#medea brahim

You know, I almost said I was done with STS responses for now...but I have to answer this! What a phenomenal question. Thank you so much for sending this in!

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This is the first incarnation with Briggid, so I’ve decided to instead show her all the drafts where I decided she didn’t need to exist. She wasn’t amused.

Eleazar is disgusted by the fact that I have now given him what used to be his father’s name. But at least he’s a lot more likable and has a personality distinguished from the other protagonists! I’ve given him much more snark and attitude, and shifted his position to something his current iteration would vastly prefer.

Poor Solomon would just be so confused. He would wonder why I could not settle on a race or an age for him. I don’t think he’d even recognize his older counterparts! Heck, this now-military commander was once a pacifist. But at least he was always respectable.

Here’s the thing with Royan: he didn’t start off having any powers whatsoever, and you didn’t have much of a reason to root for him. You’d think he’d be grateful for that, but no - he doesn’t want powers, unlike literally everybody else. So I clearly cannot please him. But at least I gave him a more suitable hair color and also made him lovable instead of moderately tolerable.

Oeden would be surprised how little his past incarnations have changed in terms of personality and occupation, but how vastly they have changed in literally everything else. He went from white to mixed, from brunette to redhead to auburn-haired, from having eighteen hundred plotlines to a controllable amount. He’d probably thank me, because this poor boy had waaaaay too much going on for a while there.

Medea would be SO mad at me. This girl has had so little change from her original incarnation because I knew exactly what I wanted to do with her from the beginning. But her OG self had two powers - Life and Death - whereas she only has death now. Her current self would kill to have both! But that’s why I took it from her. OP, please nerf.

Farukh’s actually stayed pretty consistent, too. The only thing that’s changed ten thousand times over is who his lover actually ends up being. This man has slept with half of Al-Hasan at this point. I think it would be one of the few things to unnerve him, sadden him even, to realize all the people who could have loved him if things had gone differently.

Kasumi might disown me as an author because I somehow made her family issues even worse than in the older drafts. I didn’t know that was possible, but I did. She did keep her butterfly motif, though! And she’s gotten more powers than just “good at spying”, so that’s a plus.

Happy STS to you, too! This is such a fun question, especially for a gaming nerd like me. I admit to having envisioned a video game of my novel once or twice...or a thousand times over.

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Royan von Godewine’s means of escape would be to defend until he has an opportunity to flee. Royan is not a man of murder. He has seen enough death and wants to cause no more. Thus, he would rather knock out his enemies or rush through them than run them through with a blade. He wields a sword and shield, but more for defense than for destruction.

Oeden’s means of escape would be to debilitate the enemy. While his stepfather - Knight-Commander Elyk - has trained him in basic combat, it’s not where he excels. But he knows how to read people, and how to counter them. Oeden prefers polearms, like spears or quarterstaves - especially so he doesn’t accidentally touch his opponents and spawn an unwanted prophecy.

Medea Brahim escapes by pushing through the enemy line. If she can’t coerce them to join her side (not by flattery, but by seeing how inevitable their defeat is), then she will carve a path herself. While Medea wields a golden gauntlet on arm she can use to slash at her enemies, she vastly prefers utilizing the Seal of Death on her opposite hand. One touch from that will drain the life force from her enemies.

Farukh (Slave #400K)’s means of escape? Beating each of them to a pulp. You can’t expect to challenge this man and have him walk away from a fight! That’s not how he rolls. He might not kill everyone on sight - unless they’re part of the corrupted master caste - but he’ll teach them a lesson. Farukh wields a scimitar and a whip: weapons used by formers Convictors who were forced to punish their fellow slaves.

Carmila Ramos’ means of escape is bribery. Carmila has no weapon, no special powers. If she cannot hide between a hired hand or escape upon the open seas, she will sweet talk and sell her way out of there.

That is a VERY good question, my friend! Allow me to shed some light on the subject for you...

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Short answer: there is no known way in recorded history for a human to become a deity, be they good or evil or otherwise. People have been known to form contracts and covenants with spirits in exchange for power, and people have even mated with spirits to make the half-blooded Nephilim, but none could be classified as a deity on the level of the Sealed God. Could that possibility surface, given time? Sure, but it’s not what Medea means here.

Medea is speaking semi-metaphorically. When you boil it down, what makes a god? In its most basic definition, you could say that a god is “a being of immense power who garners the worship of a group of people”. Now, I would personally add much more to the definition than that, but it works in this world’s context. Medea believes that someone needs two things to become a god: a group of worshippers and the power to provide them with.

Medea’s got both areas basically covered. As she is the sole living human in Edenfell with dominion over Death, her abilities are nigh unbeatable. She is no master of them, but her power inspires fear and awe amongst the people in equal measure regardless of her inadequate control. Plus, as a princess, she is worshipped by her people. And if that wasn’t enough, the royalty of Al-Hasan decreed that there would be no supernatural gods, but that all the masters (read: “noblemen”) of their country would be deemed gods instead. So both in power and popularity, Medea is already her own god - and one her nation readily worships.

Medea’s desire, therefore, is twofold: to convince the rest of the world that their god is unworthy of their praise, and that she is worthy of their praise. In doing so, their worship would empower her (intangibly - she does not gain more magical ability or something akin to it by doing so, but few could deny the power of loyal subjects, political influence, an army of zealots, and their monetary offerings).

Ayyy a fellow Nephilim fan! I always am eager to see how people incorporate that portion of lore/history into their work. And you’ve got an entire project about it - that’s even better!

Shoot, her family sounds like they’re a pretty big deal! I’m not certain how many Nephilim there would be in that area within your world, but I can’t imagine training all of them would be an easy feat. I’m interested to know now: how does she fight? If she takes pride in her skills, I wanna know what those skills are! And gurl, I feel that habit. Sarcasm is welcomed in this house.

Aight, time for a fact of my own! I’ll go with something for Medea Brahim, one of the central protagonists of my project, Kingdom Come. You would be hard-pressed to discover something that Medea isn’t passionate about, but her opinion on marriage might be the most controversial. You see, Medea embodies everything about her kingdom, Al-Hasan, except in regards to matrimony. Al-Hasan is a primarily polygamous kingdom, and has been for ages. Even its ruler has unrestricted access to the royal harem, despite designating a single woman as his wife and fellow ruler. Polygamy is not just tolerated, it’s celebrated! It has social value to it. Taking a spouse means providing for them, meaning that marrying one of a higher class than you can keep you safe, fed, and sheltered for life - even if you never love them. Oftentimes, in a kingdom with an inescapable caste system, it is the only means to survival.

But for Medea, this issue is not political, it’s personal. Her mother, Zahira, served as the wife of a royal and Medea’s father, Simdan. But when the worship of Zahira’s god was outlawed throughout the kingdom, the former Sovereign attempted to have Zahira executed when she refused to reject her religion. Simdan intervened in the only way he knew how - keeping her alive, but only as a slave in his harem. A harem whose girls had gone entirely untouched by Simdan…except for one. One who he happened to love, potentially even more than he loved Zahira. One who might be in line to become the next Sovereigness. Medea has watched what this two-sided love affair has done to her once close-knit family. She cannot help but denounce this polygamous system in the hopes of sparing others from her pain. But her citizens view this as her weakness, the naivety of a romantic little girl seeping through otherwise impenetrable strength. For all her pride, Medea cannot help but falter here.

“Kingdom Come” Character Moodboard: The Seven Protagonists

A peasant pretending at nobility. A goddess dispensing salvation. A slave shattering his own chains. A shadow hiding behind her mask. A soldier wielding a shepherd’s staff. A priest praying against imprisonment. A refugee finding faith in a sinful savior. A beggar pleading the world to repent - before it’s too late.

May their kingdom come, their will be done, on earth: their heaven made hell

Read more about Kingdom Come here!

Simdan: “No one has ever loved me half as much as Father. No, not always the way he should. The man could scarcely recognize love if it bit him in the rear. That said, he has always attempted to show his affection, even if incorrectly. Most do not see the softness of my father, but I notice it all the time. The little gestures bring me the greatest joy: fresh flowers at my bedside, deference to me in the throne room, a word of affirmation in front of his soldiers, his slaves, his gods. May it be known that Father never knew how to love his wife, but his daughter always knew he loved them both.”

Zahira: “I do not begrudge mother her miseries. Life has not spared her from its sufferings. She has only responded in kind to what the world has dealt to her. Her and her family, or at least, what remains of it. People claim my stubbornness comes from Father, but I know better. Mother has never surrendered, not once, to the evils of Al-Hasan. Nor will she ever...or so I believe. If Mother has taught me anything, it is to never let what belongs to you be taken without a fight - even if you must battle gods themselves to get it.”

Aminah: “...next question.”

Humayra: “Ugh. The old hag has lived half as long as the Sealed God Himself. Honestly, I cannot fathom how those creaky bones still function. I can hear them halfway down the hall. Clearly, you can perceive the depths of my love for my father’s advisor. She has too deep a hold on him - and half the kingdom with him. It worries me. Father always did have a weakness for women, even in their old age. Unlike most men, it had nothing to do with what lay between their legs. I would watch out for Humayra - the Goddess of Red Threads holds her puppet strings taut. Best not be strangled by them.”

Izrail: “I trust Izrail only a fraction less than Humayra. Father need choose better servants, lest we lose our kingdom from coup or mutiny. That said, I could never call him indecent. I have never seen a husband love his wife half as much as Izrail. If only my father could learn a lesson from his general. Still, I have seen the unease in his step, the hindrance in his sword. He does not trust my judgment. Or perhaps he does not trust me. Whatever the case, I refuse to surrender to the shaken spirit of a soldier. He will bow, one way or another.”

Farukh: “Really now, why even ask? This peasant cannot possibly hope to overthrow Al-Hasan. Has he no sense? Throw your tantrum all you like, child. The world will not bend to kiss your boo-boo. Expect salt when you ask for salvation. I’ll be sure to give you both.”

Esmaire: “Esmaire remains one of the few gods I can actually stomach. Trust? No. I’m no fool. Esmaire cares more about the coin in her pocket than the purity of her reputation. Still, she treats her slaves with respect - a quality almost unfounded in Al-Hasan. Perhaps a generous payment from the right person could coax her to integrity’s side. Or at least to the rightful Shepherd’s.”

Jerial: “I must admit: someone more beautiful than I exists in Al-Hasan. I always knew one would best me, but I never expected it to be a boy. Were he interested, I would have made him my husband in an instant. Wouldn’t that be rich - the Shepherd and her whore? I suppose daughters do follow their father’s example. Regardless of my rejected proposal, Jerial holds a special place in my heart. I have seen how those so-called gods treat him, mock him, molest him. A tyrant could excuse abuse, but a goddess? Oh no. I will protect Jerial, and all like him, from the false hope of failed gods, mortal or otherwise.”

Royan: “The world wants me to believe that this boy could challenge my claim. True, I have not yet met this Prince of Wolves. But let me remind you of this: wolves need packs to kill, but a lion needs no help hunting. When you wonder which Shepherd should, remember who holds Dominion and who can’t wield their sword without falling on it.”

Right!? I wasn’t certain I would be able to for a hot minute there 😂 but we made it! WE WON! Happy to see you celebrating too - I’ll shoot you an ask as soon as I’m done with this!

I’m not certain whether you meant “which OC of yours has grown the most in the last year in-universe” or “which OC of yours has grown the most in 2019″, so imma do both!

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For in-universe year? That has to be Medea Brahim, without a shadow of a doubt. Most of the other characters have considerably regressed within the past in-universe year: Royan neglects his duties out of depression, Kasumi forsakes her identity, Carmila loses her social standing, etc. But Medea? Medea become a literal goddess to her people because of the war. While she technically ascended to pseudo-godhood five years ago, she has only accepted her role more and more as time progressed.

Medea shared in the suffering everyone endured after the end of the last war. However, whereas others allowed their grief to drag them down, she used her sorrow to propel her onward. She has become ambitious, driven, just (in her mind) - an unstoppable force of passion and self-worship. Now, that’s not to say her personality is a shining example of righteousness. Girl’s got some serious self-reflection to do if she plans on becoming a proper goddess to her people. 

Tradition: Do they have any holiday traditions?

Since you so kindly allowed me to choose whichever OC I wanted, I’m going to go a different route with this one and select Medea Brahim, the Princess of Al-Hasan and Goddess of Death.

Medea has a specific tradition that spans across every holiday, whether it is political or religious, in summer or in winter, personally celebrated or globally lauded. Unlike other people, who will charge full-force into the most festive celebration possible, Medea instead retreats. While normally extroverted in her tendencies, her take-charge attitude and seemingly-infinite ambition takes a backseat when it comes time for celebrations. Why, you ask? Well…

Before Simdan took the throne, the Brahim family lived in a luxurious tower, with each floor possessing its own unique function and aesthetic theme. Medea held a special appreciation for the top floor - the Sky Gardens of Al-Jinan. Where other buildings were covered with stone mosaics or painted wood, Medea’s childhood home was crowned with glass, exposing those inside to the skies above. With the city specializing in agricultural advancement, the previous owners had left the top floor covered in flora and fauna of every size, shape, pattern and color.

Every holiday, rain or shine, Medea takes at least an hour to flee from the festivities and escape to her sanctuary in the Sky Gardens. There, she need not provide answers for those in peril or solve national crises. There, she can be…Medea. Normal and learning, overworked yet unseen, burdened but bearing problems with pride, Medea Brahim.