Cult of Shana

Bind the sick man to Morrs abode.

For from the Earth he is being torn away.

Of the brave man, who is so strong.

His strength has departed.

In his bodily frame, he lies dangerously ill.

But Shana, who in her dwelling is grieved for him.

Emerges from her waters, unvisited by men.

To the door of the sick man. She comes.
-Prayer from the Book of Sufferings.

The Cult of Shana is perhaps one of the most beloved and mutually respected Cults in Tural. This is due in most part to Shana, as Goddess of Healing, peace, and nature being one of the most beloved deities on the continent. Almost all need the services of the priestesses at some point in their lives, from their first breaths as a newborn where a Priest of Shana is there to aid in a difficult birth, to their end when they seek solace and compassion in their last days. The refusal of the cult to become involved in politics has made it a popular target of charity from wealthy nobles and merchants, and the success of the priestesses in channelling that wealth to the needy is notable. Most temples of Shana are simply decorated, with the money received going to the relief of pain, and those temples and hospitals are everywhere, from the smallest village to the largest city.
The primary concern of the Cult and their Priestesses is the relieving of pain, be it through medicine or cleansing. Water makes up a big part of the Cults rituals: cleaning wounds in fresh water, and cleansing a persons spirit of wrong doing, or wrongs done to them. Their Temples act as hospitals and as safe refuges for those abused, while Temples dedicated to --------, often a close neighbor if in a city, take in the hungry and the lost.
Much like their sister organization, Shanan cultists tend not to think about the big picture. They cannot help everyone, and thinking about those they may have missed makes it hard to go on. They help those who come to them or those they find, rather than looking beyond them to those in greater need.

Beliefs

The core belief of all Shanan Cultists is that they should work to relieve the suffering of others. Casual adherents give more to charity than most, and are more likely to help somebody who has fallen in the street, but for initiates and priests this calling comes to dominate their whole lives.
Waters inhabited by a nymph and blessed by Shana are believed to have miraculous qualities, healing deadly plagues with but a mouthful, and terminal wounds with a single swipe of a wet rag. As such, every Temple and hospital has a pool at its center, fed by clean water from underground springs. A new Temple cannot, infact be built unless such a spring exists below it, meaning temples are not always within city walls, or even anywhere close to a settlement.
A unique belief of the Cult, though one that is gaining popularity is that the mind and body are the same, that bodily states can effect mental states and vice-versa. The foremother of this way of thinking was Head Priestess ---------- of ---------- who was Bloodmaiden to King --------- in ----. She thought that stress can cause physical problems to a person, and advocated for "talk therapy" to find the source of a persons mental disturbances. She also believed that changes in diet and surroundings could help people work through psychological challenges.
All of this she wrote in her book, "The Souls Passion", which is now widely red among the Cult, and soon saw the birth of the Tearmaidens.

Strictures

• Avoid killing. It is only permissible in self-defence.
• Never refuse healing to a supplicant genuinely in need.
• Do not halt a soul when it is time for it to pass to Morr.
• Go about your life unarmed. Courage and a stout walking staff is all you’ll ever need.

Structure

Much like other Khesum founded Cults, the Temples and hospitals dedicated to Shana, do not fall under the immediate control of a larger governing body but instead operate semi-independently from one another. A Matriarch is in control of the Cult, but has nominal power and cannot expect all Priests and Priestesses to do as she wishes based solely on her will. As such, the leaders of each chief national Temple meet at the ------------- every 9 years to discuss doctrine and the latest advances in medicine, debate its merits, and decide who will adopt the new practices.
On an individual level however, temples of Shana are exceptionally well organized, with clear responsibilities for all residents, and defined chains of authority that are obeyed. This enables them to respond to crises, and to deal with the dozens, if not hundreds, of supplicants who come every day.

Initiation

Initiates into the Cult are generally either: orphans, noble children too far down the line of succession, or patients who decided to stay and help others. Orderlies have the first conversation with the Initiates. They’ll tell the newcomers the exertions of their job in the most detailed and colorful ways, leaving out nothing. They must be prepared for what is to come.
To truly join the Cult requires a show of continued devotion to Shana and her teachings. Reading and re-reading medical books late into the night and awakening early to begin work in the Temple again, collecting experience and honing instincts is the normal life for a new Initiate, usually lasting a year for adults, but younger initiates might need to work longer depending on the Temple.
An Initiate may leave, and those who don't show the aptitude are asked in the nicest possible way if perhaps another Cult would not suit them better. Either that or they remain as Initiates where they continue with their menial jobs.
Orderlies of Shana are burdened with more responsibilities and are expected to spend most, if not all their time working with those in need, and to show, at least, a lack of concern for their own comfort. Those who do so may become priests and priestesses, and continuing selfless work results in promotion within the temple.

Cultists

Khannan Priestess of Shana

Priestesses and Priests of Shana wear white robes often with a hood. These materials are normally hard-wearing and safe to wash by boiling, as the robes of Shanan devotees often become spattered with deeply unpleasant substances. Ornamentation is allowed and will usually be blue in colour, such as a lining to the robes or a sapphire bracelet gifted by a grateful noble.
Such expensive gifts are usually sold to raise money for medicine or an expansion to the temple/hospital in order to treat more people, but gifts that depict the Goddess or her symbols are usually kept.
With Priestesses being there at a persons lowest point and pulling them back up, it is not uncommon for a patient to fall in love with their nurse; a condition known as “dove fancying,” but normally Shanans cite the sacred priestess-patient relationship as a reason to do nothing. Many Priestesses do, however, find their husbands this way. Older Cultists are often generous with their advice, as well as their help, while those of middle years are typically very motherly. The young, pretty, and stern ones have a popular mythology all of their own, and seem to be particularly popular with nobility; often summoned for personal attendance and receive large gifts. A few have even married into the lower ranks but remain loyal, donating large sums of money every month to their old Temple.

Ranks

Initiate

Initiates are young, smart and have been noticed by the Cult. Initiates into the Cult of Shana are usually girls or women, looking for work that helps others and has a more social environment. Boys and men, will usually go to the Cult of Morr for its quiet but dependable work.
During the day they preform menial tasks around the Temple and attend lessons, while at night they plow through books, especially spelling books, with the goal of learning the written word.

Orderly

To become an Orderly an Initiate must show unwavering dedication to the Cult and its cause, as well as be able to read and write. Once at this rank they can understand the simpler medical books, and are able to change bandages, open purulent blisters, and set broken bones in splints. The work rarely stops and they have little if any time away from patients.

Apprentice

An Initiate or Orderly that lives through the awakening sickness is put into special classes on top of those they attend with the others. These classes are taught by the Cults resident Denul Mages and focus on controlling their new powers. Students with the Dream of Denul stay within the Cult to learn the blessings of Healing Magic while the others are sent off to the Cult more focused on their Dream of Power.

Priestess

When an Orderly becomes a Priestess they have completed their studies. From now on they can roam the Temple and Hospital grounds freely, visiting the libraries day or night, and offer their services to one or more of the specialized departments. Many choose to wander for a time, offering their services to far flung settlements or weary travellers. Such is the respect show to the Cult that a Priestess will always find somewhere to sleep at night, and even among bandits there is a decent chance she will be unharmed and fed for the time spent aiding their wounded.
Denul Mages do not stay separate from their class mates for long, and also becomes priests and priestesses, though when they wander, a Morrian Black Guard is often hired to accompany them on their travels.

Field Medic

Armed with a broad medical knowledge, these Priestesses join the military to patch up injured soldiers, friendly or enemy. Crawling through the mud to reach those with missing limbs or punctured guts, these women are a welcome sight no matter who's side they are on, the white and blue robes marking them out so skirmishers do not strike them down between battles as they both go about their work.

Dove

Doves represent the Cult to the outside world and serve as the consultants and watchers. They are the Cults conscience: its moral and ethic foundation who follow up on any complaints about its Priestesses.

Herbalist

Be it in a Temple, Hospital, or village cottage, the Herbalists of the Cult do their job well. They know almost every plant on Tural and when they grow, how to process them, and what the benefits and risks of each are.
They tackle the smaller but more constant work the Cult receives. People looking for poultices, pain relief, or something for an iffy gut will come to them, as will other Priestesses who require something stronger for a patient, or themselves.

Bloodmaiden

Complex operations that Field Medics and Priestesses cannot perform are the Bloodmaidens domain. They are masters of fine blade work and know human anatomy like no one else, delving into the body to save patients in even the most dire of states.
Of all the possible animosities between Cults, the Bloodmaidens cause the most hostility between the Shanan and Morrian Cults for their autopsies of the dead. For the Cult of the Pale Lady, this is a huge sacrilege towards the dead, but the Shanans simply point towards the growing list of people saved by the knowledge gained by such acts, and ask if their Goddess would have been happier if these people had instead all walked through her gates as well.

Tearmaiden

Where the other branches of the Cult deal almost exclusively with the body, the forte of the Tearmaidens is that of the mind. A relatively new branch, it has grown in popularity among the masses and the elite.
Tearmaidens must be the most trustworthy and incorruptible of all Priestesses, for their work involves the patient divulging sometimes deep and dark secrets so as to help them recover. For some, especially Kings and Queens, these secrets must never leave the room.

Anointed Priestess

A Priestess who has distinguished herself among her peers is given the honour of being blessed in the Goddesses holy waters. Her body is cleaned in the presence of the temples nymph and her brow and abdomen anointed in the waters with symbols of Shana. They direct the other Cultists in their work and try to keep things running smoothly to better help those in need as fast as possible.
Among the Anointed Priestesses in each nation, one is elected to attend the gathering at ------- every 9 years. There they will make the case for any advancements they or the other Priestesses in their region have made in medicine and defend them against her peers. If it is accepted, the others are meant to take on the practices too.

Matriarch

At the top of the Cult hierarchy sits the Matriarch. She is the living embodiment of Shanas will and presides over the meetings between the Anointed Priestesses every 9 years, before deciding what new practices will be implemented, if any. She is the only member of the Cult able to banish another from its Temples.
A Matriarch is usually very old by the time she ascends to this rank, and will spend much of her spare time cataloguing her life's works and discoveries for later generations.

Village Doctor

Despite the many donations from grateful patients and benefactors, the Cult consumes enormous amounts of food and materials to keep the hospitals working properly.
Village Doctors help alleviate some of this strain. The Cult sends out Priestesses to far away towns, villages and settlements asking for food, materials and craftsmen in exchange for services rendered.
Some consider it a punishment being sent away to work among commoners and will do all they can to remain within their Temple with its educated Priestesses and troves of books. For those who seem to be causing problems within the Cult, "Village Duty" is an effective and often used way to isolate them from worthy company and the leavers of power.
As ever within the Cult, there are many who see this as a honourable calling to help those unable to visit the Cult themselves.

Sects

There are no formal sects within the Cult of Shana, and no outright disagreements on doctrine. Different followers do place differing emphases on the various aspects of the faith, and this does give rise to vigorous disputes within the temples. However, these disputes are generally private; the cult presenting a remarkably united front.
Disagreements revolve mainly around the use of money, and how it should be divided between the patients, the Temples, and the Priestesses. Obviously the majority should go to the patients, that is not the part to be debated, but just how much? Should a Priestess be allowed to purchase a more comfortable bed with that money for instance? Some say yes. A good nights sleep means the Priestess is more awake and alert to help those in need, while others say such a thing is a needless luxury, and a small minority believe a Cultist shouldn't find any kind of enjoyment from her work at all.
Another disagreement is around that of time, and how much of it should be spent helping others. Some insist that a priestess should spend every waking moment in a hospital or tending to the sick elsewhere, and should minimize the amount of time she spends asleep, though most Shanans accept that it is bad policy to try to work all the time, as it leads to mistakes. The majority accept that quiet prayer is an acceptable break, and a substantial minority believe that any refined pleasure is permissible. A few think that anything that does not harm others or impede a Priestesses work is fine for relaxation.

Temples and Holy Sites

Shanan Temples are built in a traditional Khesum clanhold style consisting of a central courtyard surrounded by various buildings. The courtyard is dominated by a large pool fed by an underground spring. This pool is usually bordered by a stone surround, but some have them cover the whole courtyard and install stepping stones for inhabitants to get around when not using the side paths. Carved fountains are also a common decoration in larger Temples and hospitals, and are used as center pieces in cleansings and anointing's.
Chapels are situated on the left wall of the pool, and the infirmary is on the right. Living quarters for Priestesses are situated at the front by the entrance, and the Temple itself is at the back. Larger Temples see this building replaced with a hospital of up to three stories, and even larger ones will have multiple courtyards, with the hospital in the middle.
Temples are generally built of white stone, with the interiors decorated in red and various shades on blue. Shanans will try to avoid wood as a building material, as it enables the Temple to survive fires and provide shelter in the aftermath, as well as being more difficult to clean.
Smaller shrines to Shana usually consist of a stone or wood tablet with her symbol carved on its head, or even a small fountain. Both such shrines are constructed near or in lakes and ponds, and are no built within dwellings.

Cult of Shana

Shanan Lotus

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Seat of Power

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Head of the Cult

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Primary Orders

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Major Festivals

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Holy Books

The Souls Passion
The Book of Sufferings

Holy Symbols

Blue Lotus, Dove, Calm Lake