Witch Doctor
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
| File:WitchDoctorProfile.jpg | |
| Master of native magics! | |
| Witch Doctor | |
| Player: @SusieBot | |
| Origin: | Magic |
|---|---|
| Archetype: | Defender |
| Security Level: | 10 |
| Personal Data | |
| Real Name: | Azizi N'kumbo |
| Known Aliases: | n/a |
| Species: | Human |
| Age: | 31 |
| Height: | 6'1" |
| Weight: | 152 lbs |
| Eye Color: | White |
| Hair Color: | Black |
| Biographical Data | |
| Nationality: | Congolese |
| Occupation: | Shaman |
| Place of Birth: | Village of Dawana, Nation of Gbaya |
| Base of Operations: | Village of Dawana/King's Row, Paragon City, RI |
| Marital Status: | None |
| Known Relatives: | Boda N'kumbo (Father, deceased), Tamala N'kumbo (Mother), Lawisi N'kumbo (Sister) |
| Known Powers | |
| Black Magic | |
| Known Abilities | |
| Spiritualist | |
| Equipment | |
| Wand of the Ancestors, Shaman's Belt, Bow | |
| No additional information available. | |
Contents |
BACKGROUND
The Skull of Xolo
In the early days of World War II, several occultists within Adolf Hitler's inner circle initiated an effort to locate and obtain artifacts of power from around the world. Heinrich Himmler, the leader of this effort, recruited operatives into the "Thule Society" to secure, by any means necessary, those artifacts that Nazi research deemed "worthwhile".
One such artifact was the Skull of Xolo, an tribal artifact held by the primitive Gbaya people of southern Africa. The Gbaya had, for millenia, existed in small tribal villages led by a shaman or witch doctor. The witch doctor was responsible for healing, for counsel, for communication with the spirit world. It was thought by the Gbaya that the disposition of the deceased -- the offering of tribute, and requests for intervention -- could greatly effect the "real" world. The keystone of the Gbaya relationship with the spirit world was the Skull of Xolo. This artifact pleased the spirits in its vicinity, and the relative success of the village of Dawana (favorable hunts, healthy children, ample rain) was attributed to the presence of the Skull.
While the warriors of Gbaya were strong and fierce, their spears were little use against the machine guns of the Thule Society, and the Nazis absconded with the Skull of Xolo with little trouble. Incurring the wrath of the ancestors, and facing possible extinction, the Gbaya people conceived of a terrifying plan: to send their Witch Doctor into the world to retrieve the skull, leaving the village without counsel in a time of strife.
The Witch Doctor Goes Forth
The first man known to the world at large as the Witch Doctor, Choga N'kumbo, went forth from Dawana with only the barest knowledge of the world at large. Speaking only the native tongue of the Gbaya and Swahili, he found his way to Europe (by way of Turkey), and was soon deep into Germany. Using the dark magic of his ancestors, the Witch Doctor could conceal himself in shadows, paralyze men with fear, or weaken them with a cloud of black juju. Armed with these abilities and his trusty bow, the Witch Doctor was soon in Berlin.
The power of the Nazis in their lair, however, was more than he had anticipated. Confronted with mystics and supermen of every bent, the Witch Doctor was easily captured and tormented by the finest inquisitors the German High Command could find. Psychics probed his mind for the secrets of Gbaya magic, while scientists sampled his blood and tissue. The Witch Doctor found himself at the brink of madness, and prepared to end his own life with a simple spell.
He was rescued at the last moment, however, by an American special commando unit sent (unsuccessfully) to retrieve the Spear of Longinus from the clutches of the Nazis. Falling back to their extraction point, they untied the nearly-dead African and dragged him along. The Witch Doctor, out of gratitude, mustered the strength to cloak them in a cloud of darkness, before lapsing into unconsciousness.
When he awoke, the Witch Doctor was in England. In time, he made many friends among the allied, particularly within the Special Operations Branch, the Allied answer to the Thule Society. The end of the way came and went, and the Witch Doctor never located the Skull of Xolo. He returned to his village empty-handed, but not without hope, for his friends among the Allies promised to support the Gbaya people through the trying times ahead.
Witch Doctor to the World
And so began a new tradition for the Witch Doctor of the Gbaya. Much of his time was spent in Dawana, fulfilling his traditional role as healer and counselor. But in times of great emergency, he went forth into the world to lend his wisdom and extra-worldly powers to the battle against the forces of evil. This responsibility passed from father to son for two generations.
In the time of Azizi N'kumbo, the Witch Doctor is seldom in Dawana Village. A cloak of darkness spreads across the face of the earth, and the Witch Doctor's knowledge of dark things is needed by the world at large. The village of Dawana, sustained by the strength of its chieftain and the support of unknown friends from around the world, struggled on, while the Witch Doctor wanders the earth, listening to the voices of the spirits and rescuing men from an ever-growing evil.
PERSONALITY
Azizi N'kumbo, the current Witch Doctor, is a quiet and serious man. Possessing only the wisdom of his forefathers and the counsel of the spirits, he is a noble savage in a fast-moving, dangerous world. However, the Witch Doctor possesses knowledge of things that would freeze the hearts of other men, and so he keeps his own counsel. Those who require help find him intense, but warm and comforting. It is his primary role as Witch Doctor to protect and to guide, and he takes this duty very seriously. However, he has no patience with irreverence or self-destructive behavior, and will allow individuals displaying such to walk their own road "for the good of the village".
POWERS
Black Magic
The Witch Doctor wields black magic, the native sorcery of darkest Africa. Through a combination of meditation, chant, and combining of reagents, the Witch Doctor opens the thin veil between our world and Spirit World, releasing the native material of that realm and shaping it to his purposes. To the untrained, exposure to the Spirit World is very perilous, causing convulsions, weakness, delusions, and even death.
Abilities
Spiritualist
The Witch Doctor's role as intercessor to the ancestors has granted him the abilty to, on occasion, converse directly with spirits. Direct contact between our world and the Spirit World requires intense preparation and is physically exhausting to the Witch Doctor, and so is only done under conditions of extreme duress.
Occultist
The Witch Doctor possesses knowledge of the "dark things" that inhabit our earth. While this knowledge is not framed in the context of a formal education (causing some difficulties in communicating with other occultists), the Witch Doctor possesses knowledge of charms, hexes, remedies, the undead, mystic creatures, and other supernatural topics that can serve the Doctor and his allies when confronted with the unknown.
Equipment
The Witch Doctor carries the paraphenalia of a traditional Gbaya witch doctor. This includes the Wand of Ancestors, a ceremonial staff used in battle for centuries by the Gbaya people. The staff discharges a cloud of Spirit World energy, simultaneously burning and freezing those struck with it.
The Witch Doctor also wears a belt containing pouches and vials full of ungents, reagents, potions, folk remedies, and ingredients for hexes. The belt is decorated with shrunken human skulls.
Finally, the Witch Doctor carries a bow and several arrows. All adult males of the Gbaya are expected to be expert hunters, and are masters in the use of bow and arrow and spear.
TRIVIA
- The Witch Doctor is not informed by any comics or pulp characters, but rather through the traditional image of an African witch doctor. If it were possible, I would have him wear a mask.
- While he is a savage, most of the stories I have envisioned feature the Witch Doctor battling evil in a modern setting. While jungle stories are exciting, I think that the juxtaposition between uneducated, savage wisdom and the sophisticated, by ignorant modern world is delightful. Look for stories soon!
- The entire idea for the Witch Doctor came about while playing with the name checker and thesaurus. To my surprise, the name "Witch Doctor" was available. Who knew?
Coming soon! Stories! Art! Other...stuff!
