Temple of Talona (Bezantur)

The Temple of Talona in Bezantur was a major temple of the goddess Talona and the headquarters of her church in Thay.

Location
The temple was located on the waterfront in south-central Bezantur, the so-called "City of a Thousand Temples." Appropriately, it was surrounded by other temples, notably the Temple of Malar, the Temple of Sune, the Temple of Lliira, and the Temple of Myrkul.

Structure
The temple was a short, gray structure built like a fortress.

Activities
The temple hosted a devoted following. Although Thay was one of the few realms in Faerûn where the worship of Talona was practiced openly, the commonfolk had a complicated relationship with the faith as they mistrusted the goddess while seeking to keep her appeased to prevent the possible outbreak of plague. The Bezantur temple was frequently suspected of being behind poisonings or disease outbreaks, and as such was periodically attacked by local mobs. The temple was known to bribe the city's authorities to stay out of its business and to send gnolls to defend the temple when the citizenry attacked it.

History
Worship of Talona gained popularity in Thay following the Great Plague of the Inner Sea in the, as the poor folk of Thay hoped to prevent future outbreaks. By the, their faith had lapsed into an obligation, and by the , the poor were largely mistrustful of the goddess even as she remained openly venerated and popular among assassins, nobles, and merchants.

Inhabitants
The temple was home to priests and priestesses who adorned themselves with tattoos and scarring and reveled in the suffering of the masses. In the mid-to-late 14 century DR, the temple was headed by High Priestess Mynnsha.