I have to say of the various lust gods and goddesses I've seen in D&D I have to say I've found Calistria to be one of the more interesting in that, well, I find nothing about her appealing. Everything about her meant to be enticing is simply... a turn off. Nothing about bees or wasps is appealing, I find the color of yellow unappealing in just about any form... hell, even traditionally it deviates from things lustful, heh, even the hair in her depiction. I'm not against it or complaining I just found it personally amusing.
On the other hand there are interesting aspects to her. Combining her with Trickery and Revenge, two portfolios that are typically relegated to separate deities (i.e. Trickery to a god of Illusion or Thievery, Revenge toward some more sinister or violent god that sort of thing) but remains a combination that makes sense. Personally I'll probably try to lose the bee motife and go with something like a red rose and a mask which keeps the Calistria's Sting element and adding something indicative of trickery.
Anyway. Interesting concept I have to say, though I don't agree with it, maybe I'm just finicky, just felt like commenting on that.
I really like the wasp thing. Nothing says "revenge and trickery" to me like paralyzing people and laying eggs in their chests.
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I'm amused by the amount of traditionally male / phallic imagery that has been worked into Calistria with the swords / three stings / inject the venom motif she's got going on. She's not your daddy's love-goddess, that's for sure.
Then again, neither was Inanna, so I guess that hasn't changed. :)
I tend to see her more as Anyanka, and less as Aphrodite, anyway.
Where is a picture of Calistria???
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Actually it is kind of interesting: among bees, wasps (and some ants for that matter) only the females have stingers as they are modified ovipositors and in the communal wasps and bees most females are sterile except for the queens, but in solitary species the stings work both as ovipositors and as weapons and in fact some wasps are parasitic, disabling a host bug with a sting and then laying an egg inside it using the stinger and the resultant larva will eat the host alive when it hatches. So in some ways wasps can be an excellent symbol for Calistria and the wasp association definitely works (to me anyway).
To expand on the point in a way: Urgathoa has a fly as a symbol and certain flies (horseflies, blackflies and deerflies, as well as mosquitoes) only the females bite as they need the blood (or flesh, in some cases) as nourishment to successfully lay their eggs. So insects can be excellent deity symbols (that isn't even adding in the Red Mantis material to the discussion).
My biggest problem with her is conceptualizing a goddess of lust being the most popular god venerated by the elves. Yes, I know that lust is not the aspect of her the elves seem to focus on, but its causing me grief.
I have an easier time wrapping my head around it by making her a goddess of passion, rather than lust. Other than semantics, I think I can better explain how the elves would adopt her in that and her other aspects, since passion can be for many things other than just the carnal aspect that lust describes.
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My biggest problem with her is conceptualizing a goddess of lust being the most popular god venerated by the elves. Yes, I know that lust is not the aspect of her the elves seem to focus on, but its causing me grief.
I have an easier time wrapping my head around it by making her a goddess of passion, rather than lust. Other than semantics, I think I can better explain how the elves would adopt her in that and her other aspects, since passion can be for many things other than just the carnal aspect that lust describes.
Makes perfect sense to me... they mate with anything...
Makes perfect sense to me... they mate with anything...
No, that's humans. Or dragons.
Aren't bees associated with the Church of Mormon?
I don't know she sounds like the kind of woman I dig...
She might love and leave you, but you'll never love and leave her... and survive.
Makes perfect sense to me... they mate with anything...
Yeah, like I'm going to believe anything a dwarf says about the sex lives of elves... ;)
Kind of reminds me of Venus... just less I don't know magpie-ish.
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Yeah, like I'm going to believe anything a dwarf says about the sex lives of elves... ;)
Makes perfect sense to me... they mate with anything...
You just have to be careful of the splinters with elves... all those trees they hump... :)
And they obviously will mate with anything... HALF Elves... They actually mate with humans *shudder* at least dwarves have the sense to keep it zipped around humans *shudder*
:)
Yeah, like I'm going to believe anything a dwarf says about the sex lives of elves... ;)
Makes perfect sense to me... they mate with anything...
Man a goblin is downing on Dwarves, now that's harsh.
Yeah, like I'm going to believe anything a dwarf says about the sex lives of elves... ;)
Makes perfect sense to me... they mate with anything...You just have to be careful of the splinters with elves... all those trees they hump... :)
And they obviously will mate with anything... HALF Elves... They actually mate with humans *shudder* at least dwarves have the sense to keep it zipped around humans *shudder*
:)
*smacks forehead*
I forgot about them. Even so, I'd be more apt to attribute them to Cayden Cailean and his wine rather than Calistria.
Man a goblin is downing on Dwarves, now that's harsh.
Woah! No way is this goblin goin' down on a Dwarf! And you think the Dwarf would want it? Heck, a goblin wouldn't even trust a goblin not to gobble their goodies!
Aren't bees associated with the Church of Mormon?
Not an expert on the subject, but a beehive motif is used on some of their stuff, and as I understand it, the Book of Mormon describes bees as existing in the pre-Columbian americas (though the species didn't actually exist in the western hemisphere until it was introduced by the Spanish sometime in the 1500s).
But that's horribly off topic.
As far as Calistria, it was an interesting task to try to describe her different facets (and the bee symbology) when describing her divine domain. Especially within the bounds of my word count.
Word to the wise: Santa has list list and I got mine. You don't want to be in it.
Yeah, like I'm going to believe anything a dwarf says about the sex lives of elves... ;)
Dwarves... aren't they the beary types who spread false rumours about their females having beards as well because they don't want to come out of the closet as a race?
She's got whips. Who cares about wasps.
Dwarves: Hey, at least they're not elves.
(Saying can be repeated though I'll admit when the list gets to gnomes I'd switch it around)
I really like calistra and her wasps, I haven't read the article yet, but all my calistran priestesses tattoo black rings on/around their forearms, between three and five depending on divine favor.
Please don't start another dwarf vs. elves fight. What about the children caught in the middle, the gnomes?
Fey and slender, yet short and +2 con-y? Half-dwarf-elfs to be sure, DWELFS and EARVES all, they simply chose the gnome name during the divorce.
So lets not make Lini cry, and lay down arms.
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I really like calistra and her wasps, I haven't read the article yet, but all my calistran priestesses tattoo black rings on/around their forearms, between three and five depending on divine favor.
Please don't start another dwarf vs. elves fight. What about the children caught in the middle, the gnomes?
Fey and slender, yet short and +2 con-y? Half-dwarf-elfs to be sure, DWELFS and EARVES all, they simply chose the gnome name during the divorce.
So lets not make Lini cry, and lay down arms.
And what about the forgotten victim, the Halfling?
Would someone please tell me where I can find stats for a Ling!?! ;)
Fey and slender, yet short and +2 con-y? Half-dwarf-elfs to be sure, DWELFS and EARVES all, they simply chose the gnome name during the divorce.
That would mean that an elf would have gone drunk enough to lay with a dwarf. And that's just not possible. The lithe elven body cannot contain that much alcohol.
Plus, dwarves don't procreate in the usual way. Not even a dwarf can stomach that. They just chisel other dwarves out of stone and majick them into life. And, as we all can see, their majick isn't that good.
And those aren't dwarf vs. elves fight. It's dwarvish delusion that they can compete with anything. Even kobolds win against dwarves.
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The goddess of lust and vengeance has as it's holy animal an insect known to procreate by poisoning another species and having her larvae eat it's way out of the paralyzed body. It's kind of lust and vengeance wrapped into one, with a splash of Aliens...
"Excuse me while I ram my ovipositor down your throat!"
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I think it's about time we see some good bee-centric elven concept art. Most of what I'm imagining is absurd, like a The Tic villain group, "Galadrielzzz, shoot him with your honey gun!" But I'm sure there's room for the sublime.
Does Calistria's portfolio cover both wasps and bees? I don't have the book.
I think of Calistria's wasp aspect as akin to the wasp in the Finnish Origin of Iron (as recounted in the Kalevale):
Many things he could not fashion,
Could not make the tongue of iron,
Could not hammer steel from iron,
Could not make the iron harden.
Well considered Ilmarinen,
Deeply thought and long reflected.
Then he gathered birchen ashes,
Steeped the ashes in the water,
Made a lye to harden iron,
Thus to form the steel most needful.
With his tongue he tests the mixture,
Weighs it long and well considers,
And the blacksmith speaks as follows:
'All this labor is for nothing,
Will not fashion steel from iron,
Will not make the soft ore harden.'
"Now a bee flies from the meadow,
Blue-wing coming from the flowers,
Flies about, then safely settles
Near the furnace of the smithy.
"'Thus the smith the bee addresses,
These the words of Ilmarinen:
'Little bee, thou tiny birdling,
Bring me honey on thy winglets,
On thy tongue, I pray thee, bring me
Sweetness from the fragrant meadows,
From the little cups of flowers,
From the tips of seven petals,
That we thus may aid the water
To produce the steel from iron.'
"Evil Hisi's bird, the hornet,
Heard these words of Ilmarinen,
Looking from the cottage gable,
Flying to the bark of birch-trees,
While the iron bars were heating
While the steel was being tempered;
Swiftly flew the stinging hornet,
Scattered all the Hisi horrors,
Brought the blessing of the serpent,
Brought the venom of the adder,
Brought the poison of the spider,
Brought the stings of all the insects,
Mixed them with the ore and water,
While the steel was being, tempered.
"Ilmarinen, skilful blacksmith,
First of all the iron-workers,
Thought the bee had surely brought him
Honey from the fragrant meadows,
From the little cups of flowers,
From the tips of seven petals,
And he spake the words that follow:
'Welcome, welcome, is thy coming,
Honeyed sweetness from the flowers
Thou hast brought to aid the water,
Thus to form the steel from iron!'
"Ilmarinen, ancient blacksmith,
Dipped the iron into water,
Water mixed with many poisons,
Thought it but the wild bee's honey;
Thus he formed the steel from iron.
When he plunged it into water,
Water mixed with many poisons,
When be placed it in the furnace,
Angry grew the hardened iron,
Broke the vow that he had taken,
Ate his words like dogs and devils,
Mercilessly cut his brother,
Madly raged against his kindred,
Caused the blood to flow in streamlets
From the wounds of man and hero.
This, the origin of iron,
And of steel of light blue color."
Does Calistria's portfolio cover both wasps and bees? I don't have the book.
Nope, just wasps. Because they can sting over, and over, and over.
Meh, this ain't no Elves vs. Dwarves fight, this is just me saying the only thing worse than the over-glorified, sign-of-a-fantasy-authors-insecurity-about-their-own-race, tree hugging androgynous sissies... are gnomes.
I agree - they make a lot of the other goddesses super-hot (including Shelyn, who is described as "attractive but modestly dressed" but whose picture says "Whitesnake video" - but the pic of Calistria is not appealing in any way.
I agree - they make a lot of the other goddesses super-hot (including Shelyn, who is described as "attractive but modestly dressed" but whose picture says "Whitesnake video" - but the pic of Calistria is not appealing in any way.
Yeah, after the G&M pic of hers, I hoped that the article will have something closer to what Cal's described in G&M: Stunning hottie with a suggestive smile and an outfit that has just the right amount of conceil and reveal to make it impossible to think with your head.
It could have been a bit closer to that. Doesn't have to be cheesecake (but in that case, it probably would fit), butsomething other than Dress-up Bee Barbie and Mindless Drone Ken ;-).
It is true, by the way: There are several goddesses in Gods and Magic who look a lot more like the goddess of lust than Cal does. The picture should have been something that embodies all three of her aspects.
Desna has the conceiling wind thing going on, and is a hotter elven lass than Calistria, Iomedae haste so-determined-it's-quite-sexy vibe, Serenrae is literally hot (hair on fire an all that), and of course, Shelyn doesn't look like the modestly-dressed goddess of romance, her dress and expression says "come on, I can show you a way to enjoy ourselves immensely without bursting out laughing at all" way better than Calistria - which is a pity, because for Shelyn I had actually hoped for something much tamer.
But all that has already been discussed back when G&M came out. It's just a pity that the second picture (the one in Memory of Darkness) didn't quite hit the spot, either. Her expression there is quite weird. Well, better than nothing. We'll have to pester Lillith about this, I guess.
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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Funny, I felt Sheylin is modestly dressed. curvy w/o haning out, Rubenesque.
Then again Ruben's nudes don't seem sexy to me in the 'come hither' sense, but in the natural beauty kind of way. And why wouldn't a goddess of art pose?
I guess the attractiveness of Calistra is that elven extreme. Dunno, I like women with curves ;-)
Scratch that, I love the female form in all its permuations. I prefer curves.
... Nothing about bees or wasps is appealing ...
The wasp, as in "Wasp Waist" does carry something of the lingerie get-up/lust theme.
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I actually like Calistria's look. It's quite a bit edgier than the standard parameters we've come to accept in our hot fantasy chicks. That goddess seems less concerned with the lust she engenders and more about the lust she experiences . I'm not so sure her portfolio is entirely outward focused. Imagine for a moment if she were a male god of lust with a torturous weapon: I don't think it would matter much what he looked like, only what he did (or did not) do to you.
The artist also seems to be considerate of her subject's clothing. It's still over the top, but there are wearable details, a sense of cohesive fashion, that's not often the case in many of the iconics.
She even has her own Boy Band...
That one guy looks like her cleric in Pathfinder #17
I have to say of the various lust gods and goddesses I've seen in D&D I have to say I've found Calistria to be one of the more interesting in that, well, I find nothing about her appealing. Everything about her meant to be enticing is simply... a turn off. Nothing about bees or wasps is appealing, I find the color of yellow unappealing in just about any form... hell, even traditionally it deviates from things lustful, heh, even the hair in her depiction...
Funny. I really like Calistria, and I felt the same way about the art in Gods and Magic--not sexy! This thread from two and a half years ago came to mind when I saw the new Calistria art in Faiths of Balance today. Wow! Now THAT'S sexy! I realize the art is more likely one of her followers, not Calistria herself, but now I feel like the the old art has finally been "fixed." :)
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I don't mind so much if the elven goddess of lust isn't conventionally pretty by human standards. Merisiel has that whole Aeon Flux unnaturally thin thing going on, as well, although she seems to be regarded as 'pretty' anyway.
I'd prefer that Calistria look pretty (even by human standards), but also cold and dangerous and old around the eyes, like the vampire Pam from True Blood.
It's like in mythology, Melitta or Melissa.
Not a big fan of the primary lust goddess being elven myself because I don't find elves to be an "attractive" race. Shelyn rocks my socks though. I'm just saying. As far as "lust" goddesses go, I'd put Sharess (Forgotten Realms CG demigoddess of hedonism, sensual fulfilment, festhalls, and cats) far above Calistria in my favor.
I DO like that the primary goddess of the elves is a bitter horny CN lust/revenge goddess though, as I think it far better fits the depiction of elves I've actually seen roleplayed. Calistria is a much better chief elven deity than Corellon Larenthian because she suits how people play elves better.
I like to imagine that servents of dieties appeare in a form that is most fitting to the person they deal with. Ie, callistra when dealing with elves will be an attractive lustful elf, but when dealing with humans her servants will be human looking but still attractive and lustful.
this of course goes for the servents of other dieties, take torag. to dwarves he is a master smith, to humans a hardy and yet noble looking black smith, to elves, a fletcher and forger of elven weapons. things like this does make it more intresting IMO.
I'm amused by the amount of traditionally male / phallic imagery that has been worked into Calistria with the swords / three stings / inject the venom motif she's got going on. She's not your daddy's love-goddess, that's for sure.
Then again, neither was Inanna, so I guess that hasn't changed. :)
I tend to see her more as Anyanka, and less as Aphrodite, anyway.
If I ever have her show up in my campaign, I am so going to play her as Anya now. ;)
That one guy looks like her cleric in Pathfinder #17She even has her own Boy Band...
Which one?