Shallya

"Don't cross the Shallyans. Sure, she won't hurt you; she's the Bleeding Heart. But you don't want her parents mad at you."

-Addelise Burgenkampf, Outlaw Chief

Shallya is a Goddess of Healing, Mercy, and Childbirth. She is the daughter of Morr and Verena, and tempers both Death and Justice with her Mercy. She is a member of the 'southern' or 'town' family of gods.

Appearance and Symbology
Shallya is most frequently depicted as a beautiful young maiden in long white robes, often with a tear running down her face. Her other titles are the Merciful and the Bleeding Heart.

Common Shallyan symbols include the dove and a heart with a drop of blood.

Beliefs and Strictures
The core belief of all devout Shallyans is that they should work to relieve the suffering of others. The goddess feels the pain of the entire world; her servants try to ease her burden.

Most priestesses of Shallya are orphans; Shallyan orphanages can be found in all major cities and towns, along with their hospitals. Initiates are expected to live an ascetic lifestyle - their wealth is for charity, to relieve the suffering of the hungry and poor.

Strictures

 * Avoid killing.
 * Never refuse to heal a supplicant genuinely in need.
 * Never halt a soul when it is time for it to depart. (Her father, Morr, insists on this.)
 * Go about your life unarmed. A stout walking staff is all you ever need.
 * Abhor the Fly Lord in all his forms.
 * Do not waste energy on your own pleasure.

Cult
One intriguing difference between the Cult of Shallya and the other major cults of the Old World is the domination of the clergy by women. The majority of Shallya's servants are priestesses, not priests. There are males in Shallya's service - they just don't get as much attention from the public.

The cult is headquartered in the Bretonnian city of Couronne. The head of the cult is the Most Holy Matriarch Lisegund, the High Priestess of Couronne. The leader of the cult in the Empire is High Priestess Anja Gustavson, in Altdorf.