The Arcos river valley honors only Yu-Kargzant, Kargzant and West King Wind over the important and vital power of Arcos, the great river, and DuTukhos, the god who tamed it. All who live along the river owe their lives to the gifts of DuTukhos and Arcos, who grant the bounty of the waters and protect the people from being ruled by eternal winter. The Arcos stands as the great bastion against Valind, marking the boundary between Pent and the lands where Winter holds less sway.
Before DuTukhos came, Arcos was already old. She - or perhaps he, the tales do not agree - was a mighty dragon that once ruled much of Pent. The coming of the winds awoke Valind, who stole many of the lands of the north, and Arcos became enraged. He - or perhaps she - rampaged across the land, smashing the homes of those who lived in the Arcos Valley, which included many of the ancestral peoples who would become Pentan, especially the Starlight Ancestors.
The people begged their gods for aid. Kargzant came to their aid several times, protecting villages from the dragon Arcos, but he could not be everywhere. West King Wind came to their aid several times, driving his brother Valind back, but he could not be everywhere. The people suffered alongside their Half-Man neighbors. Then came DuTukhos. He was a son, or perhaps she was a daughter, of Lozarl who had lived as a Half-Man for he (or perhaps she) could not find the other half of their soul, which had not been born in the body of any horse. To prove that she (or perhaps he) was a true god of the Pentans, they swore that they would save the Arcos Valley, even if they had to do so alone, half-souled. They would protect true Pentan and Half-Man alike.
DuTukhos first challenged Arcos directly to a match of the three games. In archery, DuTukhos triumphed, for Arcos did not know how to wield a bow. In wrestling, however, Arcos overcame DuTukhos, who could not pin the river down. Then came the challenge of riding, and neither Arcos nor DuTukhos could win, for neither had a second body, and so neither could ride. Thus their match was tied, and they prepared to go to war with each other, for DuTukhos could not let the valley drown, but Arcos could not allow the land to freeze.
They fought for days. First, DuTukhos fought as a warrior fights a monster, harrying Arcos with quick cuts and drawing the river out. Yet Arcos was no monster, and was too clever to be tricked into overreach. Then, DuTukhos fought as a warrior fights a warrior, matching strength to strength and looking for a mistake. Still, Arcos was no man, and was too fierce to falter.
Fortunately, it was then that Valind chose to attack, believing correctly that Arcos was weakened by distraction. The Lord of Winter descended on the pair, pretending to DuTukhos that he was a friend. Wise DuTukhos realized then why Arcos fought, for he (or perhaps she) saw the cruelty and the hunger in Valind. Arcos hesitated, and in that moment, DuTukhos saw the river’s true nature.
Instead of approaching the river as a monster or a warrior, DuTukhos stepped forward as a rider to their second soul, the horse they rode. The river hesitated again, and Valind swung his terrible klanth - but it never struck, for DuTukhos met it as a warrior meets a hated foe, taking the wound for the river. And in that moment, two souls once lost connected again, becoming one.
DuTukhos and Arcos fought Valind and drove him north, and forever after were united as Rider and Mount. They fight Valind’s forces constantly. However, their victory is not assured. DuTukhos took a terrible wound from Valind, and each year, Arcos and DuTukhos fight the Frozen Khan and are driven to their limits. The valley is struck by terrible cold until the gods can beat it back, and the cost can be terrible. Sometimes, DuTukhos is wounded and Arcos rampages, flooding the river valley as the pair drive Valind back.
Despite this, the people of the Arcos Valley know that the river does not hate them, nor does it wish to harm them. These floods are never so terrible as they were before DuTukhos tamed Arcos and revealed its true nature: a noble horse fighting their most terrible foe, wearing the skin of a dragon. They have learned to move with the river’s moods, as a rider moves with their horse, and even the worst floods now bring some good.
The Cult of DuTukhos and Arcos is localized to the Arcos river valley, where it is vital and powerful. It is not worshipped elsewhere in Pent in any significant amount, though occasionally the cult is called on for aid in fighting the hated Valind and the ice trolls. Along the Arcos, every tribe maintains its own cult, as do many Half-Man farming villages. They maintain their own traditions but all honor the river monasteries that unite the valley. These monasteries form the major trading centers along the river, maintaining sacred boathouses and watchtowers to help predict the weather and flood cycles of the Arcos.
DuTukhos is the Rider self of the pair and is depicted as a warrior with light grey-blue skin in green robes, sometimes a man and sometimes a woman depending on local traditions. Water flows from the sleeves, usually with fish in it, and they bear a net and a heavy club. A white line is depicted over the stomach, representing the wound DuTukhos took from Valind, though the actual flesh is never shown. If DuTukhos is male, Arcos is a mare, while if DuTukhos is female, Arcos is a stallion, but beyond this change, Arcos’ depiction does not vary much. Arcos is always a blue, scaled horse with a head and whiskers like a dragon and a reptilian tail.
DuTukhos and Arcos are considered two be two bodies of a single god, and thus share a set of runes. They bear the runes of Water, Life and Disorder. Arcos is a river, and is of one soul with DuTukhos, who shares their watery nature. They are life-bringers, ensuring the life of the soil and the warmth of the Arcos valley in summer, but they are also destroyers, their fury in battle smashing apart even the works of their kin and allies when they become too distracted by warfare to notice.
WATER: The power of the Arcos river is the power of Arcos and DuTukhos, There are few Water gods among the First Herd, but the rune is more common among the people of the Arcos Valley. Initiates have been known to use the Water Rune to, among other things, breathe water, command the waters of the Arcos River, cross rivers safely, melt ice, catch fish, predict the weather or floods, fight winter beings, swim, fight aboard a boat or while in the water, or pilot a boat. Initiates strong in the Water Rune tend to be flexible, warm, and vengeful.
LIFE: Arcos and DuTukhos bring life to the valley, protecting it from the killing cold as best they can. Initiates have been known to use the Life Rune to, among other things, fertilize soil, bless fishing, irrigate crops, quench thirst, shield against chills, bless crop growth, keep wounds from being deadly, or prevent drowning. Initiates strong in the Life Rune tend to be boisterous, generous, and overconfident.
DISORDER: When their fury is unleashed, Arcos and DuTukhos can cause untold damage, flooding the river valley in their effort to drive out winter. Initiates have been known to use the Disorder Rune to, among other things, sweep things away, smash walls, cause floods, ride horses, fight on horseback, go berserk, overwhelm defenses, or burst bindings. Initiates strong in the Disorder Rune tend to be direct, forceful, and angry.
Arcos and DuTukhos are opposed to the Runes of Cold, Death and Harmony.
DuTukhos is the child of Lozarl and remains close with their father. Their mother is unclear. Some say they are a child of Oria, but others disagree. DuTukhos and Arcos are close to any god whose crops are grown along the river valley, aiding them by bringing life-giving waters and warmth.
The pair despise Valind, the Khan of Winter, more than any other being. He is their most hated enemy, who must be fought at every turn and who gave DuTukhos a terrible wound. Arcos is also known to harbor a grudge against the West King Wind, who once fought and slew some of her kin.
There is not a singular cult of DuTukhos and Arcos, but rather a network of associated cults. Each tribe and Half-Man village along the Arcos River has its own cult, but all respect each other and can worship in each other’s shrines and temples. Each cult maintains its own traditions and variations on the sacred stories, however, and none have authority over any other.
The priests of DuTukhos and Arcos are known as the River Wardens. They oversee the rituals to strengthen the pair in their battles against winter and the rituals to placate the gods when the river floods. The River People are also responsible for overseeing all fishing activities on the river, and only fishers blessed by them are permitted to work the waters. Most also train in the repair and maintenance of watercraft. The exact ranks within the cult vary by local tradition, but in general, rank is associated with age, skill in carpentry and skill in fishing. River Wardens are not expected to be warriors, but most train in using fishing spears and nets in battle in case of troll attack.
The Arcos river valley is the only place in which DuTukhos and Arcos receive significant worship. The entire river is said to be the body of Arcos, and so its entire length is to some degree or another sacred. Various fords and fish spawning places along the river are particularly holy, and most of these places are home to permanent shrines to Arcos and DuTukhos or even full temples in the nearby Half-Man villages.
Initiates of DuTukhos and Arcos must have the Water Rune at 1W or higher. While they may be approached through the Life and Disorder Runes, the Water Rune is an absolute requirement.
Initiates are required to carry with them at all times a bottle of water from the Arcos River, which must be kept pure. If this bottle is lost, it must be replaced within a day. If it isn’t, the initiate must seek atonement from the River Wardens, typically requiring a rite of purification in the river’s waters.
Initiates are not rendered impure by contact with blood or bodily fluids if they were fighting against the forces of winter, but do become impure if that contact was under other circumstances.
The first day of Dark Season is the highest holy day of DuTukhos and Arcos, but it is not a day of celebration. This day marks the wounding of DuTukhos by Valind, and great sacrifices are prepared to strengthen the god for the coming winter. It is a day of preparation, in which strength is offered to DuTukhos and the people prepare for the long, freezing winter that will follow. The cult guides preparations for the winter and any emergency work that must be done to shore up stocks of food, blankets and similar.
The next most important holy day of the cult is the fifth day of Sea Season, when they check on the temperament of Arcos and the progress of DuTukhos’ healing. This can be a day of celebration, if a peaceful flooding is foretold. In this case, the cult prepares games of swimming and often leads a raid to the north to fight any trolls they can find, to celebrate their gods’ recovery and victory. If the signs instead point to DuTukhos recovering poorly and Arcos rampaging, it is another day of preparation and warding, with the cult attempting to forestall the damage that is to come. They will still often raid the trolls in an effort to assist Arcos and redirect the damage northward.
Lesser holy days are held in each month between Sea and Dark season, offering up gifts to Arcos and DuTukhos to thank them for the protection of warmth and the bounty of the river. Their date varies by region in the valley, set based on the particular cycles of the river to coincide with its calmest points in each season.
Fish and river crops are the favored sacrifices of DuTukhos and Arcos, particularly rice, which is said to be DuTukhos’ favorite meal. Sacrifices of glacial ice and the weapons of ice trolls are also highly prized as long as they were seized as war trophies. Nothing taken by peaceful trading with the forces of winter is acceptable as a sacrifice.
Most subcults of DuTukhos and Arcos are dedicated to heroes that served the cult and are highly localized. Very few are widespread even in the Arcos valley, and tend to focus on reproduction of the feats of these heroes.
Devotees of DuTukhos and Arcos are considered to be devoted to both simultaneously, for the pair are one being in two bodies. They must have a Water, Life or Disorder Rune at 11W or higher, with all normal requirements for giving up other magic.
Bounty of the River (LIFE): When Valind was driven away, DuTukhos and Arcos went among the people of the Arcos valley to show the river was on their side. They repeat this feat even now. DuTukhos wades into the river atop their new horse, and the waters rose to meet them, covering them over. When DuTukhos emerges, fish abound in the water flowing off them, able to picked up and caught in nets without trouble. The water flows into the fields, ensuring that even when there is no rain, the land to be planted is fertile. There is always enough fish to feed the entire tribe or village for a season. Any snow or ice melts away as DuTukhos and Arcos pass it. If DuTukhos and Arcos are in a state of purity, they may bless the farmers of the valley, giving up their state of purity to bury divine fish bones in the fields and paddies. This will bless the harvest to come, tripling its output. However, this procession can only be performed in the Sea season, and only if DuTukhos has not been terribly wounded by Valind in that year.
Bastion Against Winter (DISORDER): DuTukhos is not the greatest of the divine warriors, but none hate Valind like Arcos and DuTukhos do. When the forces of winter threaten, DuTukhos takes up their club and net and rides out to fight them. While they are in a state of purity, they cannot be defeated by any wintery foe, smashing them with mighty blows and scattering them with raging waters. Snow and ice melt against their fury, and they may expend their state of purity to allow Arcos to transform from horse into river to batter and drown the enemy force with all the might of the Arcos River. However, there is always a great price to be paid. When the battle ends, DuTukhos will take a terrible wound. They will not and cannot lose, but will be grievously injured. If their state of purity was expended, the Arcos River will flood worse this year, and their injury will be even worse than usual, but the forces of winter will be weakened for a full year, and the next winter will be mild.
Arcos and DuTukhos are served by the tributary spirits of the rivers that feed into the Arcos. Any followers of the cult who deal peacefully with ice trolls or other forces of winter are cursed by these spirits with the hatred of the waters. They bring bad luck to any vessel they work or sail on, find that the rivers resist their efforts to swim, and are hated by any fish or other water creatures that live in the Arcos Valley. Atonement can be granted by the River Wardens, but it is never granted easily, for the forces of winter are the most hated of foes.