Thal’Shariah (Ṯalšāriya)

Thal’Shariah (Marish: Ṯalšāriya [ˈθal.ʃaː.ri.ja])

Also known as: Ṯalšāriya (Silvan Hollow Marish) – “She Who Flows from Blood” Type: Primordial Class: Nature-bound

Introduction

Thal’Shariah, commonly known in old Silvan dialects as Ṯalšāriya, is a forgotten river goddess associated with sacred blood, fertility, and the lunar cycles. She was once venerated across the Shy Woods and surrounding regions by forest-dwelling matrilineal cultures, particularly those connected to the proto-Marish tradition of Silvan Hollow. Thal’Shariah is described not merely as a goddess of nature, but as an origin force—her blood believed to have carved the rivers and brought the first breath of fertility to Maraheim’s soil.

Though her formal worship was long ago extinguished by patriarchal doctrine, faint remnants of her cult endure among hidden sects and modern reclaimers of ancient wisdom. She is a sacred presence of quiet resilience, feared by some, misunderstood by many, and honored still by a devoted few.

Entity Characteristics

Class and Type

• Type: Primordial Entity

• Class: Nature-bound

Origin Thal’Shariah is believed to predate organized religion in Maraheim. Oral traditions in the Silvan Hollow dialect suggest she was once the central figure in a pre-patriarchal spiritual system rooted in natural cycles, feminine power, and sacred blood. Her worship was prominent between 800 BCE and 200 CE, but was gradually demonized and erased with the rise of the Talbot doctrine and the subsequent establishment of the Church of Hallowed Vows. She is neither fully deified nor personified in traditional terms but exists somewhere between myth, symbol, and metaphysical force.

Attributes

• Appearance: Thal’Shariah is typically described as a tall, solemn woman with riverwater eyes, moss-draped hair, and crimson markings that flow like veins across her skin. Her garments are woven from shadowed reeds and saturated with an eternal stain of blood. Her presence is often accompanied by a subtle fog, crimson dew, or the blooming of red-tinted moss in otherwise barren soil.

• Sound: Witnesses or practitioners speak of a low, rhythmic pulse—like a heartbeat deep within the earth—or the gentle murmur of water turning thick, as though the river itself were bleeding. During certain rituals, a haunting melody is said to emerge from no visible source, echoing through the woods like a lament.

• Traits:

  • Cycle-bound Presence: Thal’Shariah is most active during red moons and during times of mass feminine pain, such as childbirth, suffering, or communal ritual.

  • Fertile Manifestation: Her presence is linked to the sudden sprouting of crimson or blood-colored flora, the unexpected appearance of underground springs, or the clearing of diseased soil.

  • Blood Memory: Some practitioners claim Thal’Shariah can transmit ancestral memory or knowledge through blood sacrifice, especially when offered communally during moonlit rites.

  • Veilkeeper: She is believed to blur the threshold between this world and what lies beneath—the underflowing currents of memory, grief, and birth.

Detailed Information

Cultural Significance: Thal’Shariah’s influence once defined the spiritual worldview of early forest cultures in Maraheim. She represented a sacred feminine force tied not only to nature but to internal bodily wisdom. Her rites centered on menstruation, childbirth, and the cyclical shedding and renewal of life. As religious power centralized under male-dominated institutions, she became a threat—her worship outlawed, her name replaced with euphemisms, and her followers persecuted.

Today, her name survives in fragments: half-spoken oaths, corrupted lullabies, and symbolic carvings found on ancient river stones. For many modern witches and folkloric scholars, Thal’Shariah symbolizes resistance to spiritual erasure and the reclamation of bodily sovereignty.

Legends and Stories

• The Riverborn Mourning: One of the oldest surviving legends tells of Thal’Shariah weeping after the world refused her gift. Her tears, mixing with blood, became the River Lurien, which has never run dry.

• The Crimson Veil: In some variations, she appears to women in dreams when they reach menarche, offering them a bloodstained veil woven from river mist. Those who accept it are said to awaken with temporary insight into the memory of the land itself.

• The Red Bloom: A lost grove near the Shy Woods is said to bloom with blood-colored moss every twenty years, marking an unrecorded visitation by Thal’Shariah. These blooms are used in rituals by her most secretive followers.

Representation in Popular Culture (Optional)

Though not widely known in modern society, Thal’Shariah has inspired several independent artists, folk musicians, and neo-pagan writers, particularly in connection with feminist spiritual movements in outer Maraheim. A fictionalized version of her appeared briefly in the banned novella Vein of the Forgotten by Lys Evensdotter.

Similar Entities

• Gaia (Greek): Both embody fertility, though Gaia is more maternal, while Thal’Shariah is raw and sacrificial.

• Tiamat (Mesopotamian): Like Tiamat, Thal’Shariah’s body shapes the world. However, Thal’Shariah births rivers through sacrifice, not war.

• Kali (Hindu): There are thematic overlaps in blood and cyclical renewal, though Kali's destructive aspects are more overt.

• Nokoyari (Maraheim): A spirit of drowned women—sometimes confused with Thal’Shariah by those unfamiliar with their distinct origins and purposes.

Survivor’s Guide

Understanding the Entity

Nature and Behaviors: Thal’Shariah is not hostile but is a force rather than a personality. She may respond to acts of reverence or ritual offerings, particularly those tied to blood, rivers, or feminine rites. Encounters are subtle: dreams, visions, shifts in vegetation, or sensations of pressure near riverbeds.

Strengths and Weaknesses

• Strengths: Immune to conventional weaponry. Her presence warps terrain and induces emotional or spiritual visions.

• Weaknesses: None confirmed. However, her manifestations rely on ritual, natural cycles, and proximity to flowing water—these may limit her influence outside her domain.

Cultural Significance: Understanding her as a spiritual force rather than a sentient being is crucial. She is tied to cultural memory and suppressed belief systems. Approaching her with empathy and historical context increases the chance of meaningful interaction.

Preparing for an Encounter

Research and Documentation: Study Silvan Hollow oral traditions and river shrine inscriptions. The Phantasmopedia entry should be reviewed alongside records of feminine ritual sites in the Shy Woods.

Mental Preparation: Meditation focused on bodily cycles, water, and ancestral grief may help attune the investigator to her presence. Avoid framing her as malevolent—such assumptions may provoke unexpected consequences.

Equipment and Weapons

• Essential Equipment: EMF and temperature anomaly sensors (for detecting subtle environmental shifts), high-sensitivity audio recorders, river sediment test kits.

• Protective Items: Items associated with lunar rituals or red stones (such as garnet or jasper) may assist in attuning to her field.

• Weapons: Not applicable—offensive action is neither advised nor effective.

During the Encounter

Observation and Documentation: Careful environmental scanning for unusual plant growth, crimson discoloration of water, or persistent fog is critical. Journaling of personal emotional responses may yield significant symbolic patterns.

Communication and Interaction: Non-verbal offerings such as menstrual cloths, symbolic carvings, or red-stained leaves may serve as respectful forms of interaction. Ritual chants in Silvan dialect, especially during a red moon, can initiate contact.

Defensive and Offensive Tactics

• Defensive Actions: Respectful retreat from the site is advised if disoriented or emotionally overwhelmed. Do not attempt to disrupt natural flows or offer disrespectful sacrifices.

• Offensive Actions: None recommended. Provocation may result in ecological backlash (e.g., flooded terrain, emotional disturbances, or accelerated decay of offerings).

Respectful Distance: If witnessed, observe from a safe distance. She is not a being to be captured or commanded, but acknowledged.