Shiallia
Template:Forgotten Realms Deity
Shiallia (/ʃiː ˈɑːl jʌ/shee-AL-yuh[1] or /ʃiː ˈɑːl liː ɑː/shee-AL-lee-ah[2][3]) is a fictional Faerûnian demipower deity of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.
Publication history
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
Shiallia is first described in the book The Savage Frontier (1988) by Paul Jaquays.[1]
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
Shiallia is further detailed in Powers & Pantheons (1997).[2]
Her relationships with the nonhuman deities in the Forgotten Realms was covered in Demihuman Deities (1998).[4]
Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition (2000-2007)
Shiallia appears in 3rd edition in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting book (2001),[5] and was further described in Faiths and Pantheons (2002).[3]
Description
Shiallia is the deity of fertility, woodland glades and growth. She is earthy and charming in a childlike way. Her coarse manner sometimes leads people to believe that she behaves like a satyr, but she is much deeper than a satyr and has a mystical quality about her which a satyr could never have. She loves playing with the creatures of the woodland and is very protective of them.[3]
Shiallia usually appears as a voluptuously beautiful female korred whose long blond hair is festooned with garlands of oak leaves and golden acorns. She is the patron and protector of pregnant forest creatures, a planter of trees and nurturer of seedlings. She rejoices in life and shields against death.[1] She is said to be earthy and winsome, and when not taking care of their needs delights in frolicking in the woods and playing with the woodland creatures who are her charges. At times she seems giddy and carefree, but has deeper qualities and a more mysterious quality which differentiates her from the fey forest creatures such as satyrs. While she is fiercely protective of those she protects, she is unlikely to interfere with matters outside of her portfolio if they do not directly involve her.[3]
Relationships
Shiallia is said to be the sister (or sometimes daughter[1]) of the Tree Ghost and the daughter of Tapann the undying, and sometimes the daughter of Mielikki, who she serves with both Lurue and Gwaeron Windstrom, and thus ultimately Silvanus. She enjoys strong relationships with Chauntea and Eldath who have overlapping portfolios with her and are both strong in Shiallia's favored regions. She is in opposition with Auril, Malar, Talona, and Talos, who seek to destroy the things she protects.[3]
Worshippers
Shiallia's worshippers include druids, nuptial couples and agricultural workers.[3] Worshippers of Shiallia are described as protectors of nature.[6]
Shiallia's church is casually organized, without much of a formal structure or hierarchy. Her followers are sometimes known as the Silent Helpers, perhaps for the tales of their quiet and unseen aid in guiding lost children and fools past the dangers of the High Forest.[3] Certain particularly dedicated priests of the Sister Goddess are known as Woodwives, and is said that they possess spells which can increase fertility and ease childbirth.[2] She has been known to confer acorns of desire on especially favored worshipers, which can grant them wishes.[1]
Temples
The Daughter of the High Forest's faith is confined to the North, and in days past was virtually unknown beyond the borders of the High Forest,[1] where she maintains a center of worship know as The Glade of Life. However, despite this, an inn by the name of The Golden Oak, has also served as a temple to Shiallia in Silverymoon for many years.[1][7] At the time of the Year of the Prince, it was run by the priestess Izolda Three-corn.[1]
Clergy
Clerics of Shiallia are known as wood-wives or husbands of nature. They spend their life tending to the earth; planting and nurturing and looking after the ill. They guide those who are lost in the woods, and sometimes are given the name Silent Helpers. They pray for their spells when the moon reaches its highest peak in the sky - as the moon governs the reproductive cycle.[3]
Dogma
Scriptures
The only true goal of any living thing is to procreate. Nature dictates the shape of the world, for good or ill, so the only concern of the creatures that inhabit it is survival. Death is not to be feared, for it is part of the natural cycle of life, but life, particularly the birth of new life, is to be encouraged and nurtured whenever possible.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Paul Jaquays (September 1988). The Savage Frontier. TSR, Inc. ISBN 978-0-88038-593-0.
- ^ a b c Boyd, Eric L. (1997). Powers & Pantheons. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-0657-X.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Boyd, Eric L, and Erik Mona. Faiths and Pantheons (Wizards of the Coast, 2002).
- ^ Boyd, Eric L. Demihuman Deities (TSR, 1998)
- ^ Greenwood, Ed (2001). Forgotten Realms: Campaign Setting. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Rinschler, Thomas E. "Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting: Deities Supplement" (Wizards of the Coast, 2001).
- ^ Ed Greenwood (1993). Volo's Guide to the North, TSR, Inc. ISBN 1-56076-678-6