"And so our beloved supervisor, Danon, must retire from both his position in the foundry, and from this world entirely..."
The din of machinery and the shouts of workers in the distance nearly drowned out the words of the studious dwarf speaking while atop a small wooden crate. Gathered around, a party of a couple dozen dwarves and the occasional half-dwarf listened on intently. Some wiped tears from their eyes, inadvertently smearing soot across their faces. Others looked on stoically, admiring the sacrifices of their supervisor. He had forsaken a life of hard labor and fruitful works in order to ensure others would not have to. For this, Danon's soul would not doubt suffer in the afterlife, slaving away for eternity. But the Last Work could salvage the situation, perhaps.
"...and in his last moments, beloved supervisor Danon both works as he has never worked before, and to provide you all with one last noble task. May Danon's sacrifices be met with mercy after he passes. Let the Work commence."
Danon looked up, his vision blurry from holding back tears. His loyal workers filed past him, offering stern handshakes, pats on the back, and words of encouragement. Danon had been a supervisor for nearly 40 years, watching over his flock diligently. He ensured that their souls would be saved. Whenever someone was maimed by a machine, Danon was there to reassure them that they could finish the work day strong. When someone forgot to bring a lunch to work, it was Danon that offered encouragement, taking their minds off of their grumbling stomachs. He was everything and did everything expected of him. Danon provided work, provided comfort, and never allowed an idle minute to pass under his watch. Even now, amidst the ritual and the melancholy, he was eager to get on with it.
Slowly, Danon and his old work crew found their way on the outside of the city wall. The guards shuffled out of the way quickly when they saw the appropriate papers flashed, and gave low bows in reverence. Danon slowly craned his head around, looking for a proper spot for his Last Work. All around him was loose soil, which was too easy. Plenty of bosses had passed in this area, making the soil easy to turn over. Danon resigned himself to the fact that it would be easy digging; he'd have to make up for it with the sheer volume of earth moved.
"And so beloved Danon's Last Work commences," the scholarly dwarf belted out from atop his signature crate. Custom dictated that a supervisor's crew watch the Last Work, to ensure that it is done. They looked on, many uncomfortable watching their old friend undertake such a grim ritual. They watched the sun beat down on his wizened frame, which cracked and popped under the strain. Many scrunched their faces at these sounds, while others maintained their stoic expressions. Danon himself ignored the noises his body was making; he had to keep digging deeper. To dig deep during the Last Work is to show dedication to the ideals of Kobraz. To the last breath, a worker is expected to give it their all, and to ensure that sloth is banished from his soul. Danon would dig until his hands blistered, his lungs burned, and his heart quieted.
It took several hours, but Danon's body began to fail him. His brittle bones began crack under the strain, and Danon had cut down his rations the previous few days until he was practically starving. His shining bald head barely peaked out of the hole he had dug. Soon, it dipped below the dirt, and the shovel ceased to heave dirt. Several moments had passed, until the onlookers approached. Nestled in the hole was Danon's body, cradling the shovel amidst the earth and the worms. With heavy hearts, the crew began piling the dirt atop Danon. He had dug deep; hopefully deep enough to earn his way to an eternal rest in the afterlife. At the very least, an eternity of light labor. As the last of the loose dirt was packed onto Danon's grave, the studious dwarf once again placed his crate firmly on the ground.
"Here lies supervisor Danon. His body is to be dug up within a week's time, incinerated in his old workplace, and the ashes dispersed throughout Kobraz's 12 districts. His shovel is to be reassigned to your new supervisor, yours truly, during this process, to signify transference of authority over this workplace."
And so Danon passed, his Last Work complete.