Holy Order of the Divine Children of Our Mother Deity
The Holy Order of the Divine Children of Our Mother Deity is the needlessly long name by which those who follow the teachings of the Mother Deity are known. Most of those are Fairies, though even the most purist of fairies would be surprised by the number of non-fairy followers.
This is likely due to the extremely non-violent nature of their beliefs and way of life. Divine Children work towards a world of harmony between nature and its creatures. They value and respect every life equally and consider murder the worst crime one could ever commit. It is such an important aspect of their life and culture that fairies who break this law immediately lose their powers.
Fairies are in constant contact with their Mother Deity. Divine Children believe Mother Deity is always with them in the form of the air they breath, the water they drink, the flowers they smell. Mother Deity is nature itself, always watching, nurturing, protecting. This constant and close contact means variations in the fairies' core beliefs are hard to come by. For example, one isolated sector believes people should honour their Mother Deity by having as many children as possible, but even they still follow the basic teachings of respect, peace, and harmony that link all fairies.
This uniformity in religious beliefs has other consequences that mark particularly unique aspects of fairy culture. Namely, all fairies still speak virtually the same language, even those living in separate continents. There are variations in accent and vocabulary, but they are all mutually understandable and officially considered Fadalesh. Fairies also see themselves as one big community regardless of geographical distance. They believe they have more in common with other fairy districts half-way around the world than to their immediate neighbours of another language.
Motherhood plays an important role in The Order's belief system. Only those who have been mothers are deemed able to channel the blessings of the Mother Deity, and are thus considered the most valuable members of society. Motherhood is not associated to a particular gender, but the word "mother" is used to describe anyone who gives birth to a child (and the word "father" is assigned to the other parent). It is perfectly normal (and expected) to have mothers who are men or non-binary as well as women. Just as it is normal (and expected) to have High Priests and High Priesters as well as High Priestess at the head of a local district.
Structure
The only supreme being acknowledged by The Order is their Mother Deity. Therefore, the internal organisation structure is fairly simple and localised. It is also the same across all fairy territories in the world:
Each district is headed by a High Priest (if male), High Priestess (if female), or High Priester (if non-binary). The High Priest(ess/er) is in charge of the local Grand Temple and responsible for handing out the main blessings at important festivals, events and ceremonies such as the Fairy New Year. Only people who have already given birth are deemed able to be High Priest(ess/er).
Each district also has a number of Acolytes who live in the local Grand Temple and are responsible for teaching new students. Some Acolytes are sent to schools or to non-majority-fairy communities, but most of them rarely find reason to leave their Grand Temple. People of any body configuration can become Acolytes. Those unable to bear children do so already knowing they will never become High Priest(ess/er), so they are usually seen as particularly selfless and devoted.
Lastly, students are usually children who want to follow their Mother Deity's call to religious life. They are sent to live in the Grand Temple at the care of the Acolytes and will also spend most of their time there until their graduation.
Each district is headed by a High Priest (if male), High Priestess (if female), or High Priester (if non-binary). The High Priest(ess/er) is in charge of the local Grand Temple and responsible for handing out the main blessings at important festivals, events and ceremonies such as the Fairy New Year. Only people who have already given birth are deemed able to be High Priest(ess/er).
Each district also has a number of Acolytes who live in the local Grand Temple and are responsible for teaching new students. Some Acolytes are sent to schools or to non-majority-fairy communities, but most of them rarely find reason to leave their Grand Temple. People of any body configuration can become Acolytes. Those unable to bear children do so already knowing they will never become High Priest(ess/er), so they are usually seen as particularly selfless and devoted.
Lastly, students are usually children who want to follow their Mother Deity's call to religious life. They are sent to live in the Grand Temple at the care of the Acolytes and will also spend most of their time there until their graduation.
Public Agenda
The Order and their Divine Children exist to protect Nature and all living things.
Type
Religious, Holy Order
Alternative Names
HODCOMD (the official abbreviation for when they lack the space to write out the full name), The Order (the informal name), Hippies (the pejorative one, probably coined by demons. It's always the demons).
Demonym
Divine Children
Leader
Controlled Territories
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