Here's introducing our very first character of the week: Troubadour.
I asked Troubadour to be our first because he was one of the first to appear here who wasn't me. (It was so nice to see another person here!) And, he's a fascinating character. He's not the hero, he's the villian. He's evil. He's very evil. He's mega evil. He's......well, why don't I let him tell you about his evilness?
I introduce you to:
TROUBADOR
I have been dead for a long time. I don’t remember when I died, or how my life ended. I fear it was shameful, though, and that is why I am trapped earthbound as a ghost.
These days I wander the globe looking for tragedy; it isn’t hard to find. When I find someone on the brink of death I lie in wait, and when the soul leaves the body I strike. When the light comes for the soul I must hold on tight, for its pull is strong, but as strong as the light attracts the newly departed soul, there is an even stronger force pushing me away.
Most of the time the souls slip from my grasp and cross over into thelight. But sometimes, with the weaker souls, I can hold them back. And when I do, they are mine. I squeeze them as hard as I can, and Iam able to absorb their energy into my own. What a feeling of power!It is addictive, the rush that surges through me when I consume a soul.
But there is a down side. As I absorb their energy, I absorb the souls’ memories. And not just from the life that ended, but from all of their past lives. Now these memories have overshadowed my own. I can’t even remember my name. All I know is that I was a Troubadour,that’s the name I remember people using when they spoke to me, so I presume I come from France, sometime around the thirteenth century.
Can you help me find my past?
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So, there he is folks. If you have any comments, instructions, insights or questions for Troubadour, today's the day. Let's get to know: Troubadour.
53 comments:
Bark, Bark, Bark, Bark, Bark
watch for scruffy! I don't think he likes you.
Are you still stealing souls? whay do you do it? can you live without doing it?
Dear Mr. Troubadour,
Oh my. Are you quite sure you wish to be so evil, dear?
I have spoken to you about this before, dear. Consuming souls is not a good thing to do. For one thing, dear, I don't believe the poor souls that you consume appreciate being consumed, dear. Also, I believe that consuming souls will stop you from being reunited with our dear Lord. Don't you want to find peace in the embrace of our Savior, dear?
Also, I do worry that consuming souls is not good for your digestion and will give you a tummy ache, dear.
Please do reconsider being so evil, Mr. Troubadour.
Sincerely,
Ms. Fettleston
Hi
What do souls taste like?
Not that I would. Just wondered.
Shadow
Shadow: Batteries were invented before my time, so I have never actually licked a nine-volt, but I would imagine it is a lot like that.
Scruffy: Sit.
Moniza: Dogs I can handle. Cats and horses have a keener sense of ghosts.
I am still stealing souls. When I first started, it was an attempt to cross over, to find one strong enough to carry me with it. But when I realized the rush of consuming one, I changed focus. Now I can't even remember why I wanted so badly to cross over.
I can live without doing it, but why?
Ms. Fettleston: Yes, I am quite sure, my dear. I have died, and I have not been banished to the fires of Hell. I see no recourse for my actions, and thus no reason to discontinue them.
Would you reconsider being so good? Honestly, Madame, you do not know what you are missing...
Hi Troubadour
Really? I stuck my finger in a socket once. It hurt.
Shadow
Shadow, being dead has a profound impact on many things. This is one of them.
Hi Troubadour
Okay. I'll take your word for it.
Don't eat my soul though, okay?
Shadow
I'm evil too.
Way to go.
Are you a ghost then? Do you have any magical powers?
I can't understand why you would steal souls just for fun. Does it make you more powerful?
Bat is visiting today. Please ignore him. He's quite frightened of you, I think.
Shh Bat, it's ok.
Sounds like a fun occupation, Troubador, but blood tastes better and is less complicated than souls.
Hi, Bat!
word notification: abled
I presume this applies to you, Vic.
-Anon
Anon, who gave you my wordver?
I really need to talk to someone about the disrespect I get around this place.
I can kind of relate to you, Troubador. I feed off human energy too, just a different kind.
I don't think I'm evil, though. I just want everyone to feel good and have fun. Some humans think that's a bad thing, but that's humans for you. They don't know what they're missing!
I see Vic is still grouchy. I'd never have any fun at all with his attitude. Anyone know of any local blood drives I can send him too? That sort of thing usually cheers him up.
No guarantees on whose soul I consume. I try for as many as possible because each one makes me stronger, but it is not easy.
When people die, the light comes for them, and I fight the light as much as I fight the individual souls. The light wins most of the time.
But each soul I claim makes me stringer, and one day, I will be able to take my pick and beat the light every time.
Blood...That brings back memories. I remember blood on my hands when I died, but I don't think it was my own.
Poor Scruffy! Did Troubador scare you? Let's go play ball in the sunshine!
I do enjoy some special privileges over the living. I am not bound to the earth by gravity, and I do not need to eat and breath. I have experienced the fringes of space and the depths of the ocean, and I have been inside the halls of power, listening to your leaders plan your doom. If you think I am evil, you have no idea what evil truly is...
I can take possession of some people, those with weaker souls. I cannot make them float off a bed and vomit pea soup, that is the stuff of the movies, but I can read their thoughts, including the destinies buried deep int their subconscious.
I don't know. I'm kind of with Troubadour on this. Being good isn't all it's cracked up to be, and it's really really hard most of the time.
I'm a demon--sposed to be bad and all that. But we're meant to fight that whole instinct.
It sucks.
People respect evil.
Well, this is just great. Like I don't have enough problems managing a djinn, zombie, vampire, incubus, fairy, and a crew of werewolves who are threatening to go on strike, now I have to keep myself safe from a soul-thief?
There's got to be an exit clause in my contract.
Keep dreaming, Ricky. You're under contract to me and there's no escape clause. None.
DOOM!
word verif: bootte
-Anon
Ricky,
This is great indeed. For me. I'll see you on the other side...
word verif:
(these must be rigged)
exharyx
ex hairy x
Watch it, Troubador. Ricky is MY human. There are billions of others to take your pick from.
LOL, Kalila! And you keep saying you're not in lo--
Ow!!! Damn you, stupid djinn!!!
Depths of space, eh? Too bad you can't report back. Though, I'd have to wonder; are you normally capable of communicating with people?
If so, then there's probably some way to bottle the soul-stuff. While there is no need of funds at the moment, I'm sure you could be fiendish enough to find one.
Of course, now I have to wonder; what keeps you from snatching the souls of the living?
Hey, I just thought of something. I know a lot of ghosts who'd love to just end it. Only ghosts can't commit suicide.
Maybe I could put you in touch, Troub.
Kalila,
I have no interest in your Ricky while he is human. Immediately after his humanity ends, however, is a different story.
Goran,
Not the depths of space, the fringes of space. I have tried to escape the earth, and while I am not bound by gravity and I can travel through the air, it seems the magnetic field does have some effect on my energy. I can't escape into space.
I can't communicate directly with most people. There are some who have an extra sense to speak with those like me, but they are far fewer than the infomercials and TV shows would lead you to believe.
I can't capture the souls of the living because I am not strong enough to break the bond that ties the soul to the body. Yet.
Aidan,
I will gladly take any soul that gives itself to me.
So, you will tell me about you.
You do not remember your past. Tell me of your present.
What do you feel? Are you happy?
"Nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer; nothing is more difficult than to understand him."
Dostoevsky
I see flashes of evil everywhere.
In me for a start.
If some 'thing' came here - right now - and told me I could have my life back how it was before (and I didn't have to actually do the killing) I think I'd do it; whatever it took.
I'd regret it - maybe - but that would take time. Think of it: minutes or hours or even days of ordinary-ness.
There are so few people I wouldn't think about swopping for my Mum. Course evil would make me choose one of them - that's one thing you can rely on I guess...evil being evil!
Hey, Troubadour how can people look at you like you're a monster? I know it's in us all.
FLOWER
Mr. Psychiatrist,
I am not happy. I was content, until recently. While wandering through the woods of Georgia, I came upon an impending tragedy - a quaint little double homicide. I claimed the first victim with ease, but as I was struggling to consume the second, I was distracted by a presence at the window. A little boy was watching the murder of his best friend.
The distraction caused me to lose my prey. When I tried to attack the boy and read his mind, I could not penetrate him. He must have a very old soul, his strength is extraordinary.
When I assaulted him, strange thoughts and visions began to surface in my mind. At first I though he was projecting his memories onto me, but then I realized that was not the case. The memories were my own.
They are fragmented, more images than true detailed recollections. One thing I know for sure - this boy lived in a past life, and he was the cause of my death.
What role he played I do not know, but I will exact my revenge.
I can't do anything while he is alive, but once I did glimpse his fate. I know when and how he will die. Now all I have to do is wait. If I can prevent his death, his soul will be unbalanced, and when he eventually does die, the light will not come for him and he will be mine.
Too complicated. Just eat their brains!
Troubabour
Surely old souls don't fall for the obvious tricks?
If he did you before he can do you again - that may be the law of the playground but I think it's true here too.
You don't want a challenge - you want dinner!
Old and new souls, once they are born, are not aware of their past lives, or their strength. They may have suspicions, but very few people know for sure. Nor are they aware of their fate.
What he did to me before was on a different playing field, one where we were both alive. This time, I have the advantage.
And so, it appears you are making progress.
You have finally begun to connect to the little boy.
The next time you see him, let him take your hand.
Tell me where he takes you. Ask him what his name is.
Aw, Shy, you've won my heart today. I love that Fyodor.
Troubadour, is it all you live for then? The rush of consuming something that's not yours? I mean, is it reason enough to linger here alone forever?
Hey Mr. Troubador, you sound sad. It must be awful to lose your own soul because you're filled with too many others. Maybe if you found a quiet place and went through each one, like peeling an artichoke, and let them go to the light you would find yourself at the bottom of the heap. Of course, you will probably discover you, yourself, are the little boy at the window and it would not be good to have to start all over again from when he/you had to watch something terrible. No, stay as you are, don't worry about your past. Just keep well away from me!
Ah, I see.
No, I say, no.
You must face your past. You must speak to this boy and find out who he is and what he means to you.
You must also get a hobby. I think you spend too much time on one thing.
I shall send you my bill.
The boy's name is Gil Jacobs, but this life doesn't concern me that much, it's his past life I must discover. My only concern now with Gil's life is its end.
I have no choice but to stay here. When the light comes for newly departed souls, it only comes once. There is no second chance. I have seen the light come countless times for many people. They are pulled to it, but it pushes me away.
Even if I could release the souls I have consumed, it would be pointless. They are trapped now, within me or without me.
So, Troubador how many souls can you eat at one time? What happens if say, a truck load of nuns fall over a cliff and they are weak in spirit and huddled together praying and waiting for the light? If you were able to suck in ten delicious sweet souls with beautiful memories of doing nothing but good will you then become less evil? What happens if the next 100 souls you suck in are do gooders? will you cease to exist as darkness?
What is your true purpose for hanging around?
Yeah, dude, does your evilness depend on the souls you consume?
Although Trobadour may return to answer the last questions, I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone for participating in our first ever Character of the Week.
I hope it was a positive experience for everyone!
Thanks to Trobadour for taking the time to answer our questions. I enjoyed the chance to get to know you more. Thanks also to folks for getting into the spirit of this. :-)
If you'd like to give me feedback on how this was for you, I'd love to hear your thoughts - either on the site or privately.
Thanks again!
So, Troubador how many souls can you eat at one time?
One. It isn't easy.
What happens if say, a truck load of nuns fall over a cliff and they are weak in spirit and huddled together praying and waiting for the light?
Even if they are weak, the light is strong, and it arrives shortly after death. I may be able to get 2 or three of them at most.
If you were able to suck in ten delicious sweet souls with beautiful memories of doing nothing but good will you then become less evil? What happens if the next 100 souls you suck in are do gooders? will you cease to exist as darkness?
That hasn't happened yet, and I have devoured souls of all sorts. Regardless of who I consume, I am still me at the core. It's the surface memories that are clouded.
What is your true purpose for hanging around?
I'm trapped. I missed my chance to cross over through the light, and now when it comes for others, I can't go through it.
Yeah, dude, does your evilness depend on the souls you consume?
No, consuming souls does not effect who I am now as much as it clouds who I was in life.
Dear Troubadour,
I have read all of your posts, and I believe you are trapped... in a lie.
We all have choices. All the time. You do not have to do what you are doing.
You could stop eating souls. You could let yourself grow weaker until either the light came for you again, or you ceased to exist. Wouldn't that be better than the existence you have now?
You could choose to not pursue this boy. I sense that it will end badly for you, anyways.
There is always choice.
Always.
Everything happens for a purpose, and even your choice to avoid the light was pre-determined. So there must be some purpose for you to be where you are now. Find that purpose, and you will find your answer.
Marenya
Dearest Marenya,
I do this because I want to. I have no desire to stop, and I have no desire to wither away. The light will not come for me again. For nearly six hundred years I have watched it come for others. It only comes once, for any of us.
Your are right about one thing, we are ruled by fate. Was I an exception to this when I didn't go through the light, or was that my fate? I don't know, but you have inspired me to find out. Consider yourself safe. You see, I am not without a sense of appreciation...
Thanks everyone, I had a lot of fun playing troubadour for this session.
I'm not sure if anyone is still watching the thread, but I'll check back, and if you have any questions for me as the writer about his motives, history, etc. I'll answer them.
Marenya did hit something on the head with this:
"Everything happens for a purpose, and even your choice to avoid the light was pre-determined. So there must be some purpose for you to be where you are now."
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