Talaneans

The Talaneans are a people native to the western half of the Great Continent. They are easily distinguishable from westerners by their tanned skin and typically, clothing and culture. Most Talaneans live in the cities scattered across the Scorched Plains, although they are common among mercenaries, adventurers and scholars across the world. The Talaneans draw their name from the dead god Talan, who is said to have been the brother of Tilhir who perished long before the Pacters asserted their place in the world - a perspective that the Talanean church does not endorse nor persecute. According to this story, Talan guided the people of the Scorched Plains before the time of Bhevell and Thun Kald.

## Religion

The Talaneans acknowledge the Pacter pantheon and dedicate their worship to the brothers Bhevell and Thun Kald. The churches of these two deities intertwine and view them as a duality. This is visibly seen in their temples, which are almost always built to represent this duality, with one end devoted to Bhevell and the other to Thun Kald. Laymen typically worship both at the same time, but the members of the clergy always choose which one to dedicate their lives to.

The hierarchy of the clergy culminates in eparchs, who are high priests of either Bhevell or Thun Kald. They administer a temple or temples and the surrounding area in religious and political matters. Eparchs tend to dress less extravagantly than other higher clergymen. A grayish robe with silver or gold trimming is common, although some eparchs make exceptions to this unwritten rule. Eparchs are present in large cities, but even metropolises boast no more than a couple of them.

Exarchs are the clergy's spearhead - powerful priests who run the churches' day-to-day affairs and in times of war lead the faithful in battle. They are seen as the eparchs' assistants, dealing with matters that the high priests cannot be bothered with. In addition to that, exarchs instruct younger members of the clergy, supervise the church's local trading operations and sometimes lead smaller temples in hopes of being recognized and named an eparch one day. The exarchs dress lavishly. An exarch's robe has three loops on the underside of each sleeve for tying small pouches of gems and coins. Many exarchs also wear expensive jewelry such as multiple necklaces and rings. It's commonly said that you can hear an exarch approach long before you see them because of the clinking of jewelry and other valuables.

The Talanean church is strongly tied to the region's economy in general. In addition to common clerical matters like sermons, blessings and divinations, the clergy does business through its temples. The presence of Talanean temples bring moneylending, pawnbroking and in large cities, banking services to people of the region.

## Famous Talaneans

### Iellan

Iellan was a powerful enchantress who lived in the Second Age. She was an adventurous figure who greatly improved the relations between the westerners and the Talaneans. While she and her followers worked in the research of magic, Iellan managed to ascend to godhood. It's said that she formed wild magic into its controllable form used by most modern magi and that her spirit grew too powerful for his body to hold; eventually her spirit left the body behind as a mere burden and it was buried in a sanctuary in the Scorched Plains.

She has been since worshipped as the deity of magic and adventure by westerners and Talaneans alike. The Collegial Endeavour, while not a religious organization, was partially founded by the inspiration that Iellan's advancements caused. The theory of histomancy is commonly attributed to Iellan.