The Children Of The Weeping Mother

The Children Of The Weeping Mother (Church Of The Weeping Mother, Blind Monks, Weeping Monks) are a religious organisation existing within Kintakan space. While the Children welcome all species, they are primarily composed of a single species mostly unknown to the federation.

Beliefs
The Children Of The Weeping Mother's primary belief is in a singular goddess who created the entire universe. It it believed that she birthed the universe from her womb, then began to weep as - in her godly vision - she foresaw its eventual destruction. The Mother continues to weep even now, as millennia pass like minutes to her.

The Mother is commonly represented by a statue of a very beautiful woman with an elf-like appearance, depicted as either naked or wearing a flowing robe with large sleeves, always posed in a weeping position - by far the most common position being on her knees, crying into her hands as they cover her eyes.

A common icon of the Mother is a teardrop made of silver, used to represent her tears, with silver being a pure and curative element - its mysticism existing on many planets due to its antibacterial properties. The Mother is sometimes also attributed with the moon (specifically the one which orbits the planet on which the religion began), with its phases representing the stages of the universe, from conception to destruction.

They believe there is no reward or punishment after death, and that dying is the end and simply upsets The Mother more, thus no afterlife exists and life is precious and should be valued.

The monks also believe that evil exists within all intelligent life and should be purified, however the way this is done varies. Two silver-backed mirrors are commonly placed facing the main entrance to the church, and it is believed that their reflection shows the evil within anyone who sees it. Some attempt a ritual akin to a baptism, in which a person (often a newborn) is submerged in a basin (or fountain) of water that has been purified by a large silver tear which dangles half in the water by a chain. But a very small splinter group believe that the evil can only be purified through fire and bloodshed, choosing to slay an/or immolate those deemed as impure - an action which is condemned by the rest of the Children.

Monks
Those who swear themself to the ways of The Weeping Mother become monks - a term which is used for any gender in this case. The monks must wear a blindfold at all times in respect to the Mother, who is commonly shown to cover her eyes. They typically wear large hooded black robes and a silver tear necklace, although this is not enforced outside of holy grounds.

While it is believed that the monks began as ordinary species from Kintakan space, currently surviving monks (excluding the aforementioned splinter group) appear to have devolved into decrepit, pale, and gaunt creatures, though they still bear some resemblance to their previous species. They have long since permanently lost their vision due to wearing blindfolds, but their other senses have improved significantly to accommodate for the loss. Movement is difficult for them, so they are slow and feeble and spend most of their days praying.

However, it appears their faith has granted them great boons in that they appear to live many centuries after their typical lifespan and claim to have a form of clairvoyance, which they describe as but a small drop of The Mother's all-seeing vision which allowed her to foresee the universe's death. This ability has shown remarkable accuracy, but has yet to be scientifically validated.

The Church
All churches of The Weeping Mother feature similar designs:

There is usually two very large doors serving as the entrance to the church, inside are two mirrors facing the doors, usually mounted on pillars but sometimes standing, a long rolled-out carpet extends from the door to a front platform which features a basin and/or fountain, a large statue of The Mother, and a large silver teardrop on a chain which dangles its lower half into the basin/fountain. There are typically lit candles littered about the church, and a series of pillows or small mats on the ground to either side of the carpet, which are used for prayer. The churches have two series of pillars which hold up a viewing platform on either side of the main hall, and past the pillars on the ground floor are typically side rooms of various uses. The main hall features a high arched ceiling, and stained-glass windows either end of the hall, commonly depicting The Mother and/or the stages of the moon. Smaller statues of The Mother can typically be found around the church.

Their churches strongly resemble European gothic architecture, but the development of such a style so far from Earth is purely coincidence, as not a single human had ever travelled to Kintakan space in the two thousand years of the religion's existence. They are often made out of white stone or marble. Some of the churches feature large bell towers or spires, though this is not a necessity.

The majority of the churches, much like the monks themselves, have fallen into disrepair over their lengthy existence. With the feeble, blind monks unable to upkeep them, they have fallen apart and gathered dust. Though they are still used and even lived in by the monks, and still have candles lit in them.