Sun and Moon Blessing

In the Evenacht, on particularly clear days and nights, a small break in the cloud cover allows soft rays to filter into the lands below. The illumination, so out of character for the subtle, foggy atmosphere of the evening lands, is a beautiful and momentous sight. Those who witness this phenomenon stand, transfixed, until the beams gently dissipate into the shadowy fog of our existence.

~ Æshren Gerant, founder of the Hallowed Collective

Research:

Sun and Moon Blessing

by our venerating scholar, Yvazhera

In this Research Document:

all images by Shanda Nelson
unless otherwise stated

What is a Blessing

The Evenacht is a foggy place. Constant cloud cover is our normal every day. Some think it dismal, but the clouds turn wonderous, pastel shades at sunrise and sunset, brighten during the day, and darken during the night.
That is why, when the cloud cover breaks, it is a momentous sight, a momentous occasion. It's rare, and those who experience it revel in the specialness of the occurrence. This is why ghosts refer to these events as Sun's Blessing or Moon's Blessing. They feel blessed by Ga Son (Sun) or Daquio Mistark (Moon), when they encounter them.
Sometimes blue sky or stars can be seen through the break, but most often, only rays filter through the clouds and bathe the lands and waters below. The event lasts about as long as a rainbow, and then the rays fade away, cut off by the clouds.
The Blessings are rare enough, most beings in the Evenacht have not seen one, including those who have existed for thousands of years. According to Lorgan, the area most common for Sun Blessings is Mer Bozem, the bay associated with the Merdia pirate reenactments. For Moon Blessings, it's Sechyant Bay, on the Dulcet, Fading Light side. Why the Blessings occur most often over water is a mystery.

Yes, I know, there really isn't a thing such as 'sunrise' or 'sunset', since we can't see a sun, but Talin ghosts still use the terminology.
Living peoples of the Evenacht usually have terms that translate to something like 'light time' and 'dark time'. There are a few, like the beings that reside in the northwest of Fading Light, who reference the changes as 'no-wind time' and 'wind time', but they also have 'light time' and 'dark time' terminology.

shallow branch of Dryanthium, Uka's Lament
orig by Tom Fisk, Pexels

Sun's Blessing

If the cloud cover break occurs during the day, the rays are golden in nature (and are more intense when seen in conjunction with sunrise or sunset). This is Sun's Blessing, because, well, the rays come from the sun.
A Sun Blessing is more common than a Moon Blessing and is more intense if it occurs during sunset. A sunset blessing is seen as very fortuitous, since a ghost's death is the sunset of their living existence, and a transition to their spiritual one, which is represented by night.

Scholars have written accounts of Sun Blessings occurring during momentous events in the Evenacht. The most popular tale concerns Erse Parr defeating the Beast and receiving his mantle. According to the histories, at that moment, both a Sun and Moon Blessing shone down on the Forest Temple, on Talis and in the Evenacht. That, to anyone's knowledge, has only happened once.
Talin peoples claim that the Sun and Moon shined together for a glorious moment. Skeptics claim it was an eclipse, but Erse Parr defeated the Beast during the night, not the day, so it wasn't an eclipse. There was a new moon that night, so if they did appear together, both faded out as well.

Moon's Blessing

If the cloud cover break occurs during the night, the rays are silver in nature. This is Moon's Blessing, since the rays come from the moon.
A Moon Blessing is rarer than the Sun Blessing, though this may be from the fact fewer beings are awake at that time to notice. However, beings who have sighted a Moon's Blessing claim it is more beautiful than a Sun Blessing, a shining light of silver that makes all it touches glitter in a spectacular way.

Those who encounter a Moon Blessing speak of feeling awe and reverence for days afterward. Some of this is due to Moon being a reserved syimlin, far more so than Sun, so his touch is seen as an extra-strong blessing.
Those who happen to be in the Blessing's rays when it happens claim they hear a distant song accompanied by a soft flute, and that they never forget the delicate music, despite the length of their existence. Musicians have attempted to replicate what they heard, and none believe they achieved that goal. Some of the most beautiful music to grace the Evenacht comes from these artists.

Dulcet, Fading Light
orig by Francesco Ungaro, Pexels