Ishtar
Ishtar, also called the Nyxean Goddess, the Mistress of the Dark, the Quicksilver Queen, Our Lady of Silver, and the Moonmaiden is the goddess of the night, darkness, the moons, loss, twilight, fear, travel, and cold. She is the partner of Ashtar the god of the sun.
She is known as a skilled warrior, and is often considered the patron of female knights and fighters. She is also commonly associated with navigators, wanderers, questers, seekers, and good or neutral lycanthropes.
"Let all on whom my light falls be welcome if they desire to be so. As the silvery moons wax and wane, so too does all life. Trust in my radiance, and know that all love alive under my light shall know my blessing. Turn to The Nights Eyes, and know I am guiding you truly.” — The words of Ishtar, which all novices are charged with.
Description
Ishtar has appeared in many forms, like the phases of the moon. One was a dark skinned human woman with long limbs, perfect and exquisite beauty; wide, radiant, lime-green eyes, and long, ebony-hued hair that fell to her knees. In this aspect, she has been seen wearing diaphanous robes colored white or resembling dappled moonlight, which trail sparkling moondust. She is usually surrounded by a parliament of owls that she often consults with.
Another appearance is that of an ethereal, fair-skinned young woman of slender frame, dark eyes, and ivory hair, shorter and curlier than that of the previous form. This is the aspect she wore during The Betrayal War and she was seen wearing her gleaming Quicksilver Armor and carrying her weapon Apolune, an enormous double-sided crescent-shaped scythe. She also bears a shield, Albedo, that is said to be able to reflect any attack, and a long handled mace known as The Wand of Four Moons.
Like the cycles of the moon, Ishtar has many and changing moods and natures. Her faithful, coming from many walks of life, view her in countless different ways, and she reflects this. Sometimes she is enthusiastic, vivacious, joyous, and majestic, given to action and dance. At other times, she is subdued, motherly, and almost poetic or tranquil and embracing. Then she can be remote and weighed down by sadness at defeats and tragedies, even those that happened long, long ago. Finally, she can be aggressive and fierce, but cold, and with little mercy for her enemies. These shifting personalities make her versatile. Nevertheless, she is generally viewed as a calming influence and is prayed to for strength during difficult times, such as the death of a loved one.
Nevertheless, at all times, Ishtar is caring and accepting of most beings, and forgiving of most of her followers' faults. She is both ageless and ancient. She is quietly mystical and well used to change. She has a serene and peaceful nature and is slow to anger; however, she is fiercely protective when confronted by evil.
She is also generous and freely bestows gifts and blessings on mortals. She also makes few demands of her followers. When beseeched by her clergy, she always responds.
Activities
Ishtar played a pivotal role in The Betrayal War which began with the event known as The Rape of Ishtar. She also ended the war by causing The Moonfall when she crushed and threw Ora's third moon Oona at Tharizdun.
She is also responsible for creating the Slash and Moonfall Gulf as a result of this action.
Other events she is known for include assisting Primus with the rearranging the celestial bodies in the Selestean Star System during the Reshaping Year of Order. And the transposition and conversion of the dead world Baator into what would become The Hells.
Possessions
Ishtar wields an enormous crescent bladed scythe called Apolune. She also wears a mace called The Wand of Four Moons. The mace has a long straight shaft with four sharp flanges, each depicting a different moon phase. Additionally she bears her signature shield Albedo. Albedo depicts a stylized image of the face of a moon that waxes and wanes as if it were formed by an animated pool of liquid silver.
In addition to her weapons and armor mentioned above, Ishtar has bestowed many magical items and artifacts upon the peoples of Ora as gifts. From jeweled silver diadems, to silver lit lanterns, as well as lesser versions of her personal armaments, Shields of Reflection, swords, scythes, maces, and Quicksilver Armor.
Powers and Abilities
When manifested in The Substantial, Ishtar can cast a wide variety of magical spells. She has been known to avoid reversed and injurious forms of healing spells and necromantic sphere spells, unless absolutely necessary. She can freely cast divination spells, even alongside other spells. Her spells all have a similar appearance, beginning as streaks of moonbeams and only revealing their true effect when they strike. She radiates protection from evil to a distance of a 100 yards (90 meters), and no good summoned creature within this range can be dispelled or banished.
She cannot be damaged by electricity or light spells, and cannot be affected by illusion, enchantment, or charm spells. No lycanthrope can attack her. She cannot be detected or revealed by divination magic unless she wills it.
If pressed into battle, Ishtar is an awesome warrior, fighting with divine fury but with martial and magical skill in coordination.
She often manifests Powers or Principalities that appear as trails of dancing motes of light, similar to will-o'-wisps, commonly called "moondust" or "moon motes", which can shed moonlight where there should be none. These Powers guide travelers lost in the night or journeying over hazardous terrain, and come to shine for her faithful when light is needed for a delicate action.
To indicate her favor or presence or to help mortals, Ishtar might also send owls; Moonstone Dragons ; certain breeds of good lycanthropes or other shapechanging creatures; or one of her loyal planetar servants. Other signs were the colors blue and silver and the appearance of Quicksilver or moonstones.
Finally, Ishtar can sense any deed that occurs in the open light of the moon, anywhere in the universe. She can also instantly create any magical item and sometimes confers boons to mortals, sometimes without their knowledge.
Divine Domains
The night, darkness, the moons, loss, twilight, fear, travel, and cold
Artifacts
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Two silver eyes surrounded by 7 stars.
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