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On The Domovoi
-- A report by Stalwart Wasteland Prince, young Sidereal and Chosen of
Journeys
Once one of the most common spirits in the Realm - and still the most
common
little god outside of it - is the Domovoi. Ranking not far above the status
of least
god, every home in Creation was once presided over by a Domovoi - and in
cities and
towns secluded from the Immaculate Philosophy and its enforcers, they still
do.
Domovoi were and are oversees of domestic activities, and whose goodwill
is
essential to a properly functioning household (without his goodwill the
house would be
much more sensitive to the whims of Fate and chance but, more importantly,
if you
haven't got a Domovoi's goodwill, you almost assuredly have his wrath.)
A domovoi generally dwells within the home outside, near the stove,
under the
threshold, or in the attic; sometimes in the cattle shed or, more often, in
the
stable. In the North, Domovoi tend to make their homes in the yard in a pine
or fir
branch with abundant needles that the peasants hung especially for him.
'Domovoi' itself is a slightly rude moniker, and peasants wishing to
avoid
insulting their domovoi (which is every peasant in the world, save for one
with an
Immaculate Monk at his side) will use euphemisms such as "master,"
"well-wisher,"
"livestock-nourisher," "the other half," "he," "himself," and "that one."
Domovoi grow more powerful with age, and warped by their duties - most
domovoi
are believed to have at one point been former heads of families, who
remained to
protect their descendants and households. However, when referring to
'domovoi' as a
type of spirit (as opposed to an occupation) one refers to the ancient
ghosts that
have spent so much time protecting their houses and recieved so much
accumulated
prayer from their descendants that they have actually become a form of minor
god, and
not truly a ghost at all any longer. (They become members of the celestial
bureaucracy, and are considered spirits - not ghosts - for any effects that
distinguish between the two.)
Most of the time, the domovoi is invisible and dematerialized, merely
watching
over his household with the exacting eye of a mother-in-law. Domovoi pretend
to make
their presence known through nocturnal creaks, moans, and bangs. Morever,
they do not
like to be seen, and mete out punishment for excessive curiousity. When the
domovoi
does choose to appear to a home's inhabitant, it is most often in the image
of a dead
relative, though when acting in a protective or penal capacity one more
often appears
as a dog or cat, and occasionally as a goat or cow. What is most often
notable about
domovoi is the emphasis on age; when appearing in human guise, it is usually
as an
ancient peasant with a long gray beard. Hardy sleepers need rarely worry
about seeing
the domovoi, as they tend to be most active at night, making their rounds
inspecting
the home, visiting sleeping people and livestock.
If angered by his family's sloppy management, abusive language, or
neglect of him,
the spirit would cause the walls of the house to creak, bang pots, tangle
needlework,
spread manure on the door, and turn everything upside-down in the yard.
Sometimes it's
anger would be specifically focused on a single family member; one story
from Ayreon
Prefecture tells of a domovoi that threw a pot of porridge at the house's
master's
head because it was salted (the domovoi in question preferred his weekly
offering of
porridge without salt.) Numerous reports include tales of choking or
almost-choking of
sleeping people, though this seems attributed not so much to anger as to
playfulness.
Due to the spirit's capricousness, it is often difficult to determine it's
likes or
dislikes; should the domovoi be content, however, it may show this by
completing minor
chores (such as giving the livestock hay or oats, if the peasants forgot to
do so.) A
report from Juche tells how the domovoi helped his beloved family with
fieldwork.
Normally, however, the spirit's activity does not extend beyond the yard.
An offended domovoi did not always punish the family, however; an
angered
domovoi's favorite target is livestock though, due to it's essentially
kindly nature,
an offended domovoi occasionally simply abandoned the dwelling. Peasants
view such a
departure as calamatous, since the successful flow of daily life is believed
unthinkable without the aid of the spirit. The domovoi's peasant family
often attempt
to gain his favor or placate him with offerings of porridge, tobacco,
incense,
juniper, and bread and salt, as well as keeping horses of the spirit's
favorite color,
and in some places even the family cat was chosen according to the domovoi's
color
preference.
Care is often taken not to sleep in the domovoi's path (near the
threshold, by
the stove, in the center of the floor) for fear of getting in his way, and
peasants
never whistle indoors, because this threatens to drive the domovoi away.
One of the major services of the domovoi is as oracle; the spirit
foretells future
happiness and disaster through certain sounds and actions. His soft, furry
tuoch at
night signales good fortune; a cold, prickly touch misfortune or death. The
various
moans, shrieks, and clangs made at night were considered bad omens -
dancing, singing,
and joking as good. The domovoi strumming on a comb indicates a wedding in
the family.
A death may be indicated through any of the above bad omens, or simply as
manifesting
physically for a brief moment.
The most common phenomena observed are those concerning the relationship
between
Domovoi and livestock (especially horses.) New animals are ceremonially
presented to
the spirit. upon purchasing a new horse a peasant would, for instance, go
into the
yard and call out: "Grandfather Domovoi! I bought myself a horse; if you
don't like
this color, wait until summer (or winter) and I'll sell it." The domovoi
took special
care of livestock it liked; at night he fed, watered, groomed, and braided
them. One
peasant I personally interviewed outside of Sion spoke of repurchasing a
sold horse
after his domovoi made it clear he was pining after the animal.
If the domovoi disliked an animal, however, he would scatter or steal
its feed,
tie its tail to the manger, cause it to stomp and sweat all night, and
sometimes rode
it to exhaustion. Consequentialy, when a horse or cow is doing poorly, the
owner often
exchanges it for another of a different color.
It has been observed that a domovoi will not leave its old home without
being
specifically invited to its new one and that if he remained, would howl
sadly and
avenge himself on the old masters, and establish hostile relations with the
new owner
and his domovoi. Thus, a specific invitation ("Domovoi! Domovoi! Don't stay
here, but
come with our family!" is often made, and accompanied by a small offering.)
Accounts
sometimes specify that a domovoi can come without invitation if one
transfers the
coals from the hearth (which is considered an invitation in itself.)
Unfortunately, there are occasions in which more than one domovoi comes
to inhabit
a house. A story from Incas Prefecture relates an occasion in which a man
invites a
domovoi from his old home to his new one (which he is to be sharing with his
newly-wedded wife), while the wife transferred the coals from that dwelling.
Apparently, this created an opening for two domovoi in the household, and
the couple
could not sleep for the sounds of bickering and fighting between the two
domovoi every
night. (The wife eventually scared off her husband's domovoi by beating at
the roof
with a broom and shouting at it to leave; whether this simply settled the
argument
between the two domovoi or somehow granted the other domovoi some advantage
in their
ongoing contest is unclear - however, the story stands as the most common
example of
inter-domovoi hostility.)
The only more common story of Domovoi conflict is when interacting with
an 'alien'
domovoi; that is, one of another's house. While one's own domovoi is often
seen as
benevolent and helpful, a foreign domovoi is invariably one that will cause
trouble
and mischief. Reports from local Immaculate temples relate that stealing a
neighbor's
oats is a routine activity of the domovoi, who then fed the stolen grain to
his own
horses. Now and again, stories tell of fighting in the yard between one's
own spirit
and an intruder. Occasionally, reports tell of a sorceror or witch sending
their own
domovoi to cause another bad luck with his animals.
Despite the hostility between domovoi in their functions as protectors
of their
families, not all relations between domovoi and other spirits were
problematic.
Neighboring house spirits supposedly visited each other and held noisy
gatherings
during the season of Air. Both friendly and hostile relations existed
between domovoi
and the other domestic spirits as well as with spirits of forest, field, and
waters.
Dealing with Domovoi: Domovoi dislike mirrors and goats; placing the
head or skull
of a goat under the threshold when the domovoi's caprices become excessive
is often an
immediately useful way of curbing its excesses. Some peasants have found
success
hanging a bear's head, dead hawk, or magpie in the stable or cattle shed to
keep the
spirit from tormenting the livestock. If these simple measures prove
ineffective, some
martial ability may be neccasary to put the spirit in its place. Under no
circumstances, however, should the spirit be killed - while in heavily
policed areas
like the Imperial City the lack of a domovoi would not be crippling to a
household
(despite the beliefs of the peasants), in less well-patrolled areas foreign
domovoi
would take the opportunity to abuse the unprotected household, and the lack
of a
domovoi would undoubtedly bring ruin upon the household in question.
Nature: Caregiver
Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2, Charisma 2, Manipulation 2,
Appearance
1, Perception 2, Intelligence 2, Wits 2
Virtues: Compassion 3, Conviction 3, Valor 2, Temperance 2
Abilities: Thrown 1, Brawl 1, Craft 2 (Animal Husbandry/Livestock +2),
Occult 1,
Awareness 3, Stealth 5 (Indoors +3), Ride 1 (Horses +2), Presence 1
Charms: Materialize (pg 292 core), Landscape Travel(Home)(GoD PDF Appendix
pg 127),
Landscape Camoflage(Home) (GoD PDF Appendix pg 127), Landscape Hide (GoD PDF
Appendix
pg 127), Shapechange (limited to cats, dogs, goats, cows, and former members
of the
household)(GoD PDF Appendix pg 135), Natural Prognostication (GoD PDF
Appendix pg
126), Will-o-Wisp (GoD PDF Appendix pg 135), Imprecation (GoD PDF Appendix
pg 137)
Permanent Essence: 2, Willpower: 5, Essence Pool: 55
Cost to materialize: 25
Health Levels: -0 x 1, -1 x 2, -2 x 3, -4 x 1, Inc.
On The Domovoi
-- A report by Stalwart Wasteland Prince, young Sidereal and Chosen of
Journeys
Once one of the most common spirits in the Realm - and still the most
common
little god outside of it - is the Domovoi. Ranking not far above the status
of least
god, every home in Creation was once presided over by a Domovoi - and in
cities and
towns secluded from the Immaculate Philosophy and its enforcers, they still
do.
Domovoi were and are oversees of domestic activities, and whose goodwill
is
essential to a properly functioning household (without his goodwill the
house would be
much more sensitive to the whims of Fate and chance but, more importantly,
if you
haven't got a Domovoi's goodwill, you almost assuredly have his wrath.)
A domovoi generally dwells within the home outside, near the stove,
under the
threshold, or in the attic; sometimes in the cattle shed or, more often, in
the
stable. In the North, Domovoi tend to make their homes in the yard in a pine
or fir
branch with abundant needles that the peasants hung especially for him.
'Domovoi' itself is a slightly rude moniker, and peasants wishing to
avoid
insulting their domovoi (which is every peasant in the world, save for one
with an
Immaculate Monk at his side) will use euphemisms such as "master,"
"well-wisher,"
"livestock-nourisher," "the other half," "he," "himself," and "that one."
Domovoi grow more powerful with age, and warped by their duties - most
domovoi
are believed to have at one point been former heads of families, who
remained to
protect their descendants and households. However, when referring to
'domovoi' as a
type of spirit (as opposed to an occupation) one refers to the ancient
ghosts that
have spent so much time protecting their houses and recieved so much
accumulated
prayer from their descendants that they have actually become a form of minor
god, and
not truly a ghost at all any longer. (They become members of the celestial
bureaucracy, and are considered spirits - not ghosts - for any effects that
distinguish between the two.)
Most of the time, the domovoi is invisible and dematerialized, merely
watching
over his household with the exacting eye of a mother-in-law. Domovoi pretend
to make
their presence known through nocturnal creaks, moans, and bangs. Morever,
they do not
like to be seen, and mete out punishment for excessive curiousity. When the
domovoi
does choose to appear to a home's inhabitant, it is most often in the image
of a dead
relative, though when acting in a protective or penal capacity one more
often appears
as a dog or cat, and occasionally as a goat or cow. What is most often
notable about
domovoi is the emphasis on age; when appearing in human guise, it is usually
as an
ancient peasant with a long gray beard. Hardy sleepers need rarely worry
about seeing
the domovoi, as they tend to be most active at night, making their rounds
inspecting
the home, visiting sleeping people and livestock.
If angered by his family's sloppy management, abusive language, or
neglect of him,
the spirit would cause the walls of the house to creak, bang pots, tangle
needlework,
spread manure on the door, and turn everything upside-down in the yard.
Sometimes it's
anger would be specifically focused on a single family member; one story
from Ayreon
Prefecture tells of a domovoi that threw a pot of porridge at the house's
master's
head because it was salted (the domovoi in question preferred his weekly
offering of
porridge without salt.) Numerous reports include tales of choking or
almost-choking of
sleeping people, though this seems attributed not so much to anger as to
playfulness.
Due to the spirit's capricousness, it is often difficult to determine it's
likes or
dislikes; should the domovoi be content, however, it may show this by
completing minor
chores (such as giving the livestock hay or oats, if the peasants forgot to
do so.) A
report from Juche tells how the domovoi helped his beloved family with
fieldwork.
Normally, however, the spirit's activity does not extend beyond the yard.
An offended domovoi did not always punish the family, however; an
angered
domovoi's favorite target is livestock though, due to it's essentially
kindly nature,
an offended domovoi occasionally simply abandoned the dwelling. Peasants
view such a
departure as calamatous, since the successful flow of daily life is believed
unthinkable without the aid of the spirit. The domovoi's peasant family
often attempt
to gain his favor or placate him with offerings of porridge, tobacco,
incense,
juniper, and bread and salt, as well as keeping horses of the spirit's
favorite color,
and in some places even the family cat was chosen according to the domovoi's
color
preference.
Care is often taken not to sleep in the domovoi's path (near the
threshold, by
the stove, in the center of the floor) for fear of getting in his way, and
peasants
never whistle indoors, because this threatens to drive the domovoi away.
One of the major services of the domovoi is as oracle; the spirit
foretells future
happiness and disaster through certain sounds and actions. His soft, furry
tuoch at
night signales good fortune; a cold, prickly touch misfortune or death. The
various
moans, shrieks, and clangs made at night were considered bad omens -
dancing, singing,
and joking as good. The domovoi strumming on a comb indicates a wedding in
the family.
A death may be indicated through any of the above bad omens, or simply as
manifesting
physically for a brief moment.
The most common phenomena observed are those concerning the relationship
between
Domovoi and livestock (especially horses.) New animals are ceremonially
presented to
the spirit. upon purchasing a new horse a peasant would, for instance, go
into the
yard and call out: "Grandfather Domovoi! I bought myself a horse; if you
don't like
this color, wait until summer (or winter) and I'll sell it." The domovoi
took special
care of livestock it liked; at night he fed, watered, groomed, and braided
them. One
peasant I personally interviewed outside of Sion spoke of repurchasing a
sold horse
after his domovoi made it clear he was pining after the animal.
If the domovoi disliked an animal, however, he would scatter or steal
its feed,
tie its tail to the manger, cause it to stomp and sweat all night, and
sometimes rode
it to exhaustion. Consequentialy, when a horse or cow is doing poorly, the
owner often
exchanges it for another of a different color.
It has been observed that a domovoi will not leave its old home without
being
specifically invited to its new one and that if he remained, would howl
sadly and
avenge himself on the old masters, and establish hostile relations with the
new owner
and his domovoi. Thus, a specific invitation ("Domovoi! Domovoi! Don't stay
here, but
come with our family!" is often made, and accompanied by a small offering.)
Accounts
sometimes specify that a domovoi can come without invitation if one
transfers the
coals from the hearth (which is considered an invitation in itself.)
Unfortunately, there are occasions in which more than one domovoi comes
to inhabit
a house. A story from Incas Prefecture relates an occasion in which a man
invites a
domovoi from his old home to his new one (which he is to be sharing with his
newly-wedded wife), while the wife transferred the coals from that dwelling.
Apparently, this created an opening for two domovoi in the household, and
the couple
could not sleep for the sounds of bickering and fighting between the two
domovoi every
night. (The wife eventually scared off her husband's domovoi by beating at
the roof
with a broom and shouting at it to leave; whether this simply settled the
argument
between the two domovoi or somehow granted the other domovoi some advantage
in their
ongoing contest is unclear - however, the story stands as the most common
example of
inter-domovoi hostility.)
The only more common story of Domovoi conflict is when interacting with
an 'alien'
domovoi; that is, one of another's house. While one's own domovoi is often
seen as
benevolent and helpful, a foreign domovoi is invariably one that will cause
trouble
and mischief. Reports from local Immaculate temples relate that stealing a
neighbor's
oats is a routine activity of the domovoi, who then fed the stolen grain to
his own
horses. Now and again, stories tell of fighting in the yard between one's
own spirit
and an intruder. Occasionally, reports tell of a sorceror or witch sending
their own
domovoi to cause another bad luck with his animals.
Despite the hostility between domovoi in their functions as protectors
of their
families, not all relations between domovoi and other spirits were
problematic.
Neighboring house spirits supposedly visited each other and held noisy
gatherings
during the season of Air. Both friendly and hostile relations existed
between domovoi
and the other domestic spirits as well as with spirits of forest, field, and
waters.
Dealing with Domovoi: Domovoi dislike mirrors and goats; placing the
head or skull
of a goat under the threshold when the domovoi's caprices become excessive
is often an
immediately useful way of curbing its excesses. Some peasants have found
success
hanging a bear's head, dead hawk, or magpie in the stable or cattle shed to
keep the
spirit from tormenting the livestock. If these simple measures prove
ineffective, some
martial ability may be neccasary to put the spirit in its place. Under no
circumstances, however, should the spirit be killed - while in heavily
policed areas
like the Imperial City the lack of a domovoi would not be crippling to a
household
(despite the beliefs of the peasants), in less well-patrolled areas foreign
domovoi
would take the opportunity to abuse the unprotected household, and the lack
of a
domovoi would undoubtedly bring ruin upon the household in question.
Nature: Caregiver
Attributes: Strength 1, Dexterity 2, Stamina 2, Charisma 2, Manipulation 2,
Appearance
1, Perception 2, Intelligence 2, Wits 2
Virtues: Compassion 3, Conviction 3, Valor 2, Temperance 2
Abilities: Thrown 1, Brawl 1, Craft 2 (Animal Husbandry/Livestock +2),
Occult 1,
Awareness 3, Stealth 5 (Indoors +3), Ride 1 (Horses +2), Presence 1
Charms: Materialize (pg 292 core), Landscape Travel(Home)(GoD PDF Appendix
pg 127),
Landscape Camoflage(Home) (GoD PDF Appendix pg 127), Landscape Hide (GoD PDF
Appendix
pg 127), Shapechange (limited to cats, dogs, goats, cows, and former members
of the
household)(GoD PDF Appendix pg 135), Natural Prognostication (GoD PDF
Appendix pg
126), Will-o-Wisp (GoD PDF Appendix pg 135), Imprecation (GoD PDF Appendix
pg 137)
Permanent Essence: 2, Willpower: 5, Essence Pool: 55
Cost to materialize: 25
Health Levels: -0 x 1, -1 x 2, -2 x 3, -4 x 1, Inc.
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