Cemeteries and Graveyards

Show me the manner in which a nation or community cares for its dead and I will measure with mathematical exactness the tender mercies of its people, their respect for the laws of the land, and their loyalty to high ideals.

-William Gladstone (1809-1897)

A Macabre Homily

In modern nights the resting places of the dead have become increasingly important. It should be no surprise that Kindred have an interesting connection to the deceased. Going so far that Prince Farragut proclaimed, “Wherever the dead of Chicago are interred with proper honors, there shall be Elysium.”

Tonight the two major forms of burial locations are cemeteries and graveyards. From a Linguistic point of view they have been used interchangeably; there is a subtle difference. A Cemetery is a reserved site where individuals are buried. The particular rites are varied and based upon different cultures. Meanwhile, graveyards are a cemetery placed within a churchyard or area of religious importance.

There are many other lesser known locations where the dead are imbued with honor. Some of their names include catacombs, ossuaries, tombs, crematoriums, and necropolises. Most of these terms involve locations outside of Chicago and the Americas. But stranger things have happened.

Before the Civil War the unofficial master of outdoor Elysia was a Gangrel named Adalbert. He has since disappeared and due to the waning popularity of open-air Elysia this position has not been a priority.

So far, no major conflicts with the proclamation have arisen. But with the irregularities in the Kindred world it is only too apparent that blurred boundaries will arise.

Major Burial Grounds in and around Chicago

Bachelor's Grove Cemetery - Chicago - Small and secluded; has been a well known site of hauntings, vandalism, and satanic rituals.

Graceland Cemetery - Chicago - Famous for grandious and sometimes bizzare graves; resting place of George Pullman, David Adler and Philip Danforth Armour.

Oak Woods Cemetery - Chicago - Founded durring the civil war; home to six thousand confederate soldiers who died in Camp Douglas.

Rosehill Cemetery - Chicago - Victorian-era burial site; location of over a dozen Chicago Mayors, Charles J. Hull and Oscar Mayer.

Waldheim Cemetery - Forest Park - Later annexed into Forest Home Cemetery; eclectic resting spot of Freemasons, Roma, immigrants, and Haymarket martyrs.

Bohemian National Cemetery - Chicago - Once a world-famous cemetery for athiests and progressive immigrant thinkers, the cemetery has since fallen into disrepair. Jiři Bartek maintains the ground and acts as Keeper for those rare few who venture in and the Nosferatu Kramp spends nights here, stalking local teens who ignore the urban legends about the place.