11.4.5 Nalibhtavi, the Replete

"It is true that She can give you all that you desire and more, but you would do well to understand: She will be the beneficiary of every deal struck." - A Priestess of Nalibhtavi.

The Idol. The Mogul. The Glutton. The Never-slaked. The Full One. The Covetous Queen cleaves to these epithets with jocular abandon, the flames of Her vanity fanned with a sybaritic smirk.

To look upon Her splendour is to gaze upon the wealth of those who worship Her, their heirlooms, valuables, and sentimental trophies melted down and reforged into offerings of priceless adornment by Her command. Where She wears and hoards the tributes of those blessed - or cursed - with the piquing of Her interest, so too does She wear the favour of time and legacy in written works about Her. 

Following Her public execution of the great poet Selovar and his family for his unflattering words, none have dared raise a quill or brush against Her reputation since, for fear of drawing Her ire and inevitable retribution.

Her delight in spectacle knows no bounds, particularly those which come about by Her design.

Refugees of Glandor still speak to this day of the desperate deal struck to prevent their beloved city from occupation by the conquering Gelid Battalion. The citizens were instructed to paint their buildings gold - Her favoured colour - and erect statues of Her visage upon every corner in return for Her aid. Following their efforts, the inevitable arrival of the Battalion came, but She did not so much as stir.

When Glandor's citizenry lay dead, the city burning and its inhabitants driven out of its walls, only then did the Full One act. With a wave of Her hand She transformed the would-be occupiers to stone - the bargain fulfilled.

Despite Her wiles, She is the promise of something better - for a price. She embodies pleasure and self indulgence, passion and lust, the burning need for something more than decades of banal conformity counting time's grains in the hourglass. 

Life is for the living, and though few, if any, come out ahead following their dealings with Her, the unmistakable allure of what could be keeps tribute to Her more than plentiful. 

"Live like a God and hate like a Demon. Pleasure is ripe for the taking." - Nalibhtavi's command.