HELIOLATRY/Lunar Apologists

The Lunar Apologists are a known sect of HELIOLATRY, the de facto religion of the Hellmouth region.

Description and tenets

Considered heretical by most adherents of HELIOLATRY, the Lunar Apologists differ in two primary beliefs from mainstream dogma. Firstly, they believe that the Hellmouth is an adversary of Sol, “the Lightbringer and Protector,” and secondly that the moon is not an enemy of the sun, but an ally. They contend that when it opened, the Hellmouth sought to devour the greatest source of power within its grasp, and that it would have succeeded if not for the intervention of Luna, the “Mirror and Guardian.” Seeing that it could not resist the Hellmouth’s pull, Sol asked Luna for sanctuary. She accepted and hid the sun, beginning the Unending Eclipse. It is hoped that denying the Hellmouth Sol’s light will eventually starve and weaken it until it can no longer remain open, at which point the sun may return and vanquish it once and for all.

Relationship to other sects

Apologists are frequently accused by other HELIOLATERS as being moon worshippers and traitors to the sun, an allegation that they resent. Though they view Luna as an ally of Sol and the eclipse as just, most consider her a lesser divine being at most, and some call her a servant of the sun. In contrast, Lunar Apologists frequently decry other HELIOLATERS’ acceptance of the Hellmouth, both as an entity and as their new home, as blasphemous. This mutual animosity has led to a general distrust of Apologists and Apologist teachings, and rumors about who is or is not a secret Apologist are commonplace.