far to walk to, a small shrine to Sune often stands near
a street corner. These sites consist of a mirror hung
beneath a small roof where one can say a prayer while
checking one's appearance. The spot might feature a
shelf or a cupboard holding various perfumes and cos-
metics so that those without the funds to purchase such
items can still make themselves feel beautiful.
TALON A
Lady of Poison, Mistress of Disease, the Plague-crone
One of the most often beseeched of FaerO.n's deities,
Talona is the goddess of disease and poison, blamed for
everything from common illnesses to crop failure to brack-
ish wells to plague. Depicted in temple iconography as a
withered crone with a cup or a vase that holds all the vari-
eties of disease and poison, Talona is a fearsome goddess,
and many are the prayers that beg her for protection from
illness and poison. Various rituals to placate her involve the
use of three drops of blood or three tears-to be dropped
into a well that has gone bad, dripped into the handkerchief
of someone beset by coughing, dropped into a fire made
by burning a withered crop, dripped into the mouth of a
plague sufferer, and so on. It's common practice to mark a
container of poison with her holy symbol, three droplets in
a triangle, and during epidemics folk paint the same image
on the homes of the infected.
Though she is often the recipient of prayers, Talona
has almost no temples and few cults dedicated to her. A
cult or a shrine to her might arise in an area after it suf-
fers from pestilence, when some of those who survived
decide to revere her or even become priests.
TALOS
S tormlord, the Destroyer
Talos is the dark side of nature, the uncaring and de-
structive force that might strike at any time. He is the
god of storms, forest fires, earthquakes, tornadoes, and
gene ral destruction. He counts the ravager, the raider,
the loote r, and the brigand among his followers. Those
who favor him see life as a succession of random effects
in a s ea of chaos, so the devout should grab what they
can, when they can-for who can say when Talos will
s trike and s end them into the afterlife?
Talos is portrayed as a broad-shouldered, bearded
young man with a single good eye, the other covered
by a dark patch. He is said to carry a collection of three
staffs, made from the first tree cut down in the world,
SYMBOL OF TALONACHAPTER 1 I WELCOME TO THE REALMS
the first silver smelted, and the first iron forged. He uses
these staffs to raise destructive winds, cause terrible
storms, and split the land in acts of rage. The three light-
ning bolts of his holy symbol represent these staffs, and
when he vents his wrath on the world, he is thought to
hurl them down from the sky as lightning strikes.
Although Talos is a popular deity, his name is invoked
more often out of fear than out of reverence. He does
have priests, mostly traveling doomsayers, who warn
of disasters to come and accept charity in exchange for
blessings of protection. Many of his faithful wear a black
eyepatch, even if both eyes are intact.TEMPUS
The Foehammer, the Lord of Battles
Tempus is a war god concerned with brave conduct
during war, using force of arms over talk for settling
disputes, and encouraging bloodshed. The god of war is
random in his favors, meaning that his chaotic nature fa -
vors all sides equally. Lord Tempus might be an army's
ally one day, and its enemy the next. He might seem to
manifest before a battle, appearing to one side or the
other. If he is seen riding a white mare (Veiros), then the
army will succeed. If he rides a black stallion (Deiros),
then defeat is certain. Most often he appears to be rid-
ing with one foot in each mount's stirrup, signifying the
unpredictable nature of battle. In such visions, Tempus
is always a powerfully built warrior dresse d for battle in
the style of those who envision him.
Tempus's favor might be randomly distributed, but
over the centuries his priests have made an effort tospre ad and enforce a common code of warfare-to make
war a thing of rules, respect for reputations, and pro-
fessional behavior. This code, called Tempus's Honor,
has the purpose of making conflicts brief, decisive, and
as safe as possible for those not directly involved. The
rules in the code include the following: arm anyone who
has need of a weapon; disparage no foe; acquit oneself
with bravery; train all for battle; and don't engage in
feuds. Those who poison wells, taint fields, kill noncom-
batants, or engage in torture in the name of war are all
considered sinners.
Worshipers of Tempus are legion, and his name is
often on the lips of soldiers. His priests are tacticians,
often skilled in the art of war. Many of his ordained
don't serve in temples, but as battlefield chaplains with
armies and mercenary companies, encouraging their
fellow soldiers with both word and blade. Priests ofSvMBOL OF TALCS