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The Temple of Tharacia
Tharacians in Coeur d'Ennui
Often stereotyped as hedonists and high-priced prostitutes, the Tharacians in Coeur d'Ennui occupy a complex, ambiguous role in the city's history and politics. They are, of course, what they are said to be; but they are a great deal more besides.The Temple of Tharacia is made up primarily of priestesses who are selected for their beauty, refinement, and grace. It is not enough for a woman to be merely pretty; in order to be counted among Tharacia's chosen, she must cultivate an appreciation of the arts, the polished manners to mingle among the city's elite, and an understanding of politics and history sufficient to let her hold her own in conversation with the most educated circles of Calantyr. The men who serve them as temple guards must exhibit extraordinary physical beauty, athleticism, and courtesy.
Tharacian priestesses are trained from a very young age to master painting, music and dance, as well as the arts of love. They command a premium for their skills: the most sought-after priestesses in the Coeur often require compensation upwards of two hundred gold pieces per hour. Even then, money alone is never sufficient to buy a priestess' time. The client must always show her the utmost respect and discretion, or he will be barred from the House of the Lady's Delight ever after -- and that is a great mark of shame in the Coeur's upper circles, for it shows that the man has no breeding.
Most Tharacian priestesses are of low or middling birth, and are voluntarily given up by parents who hope that a daughter's beauty may win her entrance into circles of society that she could never otherwise hope to reach. The youngest acolytes may be only six or seven years old. Until puberty, these girls are known as "Amorette," or "little loves." They are tutored in courtly manners, in dances both traditional and exotic, in song and in poetry. They dress in shades of pink that begin near white for the youngest and grow more intense every year. The three last years of girlhood -- traditionally counted from fourteen to sixteen -- the acolyte is ranked as a "Belita," or "little beauty," and begins to train in the bedroom arts. At the end of her sixteenth year, the girl is counted as a woman, and is given the red dress of a full priestess if she is considered worthy. If not, that marks the end of her time at the House of the Lady's Delight, and she is sent out to make her living as an entertainer or courtesan without Tharacia's blessing.
A priestess rarely maintains her vocation for her entire life. Most priestesses cultivate favored patrons and leave the Temple when they are ready to marry or retire to a small circle of admirers. A few stay on to train younger girls, but it is generally accepted that when beauty fades, one should step back gracefully and pursue a quieter life.
Not all are so fortunate, of course, and competition is fierce -- though always covert. As in any environment where women vie for the attentions of men, jealousies and intrigues are rife among the priestesses of Tharacia. For every woman who rises to become the season's celebrated beauty and the confidante of the city's wealthy and powerful, there are three others drowning in envy.
Ultimately, the Tharacians wield a subtle, transient, but significant power in the city. Their influence is deeply personal, their secrets heard as whispers over a pillow, their control only as strong as the charms they weave over their patrons. Nonetheless, their connections to most of the city's power players -- both courtly and underground -- are not to be underestimated.
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