Board Thread:Lore Discussion/@comment-24247569-20131213161343/@comment-96.48.25.0-20131214131754

From information given -

1.  Being "undead" is a curse. There are some who ostracize the undead, including but not limited to rounding them up, locking them up, and exile or banishment.

2.  The Way of White seem to be a major religion the does a lot of aforementioned punishment in some lands.

3.  Firekeepers can not leave.

4.  From the description, Firekeepers work as a repository for humanities that are burned as fuel for the Bonfire. The experience can be considered "torture"(?).

5.  All undead, when discovered by (maybe) Way of White, will be forced to go through the quest to rekindle the First Flame. Or obtain the secret Rite of Kindling to become another Firekeeper. Even nobles or royalty can not escape from this "curse".

6.  There is a reason why you can only "level up" at a Bonfire.

7.  The most probable conclusion as to why Anastacia is the way she is - She was from Way of White. She became "Undead". Even after becoming "Undead", perhaps she continue to perform blasphemy, i.e. by uttering the names of God, performing prayers, so they cut off her tongue. She somehow managed to obtain some kind of rite of Kindling (not the one performed by the player, perhaps), thus becoming a Firekeeper.

This feeds into what I wrote about Solaire as well, lol, nobody ever said this was a "happy" game. :P