| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Combat | ATK 35 DEF 65 SPR 72 SPD 48 INT 58 |
Title: Household Spirits, The Watchful Dead, The Embodied Lineage
Tradition: Siberian Sacred | All Turkic-Mongol peoples
Description:
An ongon (or onggon) is not a ghost—it is a spirit voluntarily taking residence in a physical object: a carved figurine, a wooden stick, a preserved animal pelt or skull, a bone carving. The ancestor (or protective spirit) literally lives in this object. It is fed, honored, consulted, and feared.
A Mongol warrior might carry a small ongon figurine into battle, speaking to it before combat: “Protect me. Grant me victory. I will honor you upon return.” The ongon of a deceased shaman is more powerful than the ongon of a commoner—shamanic lineages can persist through their objects for generations.
Ongons require maintenance: regular placement in the best position of the house, offerings of fermented milk or meat, songs of gratitude. A neglected ongon becomes resentful, vengeful. A respectfully maintained ongon becomes a family guardian.
Christian missionaries specifically targeted ongons, desecrating them to prove that “the spirits cannot defend themselves”—a calculated psychological attack. Many Siberian families hid their ongons, transferring them secretly through generations.
In RPG Context: Ongons are relics and fetishes. A character can bind an ancestor spirit into an object, creating a magical familiar with specific properties inherited from the ancestor’s life. Destroying an ongon can anger or free the trapped spirit.
STAT BLOCK:
| Stat | Score |
|---|---|
| ATK | 35 |
| DEF | 65 |
| SPR | 72 |
| SPD | 48 |
| INT | 58 |
Power Tier: C — Lesser (varies by ancestor’s original power)
Alignment: Depends on ancestor, usually Neutral Good or Lawful Good
Domain: Family protection, ancestral continuity, household magic, lineage wisdom
Sacred Symbols: Carved figure, animal pelt, bone carving, household shrine
Cross-Tradition Parallels: Lares (Roman household gods), Kami in objects (Shinto), Reliquaries (Catholic), Familiar spirits (European witchcraft), Totem objects (Native American)
Ability: An ongon grants its owner +25 SPR when defending family members and +20 DEF against hostile spirits. If the ongon is destroyed, the owner suffers -40 SPR and the ancestor may seek vengeance.
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