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Not part of Riordanverse
The following article/section is from the Tristan Strong continuity under Rick Riordan Presents and not the Riordanverse canon. |
“ | All right, everyone. Let’s pick up where we left off. The buried narratives. Finding the stories within the story, the ones that exist in the white space. The blanks on the pages.. what do they mean? […] What do they mean boy? | ” |
–High John telling Tristan to look at the hidden stories in Tristan Strong Keeps Punching. |
High John (also known as High John the Conqueror or High John de Conqueror) was an African American god. He was a prince in Africa before being captured and sold into slavery. High John eventually became an African American God and is currently a morally ambiguous figure residing in Alke. He faded after absorbing too much of his own stories.
History[]
High John was born a prince in an African kingdom before being captured and sold into slavery (legend says that was from Congo). He would visit other slaves who needed his help the most. He would take their souls on a happy trip while their body worked on the plantation.
High John fell in love with the devil's daughter. In order to win her hand, the devil told him to clear an enormous field, plant corn, and then harvest it all in one day. The devil's daughter, in love with the man, gave High John a magic ax and plow to complete the task.
After his adventures, he gave all his powers to magical roots and came back to Africa with his wife.
Tristan Strong Trilogy[]
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky[]
After Tristan Strong and his friends aid the Ridgefolk in defeated the Abiyoyo, he arrives and asks for the Story Box. When Tristan says they need it to save MidPass, he says the island is overrun by iron monsters and no one is left and continue to ask for the Story Box. Tristan does not believe him and goes to leave but High John goes over to him and causes Tristan to experience pain that causes him to pass out.
He takes Tristan to Old Familiar, his crow, and shows him the dark clouds over MidPass to prove his statement. He tells Tristan he wants the Story Box to make himself strong enough to fight the iron monsters, but Tristan feels he is laxy. High John then grabs Tristan by the shirt color and jumps off Old Familiar. They watch the Thicket burn and the inhabitants run for their lives. After Tristan saves a group of children from fetterlings and gives a message to John Henry, he drags the boy back to Old Familiar just as he passes out. Back in the Ridge he lets Tristan and his friends have the Story Box before leaving. When Isihlangu is under attack, he returns and helps Tristan fight the iron monsters. He senses Ayanna's life force is fading fast and they head to the Golden Crescent to find better healers. He tells Tristan that pain is a part of healing as they arrive.
He takes them to a sycamore tree where he has a Mmoatia, fairy, heal Ayanna and Chestnutt. When they reach Nyame's Palace, he has a brief argument with the sky god before Nyame fixes the story box. When the Maafa arrives, he scouts it out and reports to the others. When the gods of MidPass arrives with refugees ready to fight, he covers Tristan from brand flies with Old Familiar but is quickly overpowered. After the battle he congratulates Tristan and is shocked to learn Anansi has been impersonating Brer Rabbit. He expresses his anger at the trickster.
When Tristan returns he watches as John Henry builds a bridge between Alke and MidPass and the two men laugh at Anansi's punishment. He flies Tristan back to his world on Old Familiar and says goodbye to the boy. When he returns a week has passed due to the temporal effects of the hole.
Tristan Strong Destroys the World[]
High John is mentioned to be on a work studies trip with Thandiwe to the Sands to recruit builders to help rebuild Alke. As a storm tears Alke apart, he and Thandiwe fly to the Golden Crescent to help with the evacuation. As they set sail for Tristan's world, he and the other gods help imbue the stories of Alke into a quilt in the hopes of rebuilding their world. He is one of the many Alkeans who vanished upon arriving in Tristan’s world.
Tristan Strong Keeps Punching[]
After escaping Alke, he ends up in a bookstore and learns of all the stories there are on him. He consumes them for power, which works at first, but he starts to weaken as he has erased his own story in gaining strength. After being forced to return to Chicago, Tristan dreams of the god telling him to look at the stories within the stories. He is later sees flying on Old Familiar over the Memphis Zoo. After Tristan has a run in with Harold and Darla, he has Old Familiar bring Tristan to him so he can help him.
When Tristan discovers the poor state of the god. High John explains how he had a run in with King Cotton and it took a lot out of him. They exit as they pass John and he explains he is a varient of his story. The god explains how he ended up in a bookstore and consumed his own stories for power, it worked initially but by doing so he erased those stories. He explains how King Cotton is trying to consume stories to erase history so he can shape it as he wants it to be. However he starts talking to Thandiwe and forgets he was talking to Tristan once he returns his attention to the boy. High John tells Tristan he has to show him something, but cannot go with him. Tristan reluctantly grabs onto Old Familiar as goes off. After Tristan witnesses the 1866 Memphis Race Riots and tells the boy he is fading. High John tells Tristan to find Thandiwe before going limp. Tristan carries him to a tree as John follows. When he rests the god at the trunk of a tree, he gives Tristan his bag and the boy reluctantly takes it. High John says to find Thandiwe as Old Familiar swoops down between them and Tristan appears in modern day Memphis with the tree tripling height and a bed of calla lilies in the shape of a sleeping man rest at the trunk.
Appearance[]
High John is a man of African descent with dark skin and curly hair so dark it shines. He has dimples that foreshadow a wide smile.
Personality[]
High John is a fast talker and has a short temper. He has a desire to protect the inhabitants of Alke but needs power to do so.
Abilities[]
- Soul Severing: High John can sever someone's soul from their body without killing them.
- Mental Projection: High John can project his thoughts to others, such a showing Tristan his memories of his time in Alke as well as the sunrise in Mississippi.
- Axemanship: High John is skilled with an axe.
- Agricultural Technique: High John is skilled with a plow.
Tristan Strong Trilogy | |
Books: | Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky | Tristan Strong Destroys the World | Tristan Strong Keeps Punching |
Main Characters: | Tristan Strong | Ayanna | Gum Baby | Anansi |
Secondary Characters: | Thandiwe | King Cotton | John Henry | Eddie Garvey | Maafa | Chestnutt | Nana Strong | Junior | Patty Roller | Granny Z |
Minor Characters: | Alvin Strong | Jessica Strong | Walter Strong | Fezile | Netta | Old Familiar | Mr. Richardson | Reggie Janson | DJ Kulture | Big Big | Terence Strong | Memphis Jones | Harold | Darla |
African American Gods: | Brer Rabbit | Brer Fox | Brer Bear | Sarah | Rose | High John | Tarrypin | Sis Crow | Keelboat Annie | Mami Wata | Lady Night |
West African Gods: | Anansi | Nyame |
Creatures: | Haint | Fetterling | Hullbeast | Brand Fly | Leopard Statue | Python Statue | Abiyoyo | Mmoatia | Plat-eye | River Spirit | Talking Skull | Boo Hag | Coffle | Twennymiles | Breakers |
Related Content: | Kwame Mbalia | Rick Riordan Presents | The Gum Baby Files |