History

Swathes of Imperial territory on the Couhrrainian continent fell under the influence of monsterkind by the time open hostilities between 7th The Monster Lord and The Empire ceased thirty-nine years ago. Anarchy reigned in those regions under monster girl control and was further exasperated during three years when the Monster Lord herself vanished. Both sides of the war reeled during those years, known as the Lost Times, following the climactic battle between The Monster Lord and the Hero of The Empire. During her absence the Monster Lord's subordinates took it upon themselves to restore some semblance of order and forge a society where man and monster could live together. What quickly came into being, and quicker spread, were a codified set of laws. The rout of the Empire and Church of the Almighty left a vacuum temporary reprieve and the monsters began to rework the skeleton of their intuitions for themselves.

These new codes of conduct quickly morphed into the doctrines of a new faith with the weight of divine providence being added to them. The Council of Verinshire, named after the village of the same name, was convened a short distance North-East outside the ruins of the city of Dulensberg. The siege of the city had been lifted when both the Hero and Monster Lord vanished without a trace. Those who had been directly under the command of the Monster Lord were left to their own devices. They relocated out of the city, now ruins awash with death and sorrow, and debated for three weeks what their next move would be. A state of total war had persisted for almost a century up until this point between man and monster, but a growing possibility of a tenuous peace became evident. Both sides of the conflict were reluctant to fight without knowing the outcome of the battle between each side's champion.

Commanders who had previously been empowered as governesses over their conquered territories only ever differed to the Monster Lord herself, so now they were free to act as they pleased. This would likely cause the Monster Girl war machine to fall apart, so they agreed instead to reorganize. The Church of the Almighty had proven invaluable to the Empire in maintaining its order and organization during the long war, so the council deigned to mimic it. Their husbands had all been previous Imperial subjects and members of the Church, along with many monster girls who had previously been human women themselves, thus the transition to a new order was hypothesized to be smoother by adopting the ruins of the institutions they were now standing on rather than throwing it all away.

With the possibility that the Monster Lord may no longer be among the living to keep them in check, her Lieutenants gathered to put forward a plan of action for a unified effort. Failure to do so would mean the fractured Monster Girl forces would be divided and conquered once the Empire had recovered from the apparent loss of their great and final hope: The Hero. The Hero and the Monster Lord returned after three years, hand in hand, and this is when the Nuptian Church was established. Over the following decades it began to fan outwards and take took in other monster controlled regions.

Beliefs

The articles of faith around this nascent religion are centered around marriage, which is the primary function of it in everyday monster controlled society. Sex is perceived as an act of worship and the faith utilized to heap additional legitimacy onto the union between any man and monster(s). The Nuptian faith also served as a constraint against reckless hedonism which recent human woman to monster girl converts were known to engage in. Adding social peer groups, and peer pressure, to engage in behaviors to better facilitate a stable and functional society. Thus sex also came to be sacred and not something to be done lightly and frivolously. Therefore, like a handshake to seal a business deal, the sexual act (from kissing to full-on intercourse) became a contract of union witnessed by higher forces.

Henotheism is the official stance of the Nuptian faith, which recognizes the existence of other deities. Local chapters of the Nuptian Church therefore incorporate local faiths into itself and popular customs often spread to other communities and builds cohesion between what would otherwise have been isolated and insular. Since the faith is less than four decades old, the minutia are often in flux and no book of scriptures yet exists, but scholars and priests are currently hard at work to build one. While the church considers them all minor gods to exist, it considers one to be supreme among all. This figure is usually regarded as Father, but is not recognized as the Almighty of the Imperial Church, and instead someone far above and beyond him. When monster girls refer to God, they are referring to this Father figure, who they credit the creation of the universe to. This God does not, however, manifest his will upon the world, as those who follow the Almighty often claim he does, because Father is currently at rest. A state of stasis after exhausting his powers with the very act of creation itself.

Prophesies have emerged that claim Father shall awaken after witnessing his Living Dream. This is when he will live the life of a mortal man, and upon his death, stir from his slumber. Upon awakening, he will once again act out his benevolent will upon the world and bring eternal peace and prosperity to it. To facilitate this second coming, the heads of the Nuptian faith have decreed that sufficient 'worship' between man and monster would demonstrate that his children had finally united and were prepared for the next stage of history God would usher with his revival. This mortal man has become commonly refereed to as 'The Prince', the first son to be born between man and monster girl would be the vessel for his spirit.

Because every union between man and monster girl is seen as the next piece of the puzzle to bring about the final and eternal age, the institution of marriage has been elevated and become the central lynch-pin to monster society. What had previously been the Church of the Almighty were restored, now carrying the symbols of the Nuptian faith. Rather than the Morning Star of the Almighty, the symbol of Father, and of the Nuptian Church, was the sanctified mathematical symbol of addition, indicative of the joining between man and monster into a new union. Like the Church before it, these builds erect themselves at the center of any settlement and serve as its beating heart. Commerce and festivals take place before them, and most importantly, marriage ceremonies take place within. When marriage ceremonies are not taking place, they function little differently from a place of courtship. The Church's members themselves take it upon themselves to play matchmaker between monster girls and eligible bachelors. Bigamy is institutionalized as well and a man can marry many wives. This is thought to be a necessary consequence of the fact that all monster girl controlled regions have more women than men and some with many more women than men. Since a man is capable of impregnating many it is seen as natural. The reverse is, however, not tolerated and monogamy for women is expected and strictly enforced. This is second nature to monster girls, but the Nuptian is nothing else but codifying their inherent nature into law.

There has been few interfaith exchanges between the Nuptian Church and the Church of the Almighty. Only one incident is on record, fifteen years after its founding, with an open dialogue at the University of Peidorie in the eastern Free Port city. Sister Joane of the Nuptian Faith briefly sat in a lecture hall open to the public with Bishop Felix of the Almighty's Church to debate theology. Felix was described as being dismissive and rude, already set out to prove the Nuptian Church as heretical and the work of sorcery instead of divinely ordained. Polite discussion gave way to argument and eventual shouting as the seemingly unflappably calm Sister Joane lost patience. Bishop Felix left in a hurry when after a moment of silence to catch their breaths, Joane said something to the effect of "You are kind of cute when you are angry". Conflicting accounts of the evening exist and throw doubt onto the details of what happened during the ten minutes, but the hour and half long meeting had been cut short. Not long afterward an official edict from the Grand Cardinal Council outlawed any further discussions from taking place with the authority, or assumed authority, of its members under pain of excommunication.

Organization

The Nuptian Church's structure at its lowest levels are not that different from the Church of the Almighty by design. Women do, however, hold all the positions and carry the titles alone. All except for the Monster Lord's husband who serves as the head of the religion, not that different from the Almighty's Church Patriarch. A new peculiar species of succubi has come as a result of the founding and subsequent growth of the Nuptian faith. Their demon wings atrophy and eventually disintegrate, but just as quickly gain the ability to wield holy powers. Demonic creatures using light and holy 'magics' has been quite revolutionary, and within the halls of the Almighty's Church, earth-shattering. It is a fact zealously suppressed. Positions within the Nuptian Church are not limited to these 'Dark Priests', but most positions are naturally doled out to them by circumstance. Auxiliary chapters of the faith, those in the far eastern Isles for an example, are populated by the Inari and Ryu, but the chapters dotting Couhrrainian are predominantly Dark Priests.

Other than losing their wings, the Dark Priests ceremoniously bind their tails in chains and dress in sexually revealing nun habits. They experience sexual pleasure from fulfilling their duties and it is not uncommon for a Dark Priest presiding over wedding vows to flush and orgasm. They are likewise not barred from marrying themselves and from that point on share their positions and titles with their husband who will assist them in their religious duties. It is considered rather prestigious to marry a Dark Priest, not only for them being sanctified, but the pension secured via the tithe paid to the Church. It is a fund made up from countless voluntary donations, both large and small, rather than a percentage of income. The Church owns no land, but since the Church makes itself central to life in an increasing number of monster girl controlled regions it easily manages to fund itself. Beyond the pension/salary to it commissions works of public art and the construction and reconstruction of sometimes massive and architecturally impressive cathedrals.