| Protagonists | |
| Rebecca Trevisard | ||||
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 )Tanja Kuntze ) Framboise Gommendy ) Michela Ravano )Esther Rodriguez | ||||
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Rebecca Jane[1] Trevisard is one of the main characters in Realms of the Haunting who makes Adam's acquaintance fairly early in the game, after he returns from the Mausoleum. During their first encounter in the Mansion's Study, Adam learns that she has psychic, specifically mind-reading abilities.
Rebecca - 'Open Eye'
In her dialogue with Adam, Rebecca is rather hesitant to disclose information on her background, but there are still pieces of explicit and implicit characterization which allow us to get a slightly more profound impression of her identity and personality.
Answering Adam's question as to where she exactly comes from, Rebecca answers that her residences change frequently as she is a lecturer on ancient European history and theology.[2] Her parents died a long time ago and her recollection of them is but faint.[3]
As testified by her affluence of valuable comments and insights, she appears to be extremely well-read, her interests and knowledge ranging from Oriental and European culture, European history[4], religion[5] and mythology[6], iconography[7], to mineralogy[8][9][10][11][12], and musical notation. Her suggested aptness at reading music manifests itself during our trials in Raysiel's Tower, when we examine one of the wooden doors with a set of musical notes carved into it.[13]
From discussing certain objects it can be gathered that she also appears to be fluent in French.[14][15]
Powers[]
| “ |
Adam: What do you think Aelf meant when he said 'to go with open eye'? |
” |
As stated above, Rebecca is a person with psychic, specifically telepathic abilities. Aelf refers to her as the 'open eye'. An important device in this regard is the Pendant that she's wearing around her neck, referred to as Third Periapt of the Assembly in the letters that are found in the Study. By touching the pendant that she's wearing around her neck and which has the shape of an eye - reminiscent in fact, of the Egyptian Eye of Horus - Rebecca can both bear witness to and telegraph external events to other people:
- In the
Rebecca - 'Open Eye' which displays Adam's and Rebecca's first meeting after his return from the Mausoleum, we see her looking at the pendant. She apparently was able to witness all of Adam's actions and visions, as is suggested by their conversation about Gaul.[16] - Additionally, when talking about Gaul, Rebecca comments how Adam had a vision of him when sitting on the throne and receiving the brands in the Mausoleum.
- When Gaul seals the main entrance of the house and leaves the Ace of Spades card on the ground while Rebecca and Adam are inside the Armory, she grabs Adam's hand which allows him to see what she experiences mentally.
- Similarly, this procedure allows them to make contact with Hawk, first inside the crypt leading to the Caverns, and secondly inside the Chamber beyond the Sarcophagus where he is being held prisoner.
- When Adam returns from his tête-à-tête with the Gnarl, Rebecca informs him that she was able to witness the whole conversation through the green dome that serves as the teleporter between the Mansion and the Gnarl's Domain.
It's more than likely then, that the pendant's gem is actually a piece of the Soulstone which would also explain why she could later on travel to the Chamber of the Soulstone in Sheol, without possessing one of the necessary green crystals (Adam originally only took one of them from the altar stone in the Temple of the Morning Star, as seen in Chapter X: The Key of Tears).
Apart from her psychic abilities, Rebecca's knowledge of the paranormal is extensive, and encompasses subjects such as:
- Psychokinesis[17]
- Dimensions[18]
- Lucid Dreams[19]
- Sensitives[20]
- Faculty X[21]
- Intuition[22]
- Noosphere[23]
Secrets[]
As Rebecca herself discloses to Adam towards the end of the game, she is much older than she appears to be. There is one instance in Florentine's journal, specifically the entry of the 29th of August 1912 where he mentions "[his] love", words which quite certainly can be attributed to Rebecca.
In a confrontation towards the end of the game, Florentine addresses her as Rebecca Jane which reveals that the 4 letters Adam found in the Study were actually composed by her.
From these letters we can gather several bits about her background and past whereabouts:
For a prolonged time, she has served as a priestess for the Temple of the Morning Star and she must have dwelled in Paris around the year 1929. As she openly disclosed towards Adam during their introduction in the Study, her residences change frequently, as she's often on the move holding lectures. Her journeys have even led her to United States, according to the address header of her letter from the 4th of August, 1930.
Name[]
Rebecca (Hebrew רִבְקָה Rivkah) is a feminine given name of Hebrew origin. Meanings include "captivating" and "to bind", or "tying"[24]. German theologist Wilhelm Gesenius suggests that this name denotes a woman who ensnares a man with her beauty.[25]
Until the 17th century, Rebecca was almost exclusively a Jewish name. After the Reformation, however, it became one of many Old Testament names adopted by Protestants. Rebecca was especially popular with the Puritans. It was revived in the late 20th century.[26]
I'm not entirely sure whether the developers of the game put any significance on her surname. The only relevant and notable reference to the name "Trevisard" that I could come across, was the account on a certain Michael and Alice Trevisard, a couple who were accused of witchcraft by the townspeople of Hardness, Devonshire in the 1601.[27][28][29]
Anagrams[]
- A Secret Cabdriver: what a curious coincidence. On the other hand, we can be fairly certain that the cabdriver escorting Adam to the mansion is male, as he has been revealed to be Mark Bedford.
Cultural references[]
Andromeda[]
If Adam is not in possession of the Power of Dominion, he will be subject to an illusion induced by Belial where Adam finds an unconscious Rebecca sedated with chloroform and chained to a rock. As he tries to wake her, he puts down Eternity which serves Belial as an opportunity to take both the sword and the Shrive from him. Adam, then, has to defeat Belial again in order to reobtain these objects.
The image of a woman being chained to a rock might refer to the story of Ethiopian princess Andromeda[30] in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Her mother Cassiopeia bragged that she was more beautiful than the Nereids, the nymph-daughters of the sea god Nereus. To punish the queen for her arrogance, Poseidon, brother to Zeus and God of the Sea, sent a sea monster called Cetus to ravage the coast of Ethiopia and the kingdom of the vain queen. The desperate king consulted the Ammon, the Oracle of Zeus, who announced that no respite would be found until the king sacrificed his virgin daughter Andromeda to the monster. She was chained naked to a rock on the coast of Jaffa. She was saved from death by Perseus, her future husband. The subject has been represented in works by Rembrandt[31] and Doré[32], among others.
Rebecca[]
In the Old Testament, Rebecca is the wife of Isaac and mother of Jacob and Esau. In his old age, when Isaac becomes blind, he decides to bestow his blessing on his firstborn son, Esau. He sends Esau out to the fields to trap and cook a piece of savory game for him, so that he can eat it and bless Esau before he dies. Rebecca prophetically overhears this conversation and realizes that Isaac's blessings must go to Jacob, since she was told before the twins' birth that the elder son would serve the younger. She therefore orders Jacob to bring her two goats from the flock, which she will cook in the way Isaac loves, and to bring them to his father disguised as and in place of Esau. This act of deceit is to some degree mirrored in ROTH where Rebecca conceals the fact from Adam that she once was an ally of Florentine and is in fact much older than she appears to be.
Trevisard[]
Fisherman Michael Trevisard of Hardness, Devon, and his wife Alice were both suspected of practicing witchcraft and pursued in the 17th century.[33]
Quotes[]
| “ |
Death, Adam, is as light as a feather. Duty, is as heavy as a rock. |
” |
Rebecca says these words after she and Adam have received Eternity from Tishtrya. This is a slightly altered quotation from Robert Jordan's The Shadow Rising, the fourth book in his Wheel of Time series, where this is a Shienaran proverb: "Duty is heavy as a mountain, death is light as a feather." The game also alludes to other aspects of Wheel of Time. For more information, go here. Apparently this expression is derived from a Japanese proverb, precisely an oft-quoted part of the code of the Samurai, which states that "while duty is heavier than a mountain, death is lighter than a feather."
Script[]
Rebecca's Background[]
| “ |
Adam: Hope you don't mind me asking but where do you come from? |
” |
| “ |
Adam: I've asked you this before, but err... where do you come from exactly? |
” |
| “ |
Adam: Sorry to ask again, but I didn't get a straight answer the first time. |
” |
Rebecca's Lecturing[]
| “ |
Adam: What do you lecture in Rebecca? |
” |
| “ |
Adam: What was it you teach again, Rebecca? Archaeology. |
” |
Rebecca's Family[]
| “ |
Adam: Rebecca. Do you have any family? |
” |
Not right now Rebecca.
| “ |
Adam: If you don't mind, I really don't want to talk about this right now. Some other time perhaps. |
” |
OK, I'll tell you.
| “ |
Adam: Only my mother... My parents separated when I was very young. |
” |
Rebecca's Powers[]
| “ |
Adam: That was a nice demonstration of the paranormal. Do you only read minds? Can you make objects move, project thoughts... bend spoons? |
” |
| “ |
Rebecca: Psychokinesis - PK - is the direct influence of a mind on a physical system without the mediation of any known physical energy. |
” |
| “ |
Rebecca: We see three-dimensional space around us in the physical world. Many regard the psychic world as four-dimensional, the fourth being a world where an individual may move from one place to another. |
” |
| “ |
Rebecca: In Lucid Dreams, the dreamer is aware of dreaming and can decide whether to continue the dream or end it - so the dreamer essentially manipulates the dream. |
” |
| “ |
Rebecca: Sensitives are those who are sensitive to impressions that are not normally perceived by the average person. Such a person is commonly known as a psychic. |
” |
| “ |
Rebecca: Faculty 'X' is the mental power used to loosen the hold which our present surroundings have on our attention. The power can also be used to become aware of other places, other times, and other realities. |
” |
| “ |
Rebecca: Intuition is a sudden knowing, independent of any logical thought process and often even at first sight is contrary to logic. |
” |
| “ |
Rebecca: The Noosphere - or mindsphere - is the term for the network of thought which some people believe surrounds the earth and links all humanity. |
” |
Reflecting on Rebecca[]
| “ |
Adam: Rebecca. She seems so... sincere. Who knows? She claims to be a lecturer in ancient European history. One things [sic] for sure, she does have some form of psychic power. We'll see. |
” |
Reflecting on Rebecca's Pendant[]
| “ |
Adam: Rebecca's pendant. She feels strangely close. |
” |
Gallery[]
![Another more colorful concept illustration for Rebecca, featuring Paul Green's trademark Manga style. According to the PC Format #65 article, this "New Age concept of Rebecca was dropped in favor of the darker, moodier character [above]. Good choice."](/wiki/File:Rebecca_-_Concept_Artwork_-_Manga_Style_-_PC_Format_65.jpg "Rebecca - Concept Artwork - Manga Style - PC Format 65.jpg (36 KB)")
References[]
- ↑ Her second name is revealed by Florentine towards the end of the game.
- ↑
“ Adam: What do you lecture in Rebecca?
Rebecca: History. Mainly ancient European - and a little Theology. I also dabble in the paranormal though I don't lecture on it. Adam: What was it you teach again, Rebecca? Archaeology.
Rebecca: No. History. Ancient European History.” - ↑
“ Adam: Rebecca. Do you have any family?
Rebecca: I did, a long time ago.
Adam: Oh.
Rebecca: I hardly remember them. What about you Adam, do you have any other family? Adam: Only my mother... My parents separated when I was very young.
Rebecca: What happened?
Adam: You know, people grow apart sometimes. Dad always had more time for the church than his family. Mother moved back home to Canada. I never saw Dad much after that. I met him briefly four years ago when I was on a student exchange. It was an awkward meeting. He'd changed a lot - but it was too late... for both of us.
Rebecca: It's never too late Adam.
Adam: Sounds like the voice of experience.” - ↑
“ Adam: What do you lecture in Rebecca?
Rebecca: History. Mainly ancient European - and a little Theology. I also dabble in the paranormal though I don't lecture on it. Adam: What was it you teach again, Rebecca? Archaeology.
Rebecca: No. History. Ancient European History.” - ↑
“ Adam: Hmm. Hand-written text.
Rebecca: What's it say?
Adam: This reads like some religious text.
Rebecca: Definitely no Apocrypha I've ever read.” - ↑
“ Adam: Who do you think that spirit was who procured Eternity?
Rebecca: Well given the Persian undertones of Aqua [sic] and the fact that he materialized from a fountain there's a good chance he was Tishtrya.
Adam: I've heard of him. Yes. The Iranian god of water.
Rebecca: God of all water. Clouds, lakes and the sea. He was an ally of Ahura Mazdah the Wise Lord in the struggle against the dark forces of evil under Ahriman in mythol... [sic]
Adam: O.K Rebecca, that was all a long time ago...” - ↑
“ Adam: Someone spent a lot of time on this.
Rebecca: The iconography has to be spot on otherwise these things don't work.” —Examining the occult floor painting in the Mansion which is used to summon the Beast creature that holds the Quartz Idol key.
- ↑
“ Adam: This is a Topaz.
Rebecca: Right. But it's a false Topaz. A transparent yellow variety of Quartz.
Adam: (with fake astonishment): You don't say...” - ↑
“ Adam: A garnet stone I believe.
Rebecca: Vitreous silicate mineral.
Adam: Whatever.” - ↑
“ Adam: Err... No, don't know what this is.
Rebecca: It's an Amethyst. A type of quartz.” - ↑
“ Adam: I know this one. It's an Emerald.
Rebecca: A variety of Beryl.” - ↑
“ Adam: What would you call this Rebecca?
Rebecca: A Sapphire. It's a little dull though.” - ↑
“ Adam: Can you read music?
Rebecca: Yes... Looks more like a fanfare than a tune though, if you know what I mean.” —Investigating one of the wooden doors in Raysiel's Tower, which has a set of musical notes carved into it.
- ↑
“ Adam: 1779. Fleur and Maison.
Rebecca: French.
Adam: Mademoiselle. You really amaze me sometimes.” —Examining the Telescopes in Florentine's Observatory.
- ↑ From the address headers on the Letters we find inside the Study, it can be deduced that Rebecca must have dwelled in Paris for some time in the years 1929 and 1930, frequenting the Bibliothèque Nationale in search of useful literature for Florentine.
- ↑ Discussing Gaul
“ Adam: We've seen Gaul twice now.
Rebecca: Three times. You also saw him in the Mausoleum. Remember the visions you had when you were Branded?” - ↑ "Psychokinesis - PK - is the direct influence of a mind on a physical system without the mediation of any known physical energy."
- ↑ "We see three-dimensional space around us in the physical world. Many regard the psychic world as four-dimensional, the fourth being a place where an individual may move from one place to another."
- ↑ "In Lucid Dreams, the dreamer is aware of dreaming and can decide whether to continue the dream or end it - so the dreamer essentially manipulates the dream."
- ↑ "Sensitives are those who are sensitive to impressions that are not normally perceived by the average person. Such a person is commonly known as a psychic."
- ↑ "Faculty "X" is the mental power used to loosen the hold which our present surroundings have on our attention. The power can also be used to become aware of other places, other times, and other realities."
- ↑ "Intuition is a sudden knowing, independent of any logical thought process and often even at first sight is contrary to logic."
- ↑ "The Noosphere - or mindsphere - is the term for the network of thought which some people believe surrounds the earth and links all humanity."
- ↑ Jones: The proper names of the Old Testament Scriptures. By Rev Alfred Jones. Samuel Bagster and sons, 15 paternoster row, London. 1856.
- ↑ Gesenius: Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament Scriptures (Translated by Samuel Prideaux Tregelles).
- ↑ Edgar's Name Pages
- ↑ Ariel Glucklich,The End of Magic, page 71.
- ↑ Emma Wilby, Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits: Shamanistic Visionary Traditions in Early Modern British Witchcraft and Magic, page 45.
- ↑ Norman Cohn, Europe's Inner Demons: The Demonization of Christians in Medieval Christendom, page 223.
- ↑ Ovid, Metamorphoses, Book IV: 663-705 Perseus offers to save Andromeda
- ↑ Rembrandt, Andromeda Chained to the Rocks
- ↑ Gustave Doré, Andromeda
- ↑ C. L'Estrange Ewen. Witchcraft and Demonism. 193-196.