Voice of the Dead society
The Voice of the Dead is the all-male branch of the Corps whose formal roles include care for and communication with Ancestors, the resurrection of the dead as revenants, and the care and nurturing of saints. The Voice is a deeply esoteric and intellectual order, quite unlike its sisters in the Hand.
The Voice, along with the Hand, came into existence in the decade or two following the Epiphany of Zunuga, just as the Omban Empire was beginning to take form. Saints were still poorly-known at that time, and communication with ancestors, while important, was not yet politically useful, so it was the creation of revenants, bringing generals and skilled soldiers back to the battlefield, that brought attention to the Voice from early Imperial powers. Once the Empire was founded, the status of Eluli Ula as both saint and first emperor, and the establishment of communication with ancestors as fundamental to the power of lineages, gave the Voice an even more eminent role in Omban society.
Novice Voices are chosen from among the boys of local lineages. Unlike the Hand, which is roughly meritocratic and egalitarian in selection, there is some preference for younger sons of the nobility among the Voice, or for larger, more powerful lineages, especially in larger temples. The expectation is that Voices will be trained in and around their own Ancestors - i.e., at the temple where their own kin are housed. If a novice is already literate and has education prior to arriving at the temple, training can be about a year or so, but more often, training in languages, history, theology, etc. takes two or three years. Large temples would always have at least a handful of novices working doing menial labour, transcribing manuscripts, and other preparatory work, as well as their own lessons. Smaller temples might only occasionally train a novice.
The Voice temple hierarchy is very complex but not especially rigid. The age, social class, and prestige of Ancestors held at the temple is of key relevance. There are major temples from the early days of the Empire in major cities such as Omba and Onighus, which hold many important noble ancestors. The Mausoleum in Onighus is particularly important because it is also the political seat of government for all of Khutu, through Eluli Ula. Temples associated with the ulajette (cloisters) of saints, such as Nemnosti, are highly esteemed and are often sought out as resting places by important nobles, on the theory that they are well-protected. There is no rule enforcing rigid class stratification of Ancestors - in principle, nobility and country folk could rest side by side. But in practice, because temples are relatively autonomous and able to accept or reject new Ancestors depending on their capacity, some temples are closed except to the nobility or those able to pay substantial donations. Outside cities, major lineages might even have their own temples and mausoleums just for their own Ancestors. Smaller towns and villages often do not have multiple temples and all are housed in common. Finally, because Ancestors are not always moved when communities move, there are large numbers of older temples scattered across the landscape, in various states of repair. Some Voice is always appointed as a steward of a known temple, no matter how old, obscure, or abandoned, on the principle that every known Ancestor ought to be contactable.
The most common regular work of the Voice is of course the care of Ancestors, for which they receive donations from living descendants and lineages. While it is not spoken of too openly, it is also understood that a well-run temple is responsible for keeping the secrets of the Ancestors under its charge, including secrets that, if exposed, would harm the living, and for which token donations are regularly given for their protection. While this may sound like extortion, neither the Voice nor, for the most part, the lineages who pay these sums see it that way. The essential point is that, since Ancestors can only speak the truth and will do so when asked by a Voice, only valid descendants be permitted to ask questions of Ancestors, and that Voices are constrained from simply revealing unwelcome information that they happen to have learned.
The management of the recently dead is a vital task that falls to Voices. Newly dead are treated with respect and laid out during the derdis waiting period prior to sainthood, in preparation for the hemeshor ritual of revivification, if possible, the transfer of the body to the Hand, if being rendered bubun, and the funeral ceremony. Funerals are a source of income for the temple, along with the often ample donations for revivification. Many Voices will never spend any time in the presence of a saint much less serve at their temples, but those who do enjoy considerable prestige.
