Taara

Position	Greater Deity
Symbol	Interlocking Chains (The Binding)
Colors	Black and Gray
Celestial Symbol	The Constellation 'The Cursed Lover'
Alignment	Neutral Evil
Home Plane	The Abyss
Portfolio	Seduction of Power, Darkness, Conquering, Black Magic
Domains & Inquisitions	Evil, Darkness, Magic, Destruction Fate, Vengeance, Spellkiller
Cleric Alignment	NE, CE, LE
Favored Weapon	Taara’s Chains (spiked chain)
Other Names	Lasabeth (Veyshan), and Mulria the Tempter (Myrddion), The Shadow Sorceress, False Hope
Commonly Associated Organizations	Temple of Taara, The Collectors, Order of the Cockatrice

A shadowy goddess of beauty and cruelty, Taara represents the drive for power, itself. In her quest, she embodies cruelty, the lust of wealth, of excess and self-indulgence. She advocates the triumph of one's own needs and desires and the removal of any restriction which opposes them. Her lies are plentiful: she claims that she wishes to liberate minds and free them. Yet, her true goal is the accumulation of power itself, the undoing of law and the corruption of innocence. She hungers for dominion over even Maugrim, the Tyrant who she is reputed to have married. Their union is a mockery of everything Daeus and Althea are said to represent and the two betray one another constantly.

She is greed and nihilism and she advocates cruelty, torture and bloodshed as much as she does manipulation and deception. She is the forbidden whisper, urging pangs of hunger for secrets of dark and forbidden magic to those who are tired of the constraints laid upon them by other orders. She whispers of swift paths to power and offers dreams of untold riches.

In recent times, Taara's power has strengthened beyond that of previous years. Centuries of machinations culminated in her effort to circumvent the ban placed upon the gods by oaths sworn on their own names and beings--the Non Manifestation Pact. This agreement, made at the dawn of mortal history, was such that the gods would never wage war in forms of flesh again upon Gaea, and thus in doing so risk destroying the world.

Taara, for her part, saw a way of escaping the seal that had been placed over the gods of darkness. She nearly succeeded save for the intervention of those chosen to stand in her way. The gods of light oppose her, particularly Eluna who fights her for control of the essence of magic.

As a result of her mechanizations, today she waxes strong. Perhaps even stronger, some whisper, then her husband the Tyrant of Gods. While Maugrim languishes in a hell of his own making, Taara stretches her hands across all Creation, instigating an age of intrigue, shadow and great danger. Her peers, the other gods of darkness, make plans to betray her or ally themselves with her and the turmoil she unleashes, just as they did with the Tyrant, and will continue to do for all of time.

Dogma

Taara whispers promises of freedom and those who come to her do so seeking to be freed from the constraints placed upon them by their mundane lives. Dark wishes and curses whispered in moments of anger find their way to her ears. Trials of both physical endurance and intellect also strengthen ones bond with the Shadow Sorceress and through them, ones communion with darkness comes full circle. To suffer in her name is sacred and to corrupt others and lead them onto her path is the ultimate act of worship. To destroy the hope of innocence, to lay claim to power, one simply has to reach forth and grasp it. Use any shortcut to power that you see fit. Treason, murder, deception, betrayal are all merely tools to be used to further your glory, and through your own glory to further Taara's will.

Clergy and temples

Titles
Cleric	Shadowveil

By and large, the faith of Taara is known as The Shadow Faith, but as she encourages such individualism and power-brokering amongst her priests, there is no true unified church. Instead, Taara's Faith is composed of a number of independent cells known as Septs that are scattered across the entire continent.

She has only a few devoted religious orders and most of her clergy draws their clout from criminal guilds, gangs and black market organizations. A typical cleric of Taara can quickly gather together a powerful band of allies for the purposes of performing a task for Taara. Even a low-level cleric commands considerable respect amongst these organizations and it affords them flexibility that other religious orders mostly lack. Within an individual cult, few adherents even know the true names of others in the cult and almost no one knows the name of the leader of larger regional organizations. In more civilized lands that lack heavy criminal activity, the clergy revels in secrets and they frequently establish social clubs and false cults to further corrupt the foundations of such mannered societies. They frequently promote vengeance, organize cabals and forment unrest through calamity and acts of sedition.

Avatars

Taara's avatar is rarely seen but sensed. Though known nominally as a female goddess, in truth Taara is married to no particular gender or form. Power is her wont and broker, and she often takes the form or look of authoritative figures. As such, she is said to reflect many races. To the mul'niessa she appears as a powerful mul'niessa, and to the oruch a great oruch warrior, for example.