Church of Loviatar

[Di-Master]

Information known by all

Dogma
Loviatar teaches that the world is filled with pain and torment, and the best that one can do is suffer those blows that cannot be avoided and deal as much pain back to those who offend. They (chillingly) believe that true pleasure is only won through pain. In the Loviatan faith, the strong are those who taste pain and strive on.

Priests characteristics
few, human or half-elves, vast majority of clergy are of female sex
priests: Loviatans or Lovites
specialty priests: pains - operate as a separate arm of faith - moving from place to place ensuring that the goddess's will is carried out.

Hierarchy
Novices/Postulants = Kneeling one
Priests = Adept, Sister, Supremar, Paingiver, Whipmaster (ascending)
Head of Temples = Truescar

Hatred towards other churches
Ilmater, teaches that strength comes from suffering
Eldath, teaches of peace, the banishment of fear, and living in harmony with nature
Talona
Llira





Information known by Vadania only

Worship of Loviatar tends to be strongest in large, decadent cities such as Athkatla, Calimport, Mulmaster, Saerloon, Selgaunt, Telflamm, Waterdeep, and Westgate.

recruits
bored / wealthy / desperately hungry beggars
initiation rite: revel where much drugged wine is drunk and dancing and more intimate pursuits go on for several days and nights

Hierarchy
Confirmed priests used the titles (in ascending order):
Taystren,
Adept (in Pain),
Sister/Brother (in Torment),
Supremar,
Caressor (of Terrors),
Whiplass/Whiplar,
Paingiver,
Whipmistress/Whipmaster,
High Whipmistress/Whipmaster,
Branded (of the God),
Truescar
[Words in parentheses in the precending list represent parts of the formal title seldom used except in rituals, disciplinary hearings, or documents]
The last two titles are applied to all Loviatan clergy members who have served as the head of a temple, abbey, or monastery of the goddess or who have personally distinguished themselves in their service and taken up a life of wandering to further Loviatar's will and influence, often sponsoring or leading bands of "dark adventurers" to spread torment.

Dogma
Novices in the Loviatan faith are charged as follows: "Kindnesses are the best companions to hurts, and incrase the intensity of suffering. Let mercy of sudden abstinence from causing pain and of providing unlooked-for lealing come over you seldom, but at whim, so as to make folk hope and increase the Mystery of Loviatar's Mercy. Unswerving cruelty will turn all folk against you. Act alluring, and give pain and torment to those who enjoy it as well as to those who deserve it most or would be most hurt by it. The lash, fire, and cold are the three pains that never fail the devout. Spread my teachings whenever punishment is meted out. Pain tests all, but gives strength of spirit to the hardy and the true. There is no true punishment if the punisher knows no discipline. Wherever a whip is, there am I. Fear me-and yet long for me."

Day-to-day activities
As one of the Dark Gods, Loviatar likes to be feared, and her clergy members are ordered to whisper of her ever-present power in the darkness after they have inflicted pain. Their Prime Charge is to tirelessly cause suffering, both widespread and personal. This work may be as brutal as flogging an encountered band of orcs until they flee or as subtle as breaking hearts among young nobles by pretending to fall in love with the gallants (while disguising one's Loviatan faith), working to break up existing amours and friendships, and engaging in scandalous dalliances before coldly spurning the victims and departing. The activities of prudent worshipers of Loviatar should never be so high-profile that local authorities set out to imprison or thwart them upon first sight, but such activites should be energetic and numerous. Being a good actor-and of striking beauty, or experienced in using spells to appear so-are very useful traits for a Loviatan, but the most successful Loviatans are those who understand the ways and natures of folk and so know just how to cause them the most pain and to manipulate them toward that end.

Faith actions
1. basic:
a kneeling prayer performed by Loviatans at morning and at evening after striking oneself once with a whip. Other rituals of the faith center on consecrating wine, whips, holy symbols, and other items-both practical, such as potions of healing, and horrific, such as tortune implements-used by the devout and on celebrating advancement in priestly rank.
2. Rite of Pain and Purity:
All four seasonal festivals are celebrated by Loviatans with the Rite of Pain and Purity: a circle dance of chanting, singing clergy members performed upon barbed wire, thorns, or broken glass or crystal, where the priests allowed themselves to be urged to greater efforts by the whips of high-level priests and are accompanied by the drumming of lay worshipers. A red radiance rises gradually and forms a flickering cloud above the ring. If Loviatar has important missions to speak of, is especially pleased with this group of followers, or wants to enact her displeasure, she manifests in the heart of the cloud. If Loviatar does not manifest, the ritual ends after half an hour, and the priests heal themselves.
3. Candle Rite:
Every twelfth night the clergy members celebrate smaller Candle Rite wherein they sing, chant, and pray as they dance around lit candles, passing some parts of their bodies through or over their flames repeatedly until the rite ends with the highest-ranking priestess extinguishing her candle with consecrated wine.

Major Centers of Worship
Aside from the nation of Dambrath, where the worship of Loviatar is the state religion and the queen of Dambrath, Yenandra, is its high priestess, the Black Spires of the Maiden temple in the Vale of Wailing Women west of Ishla in Amn is the largest, wealthiest, and most energetic center of worship to Loviatar, sending out agents all over Faerun and speaking with "the close love of the goddess."

Affiliated orders:
The Loviatan church has no affiliated knightly orders. Monks of the faith all belong to the Disciples of the White Rod, named in honor of the token granted to their founder by Loviatar and held in the home abbey near Calimport as a relic.

Vestments, gear and equipment
weapons: daggers, barbed (or not) whips, maces (preferably poisoned)
vestments: icy white or black lined with scarlet silk ritual robes, lightweight, designed for fashiona and emphasis of the figure rather than protection. Loviatar's priests wear it is a badge of honor and pride.
armor: a pleated armor that resembles scale mail, often augmented by breastplates that bristle with spikes. From a wearer of such augmented armor, a firm hug (the Embrace of Loviatar) does damage.