Temple of Helahun

Helahun itself was not a remarkable city. Its streets were crowded, filled with the shouts of merchants selling their wares as crowds passed them by on their way. What made Helahun stand out however was the Temple dedicated to the Healer. It sat on the banks of the river Dema, tall white marble walls encompassing the buildings within. People from all over the continent came here, but not necessarily just to pray and leave offerings, as this was not just a place of worship. Inside, the order of Helahun worked to heal the sick and injured to give the greatest gift, life.
Renowned for their advanced medical knowledge, the order of Helahun work tirelessly to improve the lives of everyone who comes through their doors, whether it be by assisting in a birth, curing illness, setting a bone or comforting the dying.

Purpose / Function

The temple serves multiple purposes. It primarily acts as a large infirmary where the Order of the Healer treat the sick and injured. As healing magic is rare, almost all of the preists and preitesses are trained in practical medicine and are considered the best in the continent. The temple also serves as a place of worship dedicated to the Healer. The public are welcomed to pray within and leave gifts and offerings.
The Order often trains people to be healers, regardless of whether they intend to join the order or not. They view the spread of knowledge of healing as one of their sacred duties. They initially have them helping them in small ways such as fetching water, and simply observing them as they work. They then work their way up by completing small things such as making healing salves and cleaning wounds before they are allowed to treat a patient independently (albeit still under supervision). Once a trainee can prove they can competently treat a range of injuries and sicknesses, they are allowed to join the Order or leave to treat people elsewhere. Many chose to join the Order, even if they chose to return home as remaining in the temple is not a requirement to join.

Alterations

When the temple was first built it only consisted of what is now the prayer hall. Originally this was where the sick and injured were brought to be tended to, with a small alter dedicated to the Healer at the far wall, placed so that it may watch over the patients. Over time, this area was expanded with numerous rooms tacked on where there was space as the population grew.
In 286 DE a fire ravaged Helahun, burning down many of the makeshift structures of the temple in the process. Once the wounded had been tended to and the city was functioning again, the temple was rebuilt and an additional building was erected nearby. The old infirmary became the new temple where prayers and offerings were given while the new building became the new infirmary.
Recently, constrution of an upper floor of the infirmary was completed, increasing their capacity.

History

The temple has existed at its current site for hundreds of years. The oldest recorded evidence of the site suggests the first version of the temple was built on the banks of the river Dema in 1143 DE and consisted of little more than a wooden longhouse to house those who needed help. Supoosedly the river water had special healing properties which is why the Dema was chosen, however there is no current evidence ot support this. Little is known of the Order of the Healer during this time other than they were dedicated to their cause and became instrumental in the founding of the surrounding village which would later become the thriving city of Helahun.
The village became a town and as the population grew, so did the Order. The temple was expanded in 449 DE with a new stone building erected besides the old longhouse, which became the housing for the Order's members. This too eventually needed expanding but space was now limited by the buildings which had enclosed the temple on all sides.
In 286 DE a fire ravaged the town, burning the mainly wooden structures to the ground, killing many and injuring even more. The people either fled or sought shelter in the temple, it being made of stone and therefore safer. Once the fire was finally extinguished, the Order went out to help those they could. Only the main temple remained and their capacity to bring the injured inside was limited. Tents were erected around the temple with only the most severely injured allowed to be taken inside. In thanks for their services to the town, the Mayor agreed the Order may use the now empty land around the temple to expand. A new infirmary was constructed and the old one became the Temple.
Today, the temple has continued to acquire land around it as needed to continue to expand and serve those in need of their help.

Tourism

Travellers will often visit the temple to prey and give their offerings. More often however, people will travel to the temple to seek their services, either for themselves or for loved ones. The Order does not turn anyone away who asks for their help and can often send someone outside of Helahun if the patient is unable to travel to them.

Founding Date

1143 DE

Type

Temple / Church

Parent Location

Helahun