Thallium Fable & Folklore

Thalium is a horse/equine, hawk/hawking, orthodox religion, conservative, chivalry based country.
They prize boxing, protecting the sanctity of the dead, and all things that reflect their ties to Torenth, Gregor, and the Church Founding Fathers.
Royal red is the color of royalty here.

Ghosts and hauntings almost are common in Thalium. Every old structure has its ghosts, and these spirits always are keen to make their presence (and opinions) known to the living. Living with the dead has its complications, and communication between the two realms is usually difficult.
In Knolder’s Knollmoors, the Black Beasts of Knollmoor hunt. Luckily, these hell-hound-like demons are only active in the dead of night. While rarely encountered, their hellish baying can be heard for miles around and will terrorize all listeners.
Feral cynocephalus hunt in the Hungry Hills, Halridge. This is an issue, because they have preyed on valuable cattle.

Church Founders—Emperor Torenth and Euchaid, both saints and founders of the Faith, were from Thalium.
Church Fathers—The twelve followers of Torenth, whom included the first Patriarch, Euchaid, collected in Thallium to establish the Faith.
Gregor—Both a national hero and saint, Gregor of Tranth is remembered as the greatest knight ever, and well as the conqueror of Orlois in the Battle of Bloodaxe Bay. He was already old by the time he fought that battle, but he was said to have giant ancestry that lent him superhuman strength.
Tillilia—She was a dangerous sorceress lived above the law and did as she pleased from the 9th to the 12th centuries. Ostensibly, she served as the Mathurns’ court sorcerer, but she was a servant to no one.

Alloris—He was a maze-making giant wizard. Legend paints him as a jolly, whimsical figure with a giant spade, but fabled encounters with him were considerably darker. He dug in the blackest of nights and blotted out the heavens, and mere mortals nervously hid from him.
Blue Man of Taeglos—Refer to “Unique Beings” under Bestiary
Bronce—He was a mythological Marcelle king, one of Kelthan’s Paladins, and Bringer of Harmony to the West. His fame and legend have been eclipsed by those of Torenth and Gregor.
Esaph, Torenth’s legendary horse, is the sire of all the mighty Thallic Destriers.

The Basilica of Taeglos is a huge draw for pilgrims (see article)
Alloris Maze in Halridge—Like so many ancient mazes in Aorlis, this one has been known to take those who foolhardy enough to follow it out of time. Legend tells of people exiting the maze a century off their starting point, either way, or more.
The Plain of Broken Spurs is a haunted battlefield in a field in Bitturn. Karmithian era soldiers are still seen and heard fighting and marching here. No details of the actual historical battle are remembered.
Cradle of the Moon in Norchester is a small valley in the Aedon Hills associated with witches and the Sabbath. Most people will not go there, even during the day. Even poachers avoid it. This place has a pervasive, oppressive energy for interlopers.
Saint Aenor’s Well in Bitturn is a popular, unmanned shrine. Its waters purportedly will cure eye maladies, even blindness.
Saint Morwins Fountain in Rathford is famed for healings (attributed to Morwin) and powerful, religious visions.
Treasure Halls of Torenth—Purportedly in Rathford, Emperor Torenth secreted a vast fortune and miraculously obscured its location. It has never been found, and longstanding thought is that this was place was fictional.

Tillilia’s Tower in Taeglos—This has long been the residence of the Mathurn court’s arch-wizards, and Tillilia is the most famous. It is a circulade keep in the middle of town, but it’s said that anyone who enters without an invitation never leaves. Legend has it that tower may rotate and face any direction, and that it hosts magik gates to other time, places, and realities.
Knolmoors in Knolder are associated with lost time, disappearing travelers, and whispering voices in unknown languages. Combine this with the Black Beasts of Knolmoor (see above), and this may be a harrowing place to visit.

The accolade, or knighting ceremony, is a major event in Thalium. It can easily take a week of preparation, feasts, and ceremonies, and quite expensive. It is usually reserved to coincide with holidays and Church Feasts.
Bare Knuckle Boxing or Fisticuffs is a Thallic passion. These matches are bare chested and often include wrestling moves. Fighters come from all levels of society, and many of them spend hours each day punching hot sand to toughen their hands and arms. This is an egalitarian outlet for a socially stratified people. A commoner could fight a noble, for example, and all people are equal in the boxing ring.