Nald'thal
Nald'thal, overseer of the underworld and god of commerce, is the guardian deity of Ul'dah.[1]
Mythology
Nald'Thal commands the element of fire and is associated with the tenth moon of the Eorzean calendar. In most of Eorzea, Nald'thal is considered a single deity, but in Ul'dah, he is considered a pair of deific twins: Nald and Thal. He is most often depicted as a discerning merchant holding a balance. His symbol is the cowry, an ancient shell currency.
According to the Faith of The Twelve, Nald'thal fired golden bricks in the heat of Azeyma's sun and built the city of the Heaven of Fire, where the just and fair, and the honest and philanthropic came to rest. Into the Pit he cast the rubble of the city and set it alight, creating the Hell of Fire and burning the judgmental, the dishonest and those who gave and received douceurs to cinders.
The mark of Nald'thal can be found in the base of the statue of Thal in the Arrazaneth Ossuary.
Thal's Respite
Nald's Reflection
Worship Practices and Organizations
The Order of Nald'Thal is headquartered in Ul'dah, through both the Arrazaneth Ossuary in the Steps of Nald and the Milvaneth Sacrarium in the Steps of Thal.
The worship of Nald'thal in Ul'dah is essentially a form of commerce. The Order of Nald preforms offerings for wealth and success in business... for the right price, while the Order of Thal promises to arrange a good place for their adherents in the afterlife... the quality of such a "good place" is of course based on the adherents' generosity in life, especially their generosity to the Order of Thal.
Nonomeda: Milvaneth Sacrarium, dedicated to the worship of Nald, was extensively damaged during the Calamity. Repairs continue even to this day, to the great inconvenience of our adherents. Lalai: I am Lalai, a thaumaturge of the Order. It is my charge to give guidance to those who visit our Milvaneth Sacrarium in search of it. Lalai: Sadly, as you can very well see, we have had to close our doors while repairs are underway. As such, we have had no visitors of late, and I find myself with a wealth of spare time. Lalai: As a servant of Nald'thal, it saddens me that I have had to put aside my sacred duties for the nonce. I am, however, glad to be afforded the freedom to pursue my interests in the arcane.
Holy Sites
Unlike the other members of The Twelve, Nald'thal has two marks, both contained in the statues in Ul'dah; the statue of Thal at the Arrazaneth Ossuary in the Steps of Nald, as well as the statue in Milvaneth Sacrarium in the Steps of Thal. There are also shrines dedicated to both Nald and Thal in Eastern Thanalan and Southern Thanalan respectively.
Saints and Important Figures
Saint Zozonan
A friar who bartered away his valuables to feed the poor, and became revered for his example of sympathy. His tale is recounted in Saint Zozonan and the Empty Chapel.[2]
Saint Adama Landama
A wealthy man who, through unequaled philanthropy, achieved sainthood in the eyes of Nald'thal. Indeed, the tale of how he saved his town using naught but his wits and his wealth is told realm-wide in the legend of Saint Adama Landama and the Market Basket. He is also the namesake of a church in Eastern Thanalan. Officially, he is recognized as the saint of munificence, meaning the quality or action of being lavishly generous.[3]
Saint Bodenolf
Bodenolf led his retreating mercenary company into a destitute village, who offered them shelter in spite of their minimal resources. Years later when drought struck the land, Bodenolf returned to the village to dig them a well and defend them from water-stealing brigands. Praised for the unity he inspired in the tale of Saint Bodenolf and the Bottomless Well.[4]
Myths of the Realm
Following the events of Endwalker, reports begin to surface about adventurers encountering Nald'thal in present-day Eorzea.
- Main article: Myths of the Realm
References
Encyclopaedia Eorzea,
- page 17 "The Twelve",
- page 18 "Creation",
- page 19 "The Hell and Heaven of Fire".