Loviatar

Loviatar 

Loviatar (pronounced: /loʊˈviɑːtɑːr/ loh-VEE-a-tar), also known as The Maiden of Pain and The Willing Whip, is the evil goddess of agony and is both queen and servant to the greater god Bane.

Personality

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

Relationships

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. 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 despises those who help others. She also hates Eldath and Lliira for offering rewards without any suffering to achieve them.

Symbol

Her symbol is a nine-stranded whip, with barbed strands.

Worshipers

Bringing pain and suffering is the aim of all Loviatans, either through physical torture or sometimes more subtly and psychologically. Beauty, intelligence, and acting are useful attributes of a Loviatan, but the ability to fully understand someone is the best skill a Loviatan can acquire - as knowing someone fully can help a Loviatan inflict maximum pain, one way or another. Loviatar's followers are encouraged to wipe Ilmater's followers from the face of the Realms. 
Loviatans often engage in self-flagellation, typically in the morning when praying for spells. They celebrate each season with the Rite of Pain and Purity, a ritual that involves followers dancing on glass, thorns, or barbed-wire while being whipped by higher-level Loviatans. A smaller ritual occurring every twelve days involves followers passing their bodies through the flames of candles. 
During warfare, priestesses of Loviatar scourge their naked shoulders or tear 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*

*NOTE: 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 are 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 are often 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 is 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 center and a place for the faithful to Loviatar to worship.

Temples Dedicated to Loviatar

• House of Nine Blessings, in Calimport
• House of Scarlet Hooks in Calaunt
• Lady's Hand Monastery, in Ladypeak 
• Resting Place of the Whip in Melvaunt 
• Tower of Pain Exalted in Zhentil Keep 

Orders

The Loviatan religion has no knightly orders. There are, however, The Disciples of the White Rod. The monks of this sect of Loviatar are named in honor 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.