Who Would Become A Grave Robber?

Alchemist's Apprentice's are sometimes little better off than indentured servants often laboring for a mere pittance. Now many of the ingredients that an alchemist might experiment with are simply unavailable without a little bending of the law. An alchemist, as a leading member of the community is simply too important to be tramping about in the dark digging up graves. That's the kind of menial and criminal task assigned to an apprentice. After sneaking about a couple of times and digging up bodies for an ungrateful master, there's a chance that an alchemist's apprentice might abandon the rigors of alchemy for the rewards of grave digging.

Physician's Student's are in many ways similar to alchemist's apprentice, carrying out grave robbing on behalf of their mentor's or on their own for study. There are strict laws enforced by the Cult of Morr for assuring the sanctity of the dead that makes it difficult for physicians to acquire cadavers for medical research. After a while a physician's student might just take up grave digging full time to meet the demands created by a local college or community of physicians.

A Rat Catcher is viewed with little more than contempt by many, and when living on the fringe of society it is easy to find work illegally. A Rat Catcher has little incentive to cling closely to social norms and laws. Furthermore Rat Catchers sneaking about a city at all hours is taken for granted and there is little suspicion and relative freedom to wander about lower class areas. Thus it is a supplemental means of a rat catcher supplementing their income or an escape from their normal profession.

Wizard's Apprentice have similar reasons for becoming grave robbers as other apprentices, carrying out the dirty work of their mentors and masters. Like alchemists, wizards have their own reasons for the acquisition of a corpse, some may be dabbling in necromancy, but more likely they are simply exploring the human anatomy for research purposes or harvesting it for spell ingredients. An established Wizard would rarely want to risk their necks engaging in criminal activity when they can protect themselves by using their own apprentice.

Moving On…

An individual with the indiscretion to dig up bodies might make an ideal Bodyguard, after all, they can be entrusted to carry out all kinds of dirty work based upon their dark history. Traditionally the type of grave diggers that become hired thugs and bodyguards are those rogue individuals who entered the grave robbing practice early on. Those who entered became grave robbers from a more academic background do not typically have the same greedy and brutish disposition that their more loutish rivals.

A Grave Robber may also find his or her way towards Physician's Student based upon their contacts with the medical community. A few months or years of working in the trade may provide a grave robber with the money, experience and contacts to become a student to a physician.

Just as many Rat Catchers become Grave Robbers, many Grave Robbers become Rat Catchers, after all the difference between one unsavory job and another might not seem that great. Switching between the two trades is usually out of desperation rather than any real opportunities. Once one is stained by the stigma of one of these careers it is difficult to become upwardly mobile.

Adventure Seeds

The authorities report that an individual has died from natural causes, but some suspect a cover up and a conspiracy behind the death. Either the grave robbers or another party want the body to be exhumed to discover cause of death. Somewhere on the body is evidence of foul play, and perhaps further clues as well.

The death of a local and prominent figure was quite a tragedy, and everyone remembers the somber and cultured image of the dead in repose shortly before internments. No wonder that someone noticed the charm the deceased wore in the casket worn by a stranger. The hunt is on to prosecute the grave robbers responsible for the reprehensible crime of digging up a noted personality and desecrating their body. Perhaps the body needs to be reconsecrated.

A body gets lost or mixed up.

A doctor has been set up, a body found in his place (he performed surgery and people upset with him. Grave robbers hunted down to find out who is responsible.

A poor penniless beggar, notable for their close resemblance to a wealthy man besieged by scandal has just died. The wealthy lord wants the body, recently interred, to be exhumed and taken secretly to his estate, presumably so that he can fake his own death.

A body, buried mere hours ago is being exhumed when the sounds of desperate thrashing are heard from within the grave. Considering the superstition regarding the dead, will the exhumers realize that someone has been buried alive, and that they are not in fact the undead? Will the person be saved, or be slain in a misunderstanding?

--Rev. Lepper