Rain Blesser (Africa; Toto)

NAME/ORIGIN
Character name	Rain Blesser
Song/Album	"Africa"/ IV
Act	Toto
Writer	David Paitch and Jeff Procaro
Release Date	1982
ABILITIES
Powers	-Hear sounds around the world, and from the past "I hear drums echoing tonight" "Hoping to find some long-forgotten words or ancient melodies" -Star-navigation for prophecy/ future-seeing "The stars that guide me toward salvation" -Fight off an entire armed army company "There's nothing that 100 men or more could ever do" -Understand animal sounds "Wild dogs cry out... longing for,,, company."
Skills	Medicine
Attributes	Makes and keeps friends easily. Is a master at reading non-verbal cues. Highly spiritual
Vulnerabilities	Bad at geography "Sure as Kilimanjaro rises... above the Serengeti" (it's more than 300 miles away!)
Formidability	High, if he can take on that many soldiers, and can never be approached by stealth
Attractiveness	Above average, if someone is flying all the way to Africa to see them.
Source	N/A. Possible telepathic communication from a shaman
Goals	Stay with this one woman
POSSESSIONS
Weapons	N/A
Amulets	N/A
Objects	N/A
Clothing	N/A
Vehicles	N/A
Dwelling	N/A
Milieu	Lives in Africa, but seems to be a non-native
BIOGRAPHY
Gender	Male
Age	Adult, at least middle-age (speculation)
Physique	N/A
Ethnicity	N/A
Origin	N/A
Ancestry	N/A
Profession	Mostly likely a doctor, possible with Doctors Without Borders "I seek to cure"
Education	Medical school
SES	Potentially high, but is too altruistic to work for only money
Relationships	A woman, not from Africa, and an "old man," likely from there.
Pets	N/A
PERSONALITY
Morality	Moral to a fault: "I know I must do what's right"
Intro/extrovert	Extrovert and friendly, but not self-aggrandizing
Intelligence	Above average
Emotions	passionate and dedicated, but "frightened" of his powers
Sanity	Sane
Enemies	Anyone coming between him and his love Disease and injury, in general
Narrative Function	Protagonist
Other Notes	An altruistic doctor comes to Africa to heal the local population. Endless drought is causing widespread health problems. Whenever it does rain, he falls to his knees and raises his hands, he's so relieved and grateful. This leads the locals to say he blesses the rains, and they start calling him Rain Blesser. But he starts hearing sounds he shouldn't. He is afraid of admitting to auditory hallucinations for fear of being sent home; he truly wants to do his job and he doesn't think his issue should prevent that, but he knows his colleagues would not agree. He contacts his girlfriend, probably another doctor, and she agrees to fly to Africa to help him. He says they will also have some adventures while she is there; he will take the time from his condition and patients to explore Africa, where she has never been. Before she gets there, he starts to realize that he is not hallucinating, but hearing actual sounds... just ones made in the past-- the "echo" of drums no one else can hear-- whose frequencies should have long dissipated. Since he cannot consult his colleagues, he turns to a shaman; maybe if this person could describe something specific-- "some long-forgotten words or ancient melodies," for instance-- he could try to focus on hearing these words or songs. Before he can even ask the question, the shaman makes him understand that he must "hurry" to solidify his power: "It's waiting there for you!" His natural gift for reading non-verbal communication, which makes him valuable as a doctor to those who do not share his language (he's widely praised as being a "good listener"), is now augmented by his hearing ability to the point where he can understand the overall meaning of animal sounds. It is unclear how he becomes able to read the stars' light as well, or how he develops the strength and skills to battle "100 men or more" at once, or what caused his past-hearing powers. Perhaps, when he blessed the rain... it blessed him back.