Ashtoreth



ASHTORETH Ishtar's Handmaiden 

Pantheon

 * Shemite Pantheon

Regions of Worship

 * Shem

Divine Relationships
Ashtoreth is Ishtar’s handmaiden, a goddess of prostitutes. In some areas of Shem, Ashtoreth and Ishtar are identified as being the same, with both names used interchangeably.

Representation
She is often depicted in three forms: as a young woman, a virgin-harlot; as a fertile woman, her belly swollen with the fruits of her labors; and as an old woman, grown wise in the ways of men and women, a teacher of prostitutes and young wives.

Gender representation: female

Spheres of Power

 * Fertility
 * Pleasure
 * Protection

Rituals & Beliefs
The dancers of Ashtoreth symbolize sexual intercourse through the motions of their dancing. Sexuality in Shem is not considered base nor sinful. Prostitutes are servants of Ishtar, commanded to sleep with any worshipper for a fee.

Implementation IC & In-Game
Building a ziggurat (terraced compound of successively receding stories or levels) is a usual form of temple in Shem.

More Information

 * Faith and Fervour (Conan RPG Book)
 * Shem-Gateway to the South (Conan RPG book)