The Storm Lord Talos, once known as Kozah, is a Faêrunian greater deity in Dungeons & Dragons. Usually depicted as a broad-shouldered, bearded man with just one good eye -- something he shares with another storm god -- Talos wears half-plate armor over black leather with matching gloves, as well as a dark eye patch to cover the whirling stars that fill his empty eye socket.
As a greater deity, Talos possesses incredible power -- which makes him an interesting antagonist, because he's incredibly self-serving and, of course, aligned with chaotic evil.
Related: Dungeons & Dragons: A Guide to the Planes
History
First appearing in Dungeons & Dragons 2e, Talos hails from Pandemonium/Pandesmos and is the god of storms and destruction whose Divine Realm is aptly named the Towers of Ruin, the Screaming Towers or Towers at the Heart of the Winds. It is always surrounded by a terrible, howling whirlwind -- imagine a tornado that never stops, centered on one point forever. He was formed during the dawn of the world, specifically during the last battle between moon goddess Selûne and goddess of darkness Shar.
Ever since, he's been called the Storm Lord and the Destroyer, as well as the Raging One and some other titles. In the current 5e edition of the game, Talos' symbol is three lightning bolts radiating from a single point and his spell domain is the Tempest set. In addition to his channel divinity, Destructive Wrath, Talos employs Fog Cloud, Thunderwave, Gust of Wind, Shatter, Call Lightning, Sleet Storm, Control Water, Ice Storm, Destructive Wave and Insect Plague to battle foes and wreak havoc on Faêrun.
Worship
Because he is a chaotic evil deity hell-bent on destruction, Talos is worshiped by brigands, looters, ravagers and raiders. Religious orders are rumored to be affiliated with him, but these are so mysterious that no one knows much about them. That said, there is a small church dedicated to his worship, consisting of followers who are utterly obsessed with destruction. There's no formal hierarchy in the clergy of the church of Talos, as obedience is enforced through strength.
Priests in the church -- who are wont to pursue wealth and often commit acts of random violence -- frequently extort sailors and farmers by threatening them with Talos' wrath. The clerics, meanwhile, are committed evangelists who convert new followers by either scaring them or enticing them with raw power -- intimidation tactics which are made all the more terrifying because the clerics often multiclass or cross-train as barbarians, sorcerers, wizards or stormlords. Talos' worshipers feel emboldened not just by his status as a greater deity, but his destructive power and chaotic nature.
As far as rituals, clerics of Talos have been known to sacrifice intelligent beings by lightning in his name or make berserk attacks to wreak as much havoc as possible in a small amount of time between bouts of prayer.
In addition to ceremonial robes, all clerics and members of the high clergy in the church of Talos wear eye patches to honor the Storm Lord. This makes them highly recognizable, which is unfortunate, as worship of Talos is outlawed in many countries. This is why the religious orders rumored to worship him are so secretive, as well as why his holy sites are kept secret. Any public churches are built on earthquake fault lines or lie directly in the path of storms or lava, in addition to being reinforced against potential non-nature attacks. Talos keeps his churches safe from the destructive power of nature and his worshipers fight anyone who may challenge their presence.
Campaigns
Dungeon Masters interested in including the Storm Lord Talos in their campaigns should consider his hold over nature, particularly his ability to create destructive storms, forest fires, earthquakes and tornadoes. Druids and rangers potentially have vast stores of knowledge about him, as his evil actions affect nature first and foremost.
Campaigns that take place in the wilds of Faêrun should take Talos into account regardless of how heavily the planned arc relies on natural disasters or elemental chaos, as his domain is vast and he has been controlling it for quite some time. It may also be interesting to explore his worshipers and the secretive religious orders which may be associated with him, as these could open up the story line for examination of cultish activities and more.