DeepReef

The People of The Depths are a sheltered group, completely cut off from society. This cult was begun by a strange herit, who is worshipped among the people of The Depths as a divine figure, closely related to their deity. His true name is unknown, though he is called The Harbinger by his loyal followers. He lived much, much longer than a normal herit, and grew immensely large in the depths. He has since passed, but his descendant, The Herald, is still alive. The Herald, much like her precursor, has grown to be extremely large, though its unknown how long her lifespan will end up. The People of The Depths are very strange comapred to herit society. Their grubs arent sent into the wild like they usually are, instead they are brought up surrounded by other herits. The People of The Depths dont look like a typical herit either, having longer, more aquatic bodies and limbs, with nearly all of them having large tails that they rely on to swim. any herits that dont develop tails end up working more clerical work, caring for The Herald and her temple

they live in like the middle of the ocean and are extremely reclusive but they do grow coral! its a part of clerical work to tend to the coral, as its heavily associated with their deity. also they tend to look similar to eachother. variation is common but there is an idea of a "typical depth dweller" among them. oh yeah also im calling them depth dwellers. people of the depths is the name of their cult. they call themselves depth dwellers. so depth dwellers use their tails for swimming, and have begun to rely on them [as one does]. its more difficult for those without tails or with smaller tails to swim, so they tend to live closer to or on the ocean floor. its also easier for them to work on the floor, which is where the temple is, so clerical work is commonly done by those without tails or with short/injured/weak tails. They worship a being called Quarus [pronounced KHAR-US], their deity, who they believe to be the creator of nature, especially fond of the sea. Quarus is a benevolent yet harsh deity, who [according to The Harbinger and The Herald] only wishes the best for its beloved world. It cares greatly for nature, and this affection is also carried by the people of the depths. any depth dweller causing unnecessary harm to nature is looked down upon, and seen as a traitor of Quarus. if a depth dweller harms the fauna surrounding them in an especially atrocious way, such as harming the coral, they can even be sentenced to death. ts like a holiday feast to celebrate quarus! a group of five [or more] "sacrifices" are chosen by the clerics, who are then notified of this decision and given three months to either come to terms with this, or find someone to take their place. death is veiwed as a very beautiful thing among the depth dwellers, its seen as their spirits returning to Quarus. depth dwellers are known to celebrate death, seeing it not as the end, but as a new beginning. many times, the "sacrifices" will celebrate being chosen, because theyre worthy enough to provide for their people and join Quarus. Dont mind the fact that i sometimes capitalize quarus and sometimes dont. the have these ceremonial feasts once a year, on the first full moon of the new year. its a joyful time for everyone

Children imprint on adults around them, as well as the wildlife that lives nearby, they dont all look the same but they do look similar. Children are raised by the community as a whole, but usually have favorite people that they tend to be around more often, and thus mimic the appearance of more than others.