Tetelo (novel)

Tetelo (Eliza) was a slave of Master Crodwell. She later became a demonic entity.

Background

She was from a strong beatiful people. Her father was the tribe leader but also a bokor. He led them to prosperity, until their land suffered from a draught. Badagris requested from him for little Tetelo to be sacrificed. He attempted to trick Badagris by transferring her soul to another girl and sacrificing that girl instead, before restoring Tetelo.

Then the slavers came, as they believed, because Badagris punished them for that trickery. Her tribe was destroyed, and few survived the slavers. She was captured and taken to the West Indies. After serving under two masters, she was bought by Crodwell, a cruel master who abused her sexually. As a slave she was baptised as Eliza.

Her father's spirit told that Badagris would forgive her tribe and restore them to their former glory if they wipe out their shame by killing all white men who were on that voyage. Tetelo performed the rituals while wearing a leopard mask. Five seamen (including Tom Clarke) were killed before the townsfolk were alerted and hired a witch hunter to bring the witches to justice.

That hunter was the Schattenjäger Gunter Ritter. He first saw Tetelo when she was bringing him a letter from his father back in Germany. Gunter felt power and nobility in her, but at first Tetelo shooed him off. Eventually the two fell in love, enraging Crodwell. Tetelo considered that fate brought them together to be zingsti, their union to serve a purpose.

It was when Gunter impersonated a seaman and taken as a victim, that he discovered that Tetelo was the officiator of the murders. During the capture, he urged her to run away, and later he heard her story. She offered him to escape and both abandon the ways of their fathers. She believed their purpose was to begin a new tribe. Without answering, Gunter left, divided between his love and his duty.

During his absence Tetelo was arrested and taken to the stake in the town square. Gunter arrived and attempted to request a trial for her, but Crodwell taunted him for being seduced by her. As Tetelo was burning, a broken Gunter used the Talisman to give her power. This saved the burning slaves, who, under thunders and fire, turned against the townsfolk.

After the massacre, Tetelo approached Gunter saying that she was betrayed by him, and saved only by his guilt, and the Talisman, which she took from him.

Tetelo and the slaves stole the ship St. Catharine's Wake, which was found months later near St. Dominique.

Afterwards Tetelo used the Talisman to gain power, to lead the slave revolt in Haiti and create a powerful lineage. When she died she was buried in the snake mound of Benin with the Talisman. Her spirit possessed the female members of the Gedde family who ruled Voodoo in New Orleans.

On Day 9, Wolfgang Ritter and Gabriel Knight discover her remains and reclaim the Talisman. After Wolfgang sacrificed his life, Gabe swore vengeance against Tetelo.

On Day 10, Malia Gedde, the last of the Gedde family, summons Tetelo. Divided between the loyalty to her family and her love for Gabe, she requests to be relieved of her duties, but Tetelo tells her that she is being blinded by the light; Gabriel will betray her as Gunter did to her.

Tetelo possessed Malia during the ceremony to sacrifice Grace, when Gabriel showed up with the Talisman. He confonted her and broke the ancient idol while fighting, Nalia tried to fight Tetelo who was in control of her, and seeing that Gabriel was not like Gunter, Malia chose to die and end Tetelo's evil.

See also

• Tetelo