Legends of Belariath
Mozenwrathe
Going Off Again - Pulling Teeth Out Of The Tower II: With Even More Bite Than Before
Spent the last time talking about sex. Now to talk about something else I love to stick my foot in: Ishtar and everything to do with the goddess. Considering my first time dealing with any of her people almost got be enslaved, I think I have a pretty good reason to have nothing nice to say about her. Of course, slavery is everywhere, and one should just accept it, just like they should just accept being robbed and raped. It's just the way things are, I keep on hearing. And yet there's whining and curses whenever I behead someone trying to stab me. Why? It's just the way things are, right? What can I say? I am definitely not someone that tries really hard on making people happy. That goes for deities as well, because if they really have a problem with someone not being their personal little bitch, that's their problem. I got two goddesses to obey. Anyone and anything else can get into the blasted line and wait.
I don't forgive too terribly easily. And that's a flaw, I'm sure, unless you are some big muscled wolven or ogre with a sword heavier than two halflings put together. Supposed to let everything wash off you, because there's nothing you can do about it. And what that sylvan elf did to be was something I'll never live down or wash off. The fact he only held off "exploring the possibilities" with my body to get a higher price for me chills my spine and curdles my stomach. First off, I don't like men that way - especially ones that say one thing and do another like that. Secondly, his ideas of pleasure seemed to involve anything that caused me pain. As I would learn later on about Ishtar, "pleasure" is a very loose and subjective term with her following. As long as it feels good to someone, it's all good. Gang rape? Perfectly fine, as long as there's plenty of satisfaction for those slaking their lusts in the victim. Torture? Well, if there's some sort of orgasmic contentment for the one doing the cutting and whipping, that should serve rather well. Even better if you can get your partner(s) - reluctant, unaware, or otherwise - to end up in the same frothing mentality of ecstasy that you are in. I could be wrong in what limited I read, but the entire thing stinks like a mountain of buffalo droppings soaking wet in the rain. Maybe I am a little biased, but that's just how I see it.
Something to be said about seductresses: don't trust them farther than you can throw them. That doesn't include tossing them off of a cliff. That's a natural distance that you had nothing to do with, so it doesn't count. I have no love for seductresses. That's physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual love. Feel free to include their goddess of harlotry in that pile as well. I've a pikestaff for any of them tries something on me, and I can tell you right now that it won't be the flesh-covered kind. I have as much respect for a seductress as I have a slaver - next to none. They feel like trying to get get onto the "good parchment list," they can crawl their way out of the fornication-fuelled fumes of their chosen life. Have I known priestesses and servants of Ishtar before? It is a little hard not to - and all of you who love to throw puns everywhere, I have a sphere of steel here you can swallow down with that. Not every single one of them is trying to get into your breeches the moment they see you, but you can tell it's in their minds to do such sooner or later. Rape isn't something that bothers them, as long as "pleasure is had to its fullest extent by at least one of the people involved." At least that is something one of their clergymen told me as he was about to go into a revel. This was between "jobs," and I found myself in the seaside town of Chie'Nori. It's not like Nanthalion or St. Eva, where something famous happened. It's just sort of there. Anyway, this man was rather insistent I go with him as "we've never seen some that looks quite like you before." I wonder if he meant someone that was trying to kill him with a glare. The moment three of his "fellow followers of She Who Gives All Ecstasy" showed up, I headed out and away. I wasn't interested in whatever they were thinking of. Thankfully they didn't try to follow me, but I did run into them a few days later. They stunk of sex still, and were proud of it. Talking about how good they gave it to this one nereid, and that she'd not be lacking in fluids for a while. I thought better of saying anything to them, until one of them said to his friends they should introduce me properly to the pleasures of the flesh - whether I was willing to admit to my desires or not.
I'm not allowed back in Chie'Nori for another six months. Something about causing a vile and violent public disturbance and heavily damaging public and private property. It's been three years already, so I don't see what the problem is. It's probably been stolen by now, given the nature of that town. Enough satyrs go through that place that they have a saloon just for them and people that want to get molested by them. Forgot what it's called now. Something like "Tavern of the Pleasured Pan Pipes." Of course, I can't say that I wandered into that particular bar not knowing what I was walking into. That's where I threw the Ishtarians... and hurled a couple potions that don't go well together in there to mist up the place. (And a city guard or two, but they were off duty so they didn't count either.) Yet I am the one that got blamed for the "improper usage of bar stool fragments. I wasn't even inside the place when anything happened! I tell you, there is no justice when it comes to some towns.
Like mosquitoes, mice, and maggots, everything has it's place. Seductresses? Sit 'em with a warlord and have them entertain each other. Keeps both of them out of my face and out of my way. I know as a fact if there was no reason for them to exist, the other gods would have destroyed them by now. After all, isn't each god vying to make themselves look better to others? The one thing about those whom I am a part of is that we are all dedicated to one goddess, and that's Morpheous. Even I am, and I'm about as callous a bastard as she's allowed out off the island, so to speak. If the clergy of serve any purpose at all, is that of consort and companion to those who serve Aden'Ver. I got my own view of those, given how many go out and about, insisting they are a "Chosen Son of Aden'Ver" when all they are is a hopped up rapist with a big sword and a few friends running with him. Anyway, those who really do serve the Will And The Way of Aden'Ver I've seen on pretty good terms with at least one member Ishtar's frocked flock. Something sort of symbiotic going on with them, apparently, but I've never really done the research to understand how that all works out. Probably it varies from partnership to partnership, as it doesn't work that way all the time.
Some days I wonder if Ishtar didn't exist just for the sake of people needing a reason to get their copulation quotient up and getting away with it. I mean, with all that fucking, what the hell else do they do in their day? They, of course, being Ishtar's faithful. Maybe they have little tea ceremonies every week and sample new blends from around the second continent on their off days. You know, because I am sure they do more than lay on their backs when it comes time for coming and going, pushing and pulling. Reminds me of the fact I've never spent time with one of Ishtar's disciples, harlots, minions, or whatever it is they call themselves. And I've been told they are some of the most dedicated and perceptive people one can encounter. Really? I haven't seen more than five that could tell if I was lying to them or not. Though when I think about it, I'm no longer so confident that's really a good thing.
I can remember there was a debate once amongst a group of supposed learned peoples about who was the strongest goddess. It was painfully obvious who most would consider the most powerful god: Aden'Ver. But amongst the women, who would best embody such awesome might? The argument swiftly grew rowdy, as if they were all drunks in the middle of a tavern. Some insisted Kirva, who personally drew down the elves. Others shouted for Gaea, without whom there would be no life. And yet so very many called attention to Ishtar, if for no other reason because she was the goddess of the one thing so many of them couldn't live without: sex. It made me laugh that none of them dared even mention Morpheous or Her. Probably due to the fact none of them were Magi or familiar with the fae. Then again, the entire lot were a bunch of humans, so it's unsurprising their views were so very limited. And I believe two of them were "real good friends" with the local temple of Ishtar, if you get what I mean. So the conversation was going to be pretty biased no matter what happened. My view itself would be somewhat skewed, given my nature. Even then, there are abilities those who follow Ishtar have I'll gladly remain wary of. Morpheous may be the true goddess of Magic and Might for my race, but that doesn't mean she's sharing all of Her arcane wealth at all times. Made me think for a while that none of them mentioned Katarein either. I had to wonder why that was...
Perhaps I have been a little harsh on seductresses. Let me think about that a moment. Okay, the moment's passed and I haven't begun to unload my casks of caustic and cantankerous cynicism about them. Seems to me, the more I even remind myself of them, the more aggravated I get. Maybe I'll use them as motivation the next time I have to work on a particularly tough blade. Envision one of their hands underneath the hammer as I swing down. No, that'd be stupid as I would just end up warping the blade and having to start all over again. That, and I'm sure there's been at least one or two seductresses that haven't gotten on my last nerve. Probably because they weren't trying to act all super slutty around me. Conceivably, I might be far more of a puritannical sociopath than I gave myself credit for. That could be really annoying after a while. No wonder I keep on having to find people to keep me from losing myself in my work. Blood calls to me just as much as duty does, and both of those are far over sex. Balance restored, my mind remains bored. Good enough, as long as they know that "stop or I'll kill you" really does mean exactly what it sounds like. I should work on that, though. I could always use "stop trying that spell on me or I'll maim you." That would be kinder and gentler, I think...