* Restricted Information: Beastmasters only
The Beastmasters are a Druidic Cult of the Jungle who specialise in Animal Magic. Due to the tribal nature of the Jungle, they are fragmented into many tribal sub-Cults, each with its specific lore. Some such Cults are dedicated to specific animals, which form the main totem of that tribe. Many tribes have several totem animals, but one is usually predominant.
Animal Cults exist outside the Jungle as well, mostly dedicated to specific animals. The principal such Cults are the Snake, Scorpion and Rat Cults of the South and the Underworld, and the Wolf Cults of Kyr and elsewhere. The greatest concentration of such Cults is to be found amongst the Beastmasters of Kargen.
In addition some shamen have developed Animal Magic specialities, and may use some of the Spells and lore of the Beastmaster Cults, without being full Cultists.
The Beastmaster Cults are mostly sponsored by one or more of the Gods, Demigods or Demons of the animals concerned. The principal such Sponsors are:
Note that in the Jungle, many of the usual Gods are worshipped under alter egos, often with different animal-related aspects. The same occurs in Northern Kyr, where ESCUS is worshipped by the Wolf Cult as THE GREAT WHITE WOLF.
Beastmaster Cults are totemic, in that they worship totems of their chosen animals, which represent their Sponsors. The totems are important symbols for their tribes, and may be used for a variety of mystical purposes. For the tribe to kill or eat the totem animal is prohibited, and only the shamen / Druids / Clerics may touch the totem animal. Totems may be used to contact the totem animal or Sponsor, as a gateway to its Dream Kingdom, or as Spell Materials or Media storage items.
Each totem animal has its own unique Yribt Cycle of the Beastmasters, e.g. the Rat Cults have a Rat Cycle, the Snake Cults have a Snake Cycle, the Scorpion Cults have a Scorpion Cycle, etc. For such Cults Yribt Cycle of the Beastmasters Spells listed in the Beastmasters Spell List as relating to a "[Specific Animal]" are Spells relating to their specific totem animal, within its unique Cycle.
Lycanthropy is rife within Bear, Boar, Rat, Tiger and Wolf Cults. To be a Were of the totem animal is considered holy, and worshippers are often ritually infected.
Beastmasters are typically shamen of their tribes, functioning as spiritual leaders and seers. They also act as protectors of their totem animals and their habitat.
The followers of specific animal Cults are also dedicated to advancing the interests of their Sponsor(s). The Demigods in particular seek Godhead and Clericism, and require the Faith of Their non-Clerical Cultists. Their Clerical Cultists put Faith in the God of the Sponsor Demigod's Host (as listed on the Demigods index page), often under an alter ego.
The principal totem animals, especially those which have a degree of shared consciousness through the herd or pack, have their own Dream Kingdoms, which are ruled by their Sponsors and may be accessed by their Cultists. These include:
The relevant animals go to these Dream Kingdoms when they dream. They also access them when awake, as the shared consciousness of their ancestors is the source of instinct for the species.
Shamen who worship the totem of the animal concerned may walk its Dream Kingdom, either in spiritual or real form (see the Dreamer System), as a member of the herd or pack. On reaching DrL 8 they are granted the Power physically to enter the relevant Dream Kingdom. Other interlopers in the Kingdom are likely to face hostility, especially if they do not show due respect.
The Beastmaster Cults use Media as normal Druids, but instead of privet / holly / ivy / mistletoe some Cults use plants that grow locally. For example, the Media of the Beastmasters of the Jungle are:
| Druidic Cycle | Medium | Date to harvest for maximum bonus |
| Sered Cycle | Senna | Mid-Spring Caeriad (13 Varech) |
| Yribt Cycle | Cacao | Midwinter Caeriad (26 Yarom, or 25 Yarom in a leap year) |
| Yribt Cycle of the Beastmasters | varies by Cult - see below | peak of the rutting season, e.g. Mid-Autumn Caeriad (12 Garrack) |
| Ranian Cycle | Bougainvillea | Mid-Autumn Caeriad (12 Garrack) |
| Druid Cycle | Sandalwood | Midsummer Caeriad (26 Oscow) |
Sandalwood has half effect as a Medium for the other Spell Cycles, as per Mistletoe.
The Medium of the Yribt Cycle of the Beastmasters has half effect as a Medium for the Yribt Cycle, and vice-versa. Some typical Media of the Yribt Cycles of the Beastmasters are as follows:
Belladonna (Deadly Nightshade) for the Rodent Cycle - maximum bonus Mid-Autumn Caeriad (12 Garrack) (as rats multiply fastest when food is most plentiful)
Bilberry for the Ursine Cycle of Bears - maximum bonus Mid-Autumn Caeriad (12 Garrack)
Dracaena for the Saurian Cycle - maximum bonus Midwinter Caeriad (25/26 Yarom)
Foxglove for the Lupine Cycle of Wolves - maximum bonus Mid-Autumn Caeriad (12 Garrack)
Mandrake for the Nightwing Cycle of Bats - maximum bonus Mid-Autumn Caeriad (12 Garrack)
Monkey Puzzle for the Simian Cycle of Monkeys - maximum bonus Mid-Autumn Caeriad (12 Garrack)
Eucalyptus for the Scorpion Cycle - maximum bonus Midsummer Caeriad (26 Oscow)
Snakeroot for the Snake Cycle - maximum bonus Mid-Spring Caeriad (13 Varech)
Spider Plant for the J’Ungol Cycle of Spiders - maximum bonus Midsummer Caeriad (26 Oscow)
Instead of harvesting a specimen from a plant to be used as a Medium, the Beastmaster Druid may touch the associated totem (a small portable one is recommended) to the plant, incanting in Old Speech to the effect that he foregoes taking the specimen, and expending SP equal to the plus on Spells the specimen would have given (depending on the means the Druid had available to harvest it, and which he demonstrates and refers to in the incantation: e.g "I forego taking a specimen from you with this golden sickle, into this golden bowl, on this Mid-Autumn Day"). The plus is then stored in the totem, to be expended later. No more specimens may be foregone during any Caeriad than could properly have been harvested from the plant.
The total pluses that may be stored in a totem (aggregating their values) equal the maximum number of instress points the Druid has instressed from the totem animal whilst also meditating upon the totem during a single Caeriad in the past period of one year. It is therefore necessary periodically to spend a day instressing from the totem animal and meditating upon the totem.
Pluses must be expended in amounts equal to the pluses that would have been given by the specimens that were used to store them. Each stored plus decreases in value by one on each New Moon, in the usual way. Already harvested specimens may be stored in totems for half effect (FRD), but at full SP cost. Pluses expended from totems are not cumulative with any other media plus.
Go to Beastmasters Spell List
Back to top of document
Back to Druidic System
Back to Cults page
© P.R. Wild, 5 January 2002 (last revised 26 January 2025)