It had been a long, long journey sailing through the frozen sea of the North, all the way to the port of Cerenis. Niamh had lost track of the days and nights, but could tell they were getting closer to their destination when the freezing cold gave way to a more bearable cool. There were no icecaps where they were going, no seasons of darkness followed by seasons of daylight. Where they were going, she'd been told, day and night both came daily.
Niamh could hardly believe it--but then the daylight hours shortened along their journey until, before long, they shared equal time. It was jarring at first--where were her days of light?--but after a few days, she came to like it. The daytime hours might be shorter, but didn't that also mean this land didn't experience the months of darkness like her home did?
Maybe...maybe she could get used to this.
A number of their people already had.
When they docked at Cerenis, they were welcomed by more of their people, missionaries who had come in the years before. They had even built a small temple there years ago--which they had to rebuild and repair now and again due to vandalism. Not everyone was receptive to their message, it seemed.
That was fine. They were secure in their righteousness. And with time, their numbers would only continue to grow, and their message would continue to spread. If anywhere was a good place to grow roots and spread the word, it was Cerenis. They weren't too out of place among all the other foreign travelers, and people were always coming and going, which meant they could reach more people.
Which was exactly why she was here. To educate. To spread the Living Sun's message.
After a few days of rest, to recover from the long journey (Niamh had quickly discovered that she and ships and long trips did not agree!), it was time to get to work and brave the new wilds of heathen lands. It was...definitely a new experience here. So many strange creatures--so many not even human! Women who bore so much skin. People honoring false gods and showing more interest in material things rather than the gifts all around them, gambling away their money and their souls. It was...startling.
But if she could save at least a few souls, it would be something.
Niamh stepped out of the temple that morning in fresh clothes that didn't smell of fish or salt, white-blond hair gleaming in the dawn. She had ditched her furs in favor of cool robes and sturdy boots; it was nice and cool here, but not cool enough that the furs didn't make her sweat. But even in thinner layers, her palms felt clammy with nerves. She was a stranger in this land, and it was strange to her, but...no, she couldn't hesitate. She had been brought here to do the Living Sun's work--had chosen and fought to come here for this purpose!--and so it was time for her to put her faith in action, and pay for her passage with holy service.
And so, nervous though she was, she walked tall and proud and straight-backed. The Light was with her and she had nothing to be ashamed of, and now was the time to prove herself a true believer, faithful through and through. She found a corner on a street that seemed well-worn and well-traveled, right in front of a shop selling curios (plenty of false, foreign idols, from what she could see of the inside), so it seemed like a good place to start.
Clearing her throat, Niamh began to speak.
"Blessed is the Sun, our guide in the darkness, He who shines Light upon the world. Cast yourselves away from the false gods of this world and bask in His glory, for it is He who makes the lands fertile and rich and heed my warning--He will burn the unbelievers to ash and smoke and abandon them to darkness..."