The Sanatorium of Shallya is a sanatorium and hospital run by the Cult of Shallya that is located in the Imperial city-state of Talabheim.[1a]
Though attached to the Temple of Shallya in Talabheim via an elevated walkway, the Shallyan Sanatorium is a separate structure. Constructed of white marble that seems to glow in the rays of the rising run, the Sanatorium is a place of healing and convalescence.[1a]
The best physicians in Talabheim, aided by the priestesses of Shallya, practice the medical arts within. Those people who seek to cure their ills once and for all are often admitted for weeks or months at a time. Such care is not cheap, however, and only the wealthy or influential can afford the fees that the physicians demand in exchange for their seemingly divine curative skills.[1a]
The central wing of the Sanatorium is five stories high. It is adjoined to the east by a clinic catering to the poorest of Talabheim's citizens. Most of the folk who staff the charity wing are priests and initiates of Shallya, as well as students from the Royal Academy of Talabecland who seek to learn more about the medical arts.[1a]
Treatment of minor ailments is offered free of charge to anyone who appears to be impoverished. Destitute citizens who require extended treatment of major injuries and maladies are admitted to the charity ward, which consists of an overcrowded chamber at the centre of the wing. The atmosphere in the charity ward is unpleasant. Half of the patients who are admitted for serious conditions rarely survive longer than a week, despite the prayers of Shallya's priests.[1a]
The Sanatorium's administrator is Heinrich Saltzman, an imposing nobleman from Middenheim who was originally hired by the Shallyan temple to see to the workings of the Sanatorium. Despite his cool demeanour and seeming lack of empathy, Saltzman has done an excellent job of keeping the entire operation running smoothly.[1b]
There are disturbing rumours that Saltzman and his colleagues participate in illicit dissections on the cadavers of terminally ill patients, but all investigations into these allegations have failed to reveal evidence of such ghastly behaviour. Such rumours have resulted in Saltzman initiating duels against his accusers, and he has yet to lose in the defence of his honour.[1b]