Shallya
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In the game of Warhammer, Shallya is the Goddess of Healing, Compassion, and Mercy. Her parents are Morr, the God of Death and Verena, the Goddess of Justice.
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[edit] Symbols
Artists usually draw the goddess as a young woman with tearful eyes. Those wishing to identify themselves as healers use various Shallya symbols to stand out among the masses. The most common usually used by those needing identification at a pinch, is a dab of blood or paint across their chest. Others with more importance or more money use more intricate designs including; a dove in flight, a crying maiden or a dove cupped in two hands. The most popular of the symbols is a simple white heart with a drop of blood at the bottom.
[edit] Followers
Devotees of Shallya are usually priestesses, also known as the Sisters of Mercy. Such women can be found in hospitals or other such places of healing. They can rarely be seen on or near a battlefield unless they are there to help the wounded. These courageous women are often sick, having spent most or all of their energies on their sick charges. All followers must abide by the vows of Shallya. Once a person has taken a human life, whether accidentally or purposely, they are never allowed to become a Priest or Priestess of Shallya. It is uncommon for individuals outside temples or shrines to worship Shallya. The home of the village healer or midwife is the most likely to sport a picture or symbol of shallya. It is also common practice for such a woman to utter a prayer give a non-animal sacrifice to Shallya when encountering a bout of sickness or difficult birth.
[edit] Vows of Shallya
Always help the weak, the infirm, the friendless and the poor with whatever you have.
Always show mercy and compassion to your friends and your enemies as long others cannot be harmed in doing so.
Never deny help to someone who earnestly invokes Shallya's name or protection.
Never kill another.
Seek for yourself and others: peace, love, and satisfaction on this earth.
Teach others through example that man must never rob, never abuse, and never slay his fellow man.
[edit] Temples of Shallya
During times of plague, it is not uncommon to see families or even whole towns seek out Shallya's temples. They never turned away, save if every available sickbed is occupied. Any victim of Chaos energy will quickly flee to Shallya's arms, especially those suffering from Nurgle, Shallya's chief rival. Many temples are built around hot springs as they are beneficial to the weary and injured. The most famous of these springs is the Pool of Healing, where it is believed Shallya used the essence of Sister Louisa, a chief priestess, to give the water extraordinary healing ability.
[edit] Fighting Sickness
The most common methods of healing used by Shallyan priestesses lie in herbs. Properties of both common and rare flora are known by each Sister and used to heal everything from burns to broken bones. Sometimes, if the wound or illness is strong enough, the Sisters will hold a candlelight vigil or prayer ceremony to ask for Shallya's divine intervention. There is one cure, however, that heals all ills. The fabled Tears of Shallya, capable of instantly healing even the most severe of injuries, even said to have brought he near-dead to full health. It is believed that the tears of the ever-crying goddess once fell into a pool of crystal clear water, immediately bestowing it with omnipotent powers. Unfortunately, each hospital or temple has only a single bottle of the precious fluid, it must be conserved for the Sisters of Mercy, to keep them alive and well in order to help others.
[edit] Enemies
Shallya has no real enemies as she is a welcome friend and beloved by eveyone. Her only real adversaries are those who would undermine her attempts at curing others. Namely: the four Chaos gods. Nurgle, the god of decay, especially gives Shallya trouble and is considered the truest enemy of their cult. The cult of Shallya also disapproves of the cult of Ranald, the Empire's god of thieves and trickery; a key part of the beliefs of both cults is that Ranald was a mortal who became immortal by tricking Shallya herself into giving him some of her pure tears.
[edit] For the Game
For those who play the tabletop game of Warhammer, a Shallya army is definitely out of the question. However, it may be to your advantage to equip a mage or paladin with one or more healing spells such as Warp Empathy 2.
[edit] References
- The cult of Shallya is the intellectual property of Games Workshop.
