Oddsbod

1x1s ft. Saber

@Saber I don't think I've ever done 1x1 stories before, but I defs wanna give it a shot. The Draw Your Blade angle of a city of adventure turned into an authoritarian prison sounds like a ton of fun to write too, I'd be down if you still need a co-writer. I'm a huge sucker though for classical high fantasy with strong sc-fi undertones, God Machine'd also be really cool if you've got any kind of interest in that.

World Warriors: The Nomadic Fist (Quirky Fighting Game Influenced Roleplay)

@Mr Allen J Acknowledged, Savo = scrublord, gotcha.

Maybe if I make it so it only takes 5 minutes to seal an attack or object away for permanent use (instead of automatically releasing itself in like a minute), then make it so injuries always return to their owner after an hour, even if a full five minutes is spent on sealing it?

I'm a bit hesitant to give him too many power-ups, since there're a ton of niche cases where he can totally blank an attack if he can see it coming, and I don't think it's a big issue to have him be weak. Weak can be fun to write. My worry is how strong he can be in situations like if Brooke tried her Meteor Impact. Given he'd have time to open up a container on the way down, he could just bottle it up on impact, then release the whole thing the next second while she's worn out from the attack. D'you think it'd be okay to raise the number of container's to 12 maybe, or should I just stick to ten and err on the side of caution?

Also, approximately, how close do you think the sheet is to game-ready?

World Warriors: The Nomadic Fist (Quirky Fighting Game Influenced Roleplay)

@KaiserElectric Thanks! Really appreciate all the critique and advice you guys've given. I've updated Askin's sheet with that in mind, and I think this version of his abilities/moves section should work a bit better. You mentioned that his abilities feel a bit random and inconsistent, like he grabbed them from a random opponent outside of battle, but, to be honest, that's pretty much what I was hoping to get across--like, this is a person with no real identity or style to call his own, and everything he is has to come from other people. But, I can defs see that that gets blotted out, so I'm hoping the current version makes the copying/redirecting schtick feel more like the overarching gimmick of the character. I used Savo's suggestion for the Imprisoner as reference, for formatting. Do you think this update might work?

Fighting Style & Abilities

FIGHTING STYLE & ABILITIES

FIGHTING STYLE

You will likely underestimate Askin due to his diminutive appearance, and assume he isn’t much of a fighter. If you do, you would be right; Askin is a shit fighter, and probably always will be. Despite being born with massive inherent ki, he never worked to train or improve it, and never learned to use it in conjunction with martial arts. By the time he became a young adult, he had about average ki for a strong nomad, almost the exact same amount he was born with, and with no combat prowess to back it up.

What he lacks in speed, power, or experience, however, he makes up for in versatility and pure unpredictability. The abilities you might see him use are all vastly different and have apparently no rhyme or reason. One moment he might produce a wave of freezing cold, the next you might be dizzy with hallucinations, or dodging gunfire. It’s difficult to figure out what kind of fighter Askin really is, or what sort of attacks or techniques he might produce next.

It’s not well known, but the truth behind Askin is that he doesn’t have any real abilities, any real fighting techniques or superpowers on his own. He’s like a blank and naked doll that can be dressed up according to whim and convenience. Using the secret magic of the lamp, Askin created ten lesser duplications, powerful brass containers that can trap things in them just as he was trapped. By bottling away weapons and attacks, either outside of combat or in the heat of battle, Askin can make use of a wide spread of powers, and keep his opponents constantly guessing. However, everything he is has to come from others—on his own, Askin is just another face in the crowd.

Independent of the containers, Askin has learned some very rudimentary ki manipulation, focusing on momentary bursts of speed to jump quickly from place to place. On its own, this is a rough, amateur abilities that no respectable nomad would use, though its good at supplementing his stolen powers.

SPECIAL MOVES & TECHNIQUES

■ The Imprisoner // The Unleasher

Askin can quickly and in the heat of the moment negate a single incoming attack entirely by bottling it away into one of his magic bottles. How long it stays negated and sealed away is proportional to how much time and what kind of setting he was in while performing the imprisoning ritual. In the heat of battle, Askin can only imprison something for about a minute. If given a safe environment and a solid hour without disturbance, however, Askin can permanently seal up abilities outside of battle, and enter later frays with a wide variety of attacks ready to go. There is one empty container unusually small compared to the others, which Askin never opens except in emergencies—it's modified to fit inside a fake molar in the back of his mouth, to be used on the off chance Askin's other containers are taken or lost.

Once imprisoned, Askin can unbottle and release the abilities as he sees fit.

■ Container 1 - The Dynamo

Askin unleashes a devastating ki-powered punch of wall-wrecking power. (An Imprisoned move—One use only)

■ Container 2 - The Winter

Askin releases a terrible winter that freezes up everything in front of him. (An Imprisoned move—One use only)

■ Container 3 - The Discotheque

Askin releases a spinning whirlwind of ten vicious swords, slicing outwards like an unfolding flower. (An Imprisoned move—One use only)

■ Container 4 - The Inferno

Askin lets out a sudden barrage of grenades. (An Imprisoned move—One use only)

■ Container 5 - The Tempestuousness

Askin sets loose an enormous windstorm, which can propel him to safety or hurl all his surroundings backwards. (An Imprisoned move—One use only)

■ Container 6 - The Clapchains

Askin hurls out a sudden, enormous tangle of ki-infused handcuffs and restraints, capable of tangling up enemy fighters and interfering with their abilities. (An Imprisoned move—One use only)

■ Container 7 - The Waking Dream

Askin shares a happy and wonderful dream with the target, filling them with the strong feeling that everything is good and right in the world, and their happiest moments and deepest hopes will swim before their eyes. Not a traditional combat technique, but it can easily distract someone in a fight. (An Imprisoned move—One use only)

■ Container 8 - The Unspoken Nightmare

Askin shares a terrifying nightmare with the target, filling them with everything they’ve ever doubted about themselves, and ever dark future they fear will come to pass. Not a traditional combat technique, but it can easily distract someone in a fight. (An Imprisoned move—One use only)

■ Container 9 - Empty

In the heat of battle, Askin can temporarily bottle an oncoming attack or object, or, outside of battle, permanently seal one away.

■ Emergency Container 10 - Empty

In the heat of battle, Askin can temporarily bottle an oncoming attack or object, or, outside of battle, permanently seal one away. This container is only used in emergencies.

■ The Chrysalis

Askin hides away a target’s injuries and pain. Whatever he hides away with the Chrysalis is contained proportional to how much time he had to manage the containment—generally, in the heat of battle, he can only bottle away the injuries for about two minutes. Injuries will always be returned to the person they were original inflicted on.

■ The Sabbath

Askin hides away another living person within one of his containers. A person can only be hidden away willingly. This can be a useful way of protecting someone who’s been grievously injured by insuring their injuries don’t get any worse, or dodging an attack. Hideaway can only be used if there are available Imprisoner slots.

■ The Night of the Sledgehammer

Askin traps a large and heavy object into one of his containers. Then, with the container in his palm, he throws a punch as hard as he can, and at the peak of the punch unleashes the imprisoned object.

■ The Glutton

Askin allows an opponent to get close and land multiple dangerous hits on him, Imprisoning just one. When they get too close, thinking he's been mortally injured, Askin grabs them and unleashes one of their own attacks point blank.

■ The Jolt

A rough and rudimentary ability where Askin concentrates ki into his feet, allowing him to put on irregular bursts of high speed. Askin uses the Jolt to close distances unexpectedly and unleash a copied effect point blank on an enemy.

■ [Passive Effect] Prisoner in Paradise

Askin cannot die, and his ki energies can’t be disrupted. Injuries take a long time to regenerate, however, so disabling his arms and legs will still knock him out of a fight.

SUPER MOVES

■ The Genie in the Bottle

No matter the distance between Askin and the lamp, Askin can flip it open, releasing the secret light he hid away inside it long ago. That wonderful light will explode into Askin’s body, immediately healing him and anyone nearby he wishes healed of all injuries. This move can only be done once, ever.

■ The Prisoner in the Lamp

A move that can only be done if the lamp has been opened up and the light set free. Askin can trap one person inside the lamp, just as he was once trapped, and there is no way to escape once inside unless someone outside decides to open the lid. Askin has to maintain five seconds of physical contact, however, with the person he’s trying to trap, and successfully speak the five mantra-words of containment.

@Savo Oh shit I hadn't really thought of that, for the Prisoner. Hm. You're right yeah, that shouldn't be an ability any player should have. I feel like the problem is though that no matter how I look at it, the Prisoner is a move he has to have as a side effect of his backstory. Allen had mentioned the existence one OHK moves, so I thought this would be the rough equivalent, but, hmm. I don't think Askin would ever use this in a fight though, he has enough mixed feelings about trapping someone against their will that he wouldn't use it unless it was like an end of the world, immanent threat of death type scenario. But then it still might be an issue letting a player character have that kind of insta-kill ability? Not sure.

(Used some of your other suggestions for his updated ability section, btw, thanks for giving it a look over!)

EDIT: Ooh actually, just had an idea. Going off the theme of Askin as a blank canvas/customizable doll, I might go back over and rename his abilities to all be doll/puppet themed.

Who Believes In Fairytales?

Ahhh man, I'm excited, can't wait to see what the opening events look like.

World Warriors: The Nomadic Fist (Quirky Fighting Game Influenced Roleplay)

Sounds good. I also just marked off all the Imprisoned moves as that, and reorganized them, so the ability section is a bit more clear on which is which.

EDIT: Actually, y'know, let's cut out the genie entirely. Way too strong. Also, just cut the abilities down to twelve.

World Warriors: The Nomadic Fist (Quirky Fighting Game Influenced Roleplay)

@Mr Allen J I finished a new draft of Askin's sheet, tried to work on some of the things you'd brought up before. Dropped the number of containers from 15 to 10 as a power limiter, took away one of his debuff effects to. I thought it might actually help to make all his copy abilities one-ofs and vastly different—instead of trying to give him a more concrete identity, hammer home that Askin's identity as a fighter is in his total lack of identity, kinda like a doll. Does this version work better?

Askin La Askerrore

Askin La Askerorre

⦋ 20 (Chronologically: 1020) || Genevieve || Male ⦌

APPEARANCE & PERSONALITY

APPEARANCE

Askin has a rather doll-like appearance, barely topping 4’10” with a petite body and thin, inoffensive shoulders. Most of him is covered up by a large cloak of yellow and indigo, like he was toy made by a child only really interested in sculpting the head, and it was decided a pretty-looking napkin mounted on a dowel rod would be sufficient for the body.

No one looks at Askin and thinks that guy there, that is definitely a nomad. And they may have a bit of a point. He’s never pretended to be a committed fighter, and it shows in his words, actions, and appearance. The upturned, gentle expression of someone who’s avoided suffering most his life lingers around Askin’s face and smile, and his blue soap-sud eyes are framed by heavy eyelids and thick black lashes, giving him the look of someone who just woke up, or is about to fall asleep.

Askin’s hair falls in a messy blond bob, and dangling gold earrings hang from either ear, three on the left and four on the right. When he moves, they make a fun little tinkling sound, which he enjoys.

PERSONALITY TRAITS

■ Sweet as a button
■ Vain as a cockatoo
■ Carefree, and it takes a lot of effort
■ Wanderlust
■ Too trusting
■ Falls in love very easily
■ Is manipulated very easily
■ Probably a bottom
■ Puts all his insecurities and fears in a little tiny box, then puts away the box and never ever ever looks at that box again

BACKSTORY & MOTIVATION

Askin La Askerorre was born in the long lost Kingdom of Genevieve over one thousand years ago. On the day of his birth, the heavens were aligned—each star was in the right position, each planet was in perfect harmony, and there was probably an eclipse or something going on somewhere in the immediate vicinity. It was a Very Big Deal. He was, after all, according to all rational interpretation of prophecy, the Chosen One.

People expected great things from young Askin, and they all believed in him. Maybe he never showed much prowess as a warrior, but the people of Genevieve saw that he was happy and kind, and that had to count for something, right? If you look at him, even today, you can tell that this was a boy who was surrounded with love from the moment he was born. On his tenth birthday, when he parents told him his destiny as the Chosen One, he accepted it with a bright and maybe simple-minded smile.

About a week later, Askin left his home in the city, ready to face the big bad world. One day, his father had told him, in the middle of giving his son a piggy-back ride, you are going to be the greatest warrior anyone’s ever seen. Whatever man you grow up to be, I know you’ll make us so, so proud. But Askin quickly found he didn’t have much interest in warrioring. He enjoyed more than anything the sidequest side of life, talking with lots of strange people and running off on silly errands for them. His trust in strangers backfired terribly one day, however, when a traveling wizard offered to show Askin his magic lamp. Askin agreed, and suddenly, with five Words of Power from the wizard, he found himself falling through clouds and empty sky and rushing air. Eventually, he struck the ground. He was trapped.

For a thousand years, Askin wandered a lonely sandbar in the middle of a beautiful, tropical ocean. In the sky above, beautiful and turquoise, he sometimes saw faces. Askin let years go by, staring up at that sky. The air of the island was calming and sweet and smelled of sea salt. His mind drifted away from him during those centuries alone in the lamp. It was like a long and restful dream.

Then, one day, at a museum somewhere in London, someone pried open the lamp and Askin was free. It was a bizarre next few months, catching up on the new and alien world of the future. And it was fun. There were interviews, and he was a minor celebrity for a short time. The boy out of time. After checking the date, Askin soon realized that the Promised Day, the Day he was Chosen for—the day he would duel the Wizard of Truth and the Seven Zombies and the First of the Dragons—had long since passed. And Askin was left with the sudden strange knowledge that no one needed him anymore, nothing was required of him, nothing was expected of him, and, wow, I guess that means I’m free to do whatever I want.

It hasn’t totally hit him yet that everything he ever knew is gone. You might sometimes catch him make reference to introducing you to his parents, or a marketplace in Genevieve where he and his friends used to play. Askin is very good at brushing these aside though, and quickly stuffing them down that tiny and problematic box, the one in the back of his head where he puts all sorts of annoying and ugly-looking thoughts. Askin has never once inquired to the ultimate destiny of Genevieve. He did, however, once scan a map, and notice that an enormous lake now lies where his city used to be. That was enough for him.

Askin avoids at all costs thinking about the people who probably died because he wasn’t there, and has never subjected himself to learning the exact number. It is possible, if you were spying at him late at night, that you might see him awake, and if you stayed awake with him you would see it sometimes takes a very, very, very long time for Askin La Askerorre to fall asleep. Maybe that’s why he became a nomad. Despite his overall carefree demeanor, something in the back of Askin’s brain is troubled at the thought of not making a difference in the world.

But at the same time, Askin is legitimately happy. He might feel a bit confused about this, and a bit guilty, but he’s happy. He’s happy with is new life as a hero, and he’s happy with the people he meets on his journey. That’s what counts, right?

There is a part of him that goes out to tournaments and Nomad gatherings to learn more about this new and wonderful time. There is another part of him that is excited at meeting new friends. And maybe there is yet another part that is deeply lonely, and hopes maybe one of these random strangers will take him on a candlelit dinner, and hold him in their arms and tell him everything that ever was and ever will be is going to be a-fucking-okay. Mostly, he only really acknowledges the first two. Askin is a very carefree person, and it takes a lot of effort and a lot emotions bottled up and stuffed away to stay that way.

Throughout the last two years in this strange new future, Askin kept with him the magic lamp. From its strange design and powers, he has learned a great many things.

FIGHTING STYLE & ABILITIES

FIGHTING STYLE

You will likely underestimate Askin due to his diminutive appearance, and assume he isn’t much of a fighter. If you do, you would be right; Askin is a shit fighter, and probably always will be. Despite being born with massive inherent ki, he never worked to train or improve it, and never learned to use it in conjunction with martial arts. By the time he became a young adult, he had about average ki for a strong nomad, almost the exact same amount he was born with, and with no combat prowess to back it up.

What he lacks in speed, power, or experience, however, he makes up for in versatility and pure unpredictability. The abilities you might see him use are all vastly different and have apparently no rhyme or reason. One moment he might produce a wave of freezing cold, the next you might be dizzy with hallucinations, or dodging gunfire. It’s difficult to figure out what kind of fighter Askin really is, or what sort of attacks or techniques he might produce next.

It’s not well known, but the truth behind Askin is that he doesn’t have any real abilities, any real fighting techniques or superpowers on his own. He’s like a blank and naked doll that can be dressed up according to whim and convenience. Using the secret magic of the lamp, Askin created ten lesser duplications, powerful brass containers that can trap things in them just as he was trapped. By bottling away weapons and attacks, either outside of combat or in the heat of battle, Askin can make use of a wide spread of powers, and keep his opponents constantly guessing. However, everything he is has to come from others—on his own, Askin is just another face in the crowd.

Independent of the containers, Askin has learned some very rudimentary ki manipulation, focusing on momentary bursts of speed to jump quickly from place to place. On its own, this is a rough, amateur abilities that no respectable nomad would use, though its good at supplementing his stolen powers.

SPECIAL MOVES & TECHNIQUES

■ The Imprisoner // The Unleasher

Askin can quickly and in the heat of the moment negate a single incoming attack entirely by bottling it away into one of his magic bottles. How long it stays negated and sealed away is proportional to how much time and what kind of setting he was in while performing the imprisoning ritual. In the heat of battle, Askin can only imprison something for about a minute. If given a safe environment and a solid hour without disturbance, however, Askin can permanently seal up abilities outside of battle, and enter later frays with a wide variety of attacks ready to go. There is one empty container unusually small compared to the others, which Askin never opens except in emergencies—it's modified to fit inside a fake molar in the back of his mouth, to be used on the off chance Askin's other containers are taken or lost.

Once imprisoned, Askin can unbottle and release the abilities as he sees fit.

■ Container 1 - The Dynamo

Askin unleashes a devastating ki-powered punch of wall-wrecking power. (An Imprisoned move—One use only)

■ Container 2 - The Winter

Askin releases a terrible winter that freezes up everything in front of him. (An Imprisoned move—One use only)

■ Container 3 - The Discotheque

Askin releases a spinning whirlwind of ten vicious swords, slicing outwards like an unfolding flower. (An Imprisoned move—One use only)

■ Container 4 - The Inferno

Askin lets out a sudden barrage of grenades. (An Imprisoned move—One use only)

■ Container 5 - The Tempestuousness

Askin sets loose an enormous windstorm, which can propel him to safety or hurl all his surroundings backwards. (An Imprisoned move—One use only)

■ Container 6 - The Clapchains

Askin hurls out a sudden, enormous tangle of ki-infused handcuffs and restraints, capable of tangling up enemy fighters and interfering with their abilities. (An Imprisoned move—One use only)

■ Container 7 - The Waking Dream

Askin shares a happy and wonderful dream with the target, filling them with the strong feeling that everything is good and right in the world, and their happiest moments and deepest hopes will swim before their eyes. Not a traditional combat technique, but it can easily distract someone in a fight. (An Imprisoned move—One use only)

■ Container 8 - The Unspoken Nightmare

Askin shares a terrifying nightmare with the target, filling them with everything they’ve ever doubted about themselves, and ever dark future they fear will come to pass. Not a traditional combat technique, but it can easily distract someone in a fight. (An Imprisoned move—One use only)

■ Container 9 - Empty

In the heat of battle, Askin can temporarily bottle an oncoming attack or object, or, outside of battle, permanently seal one away.

■ Emergency Container 10 - Empty

In the heat of battle, Askin can temporarily bottle an oncoming attack or object, or, outside of battle, permanently seal one away. This container is only used in emergencies.

■ The Chrysalis

Askin hides away a target’s injuries and pain. Whatever he hides away with the Chrysalis is contained proportional to how much time he had to manage the containment—generally, in the heat of battle, he can only bottle away the injuries for about two minutes. Injuries will always be returned to the person they were original inflicted on.

■ The Sabbath

Askin hides away another living person within one of his containers. A person can only be hidden away willingly. This can be a useful way of protecting someone who’s been grievously injured by insuring their injuries don’t get any worse, or dodging an attack. Hideaway can only be used if there are available Imprisoner slots.

■ The Night of the Sledgehammer

Askin traps a large and heavy object into one of his containers. Then, with the container in his palm, he throws a punch as hard as he can, and at the peak of the punch unleashes the imprisoned object.

■ The Glutton

Askin allows an opponent to get close and land multiple dangerous hits on him, Imprisoning just one. When they get too close, thinking he's been mortally injured, Askin grabs them and unleashes one of their own attacks point blank.

■ The Jolt

A rough and rudimentary ability where Askin concentrates ki into his feet, allowing him to put on irregular bursts of high speed. Askin uses the Jolt to close distances unexpectedly and unleash a copied effect point blank on an enemy.

■ [Passive Effect] Prisoner in Paradise

Askin cannot die, and his ki energies can’t be disrupted. Injuries take a long time to regenerate, however, so disabling his arms and legs will still knock him out of a fight.

SUPER MOVES

■ The Genie in the Bottle

No matter the distance between Askin and the lamp, Askin can flip it open, releasing the secret light he hid away inside it long ago. That wonderful light will explode into Askin’s body, immediately healing him and anyone nearby he wishes healed of all injuries. This move can only be done once, ever.

■ The Prisoner in the Lamp

A move that can only be done if the lamp has been opened up and the light set free. Askin can trap one person inside the lamp, just as he was once trapped, and there is no way to escape once inside unless someone outside decides to open the lid. Askin has to maintain five seconds of physical contact, however, with the person he’s trying to trap, and successfully speak the five mantra-words of containment.

WEAKNESSES & LIMITS

Askin’s greatest weakness is that he isn’t a trained fighter. He does not understand technique, his ki manipulation is extremely simple, he is physically weak, and all in all doesn’t take fighting nearly as seriously as many nomad’s much, much stronger than him. His abilities are extraordinarily versatile, but they all rely on gaining abilities from friends outside of battle, or clever use of an opponent’s power within the flurry of combat—ultimately, Askin has no true power or fighting identity of his own.

Askin also has no good way to get around someone who can outspeed him, and if a person can avoid all his attacks and act too quickly for his Imprisoner to block, there's not much he can do. There is also the chance he uses up all his previously stockpiled powers, and ends up only capable of using attacks copied in the middle of battle, which spells bad news for Askin.

OTHER

It's possible his many, many centuries trapped in the lamp did something to his head, because Askin seems to have an unhealthily high pain threshold (and difficulty recognizing when he's being seriously hurt), and is prone to zoning out. One of these can be helpful in fights, sometimes, while the other can get him knocked flat on his butt.

Who Believes In Fairytales?

@Holy Soldier Did you ever read Neil Gaiman's version of Hansel and Gretel? It's a really sweet little book, nice example of retelling a story in a way super similar to its older, more traditional versions, but still giving it personality and uniqueness. I think it's the only version of Hansel and Gretel I've read that really tried to make the mother figure sympathetic. Also, seconding, the candy-related abilities are super cool.

World Warriors: The Nomadic Fist (Quirky Fighting Game Influenced Roleplay)

Sounds fun. Will Zenyatta and Will Smith appear at the last minute to teach us the wrong-headedness of our prejudices towards robots, and unite the two species in harmony?

Also, if I manage to crank out a usable sheet before then, would Askin's imprisoning ability be able to bottle away robots? As is, I'd been thinking his bottling wouldn't work on sentient beings with their own inherent ki and individuality, cause their willpower would just overpower the magic that tries to hold them inside the bottle, but I wasn't sure how you'd want that to work for, say, non-sentient robots or machines.

Let's Gush!

It's so fun to have co-GMs. Usually, on the forum normally I RPG on, people will 9/10 times be running their games solo, but man having one or two other people to juggle ideas with, people to help, people to get cool new thoughts from, people to have point out new and unexpected ways you can take the setting and story, people to bitch with about mildly annoying problem players--literally the best.

Who Believes In Fairytales?

The Pale Queen

Title:

The Pale Queen

Name:

Eissen Frampt

Tale:

Rumpelstiltskin

Physical Age:

38

Actual Age:

440

Height/Weight:

6’1”, 151lbs

Gender:

Female

Appearance:

Eissen is one of those eerie people whose white hair is almost the exact same color as her skin, like somewhere at the top of her forehead the flesh splits apart into silky filaments, while her eyebrows are apparently nonexistent. Her hair is usually pulled back into an elegant and complicated bob, or maybe let loose for those casual Sundays where, mostly, you just stay in bed, maybe with a good book and a hot cup of tea. Eissen tends to treat most days like casual Sundays though, if she can. She has the feel of a woman who’s spent her entire life indoors, and her skin and lips have a drowned look to them, while her mouth is the color of dead violets. Eissen’s eyes can be somewhat off-putting as well, doll-like and charcoal black, the color of forests where children get lost and never come out. Eissen has a long and soft-featured face that ends in a pointed chin, and her entire body has a carefully stretched look to it, like the legs of a spider. Her fingers are long, and covered in rings.

You might imagine her fitting nicely in a long, flowing dress, something bizarre with many thorns and flowers woven into it. But instead, Eissen makes do with T-shirts and nice coats bought on discount from the local Macy’s, dark Levis too, and maybe some boots with not-too-uncomfortable heels. She has a strong preference for headscarves and covering herself up if she can, and usually has some sort of black, lacey veil pulled up over her hair and shadowing her eyes. If she doesn’t need to step outside, which is often, Eissen spends most of her time in pajamas and pretty-looking nightgowns.

Personality:

Eissen doesn’t expect much from you, and hopes you’re not expecting too much from her. Really, don’t bother. It’s flattering, but you’re just going to be disappointed. That’s what she’ll tell you, at least.

Eissen is a very go-with-the-flow kind of Tale, who appreciates a peaceful life but won’t protest too much if you decide to intrude on her story. Never the judgmental type, almost always willing to list, Eissen is ool as a cucumber and not easily shaken, always giving off the impression she knows exactly what she’s doing (a flat life, of course). Still haunted by the names of power she once devoured and made a part of herself, Eissen sees the potential for destruction and devastation wherever she looks, and though it’s now a long distant memory, when she sleeps, some part of her head is still full of ash and twilight, and boarded up houses with dead families inside. There is a part of her that is always guilty for her actions, and another part that always, always just wants to sleep. And another part, despite everything, that misses the woman who once was, the Eissen Frampt who had real wants and ambitions, and would conquer a kingdom just to have her name remembered.

Eissen finds a variety of tiny things to distract her, which a more positive person would point out is quite healthy, given the circumstances (though Eissen doesn’t really have anyone in her life who could say that). She loves to play with gold and metal, and tinker with all sorts of mysterious and off-kilter objects. Recently, on a rare trip out into the city, Eissen picked up a guitar, and is currently taking lessons online. Sometimes she reads books. Sometimes, people visit, and she privately takes great pleasure in this.

She shouldn’t complain, really. Her life is comfortable. Her life is safe. So it’s a mystery to everyone, especially her, why she seems to be waiting for something, waiting for an unknown whatever that will never come, like the Queen in that mistelling of her story, who died alone in her throne room with a veil wrapped tight over her eyes.

Background:

The Queen and the Imp

Once upon a time, there was a miller and his daughter. The miller was proud and shortsighted, and if his daughter was proud and shortsighted as well, she was also cunning and ambitious and strong in a way her father was not. For she would not be content to live her life as just another miller’s daughter, and she was not content to fade away, to end her life one day as the grieving spinster to some recently deceased farmer. And so on a dark summer night she vanished. No one heard from her for many, many years. And when she finally returned, she was a miller’s daughter no more.

The girl was a woman now, and had learned the secrets of the earth and the moon, and she could turn tears into iron, and spin straw into gold. With her powers, she ensorcelled the land, and she stormed the fortress of the king. She took three wires of pure gold, wrapped them around the king’s neck, and with a quick snap removed his head from his body, and, moments later, his crown from his head. The woman, the Pale Queen they called her now, was quick to establish her dominion over the land.

The newfound rule of the Pale Queen soon attracted the strange creatures of the world to her kingdom, the goblins and elves and werewolves, and all other manner of beasts. She let them have their way with the land (as long as they remembered who was in control). And among her court was one elf of particular note: the Prince of the Imp-Lands.

At first he reveled with the Queen and her court, and watched her cover the provinces with shadow, and thunder, and twilight, whatever her strange agenda demanded from day to day. But as the years went by, the Prince found he could no longer turn a blind eye to her cruelty, and on a bright winter morning he confronted her at the top of the highest tower.

“My Queen, do you not hear the screaming of your people?” he asked her.

They are not my people, she told him. They are my creatures, and my servants.

“My Queen, do you not see the burning of your homeland?” he asked her.

Yes, she told him. Some days, I wish to see burning. So I make it so.

“My Queen, what will our descendants say of us, one hundred years from now?” he asked her.

There will be no descendants, she told him. My court will be forever. Or else it will vanish, and it will take the land with it.

With great regret, the Prince saw that there was no reasoning with the Queen. And so he attacked.

For three days and three nights they dueled. Where they fought at the top of the tower, the sky clouded over, and lightning and thunder roared across the land. It seemed they were equally matched. But at the end of each day, through sorcery and trickery, the Queen would tear away from the Prince one of his names of power, and she would claim them for her own. And on the third day, when she taken and devoured all three of his true, secret names, the power of the Prince was broken.

But by consuming his names, the Queen now saw the world through his eyes, through the eyes of Rumpl Cimpr Campr, and what she saw horrified her. She looked for the imp-prince, desperate to return the names, but it seemed that sometime during the final night of their magnificent duel he vanished, or maybe died.

The other wild creatures quickly sensed something was amiss with their sovereign. Whispering of curses and evil omens, they fled the kingdom of the Pale Queen, and so she was left alone in her fortress. When she cast her gaze over the land, she saw that is was dark, and that houses were boarded up, and that no lights were on anywhere to be seen.

Everything was had changed, and things would never, ever be the same again. The Queen, however, couldn’t believe that. So she waited in her throne room with a veil to cover her eyes, waiting for Rumpl Cimpr Campr to return and take back his names and free her. Until her dying day, she waited there, clinging to the impossible hope that things could be the way they once were, and the things she’d seen with unclouded eyes could somehow be unseen, and undone.

Though the story traditionally ends, in all its variants, with an “...until her dying day…” the Pale Queen never died, not really. Eventually, after decades left alone inside that broken-down throne room, rain sprinkling in from the ceiling and weeds sprouting up from every crevice, the Queen realized that she had made her bed, and that she would be lying in it forever. But even afterward that epiphany, nothing really changed. The Queen took to walking her old kingdom, now a twilight place where the sun couldn’t shine, full of ash and thorny gardens and places where plants wouldn’t grow. She may have left an old and unhappy life behind her, but the Pale Queen was never able to replace it. She was (and is) a woman caught in the in-between, endless possibilities in front of her, but dark and unhappy thoughts keeping her from going past the starting line. She spent the next few decades silently cultivating what was left of her magicked and unsettled ghost-kingdom, and was never either especially happy nor especially sad. Maybe just a little regretful, with the names of the imp-prince still ringing somewhere in the back of her head.

Though not the type to show it, the Queen was eager to join the Great Exodus. The promise of a new start was enthralling and, dare she say it, exciting. With the ability to spin gold out of straw, it wasn’t hard for her to set up a nice place for herself at the Reine apartment complex, and she makes a fair living selling her ambiguously ensorcelled jewelry and knick knacks to weirdos on the internet, and maybe one or two local jewelry places. Sometimes, she takes walks in the park.

But all in all, life changed very little for Eissen, from here to there, the Homelands to the New World. She doesn’t leave her apartment that often, and fills it the bursting with a hundred and one glittering, tinkling, faintly moving knick-knacks to help distract her. To some hidden part of Eissen, this is a crushing disappointment, and some days keeps her from getting out of bed. Everything was different, but in many ways nothing was.

Though she would never admit it, Eissen is quietly glad if anyone, anyone at all, feels like visiting, and is quite welcoming to anyone who wishes to stop by and say hello.

Skills and Abilities:

Shackled with the three names of power stolen from the imp-prince, Eissen’s old magic has been greatly diluted. However, the ability to harden tears into pure iron and spin gold out of straw remains the same as the day she learned it, and, if the situation arises, she can still invoke the four names of power still in her possession.

Rumpl: The first name of the imp-prince. To invoke the name Rumpl is to call on the winds from the imp-lands, cold and disorderly and more than eager to cause trouble. Rumpl, the wind-weaver’s name, can summon these biting and eerie gusts of air to make all manner of mischief.

Cimpr: The second name of the imp-prince. To invoke the name Cimpr is to call on the privileges of the elf-folk, to walk without being noticed or being heard, and to slip through the tiniest of gaps. The power of Cimpr, the elf-child’s name, won’t work if attention is already focused on her.

Campr: The third name of the imp-prince. To invoke the name Campr is to defy the powerful and the cruel, and the Pale Queen can use it to shatter or block off another piece of magic, and prevents the magic’s wielder from invoking it again for the next hour or so. Campr, the hero’s name, is especially taxing to Eissen, and requires much more rest between uses than her other abilities.

Frampt: The true name of the Pale Queen. To invoke the name Frampt is to conjure the power of the woman from long ago who was lord and master of an entire kingdom. Frampt, the ruler’s name, allows her to share her long lost magical abilities with others, to veil them from sight, shield them from harm, and bestow strength and endurance. Frampt doesn’t drain Eissen as much as the other names of power.

Gold-Spinning: Similar to Campr, spinning gold take an enormous amount of magical energy, but it’s still within the Pale Queen’s reach. Hand in hand with that, Eissen sincerely enjoys craftsmanship and jewelry, and spends most of her time tinkering with her toys and creations.

Eissen does not need food or air to live, though she does require a reasonable intake of water. She heals slightly faster and more efficiently than most, though it’s not especially noticeable.

Starting Items and Trinkets:

Eissen still has her old crown, tucked away in her closet. It brings up a mixed bag of feelings, and she neither likes looking at it, nor likes the idea of throwing it away.

Eissen keeps a handgun with her, just in case. It’s a scary world out there, and though she doesn’t exactly seize life by the reigns, Eissen would, by and large, prefer not to get killed if given the option.

Her home is filled with strange, mostly pointless knick-knacks of her own making, some of which, like the little knives or paperweights, might be of tangential usefulness.

Weaknesses and Flaws:

The Doubter: Eissen has just about zero self-faith, and would never rely on herself or allow others to rely on her for anything important.

Emotional Exhaustion: These days, Eissen Frampt is a tired woman who’d really rather not deal with your crazy, magical messes, thank you very much. Both physically and emotionally, invoking the names of power is a draining piece of magic, and she can manage maybe one every thirty minutes, give or take. She doesn't find much interest in actively shaping the world around her, and if you really need her help, it'll take one heck of a motivational speech to rouse her to action

An Unfortunate Archetype: Evil Queens (the ones who survive, at least) are just about the worst sign of bad luck among Tales, and are widely considered unpleasant and unpopular. You don’t trust an Evil Queen character, you don’t help an Evil Queen character, and you try your darndest not to associate with an Evil Queen character. Needless to say, Eissen’s reputation isn’t the best, and she’s not the sort who’d go out of her way to fix that.

Passive to a Fault: While maybe her ability to go with the flow can be a positive trait, there’s no denying that Eissen is an enormously passive person, and will often fail to fight when she ought to fight, and fail to hit the ground running when she should've started sprinting twenty minutes ago.

Squishy Wizard: When it comes down to it, Eissen is simply a physically average person. Unusually tall, of course, decently fit, and maybe against someone much smaller she could use her size to her advantage, but other than that the Pale Queen has only ever dealt with the magical side of the world, and with magical threats. A few quick punches to the face would probably knock her out of the running.

Other:

She’s not really aware of it, but Eissen can be quite the magpie, and has a fascination with shiny and curious objects.

Though she'll never bring it up, Eissen can be very vain, and a little proud. She won't complain much about insults or mispronouncing her name, but flattery will win you maybe more points than it ought to.