Dongusu (Don-goo-sue / Don-gus-uh)

(a.k.a. Döngüsü)

Dongusu was the god of rejuvination, order, and the life cycle. He was primarily worshipped as a god of the dead amongst halflings and dragons who also believed he ferried dead dragon souls to be reincarnated. He also was the primary deity worshipped by myconids.

Description

Dongusu was portrayed as a serious looking, yet gentle older man and was frequently seen carrying a walking stick. Amongst halflings he was usually shown wearing a long coat.
Amongst dragons, Dongusu was usually shown as a red or gold dragon, bursting forth from a ball of white flame. This represented the draconic belief that, once their bodies had decayed after some time, their souls would be carried by Dongusu to begin a process of reincarnation.
His depiction amongst myconids was as a prototypical myconid sovereign in a position of melding. He was also frequently shown using animating spores.

Religion

Dongusu was the primary god of death within the Halfling Pantheon. Despite this grim role, he was not considered a wicked god, but instead represented the peaceful passing on as part of nature's course.
He was also a key part of the Draconic Pantheon. Amongst true dragons, he was one of their most important deities as he represented an orderly death giving way for new life. Lesser dragons and others who followed the same pantheon often didn't place Dongusu as highly in their estimations, although funeral rites were still given in his name.
Myconids worshipped Dongusu as their primary deity, alongside Curumek. For them Dongusu represents the pacifist lifestyle of myconids, carving out a living in the Underdark, living off the nutrients of the dead, and living an ordered communal lifestyle.
His holy day was known as Phoenix Day*, and was celebrated on the least day of the month which coincided with the seasons changing (eg. 30th of Thawing). The day metaphorically showed the transition between life and death as the changing of the seasons. Amongst halflings in particular, this day was marked by moments of introspection and memorials for deceased loved ones interspersed with festivities to celebrate life, particularly when it ligned up with Savunma's holy day on The Shining, known as Ashen (Phoenix) Day.
_{*Draconic worshippers named each of the holy days seperately after important parts of the body: 30th of Thawing - The Breath; 30th of Blossoming - The Wing; 30th of Goldening - The Claw; The Fading - The Tail.}

Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Domain: Grave, Twilight, Order

Be at peace, dear friend. Rest your head in the lap of Dongusu.

~ Halfling funeral rite