When a character dies in MaL, sometimes they come back to life and sometimes they go on to wherever their soul ends up. This may be well and good for them, depending on how their life was up till that point, but the ones they leave behind may have issues with the local government to deal with. Likewise, those that do come back to life may have issues to resolve as well, depending on how long they are gone.
Some cultures have no issues with how death is dealt with, save that the family or neighbors must deal with the body as per the customs of the individual or the area. Others may require that someone pays for professionals to deal with the body, and have strict laws regarding ensuring things are dealt with properly. The rate of payment to these professionals is usually quite steep compared to other professions due to the limited number of customers they may have in a year's time, as well as all the laws they have to follow, and the possibility of individuals coming back to life, and possibly needing to aid them quickly if need be. Some regions may have these professionals paid by the government, while others have the family take care of things. In areas with the government charging for it, there is typically a budget of 1/50th of the population passing on available at any given time, with 1/2 of that split out to the professionals in the area if the total number of deaths is under that number, and higher if it goes over that, the rest kept for a time when it may be needed. They would be given ratings based on the quality of service and their pay based on that. In these regions, that added cost is in the budget for the area, and therefore part of the taxes therein. For regions where the family and friends have to pay, the different funeral service professionals tend to compete for business or claim territories of coverage, and may charge whatever the law allows according to their license.
When an individual dies and does not come back to life within six days, and a culture has an estate tax, then the total sum inheritable assets is looked at and calculated for its value. The total sum has a minimum percent (5% in most cultures with an estate tax) taken off in estate tax if the sum is 1 Platinum Piece or more, as well as an additional 1% tax for every percent jump increase (20% in most cultures with an estate tax) in value from that point, upward to 50 Platinum Pieces, where it levels off at 55% tax on the estate value. If a culture does not have an estate tax, then the the individuals receiving inheritance have the tax to pay as income tax if applicable to the culture. If a culture does not tax on either, then either the inheritance reading will dictate where the assets go, or they are seized and divided or auctioned off. The laws of the land dictate the cost of death to those still alive, and players would do well to either find ways to work the system in their favor, or settle in areas that do not require them, rare as they may be.
When an individual comes back to life to the same area they were before death, and it is before six days, then any assets during their time deceased will still be their own, however they will need to pay 5% of their estate value to the local government for protecting it. If the local government does not protect it, then some or all of it may be looted if the individual does not have traps, animals or other individuals to protect it for them. If an individual does not pay the amount owed in an area that protects it, then they will have to work it off in a labor camp for a period of time equal to the amount owed. Anything perishable may be rotten or gone depending on if it is looted, protected but not dealt with and replaced, or protected but the perished things thrown away or used to prevent being wasted. If a person takes more than six days to come back to life or back to the area they were in before death, then their assets will be sold off at auction if there is no deed, or no one to protect them for a prolonged period of time. As a result of all of these things, many adventurers will utilize every trick they can muster to hide the vast majority of their assets unless they believe they can spare them, or are naive enough to think they will never die.
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