Sacred Doctrine: Currents of Continuance

I. Reproduction as Ritual

Mating is a sacrament, not a union. Reproduction among the Tideborn is a violent, ritualistic act—meant to return essence to the Current. Fertility is communal, and death in climax is the holiest offering to the Deep Queen. Love, romance, or pleasure are considered distractions from purpose.

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II. The Blooming – Spawning Events

Occurring every 9–11 years, massive spawning rituals take place in volcanic amphitheaters.

• Females release eggs into mineral-rich volcanic currents.
• Males, driven mad by ritual ecstasy, release seed in a final frenzy.
• Many die—of rupture, exhaustion, or ritual combat.
• To die during spawn is the highest honor among the Tideborn.

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III. The Ember Nursery – Rite of Abandonment

Fertilized spawn are cast into volcanic trenches called Ember Nurseries.

• Monsters, heat, and elemental chaos cull the weak.
• Survivors are retrieved by Tidebinders and assigned caste or calling.
• This Rite ensures that only the divinely resilient serve the Queen.

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IV. Chosen Chastity – The Triad of Warding Starfish

Tideborn pilgrims—especially Tidebound—are sealed in divine chastity through living garments:

• Three enchanted starfish cling to the chest, bound by divine law.
• They emit light, serve as modesty and spiritual wards, and cannot be removed without the Queen’s leave.
• Their absence signals loss of faith, defilement, or exile.

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V. Mating Exile – The Path of the Untethered

Those who violate chastity or engage in forbidden union are cast into Mating Exile:

• Branded and stripped of all divine items.
• Cast into deep sanctuaries or trench monasteries, where they live in silence.
• Most never return. Their dreams drift not with the Current, but with regret.

Type

Text, Religious