Character Profile – The Lost Artefacts: Methuselah

Methuselah rules Eden with the casual cruelty of someone who seized power rather than earned it. As the current King of Eden, he presents a stark contrast to his beloved predecessor, Lady Sequoia, replacing her compassionate governance with a regime built on fear and exploitation.

His appearance belies his position—while wearing the expected golden crown of Eden’s monarchy, Methuselah shows little concern for royal presentation. His short black beard is often stained with berry juice, and his general demeanor suggests someone more interested in the benefits of power than its responsibilities. This carelessness extends to his throne room behavior, where he’s frequently observed snacking during audiences and speaking with performative boredom.

Before his rise to power, Methuselah held a position within Eden’s governance structure, though his exact role remains unclear to outsiders. What is known is that following Lady Sequoia’s death during a peace summit between Ascendants and Sorcerers, he moved quickly to consolidate control, using the chaos and grief to position himself as Eden’s new ruler.

Once established as king, Methuselah implemented sweeping changes that fundamentally altered Eden’s relationship with the outside world. Where Lady Sequoia had fostered connections with both Ascendants and Sorcerers, Methuselah closed Eden’s borders entirely, making it nearly impossible for outsiders to enter. This isolation was accompanied by increasingly oppressive internal policies, including mandatory tributes from all regions of Eden regardless of their prosperity.

Methuselah’s governance style relies heavily on his King’s Guard—nature spirits loyal to him rather than to Eden itself. These guards enforce his will through intimidation and violence, maintaining control through fear rather than respect. His treatment of dissenters is notoriously harsh, with public examples made of those who dare question his authority.

The Arena stands as perhaps the clearest symbol of Methuselah’s cruel innovation. This gladiatorial spectacle, where prisoners battle powerful creatures for the entertainment of crowds, represents a fundamental perversion of Eden’s once-peaceful culture. Methuselah himself frequently attends these events, taking particular pleasure in stacking the odds against contestants he personally dislikes.

Despite his outward confidence, Methuselah remains deeply insecure about his legitimacy as ruler. This insecurity manifests in his obsessive need to eliminate any remnants of Lady Sequoia’s legacy. His demand for absolute loyalty extends to forcing subjects like Kane into servitude, using loved ones as leverage to ensure compliance.

Behind his smug exterior and casual cruelty lies a ruler who understands that his position depends entirely on maintaining the atmosphere of fear he has so carefully cultivated—a king without the wisdom or compassion traditionally associated with Eden’s leadership but with enough cunning to recognise that alliances, even with outsiders, might serve his continued grasp on power.

Check out The Lost Artefacts here >

---

More by Johnathon Nicolaou