PBC World - Funeral of Corina XII
01 June 2025
List of characters
Mihaela Videa - PBC World News Anchor - She/Her - Cava
Mihai Grigore - Specialist in Theological History - He/Him - Human
Elena Dumitrache - Reporting from Aeterra / Corova - She/Her - Human
Alex Vasilescu - Reporting from the Livedea Monastery - He/Him - Orc
All TV channels within Limbo start broadcasting the same thing (besides those for children or music channels). A Cava woman wearing black faces the camera with a serious look.
[Mihaela:] It is 09:50, June 1, 2025. This is the live broadcast of the funeral of the late Grand Oracle Corina XII. With us is Mihai Grigore, expert in theological history and rector of the Faculty of History and Theology at the University of the Capital, and connected with us are our colleagues, both in Corova and at the Livedea Monastery.
She turns to the man currently in the studio.
[Mihaela:] Mr. Grigore, welcome and thank you for accepting our invitation to come here. Can you explain to us why this event is quite important?
[Mihai:] And I thank you for the invitation. Yes, it is a rather important event, and not only from a religious point of view. I have seen throughout history how the Lodge has had an impact both politically and socially on our country. It has always been a kind of guide for the people here and not only. I have seen how, throughout time, who was at the head of the Assembly, who was the Grand Oracle, had an influence on the way some people saw the world. There are enough examples in history.
[Mihaela:] So far, the faithful have had time to see the coffin in which Corina XII is lying, they have brought flowers or lit candles in her honor. Some have even come from abroad.
[Mihai:] Yes, I was also in Corova these days and I saw that there were many there, I even stood, I think, in line for at least an hour, although it was cold outside.
[Mihaela:] The ceremony will begin with the removal of the coffin from the Universal Temple, its placement in the ceremonial area in Lapideus III Square, where the first ceremony will take place, after which it will be taken through the main streets of the city to the Corova train station, from where the train will take it to the Livedea train station and then it will arrive by car to the Livedea Monastery. Now I’ll turn the call over to our colleague, Elena Dumitrache, who is in Corova. Elena, how are things there?
The screen showed a woman dressed in winter clothes, holding a microphone. Behind her was a large square packed to the brim with people.
[Elena:] Hello Mihaela and hello to those at home who are watching this live broadcast. I am in the Lapideus III square and, as you can see from what my colleague is filming, it is full, and not only. The entire area is full of people, including the outside of the fortified area. Screens have been set up in certain areas so that those here can see the ceremony.
[Mihaela:] How are the people there? We have known for a few days that temperatures have dropped below 5°C in the northern part of the country and light rain is expected in the area.
[Elena:] Yes, the weather is quite cold, but that hasn’t stopped people from coming here. Among those here are volunteers distributing hot tea, water and pocket heaters, and I even saw some stands offering umbrellas in case the showers start early. The spirit is, of course, one of solemn respect and sadness.
Mihaela turns to Mihai.
[Mihaela:] Mr. Grigore, what ceremonies or procedures take place before what we’ll see?
[Mihai:] Well, before that, there is the preparation of the coffin and other organizational things, such as reviewing the speech of the person who will hold this ceremony.
The broadcast suddenly cuts to images from the square, where a group of people emerge from the large temple on the opposite side, wearing ceremonial robes and carrying a coffin with floral patterns on it. A person in front of the coffin rang a bell, while the person behind carried a yellow flag with a black bird on it.
[Mihaela:] As we see, the coffin is now being removed from the Universal Temple and taken to the center of the square.
Around the people carrying the coffin, the faithful in the square reach out towards the coffin, some crying or wailing, hoping they will be able to touch it one last time, but still keeping a respectful distance from those carrying it. Those carrying the coffin sang a mournful song. Finally, the coffin reaches the center of the square, where it is placed on a pedestal in an upright position, facing the temple. Four people stand on each side of the coffin, holding a paper in their hands. They open the book and begin to speak simultaneously, appearing as if only one person were speaking. Those in the square hold a lighted candle in one hand.
[Monks:] These are the last words of the Grand Oracle Corina XII to the people, left before her departure from the world: "Children of the world, do not be sad, for I have departed into the unknown. And what greater joy is there for us than to discover the unknown? I did not want this position, but you wanted me, so I took on the responsibility of guiding you, and this is my last teaching: do not step on the path of hatred and bloodshed, but be the light, for this is the good we want for the world. The just struggle is not one of oppression, but one of liberation, mercy and love. Do not stand indifferent to the oppressed, give them the tools of liberation and judge the oppressors. Nations and borders are fleeting, people are not. The values we hold dear are always in danger, therefore it is good to share them with others and guide them with patience. My time in the world is over, but yours is still “It is, therefore I ask you to do what is right. May the universe grant you all good fortune.”
The monks begin to sing another song. The people in the square begin to raise their candles, singing along with the four monks by the coffin. After several minutes, the coffin is taken and placed in a car, which is driven outside the fortified area. Images show people in the square starting to leave in the same direction. The broadcast changed again to images of a boulevard, lined with people. The car carrying the coffin was driving down the middle of the street, people on the sides raising their candles as it passed in front of them. From above, a sea of candles could be seen.
[Mihaela:] As we can see, the coffin is being carried along Temple Boulevard, in front of thousands of people. According to estimates received from the Corova Local Police, the number of participants in the city has already exceeded the number of inhabitants, reaching almost 1 million, most of them along the boulevard. Others are also in the area of the Livedea Monastery, where our colleague Alex is present. Alex, how are things there?
Images appear from a location surrounded by dense forest. A male orc in winter clothes and a microphone is in the center of the image.
[Alex:] Yes Mihaela, there are many people here too. The monks started preparations last night, they distributed tea to those present here. The weather is colder than in Corova, temperatures here are -4°C, but the wind is gentler than on the coast, especially since we are in a wooded area. It will take approximately three hours for the remains of the former Grand Oracle to arrive here for the final ceremony, including cremation. The ashes will be placed in the monastery’s funerary mausoleum.
The images of the car carrying the coffin to the Corova train station continue, as it crosses a bridge into a more modern part of the city. The car finally arrives at the train station, which had an old architecture, but parts of it seemed modernized. The car enters through a gate and stops in front of the station. Four people get out of the car and take the coffin out and carry it inside the station. In about a quarter of an hour, a train can be seen leaving the station.
[Mihaela:] As you can see, the train to Livedea left from Corova. The trains that had the route on this line were diverted to other routes, according to CFL. It will arrive in Livedea, a locality located inside the Apele-Reci Virgin Forests, an area protected by law.
Three hours and 21 minutes later…
The train arrives at a station with traditional religious architecture. There, four monks take the coffin and begin to carry it out of the station, to the car outside. They arrive safely at the monastery.
[Alex:] As you can see, the car bringing the coffin with the remains of the former Grand Oracle Corina XII has entered the monastery courtyard, where it has stopped. Here are the monks who will carry the coffin to the monastery temple.
The monks carry the coffin up the steps of the monastery temple, where they place it on a podium facing the crowd. They begin to ring small silver bells, chanting.
[Monks:] May she who has departed from the world rest in peace. May her ashes be fine and her memory infinite. Peace in the world and high in the heavens. May her wisdom illuminate those of us who remain. May our lament be a testimony among the nations, for our path is righteous. May the universe grant us a good fortune, for this was her desire. Peace among us and those outside.
The crowd repeats the words of the monks, which echo throughout the monastery. After this ceremony is over, the monks begin to carry the coffin inside the temple, and after half an hour, a black smoke comes out of the temple’s chimney. Part of the crowd wails, all looking at the black smoke. After almost an hour, the crowd begins to disperse.