Meet me at the Cemetery Gates. 60 Gravestone markers and their meanings chart

"Believe the word

I will unlock my door

And pass the

cemetery gates"

Pantera- Cemetery Gates

Something I was using last week when we were adventuring in Marrowhome ( a floating/travelling graveyard that houses the worst of the worst, and can only be gotten to via a rainbow) Enjoy!


Roll 1d4
1 Body Parts
2 Fauna
3 Occupations and people
4 Flora

Body Parts

1. Unadorned Skull-represents a person who lived an exceedingly long life
2. Winged Skull- represents the journey into the after-life and the ephemeralness of life
3. Skull with three eye sockets-  seer,  held  séances,  lifted the veil of the beyond
4. Gripping hands (pointing up)- symbolises the person has gone to their just rewards
5. Gripping hands with inverted torches (pointing down)- burning in the afterlife
6. Outstretched arms ending in no hands-  punished in this life, and the next
7. Two hands, one pointing up, the other down- symbolic of the duality of the after-life.
8. A giant eyeball- even in death they will be watching you
9. Shattered leg bones- death by punishment
10. A pile of bones beneath a grinning skull- achieved their life’s goal before the end

Fauna

1. Lamb- taken too soon
2. Dog- was steadfast and stalwart in life
3. Spiders- devious and undecided in their actions
4. Bees- hard worker and industrious
5. Birds- a young female
6. Imps- magic worker who dabbled in creation magic
7. Rats- untrustworthy individual
8. Wolf- strong willed and dangerous
9. Rabbits- wildly popular individual in life
10. Leopards- had links to royalty (tenuous though)
11. Crow- a murderer
12. Raven- a priest (not a cleric)
13. Unicorn- a leader
14. Bloated leech- a physician
15. Hippogriff- a landowner
16. Sphinx- scholarly type
17. Sea monster- sea captain or person of naval distinction
18. Rooster- vigilant in life and death
19. Snake- sinner and neer’-do-well
20. Goat- Atheist

Occupations and People

1. Net- fisherman/sailor drowned at sea
2. Hammer and anvil- blacksmith
3. Sword, rope and torch- adventurer (weapon to denote character type)
4. Cards/Spades-Hearts-Clubs- Diamonds/ or games pieces- gambler
5. Sextant- Astrologer
6. Chisel and saw blade- Carpenter
7. Scythe – Farmer
8. Pick-axe and lantern- Miner
9. Wheel- wagoner
10. Vials and a puff of smoke- alchemist
11. Book- student of some sort
12. Book with arcane symbols- student of magic
13. Horseshoe- farrier
14. Bear-trap or a smaller trap- trapper/hunter
15. Hammer and chisel- stoneworker
16. Musical Instrument- A bard
17. Pile of coin- merchant
18. A mug of frothing ale- a publican
19. Any piece of armour- an armourer
20. A quill- a writer/sage/ a studious individual

Flora

1. A broken rose- taken too soon
2. A lotus- rebirth in the afterlife
3. A horizontal bushel of twigs- a witch
4. A broken branch- died before being wed
5. A tree stump- cut down too soon
6. A sprig of wolfs-bane- a possible lycanthrope
7. A string of garlic- a possible vampyr
8. A poppy- peace at last after intense struggle
9. A pinecone- a nature lover in the arms of the earth mother
10. An oak tree- a wise and beneficial individual who gave more than they ever received