Once upon a time...
A story was told, followed by others.
Each was like a thread that wove together into a single world.
At times, a tale would be retold, each time slightly different from the last.
But how many times can a tale be retold...
...before it becomes twisted?
A story was told, followed by others.
Each was like a thread that wove together into a single world.
At times, a tale would be retold, each time slightly different from the last.
But how many times can a tale be retold...
...before it becomes twisted?
The room was dark, lit by a small candle on the table. In a rustic office, nestled on the waterfront of Ravenport, two world-weary men stared at a job applicant with incredulous scrutiny. Outside, the office sign swing in the wind, a storm was coming or so the darkening clouds indicated. It was just after sunset, the streets of the waterfront becoming darker as city workers prepared to make their rounds to light the street lamp torches. The office smelled of wood, ink, and tobacco smoke. Of the two men, the one sitting at the desk held a rolled up cigarette in his fingers, putting to his lips and taking a deep puff. His partner, a slightly younger man with a long coat wrapped his body, also had a smoke of his own, though his was a pipe. The first man, looking grizzled and in need of a shave, took a deep breath, the sound of it indicating a deep and gravelly voice before he finally spoke.
"So you're the applicant? Can't say I'm relieved, you don't look like much to me." his tone was flat, pessimistic even. Clearly he was a man who always expected the worst to happen. Supposedly there was less chance of disappointment that way, or so he claimed on numerous occasions. His free hand reached over to a glass sitting on the desk. He put it to his lips and took a good swig of the drink, its smell and color indicating a liquor of some kind. After that he began thumbing through a dossier of the applicant that lay opened on the desk.
"Come now, Rolfe, begger's can't be choosers." the other man sounded a bit more hopeful and optimistic, though inside he also had his doubts. His voice wasn't as deep as Rolfe, and no where near as gravelly if at all. In fact his tone and even accent indicated a Middle or Upper-Middle class upbringing, as opposed to Rolfe sounding like he grew up in the streets or surviving out in the wilderness. The two were quite different when one looked at them next to each other in the same room, and yet they appeared to get along rather well, a mutual trust and respect that only two business partners could share.
"So you wanna join the Wolf's Den, do ya?" asked Rolfe, reaching a hand up and brushing his fingers through his rough brown hair with a bit of an exasperated sigh, "Wanna save this city from the filth infecting it?" it sounded like a harsh criticism of the city, and truth be told it wasn't entirely invalid. Ravenport was clean, though that mostly applied to the inner districts where the Middle Class and Upper Class lived. The outer districts and especially the Waterfront were practically like slums, home to the lower class, the homeless, and probably more than a few shady characters. But the way Rolfe talked, it was like the "filth" he mentioned was referring to something other than crime, "This job's not for the faint of heart... or the weak of stomach for that matter. If you're serious about this, then you better be ready for anything, and I do mean anything."
"Right then, I think I'd better take my leave. The case against Ratigan isn't going to finish itself. I'll call on you if I need any extra help." said the younger of the two partners before he pocketed his pipe and stepped out the door. Ominous timing too, the rain was beginning to fall and thunder could heard in the distance.
"What's that? Ratigan? Don't bother, you aren't ready for the big leagues. I'm startin' you out on some of the smaller cases that've been piling up lately. Get some of those cleared up, and then maybe I'll give you something bigger. Welcome to the Wolf's Den, Pup. Now get out there and do some work... and try not to die."
Welcome, one and all, to the world of Twisted Tales. In this world, reinterpretation is the name of the game. The iconic Fairy Tales from your childhood are not only real, but most of them are considered extremely dangerous. Ever wondered just how warped a story like Little Red Riding Hood could get? Well, wonder no more, because that's exactly what we'll be doing throughout this RP. Fairy Tales will be rewritten and reinterpreted into dark and terrifying tales of monsters and gruesome deaths. You're characters will be new recruits at the Wolf's Den Agency, based out of the Waterfront District of Ravenport. Here you'll be working for Rolfe and his partner, Basil. They'll give you cases to work on, some of them minor and others... not so much. Try to solve as many as you can and maybe we'll see pieces of a larger mystery fall into place. Or... you might die a horrible death. So come and face your fears, and see these Tales through to their end.
Terminology
Fables: A catch-all term used to refer to any character from any Fairy Tale. Most will have powers and abilities beyond what Mundanes are capable of. The general rule of thumb for a Fable's power level is based around how many stories are told about them. A Fable like the Big Bad Wolf would be considered particularly powerful and terrifying because that Fable is featured in more than one story. Compare that to a Fable that is featured in only one story, or even was just a minor character in a story, someone like that wouldn't be nearly as powerful.
Mundanes: A catch-all term used to refer to anyone that isn't a Fable. Mundanes are, for the most part, ordinary humans. They can be skilled, have knowledge of Fables and what they can do, but are still just normal humans at the end of the day. That's not to say a Mundane cannot become powerful. On the contrary, where Fables are usually locked at whatever level of power and influence they begin with, Mundanes start off life as powerless unknowns, but their fame and influence can increase if they work for it... and actually live to tell the tale of course.
The Embargo: This refers to the list of Fables down below who are unavailable for players to use. This is because they are either far too powerful, or because I simply have other plans for them. Or both, as the case may be.
Categories: A term used to assign a level of power to any Fable. Usually corresponds to the number of stories that Fable appears in, but other factors are involved as well, since a 1-story Fable can still possess a large number of powers if they possessed them in that one story. To use the Big Bad Wolf as an example again, he would be considered somewhere between Category 3 and Category 4 due to playing a prominent role in two separate stories, and being the main villain of both of them. Generally, Category 5 is the maximum cap for this descriptor. Don't let the numbers lead you to believe that they are the end-all-be-all of how strong a Fable can be, because they aren't. Even a Category 4 Fable can still be killed by a Category 2 or 3, it just means the lower level Fable has to be smarter and more cunning to pull off the win.
Glamours: They are basically disguise spells in a bottle for the most part. Glamours tend to require specific ingredients that are then kept together in a small, enchanted container of some kind. Imagine a vial or bottle small enough to fit into a locket or pendent or the like. Like with Fables, Glamours usually come in tiers of quality. The most basic Glamours are meant to be able to thinly veil a person's appearance in a way that can be obtained on the cheap. They are also the easiest to break. The quickest and most simple way to break a Glamour is simply separating it from the person wearing it, or even breaking the container outright. There are more advanced Glamours that can be used for more thorough disguises that are also harder to break and detect, but as you would expect they are also more expensive.
The Embargo
Peter Pan
Tinker Bell
Captain Hook
The Big Bad Wolf
Basil
Ratigan
Woodsman (Red Riding Hood)
Three Little Pigs
Grimhilde (Evil Queen)
Snow White
Maleficent
Fairy Godmother
Rules
1. All, the standard rules of the site apply here.
2. The RP is tagged as 18+. That means there will be bloody deaths written in gory detail. It does NOT mean that there will be sexual content, so keep that stuff to PM's if you really insist on including it.
3. The RP will be a sort of Dark Fantasy Film Noire. The focus will be on investigating, putting the pieces together to solve the mysteries. Action will have its place, but don't expect there to be action-packed fight scenes or the like all that often.
4. Follow the outline I have provided for the power levels of Fables.
5. Don't ask to play as any Fable that is included in the Embargo. They are there because I have other plans for them.
6. If you choose to play a Fable, you cannot be higher than a Category 2.
Character Template
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Race:[/b] (Fable or Mundane?)
[b]Tale:[/b] (If Fable, what story do they come from? If Mundane, just put None or N/A.)
[b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Powers/Skills:[/b] (List and/or describe the skills and powers the character has. Only Fables have actual powers, Mundanes are limited to just Skills.)
[b]Personality:[/b]
[b]History:[/b]
