"Jesus, have you heard yourself? You don't know what the f*** you're talking about."
Background: John grew up in Saint Roch, one of a small army of children fostered by the Landry sisters, Hope, Faith, and Charity. They were poor but somehow there was always enough money to feed everyone. Looking back, Shango took an interest in his son even then and would arrange for funds to be available for the basics. Cheques would arrive occasionally, or one of the sisters would attract the attention of a local pastor who supported the family. Once, the local press ran stories about the family, prompting charitable donations from across the city - and even the state.
John was oblivious to this for most of his childhood. He had other concerns - not just the ones he shared with other boys, about sport, school, who liked who, which girls (ew, gross!) had a crush on him, but others that were very specific. The pale, translucent man who appeared in his bedroom and watched him, the sound of drumming only he could hear, the strange scents and sensations that seemed to fill the city around him. None of which made any sense before his Visitaton. He seemed to have one foot in the World and one in the Mythic Lands.
Even before he learned his true nature, John was drawn to music. He was beatboxing almost as soon as he grasped the concept and got in trouble at school (when he bothered to go) for it. A street kid, more used to hanging around watching the people repairing the city after Hurricane Katrina than anything else. He had a natural gift for percussion and when he turned 13 managed to convince a Krewe to let him join their Mardi Gras float. Self-taught, but assured, he caught the attention of other musicians and a slew of offers from music schools, tutors, and the like followed - but he turned them all down. Something kept him on the streets, though he couldn't say what.
Another five years passed before he knew. He turned 20 in 2020, when Covid was ravaging the city, and other things moved in its wake. Monsters - things he would later learn were called Titanspawn. He still doesn't know what to call the things he saw, only that they clustered wherever the disease was at its worst and seemed to delight in the pain and suffering. Finally sick of it, he gathered a group of friends and went out to deal with the problem. They were badly defeated by the spirits, and John almost died - not from wounds but from COVID-19 (which he developed in hours of the fight). Isolated in his room, he lapsed into a fever dream, only coming out of it when he heard someone - a man - saying his name. He woke to find Shango standing over him with a bright smile and a loving look in his eye.
Since then, John has been keeping his neighbourhood safe - only recently starting to move outside it. He joined up with a small Band of Scions, which led to him leaving the city for the first time (which spooked the Hell out of him after first - all that green). He keeps contact with the Krewe he joined and makes sure he performs at Mardi Gras, and with his friends - with whom he patrols his neighbourhood, acting as their leader. Musically, he's joined up with a group of BIPOC artists who seek to explore Voudon, and West African music and myth through their work, steering them to keep the old stories and traditions alive. He's done this in collaboration with a Voudon Mambo called Shalika Edwards, who has started to form a small cult around John.
Shango is pleased.
Appearance: John is tall, handsome, and thoughtful-looking. He doesn't smile regularly, but when he does it lights up his entire face. He wears his hair in cornrows and usually dresses in the red and white associated with Shango (something he's always done - even before he knew his father).
In game terms, John has two sets of Followers - both distinct from each other. One is a mob of warriors raised in Saint Roch and loyal to him as their leader. The other is a cult who have adopted him as Shango's son and acts as a Consultant feature for the character - advising him about things he hasn't got much knowledge of.
I'm presenting this character with some trepidation and hoping he's not too much of a cliche. I'm not American and so my knowledge of African American culture and experience is quite sketchy. I wanted John to have a happy childhood, as I'm trying to cut away from characters who had traumatic pasts (partly because this isn't meant to be real life and because, well, that definitely is a cliche). I hope I didn't upset anyone. As ever this character and background is free to anyone who wants to either play John or have him in a game as an NPC.
I also ask your forgiveness for not putting the accents on Shango's name - I don't know how to do that.
I've also made my first Path! Again, free to use - Child Of The Rhythm
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