Mārdōna

by

Claudeana Sepenhelm

Mārdōna, the Goddess of Illness, Poison & Disease, might seem an odd choice for worship, but her followers insist that understanding sickness is the path to controlling it.

Her temples serve as both research centers and hospices, staffed by physicians with detailed knowledge of how the body fails. I’ve visited such establishments only when absolutely necessary, as Mārdōna’s followers have an uncomfortable habit of diagnosing ailments you didn't know you had.

During one such visit, a priestess informed me I had “the early signs of liver corruption common to men of dissolute habit,” then recommended a foul-tasting tonic that I’m almost certain was more punishment than medicine.

Mārdōnan devotees should:

• Wear mortality symbols
• Know the symptoms of ten common ailments
• Respect the natural cycle of decay