Last updated: 1st November, 2001

Gretascha Hegen

Alignment: Good (Shallya, devout)

Skills: Cure Disease, Heal Wounds, Immunity to Disease, Immunity to Poison, Righteous Certainty, Specialist Weapon - Quarterstaff, Stubborn Determination.

Trappings: Tattered Clerical Robes, various medical supplies.

Gretascha Hegen, or Goody Gretchen as she is commonly known, is small and thin, but a bundle of energy. She brings a smiling enthusiasm to whatever she does. Because of this, many people, especially the self-righteous, believe her to be a bit simple.

Gretascha comes from a relatively comfortable middle-class family in Bergsburg. She has always been aware, however, of the poverty and suffering that people endure in the town. She has always had a vocation to help poor people as much as she can.

To this end, she joined the Temple of Shallya's Falls as soon as she was old enough. During her noviciate, she was never interested in the theology and tenets behind the service of Shallya, and many of the priests took a dim view of her because of this. Some, though, noticed that her heart was in the right place and made allowances for her.

When it was time for her to make her pilgrimage to Couronne, she refused to go. She never understood what good it might do for the unfortunates of Bergsburg. Those who were sympathetic to her particularly naïve form of devotion were happy to let her stay at the Temple of Shallya's Falls and undertake the tasks that suited her best, caring for the needy. Many at the temple still look down on her, though.

Although she never seemed to learn anything from the lessons she attended at the Temple, Shallya has blessed her and she possesses, as if by instinct, many of the skills of a competent priest.

It has been twenty years since Gretascha first joined the temple. Now, she spends less and less time there, usually only returning to collect much needed supplies. She has more than enough to do tending to her ever-growing number of patients. She has no premises save a small room in one of the temple out-buildings. So, she travels all over the city visiting the sick in their own homes.

She will help virtually anyone who looks like they can't, for whatever reason, get care elsewhere - the poor, criminals, even mutants. Her only insight into theology is that she is sure that Shallya would help absolutely anyone in need. She will often, when seeing some likely person in the street, simply walk up to them and ask,"Do you need help?" She will always do what she can for them.

Needless to say, Gretascha is immensely popular throughout the city. If she is regarded as somewhat eccentric, many people are indebted to her for her kindness, and many more are sure she would help them if ever they needed it. Many people give their money directly to her, instead of, or as well as, making donations to the temple. Gretascha always gives these extra donations straight to the temple.

Ouside Relations

• Hanzi the Invalid
• Joschka Barth
• Gaugas Winnithaum

References

• The skills Righteous Certainty and Stubborn Determination can be found in Warpstone, issue 10, The Clerics of Shallya, by Tim Eccles.