Houngan (San Danje)
- "With his trust, the secrets of the bayou will be yours."
- ―Roussillon, on the houngan, 1766.[src]
The houngan or witch doctor, was a mysterious individual living on the edge of San Danje - a settlement within the Louisiana Bayou - during the 18th century. He was occasionally consulted by the Assassin Aveline de Grandpré for his wisdom and knowledge of the general happenings in the area.
Biography
Little is known of the houngan's early life, but by 1766, he had come to settle in the village of San Danje, a safe haven for escaped slaves. He had also established a cordial relationship with the bayou's resident smugglers Élise Lafleur and Roussillon, who occasionally brought him supplies.
Following the appearance of a growing cult in the bayou in 1766, the houngan became troubled by the dark influence it began to pose on the people of San Danje. On the Eve of Saint John, he was introduced to Aveline, who sought to eliminate the cult's leader, a man calling himself François Mackandal, but did not know where his voodoo ceremony would be held. Deciding to help, the houngan divined the ceremony's location and provided Aveline with an antidote that would protect her against Mackandal's poisons.
The houngan reunited with Aveline outside his residence some time after, with a new problem having arisen. Throughout the bayou, people had begun to suffer from an infection dubbed "bayou fever", making them irrationally aggressive. The houngan, no longer fit enough himself, tasked Aveline with collecting mushrooms, the only cure for the illness, and administering them to any victim she may find.
In 1768, Aveline came to the houngan again, in the hopes he could help her with her investigation into a new string of kidnappings. He confirmed he was missing people, but due to the nature of San Danje as a temporary resting place, was unable to determine whether these disappearances were linked. The houngan then suggested Aveline talk to Élise, who might have a better idea given the fact that she frequently hired people from the settlement. He also handed her a new poison she could use to make her victims momentarily hysterical, feeling it would aid her in her future endeavors.
Reference
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