Cults

Valaron has several religious movements that some call cults. The most prominent is the Lunar Vigil.

The Lunar Vigil

The Lunar Vigil is an ancient organization devoted to the study and worship of Valaron's moons, particularly the great mother moon Celestia. To outsiders, they are eccentric obsessives who speak to the sky and claim to hear answers. To members, they are seekers of truth that the ordinary world refuses to acknowledge.

Beliefs

Members of the Lunar Vigil hold several core beliefs. They see the moons as conscious beings, aware of everything that happens in the world below. Celestia, the mother moon, is believed to be the wisest being in existence. The smaller moons are thought to shape the subtle forces of fate, luck, memory, and emotion.

Through patient observation, members believe communication with the moons is possible. They also hold that each moon has its own purpose and will, which the truly devoted can learn to serve. Caring for shrines and observing the moons are considered sacred duties, acts of devotion that bring them closer to understanding the celestial order.

Organization

The Lunar Vigil has no formal membership process or traditional leadership structure. People simply begin the work, observing the moons, tending to shrines, and listening for whispers. Those who remain devoted eventually find themselves part of a quiet network of like-minded seekers.

Virel is recognized as the leader of the Lunar Vigil, though most members of the Lunar Vigil believe his position is largely symbolic. In truth, he controls everything. He founded the Vigil himself and has carefully built a network of loyal followers who unknowingly serve his interests.

Virel manipulates the group into thinking their order is democratic, while he quietly directs every major decision from the shadows. To outsiders, he appears harmless, even irrelevant, but in reality, he is a cunning and calculating figure who hides his true authority in plain sight.

How Others See Them

Most people in Valaron regard the Lunar Vigil with amusement and concern. They are seen as mad and harmless eccentrics who talk to the sky and see meaning in random shadow patterns. Merchants and soldiers dismiss them.

However, the Vigil's reputation is not entirely negative. Over the years, their predictions and insights have occasionally proven accurate. Their shrine maintenance has prevented several disasters. People learn not to dismiss them entirely, even if they do not understand them.

Other Religious Movements

Valaron has other beliefs beyond the Lunar Vigil:

• Worship of the old gods like Gall'har, Mortem, Ebris, and O'lo. As time passes, fewer people follow these deities.
• Belief in the Colossal Serpent as a cosmic force
• Followers of the moons
• Secular philosophies that deny all divinity
• Worship of the new gods, such as Chronar, Vorathis, and Tritonis.

Each movement claims truth. Each dismisses others. This is the nature of belief in Valaron.