Hala
Major Aspect of Life
A warrior queen, fiercely protective of her children
Hala is the unwavering spirit of unconditional love, the endurance of life, and the quiet strength found in family and community. She is the nurturer who sees all life as precious and worth protecting.
Hala manifests as a woman of timeless, reassuring beauty, neither young nor old, radiating warmth and safety. She is robust yet gentle, often depicted with powerful arms and strong hands that bear the calluses of labor and the softness of comfort. Her eyes are deep pools of emerald and gold, holding boundless compassion. She wears simple, durable robes woven from natural fibers, sometimes embroidered with symbols of overlapping circles (community) and entwined roots (strength). A faint scent of warm earth and milk follows her.
Hala embodies unconditional love, maternal strength, and the perseverance of life against all odds. She is the silent backbone of communities and families, providing boundless comfort and the will to keep going. She champions the protection of the vulnerable, the sanctity of home, and the belief that true strength lies not in conquest, but in endurance, healing, and unity. She is the source of inner peace and the conviction that life will continue, always.
Rites
The Hearth Blessing: A short, daily ritual performed in the home, often before the first meal or upon lighting the evening fire. Followers gently touch the four corners of their hearth or home's central living space, offering a quick prayer for protection, warmth, and sustenance for all within. This act is believed to reinforce the bond of the family and community unit.
The Binding of Wounds: A solemn ceremony for physical or emotional healing. Followers use clean cloth, poultices, or simple thread to bind an injury while reciting an oath that speaks to the body's resilience and Hala's nurturing power. This is always done with gentle, firm hands, emphasizing that healing is an active choice and an act of strength.
The Matron's Vigil: Held whenever a new life is struggling to take hold (e.g., a difficult birth, a dying harvest, a starving community). Followers gather and spend a night in silent, collective effort—tending the sick, mending clothes, or preparing food—drawing strength from their shared labor to reinforce the community's will to survive.
Celebrations
The Festival of the First Sprout: Held in the early spring (usually around the vernal equinox), this festival celebrates the return of warmth, the promise of the harvest, and the strength of life's renewal. It is a joyous, multi-day event centered around communal feasting and the public nurturing of seeds and young livestock. New couples are often blessed, and vows of community support are renewed.
Effigy: A Simple, Well-Worn Loaf of Bread: Made from whole grains and slightly warm, symbolizing sustenance, life, and the bounty of the earth. A Rough-Hewn Wooden Bowl: Smooth from years of use, representing the sharing of food and the central place of community. A Twisted Cord of Rope: Made from three different natural fibers, symbolizing the strength found in unity (Love, Strength, Life).
Domains: Love, Strength, Life, Community, Hearth, Endurance.
Legends: It is told that during the Great Famine of the MnSobek tribes, when all the other deities of Life seemed to turn their backs, Hala did not give food or water, but instead appeared as an old woman who taught the people how to share what little they had and how to draw strength from tending to each other. She showed them how to use scraps of fiber to weave warmer blankets and how to heal the cuts on their hands. It was the strength of their newly unified community, not a miracle of growth, that allowed them to survive until the rains returned.
Goals: To instill unwavering love and strength in the hearts of mortals. To encourage the creation and protection of family and community bonds. To ensure the continuity of life through endurance and nurturing. To alleviate suffering by providing comfort and healing.
Draws Strength From: Acts of unconditional love and sacrifice for others; the deep bond between parents and children; the shared labor and perseverance of a community; and any act of healing, nurturing, or protection.
Rivels:
- Rahav (The Hunger): Hala directly opposes Rahav's domain of Corruption and Hedonism. Rahav seeks to twist love into selfish lust and pervert communal bonds into greedy isolation, while Hala champions unconditional love and shared strength.
- Moros (The Inevitable): Moros represents the final, inescapable end. Hala, as the spirit of Endurance and Life, is constantly working to delay Moros's claim, nurturing and protecting lives even when they seem doomed. Her strength is the conviction that life will persist.
- Diavola (The Crawling Doom): Hala is the source of unwavering strength and hope, directly combating Diavola's domain of Depression and Despair, which seeks to break the mortal will to live.
- Talikat (The Foundation): While not hostile, their goals often clash. Talikat values Civilization and rigid Law above all, while Hala prioritizes the unconditional needs of the Family and Community, sometimes necessitating the breaking of laws for the sake of survival and love.
Originating Culture: MnSobek, Hadeeb.