High Priest (Rolli - Amazing Tales)

"We believe in the Great Trash, the Almighty Destroyer of the world, begotten by carelessness, born of greed. Oh, Great Trash! Wilt thou take these two as thy servants and baptize them as Trashers and Spreaders of Filth?"

- The High Priest making the Trashers' liturgy.

The High Priest is the main antagonist of the Finnish children's movie Rölli  – hirmuisia kertomuksia (titled in English as Rolli - Amazing Tales). He's the leader of the cult of Trashers that aspires to spread pollution across the Rolli Forest in the name of their deity, the Great Trash.

He was portrayed by the late Rolf Labbart.

Biography
The High Priest first appears by continuing Rolli's narration in the beginning. With his face concealed by shadows, he introduces himself as the High Priest of the Evil Kingdom. Making his dislike of the happiness in the Rolli Forest clear, he explains that he needs some humans to mess things up.

In a couple of scenes later, the High Priest is seen in the surveillance room of the Trashers' underground lair. He observes the actions of the toy industrialist Reino Seesteinen and his butler Yrjö Lerkkanen as they travel in the Rolli Forest. He also becomes aware of Rolli and the Forest Fairy. He correctly deduces that the Forest Fairy will become troublesome later and decides to deal with her in time. As for Rolli and the two humans, the High Priest decides that he can use them in destroying the Rolli Forest. When Rolli has sung his ignorantly consumerism-themed song ("Röllin tavaralaulu"), the High Priest rejoices with his henchmen.

While Seesteinen and Lerkkanen are driving in their jeep, the High Priest causes them to veer off the road. The Trashers then bring the two humans before the Great Trash. The High Priest enters the chamber and begins his liturgy. He then asks if the Great Trash wants to baptize the two men as Trashers. After the Great Trash gives an affirmative answer, the High Priest picks up his large ritual dagger from its place in a rock and approaches Seesteinen and Lerkkanen menacingly. He cuts their bindings and forces them to remain kneeled as the Great Trash pukes all over them, turning them into Trashers. The High Priest then orders them to go to the Rolli Forest and carry out the orders they know. He strikes his knife back into the rock and exits the chamber.

The High Priest is next seen in the surveillance room, observing with delight as the inhabitants of the Rolli Forest marvel and fight over the junk and trash the Trashers spread all over the forest. However, he turns serious when he sees the Forest Fairy trying to reserve the forest cleanliness by collecting trash away. Hating how much more thoughtful she is than the other forest-dwellers, the High Priest has an idea of how to neutralize her. While posing as an invisible wish-granting elf, Seesteinen gives Rolli a bottle of whiskey. Becoming drunk, he scares the Forest Fairy away, depressing her. Satisfied with this, the High Priest decides Rolli has served his purpose. He then calls forth a stormy wind that spreads even more trash all over the forest.

Disappointed at her inability to stop the pollution in the forest, the Forest Fairy decides to move away. However, while on her way, she's captured by the Trashers who bring her before the High Priest and the Great Trash. The High Priest tells her that she was becoming a threat because of her foresightfulness but shall become one of the Trashers. He then orders the Trashers to set the Sale Trap for the inhabitants of the Rolli Forest and prepare for their ultimate victory.

Nearly all the inhabitants of the Rolli Forest — including Rolli — are captured through the Sale Trap and brought before the Great Trash. While the High Priest doesn't join the Trashers' song ("Roskanheittäjien messu"), he observes with delight as the Great Trash converts the forest-dwellers as new Trashers. When he sees Rolli, he decides to have him converted together with the Forest Fairy. Picking up his knife, he asks if the Great Trash wants to baptize the two heroes as Trashers. Though the Great Trash gives an affirmative answer, the heroes dodge his vomit.

Thr High Priest then notices the Big Rolli who has entered the lair much later than the other forest-dwellers. He orders the Trashers to capture him, but they're unable to subdue the strong creature. Then they realize he has a broom that has lost its handle and become fearful, for brushes are the Trashers' weakness. When the broom ends up right down the throat of the Great Trash, the High Priest orders Alka-Seltzer to be poured into his mouth. This doesn't stop the convulsions of the Great Trash, however, and the lair starts crumbling. Angered, the High Priest promises Rolli and the Forest Fairy that they haven't heard the last of him. He then makes his escape from the lair as the Great Trash dies and all the other Trashers are freed from his influence. Upon entering the forest, the High Priest yells in pain as he covers his face and collapses.

After they've escaped from the Trashers' collapsing lair, Rolli and the Forest Fairy go to see the giant old tree who promised to help Rolli in exchange for not felling it in the beginning. Unbeknownst to them, the High Priest is hiding behind the tree. He ambushes them, forcing them against the tree as he covers his face with his arm. The Forest Fairy then asks why he wants to destroy the Rolli Forest. Deciding he might as well tell his reasons to the heroes he's about to kill, he reveals his face that has turned ashen. He explains that the light and purity of the forest disfigure the face of evil creatures such as him. He then says that he shall create more Trashers and bring forth more trash to pollute the forest and kill all life in it, claiming that his face shall turn back to normal when that happens. He then brandishes his knife, intending to kill the two heroes. However, the old tree starts making sounds, startling the High Priest. His robe is stuck in a nook before the tree falls on him, killing him. Only his empty clothes are found under the tree.

Personality
The High Priest of the Trashers is a malevolent cult leader who worships a deity of pollution and forcibly makes other creatures his henchmen. He hates goodness and happiness of pure nature, wanting to spread trash and filth everywhere so that all forest life will die. He's diabolical, working step by step to carry out his plans and seeing how people can be of use to him. He also realizes early on the threat posed by the Forest Fairy, the only inhabitant of the Rolli Forest who thinks about what damage the large amounts of junk will do to the forest.

Trivia

 * Though the leader of the Trashers is technically the Great Trash, the High Priest is the main antagonist because he has a lot more screen-time than the Great Trash, gives orders to the other Trashers and makes their plans. After the Great Trash dies, the High Priest makes it clear that he shall continue his plans to destroy the Forest Forest, with his death putting an end to that threat.
 * The High Priest appears only in Rolli - Amazing Tales, but he's the darkest villain who has appeared in the Rölli franchise. He's never portrayed humorously, he aspires to diabolically destroy all life in a forest, and he attempts to directly kill the heroes in the end.