Hel

Goddess of disease. Hel is not among the most loved gods, but she is among the most worshiped. Her temples are big and plain. Many sick and poor seek shelter there. Hel will not allow her priestesses (priests of Hel do exist, but they are rare) to turn anyone away because that person is ill. It is the gospel of Hel not to mistreat anyone due to disease alone. The priestesses need not fear contagion, as no disease will ever spread in a temple of Hel as long as the sick are well treated. To never suffer a disease, a worshiper must sacrifice a king's ransom, so even devout adherents of Hel suffer minor ailments. And unless the amount of sacrifice has been excessive, she seemingly disregards it and deals out the more serious diseases at random. The priesthood of Hel consider her generous, coughing is of her making, allowing all, even the most poor, to sacrifice to her without giving away anything. A man who coughs is said to be 'praying to Hel'. In Pellas, Grone, and to some degree Rovia, diseases, especially those involving a fever, are thought to be soul-cleansing. As a consequence, madmen are often deposited at the gates of the Hel temple so that they can be infected by some disease. Often this results in the death of the madman, but this is accepted as a sign of the soul having been irrecoverably damaged. Another consequence is that people having just recovered from disease are believed to good mediators and good at telling truth from lies. 
Holy day: January 7th. in Pellos . Symbols: Face, half black, half white; sponge and cloth.