Ishtar

• Goddess of Love, Luck, and War
• Symbol: Eight-pointed star
• Alignment: Chaotic neutral
• Portfolio: Love, beauty, art, fortune, passion
• Favored Weapon: Scimitar

Ishtar is the goddess of love and beauty. She is legendary for fickleness and its of jealous rage, but this same passionate nature also drives her to fight fearlessly to protect those she loves and boldly confront foes. Ishtar therefore possesses an important aspect as a goddess of war. While Nergal is the god of warmaking and conquest and Tarhun is the god of battle, Ishtar represents war as the ultimate expression of unchecked emotion. Her dogma can be reduced to one simple idea: Live passionately, in all senses of the expression.
Ishtar is one of the most widely worshiped of the Nine, and her temples can be found in almost every city. Consequently her priestesses tend to be rich, powerful, and influential. Many of the rites and festivals associated with Ishtar’s temple are orgies of one kind or another, which goes a long way toward explaining Ishtar’s popularity with the masses. Clerics of Ishtar are also seekers of beauty, defenders of art, and protectors of their cities.