Talosh

Also known as: the Crescent Wave, the Father of the Waves, the Ebb and Flow, Coldbringer
A member of the pantheon and one of the true gods of Genesis, Talosh is the god of the ocean, winter, the moon, and peace. He's a dark-aligned god.
Generally regarded as a cold and distant god, Talosh is thought to care greatly for the creatures of his domain but have little concern for mortals other than to demand their respect. In spite of this, he is accorded surprising loyalty from his followers and often regarded quite fondly.

Depictions

Unlike most members of the pantheon who are quite humanized, Talosh is often represented in a far more vague manner closer to depictions of the Great Gods and has few specific details when it comes to his features. He is a strongly built male figure, often barechested and wearing thickly layered draping nets around his lower body. His feet are always planted in the waves, and he's surrounded by sealife.

Followers

Talosh is devoutly worshipped by sailors, fishermen, and anyone who frequently travels via the ocean or relies on it for their livelihood; people in these professions who don’t worship Talosh are often avoided and considered unlucky by those that do. He's also often honored by those who live on the shoreline or in otherwise close proximity to the ocean.
Dedicated servants of Talosh are called wavepriests, and can act either as part of a temple or independently; they feel the presence of their god in any place the ocean touches, and it's customary for even small shorefront villages to have one in residence. A wavepriest is seen as someone who holds a special connection to Talosh and acts as an intermediary between the people who depend on the ocean and the god's ear. They ask for abundance in fishing, protection for their people during bad weather, and calm seas for travelers. It's also not uncommon for wavepriests to serve aboard ships, asking for safe passage across Talosh's domain. Though they're not given unique powers, a wavepriest's affinity for water magic is greatly enhanced beyond an average spellcaster of their level of experience. They also have a strong affinity for scrying through liquid surfaces.

Worship Practices and Holy Days

Prayers to Talosh are expected of his followers, and are typically offered upon setting sail and returning to shore; they're also made before and after taking from the ocean, whether fishing or in any other way. It's important that prayers are given while touching the water, and temples to Talosh are often built with the floors just below the waterlevel for this purpose. When fishing, the first fish of a catch should always be returned to the ocean alive, and to withhold it or give it back dead is seen as a sure invitation of Talosh's anger. Followers of Talosh will always wear or carry a crescent or spiral of ocean shell to remind them of the presence of their god even when away from the ocean itself, and a worshipper of Talosh who moves inland is expected to make a pilgrimage back to the ocean at least once per year.
While Talosh has no set holy days, the high tide is his sacred time and the days when the tide is highest are often considered days for honoring him. No fishing is done on these days, and offerings of food are given to the ocean in acknowledgement of the god's bounty and recognitions of his choice not to drown the land.

Associated Mythology

THE GREAT FLOOD
wip
THE GREEDY FISHERMAN
wip

TALOSH
god of the ocean, winter,
the moon, and peace
dark-aligned