Sunnin Social System

The Sunnin Social System is a worldwide humanitarian and social services organization founded and run by the Daughter of the Sun. Sunnin is the largest social services organization in the world, and though there are many others, it is the most respected and trusted because it is run by the Daughter of the Sun, the divinely appointed caretaker of the world. Even with no Daughter of the Sun at the helm, Sunnin has, for the most part, maintained its reputation and clout throughout the world.
Sunnin operates completely on donations. They receive donations from the vast majority of independent cities and countries as well as substantial private donations. Notably, Sunnin does not accept donations from the Fantasmal Government to avoid being seen as funded by them. Instead, the Fantasmal Government offers a tax break to domains who directly donate to Sunnin, reducing their tax burden by the exact amount they donate to Sunnin for up to 30% of their yearly taxes due.

Origins

Angela Terrain was the tenth Daughter of the Sun. In 700 TS, she’d only held the position for a few years. Though she’d heard about her legacy from her mother and knew that it was her duty to try and help people as much as she could, she had no idea how to fully take on the mantle of caretaker. Unlike Ester Fantas and her daughter Sarah, who were the wife and daughter of the first Fantasma, Angela had no political power that she could leverage to accomplish anything grand. Instead, she ran an orphanage in the town of Orlock in southeastern Candovia.
One night, however, Angela received a vision from her ancestor, Ester Fantas, who told her that it was time for the Daughter of the Sun to take her rightful position in the world. According to Ester, it was important for her lineage to be disconnected from the Fantasmal Government in order for to be truly impactful. This was because the bureaucracy of government was incompatible with the altruism needed for charity and humanitarian efforts. Only by existing outside of government and law could she truly be effective, and also be seen as the rightful caretaker of the people.
Angela had no idea what she was supposed to do, but Ester said that all she needed to do was to come up with a plan of what she wanted to do to affect positive change in the world, and once she did that, someone would come to help her turn her vision into reality. At first, Angela was conflicted as to what she could possibly do to help the people of the world. Without really meaning to, she found her answer in the orphans she took care of.
A few days later, as Angela pondered what to do, some of the children, recognizing that she looked troubled, asked her what was wrong. Seeing no harm in it, Angela asked the children what they would do to change the world for the better if they could. Immediately the young imaginative minds rattled off a list of things they thought would make life better. Being able to give all orphans a home, stopping wars, giving education and healthcare to everyone, the list went on.
Her eyes now opened to the endless number of plights that plagued mankind, Angela set to work on her list, reaching out to others in her small town, trying to find out what people really needed, and devising solutions that would provide aid, even though she had no money to make them a reality. After a week, she’d come up with a dozen different projects and programs she wanted to enact. It was then that a man came to Orlock looking for her. His name was Lewis Stokenshire.
Of course, Angela was familiar with the Stokenshires as they were quite famous as merchants. Lewis told him an incredible story about an encounter with High Mage Megsworth, the Parmeo Epouranal Mage, and a vision he had from his ancestor. He had come seeking the current Daughter of the Sun because his family was committed to fulfilling the legacy of Terrance Stokenshire by renewing their commitment to serving the Daughter of the Sun.
Angela was stunned, but she also understood that this was the person Ester meant when she said that someone would help her turn her vision into reality. She shared what had been revealed to her by Ester and the draft of her plans to build a multiservice organization that could directly serve the people of Mendala in a way the Fantasmal Government couldn’t. Salov immediately pledged that he and his cousins would devote the financial resources necessary to make her organization a reality, one that would be known as the Sunnin Social System.
The combined wealth of the Stokenshire family exceeded that of a small country, and their connections and resources were vast, even within the Fantasmal Government. They immediately set to work to bring together the manpower and expertise needed to create Sunnin. Angela had some experience from working at and running various social service organizations so she was able to provide a framework while others were brought in to run the various programs that would be a part of Sunnin.
The initial programs included housing and finding permanent families for orphans; creating a standard education curriculum and providing primary and standard mentus education for free;; and providing food, shelter, and other basic needs for the poor and destitute, especially those displaced by war.
Because of the Stokenshire’s wealth and influence, the Sunnin Social System was able to start running these programs at multiple locations around the world within a few months of its inception. In addition, Lewis and his family obfuscated their involvement in Sunnin’s founding and instead spread the word about the return of the Daughter of the Sun, a position that had not been heard of since the first Fantasma. No one knew what to make of these claims or the rapid growth of Sunnin, including the Fantasma. In less than a year, the Daughter of the Sun was well known throughout the world.
It was not until the twelve epouranals came together at Fantasmal Mountain that the truth behind Angela’s legacy was revealed. They informed the Fantasma that the Daughter of the Sun, like them, sat outside the confines of world government and should be treated as such. They also took the Sun Stone, which had been kept in a vault in Fantasmal Mountain, and returned it to Angela Terrain, its rightful owner. After that, the epouranals went around the world declaring that the Daughter of the Sun had finally stepped into her role as chief caretaker of the world, codifying her position in World Leadership as well as her divine appointment.
At the same time, the Fantasmal Government certified that the Daughter of the Sun and by extension the Sunnin Social System, was outside of their jurisdiction just as the epouranals were. This meant that she could not be held accountable to global law, and specifically was not bound by the core tenants of the Fantasmal Government. Specifically, Sunnin could enact its own global policies and intervene with warring nations in whatever way they saw fit. However, it also meant that Sunnin did not have the might of the Fantasma, guardians, or Fantasmal Forces to protect them or enforce any policies they created that were not codified by the Fantasmal Government.
A year after Sunnin’s inception, the Stokenshires found a suitable mountain in the Gibano Mountains to house the central base for the organization. The mountain, dubbed Sunnin Mountain, was renovated for use through a massive effort that included mentant engineers from around the world and even help from the Fantasmal Government. Like Fantasmal Mountain, Sunnin Mountain was given many protections to provide security for the residents and program participants.
Over the years, Sunnin continued to grow and became a fixture in Mendalian society. It started receiving donations from domains around the world who were grateful to them, however domains were not required to donate in order to receive services from Sunnin, and the Stokenshires continued to be their largest backers. Sunnin was later granted protections under the Worldwide Noncombatant Treaty which prohibited acts of aggression against certain organizations and domains.
With each successive Daughter of the Sun, Sunnin has grown and changed. Its services adapted over time as needs shift. It was also designed to function even when no Daughter of the Sun is at the helm, which happens occasionally when the previous Daughter of the Sun dies, and in a more extreme case, when the Daughter of the Sun disappeared for over a thousand years after the Great War. Because of this, it is always seen as the most reliable and trusted social services organization in the world.

Leadership

The Sunnin Social System is a massive worldwide organization and as such has multiple levels of leadership to oversee operations and the thousands of staff members that run its programs.

The Daughter of the Sun

Main Article: Daughter of the Sun
The Daughter of the Sun is the divinely appointed caretaker of the world and the highest authority of the Sunnin Social System as well as the ruler of Sunnin Mountain. Her Divine Authority gives Sunnin the ability to operate outside of all governments and global law. The Daughter of the Sun is ultimately responsible for the vision and general direction of Sunnin, and she creates and dissolves programs as needed. She answers to no one within the organization and can act unilaterally without need for consensus from anyone else.
In theory, the Daughter of the Sun only guides Sunnin at its highest level, shifting the direction of the organization as the needs of the various peoples of the world change. However, in practice, she often participates at the operational levels of the agency, interacting with the people that they serve. The Daughter of the Sun is not an untouchable figurehead, but very much a populous leader. She is far more accessible and visible than any other world leader. It’s not uncommon to see her teaching a class in one of the Sunnin schools, helping out at an orphanage, or working in any of the myriad of programs that the organization runs. This not only keeps her relatable and approachable, but also helps her see where the real needs are.
Because the Daughter of the Sun can immediately act when she sees a problem, she has the ability to quickly help in ways that no one else can. She can deploy the resources of Sunnin to meet any need, and in addition, she has abilities and gifts granted to her through the Sun Stone, giving her supernal powers that no one else has, including divine healing, unlimited teleportation, and the power of restoration, which can restore anything to its previous state.
The position of Daughter of the Sun, like an epouranal, is only passed on at the death of the previous one. Unlike epouranals, the Daughter of the Sun legacy is passed down through a bloodline, specifically the legacy of Ester. This means the next Daughter of the Sun is always the closest female descendant of the previous one. This is usually the eldest daughter, though sometimes it can be a granddaughter, niece, younger sister, or in rare cases a distant relative. The position and power of the Daughter of the Sun is passed on automatically and is validated by testing to see if she can activate the Sun Stone. Once the Daughter of the Sun is affirmed by this test, she immediately assumes her role as head of the Sunnin Social System regardless of age or experience.

The Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is the governing body of Sunnin. They are primarily responsible for taking the vision of the Daughter of the Sun and turning it into reality by designing programs and projects that the organization will run. The board also manages the finances of Sunnin as well as its assets and human resources.
There are always twelve board members, and they are either appointed by the Daughter of the Sun or voted on by the current board members in her absence. Board member appointment is lifetime unless they are removed by the Daughter of the Sun or voted off by a majority of the board in her absence.
Sunnin’s charter and founding documents require that at least one member of the Stokenshire family must always be on the board. It further specifies that Fantasma, guardians, and epouranals are not qualified to be board members unless an exception is made by the Daughter of the Sun.
The Board has the power to hire and fire all members of the organization as well as appoint a provisional or acting head of Sunnin in the absence of the Daughter of the Sun. That acting head acts with all the authority of the Daughter of the Sun but ultimately answers to the board, unlike the Daughter of the Sun, who does not.

The Sisterhood of Ester

The Sisterhood of Ester is a group of women who are all from the bloodline of Ester, explicitly those who bear the mark of Ester on their body. They run the day-to-day operations of Sunnin and are considered “Daughter of the Suns in training” since all of them have the potential to carry the legacy. In practice, it’s almost always clear who the next Daughter of the Sun will be, since it is always the closest female relative to the current Daughter of the Sun, however, the Sisterhood prides themselves on being part of Ester’s lineage.
Any woman who bears the mark of Ester may apply to be part of the Sisterhood, but they must prove themselves to embody the qualities of the Daughter of the Sun as well as their loyalty to her before they can be inducted. Only the Daughter of the Sun can induct a new member and they are usually vetted and recommended by the head sister of the sisterhood. Members of the sisterhood carry a lot of authority and prestige both in and out of Sunnin. In a way, they are analogous to guardians within the Fantasmal Government.
Sisterhood members must follow a strict code of honor, humility, and compassion, as they are seen as representatives of the Daughter of the Sun.

Origins

The Sisterhood was founded in 727 TS by Angela Terrain. After years of serving in the role of the Daughter of the Sun and building up the Sunnin Social System, Angela realized that it was unlikely that she would marry and have a child. Her work was her passion, and she had no desire to wed. However, this meant that the next Daughter of the Sun would not be her direct descendant. She had no sisters and no insight into her extended family.
When she took this concern to Lewis and the other Stokenshire cousins, they suggested that they find and pull in all of the descendants of Ester they could find and offer them a place in Sunnin. They would have free room and board in Sunnin Mountain and be able to do fulfilling work. By this time, the Daughter of the Sun was so popular among the people of the world, that it was highly likely that anyone being told they could work closely with her and even possibly be the next in line was very appealing. It was easy to determine who was in the legacy of Ester because they each had a distinct birthmark of a sun on the back of their necks.
The Stokenshires used their resources to seek out descendants of Ester, and as expected, all of them were excited to join Sunnin. Angela decided to take these women and turn them into a special group called the Sisterhood of Ester. They would function somewhat as disciples of the Daughter of the Sun, learning her ways, and the importance of the work being done in Sunnin. This would allow them all to be prepared to takeover when the time came.
There were fifteen women in the beginning, and as word spread, more women came to the mountain to join the sisterhood. Though not a requirement, a vast majority of the sisterhood remain single their entire lives, further adding to the mystique of being pure hearted maidens who serve the Daughter of the Sun. As time went on, the Sisterhood became less about having a pool of candidates for the Daughter of the Sun and more of a trusted group of high ranked workers within Sunnin. In most cases, it was always well known who was next in line to be the Daughter of the Sun, and that person almost always served in Sunnin as a way to prepare her, eventually becoming the head sister until it was her time to be appointed.

The Stokenshires

Main Article: The Stokenshires
The Stokenshires are known to be the Daughter of the Sun’s closest, most loyal, and most devoted allies. They maintain a status of trust even higher than even the Sisterhood of Ester. Because of this, Stokenshires have a few privileges within the Sunnin Social System that are codified within its charter. These privileges can only be revoked by the Daughter of the Sun herself as not even a provisional head has authority to revoke aspects of the charter or founding documents.
At least one Stokenshire must always serve on the Board of Trustees Stokenshires have access to Sunnin Mountain and the entire Sunnin Libraries Stokenshires always have direct access to the Daughter of the Sun (or provisional head) whenever it is needed.
In addition to what is codified in the charter, the Stokenshires are usually afforded other privileges by virtue of their trusted position; however, these morph and change over time depending on the specific Daughter of the Sun in power. In general, one or two Stokenshires serve as direct advisors to the Daughter of the Sun, especially when she is new to her role. Stokenshires also typically help train and mentor members of the Sisterhood of Ester and work on large projects with them. This assures that the next Daughter of the Sun will develop a bond with the merchant family and understand why they are trusted.

Services and Programs

The Sunnin Social System is an ever evolving and morphing organization. It changes its offerings depending on the needs of the time and is quick to add or remove programs as situations change. However, programs and projects are generally divided into three major branches: Family Services, Education Services, and Relief Services. Some programs are run within Sunnin Mountain itself, but in most cases, Sunnin rents, leases, or outright purchases buildings in various countries and independent cities to run their programs close to the people they are serving.
All Sunnin services are funded by donated money. Approximately 70% of the world’s currently recognized domains donate annually to Sunnin. In addition, they receive money from a myriad of private doners, most notably the Stokenshires, who continue to be the largest private donors for the organization, even beating out the vast majority of domains as well. Because Sunnin is exempt from all laws, they do not pay taxes in any of the domains they operate in. In almost all cases, this is not a point of contention because Sunnin offers its services for free to the public, so governments see their lack of tax payment as a wash. In addition, because it is against global law to attack a Sunnin facility or worker under the Worldwide Noncombatant Treaty, local governments have very little recourse to try and force Sunnin to do anything.

Family Services

Due to the ubiquity of war on Mendala, it is common for children to become orphans or otherwise lose contact with their family. Sunnin runs its own orphanages but also works to reunite children with their immediate or extended family or find adoptive homes for them. They also provide resources to families who adopt children or find themselves taking care of extended families.
Sunnin also accredits private orphanages giving their seal of approval to ones that are run according to their high standards. Because Sunnin accreditation is seen as highly credible, unaccredited orphanages often lose funding or are shut down.
Other family services include things like family counseling and therapy, support for children of divorced parents, widow support, and many other miscellaneous programs.

Education Services

Sunnin provides free primary school education (Ages 5-12) at their facilities located around the world. Sunnin schools are so ubiquitous that the vast majority of domains do not even have their own primary school system, and those that do almost always follow the Sunnin School curriculum.
Less ubiquitous but still prominent, Sunnin provides mentus school education (Age 12-15) to the vast majority of domains. Typically, coverage is around 80% of the eligible population. Though it is offered for free, there are still inherent costs to mentus school education that parents may not be able to afford, and Sunnin does try to cover these when possible. In addition, since twelve is the age of spiritual maturity for Mendalians, children can elect as to whether or not to go to mentus school or pursue another path such as training in the Warrior Guild or starting an apprenticeship.
Sunnin also provides some adult education and job location services for those who are unemployed and even help with temporary housing for those trying to get back on their feet.

Relief Services

Sunnin provides food, clothing, medical services, and housing for the impoverished and displaced, specifically those displaced by war or the dissolution of a domain.
Sunnin will often provide these services even during an active war, depending on the situation. Since it is considered a war crime as well as a violation of the Worldwide Noncombatant Treaty to attack or harm a Sunnin worker, they are typically safe even in live battle situations, but they still take precautions and often wait until a battle, or an entire war is over before going in to offer relief.
Sunnin helps those in poverty find jobs, relocate away from war torn areas, and offer support for people who have to start over from scratch.

Page Contents

Organization Profile

Org Type	Social Services
Founded	700 TS
Founder	Angela Terrain
Headquarters	Sunnin Mountain

Library Info & Links

Alternative Names

Sunnin

Leader Title

Daughter of the Sun

Location

Sunnin Mountain

Related Ranks & Titles

• Daughter of the Sun

Controlled Territories

• Sunnin Mountain

Related Historical Events

• 4740
  Sunnin Social System Established

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Epouranal Mages | Epouranal Council Fantasma | Fantasmal Government Daughter of the Sun |Sunnin Social System Terminology