The Cult Of Malia Tersea

Written with lots of invaluable aid from Pam Carlson

I. Mythos and History

Malia was the daughter of Oria and Yelm, and was sister to Erissa. She lived, alongside her twin, with her mother in the realm of Voshgatyuth -- the Third Hell. A time came when Erissa and Malia came to maturity and was allowed to learn the arts of Healing. However, when Malia asked for such an honour she was refused, for her sister had been born moments before her. She soon grew tired and greedy. Malia sought for another power, something she could be proud of and cherish that she could cultivate on her own, but in the worlds above she found little that made her parents proud and her Emperor happy.
Finally, she sneaked to the Adamant Doors of Demonhell, the Fourth Hell, and used a stolen key from her step-father, Lodril, to enter. Malia found what she sought, the almighty powers of disease. She consorted with the evil spirits of Hell, and became the Monster Man's whore -- their union was the ancestral plague spirits, and all disease afterwards. She returned with her new knowledge and presented it to the Emperor. He recoiled in revulsion tha such an inpurity would be offered to him. He commanded his son, Shargash, to test his weapons against Malia. Shargash threw cascades of Cleansing Fire at her, scaring Malia terribly. She fled.
No-one wanted her powers, no-one loved her knowledge. She was denounced as evil, and became known as Erissa's Other. She grew hateful, vengeful and spiteful as she festered in Demonhell with her lovers, and at last found a new power -- Hate.
When the Emperor was slain, and all fell dark, she grew and spread across the Cosmos. She mastered the new power Death. She joined with the Broo-Parents, the Evil Ones and renouned her previous parentage and Thed and Ragnaglar adopted her as a child. Between the three of them, the doors to the Fifth Hell were opened. What Malia saw was evil, pure and unadulterated -- beyond anything she had ever imagined. Her pitiful playings as a being of evil were placed in doubt, and she fled from the gates of Arrquong to find refuge.
She walked for many years, until finally Yelm summoned her to pay for her crimes and allow Justice to prevail. In the Realms of the Bright Dead, she met Bijiif -- he demanded she be slain and remain so. Her pleas went unheard for such royal ears would not allow themselves be tainted with the words of evil. But from the cracks of the world came Erissa. She pleaded for her sister's life. Yelm placed her under a series of tests, to determine her sincerity, and when she survived Yelm agreed, upon the condition that Malia faithfully serve him, she would be allowed back into the Cosmos. She was even given her own place as a star in the Underworld Sky. As a sing of her amnesty she gave him her knowledge to defend against what she had unleashed -- this can be seen in the Rune Magic that the Priests know as Fight Disease.
The Red Goddess knows of this power of Malia's and accepts her into her new order. Deezola, by her acts of the past, has reinstated Malia in the old Golden Age position of a goddess of Healing. She was a great aid in the Era of Healing, and is honoured for her actions.
She is shown as a woman, normally bowing down to the light of the Emperor or Chalana Arroy, and often with a tattered rag where her back has been whipped or otherwise punished. She offers a bowl of water in repentance for her crimes.
Funeral rites are only needed when people die of disease. The cult of Malia often offers recompence for the Death, and buries the body for free in the nearest burial ground, at their own expense -- therefore the cult makes every effort to ensure that plagues do not break out.
Within the Lunar Empire she associated with Darkness and Harmony.

II. Cult Ecology

Malia is the goddess of repentant healing. She is gravely sorry for her actions of the Godtime and her worshippers seek to either contain, or obliterate, disease from Glorantha. She is a slave to Yelm unto such a time that she has made recompense for her actions from before the Dawn.
As defined by nature, disease is a bane of the mortal races and Malia's place is to wipe it away, being it's creator she sees this as her duty. She is thus a part of the world, despised for her previous acts, but a neccessary part of the New Cosmos of the Red Goddess.
Malia's cult within the Empire supports Yelm and her sister cult, Chalana Arroy. Both Teelo Norri and Deezola receive suport, the first because many of the poor and homeless who come to her are infected, and the latter as a healing goddess. Those races that are immune to the touch of Disease, such as Mostali, are honoured for this power. Lunarians investigate these abilties and attempt to reproduce them magically (as well as how to overcome these resistances -- just in case a Lunar vs. Mostali war ever occured).
Malia's holy days are the same as Chalana Arroy's. The High Holy Day is in the second week of Sacred Time when Malia was forgiven by Yelm.

III. The Cult In The World

The cult is only worshipped in the center of the Empire. On the outskirts the ignorance of the populace means that they still believe Malia to be an evil deity, and incapable of good -- even though Lunarian Healers demonstrate otherwise. The cult is small and modest, temples are to be found in Glamour and Torang, and the odd shrine elsewhere in the most pure areas of the Lunar Empire. The Cult is allied to Chalana Arroy, and often Illuminated Healers of both cults can be found, either worshipping both goddesses, or else working closely with members of the other cult. Their shrines are most likely to be found within temples dedicated to other goddesses such as Deezola or Chalana Arroy.

IV. and V.

See LoT p.29.

VI. Initiate Membership

An initiate is required to accept a disease spirit. In doing so, the population of Disease Spirits is reduced, through the power of Malia the spirit is neutralized and so does not spread to other people and neither affects the intitate.
They must sacrifice 1 POW. They must also be willing to accept the general disdain of soceity, but otherwise initiation is automatic. Initiates are taught spells by the shaman, normally heal and soothe wounds.
Malia is unable to bring people back from the dead using Divine Intervention, her connection to Death was severed when she agreed to turn back to healing the Cosmos from disease and so she is incapable of such an act.
Also see LoT p.30.

VII. Disease Masters

See LoT p.30.

Common Rune Magic: Binding Enchantment, Divination, Heal Wound, Sanctify, Worship Malia.
Special Rune Magic: Command (disease spirit)

VIII. and IX.

See LoT p.30 - 31.

X. Sub-cults

Spirit Of Reprisal

To the unfortunate who chooses to revoke her worship, Malia can no longer protect them from disease. While Malia is very upset at the prospect of someone dying of disease, she is incapable of preventing this. See LoT p.31 for the effects.

XI. Associate Cults

Chalana Arroy
Her cult is responsible for the teachings of the skill, Teach Disease.

Yelm
Grants Fight Disease, which was previously a gift from Malia.

Deezola
Grants Restore Health to help restore damage caused by disease.