events.

### The Shape

Several people over the years have also experienced something only referred to as “The Shape”. What is different about this apparition than the others is that it is not only experienced when alone. In fact, over the years many different groups have claimed to see and feel this “shape”. Another difference about “The Shape” is that it has left victims. Certain encounters have left people with deep scratches and bites, those of which can not be identified by doctors. Each victim has claimed to have heard singing before encountering “The Shape”. Another peculiar note is that when mentioned to Neshmet within the Catacombs they will claim that the shape is made up, despite the physical evidence.

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