Dear Sierra Lee,
I wanted to take a moment to write you this letter because what you’ve done with Qum in The Last Sovereign genuinely matters in ways that are hard to overstate.
Creating a character like Qum—a unique female character who is not only fully human in her emotional depth, but also allowed to exist inside romance and sexual agency without being reduced, desexualized, or treated as “incomplete”—is something that still remains rare in games. And that rarity is exactly why it stands out.
What makes Qum feel meaningful isn’t just the label of representation, but the way she’s written to feel real. She isn’t framed as a lesson or a metaphor. She’s a person navigating intimacy, boundaries, desire, confusion, curiosity, and connection in a way that feels honest rather than sanitized. That matters a lot, especially for players who rarely see autistic characters—particularly women—allowed to occupy that kind of emotional and relational space without being pushed to the margins of the story.
There’s something especially important about the sex-positive framing. A lot of media still struggles to reconcile neurodivergence with sexuality, often defaulting to either infantilization or erasure. Qum pushes against that quietly but firmly. She exists as someone who can want things, explore them, misunderstand them, learn, and still be respected as a full participant in adult relationships. That kind of depiction doesn’t just add diversity—it challenges assumptions that many players may not even realize they hold.
For neurodivergent players in particular, characters like this can be grounding. Not because they’re perfect reflections of lived experience, but because they expand the range of possibilities. They say, in effect, “you are not outside of romance, sexuality, or complexity—you are allowed to exist inside them too.” That message, even when delivered indirectly, can stick with someone.
It’s also worth saying that writing this kind of character well takes care. It’s easy for games to either flatten neurodivergence into stereotypes or avoid it altogether when intimacy is involved. What stands out here is the willingness to let Qum be awkward, direct, vulnerable, and sometimes uncertain, without stripping her of dignity or agency in the process.
Whatever your exact intent in writing her, the result is a character who has clearly resonated with people on multiple levels—not just as representation, but as a person who feels present in the story rather than symbolic of something outside it.
Thank you for contributing something that expands what characters like this can be in games. It’s the kind of writing that quietly changes expectations over time, even if it doesn’t always get immediate attention for it.
Sincerely,
A longtime autistic fan
But I have a few questions for you Sierra:
1. What do you think it is about Qum’s personality or presence that makes the other characters grow so attached to her? Do you see that attachment as genuine love for her as a person, or something more situational within the story?
2. When writing Qum, did you imagine her enjoying modern hobbies like gaming (PC or console)? If so, what kinds of games do you think she’d naturally gravitate toward?
3. Was any aspect of Qum’s personality or behavior influenced by an intention to resonate with neurodivergent players, or was her characterization built from a different direction?
4. Was Qum intended to serve as a kind of emotional “light” within a darker narrative setting? I really enjoy how she contrasts with Simon’s world and brings warmth into his life and the harem dynamic.
5. I really like the connection between Qum and Robin—there’s a lot of warmth there. Do you think Robin would naturally enjoy spending time with Qum in casual ways, like playing games or relaxing together?
6. Without needing to assign labels, how would you describe Qum’s cognitive or emotional style? (For example, how she processes emotions, social cues, or relationships.)
Finally, is there any possibility of seeing more Qum-focused content outside the main game—like short stories, art, or comics—if time and resources ever allow it? The character clearly resonates strongly with fans.
Thanks for making Qum a unique character that plays such a huge role in the game's narrative and themes of sexuality. I'm really sorry about asking all of those questions, I just love what you created so much that I'd love to hear more from you about Qum and her wholesome character shining light into a corrupt and dark world.
Qum is pure ❤️