Character Interview: Munayair

Updated: Jan 23, 2021

Today's blog post is an interview with the protagonist of Ink Adept. As blogger, I'll be playing the role of interviewer, and Munayair will be answering the questions as honestly as she can. If you want to learn more about her, her friends and enemies, and the world she inhabits, Ink Adept is available to buy on Amazon.com!

Munayair

What is your full name?

Sarem-Oryn Munayair.

Do you have any nicknames? Who gave them to you?

Sometimes I am called Naya, mostly by my friends and teachers in the Marble Hall. When I was small, I also had a nickname from my family, but nobody has called me that in a long time.

Where were you born?

In the high grasslands of Sayakhun, a country large in land but small in people. The soil is poor and my people are tied to their flocks, following them to the mountains in summer and back to the steppes in winter. My people are proud of their independence and their history, and want as little to do with the lowlanders as possible.

The steppes and mountains of Sayakhun

Who are your parents?

My mother, Unsalkhiin Tsolmon, has been dead for close to ten years now. But my father, Sarem-Oryn Dagun, is still alive and living in Sayakhun with the rest of my clan.

Where do you live now? What is your occupation?

For eight years I have lived in the Marble Hall among children of the Southern nations, studying magic and other useful skills to become an Adept of the Word. As the only Sayakhunii in the Hall, there are a lot of eyes watching me - some curious, others hostile.

The fabled white walls of the Marble Hall

What is your favorite thing about yourself? Your least favorite thing?

I think my favorite thing about myself is my skill with glyphs, especially chelka magic. Glyphs are ancient symbols used by ink adepts to perform magic. When drawn upon the face and limbs of a chelka, the construct wakes into a facsimile of life. Giving life to a creature made from sticks or stones is the greatest satisfaction in life, I find.

Munayair's chelka, Tel, is made from wood

As for what I dislike about myself, I wish I could change my eyes from their strange blue-green color into a more sensible shade of hazel or brown. While some admirers compare them to the sky or clear water, I hate standing out from my family and friends. In my clan, blue eyes are a bad sign.

Who is your role model?

Since I arrived in the Marble Hall, I have admired the leader of the adepts. Her name is Ajhai Jiguur, and her title is high adept. She impressed me when I was a new arrival with her vigorous pursuit of lofty goals, high morals, and kindly nature. Sadly, a terrible sickness struck her soon after my arrival and her mind was all but lost.

The high adept, Ajhai Jiguur

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

As a child, I wanted nothing more than to live the wandering life of a nomad with my family. It is a hard life, filled with uncertainty and danger, but it is also a life of wonder and joy. When I was young, however, the northern nation of Bui-tara began sending raiding parties across the River Uttseema into Sayakhun, bringing with them much death and suffering. This, among other reasons, is the reason for my change in profession.

What are your religious views?

As a born Sayakhun, I was taught that spirits live all around us in every stone, leaf, and breeze. But such beliefs are heresy among the new inhabitants of our lands, and since coming to the Marble Hall I have had to hide my religion and profess to worship the Five Gods. While sometimes I miss the gentler world of Sayakhun, I owe so much to the adepts that I do not consider this too steep a price to pay.

Elemental spirits are believed to live in all things, including thunderstorms

What is the most important thing that has happened to you so far?

Eight years ago, I was discovered by a journeyer adept and taken to live at the Marble Hall. Journeyers are recent graduates who travel the world until they find a suitable girl to bring back to the Marble Hall as their replacement. In this way, the Marble Hall never lacks for magically-talented girls to train, and the journeyers gain experience from being out in the world. Among the younger girls it is rumored that spirits tell the journeyers where to go to find their prentice, but this is surely hearsay.

When are you the happiest?

Since leaving my family, my happiest times are when I was with my best friend, Anjita Mahil. She always knows how to make me smile and laugh even when I feel sad or solemn. Without her, leaving my family and country behind to come to the Marble Hall would have been even harder than it was. Also the antics of my chelka construct, Tel. He is a very simple, innocent creature with little knowledge of the world, and he often says and does things that make me laugh.

Prentice Adept Anjita Mahil

What is your biggest regret?

My father and I did not part on the best of terms. Although he understood the necessity for magical training, he could not reconcile with my decision to leave Sayakhun and study magic among the adepts. I regret that he did not watch me go, nor has he visited even once during my eight years of training.

Have you ever been in love?

As a child I was promised to the son of a close friend, but I haven't seen or heard from him in many years. Most likely he was married long ago to another clan's daughter, and has forgotten all about me.

Do you like to argue, or do you prefer to avoid conflict?

Usually I prefer not to argue, and would rather avoid conflict. I strive to remain calm and collected even in times of stress. However, if I see injustice or if someone threatens harm to my loved ones, I have been known to act on their behalf without my usual composure. For this reason I have come to appreciate my training in the Marble Hall, where control of oneself is taught alongside other skills. Life is peaceful within the walls, for the most part, and the desert outside is quiet and still.

The deserts around the Marble Hall are quiet, perfect for cultivating inner peace

Is lying ever justified?

Certainly, to protect those you love from being hurt or disillusioned.

Do you think people are capable of change?

My father always said they are, but I haven't seen any evidence to support this in my own life. From what I've seen, people tend to continue in the path they chose whether that's the best course or not. Preferences, mistakes, and habits are all worn into a person like wagon ruts in a road.

Is anything weighing on your mind right now?

Tomorrow is the summer solstice, a sacred day for the adepts. I must pass initiation to become a journeyer and leave the Marble Hall. I feel so safe here and the thought of leaving is daunting. I have already spoken to some of the teachers, but they say staying after initiation is impossible. I am worried. The Cold Lands are vast and not everyone is friendly, especially to adepts and even more especially to a Sayakhun. What if I can no longer control myself once I enter the outside world?