Dashiva, The Dark Mistress

PLEASURE UNTOLD AND SECRETS BEST LEFT HIDDEN—these were the temptations that ensnared Arleth, a noble of great influence, in her web. She entered his life like a whispered promise, her every word a caress, every glance an invitation to a world of forbidden desires. In his grand estate, where power was his to command, she offered something far more irresistible: the thrill of surrendering to a passion that defied reason.
Arleth, accustomed to control, found himself captivated by her touch, which teased and tantalized, drawing him deeper into her velvet trap. The secrets she shared were intoxicating, each one a seductive whisper that blurred the line between pleasure and peril. But what began as indulgence soon became a dangerous addiction, with her hold on him tightening like a silken noose.
Her touch, once inviting, grew possessive; her soft words turned sharp, cutting into his very soul. He craved her with a hunger she both fed and starved, leaving him yearning and hollow. She dangled just enough before him to keep him ensnared, never enough to satisfy the burning need she had kindled. By the time Arleth realized the true cost of his desires, it was too late. The once-proud noble was reduced to a shadow, a cautionary tale of the dangers in surrendering to the seductive power of Dashiva.

— The fall of Baron Arleth

The Dark Allure of Dashiva

Dashiva, the Dark Mistress, is the goddess of deceit, forbidden secrets, lust, and perversion. Her seductive allure and cunning manipulation have long been a source of corruption in Tavomia. While Morgesh seeks destruction through madness, Dashiva’s threat lies in her slow, deliberate corruption of the world through desire. She offers forbidden knowledge and intoxicating power, but her gifts always carry a price.
Her appearance is as mesmerizing as it is dangerous. Her alabaster skin is white like milk, smooth and flawless, a stark contrast to the darkness she embodies. Curled horns, as dark as the void, crown her head, adding to her fearsome allure. Her crimson eyes, burning with an insatiable hunger, promise both ecstasy and ruin. Bat-like wings arch from her back, and her flowing silken robes shift like living shadows, suffocating in their allure. Few can resist her beauty, but those who do fall become ensnared in webs of deceit and corruption.

The Khenari and the Black Veil

Dashiva’s primary followers are the Khenari, a race once noble, now twisted by her influence. Seduced by the promise of immortality and dark power, they have become her most loyal servants. Ruled by Calrile Shranzudum, the Blood Queen, the Khenari are a force of corruption in Tavomia, feared for their ruthless slaving, raiding, and dark magics.
The Black Veil, Dashiva’s priesthood, holds absolute authority in Khenari society. This dark order oversees every aspect of Khenari life, ensuring the people remain devoted to Dashiva’s teachings. The Black Veil enforces her will through terror and manipulation, using forbidden knowledge and lust to control others. Under their guidance, the Khenari raid, enslave, and corrupt other lands, spreading Dashiva’s influence wherever they go.

Devouring Bliss

Channeling Dashiva’s power brings a dangerously intoxicating pleasure known as Profane Taint. Her clerics, conduits for her dark magic, experience an overwhelming ecstasy that blurs the lines between desire and madness. As the Devouring Bliss consumes them, they feel an intense surge of power and sensual delight, but this comes at the cost of their sanity and soul.
Over time, those who surrender too deeply to Dashiva’s influence undergo a physical transformation. Their eyes glow with a crimson hue, their voices drip with seduction, and their very presence becomes an irresistible lure, though they themselves grow hollow. The deeper they drink from this well of power, the more they lose themselves, becoming willing slaves to her insidious will.

Debauchery and Dark Rites

Dashiva’s followers openly embrace debauchery in their Nights of Excess, where indulgence and cruelty reign. The most infamous of these is the Festival of Ecstasies, held during Beltane, a time traditionally associated with fertility. Here, the natural forces of renewal are twisted into public displays of lust and perversion.
Led by the Black Veil, these rites encourage the Khenari to abandon all restraint. Every indulgence is an act of worship, every sin an offering, drawing Dashiva’s influence deeper into the hearts of her followers.

Agents of Dashiva

Dashiva’s agents are powerful manipulators, cultists, and clerics who work to spread her corruption across Tavomia. They infiltrate courts and societies, using charm and deceit to bring entire regions under her influence. In battle, they wield dark magics, using lust, seduction, and manipulation to turn their enemies against one another.
These agents, though subtle in their machinations, are dangerous foes. They seek forbidden knowledge, powerful artifacts, and new ways to spread Dashiva’s influence. Adventurers may find themselves facing a network of her agents, each working in secret to further her dark goals.

Ethos of Dashiva

Dashiva's followers are driven by indulgence, lust, and manipulation, believing that true power comes from exploiting desire and secret knowledge. Her teachings promise ecstasy but always with the risk of corruption.

• Desire grants power. Exploit the deepest desires of others to weave their fate.
• Surrender to your passions. Only by embracing your innermost desires can true ecstasy—and power—be achieved.
• Secrets unlock dominance. Pursue forbidden knowledge, for in its depths lies mastery over all.
• Corruption fortifies. Twisting others to your will makes you stronger.

Her alignment is Neutral Evil, reflecting her belief in selfish indulgence and using lust, deceit, and corruption to achieve ultimate control.

Domains and Worship

Dashiva's clerics draw power from the domains of Lust, Deceit, Forbidden Knowledge, and Passion. Temples to Dashiva are hidden, opulent sanctuaries where her followers indulge in dark rites and forbidden pleasures. The worship of Dashiva is secretive and indulgent, involving rituals of seduction, manipulation, and the pursuit of forbidden knowledge.
Her priesthood, the Black Veil, leads these rites, teaching that true power lies in exploiting the desires of others. They believe that indulging in one's own desires brings them closer to Dashiva and that only by submitting to lust and deceit can one achieve true strength.

Content Warning

The Eternal Maze of Desire

Labyrinthia, Dashiva’s domain, is a labyrinth of endless corridors, where the lost are driven by their deepest, most secret desires. Here, mortals are trapped in a cycle of false hope and eternal longing, forever pursuing fulfillment that never arrives. The whispers of Dashiva guide them deeper into the maze, promising satisfaction just out of reach. The more they chase their desires, the further they stray from themselves, until they are nothing but hollow shells, shadows of their former selves, forever wandering her cursed realm.

The Temptation of Forbidden Knowledge

The knowledge Dashiva offers is tantalizing, a forbidden fruit that promises to unlock the deepest mysteries of the universe. Her voice, dripping with honeyed seduction, draws scholars, mages, and seekers into her web. Yet, every secret she shares brings ruin to the soul that accepts it. Those who drink deeply from the well of her knowledge find themselves enslaved, their minds shattered by truths too dark to comprehend. The more they learn, the more they lose, until their thirst for power consumes them entirely.

Monstrosities of Perversion

Dashiva delights in the creation of grotesque beings, molding flesh and soul into hideous forms of lust and desire. Her monstrous creations, known as The Lurithyn, are born from the perversion of those who once sought her favor. These beings, writhing with unnatural beauty and terrifying lust, serve as both warriors and seducers. Wherever they go, they spread Dashiva’s corruption, turning the pure into the profane. They are the ultimate expression of her dark gifts—creatures of excess, whose very existence is a mockery of life’s natural order.

To Be Devoured by Bliss

For Dashiva’s followers, the Devouring Bliss is an overwhelming force that blurs the line between pleasure and torment. The first taste of her power is intoxicating, a rush of lust and euphoria that makes everything brighter, more vivid. Colors burst, sounds resonate, and the air hums with energy. But when the Bliss recedes, the world becomes dull—grey, lifeless, and empty without her touch.
Each time they draw on her power, the Bliss consumes them further, filling their senses with unspeakable pleasure. Yet, the deeper they indulge, the more they lose themselves. They crave the ecstasy she brings, chasing it like a drug, but with every indulgence, they fall deeper into depravity. Soon, the Bliss is all they know, and without it, life loses its appeal, leaving only the relentless hunger for more.