Daughter of the Sun
Divine Caretaker of the People
The Daughter of the Sun is the third pillar of world leadership and the most unique of the three. Unlike the Fantasma and epouranals, the Daughter of the Sun is not an adimus classification. Though she wields supernal powers thanks to her connection to the Sun Stone, it is not this power alone that allows her to assert her authority as a world leader. The Daughter of the Sun is known as the divine caretaker of the people. Whereas the epouranals are divine prophets who reveal the will of the heavens, and the Fantasma is the government leader concerned with dealing with the nations and cities of the world on a macro level, the Daughter of the Sun is focused on the people and their wellbeing.
Her role in the world is to use her influence and resources to increase the quality of life of everyone on Mendala, to tend to the poor, displaced, and downtrodden, and give everyone an equal chance of living a fulfilling life. She is a manifestation of altruism and a guiding light for the people, pushing them to be their best selves, care for one another, and find common ground. Through her influence, she is able to help warring domains find peaceful solutions, and she is also able to enact policies throughout the world that people abide by even if they are not codified through global law.
As a way of providing direct help to people, the Daughter of the Sun operates an international organization known as the Sunnin Social System. Sunnin operates dozens of free programs from orphanages to schools to shelters and has a myriad of services that help people in need. Many governments donate funds to Sunnin and they receive a large amount of private donations as well. Because of all the good Sunnin does and how much their services take a burden off of local resources, governments are more than willing to donate, especially since it offsets taxes due to the Fantasmal Government. Regardless of whether or not they donate, Sunnin always helps people in all parts of the world.
The Daughter of the Sun is seen as the most accessible of all world leaders. She is more visible than the epouranals or Fantasma, and far more approachable. It is not unusual to see the Daughter of the Sun working alongside her staff in one of the many programs run by the Sunnin sScial System.
Origins
The Gatekeeper’s Legacy
The origins of the Daughter of the Sun are shrouded in mystery. Even those who are aware of the story, do not fully understand what happened; that is because Ester Fantas, the first Daughter of the Sun, barely understood how she was called. It happened the same night her husband, Jeremiah Fantas, was whisked away by the epouranals. Not knowing what to do, she waited for her husband to return. It was late at night, a new yellow moon hung in the sky, and her daughter, Sarah, was fast asleep in her room, oblivious to all that was going on. An hour later, there was a soft knock on her door. Ester rushed to open it, thinking it had something to do with her husband, but instead she found an aged man wearing a hooded cloak. The man looked human, but also seemed like something more. He referred to himself only as an emissary. He explained to Ester that even as they spoke, her husband was being appointed by the epouranals to be the head of global government, but that the world would need more than that if it was to be set on the right path and recover all that it lost in the age before the epouranals. For that to happen, the world needed a caretaker: someone other than epouranals, who only functioned as prophets, and someone other than her husband, who would be running a government. The caretaker would nurture the people, help them grow, and above all, help them reach a point where they could lift the curse that had been set upon the world long ago. Of course, Ester understood none of this. She had no idea what the so-called emissary was referring to or what it had to do with her. The emissary assured her that she was the only one that could do it, and also that this was the only time it could be done. Assumingly to prove that she was the right person for the role, he produced a large, round, golden-yellow jewel from beneath his cloak and handed it to her. He explained that it was the caretaker stone, and it once belonged to a being known as the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper was once a bridge between mankind and the heavens and someone who aided the world’s caretakers, but he was now gone. However, Ester carried his legacy, allowing her to take ownership of the caretaker stone and by doing so, function as the world’s chief caretaker. Ester didn’t know how she could carry the legacy of a supernal being, but the moment she took the jewel, a powerful energy within began to pulse in response. She felt a strong connection to it, as if some part of her, deep inside, knew that it belonged to her. At this, the emissary asked her a simple question, would she commit to helping the people of the world? Her husband was being appointed a world leader; would she take on her own role and answer the call to be the caretaker of the people? With the strange jewel in hand, feeling as if it was almost calling to her, Ester realized that this was somehow her destiny. Even though she had no idea what she was getting into, she agreed. With this, the jewel in her hand activated and she and the emissary were whisked away in an instant to a place known as the Caretaker Sanctum. This was the same place, legend said, that the first epouranals were called to be appointed. The emissary explained that to assume the role of caretaker, she had to appeal to the heavens at a special location in the sanctum, a door between the heavens and mortal realm that could only be opened under certain conditions. Fortunately, the epouranal mages had already unlocked the door because it needed to be open during the appointing of the first Fantasma. The emissary planned to use this one opportunity so that Ester could make her appeal, though it was impossible to know if it would work. Ester said an earnest prayer to be granted the ability to become the world’s chief caretaker and follow in the gatekeeper’s legacy, and the door responded, signaling that her request had been heard. A voice from the heavens answered her call, though it was unclear if it was an angel, spirit, or the Almighty. Because she met the qualifications to be bonded to the stone, she could be granted the role and authority of the planet’s chief caretaker through a special covenant with God; however, to do so required her to commit her life and the lives of her descendants as well. Ester agreed, saying that she would make sure that her descendants all understood the weight of the covenant that was made so that they would never forsake their sacred role as caretaker. Ester was then named the Daughter of the Sun, and the Caretaker Stone was dubbed the Sun Stone. With the stone bonded to her, now only she could use its powers, and she even gained abilities through her connection. The emissary that brought Ester to the Caretaker Sanctum disappeared at the same time Ester was reborn as the Daughter of the Sun, and she never saw him again. She used the power of the Sun Stone to return to her home and arrived only a few minutes before her husband. Jeremiah told her all that happened with the epouranals and how he had become the first Fantasma. Ester then revealed to him how she had also gained a new legacy, one that she was only just beginning to understand.The Rising of the Sun
Though Ester was granted her role at the same time her husband was given the rank of Fantasma, his new position as head of the global government far overshadowed hers. People understood the implications of a new global government being established, but there was no frame of reference for the appointment of chief caretaker. Many thought that the Daughter of the Sun was just the title of the Fantasma’s wife, and that she had duties that somehow pertained to that position. Ester also was uncertain in her role. She learned through trial and error and had to depend on her position as the Fantasma’s wife to accomplish anything. However, she was dutiful in explaining her legacy to her daughter, Sarah, even taking her to the Caretaker Sanctum in order to read the written covenant that governed the role of the Daughter of the sun so that she could understand the full gravity of her position when she took on the role. Ester and Sarah, as the wife and daughter of the Fantasma, were able to affect many positive changes in their time as Daughter of the Sun, but as the legacy was passed further down Ester’s line and a new Fantasma was appointed after Jeramiah Fantas died, the position of Daughter of the Sun fell further and further into obscurity for several hundred years. It wasn’t until 700 TS that this all changed. Angela Terrain was the current Daughter of the Sun and though she understood the importance of her legacy, the best she could do to fulfill her role was run a small orphanage in the town of Orlock in southeastern Candovia. One night, however, Angela was brought to a special place known as the Waiting Room, a realm that exists between the heavenly and mortal realms, where she met her ancestor, Ester Fantas. Ester explained to her that because she was the one who originally bonded with the Sun Stone, she had the unique ability to reach across time to speak to her descendants in moments of need. She then told Angela that it was time for the Daughter of the Sun to take her rightful position in the world now that her lineage was completely disconnected from the Fantasma and Fantasmal Government. It seemed that this had been the plan all along. Though Ester was able to accomplish much as the Fantasma’s wife, Angela and those who followed her would be able to do far more independent of the Fantasmal Government and its bureaucracies. In addition, people would not see the Daughter of the Sun as just another government leader, but as the unique caretaker that she was. Of course, Angela would need help in order to really have an impact on the world; specifically, she’d need money, resources, and connections. All of that came to her with the help of Lewis Stokenshire and his cousins. The Stokenshire family had a special bond with the line of Ester because of the actions of Sarah Fantas, and though that connection had faded over time, they sought out Angela to renew it, having been prompted by an epouranal mage. With the help of the Stokenshire family, Angela was able to realize her vision of a multifaceted social services and humanitarian organization known as the Sunnin Social System. In less than a year, the Daughter of the Sun, and her Sunnin Social System became renowned throughout the world as it was the largest agency of its kind and offered its services for free. As Angela’s prestige grew, she was also able to start influencing governments and leaders around the world and she became known as someone who could mediate conflicts between domains and help bring peace to war torn areas in a way that was impossible for the Fantasmal Government, which stayed out of conflicts unless approached by both parties. Though she had gained much notoriety, Angela still wasn’t considered a world leader on the same level as the Fantasma or epouranals, despite having a similar level of influence. This all changed when she received a visit from Lenora Megsworth, the Parmeo Epouranal Mage. During that fateful visit near the end of the year, Megsworth presented Angela with the Sun Stone. It had previously been taken from a past Daughter of the Sun and locked in a vault in Fantasmal Mountain because they misunderstood its purpose and nature, thinking it an artifact that they needed to keep. Megsworth retrieved the stone to return it to its rightful owner now that the Daughter of the Sun was taking her rightful position as a world leader. Angela was slightly stunned. As the story had been passed down through the generations, the Daughters of the Sun believed that their legacy had been done without the epouranals’ consent. This was because the emissary had used the dimensional door—this is what they called the mysterious door in the Caretaker Sanctum—while it had been opened by the epouranals, essentially behind their backs. If this was the case, it was possible that the epouranals either resented what Ester had done, or at the very least would never recognize the Daughter of the Sun as a legitimate world leader. Megsworth revealed that this was not the case. The epouranals at the time purposefully left the door open in order to give the emissary and Ester the opportunity to make their appeal. Unlike the first Fantasma who was appointed by the epouranals, Ester had to make the choice on her own. Her situation and her subsequent covenant were far more unique. They knew all that happened in the Caretaker Sanctum and the burden Ester placed on herself and her descendants for the sake of the world, which was why the new era was dubbed “Terrius Sunn” which roughly translated to “In the Years of the Sun.” Megsworth told Angela that because she had finally taken her rightful place in the world, the epouranals would fully acknowledge her role in world leadership. After her visit, the twelve epouranals declared throughout the lands that the Daughter of the Sun was the divinely appointed chief caretaker of the world and that her status and legacy was equal to the epouranals and the Fantasma. From then on, the Daughter of the Sun became the third pillar of world leadership and that status further allowed her to positively influence society at large.Legacy and Birthright
When Ester took on the mantle of Daughter of the Sun, it was specified that her legacy would pass through her female descendants. It was never fully explained why this was, only that it had to be this way. Descendants in the direct line of Ester all have a special sun-shaped birthmark on the back of their neck, which is a mark of that covenant. When a Daughter of the Sun dies, her closest female relative inherits her powers automatically. Her eldest daughter is always the first candidate but if none exists, or she predeceased her mother, it could pass to the next oldest daughter, if any, or another female relative such as a granddaughter, sister, niece, etc. Regardless, the Daughter of the Sun is easily recognized because she is the only one that can use the Sun Stone, since the stone is bound to her legacy through her covenant. All Daughters of the Sun have looks similar to Ester Fantas, specifically ivory skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. Most, but not all descendants with the sun-shaped birthmark, have those same characteristics as well, but the Daughter of the Sun always looks the most like Ester. In addition, just like the Fantasma and epouranals, the adimus signature of the Daughter of the Sun passes from one person to the next as they assume the role, meaning that all Daughters of the Sun share the same adimus signature.Powers And Abilities
Unlike the Fantasma and epouranals, the role of Daughter of the Sun is not an adimus classification. This is because there is no change to the adimus or boost in adimus energy that accompanies the appointment. All of the powers and abilities explicitly granted to the Daughter of the Sun are supernal in nature, and most require the Sun Stone to perform. Innate powers include:- The ability to read and speak all languages
- Supernal healing far faster and superior to healing provided by the adimus immune system.
- The ability to heal others without mandamus, though it is limited to how many people she can use it on without access to the Sun Stone.
- Instantaneous teleportation of herself and others to any place regardless of location or barriers.
- The ability to see the history of a given person, place, or specific situation.
- The ability to locate any item that she has a clear picture of
- The ability to pull any non-supernal item to her from any location regardless of barriers
- The power of restoration: the ability to return anything to its proper and complete state
Rights and Privileges
As the divinely appointed caretaker of the world, the Daughter of the Sun sits outside of all laws and governments, including the Fantasmal Government. In addition, her status falls on the entire Sunnin Social System, allowing them to do their work without fear of breaking local or global law in the name of providing services to people in need. This also means that the Daughter of the Sun is the sole arbitrator of anyone committing a criminal act that serves in her organization and can punish however she sees fit. Sunnin also does not pay taxes to any government. The Daughter of the Sun enjoys a special relationship with the Stokenshire family that is governed by their family covenant. Anyone with the Stokenshire name is required to serve the Daughter of the Sun in any way that she needs. Because of the influence, prestige, and near limitless resources of the Stokenshire family, the Daughter of the Sun has one of the most powerful backers in the world who are wholey devoted to her. Similar to the epouranals, the Daughter of the Sun has access to Fantasmal Mountain and limited access to the mountain’s core. She also has the ability to request an audience with the Epouranal Council, however this is only ever done if there is an unresolvable conflict between the Fantasma and the Daughter of the Sun that requires epouranal intervention. Because of her high status, people adopted the habit of addressing the Daughter of the Sun as “Your Grace” in lieu of any other appropriate titles. In the past, other forms of address such as “Your Excellency,” or “Radiant One” were also used, but they were phased out as Daughters of the Sun are, by their nature it seems, very humble and do not enjoy extravagant titles. “Your Grace” was the only form of address that remained, more as a compromise since having none was deemed unacceptable by those who served under her.Roles and Responsibilities
The Daughter of the Sun is the divinely appointed caretaker of the world. It is said that in the era before recorded time, the world had multiple people who were dubbed caretakers, and their role was to help guide the peoples of the world to grow and evolve. A great calamity caused the downfall of the caretakers and the world plummeted into chaos and stagnation. It was only with the rise of the epouranals that a level of stability was once again brought to the world, and it was even speculated that they served the role of caretakers. With the rise of the Daughter of the Sun, it was explicitly stated by the epouranals that she would take on the mantle of “chief caretaker,” meaning that her role would be the one ultimately responsible for guiding society and helping people find balance in their lives. This was a daunting and also nebulous role; however, it is said that the Daughter of the Sun’s connection to the Sun Stone gives her a unique insight into what it is she is supposed to do, and that she is instinctively guided by a subconscious connection to the heavenly realm. This would explain why all Daughters of the Sun have a very benevolent aura about them and seem to naturally influence people to be their best selves. Though her position is less defined than the role of the epouranals or Fantasma, the Daughter of the Sun has taken on certain responsibilities that have become the core of her role and are seen by society as expected. However, in some cases these duties are as much a function of tradition as they are of her actual role.Leader of the Sunnin Social System
The Daughter of the Sun’s most prominent role is as the leader of the Sunnin Social System, a social services and humanitarian organization founded by Angela Terrain, the tenth Daughter of the Sun. The Daughter of the Sun has absolute authority over Sunnin from the moment of her appointment, even if she is a child when she gains her position. She does not answer to the board of trustees or any other governing body. This allows her to make sweeping changes in a moment’s notice and use the resources of Sunnin in any way necessary in order to serve the people. The counterbalance to this is that the entire organization is funded off of donations. If the Daughter of the Sun was seen to be using her resources unwisely, people would lose confidence in her and Sunnin would quickly become either insolvent or shrink to a point where they would have little influence. Fortunately, even in the years where there was no Daughter of the Sun at the helm, the Sunnin Social System has maintained its status as the most trusted humanitarian organization in the world.Ruler of Sunnin Mountain
Sunnin Mountain is considered its own independent domain, and like Fantsmal Mountain, has the status of “supernal domain.” This means that it is a domain that exists outside of the rule of global law and has a world leader as its ruler, in this case, the Daughter of the Sun. All people who live within Sunnin Mountain and all workers and staff members of the Sunnin Social System are considered citizens of that domain, and no matter where they are in the world, they can only be governed by the laws of the Sunnin Mountain domain. Effectively this means that Sunnin workers and residents are exempt from all global law and are bound to the rule of the Daughter of the Sun who has absolute authority over the laws and government of her domain. In practice, the Daughter of the Sun rarely concerns herself with the task of ruling Sunnin Mountain like a city or country. It mostly runs as a large organization since the vast majority of the people who live in the mountain are workers. The task of creating rules and laws to govern the mountain’s workers is delegated to the Board of Trustees and usually enforced by the Sisterhood of Ester. Only in extreme cases is the Daughter of the Sun needed to rule in a case of a violation of those laws. Most commonly, the Daughter of the Sun will step in if one of her people is deemed to have violated a law in another country. Though Sunnin workers are not bound by local law, they are expected to abide by them unless their Sunnin duties are in direct violation of those laws. In these cases, the Daughter of the Sun herself may have to step in to intervene for the worker in question and use her authority to override the local government. If needed, she can also call in the resources of the Fantasmal Government if a nation is in violation the Worldwide Noncombatant Treaty.Mediator and Arbitrator
Outside of her work as the head of Sunnin, the Daughter of the Sun’s most prominent role is that of mediator between warring domains. Unlike the Fantasmal Government, the Daughter of the Sun regularly intercedes in both the internal and external conflicts of a city or nation in order to find a peaceful resolution. She will often rule which side of a conflict is in the right or determine the appropriate amount of shared blame each party has, as well as what reparations or restitution is necessary on either side. The Daughter of the Sun will often be called in to negotiate by one or both sides of a conflict as she is trusted to arbitrate fairly. However, it’s not uncommon for her to intervene on her own volition even if neither side contacts her. In almost all cases both sides abide by her judgement and ruling. This is partially because of the level of trust the people place in her but also because of an ability granted by the Sun Stone. The Daughter of the Sun can use the Sun Stone to see the past in any situation. This means that she can visually display the truth of any event, including who incited a particular incident, what their true motives were, and all of the key events in a conflict. Having a visual record of the unvarnished truth makes it significantly easier for the Daughter of the Sun to have both sides recognize their faults and get them to accept her ruling.Sunnin Law
Though the Daughter of the Sun has no official place in global government, she has the authority to enact her own global policy, commonly referred to as Sunnin Law. These are usually guidelines of how people should treat one another, certain fundamental rights all people should have, or how governments and leaders should govern their people in a fair and humane way. In many cases, Sunnin Law is eventually codified in some form as global law passed by the Fantasmal Government, but this is not always the case, or the established global law might be different or far less stringent. Of course, Sunnin Law is not global law, and there is no means for the Daughter of the Sun to enforce it. Unlike the Fantasma, she has no standing army or other force to back her authority. However, most governments are quick to abide by at least the spirit of Sunnin Law, and even if it is not officially global law, they may add it to their local laws. Again, much of this has to do with the overwhelming influence that the Daughter of the Sun has and how readily leaders want to be seen as aligned with her principles in order to bolster their own popularity among their people. In addition, Sunnin Law is always considered when the Daughter of the Sun makes a ruling in her mediation and arbitration efforts.The People’s Idol
The Daughter of the Sun carries a status similar to a celebrity or idol, only far more extreme; she’s often referred to as “the People’s Idol.” She is beloved and celebrated by all people and is the most accessible of all world leaders. She consistently influences fashion, customs, and trends throughout the world in a far more prevalent way than even the epouranals, since she’s much more visible than most of them. She is often sought out for her opinion on a myriad of topics, even those that fall outside of her role. She has various speaking engagements and public events that give people an opportunity to meet her in person. In addition, most Daughters of the Suns are also naturally exceptional singers so they are often called upon to host concerts throughout the world, which are always put on for free. This often depends on the specific Daughter of the Sun as some lean into that role more than others. The Daughter of the Sun often visits war torn areas. Usually this is to arbitrate peace, but there are times she will visit specifically just to provide aid or give hope to the people caught in the middle of the conflict. Whenever the Daughter of the Sun goes to an area that is actively in conflict, a temporary cease fire is immediately called by both sides as it is considered extremely taboo to fight in an area where the Daughter of the Sun is physically located. It can also be seen as a violation of the Worldwide Noncombatant Treaty. The biggest event surrounding the Daughter of the Sun is the Sunnin Solstice. This is a multiday event that can last from 3 to 7 days each year (depending on the year’s length). It involves various festivals throughout the world, and multiple opportunities for people to see or even meet the Daughter of the Sun. In addition, there is a worldwide ceasefire during the Sunnin Solstice which is enforced by the Fantasmal Government.Page Contents |
Library Info & Links
Creation
Divine Covenant
Form of Address
Her Grace
Source of Authority
Divine Authority (Confirmed by Epouranal Council)
Length of Term
Life
Current Holders
Related Locations
Related Organizations
Government & Politics |
Significant Global Law |
World Leaders (Main Article) |
Terminology |
Spoilers
Articles may contain some spoilers but I try to keep them minimal and not reveal major plot points beyond the first several chapters of the "Quest of the Seal Bearers - Book 1". Use the box below to reveal spoilers from the entire book.View Spoilers from Quest of the Seal Bearers - Book 1
Comments