For my project I thought back to my childhood to a computer strategy game I used to and still sometimes play: Battle for Middle Earth 2, Rise of the Witch King. Each character/hero/unit has special abilities that can help them on the battlefield and are accurate to the Lord of the Rings movies. I get a kick out of some, so I thought it would be fun to try this for the characters we have discovered through literature in our class. Enjoy!
Note: I was not sure with what images to go for because they’re were no images on these characters so I decided to do the HBO unlimited budget casting thing just for fun. I had to get creative so I thought of other characters that I find similar to these characters in Death and the Kings Horseman to compare.
Name: Elesin
Summary: Father of Olunde and holds a cultural duty to deliver himself to the afterlife. He is the ultimate con-artist who can never follow through on his promises. He will go to the ends of the earth to deliver outstanding and believable performances just to deceive those around him. He does not consider the consequences because he is too busy enjoying the ride and indulging in his spoils. One can never rely on Elesin, and his procrastination accompanied by facades get innocent people killed.
Strengths: Love (for Olunde)
Weaknesses: Deceptive, cowardice, greed
Special Powers:
- False Promise- Elisin convinces those in his radius that he can do anything.
- Hypnotic Dance- Those around Elisin are distracted by a well-acted dance.
Recap: This made me realize that even though he lied to his people and those he loved, he was a victim. Sacrifice vs. suicide…?
Name: Iyaloja
Summary: The matriarch of her people. With power and pride coursing through her veins, Iyaloja is the fiercest and most determined human being in the land. She will use her authority and loyalty to her people and culture to make sure all those around her are doing what she believes is their cultural duty. Having no sympathy for any, she is the ultimate force to be reckoned with and will shed no tears for the pitiful.
Strengths: Speech, loyalty
Weaknesses: Lack of sympathy, close-minded
- Special Powers: Power of the people: Iyaloja inspires those around her to follow her on any journey.
- Voice of Power- Iyaloja blows a horrible wind at her enemies, causing them to flay back 100 feet.
- Guardian- blesses the young to grow up strong.
Recap: We didn’t get much backstory on Iyaloja, but she too could have been a victim of conformity. I see a force to be reckoned with, but perhaps not a heroic force.
Name: Jane Pilkings
Summary: The faithful wife to Simon and often cunning. She wears the pants in the relationship and seems to be the ultimate aid to Simon, always whispering new ideas in his ear. She sees things Simon fails to catch and there are many curtains she hides behind where she can manipulate anyone in her pat (Olunde, Sgt. Amusa, Simon)
Strengths: Observant
Weaknesses: Manipulative, close-minded
Special Powers:
- Reveal- reveals the true intention of her enemies’ plans
- Puppet master- holds the ruler of the land at her fingertips
Recap: Jane is tricky to figure out. I couldn’t figure out if she was generally interested in trying to understand Olunde’s culture or she was just trying to force her culture onto him (I’m leaning towards the latter). I didn’t even bother to do a character profile for Simon. Jane speaks for both of them.
Name: Sergeant Amusa
Summary: Playing the two-faced victim and a spy for Pilkings, Sergeant Amusa always has his nose in other people’s business. He lacks authority, where people will laugh in his face when giving orders. The fact that he is given no respect may put him in a weak position, yet don’t underestimate his sly and cunning ways. He may very well be brewing mischievous plans of his own…
Strengths: Sneaky
Weaknesses: uncertain, submissive
Special Powers:
- Recon- Amusa can use incredible stealth to spy on his enemies
Recap: Amusa may have the shortest profile, but to me he may be the most interesting character for that reason. He really gave off a sneaky vibe to me in the story and seemed to possess a hidden agenda. He could have just been trying to survive, but I like to give him some pulp in this profile.
Name: Olunde
Summary: Son of Elesin. Eternally bound to his culture, Olunde always carries the strongest loyalty to his people and their way of life. Having an unforgiving eye for truth, he internally predicts future catastrophes that most would be afraid to see, as well as through the layer of artificial love that Jane and Simon construct for him. Being a born leader, he always takes the necessary steps to see the job done- even if it claims his life.
Strengths: Loyalty, duty, courage
Weaknesses: lack of cultural and self-awareness
Special Powers:
- Sacrifice- Olunde will take his own life to ensure his people will survive.
- Neutrality- Even though Olunde is morally obliged to his people and culture, he has a strong position of being in good relations with Jane and Simon (he is liked by all), making him difficult to quarrel with.
Recap: Olunde was the martyr of the story, but it was difficult to come up with another power than sacrifice. What else does he do? He tries to explain to Jane about his way of life, but it doesn’t work.
Image Sources:
https://www.gamereplays.org/community/uploads/post-24999-1166101259.png
https://media.moddb.com/cache/images/mods/1/17/16664/thumb_620x2000/sshot0010.jpg
Sprockets and Springes 