[Milly]

An Interview With an Heir
Meranthe’s Most Notable Exorcist, and Their Top Doubter

by Nicolas Kess in 2203AC

Their full, real name is Sunsets over Moonlight. It’s not a nickname, but they’ve been given plenty of those. However they prefer to be addressed correctly and in full, in case anyone is ever confused let the record stand clear in perpetuity. But they’ve been called Sunsets, Sunlight, Moonlight, Sun, Sunny, many things - but they are, and will always be known as Sunsets over Moonlight.

They leave pieces of themselves within their writing and in their books, finding themselves able to be their most honest in moments of quiet writing. This is an interview with the Lumin King’s own heir, Sunsets over Moonlight.

They’re a writer. It’s their first love, and may this author add, perhaps their main love. Most know them as a prominent exorcist hailing from Dal’thala, Delphina’s capital, and the Lumin King’s heir should anything ever happen to him. She’s a dedicated luminary of Nemea, and for those who aren’t aware it signifies a heightened spiritual connection with Nemea. They say it’s deeply personal, and they prefer keeping it that way. So don’t try asking them for any tips or tricks.

They do not prefer sermons or lessons like many who worship Primordials from the Pantheons, instead offering quiet tokens of appreciation and affection to their chosen Goddess. What many may not know about Sunsets over Moonlight is their ability to exorcise the occult completely from a person’s body without harming them - as long as they don’t resist, of course. Of course. But this power also extends to Cambions, and even demons.

With Demons, Sunsets over Moonlight is capable of rendering them completely harmless, comparatively to how they had been prior. When I interviewed them they were one hundred and thirty-five years old. This article has taken an extra ten years to write and publish, and surely the interview subject will understand amongst everyone else why writing can take so long.

The realm of Delphina has held an anti-occult approach to those who cross its borders. According to Sunsets over Moonlight, it’s a destructive manipulation of natural feelings, that can spin itself into madness or violence. Gloomlight Grove as an example pride itself on balancing both exorcism and occultism.

According to Sunsets over Moonlight, it’s a painless process. However as someone who came into adulthood around many occultists, I understand that to them it’s their very being. So this author must wonder: is it only physically painless, or mentally as well? Yet according to the Heir Luminary, they weave veils to protect precious information such as memory, as that is still a part of them. They help lift the burden from their shoulders, if they’re open enough to it. Most of their subjects have come to them voluntarily.

For those who have not, the reactions have varied. How do you deal with the violence you’ve done, or has been done against you, in these moments of madness? Some have resorted to execution - though this author finds it difficult to believe anyone would walk willingly to their death. Sunsets over Moonlight, however, believes it’s both a blessing and a punishment. An occultist who commits a crime against the realm of Delphina as an example, one heinous enough to veer such a verdict in the removal of the occultism, it’s worse than dying to some people but they live still. Yet do they truly live, with a piece of themselves missing?

According to the Heir Luminary, how they render Demons harmless it’s much akin to how summer transitions into autumn. Harmless. Welcomed properly within Nemea’s woods where they would cause no further havoc.

As for how they became so faithful to Nemea, they had gravitated to the Lumin King in their youth, as he was older and wiser and they admitted they knew next to nothing. They were lost, due to their lack of memory as well as their lack of wings as a Faeborne. They found Nemea’s blessings cut off entirely from them, and they felt as if Nemea may have hated them altogether for their amnesia. They feel doubtful of the power of their voice in regards to the worship of Nemea, potentially as if they’re unworthy of it entirely. They do not doubt their love of Nemea, no, but they do doubt if the Goddess herself hears them.

Yet in their deepest hearts, Sunsets over Moonlight knows that when no one is there for them, Nemea is.

Camino de Caewynn, the Lumin King, explained to the young Sunsets over Moonlight how they and the land are ever connected and that feelings are quite tangible, felt, and shared. It’s no burden to carry alone. Yet at the time, they didn’t feel as if they were worthy. In the end, the main doubter of Sunsets over Moonlight’s own abilities and faith… Is themselves. They feel unworthy at times, they doubt themselves all the time which is why they lead such a secretive and isolated life. But they have faith in Nemea even when they hold none in themselves.

As for their opinions and motives against Occultists? Accordingly the Heir Luminary paints a picture as it’s the way of nature under Nemea’s embrace. Occultism is outlawed within Dal’thala, as per Nemea’s ways, but they insisted Dal’thala does not go out of their way to kidnap occultists in the wilds either. It’s part of their culture, and questioning it as akin to asking how the Faeborne know Nemea is of the seasons themselves, or how Gala is of the Night.

They’ve spent a great portion of their life mastering their skill to ensure it’s as harmless as possible - as long as the person is willing - and of course, Sunsets over Moonlight strives to take note there are many other places an occultist could reside within Meranthe, given it’s vast territory.

In addition, they seem very keen on the idea that absolutely nothing would ever fall upon the Lumin King, such as death. They go on to explain that worship of Nemea is decentralized, and how they are not a teacher, and they dislike the notion of teaching. It makes them uncomfortable.

Many would point to Gloomlight’s boasting of housing Occultists, and question whether or not Nemea considers Gloomlight unnatural of course, but the Heir Luminary states that they do not care what anyone thinks of Gloomlight, given the ban issued upon them from the Republic’s city states - a Republic that is now, a decade later, defunct by the way.

The interview turned to the recent wars of Aetius pressing against Martyr’s Vigil, and destroying it, on whether or not the Heir Luminary approved of such a move given their ban. They stated they do not approve of any place being destroyed, nor have they ever advocated for lost lives. They cite that it’s horrible. A befitting take from any exorcist, of course – yet in the same breath, when questioned on whether or not they disliked the Elzaran Commander, Yesyra Florain’s orders to commit ethnic cleansing upon the mountain against Enos, they claimed what they liked and disliked did not matter.

Thus, in this interview did the author find issues. Glaring issues when pressed further, and glaring issues that may be overlooked by the common people who may not know them deeper than their titles as Heir Luminary and populous writer within Dal’thala. I questioned them further, pressed them further. They’re in a position of power, how the people would listen to them, and they retorted that was the point.

They do not approve of any place being destroyed, but the Elzara, during this interview, had just recently marched upon the mountain and committed - according to Commander Yesyra herself – ethnic cleansing. Genocide. I questioned Sunsets over Moonlight whether or not they intended on speaking up on this or offering aid. They stated they had no comments at this time at what transpired.

A tacit approval of the genocide committed against Enos, or silent disapproval?

Sunsets over Moonlight cites for a century every word or lack thereof they have had has carried an impossibly heavy weight. Yet their position does not mean they are skilled nor geared towards politics. If it were up to them - in their own words - they would close off the Realm of Delphina from the world entirely. In other words, the Heir Luminary supports an isolation policy for Delphina. According to them, it would mean their family and their home would be safe. They referenced the attack upon Neireides, led by the actions of Gwenevere Folhammar, a descendent of Jokul, the former Emperor of Meranthe who had oppressed the people in his maddened delusion to rule the world.

In Sunsets over Moonlight’s mind, they are a walking liability. They’ve held fear their entire life from those outside of Dal’thala looking to harm them. Despite their strength as one of the strongest exorcists in Meranthe in recent memory, they cite the areas where they had failed to save their husband one time. How it carves a path through their stomach, and it’s a painful wound that refuses to fade. They cite how they cannot be there in such a way for the people they care about the most in their life. How they hold certain skills as a magi, but they are weak upon the field of battle.

In short, they focus on supporting those around them. When they get scared, they ground themselves.

Perhaps in this intertwining years between this interview and this published article, they have figured out where they stand upon the claims of Genocide and starvation of those within Enos… Or perhaps they haven’t, choosing instead to close their eyes to the outside world much as they wish for Delphina.

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