"A Night in Malnéant" by Clark Ashton Smith

obsequies: funeral rites

bier: a stand on which a corpse or coffin is placed

The picture used is of Conques-en-Rouergue in northern Aveyron, featuring the Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy

This town is entirely too tiny to match what is depicted in the story, in the past 150 years it was never much more than a thousand people, and it's not even half that today, but it is a foggy view of a medieval French Church (the Abbey Church of Sainte-Foy, completed in the 11th century, after an 8th century oratory had been torn down to make room for the new building).

Apparently this town is unusually well preserved in its medieval aspect. Seems like it would be quite amazing to visit. And if you were to record a walking tour of the city, it would give you a perfect representation of a small medieval town for the players in your medieval-themed RPG to feel fully immersed in the setting.

To follow along: http://www.eldritchdark.com/writings/short-stories/155/a-night-in-maln%C3%A9ant

If you do follow along, you will notice some variations, which I double-checked against the book I am reading and what I recorded is most definitely what is in my book, so I can only attribute it to different editions of the story, presumably for different releases over the years. The essence of the story is obviously the same, and while some of the differences are trivial, there are entire sentences added or removed. Just flavor text, but quite noticeable.