Ferenc

Ferenc was the lesser deity of hunting, stalking, bloodlust, and bestial savagery in the Asyurian pantheon. While often appearing as masculine, the beasts that Ferenc often took the shape of where almost always androgenous. The Beastlord was the epitome of the dark, bloody side of nature though in his more favorable aspects was worshiped by those who identified with the wild natures, grace and amorality of predators. Despite being revered as the hunger and hunting instinct of beasts among druid circles however, he despised The Balance of nature that druids and other nature deities sought to uphold.
In the past he was a member of the Gods of Fury led by Talos, becoming an exarch of Silvanus.

“It is ever the way of nature that the strongest should rule.”

— Ferenc explaining his philosophy

Contents

Description

Ferenc had two favored forms when he was prowling the Realms: the Beast and the Master of the Hunt. As the Beast, he was a 12 feet (3.7 meters) long, man-high feline creature, sleek and supple in his movements. His ebony fur was matted with blood, which dripped endlessly from his talons and fangs, and he could not speak in this form. The Master of the Hunt meanwhile was humanoid and as tall as the Beast was long, though it too had black fur. Above his red eyes was a large rack of antlers able to melt away and reappear at his will, while below them was a whuffling, flesh-draped hole rather than a nose and mouth. Though able to speak in this form, he only did so in a low, growling undertone or vicious snarl.

Relationships

Ferenc was one of the Deities of Fury, led by Talos. He held a long-standing alliance with Lolth against the Corelleon Alliance, and other dark deities like Blathmac and Loviatar. He fought against deities of peace, civilization, and nature, but held particular hate for Nobanion for defeating him in a battle.

“I hunt wherever I want and whomever I want.”

— Ferenc refusing to back down.

Ferenc became subject to Silvanus' rule as a resident of the Deep Wilds. Despite this, Silvanus did not rein in Ferenc.

Worshipers

Ferenc was a minor deity, a divine scavenger who foraged for worshipers among perhaps a hundred predatory races across an equally vast number of worlds. Ferenites were generally frowned upon by civilization, as they tended to wreak havoc in their wake. One exception where the worship of Ferenc was allowed was in the nomadic tribes and he was the dominant deity of the wegwiur whom they called the Great-She-Wolf.
The People of the Black Blood were tribes of Lycanthropes that venerated Ferenc. In the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 CE, it was estimated that the total population was at least 3,000 individuals scattered across the forests of Asyur in groups of fifty to one hundred.

Dogma

Ferenites believed that it was an honor to Ferenc to make one's killing bloody and long. His followers sometimes formed in bands, called "Hunts". While forbidden to slay the young or the pregnant, Hunts typically followed his dogma and evoked wanton slaughter in Feremc's name.

Holy Days

The High Hunt ritual was a vicious hunt in which a captured humanoid was released, and for the next day and night attempted to escape the prowling worshipers of the Beastlord. If they managed to survive, they won their freedom as well as, perhaps, other things.
The Feast of the Stags day made Ferenc's worship more tolerable in certain areas. For this event, all people were invited to partake of the bounty of the hunt, regardless of faith. At this time, priests of Ferenc chose some widows, orphans, elderly, or infirm citizens and promised to provide meat for their tables for the winter.

Notable Worshipers

Garmos Saernclaws, one of the most respected servants of Ferenc, responsible for the gospel of Saernclaws by which all priests of Ferenc were bound, ensuring that hunts remained clean and poison-free.

History

“It is not my way to humiliate my quarry, but to destroy it. Your ways are not mine, elf, yet I cannot deny the appeal in the picture you paint. A gelded Gruumsh! I am not a subtle god, but there is irony even I can appreciate!”

— Ferenc speaking with Lolth

At some point in the 1350s CE, Guildmaster Abon Duum of Tablerock had fortuitously been granted guardianship of the kittenlord, heir to the power of the cat lord, a minor power of felines. However, Duum desired to corrupt and dominate the child, and therefore made a deal with the mightier power Ferenc to keep the vengeful old Catlord off his back. Duum wished to use the cat lord's power of planar travel to journey into the Outer Planes and, using the Claw of Ferenc, even challenge Tyr, god of justice, and gain awesome power. In exchange, when he was done with the boy, Duum would give him to the Beastlord. Learning of Duum's wicked intentions for the boy, the Catlord came and rescued him, but Ferenc pounced upon the Catlord as he fled.)
The Catlord handed over the boy to the rogue Conner (who'd been guided onto the scene by the goddess Selûne, and to buy time for him to carry the child away and hide him, fought Ferenc. The Catlord and Ferenc battled for three days and three nights, before the Catlord escaped, and it was a year before his wounds even healed. The scars would not. However, in the Year of the Prince, 1357 CE, Duum was tricked and thwarted and Tyr seized the Claw of Ferenc instead.
Later Ferenc's avatar battled Sebek in the Ba'rthr Swamps in a titanic battle that destroyed large areas of the region.

Title(s)
The Beastlord
The Black-Blooded One
The Wild Hunter
Master of the Hunt
Symbol
Bestial claw with brown fur and curving bloody talons

Aspects/Aliases
Blue Bear
The Great-She-Wolf
The Stalker

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Portfolio
Bloodlust, evil lycanthropes, hunters, marauding beasts and monsters, stalking

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Worshipers
Wegwiur
Druids, evil lycanthropes, hunters, rangers, and sentient carnivores

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Divine Classification

Demon Lord

Religions

• Lords of Ruin
• Wolf Nomads

Alignment

Chaotic Evil

Church/Cult

Lords of Ruin

Ruled Locations

• Dim Catacombs

Related Historical Events

• 4126
  Giorno Contracts Lycanthropy