Shiallia

Shiallia was a minor Faerûnian deity of fertility and woodlands mostly worshiped within and in the vicinity of the High Forest. Prior to the Time of Troubles, she could occasionally be found in the Neverwinter Woods as a figure rumored to be a powerful druidess, going under the alias "Lady of the Woods". She was the patron goddess of the korreds and a caretaker of pregnant forest creatures, a planter of trees and a nurturer of seedlings.

Description
Shialla appeared as a beautiful, voluptuous female korred somewhere between tall depending on her whims. She had long, blond hair, (although without the beard most female korreds possessed) riddled with garlands of oak leaves and golden acorns. She wore a short, gauzy, flowing tunic that hung from one shoulder secured around her waist with a belt. She had a low, throaty voice, yet her divine beauty was such that all sentient mortals, male or female, were left stunned upon first laying eyes on her.

Shiallia's guise of "Lady of the Woods" was known to appear as a misty apparition of a beautiful woman in a green, flowing gown.

Manifestations
Shiallia took on many animal forms recognizable as her by the fact that each was a paragon of their species. One of her favorite forms was that of a large but graceful doe, often surrounded by several bucks who neither make direct advances nor fight for her affection, entirely acting in accordance to her will.

Shialla also took more abstract forms, sometimes manifesting as whirling, dancing light motes shining with green faerie fire. The warm, relaxing radiance acted as a heal spell while also eliminating any pregnancy related pains or complications. She was also known to manifest as a shower of 2-20 acorns in the middle of a korred dancing circle in the High Forest, with a consumed nut tripling the chances the consumer would conceive (if under the appropriate conditions to do so) if it was eaten within 24 hours, though they remained perfectly edible indefinitely.

Personality
Shiallia was a charming, carefree, and giddy goddess who delighted in dancing and frolicking amidst the trees, playing with the creatures of the woods when not seeing to their needs. Contrastingly, she was also remarkably unabashed, at times behaving like the satyrs her patron people resembled; for example, while she enjoyed making clever retorts when in conversation, such rejoinders were often crudely suggestive. At the same time, she had a more mysterious aspect to her, possessing hidden depths of characters incomprehensible to creatures as forthright as satyrs. Often these unexpressed qualities were related to the protection of children.

Shiallia not only rejoiced in life, but also protected against death, remaining fiercely protective of those under her care. However, she was also a fairly passive goddess, staying out of matters that didn't directly concern her, such as those outside her sphere of influence, unless ordered otherwise by Mielikki or Silvanus. Though neutral good in alignment, she was known (at least under her Lady of the Woods alias) to allow the occasional wicked being to wander into her woods. She was also known to allow periodic visits, but any permanent occupation by creatures good or evil, especially intelligent ones, were not allowed. She would prefer mortals deal with each other, and would rather use environmental conditions, summoned creatures or earthly agents than directly confront offenders.

Divine Realm
Shialla's divine realm was called the High Glade and was located on Krigala, the first layer of the Beastlands, in the Great Wheel cosmology, and in the House of Nature in the World Tree cosmology. It lay next to Mielikki's Grove of the Unicorns.

Relationships
Shiallia served Mielikki, who in turn served Silvanus. The relationships between them and Mielikki's two other servitor-deities, Gwaeron Windstrom and Lurue, was quite familial and supportive. She was also allied with Eldath and Chauntea. Shiallia was also said to be the sister (or sometimes daughter ) of the Tree Ghost and the daughter of Tapann and Sharindlar.

Shiallia called enemy those deities that sought to destroy what she protected: Auril, Malar, Talona, and Talos. She had an especial dislike of Talona, who delighted in destroying the life Shiallia sought to nurture, and Malar, whom she regarded as an unbalanced killer.

Worshipers
Worship of Shiallia was largely limited to the High Forest and its immediate vicinity, where she was venerated by many woodland beings. Her clerics could be human, elven, half-elven, halfling, or korred, and were largely female. She had few specialty priests, some of whom where druids and others of whom were woodwives.

The clergy were migratory, wandering along trails that could be hundreds of miles long. They were were commonly called the Sisters of Life and Mercy (although Brothers of Life and Mercy were not unknown). Shiallia's clergy eschewed formal titles and hierarchy; young priestesses were called Daughter, priestesses of similar age were called Sister, and older priestesses were called Mother. Priests were called Son, Brother, and Elder Brother respectively instead.

Temples
Shiallia had two major temples: in the High Forest, she was revered at a holy site called the Glade of Life, which she shared with Chauntea, Mielikki, Eldath, and Lurue. The Glade was located at the the foot of the Star Mounts, near the village of Khle'cayre, and in the center of the Glade was the Fountain of Unicorns that fed the headwaters of the Unicorn Run. Circled by great oaks over a millennium old, the Glade had a fey beauty and avatars of the five goddesses were sometimes seen there.

Another temple, simply called The Grotto, was said to lie somewhere in the vicinity of Everlund. Outside of the High Forest, Shiallia's biggest temple was an inn called the Golden Oak, located in Silverymoon. At the time of the Year of the Prince, it was run by the priestess Izolda Three-corn.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Dungeon #28, "Visitors From Above"
 * Video Games
 * Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford
 * Neverwinter Nights: Darkness over Daggerford