Taal

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Taal
Taal, god of the wilderness and the storm.

Taal is the god of Nature and Wild Places, the husband and brother of Rhya, and the father of Manann, Verena, and Morr. He is the eldest son of the Earth Mother and the older brother of Ulric.

Symbols

Taal is normally portrayed as a powerfully built man with long, wild hair, dressed in animal skins and wearing the skull of a great stag as a helmet. He may take the form of a giant stag, great bison, or bear.

Taal's holy day is the spring equinox, which marks the rebirth and awakening of nature after its winter slumber. Minor festivals and observances occur during the summer and winter solstices, and the autumn equinox. Holy days of Ulric are kept as minor festivals.

Beliefs

Taal is the god of the wilderness and the storm. His power controls the wind and the rain and drives waterfalls and rapids, avalanches and landslides. He is the Master of the Wild Hunt, as well as the lord of beasts, the forests, and the mountains. All of the wild places of the Old World are under his protection and all that venture into his realm are expected to show proper respect. Disrespect to the land may incur in his displeasure at the least, wrath at the extreme.

Cult

Taal is worshipped throughout the wilds of the Old World and most of his followers are farmers, woodsmen, hunters, and trappers. People who depend on and live off the land and live in accord with the natural world. His worship is strong in the north-east of the Old World, especially in The Empire, and strongest in Talabecland where the river Talabec is held sacred to Taal. Many piles of loose stones in the countryside act as shrines where passing woodsmen can pay their respects. While there is no formal church or temple dedicated to Taal, there are monasteries - like the La Maisontaal Abby located in the Grey Mountains.

On general his cult is in friendly terms with the cults of Ulric, Manann, and of the Old Faith. Loathes the forces of Chaos.

Taal has many similarities with Kurnous, the Elf god of the hunt.

Afterlife

The spirit of faithful dead cultist is taken to a wild forest paradise. In an eternal weather of mid-spring, the spirit finds rest after life’s toil and hardship. Here, one can commune with nature and is at peace with themselves and all around them. If the spirit misses the challenge of life it may engage in exciting activities that are done in life such as hunting, even though the quarry is never killed. The hunt, in this case, represents the thrill of the stalk and pursuit of prey, not the final felling. The spirit also has the freedom to take the form of any animal it desires and shapeshift continuously to what they may wish. It may even choose to be the animal hunted by other spirits in the forest.


The gods & goddesses of the Old World
Old Faith - Rhya - Taal - Ulric - Manann - Morr - Verena - Myrmidia - Shallya - Ranald - Handrich - Stromfels - Khaine - Sigmar - Lady of the Lake - Lucan & Luccina - Ursun - Dazh - Tor - Esmeralda

Notes & sources