Mother
The Mother is the Light. The Mother shaped us the way we are now - the Mother gave us morality and order, society and purpose. The desires of the Mother are unknowable; her sorrow is overwhelming. It is our duty as her children to hold her gift dear, respect and help her, for she had made us.
Breaking these sacred laws is a sin and a crime against our benevolent Mother. Those, who stray from Raitha, must be cleansed and returned, and if they aren't... They are unworthy of the gift, they are not human. They are but examples of what we would be without our Mother. Broken, lost, hungry beasts. The order, created by the Mother, must be maintained. One's duty is first to the gift, to Raitha, and then to the Mother herself. Mother is the Light. Her gentle presence can be felt everywhere. She touches and awakens us. Every morning, she reminds us of the gift we have and of her guidance. At night, we light candles and torches to celebrate her birth and to prolong her stay, as the Sun Beast is changed by the Moon Beast. And then, she returns again. Mother's sorrow is endless, but she is not alone. She has us, and we must not betray her trust, we must not neglect the gift, we must not leave her alone. Through willing sacrifice and deprivation we honor her, and, perhaps, ease her suffering a little. We organise holidays, punish criminals and conduct rites to show her our complete devotion. Those, who forsake Raitha, are but beasts. Their existence is an offence to our Mother, and so they shall embrace the way or be wiped out. The order is strict, and transgressions are not tolerated. Mother, however, is ever merciful, and even the stray ones can yet prove their worth by the way of Holy Pilgrimage. Few desire to try, fewer still succeed. If one is to complete the Pilgrimage, they will be absolved of all sin and become Ascended. The Pilgrimage, however, doesn't have a goal or a destination - the pilgrims are to wander, following the signs to the very end of the world, until they die or are forgiven.
It is Mother's will that the Pilgrimage exists - however, crimes against any other god can be absolved through it. One other deity, usually the one that brought the pilgrim to sin, shall bless the penitent one. And thus they shall embark on the Pilgrimage, cursed by one, blessed by another, seeking forgiveness and ascension.
Raitha
Raitha, "The Way of Truth", is the way the Mother wants us to be. It is her guidance, written down in books, whispered in prayers.Breaking these sacred laws is a sin and a crime against our benevolent Mother. Those, who stray from Raitha, must be cleansed and returned, and if they aren't... They are unworthy of the gift, they are not human. They are but examples of what we would be without our Mother. Broken, lost, hungry beasts. The order, created by the Mother, must be maintained. One's duty is first to the gift, to Raitha, and then to the Mother herself. Mother is the Light. Her gentle presence can be felt everywhere. She touches and awakens us. Every morning, she reminds us of the gift we have and of her guidance. At night, we light candles and torches to celebrate her birth and to prolong her stay, as the Sun Beast is changed by the Moon Beast. And then, she returns again. Mother's sorrow is endless, but she is not alone. She has us, and we must not betray her trust, we must not neglect the gift, we must not leave her alone. Through willing sacrifice and deprivation we honor her, and, perhaps, ease her suffering a little. We organise holidays, punish criminals and conduct rites to show her our complete devotion. Those, who forsake Raitha, are but beasts. Their existence is an offence to our Mother, and so they shall embrace the way or be wiped out. The order is strict, and transgressions are not tolerated. Mother, however, is ever merciful, and even the stray ones can yet prove their worth by the way of Holy Pilgrimage. Few desire to try, fewer still succeed. If one is to complete the Pilgrimage, they will be absolved of all sin and become Ascended. The Pilgrimage, however, doesn't have a goal or a destination - the pilgrims are to wander, following the signs to the very end of the world, until they die or are forgiven.
It is Mother's will that the Pilgrimage exists - however, crimes against any other god can be absolved through it. One other deity, usually the one that brought the pilgrim to sin, shall bless the penitent one. And thus they shall embark on the Pilgrimage, cursed by one, blessed by another, seeking forgiveness and ascension.
Worship
Following Raitha is quite enough to show the Mother that we value her gift. If one wishes, they can pray, make sacrifice or perform rituals, honoring Mother. But first and foremost, they must take their part in maintaining her holy order, purging the sinners and putting the stray on the right path.Candles
The Church of Raitha has only one major sect, but it is as widespread and powerful as to have two representatives in the Court itself. This is the sect of Candles ("Ahorei")."Echo l'quados, echo l'quire quados"
Their creed is simple: "We believe, we worship". They are quite secretive in the details of their rites and tenets of faith, and their connection to the main of worship is tenuous. However, anybody can join the sect, and many do. Different acolytes receive varying information, but the sect isn't worshipping the primordeal candle, as might seem from the first glance. In fact, it doesn't seem matter what or who they worship, or how they do it. They are united by a single truth, that is so obvious they never tell it aloud.
Comments
Author's Notes
If you want to learn about some aspect of the Mother in particular, feel free to ask! If you liked what you read, have any suggestions or spotted some errors or typos, let me know!