Tantras.
This was once one of the premier major cities in the south, yet as rampant corruption took hold, the law gradually transformed into a tool for the powerful and elite. Little by little, an aura of twilight began to emerge across the city, slowly steering it toward decline as more and more merchants steered clear of this place where even the smallest task required a bribe. Yet the decay of Tantras also signified the rise of other factions—namely, the forces belonging to the gray zone, alongside the churches of numerous evil gods.
And right now, within an underground dungeon.
A group of cloaked individuals knelt beneath the altar in prayer, while standing at its center was a strikingly alluring maiden in rather revealing attire. She gripped a long whip in her hand, and after a series of prayers, suddenly lashed it fiercely across her own body. This strike utilized nearly all her strength, directly raising a bloody welt across the back of the gorgeous maiden. Meanwhile, the others beneath the altar also produced whips, lashing themselves with equal ferocity before kneeling upon the ground to pray. Loviatar's worshippers and clerics possessed numerous techniques specializing in the long whip, much like how many of Soren's worshippers excelled in using scimitars—these changes were all shaped by the preferences of the deities.
This whole affair did not conclude quickly.
Following a period of self-abasing flagellation, the worshippers commenced the next phase of the prayer ritual.
This special ritual was known as [Candleflame].
The worshippers first circled burning candles to chant hymns and offer prayer dances, and then, guided by the clerics, several beautiful maidens stepped forward. They continuously scorched their bodies with the flames of candles while having other worshippers drip candle wax onto them. The entire process persisted for a time