Editing Ardarvia (section)

==Ardarvia, The Iron Maiden==

'''Alignment:''' Lawful Good

'''Portfolio:''' Bondage, discipline, love, and punishment

'''Domains:''' Bondage, Glory, Good, Law, Nobility

'''Favored Weapon:''' Whip(and variants)

'''Holy Symbol:''' Stylized iron maiden coffin

The Iron Maiden is a strict, yet benevolent deity. While she and her oft-misunderstood followers are often seen as strange or even frightening by many, they have long been a force for good and stability in this world and the next.

Ardarvia's origins are uncertain. What is known is that before rising to godhood, she had been an entity of good before falling from grace and eventually finding redemption. Many theorize that she had been a fallen angel, lured by the call of tyrannical law and slavery as an ideal means of establishing order. Others theorize that she was herself enslaved by an unknown entity and made into a servant of uncaring, absolute law. Some believe there is truth in both.

Regardless of her past, what is certain is that when she regained her place amongst the heavens, she had been changed by her eternal penance. Finally at peace with a balance of good, law, and her natural desires, she became an example for mortals with kindred souls.

She accepts and gives guidance to those who feel a pull towards the mutual allure of pleasure and pain, of dominance and submission. She is protective of those who enter willingly into slavery out of their own desires, while remaining a staunch enemy of "true" slavery which she now sees as an abomination. She demands respect, not just from her worshippers towards herself, but also towards each other. She is adamant on the importance of rules and boundaries between lovers, with mutual trust being among her most sacred virtues.

Given her history and nature, she also has an interest in the redemption of evil beings, be they mortal or outsider. While she is wise enough to understand that this is not always possible, she is adamant that such pursuits should be undertaken when reasonable. She take particular delight in claiming demons and devils from the folds of the Abyss and Hell, guiding them towards good and welcoming them into her ranks as new, sanctified beings.

Ardarvia is most often represented as a tightly bound woman encased from head to toe in form-hugging iron, held aloft by chains grasped by a hundred angels. Her coldly beautiful face is the only flesh visible in many representations, although most portray her as having a face of steel or an iron mask. Other interpretations have painted her to be a towering, statuesque dominatrix, clad in steel and leather, with the joyous, rapturous souls of her most devout hanging from chains binding them to the goddess' multiple piercings. Regardless of the depiction's specifics, she is always portrayed by her faithful as strict, domineering, but also with a compassionate understanding in her eyes.


Her holy symbol is most often represented as a stylized silver iron maiden coffin. Particularly ornate and expensive symbols actually open to reveal a representation of the goddess within. A lesser known symbol, and one wrapped in mystery even within the clergy, is that of two chain links joined together in the shape of an infinity symbol:

It is rumored that this symbol does not represent Ardarvia herself, but rather a small pantheon of allied gods and goddesses bound together by a sacred pact, of which Ardarvia is only one member. Many scholars have theorized that it speaks of a chain of loyalty between deific powers, of whom Ardarvia is merely the most visible. Rumors abound of numerous gods and godlings who were involved in Ardarvia's redemption and return to the fold of Good. Many of these godlings are seen as saints or gods themselves, honored within Ardarvia's clergy and worshipped by sects of their own. There are also theories positing that Ardarvia herself is sworn as a slave to another well known god of good and law, albeit one not publicly affiliated with Ardarvia's church and goals.

These mysteries have driven many scholars and clergy members to delve deep into Ardarvia's past, but solid answers are few and far between, and many of those questing for answers find themselves content with the lives they find themselves living within the halls of Ardarvia's churches and monasteries.

The whip, and variants such as the cat-o'-nine-tails, nagaika, and whip-dagger, is the sacred weapon and tool of Ardarvia, used for war, discipline, and love. While single-tail whips are wisely warned against as a tool between partners, many Ardarvians are often rigorously trained with whips bestowed with the merciful enchantment until they are skilled enough to use them properly and safely. Still, multi-tailed lashes of gentler make are most often used between partners.