The Lost Ones' "Curse"

A century ago, in the age of sailing warships, shipbuilders in every city-state followed a rule when constructing ships—they had to cut a block of wood from the raw material while processing the keel.

They would carbonize it, soak it in chemicals, and oil it using the same methods applied to the keel, then place it on the slipway alongside the unfinished ship. Once construction was complete, this "keel block" would remain at the shipyard, permanently preserved on land. Usually, shipowners would even pay extra to have priests from the city-state regularly bless the block, or simply send it to a church and entrust it to the Church for safekeeping.

At first, preserving a "Keel Sample" was part of quality control. Shipowners used it to inspect whether the keel's materials and initial treatment met a vessel's technical requirements. Later, it became a symbol of praying for safety—

People believed ships had souls. The keel left on land would bring good fortune to vessels sailing far away. Like a lighthouse, it could guide lost ships back toward the shore. Blessings bestowed upon the keel block by clergy could also reach the ship at sea. And if misfortune truly struck—the keel left ashore would become a small ferry in the world of the dead, carrying sailors' souls home.

In the past, once a ship was confirmed lost, priests of the God of Death would even take out its keel block and hold a "funeral" for it. The families of the lost crew would see off that block as though it were the body of their loved one, watching as it was sent into the incinerator.

Out of interest, Agatha had once described in great detail to Duncan how Death Priests a century ago "saw off" Keel Samples.

In fact, this custom had