Meet Rei from The God Queen

Today we are going to talk about my home girl, Rei.

Rei’s family moved to Earth from the planet Ara’nden when she was three-years-old. Rei was later told they had to move because they were on the run and were shortly discovered afterwards. Her parents were murdered and her older brother, Niklaryn, pulled her away from the chaos and whoever was hunting them. Local bar owner Hotara Quin found them, took them in, and raised them. Niklaryn was determined to go to the Daer Academy to become a knight (and avenge their parents) so Hotara sent him and paid his tuition.

Rei grew up in the village of Ballarat on the edge of Death Valley. The village is a well-known stopping point for pilgrims travelling from Long Beach to the holy city of Escalante. Legends say their gods – the Volocio – came out of their world of Tas’und’eash to this one in order to bring about an age of peace. Some of the Volocio died two thousand years before the events of The God Queen and a prophecy states that they will return.

Rei is very religious since her cousin Kazimir is a recognized reincarnated Volocio – the god of illusion. Niklaryn claimed to have once seen Kazimir’s “powers” at work, thus cementing Rei’s belief. She doesn’t tell anyone about this connection.

She also doesn’t tell anyone about her connection to her brother, Niklaryn, who became a well known Daer Knight in his time. He was killed by his best friend Infiernen Jessar when Rei was thirteen.

Rei grew up and became co-owner of Coronta Bar with her “mother” Hotara. Ballarat is known for being a “village of sin” where pilgrims can partake in otherwise “illegal” extracurricular activities such drugs and prostitution. It’s their last chance before being cleansed by Death Valley on their way to Escalante.

Rei never learned who killed her parents. Niklaryn knew but never told her – she had hoped he would have dealt with the threat so Rei no longer had to live in secret. But that never happened and therefore she remained hidden in Ballarat.

The most recent election caused the pilgrim industry to decrease in Ballarat. Most planets that belong to the Dominion political party have outlawed the worshipping of the Volocio and Earth only recently followed suit (even though the holy city is still open for anyone to visit). Earth belonged to the Dominion for several decades but was only recently expected to forbid the religion. This has caused a lot of tension between the believers of the Volocio and the accepted Dominion religion to the One True God. Most of the tension lays between Rei and the cleric of the One True God – who has been threatening violence to those who won’t convert.