Editing Talos (Forgotten Realms) (section)

==Cult==
The church of Talos is small by the standards of a greater deity, and almost universally despised, due to the asshole nature of god and followers both - still, the fanatical fervor of his worshippers helps make up for their limited numbers. The cult's major sources of income are raiding or extorting sailors and farmers, using threats of destructive storms and other natural disasters such as wildfires, earthquakes and whirlpools to force them to pay tribute in order to buy off Talos' wrath. This "worship of fear" also gives Talos some of his power, as it makes up for the relative scarcity of people who actually want to worship him. Still, despite this, Talos ever wishes to expand his influence, and his clerics are charged with spreading his worship, which they commit to with the same fanatical fervor they do everything else, seeking to convert through fear or the enticement of raw power.

Talos inspires worship in those who fear the destructive power of nature. His followers are aligned chaotic evil, chaotic neutral, or neutral evil. Worshippers include [[barbarian]]s, [[fighter]]s, [[druid]]s, and [[half-orc]]s. They believe in grabbing what they can when they can, for Talos may take their lives at any time. They believe in fearlessly embracing natural disaster; in doing so they demonstrate the power of Talos, who protects them from harm. They preach that only worship of Talos can protect against natural disasters, and at Talos' whim they hurl such disasters at foes.

Talassan [[cleric]]s are wont to pursue wealth, luxury and wantonness. Many indulge in acts of random or spiteful violence, pillage and banditry. Talassan clerics attack in groups to raze settlements that attempt to resist them.

Worship of Talos is outlawed in many countries. Most Talassan holy sites are secret because of the church's reputation. Public churches often take the form of castles or fortified strongholds that lie on earthquake fault lines or in the path of storms or lava; Talos ensures they remain unscathed. The clergy has no formal hierarchy; obedience is enforced through might.

Clerics of Talos celebrate Talassan festivals with ceremonies that summon lightning and storms. Their most sacred ritual, Calling Down the Thunder, involves the sacrifice of an intelligent being by lightning. The most frequent cleric ritual is the Fury, in which the cleric prays, makes berserk attacks to wreak as much destruction as possible in a small amount of time, then prays again. Clerics of Talos are nicknamed "doom crows" because of their formal dress: they wear black robes and cloaks shot through with teardrops and jagged lines of gold and silver. High clergy wear blue-white ceremonial robes streaked with crimson. All clerics wear an eyepatch. Talassan clerics generally multiclass to barbarian, [[Sorcerer (Dungeons & Dragons)|sorcerer]], the stormlord [[Prestige Class]], and [[wizard]].

Formal orders of Talos are, understandably, rare, and shrouded in secrecy. The only two known orders are the ''Lords of the Tempest'' ([[wizard]]s specializing in exotic combinations of elemental magic) and the ''Circle of Rust and the Worm'' (a cabal of crazed sages and mystics of assorted disciplines, both religious and secular, intent on bringing about the end of the world).

Talos is reputed to have served as a patron to more than one [[lich]].