Before diving into anything specific, let’s take a look at the world as a whole and some of its many moving pieces. Here’s a glossary:
A Short Dictionary of Acronyms and Names
To help you navigate the things that are corporate, but not exactly human
DR – Death Report. A document that describes one’s circumstances of death.
NBC – Necropolis Border Control. Those men in black suits that usher your soul beyond the curtain. They’re called excorporators, but this is hard to pronounce.
DFA (or FA) – Department of Fated Authority.Ministers who predict the time and place of one’s death.
RKC – Record of Karmic Conduct. The deeds of one’s life are recorded here, with questionable accuracy.
KK – Kali Kustoms. The biggest retail chain in Necropolis, and Kali Konglomerate, its parent.
NU – Necromancers’ Union. Red-hooded gentlemen who make sure that the cogs keep turning.
The Tower – This is where the nobles decide which way the cogs shall turn.
Info Brokers – Those can, for a price, point you to the people of power.
Afterdeath, Inc. – After death, one needs to pay off their loans.
Black House – The government.
Hasty Hermes – Tells us what the government does, sometimes.
Charons – Charge more than their namesake.
Golden Promenade – It’s where your soul goes on vacation.
Afterlife Providers – If you want to go on vacation, you need a ticket first.
Waxworks – Making sure the dead don’t die prematurely.
Promenade District in South East, Siren’s Call above it, the Hook further North, Golgotha to the West, Old Golgotha a little further, Psychameron in the heart, Sabatica in the darkness, and others besides – the parts making up the body.
With this exposition out of the way, let’s break this book down piece by piece, starting with Franz Kafka.