Loviatar Character in The Forgotten Realms | World Anvil

Loviatar (loh-VEE-a-tar or loh-vee-A-tar)

Loviatar, also known as The Maiden of Pain and The Willing Whip, was the evil goddess of agony and was both queen and servant to the greater god Bane.  

Personality

Loviatar was a cold-hearted bully, calculating and despotic; she was the master of inflicting physical and psychological suffering and her portfolio included pain, hurt, and torture.  

Worshipers

ringing pain and suffering was the aim of all Loviatans, either through physical torture or sometimes more subtly and psychologically. Beauty, intelligence, and acting were useful attributes of a Loviatan, but the ability to fully understand someone was the best skill a Loviatan could acquire, as knowing someone fully could help a Loviatan inflict maximum pain, one way or another. Loviatar's followers were encouraged to wipe Ilmater's followers from the face of the Realms.

Loviatans often engaged in self-flagellation, often in the morning when praying for spells. They celebrated each season with the Rite of Pain and Purity, a ritual that involved followers dancing on glass, thorns, or barbed-wire while being whipped by higher-level Loviatans. A smaller ritual occurring every twelve days involved followers passing their bodies through the flames of candles.

During warfare, priestesses of Loviatar scourged their naked shoulders or tore their cheeks with their nails to evoke magic.

Titles used by Novices are Kneeling Ones

Confirmed Priests use the titles (in ascending order)
  • Taystren
  • Adept (in Pain)
  • Sister/Brother (in Torment)
  • Supremar
  • Caressor (of Terrors)
  • Whiplass/Whiplar
  • Paingiver
  • Whipmistress/Whip Master
  • High Whipmistress/Whipmaster
  • Branded(of the God)
  • Truescar
The last two titles are awarded to those who have been head of a temple or who have personally distinguished themselves. In the old text priests were referred to as Lovites before the use of Loviatan replaced it.

Specialty priests, called pains, operate as a separate arm of the faith. They travel from place to place carrying out the goddess's will as envoys, agents, or inquisitors rather than being permanently stationed at a temple. Ordinary clerics of Loviatar hold the pains in high regard. A temple mainly consists of clerics, but one to three pains can be called upon if needed. Mystics often are assigned to groups of pains and monk, while living only with monks and monasteries. They usually swear fealty to the temple that their abbey is a part of in the hierarchy.

The faith of Loviatar was the state religion in the country of Dambrath. Under Queen Cathtyr the priesthood of Loviatar grew to the thousands. The Crinti priestesses there had their own secret religious language, known as the "Maiden's Tongue". The Crinti considered copying the idea of the trade enclave from the Red Wizards of Thay combining a trade centre and a place for the faithful to Loviatar to worship.

Orders

The Loviatan religion has no knightly orders.
  • Disciples of the White Rod: These monks of the faith of Loviatar were named in honour of the token granted to their founder by Loviatar and held in the home abbey near Calimport as a relic. Mystics follow a philosophy called Way of Transcendence.

Divine Domains

Death, Order

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Social

Contacts & Relations

Prior to the Time of Troubles, Loviatar was a servant of Bhaal and had a heated rivalry with her fellow servant Talona. During that time she often teased and tormented the goddess, feeling that she should and would eventually serve her..[16] During that time she was also affiliated with Malar.

For a time she fell under the sway of Shar, though the return of Bane changed this, as she once again served as his consort. Loviatar's portfolio conflicted most with that of Ilmater, because Loviatar despised those who helped others. She also hated Eldath and Lliira for offering rewards without any suffering to achieve them.
Divine Classification
Intermediate deity
Alignment
Chaotic Evil/Neutral
Honorary & Occupational Titles
The Maiden of Pain The Willing Whip The Scourge Mistress
Children
Serves
Bane

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