Dostal was not an important god at first. Some say he was first found among the Half-Men, others that he was a son of a Star Captain, others that he was a mortal man. His cult does not consider his birth important. Instead, they say what matters is what he did: he came to the people when their hunger was great, and he saved them. Without Dostal, no one would have survived the Darkness, for he divided the animals into the herds, the predators and the prey. His arrows kept the herds safe, the people fed, and the predators at bay.
Dostal’s worship did not begin until the Darkness. In the Sun Age, he was no one important. None can say where he came from. The Cult of Dostal says that he was a wanderer who visited all peoples, though his home was the wild lands in Pent. Most believe he has some descent from Yu-Kargzant, for Dostal’s bow has always been strong, but the cult also says it ultimately does not matter.
When the Darkness came, the Pentans cried out in hunger. Dostal told them that to survive, they would need more than their herds, but they would also need to protect their herds. Everyone would be hungry, he said, and they would need to protect and to attack. He named all the beasts of the field and named their gods, for he had lived among them. Those which were enemies he named for them to guard against. Those which were herds he named, the children of Eyritha, to be protected. And those which were good to eat he named, the prey, to be taken.
To show them the way, he told them he would make an enemy into an ally. Dostal went to the spirit wolves, who are closest in soul among all land predators to men, and he fought them until he found the best of them. He wrestled them one by one until he found the soul which shined brightest, for it was closest to man. Their wrestling became play, not fighting, and they returned to the people as friends. This spirit was not a wolf, Dostal said, but his own brother - the Brother Dog.
From then on, they were inseparable. Dostal became Eyritha’s guardian while her husband fought Chaos, driving predators away from her herds. He became the people’s provider, showing them how to hunt prey and outwit predators. He showed them how to raise dogs, which loved the herds and horses as much as the Pentans themselves.
There are many tales of Dostal confronting the spirits and gods of the beasts of Pent, outwitting them, defeating them, or earning their respect. He is the foremost of the Hunters, the gods that kept the people fed when the earth was dying. He worked with Tholm and Brother Dog, and he even made an ally of Manurl, the Trapper Cat, who hated people and lived apart.
The Cult of Dostal does not hold especially high rank compared to the gods of warriors, but they are honored both as providers of food and as herd watchers. Each tribe maintains its own independent cult, which follows its own traditions, often with specific animals which are held to be forbidden to kill at various times based on their stories. Members of the cult spend much of their time away from the rest of the tribe, traveling with the herds to guard them from predators or ranging across the land around where the tribe has set up camp to hunt for prey. The priests spend much of their time observing the wildlife around where the tribe travels and performing rites to honor or propitiate the spirits and gods of the beasts they hunt or drive off from the herds.
Dostal’s Rider aspect is always depicted as a lower class figure, wearing simple leathers and furs rather than rich outfits. His skin is red, and he has black hair and a short black beard. He is always depicted carrying a bow and accompanied by a large, hairy dog. His Mount aspect is a compact chestnut horse with a simple belly band rather than a saddle. This horse is always only slightly larger than the dog, which is Brother Dog. Brother Dog is brown-furred, with black around his eyes and mouth, and always resembles the most common dog lineages that are raised by the tribe making the art.
BEAST: Dostal has broad but shallow power over the Beast Rune. Unlike many gods, he does not rely on focusing his power through a specific animal, but he lacks the depth of control over that animal which comes with it. Instead, his use of the Beast Rune reflects his understanding of the animal world and his command over beasts. Initiates have been known to use the Beast Rune to, among other things, lure prey, intimidate animals, placate animals, ride horses, hunt prey, drive away predators, command herd animals or dogs, to treat the wounds of animals, know the habits of animals, tell how healthy and strong an animal is, track living things, fight animals, or show respect and peaceful intent towards Hsunchen. Those strong in the Beast Rune tend to be introverted, quiet, and cunning.
DEATH: Dostal is a death-bringer, for it is only by killing that most animals can be made into useful food or tools for humanity. He stands at the edge of humanity and the animal world, striking down prey and predators, providing by killing. Initiates have been known to use the Death Rune, among other things, to fight with bows or knives, kill animals, terrify those that threaten herds, hunt animals, butcher animals for food, frighten people, or gain strength from consuming an animal’s heart. Those strong in the Death Rune tend to be patient, ruthless, and decisive.
HARMONY: While Dostal kills, he kills for the sake of the herd and the tribe. He stands apart, but he does it to support others and provide for them. He cares for the herds and protects them, and while he kills beasts, he also respects and loves them. Initiates have been known to use the Harmony Rune, among other things, to calm panicking beasts, to heal horses, dogs or herd animals of wounds or disease, to prepare meat and cook meals, to treat injuries, to make peace with Hsunchen, or to end squabbles and fights between animals. Those strong in the Harmony Rune tend to be supportive, respectful, and practical.
Dostal opposes the Runes of Life, Disorder and Chaos.
Dostal’s closest friends are the other Hunters of Pent, who joined him in feeding the First Herd during the Great Darkness. He is closest with Brother Dog, such that they are almost never apart, but also friends with both Tholm and Manurl, despite their feuding. Dostal also has many friends among the animal-gods of the Hsunchen, though also several enemies. The most notable of these enemies is Gord, the Gopher Father, who cannot forgive the Hunters for their near extermination of his children to feed the Pentans.
Beyond this, Dostal is very close to Eyritha, the Herd Mother, whom he befriended to better understand her children. He is also close with Golden Bow, who is said to have taught him archery personally and may have taught him how to speak to animal spirits. He is distant from most other gods, preferring the company of the wilds, and generally keeps his camp on the outer portions of the First Herd. He is a frequent enemy of East Sting Wind, who likes to take advantage of his solitude to steal from him and who dislikes Brother Dog for rejecting the wild life of the wolf for the companionship of Dostal.
Dostal’s followers are not generally shamans, and Dostal does not offer a path to shamanism. However, Dostal does grant his followers unique access to the Beast Charms, which resemble the charms of spirits. Cultists of Dostal are able to use their Beast Rune as a tradition keyword and join the Beast Spirit Society without cost, even if they do not have the Spirit Rune, but can only perceive and interact with beast spirits. All spirits of Dostal are associated with the Beast Rune, and never any other. Dostal’s cult is unable to transfer these charms to outsiders, as the beast spirits are bound by respect or fear of Dostal and the hunters personally, not the traditional bindings and pacts of shamans.
Beast Charms must be earned from a beast spirit, which requires negotiation with one or a special dream quest in the wild lands. Beast Charms contain the spirits of animals, and they always and only allow the user to use an ability of the animal the spirit patrons. Among the more common types of beast spirit in Pent are:
Black Deer: The Black Deer spirits are one of several that patron the deer and antelopes of Pent. They are cautious and their protection of such an important set of prey species makes them both very useful but also hard to make pacts with. They typically grant powers such as Jump High, Sudden Burst of Speed, or Endure Hunger, and require taboos such as ‘Never kill a fallow deer’ or 'Never harm a deer or antelope during the rut season.’
Dog Nephews and Nieces: The many children of Brother Dog are frequent spirit allies of the cult of Dostal, and their charms are some of the most common among the cult. They typically grant powers such as Track By Scent, Ferocious Bark, or Stand Guard Tirelessly. Their taboo is generally something along the lines of 'Never harm a dog’ or 'Always reward and praise dogs for a job well done.’
Sun Eagle: Typically only willing to serve those who also follow Tholm, the Sun Eagle spirits are spirit children of Vrimak, the Father of Birds. They often grant powers such as See Long Distances, Glide On The Wind, or Strike Without Warning. Their taboo is usually something like 'Offer part of every kill to Vrimak’ or 'Protect eagle eggs from harm at any cost.’
Blood Tiger: Blood Tiger spirits are proud, aggressive spirits, patrons of the tigers that maker their homes in eastern Pent and the Shanshan mountains. They are hard to impress but quite potent and sought after for charms. They often grant powers such as Hide From Sight, Deadly Ambush, or Intimidate Other Predators. Their taboos are often things such as 'Never kill a tiger’ or 'Always drive away wolves and bears’.
Each tribe maintains its own independent cult of Dostal, each with its own local traditions and requirements to become a priest. They can easily worship at each other’s shrines, barring political reasons they might not, however. There is not often conflict over the control of Dostal’s holy sites between tribes, though, except in the sense that tribes may conflict over who is occupying an area generally. Most of these holy sites are wild places, after all, and kept that way.
The requirements to become a priest of Dostal vary by tribe and tradition, but almost all require proven hunting and tracking ability and often involve ritually going out into the wilderness to find a greater understanding of beasts. Prospective priests may be required to hunt a specific beast, stand vigil over the herds without rest for a specific period, or make contact with a beast spirit to prove their mastery. The priests of Dostal are taught many rites that call on and honor animal gods and spirits, though they are not shamans by any means. Their rank is usually correlated with hunting ability, knowledge of beasts, and age. Priests are required to be skilled archers and must serve in battle their khan requests it.
The holy sites of Dostal are spread throughout Pent, places abundant in animal life and often far from trade routes or easy travel. They are places of good grazing, and often also sacred to any local Hsunchen that may live in the region. Most mark the site of one of Dostal’s many hunts or interactions with great animal spirits. Notable sites include the Fang Rise, the mountain where Dostal hunted and defeated Sakkar, cruel brother of Hsa the Tiger and Chen Ga the Snow Leopard, and West Dog Hill, where Brother Dog left the wolves to join Dostal.
Initiates of Dostal may approach him through any of the Beast, Death or Harmony Runes, one of which they must have at 1W or higher. Initiates must maintain their archery skills and must spend a portion of their time hunting or guarding the herds, though many spend more than the required time doing so. They must respond to any order from the khan to serve as archers in the tribal militia. Initiates are not rendered impure by contact with the blood of animals.
Dostal has many holy days observed by his cult, but each tribe maintains a different schedule dictated by where they happen to be in Pent and which spirits and animal gods are most important for that region. There is only one universal holy day of Dostal: the Day of Brotherhood, when Dostal brought home Brother Dog. This is on the first Earthday of Dark Season, and it is celebrated with a dog festival featuring games and competitions between dogs such as dog wrestling, dog racing and grooming competitions, along with a feast of hunted meats.
Dostal prefers the sacrifice of hunted animals or of goods made from them, as well as the sacrifice of milk and alcohol. The cult of Dostal also keeps track of the sacrificial preferences of various animal spirits and gods that it placates or propitiates through Dostal, to honor the predators and prey that they slay.
Most subcults of Dostal are highly local hero cults, honoring heroic hunters of the past. They tend to have only a few members spread among at most a handful of tribes, but there are many of them. Only the Brother Dog subcult is truly universal throughout Pent.
Brother Dog (BEAST): Brother Dog, Dostal’s constant companion, is the closest thing to mankind that is not a horse. Dogs are souls that are on the step of reincarnation just below humans and horses, even moreso than wolves, and Brother Dog was the first such being, a wolf who was awakened to his closeness to man and became something new. The followers of Brother Dog raise dogs for herding and hunting, tasks to which the beasts have taken with a deep and abiding joy. Despite the closenss of dogs to humanity, however, they are still impure animals due to their frequent licking of themselves and others, and even the followers of Brother Dog are rendered impure by a dog’s lick. They are able to use their Beast Rune to speak with dogs, bless or curse dogs, command dogs from a distance, awaken the spirit within a dog, breed strong dogs, train dogs, turn wolves into dogs and tame them, or to gain the strong senses of a dog.
As normal, devotees must have one of the Beast, Death or Harmony runes at 11W or higher and must give up all magic not derived from Dostal, including spirit charms not derived from Dostal’s access to Beast Charms.
Feed the Tribe (HARMONY): When the Great Darkness consumed the world, many Pentans starved. Dostal was a warrior against starvation, a hunter who ensured that for as long as it was possible, the tribe was fed. When the tribe was in great need, Dostal purifies himself, fasting for three full days to nurse the hunger in his belly and entering a state of purity. He rides out into the wilds and seek a beast. When times were better, he could always find one, but in the Great Darkness, times were bad. Dostal learned to attract the beasts with his own purity, offering up his own blood to the earth to produce the smells the beasts loved. Life attracts life, and Dostal brings the beast to him by giving of his own life, bleeding upon the earth. By trading his life to the earth and the spirits, the beast he calls is docile, and Dostal becomes impure but is able to take it without a fight. He returns home, wounded but with a beast in tow. He kills it painlessly and butchers it, not resting until the meat is cooked and served. It is always enough to feed the entire tribe, ensuring that for a full week, they do not go hungry.
The Long Night (DEATH): There were many times when Dostal was the only guard upon the herds, for the other gods were busy with war and defense. Dostal and Brother Dog rode with the herds alone, and it was all that was needed. Dostal must be in a state of purity when night falls. If he is, however, then he will be sure to catch any prowling predators and bandits before they can reach the herds. His arrows strike true, driving off or killing any who threaten the herds. Brother Dog runs with him, keeping any of the herd from wandering or getting lost with his barks. Dostal never gets tired, remaining alert the entire night. Even when he is overwhelmed by raiders, he leaves them wounded and unable to get away with anything, though it costs him greatly. The first time he would be wounded, he loses his purity but is unharmed - but any wounds after that are very real, though he always succeeds in protecting the herd. When the sun rises, not even a foal or calf has been lost, though sometimes Dostal was grievously injured.
Unerring Tracker (BEAST): There is no beast or enemy that Dostal could not track. When he found a trace of a foe or prey he desired above all else, he would meditate upon this trace and purify himself, washing himself clean of all scents and entering a state of purity. He then set out, following even the faintest trail. No matter what obstacle he found, he could not be turned from his track, and he always found the trail again. No matter how far his quarry ran, Dostal could not be swayed. While he was in a state of purity, he was utterly invisible, moving through the world like a shadow after his quarry. If they went somewhere he could not follow, he could expend his purity to call on a beast spirit that would help him beyond the obstacle, but his scent would return as he became impure, and he would be visible once more. Even so, he would not lose the trail until he found his quarry or gave up the pursuit.
Dostal has few agents of reprisal except one: Brother Dog. Those who betray their oaths to Dostal are cursed by Brother Dog with a bad smell which causes all dogs to hate them. This curse can be removed only by forgiveness from Brother Dog and Dostal, earned by a quest for atonement assigned by a priest.
That said, Dostal never interferes with the punishments laid out by spirits for violating taboos. Any negotiations with the beast spirits are binding on an initiate, and Dostal expects them to be kept up. Violation of spirit taboos often earns the enmity of the beast spirits, who make their anger known with bad luck during hunting or bad interactions with the animal the spirit is patron of, in addition to abandoning the charm they had gifted.
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