Esmeralda

Player information
Name: Lil
Contact: plurk is pierette
Are you 18 or over? Yes I am
Other characters played: None here.

Character information
Name: Esmeralda
Age: Esmeralda looks to be around 21 years of age.
Date of Birth: 21.05.1994
Canon: Disney’s ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’
Species: Fae (outcast).

I chose to make Esmeralda a Fae primarily because in the film, the Romani gypsies are seen as 'the Other'. They are quite separate from the ordinary citizens of France despite living among them. From the descriptions of the people available in the Underground, it seems as if the Fae are most regarded as 'other' and as separate: the Other realm adds to this allusion. Their ability to traverse both the mortal and the 'Other' realm attracted me too: in the film, Esmeralda is shown at being adept enough to cross from the regular world of the French people to the underground mysteries of the Court of Miracles, which obviously translates to crossing between realms here. In the film, Esmeralda faces a lot of racial prejudice, and I think this is easily reflected through the Fae in-game: people calling the Fae derogative names obviously reflects film characters using 'gypsy' in a derogative manner towards Esmeralda.

Personality wise, Esmeralda is clever and quick-witted as the higher Fae are described as being, and she's mischievous in her actions, as seen with her deliberate goading of Frollo. Like the Fae, Esmeralda is fascinated by 'mortal' or 'normal' life: in the film, she's shown as curious and eager to adapt parts of traditional French culture into her own life, praying and watching the citizens go about their business, though remaining distinctly separate from it. As with the Seelies, Esmeralda remembers debts and favours shown to her and does her best to repay them. I chose to make Esmeralda a member of the Seelie Court because of her talent for dancing and music, and for her loathing of injustices and dishonour, and her disregard for those in authority.

Like the Fae, Esmeralda is nomadic in nature and doesn't like to stay in one place for long. Her magical skills displayed in the film (escapes and appearances/disappearances using smoke and mirror trickery and palm reading) also fit with the Faes' style of magic more so than witchcraft or the other 'peoples' of the game.

However, Esmeralda's eagerness to embrace new cultures and to put an end to racial divides separates her from the Fae at large, which is why I have chosen to make her an outcast. Esmeralda's journey in the film is really a quest to find herself and make a place in a world that doesn't have a place for her nor particularly wants her. As an outcast, she is thrust into a similar position in-game, thus mirroring her canon. Her constantly calling herself an outcast in the film also influenced this decision.


Role: In the Fae world, Esmeralda was a dancer revered for her beauty, and used as part of a diplomatic team to try to unite Seelie and Unseelie together. However, having been expelled because of her beliefs, she has joined up with a group of Romani travellers in London. She earns her way by dancing on street corners, and by performing simple sleights of hand and street magic. It was implied by Disney creators that Esmeralda has ‘been around the block’ a few times in a DVD commentary. It is safe to assume, then, that she has also experienced, and does engage in prostitution on some occasions.

Esmeralda could head for the Redbright Institution. She believes in their policies of promoting inter-racial friendships and alliances. On the other hand, she can't read or write, so she wouldn't be much good as a teacher. Then again, her dancing career and involvement in thefts and the like probably wouldn't help her cause either.

More likely, Esmeralda would try her luck with Circle Daybreak. She likes the policies of keeping the peace and supporting the community: she is very much an advocate for inter-faction relationships. She is a loud voice, and one that demands to be heard, even with a low rank.

Esmeralda would be happy to front campaigns for inter-faction relationships, and be willing to visit different areas of the city to do this. She quite enjoys an element of danger and excitement in her work. She would have to remain at a Level 1 rank, I think, because of her lack of magic and her status as an outsider within the faction. She'd probably use Circle Daybreak to push her own agenda of equality and seek their protection, should Frollo come looking for her. She'd also be a fierce advocate against changelings, urging the witches to better protect children in particular from being taken by the Fae.

By day, Esmeralda would primarily fall on her skills in dancing to make money for herself. Despire areas like Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square being taken by the Night Council and Fae being banned, she'd still try to head there, as everybody knows that most money is made there. She might also keep a wary eye on Bromley and Bexley.


Rank: As an outcast, Esmeralda has been demoted and cannot hold a rank. Before her demotion, she was a level 2. In Circle Daybreak, she would be a Level 1, because with only basic magical ability, and as an outsider, Esmeralda could not advance further.


Background: Esmeralda was born a member of the Seelie Court. As she grew up and her beauty and dancing ability strengthened, she began to be used as a distraction by those ranked above her. She crossed into the mortal realm and performed low-level magic tricks and showcased her dancing whilst her companions spread their mischief and tempted individuals away. She is guilty of the last offence: she has lured people into the Court, using her beauty and her sexual appeal. Her shows have become somewhat of a legend in the mortal realm: stories of people disappearing when the beautiful witch shows up are abound.

As Esmeralda got older, she began to question why the Fae regarded humans as objects or toys. She arrived at the Unseelie Court as part of an official envoy, the purpose of which was to improve relationships between the courts. The Seelie were to give a performance in lieu of one of their ‘native’ festivals – the Festival of Fools – which mocks the mortal world. Esmeralda, already spotted by one of the lords of the Unseelie Court, was pushed into a prominent role, dancing and judging entries for ‘The King of the Fools’. She already disliked Frollo: she loathed the way he stared at her and referred to her as ‘The Seelie girl’. Still, she did as was asked, and quite enjoyed teasing Frollo in public. Unbeknown to her, a changeling that Frollo had captured escaped Frollo’s castle and joined the festival. He stumbled into the lineup for the King of Fools, and Esmeralda accidentally revealed his identity as a human. The crowd humiliated Quasimodo. Unable to stand the cruelty, Esmeralda came to Quasimodo’s rescue, shouting down the crowd and demanding equality for everyone. Frollo didn’t take kindly to this, and called for Esmeralda to be arrested. Luckily, Esmeralda is rather good at both self-defence and escaping sticky and escaped Frollo’s guard. Seeking sanctuary with the man she saved, Esmeralda developed a great deal of sympathy for changelings too.

Eventually, Esmeralda sneaked from her sanctuary back to the Seelie Court. However, she returned to as much trouble as she had faced with the Unseelies. The Seelie leaders were livid with her: thanks to her actions, talks for against mortals had broken down, and the Seelies had gained a powerful enemy in Frollo. Esmeralda argued for equality amongst factions and races. This went down no better with the Seelies and in light of both her actions and her beliefs, she was cast from the Seelie Court to live with the mortals she likes so much.

In London, she’s jumpy: she’s seen the lust in Follo’s eyes, and she’s astute enough to realise that she’s going to end up dead before he lets her go, should he find her. She’s joined up with a band of travelling folk, paying her way by dancing and performing simple magic on street corners. Already popular, she’s found that her true identity doesn’t matter, and tends to simply laugh and nod along when people call her ‘witch’ or ‘Gypsy’. (words: 505)


Personality:


Esmeralda knows what it is to be unwanted. She’s a pariah, and she knows it. But rather than falling into a state of bitterness about the society that cast her out, or those that won’t accept her, she celebrates her status as an ‘outcast’, and is proud of what she is, and why she is in such a position. Esmeralda is kind and caring: she is an advocate for those who suffer injustices, and in particular, for other outcasts.

Esmeralda is determined in her beliefs: she will campaign for what she feels is right – even if that view makes her unpopular. She will stand up to those she feels are in the wrong, be they organizations or individual people. Her belief in equity for all drives her. She respects those who treat others fairly, though her contempt for those who don’t is clear.

Esmeralda believes in freedom and justice for everyone, regardless of their social alignments and standings. She believes that people should be free to believe what they like rather than be dictated to by their political alignments. Esmeralda hates staying in one place for too long. Since her exile, she has never stayed in any place for longer than a few months. She loathes the idea of staying inside stone walls: she’s been travelling in a caravan since her exile, though she is also used to sleeping rough too. Esmeralda loves her freedom to wander where she pleases, and to follow her heart, and absolutely loathes being deprived of either.


Esmeralda has a temper, and this does flare up when she is cornered. She is defensive and quick to snap when she thinks people are wronging her. Esmeralda is not violent. Her instinct is to flee confrontation. If she is cornered, she will engage in a fight, often using the nearest thing to hand to defend herself. Esmeralda hates being sneaked up upon and is almost always alert for approaching danger.

She’s honest in her words to a fault: she says what she things, regardless of the consequences. In her actions too, Esmeralda is honest about who she is. She prefers to earn her money through dancing and little shows of magic, which have led to accusations of witchcraft and fae magic. She has a darker side to her too: in keeping with the novel, Disney animators designed Esmeralda to look specifically as if she ‘gets around’: in Disneylese, it’s thus implied that she’s a prostitute as well. She knows how to use her sexuality to her advantage, and is flirtatious. Her morals are skewed: although she herself does not pick pockets, she is more than willing to act as a distraction whilst her friends do it – at least this way, her inability to lie keeps her out of trouble with the police!

Esmeralda is quick-witted and often quite sarcastic. She can be playful and even flirtatious. She is street-smart and intelligent, kind hearted and strong enough to forge her own way in a world that doesn’t want her. (words: 501)


Powers & Possessions: Esmeralda has, unfortunately, lost the majority if her powers. She still has the typical fae abilities, and can still confuse humans. However, unlike most typical fae, her ability is limited to sleight of hand. She is also able to create smoke to conceal a quick escape.
She is adept at palm reading and disguising herself.
She basically has the abilities of a good magician, akin to who might be found in Vegas or somewhere.

Esmeralda possesses the clothes she stands up in and a few coins in her pocket, and an old tambourine that is, quite simply, a tambourine. She also has one magical item stolen from the fae: a necklace with a pendant made from wood, string and beads on it. It is enchanted to become a map of the city in which the owner is stood – if you know how to read it – and shows close landmarks and the hiding place of the fae who owns it.

Samples:

https://thetube.dreamwidth.org/1764.html?thread=801508#cmt801508
This is a link to her threads on the test drive with Nancy, James Memon and Skip. If this does not count as the two required threads, please let me know, and I'll be happy to provide you with another sample.

World building
Locations:

Horniman’s Triangle, Lewisham.
Horniman’s Triangle is a triangle of open land in the middle of a housing estate in Lewisham, and currently where the caravans in which Esmeralda is travelling, is set up. The area is well hidden by houses and gardens, and shaded by trees. Unless someone is looking, it is easy to miss. Horniman’s Triangle will be the ‘safe place’ depicted on Esmeralda’s necklace – effectively establishing it as ‘The Court of Miracles’ and a haven for outcasts and travelling folk alike.

Frollo’s castle, the Other Realm (Unseelie Court)

Frollo once took a great fancy to the grand cathedral in the centre of Paris, Notre Dame. As a result, he had a replica produced in the Other Realm in place of St. Paul’s church, and he governs his portion of the Unseelie Court from here with an iron fist. In the tallest tower, he keeps a changeling imprisoned: this hunchbacked man is known as Quasimodo.


Items:
A necklace which is enchanted to become a map of the city in which the owner is stood – if you know how to read it – and shows close landmarks and the hiding place of the fae who owns it. Similar to a low level path finder


Magic: I am not bringing in any new magic to the Underground.