I
In Part One of the Series bible we explored a new, God mythology. One among us will transcend their human state to become the ‘Creator seed’, a creator of worlds and a mentor to sentient species throughout the universe.
In Part Two, we explore the main character, Toowyn and his journey.
Who is Toowyn?
Toowyn is a contemporary ‘Everyman’ character. He represents the voice of humanity and the human experience.
Historical reference
Skip this if you’re not into history.
Chaucer’s ‘Everyman’ play comes with a heavy-handed God-King demanding fear and obedience. The messenger is, ‘Death’ who calls the Everyman character to give account of his life.
The character of Everyman is representative of all humanity.
Whilst ‘Everyman’ is referred to as a, ‘morality tale’, the mythology employed by Chaucer and the political forces of the time was used to manipulate submission and obedience.
Political powers invoking external and internal threat and creating a heightened state of fear is nothing new.
The battle for Toowyn
‘Three’ is a reoccurring motif throughout the Journey.
The entrance to Toowyn’s home-realm features three massive stone swords, upturned, with its own unique mythology.
Toowyn and his friends, Che and Khalil represent a bond of three.
The King manifests himself in three forms, a creator, a revolutionary and a spirit-presence.
Three entities battle for Toowyn’s heart and soul.
- The King
- Nero, the disinherited Angel, (now known as Kristoff)
- Amon, an Angel aligned with Nero but who acts as a diplomatic link between all
Toowyn will traffic with all three.
Each of the three, The King, Nero and Amon seek Toowyn’s allegiance and right from the get-go he is put to the test.
Each way offered is a valid choice.
Toowyn must choose but the audience will choose for themselves. The gap between the choices is where controversy lies and our audience is engaged.
What’s at stake?
The future of humanity and the kingdom.
What are the choices?
The King offers transcendence
He seeks to appeal to a higher way in humanity. He believes that humanity can transcend itself to become creators of life and mentors to sentient species throughout the universe. This starts with just one, the ‘Creator seed’.
The pros of the King’s way
The King seeks that humanity should become everything he is and to exceed him. Transcendence is a strong offer for humanity.
The cons of the King’s way
In his King form, the Creator is like a white James Brown, a creative genius but a tyrannical ruler lacking in people skills and demanding obedience. He is charismatic but blind to the effect his style of leadership has.
He will push Toowyn to breaking point and by the end of the second series will weep at the realization that Toowyn has turned against him.
Nero offers power
Nero, the disinherited angel, once a favourite son of the King is now, ‘A prince without a kingdom’.
He feels betrayed and sincerely believes that the King’s choice to invest the future of the kingdom in humanity is inherently flawed.
Nero does not care for the transcendence of humanity but he does covet the, ‘Creator seed’ for his own purposes.
He is charismatic, a leader and a visionary but his vision is limited to his need to force his will on others.
Nero believes humanity is dangerous and beyond redemption.
He also believes, some are born to rule and others to be enslaved.
Nero will harvest those humans who seek to rule and ruthlessly enslave to serve his purposes.
He believes that, ‘Survival of the fittest’ is the natural way.
He would be completely at home in contemporary government or as the CEO of a global corporation.
Nero admires Toowyn.
He senses Toowyn’s great power.
He also knows who Toowyn really is.
He feels akin to Toowyn because he is also the son of an ungrateful father, usurped of his inheritance. Toowyn is also a prince without a kingdom.
Nero realises if he can tap into Toowyn’s great discontent with the King and humanity, he can turn him to his way. More so, he seeks a friend that understands him and rivals his ambitions.
Nero will succeed by the second series when even Toowyn’s wife and daughter, which he sacrificed everything for, turn on him.
When Toowyn aligns with Nero, he will change his name again to become known as Axemuror.
He will share a mantra with Nero, ‘Some are born to rule’.
Toowyn will turn his back on the King and align with Nero to deliver back to humanity everything it has visited upon him.
He will become an oppressor and a vicious killer who endorses Nero’s ‘survival of the fittest’ approach. He will become, ‘The destroyer’.
Ironically, Toowyn has been designed by the King to do just that. Toowyn is the biblically prophesized ‘Destroyer’.
‘Behold I create the smith who forges the weapon. I forge the destroyer who unleashes havoc.’
The king forged him for a task but the King’s abuse of the relationship sees Toowyn’s great power fall into the hands of Nero.
The pros of Nero’s way
We will see all the benefits that power brings. We will ride with Toowyn to experience his unstoppable force. We will achieve self-determination with Toowyn and the joy of crushing all those who oppose us.
The cons of Nero’s way
Inevitably, we become satiated and no amount of submission of our vanquished enemies or gold or pleasure satisfies. Ultimately, we are alone.
By the third series. Toowyn will be satiated with killing and Amon’s intervention will see Toowyn / Axemuror confronted with what he has become.
Amon accompanies Toowyn, now a feared creature, to the gates of the kingdom, past fearful angels, to meet with the King.
The angels expect him to be thrown into the abyss by the King but the King is overjoyed and receives him back as his own son, ‘The prodigal’.
The angels are enraged.
This is the final straw.
Amon warns the King of what is coming and a final battle where even some of his most loyal angels will turn on him.
Amon’s third way is a place where angels and humanity can coexist but it fails with the Kings final choice to take Toowyn back.
Amon is aligned with Nero and tries to persuade him to abandon his path but pride will not allow it and the stage is set for the final battle.
Conclusion
Toowyn will start the first series lost in our world, with a lesson to learn.
He will return to serve a thankless king then turn his back on the King to align with Nero only finally to return to a now grateful creator to serve him and to fight in the final battle to protect the creator seed, the kingdom and humanity’s inheritance.
The Series Bible – Part three and four
Part three will explore why Toowyn’s journey starts in our world and the reason for the existence of the parallel universe.
Part four will explore the relevance of the Day One events and its impact on both worlds.
When Parts One through Four are complete and subject to the final poll results, we will create a contest for the team to create a new title for the Journey project.
Adventure is calling
This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 17th, 2014 at 3:50 pm
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Tags: Anita Marelic, David Steinhoff, Everyman, Jasmin Moton, Journey of the seeds, Journey of the seeds the movie, series bible, Tony Rebel, Toowyn
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Very interesting. The breakdown of each of the characters in a jiffy. The motivations behind each of their actions and reactions. Creating room for conflict to be in motion. The inner verses the outer being. The war between staying good or giving in to that which is not good. The battle for power and supremacy. Taking sides to overcome the other. Human fragility and flimsiness as displayed by Toowyn. Above all the subject matter of CHOICE.
[…] The Journey Series Bible (Part Two) – Toowyn’s journey […]
I really enjoy the collaboration within the comments here. Everyone has excellent points.
There is some nice work here. Well done.
I realise there is only so much one can fit into a bible, but like David N. I am not absolutely certain what everyone is seeking… or why. Unlike Alex, I don’t have a problem with good v. evil, however, audiences have evolved to demand more from our villains than the moustache twirlers from the old serials. Baddies don’t just wake up wanting to be bad, unless they’re the Joker.
From multiple conversations with David S. I’m certain he knows the characters intimately, I just didn’t get it 100% from Part 2 and thought there could be a little more time on the events that led to Toowyn turning to the dark side.
TV,
Thanks so much.
I have answered David Nerlich below. You may find that interesting.
Re Toowyn’s turning. He is the indentured warrior, forced to work by the rule of an overbearing Angel of the Kings. His motivation is that his wife and child have been sold into slavery by his own family. They are held in Nero’s kingdom. They are really the last link Toowyn has to his humanity.
By the time, Toowyn fights his way through to them, the man he has become is so terrifying that even his wife and child flee from him. Now he is alone with what he has become. When he finally meets Nero, they don’t fight, Nero embraces him and reaches into his soul and takes his heart, “You don’t need this any more.”
Now a new Toowyn is born, the scales have fallen from his eyes and his only true brother is Nero. They have both suffered rejection. They have both been usurped by family and the one they served. The release of his burden frees him to unleash the worst in him. The destroyer is truly unleashed to reek havoc.
Thanks Dave. This is good, really good. Looking forward to hearing more.
When you have a “dark side”, you could accept it, but depends how deep is, you have to make the decision about it…accept it and fight against it…or…accept it and just control it. But you can’t ignore it if you want to be the good guy. And yes, is old, but is still there and we can close our eyes and don’t pay any attention to our dark side, but is still there and in some moment has to come out. Something will be the trigger and wake up our bad feelings or thoughts. That will be interesting, because the audience will suffer or identify with our character, and they will see his weak side, like a real human.
I agree Eva.
We should be able to understand both Toowyn and Nero’s choices to take that dark journey based on their rejection by family and the King.
Could we please not get started on the whole good vs evil thing? It’s getting old and I’m afraid it might come up. All 3 sides have their own pros and cons. Each side has its own purpose that drives them and have degrees of how far they’re willing to go to achieve their goals. Wars are fought when (all)both sides are right. Let’s just define evil as power one’s willing to use to harm another and all parties are guilty of different things.
If Toowyn has a dark side, why not instead of fighting it, he learns to accept it. It’s still a part of him. Let him draw strength and experience from it rather than pushing and neglecting it. Most successful people I know have it. The least interesting stories I hear are from those who conform and try to be nice. Let’s get real and expose his strengths, weaknesses, sacrifices and struggles. Make him know what true suffering means. Fair price for transcendence.
He has to be a badass who represents the strongest will of humanity but it won’t happen overnight. Eventually, if someone sends him through the seven gates of hell, they’d better be sure he doesn’t make it to the other side. Whoever sends him there will face the hell he takes back with him.
I concur Dr. Soliven.
From Alex Soliven
A study of character- Evil is power exercised to do harm.
http://www.ted.com/talks/philip_zimbardo_on_the_psychology_of_evil?language=en
I like the turns in this second part. Toowyn is the biblically prophesized ‘Destroyer’. Just thinking if Toowyn represent the humanity, we, the humans, we always have that inner conflict between the good and the bad. Probably I did not understand, but where is that bad part in Toowyn that he needs to fight? I’m talking about his inner conflict.
Hi Eva,
Inner conflict is best summarised by the example of the alcoholic who WANTS a drink but NEEDS to sober up. Inner conflict is when your our WANT and your inner NEED are in conflict.
Is this the same as what you just described?
Describing it as a choice between good and bad would be, as Alex Soliven would say, too simplistic. The issue in that choice is not between good and bad as both sides practice both. The decision maybe re alignment and values. For example, is it OK to wipe out an entire town by outsourcing work to a developing country? The argument has serious fors and againsts therefore your alignment and values will determine what you do.
So, is this his inner conflict. I wouldn’t say it is. I would say we haven’t nailed that yet BUT you raise a good point.
It’s not crystal clear to me what the three want. Clearest is the king whose motives are altruistic though he may be flawed. I get that Nero wants power but to what personal end? Toowyn’s choices seem to be between his two dominators but is that because they’re the only choices he has? What does he dream of? Peace?
Hi David,
I appreciate you taking the time to reveal flaws that require more reveals.
The elements you seek are there and can be covered.
ABOUT NERO
Nero is best summed up like this. You are the inheritor of the kingdom. Your father remarries, has a whole bunch of children, then dumps you in favour of the new kids. In fact, you have to serve the children of the new marriage.
You are cut. You object. You raise an army of your fellow siblings from the first marriage, there is war, you get tossed out of the house.
Now, you got jack.
You have been a good son, a loyal son, a honest and honourable son but you have been treated shabbily.
What do you do?
You find the strongest one of the children from the second marriage and turn them against your father, (Toowyn).
You find the brightest and favourite child from the second marriage and you turn them against your father, (The creator seed).
You fight to undermine and usurp the outcome and the family until you can seize the inheritance for yourself.
That’s Nero.
He’s cut. He’s reasonably upset. He is Mozart’s Salieri.
ABOUT TOOWYN
Toowyn is a very different case. I refer to Toowyn as an Everyman as he is truly caught in this storm of the usurped son and flawed king. What’s really interesting about Toowyn is that he too was usurped by his own father. For that reason, he develops an infinity with Nero. He is also very jaded with humanity. He has lost respect for people. The final straw for Toowyn is after saving his wife and daughter, he is rejected by them. The man he has had to become, to fight his way through to them is so savage that he is quite terrifying now. So terrifying that they run from him. There’s a message in that for every family man. For Toowyn, there is nothing left, then he is embraced by Nero and it all becomes clear to him.
Thanks DS, these an your comments to TV make it clearer. Sounds good.
So far I love a lot of the stories that come through with only one negative comment and that is that they are male roles or young girls. Maybe the writers could take that on board but others wise digging it. To prove my point look out for an article I wrote on the issue that will be in the December issue of Actors Equity magazine.
Hi Naomi,
Shall keep my eye out for that article.
Actually, I believe we may have a number of role which we would be keen to see you audition for. We haven’t made it that far yet as it has been important to nail the big picture of the story down first.