Overview

The Undertaker has stood in Shadewood Hollow since 1847, where the living part ways with the dead. It was founded by Mortimer Graven, a former overseer for Monaghan Mining, who left the mines after years of watching men die in the dark. Mortimer’s steady calm had saved lives during the Shaft 7 collapse, but death followed him all the same. Seeking purpose, he opened the undertaker's office, offering the dead the dignity they were often denied in life.

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One autumn night, Mortimer vanished. His coat hung by the door, his boots neatly placed, and his dinner sat half-eaten. Whispers claimed he was buried by Monaghan or taken by Shaft 12, where miners heard the ominous sound of three hollow knocks. They say his lantern still swings in the tunnels, his shadow nowhere to be found. “The Man Without a Shadow,” they call him, and if you hear those knocks, you walk away.

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With Mortimer gone, his son, Edward Graven, took over the business. But Edward wasn’t his father. Known as “Breaker Graven,” he ruled with fists instead of patience. He’d been a breaker boss for Monaghan, the one sent to “correct” disobedience. Stories tell of him dragging a man from the Black Lantern Saloon all the way to the mine, a man who was never seen again. Edward’s name brought fear wherever it was spoken.

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But his end wasn’t quiet. A fight with Caleb Reed over a gambling debt turned into an ambush. Witnesses saw Caleb’s friends drag Edward into the woods. By morning, all that remained was a streak of red leading deeper into the trees. The woods behind the Undertaker office are now called “Graven’s Hollow,” and nobody walks that path alone. 

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Now, the Hollow End is run by Lucien Graven, Mortimer’s grandson. Quiet. Pale-eyed. Unnerving. People swear he wasn’t there one moment and suddenly, he is. Lucien’s gaze feels like it’s measuring more than your height — it’s measuring your days. Lucien doesn’t live in town, but somehow, he’s always at the office before the body arrives. 

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Inside, his shelves are lined with ledgers. The first tracks the dead. The second? It tracks the names of those who aren’t dead — yet. 

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​​​​Secrets & Lore

• The Embalming Room: The preparation room for burial rites. Townsfolk report hearing faint tapping sounds from below, always in threes.

• The Carriage Bay: A side bay where caskets are delivered, though Lucien insists on unloading them himself. Workers claim that Lucien always inspects each casket before it enters the house, and some swear they’ve seen him whisper to them.

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Undertaker Roles

• Gravehand – A new hire responsible for digging graves, moving caskets, and cleaning the embalming room.

  • Weekly pay: $5.00

• Mortuary Assistant – Assists in embalming, preparing bodies for burial, and handling funeral arrangements.

  • Weekly pay: $8.00

• Undertaker – The master of ceremonies for burials, responsible for embalming, overseeing funerals, and managing operations.

  • Weekly pay: $15.00

• Caretaker – Oversees the upkeep of the graveyard, ensuring graves are properly maintained and headstones remain upright.

  • Weekly pay: $10.00

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Funeral Services

• Coffins: 

  • Simple pine coffins, standard oak caskets, and reinforced burial boxes. 

  • Cedar coffins for wealthier clients, as the wood naturally resists decay and insect damage. 

  • Winter-sealed coffins lined with straw or Hollowroot fibers to prevent freezing and preserve remains until spring burial. 

• Grave Markers: Wooden crosses, stone grave markers, and crude headstones carved with simple names and dates. 

• Graven Sigil Headstones (Rare): Headstones marked with unique sigils carved by the Graven family, rumored to prevent the "unrest of souls."

• "Whisper Coins"(Rare): Silver-plated coins placed over the eyes of the deceased to "pay the Ferryman" or ensure the dead stay quiet.

• Graven's Hand-Cut Shroud Pins (Rare): Used to pin burial shrouds in place, and rumored to “pin the spirit” of the dead to the grave.

• Penance Bells (Rare): Small bells attached to coffins, sometimes used to "listen for those buried too soon." These bells have also become a tool of superstition, ringing on their own during certain nights.

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Wares

• Mourning Garb: Black veils, gloves, and mourning ribbons for grieving family members.

• Funeral Accessories: Ceremonial candles, hand-carved rosaries, and simple wreaths for graveside ceremonies.

• Shrouds & Burial Veils: Thick wool shrouds used in cold-weather burials where embalming is limited.

• "Ghost Stones": Smooth, natural stones said to “keep ghosts from lingering.”

• Lucky Charms: "Crow feathers for luck," "rabbit’s foot for fortune," and "fox tooth for cunning."

• Offerings for the Dead: Small coins, bread, and small pouches of tobacco (left for the spirits of miners and those buried in unmarked graves).

• Witch’s Glass: Small shards of mirror glass, said to "reveal hidden truths" when gazed into under moonlight.

• Red Hand Tokens: Small carved hand tokens left at doorsteps to "ward away debt collectors" (inspired by local legend).

• Bone Dust Vials (Rare): Collected from cremated remains, often sought by witches and daemons for ritual use.

• Sprigs of Sage & Lavender (Rare): Used for burial rites, protection, and warding graves from restless spirits.