Graveyards
Graveyards are locations where the dead have been buried. Fictional graveyards may be tranquil places of contemplation or may be haunted locations where the dead rise. In game-oriented worlds graveyards are often game dungeons. They may feature crypts, catacombs, tombs, headstones and sculptures. They may be located in towns, near haunted houses, in the ruins of castles, or elsewhere. They may be home to grave robbers, zombies, skeletons, necromancers, and teens looking for a cheap thrill.
| Synonyms: cemeteries, funerary grounds |
| Example Mythonyms: Metropolis City Cemetery, Green Elm Graveyard, Misty Graves |
DESIGNING FICTIONAL GRAVEYARDS
Archetypes
Overview
When designing graveyards for new fictional worlds, the belief systems, religions, and afterlife rituals of that culture should be considered. The culture you design may not bury their dead, or may do so with very different rituals and traditions.
Ancient graveyards may be overgrown with moss and vine, obscuring the headstones and what is written upon them.
Graveyard Elements
| Element | Icon | Description | Sub-Elements | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altar |  | b, s | Simplified | For prayers, for sacrifices, for both? | Explore |
| Archway |  | s | An ornate stone or iron overhang | ||
| Burial Chamber |  | a, b | Who or what lies within? | ||
| Candle |  | s | Simplified | How brightly does it shine? | |
| Church |  | a, b | Simplified | A place of worship | Explore |
| Coffin |  | s | Is it empty or being used? | ||
| Corpse |  | s | Fresh or less fresh? | ||
| Crematorium |  | b | Simplified | To ashes we will return | |
| Crypt |  | a, b | Simplified | A burial chamber beneath a church or holy site | Explore |
| Cult Chamber | | a | Necromancers? | Explore | |
| Dead Graverobber | | s | Check his pockets | ||
| Fence |  | s | To surround the grounds | ||
| Ferry Boat |  | s, a | Some belief systems feature souls being ferried across a river | ||
| Flowers |  | s | What kind? | ||
| Fog |  | e | Simplified | An eerie grey mist | |
| Fountain |  | s, b | Does it still work? | Explore | |
| Fresh Grave |  | s | Who has been here? | ||
| Gargoyle |  | s | A stone carving of a monster | ||
| Giant Monument |  | b, s | Just how large is it? | Explore | |
| Grave | | s | Simplified | Has it been disturbed? | |
| Graveyard |  | a, b | Simplified | An area of buried bodies | Explore |
| Hallowed Ground |  | a | A holy or revered area | Explore | |
| Hedge |  | s | To separate areas | ||
| Hidden Passage |  | a, b | Where does it lead? | ||
| Iron Door |  | s | What does it guard? | ||
| Ivy |  | s | A tangle of vines and leaves | ||
| Mausoleum |  | a, b | Simplified | An above-ground crypt | Explore |
| Mist | | e | Eerie | ||
| Obelisk | | b, s | Simplified | A stone monument | |
| Offerings |  | s | Simplified | Food, wine, flowers, or other items left to honor the dead | |
| Open Grave |  | s | Is it empty or is something in it? | ||
| Pile of Bones |  | s | Simplified | Rest in pieces | |
| Pillar |  | s, b | A stone column | ||
| Portal |  | b | To the underworld, to hell, or to somewhere else? | Explore | |
| Pyre |  | s | A funeral blaze | ||
| Rain |  | e | Like tears | ||
| Rat Nest |  | s | You call it a nest, they call it a home. | ||
| Relic | | s | An ancient bit of bone from a prophet | Explore | |
| Roots |  | s | How extensive is the root system? | ||
| Ruins |  | b, s | Simplified | Of what type of structure? | Explore |
| Sacrifice | | s | Human? | ||
| Sanctuary | | b, s, a | Simplified | A holy, consecrated place | Explore |
| Séance Circle |  | a, s | To commune with the dead | ||
| Skeleton | | s | Does it walk? | ||
| Skull | | s | Nothing is connected to this head bone | ||
| Statue |  | b, s | Simplified | Of what? | Explore |
| Summoning Circle |  | a, s | To bring forth…something | ||
| Tomb | | b, s | Simplified | For a prince, or for a pauper? | |
| Tombstone | | s | What is written upon it? | ||
| Torch |  | s | Lit or unlit | ||
| Tree |  | s | Simplified | Willow trees are associated with death and dying | |
| Underground River |  | a | Where does it lead? | ||
| Urn |  | s | A vase of ash | ||
| Vault |  | b, a | What is inside? | ||
| Wall of Bones |  | b, s | Simplified | A wall of skulls and bones | |
| Well |  | b | Simplified | Well, well, well | Explore |
Reference Image Gallery
