The Orthodox Church Of The Divine Masochist
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The Orthodox Church of the Divine Masochist is a religion with a large number of devotees across the world, and is the official religion of many states that have arisen from the collapse of the Kalassarian Empire. It is qualified with the orthodox moniker to differentiate from other Masochistic faiths that have splintered off from it.
Connections to the Arzhadadi religion
Divine Masochism is rooted from the Arzhadadi religion Mangul-am-Arzhadad worshiped in an island off the coast of Giza called Arzhadi-et-Betet. The followers of the Divine Masochist believed that he was the one foretold by a number of Arzhadadi prophets who would lead their people to freedom against the oppression of the Kalasarian and bring the world empires to heel.
Most followers of the Mangul believe that at best, the man called the Divine Masochist is, at best, the latest of many prophets that prepare the stage for the Arzhadam, or the raising of the people of Arzhadad.
History
The One Appointed by God
In the 2nd century BF, a group of hermetic monks believed that they have finally found the "one appointed by God", and had raised him as a vicious critic of the Arzhadad theocracy, and the Kalasarian empire's governance. By the time the man was his 20s, Hesse son of Hoseppe (Arsi-tam-Osepi in their language) became a very influential political figure. His father's lineage was traced by Arzhadi scribes to a the Lewanan--a tribe of priests that once led the golden age of the Arzhadad.
Marsa's Slave
Hesse, however, was unceremoniously imprisoned by the Kalasarian governor Pasanian, and was sentenced to death by whipping within a week after his capture. The governor's daughter Marsa was however, quite taken in by Hesse. So she pleaded with her father to release him to her as a slave--a gift for her birthday. He agreed reluctantly, and burned slave brands into Hesse's left shoulder before handing Marsa his writ of slavery.
Marsa had always admired Hesse's assuredness, but had disagreed with his many political, moral and theological stances, so as Hesse labored under Marsa, she had confronted him with many philosophical problems. Hesse answered her problems with parables about various people and the fine line between pleasure and pain.
The intensity of the arguments had only become more aggressive, which ultimately came to one of the first written depictions of sado-masochism. Hesse was so enraptured by the acts, that Marsa herself became the most ardent believer.
The Mission
Theirs was so profound a partnership, that thousands upon thousands watched their demonstrations, which was interspersed with Hesse's teachings about the importance of the application of pain and suffering to understand the meaning of pleasure and love.
The two had amassed a large number of followers, including some prominent religious scholars, most of whom once derided Hesse as a fraud. The doctrine of the masochist also drew in convicts said to have been wrongfully accused, and had been forced to know pain. The governor's third son, Marsa's half-brother Meahu was also enamored, and eventually became one of the most devout followers.
The Arzhadad religious establishment, however, viewed Hesse's teachings to be unorthodox and dangerous, most profoundly, in their view, was the religious position Marsa was being given as their followers have come to view her as the Venerable Matron. The subservient role that Hesse apparently took was misconstrued as acceptance of slavery, which both Hesse and Marsa vehemently denied.
On the 5th year of preaching, a novice follower and a partner had performed some acts of sado-masochism, but had gone too far, leading to severe internal bleeding and death. It was all the Arzhadad theocracy needed to have cause to incarcerate Hesse and Marsa. They had implored the governor to execute him, using the prophecy as proof that the true goal of the mission was to undermine the Kalasarian regime, and to recruit rebels to fight. Stories of mass gatherings have been common enough that the governor had reason to believe the report. Governor Pasarian then ordered Hesse and his daughter captured.
Beliefs
The Divine Masochist
The Venerable Mother
The Angels of Creation and the Demons of Ruin
The Angels of Creation were creatures of immense power, said to have been endowed by God himself with the powers of creation. However, as they were enacting His plan, they have begun to question the merits of certain points of the Grand Plan. After they had come to complete construction of the universe, they have perceived what they thought of as imperfections in the fabric of the universe, focusing on the portfolio bestowed upon them.
The extreme focus had led them to lose sight of the greater purpose of the Plan. They obsessed in the primacy of their domains, that they have turned into dark, destructive versions of themselves. If they see something that goes beyond their mandate, they immediately seek to destroy it.
The Angels of Creation were not part of the original canon of scripture of the early Church. It had been an extremely popular novel, which incorporated religious themes from the displaced pagan religions of the Kalasar. The story continued with the Venerable Mother and the Divine Masochist, preaching in the desert, where they were confronted by the demons one by one. The Divine Masochist's teachings and miracles have, through the acceptance of pain, and its release, reformed the demons and had turned them back to angels.