Post by Doctor Facilier on Feb 10, 2011 13:10:46 GMT -5
~~~Welcome to Dreaming of Utopia!~~~
~~~The Basics~~~
Character Image
Character Name
Dr Facilier
Character's Origin
The Princess and the Frog
~~~About My Character~~~
What is your character's history? Are they a hero, or a villain, a sidekick or guardian? What has happened to them in their lives to make them the way they are today?
Born in the big easy to a poor but content family, Facilier grew up with the rituals and rules of old magic around him. As a boy, there were plenty of family members like his grandmother, and people he knew well along his street, who practised Haitian Voodoo. It was their faith, their religion, and he knew that it could be used for both good and bad, and was well versed in which was which from a young age. However, despite the will of those around him to only come into contact with good spirits and white magic, he could not help but find the darker side just that little bit alluring.
As a youngster, he was too frightened by what his family would do if he touched any such black magic, as well as being frightened of what it could do- but that simply couldn’t stop it being a curiosity, something to admire from afar when others weren’t looking…what was on the other side…?
Friends. That’s what.
However, Facilier was by no means a lonely boy- friends and family were always around, as their faith was very social. But he grew slightly more detached as he got older, and eventually, in his teen years, began to dabble with the work of the Bokor- priests and priestesses who practised both magics. He learnt about the myths of their beliefs, of the creation of zombies through specially concocted powders and poisons, rather than through a supernatural vein, and as more of these truths were uncovered, he became more and more eager to discover something real. And then he did.
During an experimental ritual he was conducting alone one night, the room was suddenly swept through by a mysterious force, and all of its contents were flung about, narrowly missing him. Lying on the ground and sheltering himself in fear, Facilier looked up to see disturbing shadows on the walls, mistaking them for hallucinations until they raised him off the ground, using his own shadow to do it.
These shadows were spirits, dark Loa, and they saw in him the desire to discover what black magic could really do. With ghoulish delight, they propositioned him- they could give him great power, real abilities to use at his own will, on one condition…he must find others whom they could draw strength and energy from, draw them in with his already notable charisma into deals which they believe will be the answer to everything they ever wanted…insanely curious and tempted, he agreed, falling into debt with the spirits.
Over the years he did exactly what he was directed and tricked thousands of naive souls into dodgy deals, begining to revel in the touches of magic at his disposal. A certain Haitian powder became magically endowed to transmogrify any living create. He learnt a great deal of card tricks and sleight of hand, eager to make money like he had never had before, and while it wasn’t a fantastic amount, it was better than what he’d had as a kid, and to boot, he was independent and backed up by those on the mysterious other side who his family and friends still praised and feared.
One day, a young man crossed his path with ambitions of freedom, and for this life of freedom, he was in need of cash. He brought with him a snooty and suspicious elder man, but he was of ambition himself, with just a touch of malleable darkness in his heart that could be drawn out.
‘’Freedom, takes green…’’ He had told the boy, offering them both to shake his hand. Seal the deal, sell me your soul…Naveen took his hand, and just as eagerly did Lawrence, and before the Prince knew what had hit him, he had more green than ever before. The young Prince was now a frog, and Lawrence was to take on his form with the use of a special talisman, fuelled with blood taken from Naveen.
Unfortunately Naveen escaped, Facilier and Lawrence planning to keep him captive as an amphibian to keep topping up the blood, while they schemed to make money out of the rich LaBouff family by marrying the young daughter, Charlotte, and killing her Father. Determined not to let the Prince ruin this chance, Facilier called upon his Friends to track him down, and the frightening shadows slipped off to hunt him down. Without blood to top up the power of the talisman, the illusion of Naveen on Lawrence’s body began to wear off, but finally the spirits located the frog and tried to bring him back.
Facilier discovered that a number of annoyances had cropped up since Naveen escaped, in the shape of a persistent, thieving firefly, whom he crushed, and a young woman who the Prince had accidentally turned into a frog by kissing her, mistakenly believing it would turn him back into a human. He approached Tiana, creating an illusion showing her just what her dream would be like, owning her own restaurant and being successful and rich. He was just on the verge of seducing her to agree to hand him back the Talisman, before she came to her senses and smashed it.
His Friends suddenly came for him with the Talisman broken, and while he begged for another chance, they dragged him kicking and screaming to the other side.
Describe your character's personality. What are their strengths and weaknesses, what are their passions? What qualities do they have that are good or bad?
Facilier is very crafty, and a confident showman- but, he is also capable of being very subtle when he both needs and wants to be, and is content to watch from the side lines until the time is right to act.
He does sometimes push his luck, however, but is usually able to slip out of a tricky situation with a little Bayou charm, and a pinch of dark magic, willing to take a risk here and then if it could prove profitable. His charm is also a useful asset in talking unfortunate souls into deals, all to satisfy the strange, shadowy creatures and spirits who he serves and are the source of his powers.
~~~Sample~~~
Give us a small sample of how you will play your character. Give us at least three paragraphs.
Dark, spidery fingers drummed agitatedly against the door frame of a tiny apothecary near the Lafayette cemetery. It was so good to be back in New Orleans, to see a place which was so timeless- he was certain that he could have been transported to a future version of his home town and found exactly the same atmosphere- the same old houses, of the rich, of course, maybe a little cracked and aged, but they would stand in perfection.
The bayou and the swamp land would still have that particular and peculiar scent which crept in to your nostrils when you got nearer and nearer to it, the beauty of the place would never change, and where ever he roamed from this day forward, this would always be home...the people would change, but such was the way of people through the ages. Their character could not live as long as that of a house, or a tree...
Oh, but people themselves, as a general populace, would always act the same- they would want more than their lot in life, would strive and dream of pastures greener than their own...and he would be here to guide and console them, poor souls, welcome them into his own little emporium with good grace and open arms....a seat at his table, yes, and just a little card reading, to pass the time, no charge....not until they revealed how deeply they wanted something, with a little subtle persuasion, and he would reveal in turn that they could have it if they wished.
Just a shake of the hand, make the deal...ah.
Facilier smiled, lips curving upwards slowly as a gentle, warm breeze trickled in, and with it came the clatter of a young man who looked like he was having some trouble with a heavy load. Poor wretched boy, with his filthy clothes and no doubt a hard Master...
He would give him a hand...and he would take it.
~~~Bonding~~~
Why this character? What draws you to them, what makes you want to play them? Do you have anything in common with them?
When I first saw the promotional stuff for the Princess and the Frog, I was very excited to see Disney reverting back to hand drawn animation for a feature film, and the first thing I ever saw of it was Dr Faciliers song, because everyone was hyping it up- and when I watched the scene, I loved it, and it seemed to deserve the excitement.
After seeing the film in full, I had even wider appreciation for the character of Facilier, and I found him fascinating because I’ve always been intrigued by the mystery of New Orleans and the practises of Hoodoo and Voodoo which still go on there today. He’s slick, clever and yet very human- when it’s time for his debt to be paid to his ‘friends on the other side’, it’s time to be paid, and no amount of haggling or begging can save him. I appreciate human-ness in villains because you can sympathise and understand their motives far better (even if they themselves aren’t physically human).
What would you like your custom title to be? This can be anything you like in reference to your character and will appear under your name.
Bokor
Who else do you play here?
Basil of Baker Street