if you have religions in your world, chances are there are some creatures that are deemed holy, right?
in my world, white stags are considered holy (at least to celestial fairies). the legend is that there are three white stags in the human realm which are the reincarnations of the three queens: meave, mab, and macha. some humans believe the stags have magical properties if they kill them. two of the stags die in the first and second novels, and the heart of the stag in the second novel becomes a really important plot device.