Ishtia Cult

The **Ishtia Cult** (イシュティア信仰, *Ishutia shinkō*?) is part of the Elios Religion.

## Overview

Ishtia is believed by many as a deity of love and luck. She is also considered as the guardian of thieves, prostitutes, dancers and performers.

Ishtia's faith recognises multiple romance, but prohibits tying with love, and is incompatible with the marriage system, therefore believers cannot marry for doctrinal reasons. For this reason, they are in a bad relationship with believers of Feria who is a goddess of the marriage.

Temple is often outside of the large country castle walls. It became a refuge for the non-citizen class that cannot live inside the castle walls.

Like Feria, Ishtia is the same guardian of females and her religious organisation also protects women. However the Feria religious order primarily protects women with citizenship, while Ishtia often protects non-citizen women. Feria religious order doesn't ignore non-citizen women, it is inevitable to give priority to women with citizenship and with a large amount of donations, as a result they cannot be saved because it's not their turn. Therefore, it can be said that the Ishtia Religious Order protects women who could not save by Feria religious order.

Boys protected by the religious order must leave the religious organisation when they grow up. Or go into the subordinate Pisthys religious order.

Only women or men who have dedicated their genitals to Ishtia can enter religious organisation. Many of its members are prostitutes. The prostitute belonging to religious organisation are called Sacred prostitute and is worshipped by men. Ishtia has a high position in the religious organisation of prostitute, probably because she is in control of sexual love. Because it is a doctrine of women, it is viewed that customers will get love not by buying but by offering tributes. The right to choose is on the prostitute side, and some men don't get love even if they dedicate many tributes. Also it is not a problem in Ishtia's doctrine that no reward is given.

It is a mortal sin to hurt the sacred prostitute, and the assailant man gets a curse of impotently or is assassinated. The religious order hides and raises assassins to protect the organisation.

Unlike the Feria religious order, most of the funds for religious organisation are paid by the prostitutes and earnings from the gambling hall. Because, unlike Feria, many Ishtia believers are poor and cannot receive national protection.

Ishtia's religious order clergy isn't called a priest but a **Shrine Maiden** (巫女, *Miko*?). The highest leader of the religious organisation is called the **Great Shrine Maiden** (大巫女, *Dai-Miko*?), followed by **Elder Sister Shrine Maiden** (姉巫女, *Ane-Miko*?) and shrine maiden. Only a beautiful and intelligent unmarried woman can become a shrine maiden.

The temple is a huge brothel and a gambling hall. Ishtia is also a deity of dances, so there are theatres.

Other than humans, it is especially worshipped by elves of dryads and oreads tribes. She is believed not only by Elios' kin group species, but also other species. For example, like Heibos in Gypshir, she is worshipped as the mother of the main god Haruses, and is also worshipped by lascivious centaurs and mermen.

## Magic that Ishtia and Pisthys Believers can Obtain

Ishtia only gives magic to women, while Pisthys to men.

## Development

The Ishtia believer refers to the mythology of Cybele and Attis or Aphrodite and Adonis.

## References

1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 *Dark Knight Story Setting Collections* - Elios Pantheon: Deities Name Record 2 Heibos & Ishtia
2. ↑ *Dark Knight Story (Narou ver)* - The Labyrinth Investigation