Talgul
Talgul is an ancient human nation in the far south of Gorotura, centered on the Iteru River. These people live and die by the freezing and thawing of the world around them. In the summer, the Iteru River floods, and the riverbanks are plentiful. However, in the winter the land is barren and cold, and the Iteru becomes the nation’s lifeline. Near the river, the river provides for an evergreen forest that hugs the banks, which is a blessing for the Talgul people. Farther from the river, the land becomes harsh tundra, rocky and cold but still full of life.
Culture
A large amount of Talgul culture revolves around the Iteru River. It is the heart of both their civilization and their mythology.
The gods of Talgul are often represented as having animal heads. Some of the most prominent are Bekhaat, a moose headed god of the earth, Niwhyt a beaver headed god of civilization, Salkut a penguin headed god of cold and death and Kheprer a toad headed god of death and rebirth, but there are many more. There are several fully human gods but many of them take inspiration from the wildlife in the boreal forests around Talgul. The traits of these beasts inform the domains of the gods their inspire. Moose were among the biggest and strongest creatures in the forest, which led to early Talgul imagining that the world lay on the antlers of a titanic moose which became Bekhaat. Beavers are master builders able to shape the world to suit their needs, making them an easy inspiration for the god of civilization.
Talgul is ruled by pharaohs, who are seen as divine figures. Each pharaoh is said to be an incarnation of Niwhyt sent to guide civilization. When a pharaoh dies, the corpse is taken to the peak of The Mountain of Fallen Pharaohs, where priests conduct a ritual upon their corpse over the course of several days. Talgul believes being on top of the mountain peak brings the pharaoh closer to the gods, making it easier for their soul to reach the afterlife. Meanwhile, the frozen mountain winds dehydrate and freeze dry the corpse, performing mummification with the priests accelerating the process. Once the husk of the pharaoh is mummified, they are moved into tombs they constructed during their reign. These monuments are masterfully made and inscribed with the pharaoh’s greatest achievements during their reign. The most loyal defenders of the pharaoh are offered the chance to serve them eternally as mummies, which many accept as an honor.
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