Moreau (from Wells)

Moreau animal text above courtesy of: http://textspace.net/animal_text_maker/4.9.2.3.0/page_1

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Moreau (10)

Project: Television mini-series (“Wells”)

Known as: Moreau; Skinwalker

Real name: Moreau Hoopdriver

Group affiliation: None

Physical description: Moreau is a handsome fellow tall, chiseled features, long and wavy auburn hair. He often wears odd, baggy clothing however.

History: Moeau is an extraordinary individual in many ways. First, he is the only known child of a changeling. Changelings (as you likely are aware) are beings who fairies have used to replace a human baby (the human baby, meanwhile, is raised in the fairy realms). Why would the fae swap one for the other? Best you ask the next fairy you encounter.

Though Changelings are sometimes fae folk themselves, in the case of Moreau’s father it was a simulacrum. Formed of wood and mud, Moreau’s father (called Walter) was a sort of Pinocchio a wooden boy made alive. Spelled to be identical to the replaced child, Walter did passably well for a number of years (the human Walter, by the by, did quite well and became a duke in the land of the fae). Yet he wasn’t a real boy and was of limited wit and a narrow range of emotion. When he came of age, only the local Wise Woman would employ him.

The Wise Woman (Heather Hoopdriver) rather enjoyed Walter’s company. Walter was not unattractive and Heather was so much more intelligent than the men of the village that she hardly noticed Walter was unusually slow for a man. He was even-tempered and obedient and Heather realized that she would never find another man with whom she was happier to spend time.

Eventually they married. Unfortunately, although Heather wanted children, years began to pass without pregnancy. Heather was an exceptional Wise Woman, however. She knew of herbs and remedies, treatments and medicines. She knew how the movement of the moon and stars affected people, and the ways of the magical creatures of the forest. She knew secrets and had an inventor’s mind. She unknowingly accomplished something never done before nor since: she conceived a child with a changeling an artificial man.

Before Moreau came of age, his father died in a fire. Still he and his mother loved one another and had many happy years together. Moreau was lucky indeed Heather was his mother as she was able to help him with his gifts and find his way in the world. Chief among those gifts was to change his shape to any animal he chose.

Additionally, Moreau had inherited the lifespan of a tree from his father. So though Heather lived to a ripe old age, Moreau still had the vigor of youth when she passed. For the next few hundred years he followed his calling, which was attaching himself to and assisting the greatest hero of each generation. Though the term “sidekick” would not exist for many years, it would not ill-fit Moreau (he was one hero’s trusted steed for 20 years).

Eventually the heroes seemed to lesson with each generation. As magic began to leave the world, so did transcendent heroes. Also, Moreau himself had started noticing some strange changes, such as instances where he went to sleep a man and unexpectedly woke as an animal.

With nowhere else to turn he became friends with Wells. Wells, unfortunately, was neither a great hero nor wizard. Failing to help Moreau, in desperation Wells wrote one of his stories and bound Moreau to it magically. When Wells attempted his time spell, Moreau was one of the creatures swept up and taken to the future.

This was terrible for Moreau. With so little magic to stabilize his form, in 2018 he finds himself changing shape uncontrollably. Furthermore, he sometimes forgets who he is, and believes he is the animal. Angry and confused, it is not known if Moreau is heading to a speedy death or becoming a monster.

Role in the narrative: I need to cleanse my palette after Griffin yesterday. Moreau will be a monster to be hunted down at first, but I plan to find a way for him to become an ally of Morgan.

Abilities: When his gifts are under control, Moreau can turn himself into any animal he chooses. He retains his human intelligence and can become human again at will.

At the beginning of Wells, his power has gone haywire. He doesn’t control when he changes, or what he becomes. He doesn’t always keep his intelligence (e.g., he might spend several days as an actual dog). This lack of control is causing him pain and confusion, and he may be going insane. Worse still, sometimes he doesn’t become one animal but some horrible amalgamation.

Inspirations: “The Island of Dr. Moreau” was about a scientist who surgically changed animals into people. I reversed it (a man who comes animals). There is a course a rich tradition of mystical shapeshifters, from werewolves to skin changers (and Sookie’s shifter friends). To do one of these every day for 100 days, I kind of have to go with what occurs to me. I feel like this one is a little bit of a miss. The original work had themes of humanity vs. savagery; I’m not sure what central theme most intrigues me about this character. BTW, if “Hoopdriver” sounds odd, it is a name from another Wells work.