THEMA SAFIYAH
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BY ME

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CHARACTER DESCRIPTION

NAME: Thema (= "Queen" in Akan, it's her title) Safiyah (Swahili for "Pure")
RACE: Human
HAIR: Black curly, kept hanging in two crotch-long bangs in front (sometimes decorated with jewelry) and short in the back (mostly kept in a bun).
EYES: golden brown
HEIGHT: 185 cm
BUILT: Quite flat chested, but still curved with wide hips and slightly stocky legs, also note that her skintone is a very dark brown.
AGE: 20
SPECIAL FACULTIES: She always wears her necklace with the soulstone (in fact she can't take it off), and the Ears (except when she wants to walk around as a normal civilian).

LIKES: Reading about romantic adventures and love stories (since she is a romatic fool), design, jewely, sports, politics, and botany.

DISLIKES: Brusque people (she is a bit shy), darkness (she's afraid of the dark and always keeps a light lit when going to bed).

BACKGROUND: Safiyah is Thema (Queen) over a people of smiths and miners. But they don't have monarchy (by our means) in their country. It is based on a democracy, and the "Thema" (that is equal to a president) is elected among several young women that get to prove their abilities in intelligence, courage, and truthfulness to the people in a big contest after each Thema has ruled for ten years, or has died/abdicated/is dethroned before that. When a fitting Thema is elected by the people she inherits the royal Ears from the last Thema. They are a symbol of wisedom and a sign that the bearer listens to the wishes and needs of the people. These ears also have secret magical powers by themselves, only to be used in good purpose.

This people is also quite special by the single fact that they bear soulstones. The women produces a protein during the gravity, and from that comes a very special stone (more bone-like actually). So every child is born with this stone that has a hole right through it. They put these stones on an unbreakable thread around the neck, immidiately after they're born in a great ceremony for the newly born child, since these stones keeps a part of their soul. When they die the stone breaks.

Also the shapes of the stones indicates things about the persons personality. Most people are born with no specific shape to their soul stones, but there also exist five Perfects. Perfectly heart-shaped and star-shaped soul stones with the hole perfectly in the middle, and without any defects like small rafts, holes, and marks are called the two Rare Perfects. The three Common Perfects are Square, Triangle, and Circle. The Heart means that the bearer is pure at heart and soul. Our Queen has a perfect heart-shape (Hearts often have a tendancy to be quite naïve though). There have been Queen's with all kinds of shaped soulstones during their history. Here's a link to a schedule with information over the stones shapes.

The people Thema Safiyah rules over are a people consisting of great miners and amazing smiths. Their country has fenomenal nature sources consisting of different sorts of precious metal and stones, which their smiths work into the finest of gems, jewels, and wonderous detailed jewelry that they later export to the countries surronding them. Since Safiyah's people is a rich people they do not mind spoiling their Thema. They often like to give her jewelry and other things for gifts as an honourable act, which is good for Safiyah who isn't rich though her status. She gets paid for her work as Thema, but not exceptionally much, and definitely not enough to buy alot of jewelry and fine clothing. You do not choose the carreer of being Thema because of the good pay and luxury life, but because it is honourable, and your interest in politics is great.

If we would compare the people's origin with existing cultures, it would be a mix of different Asian and African heritages. Everyone is not at all as dark as Safiyah, their skin colours varies from very dark to quite pale. Most of the people have dark hair, though it is not uncommon to find people with other hair colours among them. They also have a language that is similar to Japanese and African (the names for example comes from various African and Middle Eastern countries), built up by syllables, and with a writing system that resembles Mayan Glyphs.

ART GUIDELINES: Safiyah dresses with elegance and loves to wear jewelry, but with style. Also she can't take off her soulstone, so don't forget it. It is possible for her to ornament the link which hold the stone though. The Ears are optional however, but on most occassions she wears them. She doesn't wear them when sleeping, bathing or exercising. Oh yeah, and as stated, Safiyah is a black girl. I'd appreciate if you shade her skin a little, even in sketches.