Lady of Poison, Mistress of Disease,She of the Deadly Kiss, Mother of All Plagues
Lesser Power of Carceri, CE
PORTFOLIO: Disease, poison ALIASES: Kiputytto DOMAIN NAME: Cathrys/Palace of Poison Tears SUPERIOR: None (formerly Bhaal) ALLIES: Bane (now dead), Bhaal, Shar FOES: Chauntea, Loviatar, Mielikki, Silvanus, Sune, Lliira, Kelemvor, Tyr, Shiallia SYMBOL: Three golden amber teardrops on a purple equilateral triangle with point upward WOR. ALIGN. LN, N, CN, LE, NE, CE
Talona (Tah-LOW-nah), one of the Dark Gods, is often depicted as a withered old crone with a scarred, tattooed face in religious texts. Where she walks, misfortune and death follow. She is an odd deity. Sages have described her as having the personality of a petulant, greedy child trapped in the body of a once-beautiful woman now scarred by horrific disease and ravaged by age: She is alternately desirous of attention at any cost like a small child and aloof like a wounded paramour who has been discarded by her love.
Talona’s power slowly wanes after each great plague in Faerûn. When she feels vulnerable in her position, she unleashes another wave of misery and disease-brought death and receives a torrent of prayers entreating her to spare the inhabitants of Faerûn from her withering touch. Her power then waxes again in an endless cycle of indifference, devastation, and appeasement. In particular, Talona’s power was ascendant during the destruction of Asram (after the erection of the Standing Stone), in the Year of the Clinging Death (75 DR), during the Rotting War (902 DR), in the Year of the Scourge (1150 DR), in the Year of the Empty Goblet and the Year of Beckoning Death (1252-1253 DR), and during the Great Plague of the Inner Sea (1317-1323 DR).
Some old texts of Talona refer to her as Kiputytto, but this is actually the name of a rival demipower who challenged Talona’s portfolio and lost. The battle between the two goddesses destroyed the Netherese survivor state of Asram in its wake. When Kiputytto attacked Talona, Talona plagued the ill-fated Asram in order to obtain the devotional power generated from the worship of its citizens, who hoped to appease Talona and lessen the effects of the disease. Kiputytto responded in kind in the same location, provoking a devastating series of increasingly virulent plagues (perhaps even magical in nature) that overloaded the curative resources of Asram’s various priesthoods and wiped out the entire population in less than a month. Even most of those who escaped the scourged area died soon after of disease. Shortly afterward, Talona won this devastating deific contest and murdered Kiputytto.
Representations of Talona’s symbol dated to before her battle with Kiputytto show it depicted as a flesh-colored equilateral triangle with point upward containing three teardrops arranged in a triangle with the uppermost black, the lower left purple, and the lower right green. Why the coloration was changed after her triumph over Kiputytto is one of the inner mysteries of the church not ever revealed to outsiders.
While he lived, Talona served Bhaal along with Loviatar, though Loviatar and Talona and are fierce rivals. Loviatar loves to torment and tease Talona over her ugly appearance, her scanty number of followers, her cowardly and ineffectual attacks, and her puny portfolio (in Loviatar’s words). Needless to say, Talona openly delights in any setbacks Loviatar experiences, and sometimes even aids good adventurers if she thinks they will damage Loviatar’s reputation. Talona has recently cultivated an alliance with Shar
Other Manifestations Talona may manifest as a flickering brown-and-yellow radiance above a place of disease or death (such as a battlefield). Her shape and movements resemble a dancing flame able to teleport itself for short distances. She is unable to speak in this form, but may write by burning letters in wood or other organic substances or scribing them in sand, ashes, dust, or other loose material. In this form, she can by touch bestow spells, enact her Touch (see above), and communicate mind-to-mind employing mental visions with any creature. (In practice, only Talontar are favored by such communications). She also sends chasme (tanar’ri), gulguthras (otyughs, neo-otyughs, and gulguthydras), imps and quasits, ironmaws, rats (pack of giant and normal-sized rodents), sewerms, shadowdrakes, spiders (gargantuan, hairy, and watch), terlens, and vorrs to inflict her wrath, show her approval, or aid her faithful. Her presence is sometimes indicated by the sudden appearance and rapid growth of a black lily or a poisonous herb or fungus. The talontar believe the discovery of a solitary piece of amber or jasper indicates the Lady of Poison’s favor, but if such a gem shatters when touched, the victim will soon die of disease (if amber is found) or poison (if jasper is happened upon).
The Church
CLERGY: Clerics, specialty priests, mystics CLERGY’S ALIGN.: LE, NE, CE TURN UNDEAD: C: No, SP: No, Mys: No CMND. UNDEAD: C: Yes, SP: No, Mys; No
All clerics, specialty priests, and mystics of Talona receive religion (Faerûnian) as a bonus nonweapon proficiency. Talona, like most chaotic evil gods, is more feared than worshiped and is propitiated to avoid her attentions, not to draw them. The church of Talona operates underground, as can be expected of a faith that promotes death and disease. It IS strongest in those regions where plagues are rampant, and the faithful of Talona are often accused of creating such situations. Many wererats pray to the Lady of Disease for additional weapons of disease to use against the hated humans.
Those who actively worship Talona tend to gather in secret in the catacombs beneath cities or in wilderness ruins. Underground temples are often built above reeking, overflowing sewers or in humid grottoes overgrown with fungi and mold. Wilderness shrines are typically located in stagnant swamps and marshes rife with disease-laden mosquitoes and rich with the sickly sweet scent of decay. Twisted gargoyles carved to resemble mortals wracked with various diseases or poisons are positioned prominently throughout such structures.
The Lady of Poisons attracts the cruel to her service; her priests tend to be self-sufficient, capable—and sadistic. Priests of Talona are known as Talontar, and members of the faith as a whole (laity and clergy) are called Talonites. Talontar are partial to ritual facial tattoos and scarification over their whole bodies. Talonite priests of 2nd level or less are considered probationary initiates. Only upon reaching 3rd level are they formally inducted into the priesthood. Specialty priests of Talona, known as malagents, wield poisoned daggers and serve as the adventuring and internal policing arm of the faith. They make up about 45% of Talona’s clergy members and are slowly ascending to dominance of the faith, with clerics (40%) and mystics (15%) comprising the remainder of the priesthood. Specialty priests are addressed as “Most Fatal Horror” and are sometimes— not to their faces—known as “Fatals” to other Talonites. Other priests of the Lady of Poisons are addressed as “Most Debilitating Holiness,” though senior clergy usually call their juniors “Young Venom,” regardless of their relative ages.
Dogma: Talona’s ethos stresses that life and death are in balance, but that death is the more powerful and should be paid proper homage and respect. Life and death are balanced only because birthing and generation are so plentiful. Death is the true power, and the lesson that waits for all. lf it falls to the followers of Talona to drive home the point with the tip of a dagger, so be it.
Talona’s faithful are taught that if they respect death and the many ways the powers can deal it, that knowledge will allow them to live longer. If people think themselves invincible thanks to wealth or a swift swordarm or strong spells, the great equalizer of disease, Talona’s breath, will teach them respect and humility. Initiates to the faith are charged as follows: “Let pain be as pleasure to the faithful of Talona. She works upon you from within, and in weakness and wasting is her strength. She is forever and always with you, whomever you or the rest of the world believes in or serves. Let all living things learn respect from Talona and pay homage to her in goods and in fervent worship, and her dedicated priests will intercede for them so that Talona will not claim them—this time. Go and work in Talona’s name and let your doings be subtle or spectacular, but make them known as the will of the Mother of All Plagues.”
Day-to-Day Activities: Aside from selling poisons, antidotes, and medicines, the Talontar travel Faerûn as quietly as possible, constantly seeking out new diseases and afflictions and spreading rumors so as to augment the reputation of Talona. What seems to motivate Talontar in their day-to-day behavior is a quest for respect: respect that is due Talona for her potentially devastating abilities and due them as her representatives in Faerûn. Throughout their careers, Talona’s priests work with magic and inoculations to build their personal immunities to various poisons and diseases. Thus protected, they treat the diseased, take employment as food tasters for paranoid rulers, wealthy merchants, and nobles, and bun those who have died from diseases. Whenever a realm or city-state casts out or punishes any Talontar, for any reason, priests of Talona work to cause a plague in that place to exact “Talona’s price” for such insults. Rumors have circulated that certain unscrupulous Talontar have occasionally chosen wealthy folk as targets for disease so that wealth and properties can be seized by the church upon the death of these wealthy owners— with the threat of contracting disease keeping rightful heirs and claimants at bay.
Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: The church of Talona observes thrice-daily prayers to the goddess (morning, highsun, and evening, though the timing of such rituals need not be precise), and daernuth (holy festivals) every 12 days. Festivals are events open to nondevotees, where such visitors are encouraged to pray and give offerings to Talona to spare themselves or loved ones from death, disease, wasting diseases, and the like. At such day-long celebrations, priests of Talona are always careful to show lepers and other victims of disfiguring diseases being cured by priestly magic before everyone and also to demonstrate their immunity to contracting disease by touching disease-carrying or filthy objects to the stillbloody ritual wounds of a Talontar (inflicted as during a private cicatrization ceremony). A long symphony of rolling drums, deep-voiced chanting, and glaur, shawm, and zulkoon music proclaims the power and veneration of Talona throughout the day, and minor priests busily sell poisons (for eliminating vermin, of course), antidotes, and medicines throughout the day, assisted by senior clergy who diagnose conditions (usually with great accuracy) and prescribe treatments in return for stiff fees (typically 50 or 100 gp per examination).
Annually at the daernuth falling closet to Higharvestide, initiates of the faith are formally inducted into the priesthood. This ascension is marked by horrifying private ceremonies involving ritual scarring and sacred tattoos. Exceptionally unappealing individuals (Charisma 3 or 4) who undergo the ascension ceremony find their personal Charisma raised by the ceremony due to the respect engendered in those viewing them by the fact that they survived the experience causing such scars (Charisma goes up to 5). The amount of scarring is so severe for specialty priests of the faith that their Charisma drops to a maximum of 11 if it was higher before the ceremony, though the same benefit for a dismally low Charisma is accrued.
Major Centers of Worship: The House of Night’s Embrace, a fortified temple-palace in Tashluta ruled by Lady Doom Thalaera Indlerith, is the most prominent site of Talona’s worship. The House is defended by an army of black-masked guards assisted by gargoyles and golems. In its secretive depths the battle-tested Priestesses of the Lady’s Night make poisons, potions that spread disease by touch or introduction into beverages, and antidotes to both (which they sell at very high prices). Agents of the Night’s Embrace maintain a busy touring schedule of wealthy houses, noble country seats, and royal courts throughout Faerûn posing as purveyors of fine wines and perfumes, but their true calling is an open secret Many of the priestesses employed in this duty dabble in local politics (and love lives) for their own entertainment, secure in the knowledge that fear of poisoning will keep them safe from the daggers that claim most intruders into such affairs.
Affiliated Orders: Talona is not served by any military or knightly orders, but she is served by several secret cabals of rogues and other vermin The Plague Rats are an elite organization of thieves, assassins, and wererats active throughout the Western Heartlands and the North. Their secret base is believed to be located in the depths of the Rat Hills and to have connections to Undermountain. It was apparently unaffected by the great Conflagration in the Year of the Shield (1367 DR).
The Plague-mother’s Children is a guild of thugs active throughout Chondath and the Vilhon Reach. Formerly composed of crusaders dedicated to the extension of the Rotting War as the ultimate test of Talona’s favor, it has degenerated in recent years into an informal brotherhood of warriors and thieves who run extortion rackets throughout the region and threaten Talona’s wrath if they are not given their monetary due. (Crusaders are no longer included among the faithful of the Mistress of Disease.)
During the Tune of Troubles, Talona appeared to an evil human wizard named Aballister and bade him to found a trifold order of wizards, priests, and warriors. Castle Trinity, a castle-in-mountain’s clothing, was built into a rocky spur on the northeastern edge of the Snowflake Mountains. Talona gave the wizard an unholy recipe, the Chaos Curse (named Tuanta Quiro Miancy — the Most Fatal Horror), with which he could destroy the agents of good in the region. Accessed by a dozen rocky tunnels, the stronghold was eventually collapsed and ruined through the work of Cadderly, a priest of Deneir based in the nearby Edificant Library, and his friends. They succeeded after countless battles in the Library, the Snowflake Mountains, the nearby Shilmista Forest, and in the town of Carradoon. Remnants of the triumvirate of Talona may yet survive in secretive fellowship.
Priestly Vestments: All priests of Talona wear gray and green robes with ragged sleeves. These are washed but never repaired and in time become faded rags. Out of pride, most priests continue to wear their old, worn-out vestments until they are nearly naked. Old and high-ranking priests tend to have ritual scars and tattoos all over their bodies, and some even sport many body-piercings so that their torsos are studded with small rings linked with fine chains. Female clergy and laity alike often wear earrings and elbow-dangles of black metal wrought in the shape of talons.
Adventuring Garb: If embarking on a possibly dangerous adventure or preparing to go into battle, Talontar favor black-and-purple armor adorned with spurs, horns, and spikes. They wear any armor in a pinch and prefer to wear as much armor as possible. Only specialty priests of Talona carry the special ceremonial poison daggers of the faith. They have no compunction against using them in combat. A nonbeliever caught with such an item attracts the unwanted attentions of Talona to his or her health as well as her church’s wrath.
Specialty Priests Malagents
REQUIREMENTS: Wisdom 14, Constitution 14 PRIME REQ.: Wisdom, Constitution ALIGNMENT: CE WEAPONS: All bludgeoning (wholly Type B) weapons plus a ceremonial dagger with poison grooves and the symbol of Talona engraved or otherwise worked into the handle ARMOR: Any MAJOR SPHERES: Astral, chaos, combat, divination, guardian, healing, necromantic, summoning MINOR SPHERES: All, charm, protection MAGICAL ITEMS: Same as clerics REQ. PROFS: None BONUS PROFS: Herbalism, ceremonial dagger
Malagents gain a +4 bonus to all saving throws vs. poison. Malagents are immune to nonmagical diseases and receive Constitution ability checks against acquiring magical diseases. These checks are made at a +4 bonus. When the chance of acquiring a magical disease is expressed as a percentage, that chance is halved (round down) for malagents. Malagents gain a normal saving throw against potions that would normally not allow a saving throw. Malagents gain a +4 bonus to herbalism proficiency checks when brewing poisons. At 3rd level, malagents can identify pure poisons by smell. At 5th level, malagents can identify poisons in drinks by taking a tiny sip. This sip has no effect on them. At 7th level, malagents may identify poisons in food by taking a tiny bite. Again, this bite is too small to affect the malagent. At 7th level, malagents are able to use a poison touch (as the 2nd-level priest spell) or spread contagion (as the 4th-level wizard spell) once per day by touch. At 10th level, malagents can cast cause disease (as the reverse form of the 3rd-level priest spell cure disease) once per day by touch. The debilitating form of this disease is called the green rot and is typified by a luminous, greenish decay on exposed skin. The fatal form of this disease is the scaly death, in which the hones weaken and the flesh peels back until the major systems of the body fail. At 13th level, malagents can exhale a cloud of pestilence (as the 4th-level priest spell) or a stinking cloud (as the 2nd-level wizard spell) once per day. If a malagent has a Charisma of 12 or greater, other Talontar will insist on the use of so many tattoos or so much self-mutilation as to lower that Charisma to less than 12 when the malagent is initiated into the faith at 3rd level. This may not he voluntary on the malagent’s part, so goodlooking malagents have been warned. Individuals with Charisma scores of 3 or 4 who undergo the initiation ceremony at 3rd level find their personal Charisma raised by the ceremony due to the respect for their survival engendered in those viewing their scars, and their Charisma goes up to 5.
Talonite Spells
2nd Level
Poison Touch (Alteration, Necromancy) Sphere: Combat, Necromantic Range: 0 Components: V, S Duration: Special Casting Time: 5 Area of Effect: One creature Saving Throw: Special
This spell creates a flickering brown radiance around the caster’s hand or another chosen limb. Within 5 rounds of casting poison touch, the priest must touch a chosen victim, or the magic fades and is wasted. A successful attack roll is required to touch a victim. If such a touch is made to any part of the victim (armor or clothing may be touched, as bare flesh contact is not required), the brown light flashes must make a saving throw vs. spell. once and is gone, and the victim
If the saving throw succeeds, the victim takes 1 point of damage and the corrosive magic eats a hole in any armor or garment worn and causes a disfiguring eruption of the skin beneath the touched area into raw welts, and then the spell ends. This wound inflicts a temporary loss of 2 points of Charisma upon the victim, but the wound vanishes and the ability score points are regained through normal healing rest or the use of curative magic (such as cure light wounds).
If the saving throw fails, the victim suffers 6 points of damage and is slowed (as the spell) instantly until the end of the following round. On this second round, the victim must make another saving throw. If it succeeds, the victim suffers 1 point of damage, is corroded as discussed above, and the spell ends. If this second saving throw fails, the victim suffers 3d6 points of additional damage and must make a Constitution ability check and a Strength ability check.
If both succeed, the spell ends without further effect If one fails, the victim falls unconscious and takes an additional 1d8 points of damage but can be roused on the following round or later if still alive. If both checks fall, the victim takes an additional 1d10 points of damage, falls into a coma instantly, and cannot be roused by any known means for 1d12+2 rounds. Once a poison touch is delivered, the casting priest is free to take any other desired actions.
4th Level
Cloud of Pestilence (Alteration, Evocation) Sphere: Combat, Elemental Air Range: 10 yards/level Components: V, S Duration: 4 rounds Casting Time: 7 Area of Effect: 40-foot-wide, 20-foot-high, 20-foot-deep cloud (shape can be altered by narrow confines) Saving Throw: Special
This spell creates a billowing cloud of yellowish-green vapors that resembles the effect of a wizard’s cloudkill spell—but unlike the vapor cloud generated by that spell, a cloud of pestilence cannot be moved by any known means (though dispel magic causes it to fade into nothingness); it sits motionless until the spell expires. The caster is unaffected by his or her own cloud of pestilence, as is any creature wearing or bearing a consecrated holy symbol of Talona. All other creatures caught in or entering the acrid, foulsmelling vapor cloud must make a saving throw vs. spell:
During the first round of exposure to the vapors (or during initial exposure in the case of those who leave and reenter the area of effect), those who succeed at the saving throw are unaffected. Those who fail the saving throw take 1d4 points of damage and begin coughing violently. Spellcasting, normal speech, and tasks requiring Dexterity, such as opening locks, writing, and the like, are now impossible.
On the second round of exposure (or second exposure in the case of those who leave and reenter the area of effect), another saving throw must be made. If it is successful, the victim continues to cough and suffers another 1d4 points of damage. If the saving throw is unsuccessful, the vapors inflict 3d4 points of damage, the victim is slowed (as the spell), the victim continues to cough, and the victim’s vision becomes blurred, resulting in a -2 penalty to all attack rolls, difficulty in telling friend from foe when the two are near each other, and an increased possibility of tripping, bumping into things or people, and like effects.
On the third round of exposure (or third exposure to the same cloud of pestilence in the case of those who leave and reenter the area of effect), another saving throw must be rolled. If successful, the victim takes 1d4 more points of damage and the coughing continues. If the victim fails the saving throw, she or he sinks into unconsciousness and takes 4d6 points of additional damage.
On the fourth round (or fourth exposure to the same cloud of pestilence), another saving throw must be rolled. If the victim succeeds at the saving throw, the vapors inflict 1d4 points of additional damage and the victim is caught in a coughing fit until the spell expires. If the victim fails the saving throw, the vapors inflict 4d6 points of additional damage, the victim continues coughing and is slowed for 1d4+1 rounds after the cloud dissipates, and the victim contracts a lung disease that reduces his or her movement rate by 1, makes facial muscles twitch and tremble from time to time, and steals 1 hit point from the victim every 2 days. This hit point loss cannot be cured until the disease is cured and continues at the rate of 1 hit point every 2 days until death occurs or the disease is banished. The disease, known as Talona’s grimace from the facial twitch it causes, is curable by magic and by the proper use of some herbal medicines, but not through simple rest.
Touch of the Talontar (Alteration, Necromancy) Sphere: Combat, Necromantic Range: 0 Components: V, S Duration: 1 turn Casting Time: 7 Area of Effect: Touched beings Saving Throw: Special
This spell creates a flickering brown radiance around the caster’s hand or another chosen limb that lasts for 1 turn. While this radiance glows, the priest can attempt to touch and affect as many victims as she or he has normal attacks within that period of tune. All creatures the priest manages to touch during that time become the victims of touch of the Talontar save for those beings the caster wills, during contact, the magic not to harm. A succeasful attack roll is required to touch a victim. If such a touch is made to any part of the victim (armor or clothing may be touched, as bare flesh contact is not required), the brown light flashes, and the victim must make a saving throw vs. spell.
If the saving throw succeeds, the victim takes 1 point of damage; the corrosive magic eats a hole in any armor or garment worn and causes a disfiguring eruption of the skin beneath the touched area into raw welts; and the spell’s effects end for that victim. This wound inflicts a temporary loss of 2 points of Charisma upon the victim, but the wound vanishes and the ability score points are regained through normal healing rest or the use of curative magic (such as a cure light wounds).
If the saving throw fails, the victim suffers 6 points of damage and is slowed (as the spell) instantly until the end of the following round. On this second round, the victim must make another saving throw. If it succeeds, the victim suffers 1 point of damage, is corroded as discussed above, and the spell’s effects end for that victim. If this second saving throw fails, the victim suffers 3d6 points of additional damage and must make a Constitution ability check and a Strength ability check. If both succeed, the spell’s effects end for that victim. If one fails, the victim falls unconscious and takes an additional 1d8 points of damage but can be roused on the following round or later if still alive. If both checks fall, the victim takes an additional 1d10 points of damage, falls into a coma instantly, and cannot be roused by any known means for 1d12+2 rounds.
Once the touch of the Talontar is cast, the casting priest is free to take any other desired actions, including touching other victims (within the spell duration), casting other spells, or attacking with a weapon. Note that the effects of touch of the Talontar cannot be transmitted through a weapon, but only through the hand of the casting priest.
5th Level
Talona’s Blessing (Abjuration, Necromancy) Sphere: Protection, Necromantic Range: Touch Components: V, S Duration: 1 turn/level Casting Time: 8 Area of Effect: One being Saving Throw: None
Talona’s blessing must be delivered by flesh-to-flesh touch. This spell renders the touched spell recipient—who may be the caster—temporarily immune to all poisons (including blood poisoning, venoms, and poisonous gases) and diseases (including lycanthropy and mummy rot). Talona’s blessing also prevents the onset or spread of parasitic infestations, gangrene, and existing diseases (such as leprosy and transformations due to plant symbiosis). It expels rot grubs from the body of the spell recipient without further harm to the spell recipient, and permanently kills musks, molds, spores, seeds, and mosses infesting or in contact with the body of the protected being.