Ishali

Also known as: Eldest Sister, Elder Sister, the Weeper, Mother of Madness, Blind Ishali
One of the Blood Gods of the vampiric pantheon, Ishali is the goddess of despair, regret, and insanity. She's the second eldest of the five siblings.
Despite the Blood Gods being uniformly malicious, Ishali is the closest to neutral among the group. She alone among the Blood Gods is thought to feel remorse for their betrayal of their eldest brother, The Bound One, and is said to have blinded herself from guilt. Her insanity means that she has very little regard for expanding her following; she's thought to be largely indifferent to the rise and fall of mortal vampires, choosing to make her presence known only as the whim strikes her.

Depictions

Like all the Blood Gods, Ishali is most often shown in the nude, inhuman form that reflects the true nature of vampires. She has long black hair that's shown lifting and swirling around her as though in water or wind, and her forearms are wrapped with an elaborate binding of white cloth that trails long, pale swathes of fabric around her; detailed depictions of Ishali will frequently use these 'banners' to depict scenes of sorrow and disaster, while simpler depictions will often simply stain them with blood. She's shown with long, dragging symmetrical clawmarks that crisscross her body from hairline to the base of her torso; these can be shown as either physical bleeding wounds or more stylized red markings, and when she's occasionally shown wearing a white gown are represented by red sashes and hems. Crucially, Ishali's eyes are blinded and shown with clawmarks across the eyelids. Depictions of her often show her covering her eyes, either weeping or in shame.

Typical Chosen

Vampires chosen by Ishali are typically those who've known great grief or hardship in their life; Ishali is said to be drawn to those filled with the same negative emotions she feels, and being chosen by her is often considered a very mixed blessing. Her following is also the smallest, as vampires who feel an excess of guilt or regret often find it much harder to deal with the circumstances of their existence.
Devout followers of the goddess are often referred to as Knights of Ishali, and wear ritual garments that echo the cloth bindings of Ishali herself. They're uncharacteristically detached from the usual power play of vampire social structure, and serve as confessors of sorts that will listen to the guilt and burdens of their brethren. However, despite this near-compassionate calling, Knights of Ishali benefit from the seniority of their goddess and are often granted far more power than followers of the other Blood Gods.

Associated Mythology

ISHALI'S REMORSE
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MADNESS IN THE WEAVING
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Holy Symbol

ISHALI
goddess of despair, regret,
and insanity