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sunshineapps) wrote2015-04-04 10:12 pm
sunshineapps) wrote2015-04-04 10:12 pm
Entry tags:
Rumplestiltskin
Name: Rumplestiltskin
Canon: (ABC's) Once Upon a Time
Character Journal:lets_make_a_deal
Gender: Male
Age: ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm pffft I. Uh. Shit, like 200ish? 300ish? A guess.
Birthday: for Sunshine, it'll be January 19th, 203 years before game starts (yes, 203. I refuse to make it even 200)
Village Affiliation: Land of Forests.
Rank: The Dark One. He's not technically in charge of a village and he's not technically a ninja.
Before the First Curse
Rumple's abilities are ...difficult to pin down. He is magical and at times the canon feels limitless in his magic. We know that magic always comes with a price and that generally the person who pays the price isn't the caster, but the person the magic is cast for: in other words, when Rumple makes a deal with Snow to do magic for her, Snow pays the price.
That said, he has access to books and scrolls that teach him new magic, and as the Dark One (the most powerful sorceror we've seen yet) his magic is dark and overwhelmingly powerful.
His usual spells include:
Hearts - Rumple, like Cora and Regina, has the ability to pull people's hearts out of their chests. We know that once the heart is out of the chest, the person holding the heart has power to control the person that the heart belonged to. Or they can shove the heart back into the person's chest. Or crush it to dust and kill the owner. Hearts, we know, can also be put into other people's bodies. This can have disasterous effects (see Gerhardt) or a heart can be broken into two halves and shared between True Loves (Snow and Charming)
Teleportation - Can poof around the Enchanted Forest, but requires a magic bean or Jefferson's magic hat (or the Dark Curse) to teleport between realms.
Conjuring - He can make things appear from nothing or summon them from another location (or from someone's hand). He has the ability to make fireballs, I believe, though that's a skill we generally see Regina do. His magic tends to be emotionally fueled, so you channel anger and hate to do Dark Magic.
Seer - a stolen power, but he is capable of seeing parts of the future. It can be vague, but he tends to be good at anticipating what people will do before they do it.
Transformation - Changing his own appearance to look like others, or changing other things appearances (turning a man into a rose, conjuring new clothing for guests, etc)
Potions - He creates bottled True Love from hairs from Snow and Charming and makes various other potions/elixirs/etc including a locator spell that he can pour onto an object to find the person it belonged to.
The Dagger - is the source of his power as the Dark One, but it is also his curse. Whoever possesses the dagger controls Rumplestiltskin and if he should be stabbed with the dagger, he dies, his powers as the Dark One transfer to the other person and they become the new Dark One.
Straw into gold - What it says on the box. He can spin straw into gold, and in general is very good wool spinner.
Deals, Pawns, and Bargains - Rumple's greatest powers over people are the deals that they make with him. He offers them magic, for a price, and they enter into a (typically unbreaking) contract with him. His Storybrooke counterpart is a pawnbroker. People come to him because they need something he can give them and he acquires things from them as a result. Sometimes it's an object (usually magical or of value to the person; it is not usually simply expensive), sometimes it is information or a promise or servitude. What he acquires from one deal generally is used in another. True to his roots, names and first-borns are rather popular deal items.
In his original human form, he has normal human skin (not gold) and brown eyes. His voice tends to be calmer and more subdued (the actor changes his accent a little) and he walks with a limp.
Rumplestiltskin in his original human form is cowardly and timid. He is not the kind of man to rock the boat. He is cautious and loves his family very much, but his fear drives him to take few chances and to bow down to oppressive authority.
Now, however, he is the Dark One. Now he is the authority. There is nothing he cannot do with his powers--except find Baelfire. That will haunt and drive him forever. But the Dark One is blinded by his own power and not eager to lose it. Inside he is the same scared old spinner, but now he has tasted power and he fears returning to the way he was--a cripple, a coward, a man unable to defend his son or keep his wife. So he is cautious about how much he reveals of himself to others. Weakness and compassion are carefully hidden. If he does something nice, he brushes it off or has an excuse for it; he is never going to let you think he is nice just to be nice. There is generally a deal, an advantage he wants, some bargain or debt he intends to put you in. Perhaps you will owe him.
Like his Grimm Brothers namesake, this Rumplestiltskin is a trickster. Part con-artist like his father, part fast-talking used-car-salesman, chaos-embodied and puppeteer enjoying his own show. Rather than do his own dirty work, he tends to engineer it to be done by others--ultizing their own motivations to his advantage. Regina seems to be a particularly useful pawn of his, as is Snow. The funny thing is? They know what he is, what his deals mean, and they still manage to play into his hand.
To Snow and Regina's impulsiveness, he is calculated. He sees the future in hints and suggestions and sets up the pieces to play the long game so everything works in his favor. He is a master of contingency plans and can predict based on personalities what his pawns might do.
He's impish, like his namesake. He enjoys tricks and trolling people. He likes to play games with them simply for his own amusement, to prove his own power. He giggles almost manically, smiles slyly, and likes to show off, strutting about the room, and then can turn darker, proving his cleverness and playing a dangerous chess game. Do not cross him, because he will get you back. His games
Belle unearths a very unique side of Rumple. He is smitten with her, his caution comes down just a little (enough that she almost managed True Love's Kiss once, which would remove his power), and he does nice things for her. He tries to be the beast he has come to be known as, but for her, the man shows through: a scared, lonely man who likes her very much.
It is probably good, then, for the Dark One, that Belle is gone now. She would have been a weakness his enemies might have exploited. Only a chipped teacup and memories remain for him to hold onto.
Hearts - modified for the ninja world into a deep, hyper-realistic genjutsu. In it, he withdraws your heart and holds it in his hand. If he chooses to crush it, the pain itself manifests first only in the mind (where the illusion affects you directly) then your mind makes it real. The end result will probably be something akin to suffering a heart attack as soon as the genjutsu itself drops. He can also use the jutsu to control a person's actions, while they are under the affects of the genjutsu.
Teleportation - A little fancier than your basic Naruto teleportation (Body Flicker Technique), it's not reliant on moving fast, but actually involves disappearing and reappearing in an instant. It is not, however equal to Kakashi and Obito's Kamui Ninjutsu. He does not go to another realm. In fact, he is very much interested in the powers of those who can.
Conjuring - I guess this might be a sort of summoning jutsu, summoning up an item from another location. It could also be accomplished with chakra strings if taking it out of someone nearby's hand.
Seer - Limited in what he can see to what players will allow him to see and what can generally be engineered in gameplay with the approval of whoever is involved. Mostly going to be anticipating moves.
Transformation - a typical transformation jutsu, plus heavy emphasis on genjutsu. Illusion is a forte.
Potions - Well-versed in potions/elixirs/etc. Locator and poisons being a specialty.
The Dagger - Remains the source of his power as the Dark One. It is chakra infused, bonded to the chakra of the person who stabbed the last Dark One (and thus is the current Dark One). Whoever possesses the dagger controls Rumplestiltskin and like before, if he should be stabbed with the dagger, he dies, his powers as the Dark One transfer to the other person and they become the new Dark One. It is also capable to summoning him, much like a contract would with a creature.
Straw into gold - I guess this is a jutsu, but it's really not important to the Sunshine verse? It's mainly an excuse to say he might be good with chakra strings because threads...?
Wheeling and Dealing - Rumple's still making deals, offering jutsu or items or information, for a price, and sealed with a contract (possibly in blood if it comes to that).
I'm taking a guess, but perhaps his affinity would be yin and yang based??Help me Youko-wan, you're my only hope.
Most of the events originally take place in the Fairy-tale Land which mainly consists of the Enchanted Forest. The Enchanted Forest itself is comprised of several smaller lordships, dukedoms, and kingdoms. Most of these kingdoms/etc are central for one story or a mix of them. Arendelle (the land of Frozen) is a continent to the south of the Enchanted Forest. Frankenstein comes from another realm entirely (the World without Color) which is accessed by magic portal; other worlds accessed only by portal include Oz and Wonderland.
Due to the nature of Rumplestiltskin's character and the world of Fairy-tale Land (how it bleeds together and manipulates various fairy-tale roles), he is in and out of a lot of different character-stories. I'll try to keep the history as easy to understand as possible.
They are civilians of the Land of Forests, long before the villages themselves are established...
Once Upon a Time...
Rumplestiltskin's father, Malcolm, is a swindler and a cheat, and this ultimately leaves the two penniless, so Rumplestiltskin is sent to live with a pair of wool spinners, where he becomes quite promising at the craft. The spinners suggest Rumplestiltskin leave and travel elsewhere, escaping his father's reputation and poor example, but Rumplestiltskin attempts to bring his father with him.
Their voyage crashes on a island just off the coast of Forests: Neverland Island.
Think of a Happy Thought:
On Neverland Island, they discover that a chakra force known as the Shadow controls the island. The Shadow inhibits the chakra of adults, amplifys the chakra of children, and siphons chakra to prolong the lives of everyone living on the island (including itself). By fusing with the Shadow, one can be young forever. It isn't long before Rumplestiltskin's father selfishly chooses to bond with the Shadow and is transformed into a teenage boy, while Rumplestiltskin is cast off the island and returned home.
Malcolm renames himself Peter Pan, after a toy doll Rumplestiltskin leaves behind on the island.
Years pass. Rumplestiltskin grows to adulthood. The ninja world is in turmoil.
Want So Much More Than They've Got Planned:
A war, one of many, rages across the region. Rumplestiltskin, now married to a woman named Milah, is recruited for war and is eager to prove (to himself and to her) that he is not like his father. But while guarding a seer taken prisoner by the army, he is tempted by the seer's visions of his future. She tells him that Milah is pregnant and Rumplestiltskin's actions on the battlefield will leave his son fatherless.
Afraid, Rumplestiltskin intentionally criples himself so that he can leave the war to raise his son Baelfire. But in leaving his post, he is labeled a coward, a disgrace. Even his wife Milah is ashamed of him. She wishes he would have died on the battlefield. Their marriage is unraveling.
Bitter and discontent with her life, she fakes her own kidnapping and runs away, tempted by the promise of freedom with the pirate, Killian Jones. Believing her kidnapped, Rumplestiltskin attempts to bring her back. But cowardice gets the better of him, he cannot bring himself to duel Killian. Rumplestiltskin returns to his hovel, defeated, to raise his son alone. He tells his son only that his mother is gone, dead, nothing more.
A Dark Man Waits With a Dark Purpose:
The Land of Forests has been engaged in their war for some time now. It is going badly.
Rumplestiltskin's son, Baelfire, is turning thirteen, which will make him old enough to be drafted into the bloodbath. During the night, three days before Baelfire's birthday, they attempt to flee the village, but are caught by soldiers. The soldiers recognize Rumplestiltskin for his cowardly act years earlier and they ridicule and bully him. The spinner pathetically endures it, even going so far as to kiss the boot of the lead soldier.
As the soldiers leave, a beggar-man helps the father and son home. Over dinner, the man tries to encourage Rumplestiltskin to save Baelfire, not to just run away
He tells them about a chakra-infused dagger owned by the Daimyo. The dagger controls the Dark One, the most feared and fiendish being in the land. With the dagger, and the Dark One it controls, Rumplestiltskin could protect Baelfire from anything. He would never again need to be afraid.
Rumplestiltskin's fear is overwhelming, but for once, he pushes it aside. He has no other choice. He has to protect his son.
He enacts a plan and sets fire to the Daimyo's castle. In the chaos, Rumplestiltskin goes inside and locates the dagger, claiming it for himself. Then, he summons the Dark One, by calling out the name on the dagger: Zoso. But with the Dark One in front of him, Rumplestiltskin cowers in fear. The Dark One taunts him, suggesting Baelfire is not actually Rumplestiltskin's son, and in his rage, Rumplestiltskin kills the Dark One with the dagger.
Zoso, the Dark One, is the old beggar man.
And Zoso knows a desperate soul when he sees one, and he saw such a soul in Rumplestiltskin. Life became a burden doing the Daimyo's bidding in the war, but with Zoso's death, now the power--and the price--of being the Dark One has fallen to Rumplestiltskin's shoulders. The dagger assumes Rumplestiltskin's name now and his predecessor dies with an ominous warning: All magic comes with a price.
Not Much Fun For Little Harpo:
When the knights return to the village for Baelfire the next day, Rumplestiltskin, now the Dark One, degrades and kills them. His son is horrified, but Rumplestiltskin "justifies" it by saying that he has to protect what is his. And that he's no longer afraid. He has enough power, he believes, to not have to fear anymore.
Or does he? He is so constantly in fear of losing what he has, including his son, that he forbids Baelfire from going outside, from making friends, from living.
Eager for companions, lost little boys, Peter Pan attempts to lure Baelfire away to the island. Rumplestiltskin retrieves him, giving Baelfire no choice in the matter. The rift between father and son grows.
Rumplestiltskin goes on to turn the tide of the war, brokering a truce in the middle of the battlefield and trying to win over Baelfire again. People respect him, but the power consumes him. His skin changes, appearing almost flecked with gold and scaly like a lizard's. His irises become enlarged and his voice becomes prone to manic giggles. Most importantly, though, the Dark One's power makes him aranoid, fearful in a different way. He knows he has to keep his power to keep his enemies away from his son. He's willing to kill innocents for it.
Baelfire is frightened of what has become of his father. He pleads with Rumplestiltskin to change; without power, he wouldn't need more power, he wouldn't have these enemies.
But the only way Rumplestiltskin knows of to be rid of his power (his burden, his drug) is to be killed with the dagger. He refuses.
Worlds Apart, Hearts Broken In Two:
Baelfire strikes up a deal with his father, then. If he can find a way to be rid of the Dark One's powers without harm to either of them, Rumplestiltskin must take it. Rumplestiltskin agrees.
His son discovers, with aid, how to reverse the curse of the Dark One, to remove the chakra infused in his father and restore Rumplestiltskin to the man he once was without killing him and without becoming the Dark One himself. It involves going somewhere far away, a place only accessible by a portal created with a forgotten jutsu.
A priestess gives Baelfire the one ingredient he needs most for this jutsu: a bean infused with the chakra of the man who invented the jutsu, the only one who knows how... A man long dead.
But with the option there, Rumplestiltskin still refuses. He's too scared to go back to being powerless, and the portal opened by the jutsu draws Baelfire into it, while Rumplestiltskin clings to his dagger and remains where he is, as he is.
The deal between them has been broken and Baelfire is gone. Rumplestiltskin is alone with his power and his fear, and every bit the coward his son told him he was in those last few moments together.
There is no way to cast the jutsu. He may never feel Baelfire again.
Struck with regret, Rumplestiltskin seeks out the aid of the priestess, but all she can (begrudgingly and after being tricked into admitting) offer him is that there is another jutsu--a curse--that could return Baelfire to him.
And it comes with a great cost.
Rumplestiltskin again meets the seer--now much older--and before he takes her power for himself, she leaves him with one last prophecy: A young boy who will be the key to the reunion will also be Rumplestiltskin's undoing.
But You Have Heard of Me:
Rumplestiltskin spends his time gathering information on the jutsu. He hears rumors of another bean like the one Baelfire had and attempts to procure it.
There, in the rundown port-town, Rumplestiltskin again meets Killian, the pirate who stole Milah. Killian has the bean and taunts Rumplestiltskin with it and with memories of Milah. Powerful enough to take on Killian without fear, Rumplestiltskin nearly removes Killian's heart straight from his chest, but then...there is Milah, pleading for mercy.
She admits to feeling guilty about leaving behind Baelfire, but she claims to have never loved Rumplestiltskin. Perhaps words like that would have only provoked tears and sadness from Rumplestiltskin before, but now the Dark One acts on his anger. He tears out her heart and crushes it, leaving her to die in Killian's arms. Then, he cuts off Killian's hand to take the bean from him. Though Killian stabs him with a rigging hook, nothing he can do can injure Rumplestiltskin.
However, Killian still has the bean.
The Golden Thread:
(We are now probably somewhere around 50-60 years before Sunshine Game Year 1 - Cora is probably 20s when she meets Rumplestiltskin, she goes on to have Regina, who is maybe early twenties when she becomes Snow's stepmother, and Snow probably ages another 10-15 years after that before the Dark Curse occurs.)
With his power from the seer, Rumplestiltskin learns of the importance of the first-born child of a miller's daughter, Cora, and strikes up a deal to acquire the yet-unconcieved child. They bond, romantically, and he teaches her how to channel her chakra through anger to perform powerful jutsu, including the very one he used on Killian and Milah: removing a human heart. Driven and blinded by desire for power, she puts her own heart into a box, limiting her loving emotions, and alters her deal with him. Her child will never be his.
A Pauper Becomes a Prince:
(With the birth of James/David, we are probably now about 25-30years before Sunshine Game Year 1)
George, ruler of a village within Forests, finds himself unable to have children. Striking a deal, Rumplestiltskin acquires one twin boy from a farmer. In exchange for monetary compensation, the farmers get to keep their other son, David, while James become George's heir.
Not Evil, Just Drawn That Way:
Rumplestiltskin meets Cora's daughter, Regina, now a very sweet young adult who has been forced into a marriage she does not want by Cora. Rumplestiltskin tempts her to seal Cora inside a mirror with a forbidden jutsu. She does, freeing herself from her mother's control, and though she tries to avoid becoming like her mother, Rumplestiltskin manages to lure Regina into becoming his student.
Slowly but surely, using her unhappiness against her, he unravels her resolve and her resistance to using forbidden jutsu. He cultivates her rage.
When Regina complains about Rumplestiltskin's tutelage, so he sends her to Maleficient. She returns with sleeping potion (which she tests on Snow White's prized horse), more patience, and a renewed interest in his teachings. He is slowly shaping her to become what he knows he needs her to be for his prophecy to come true...for him to get Baelfire back.
He will need her to cast his ultimate jutsu. And he's not above corrupting her heart for that.
[Anna visits the mainland from Arendelle while on a quest for information. Rumplestiltskin uses her in an attempt to acquire a powerful magic-sealing/absorbing box, but Anna manages to outwit him. The region of Arendelle is frozen over by Ingrid and Rumplestiltskin acquires the urn containing Elsa (like a sealed demon). Not really important unless we have Ingrid or Anna and Elsa, though it is worth noting that he would have Elsa-urn in his inventory somewhere.]
She Didn't Shudder At My Paw:
Sir Maurice's daughter Belle willingly goes to live forever with Rumplestiltskin as his servant in exchange for his help in protecting her father's people. She is so nervous around him at first. His quips about skinning children make her jump and she drops a cup. Fearing his wrath, she appologizes.
"It's only a cup," he replies.
Belle is scared, but she's a nosy and brave girl, and he slowly develops a fondness for her...and her for him. She is capable of staying his hand, voicing reason to him. She's even willing to defy him at risk to her own life. She pleaded with him to not kill Robin Hood because it would leave his child (with Marian) fatherless, and unbeknownst to her, it reminded him of his own son. He gifts her a library in his castle because she loves reading and knowledge and adventure. He even tells her vaguely about Baelfire and goes so far as to retrieve her when she is stolen for ransom.
He is falling in love with the 'help.'
A Kingdom of Isolation:
Meanwhile, he disguises Regina as a peasant so that she can see how the commoners view her. To her frustration, they do indeed love her stepdaughter Snow White, and she sadly realizes (much to Rumplestiltskin's delight) that she is, truly, The Evil Queen and she will punish them all.
Regina is nearly where he needs her to be.
I've Been Dreaming of a True Love's Kiss:
Prince James is killed in a tournament. George bargains for James' twin brother, David, who Rumplestiltskin forces to go adopt James' identity. David is eventually nicknamed Prince Charming by a sarcastic Snow White. The name sticks and the two slowly start to fall in love with occasional interference from Rumplestiltskin.
Meanwhile, back at Rumplestiltskin's own castle, Rumplestiltskin bends his rules for Belle and sends her outside alone for once, under the pretext of bringing back straw for his spinning, fully expecting the girl to leave him. Along the way, Belle unknowingly meets Regina and learns about a jutsu that might free Rumplestiltskin from his curse. She cares about him so much and surprisingly returns.
She attempts to kiss him--True Love's Kiss, no less--the powerful jutsu only existing between two closely bonded people and capable of undoing any jutsu, however strong. It starts to work and he slowly begins to turn human again...
Shocked and angered, he accuses her of working with Regina to remove his powers. He is so threatened by the thought of losing his power, he would rather alienate the one person who loves him.
He sends her away, claiming to love power more than everything else.
So she leaves, but not before calling him out for the coward he is, hiding behind power and away from love. "All you'll have is an empty heart and a chipped cup."
And that's all he does have. Sometime later, Regina takes a great deal of pleasure in telling him that Belle returned her father, that she was believed to have been tainted by the Dark One and that Maurice had tried to exorcise it out of her.
And that torture had been too much. Belle threw herself from the tower.
He has no idea Regina has Belle locked in a tower, alive. His brave, beautiful Belle became a pawn to be used against him... Perhaps as he feared she could be. In the end, most of his fears come true because he makes them so, however inadvertantly.
The chipped cup is given a place of honor in his castle. His empty heart beats in his chest and he returns to his efforts to find a way to reunite with the only precious person he has left: Baelfire.
Prove That "True Love" Conquers All!:
Rumplestiltskin has several arrangements and deals that he sets up in preparation for what he knows is to come. In one, he arranges to take Cinderella's first born child. In another series of deals, he acquires hair from Charming and Snow to create a rare form of true love in a bottle. The exact happenings with that bottle are unimportant, but notably Rumplestiltskin helps bring Snow and David together. He is a fan of true love, he admits, and what it creates.
They do not know it, but Rumplestiltskin has plans for their True Love. Their love will be a pivotal ingredient to getting Baelfire back.
Charming and Snow White go to war against Regina and George and win the kingdom. Regina is eventually pardoned by Snow and banished back to her region, the Dark Palace. Trouble brews as the Charmings settle into married life.
As stirrings of war begin outside the borders of Forests, Rumplestiltskin pays keen attention. He continues assembling the pieces and manipulating his plan into action, keeping close watch on the powers, giving nudges where necessary. Their leadership is a mix of the old and the new guard--full of changing ideals, old rivalries, deep and unburied resentment. It would only be a matter of time before it unraveled. Sooner rather than later, if Rumplestiltskin had anything to say about it. Perhaps there is something he might find useful if they were to topple... No, there definitely is.
After all, the ninja possess many secrets--and Rumplestiltskin knows they have what he needs.
A gentle nudge here, a prod there, and people were so eager to go to war! How delightful! Rumplestiltskin had seen it many times, even helped create a few, watching as the building blocks of alliances came tumbling down in a ridiculously pattered domino arrangement.
You just had to know the right way to lay the pieces and even those ninja villages with their precious alliances would light the torchs and raise the pitchforks like they had been for centuries. And Rumple knew. Regina was easy in comparison: one person, one source of ire. All he had to do was wave Snow White in front of her like a cape and the Queen saw red.
The Alliances would be more challenging, more intriguing. And that was the fun of it!
He could barely contain a giggle behind his steepled fingers as he watched from the shadows on a rooftop. The Kages were arriving for their summit. But his eyes weren't on the Kages. He was watching the guards, the attendants, the entourages. The powerful men who controlled these powerful villages weren't untouchable. They had their weaknesses. Rumplestiltskin had no designs to go to war with them himself--at least not combat. He would play them, let them do his work for him... It was so easy, too! Every piece of baggage they had betrayed them, every gesture and look: a hand lingering too long on an assistant's shoulder, a genuine smile from a slippery politician, words that were too familiar for their stations. Everyone had something valuable with them worth bartering with; few of those were worth any gold.
And they would seek him out soon enough! Some on their own, with little provocation, others because Fate and Rumplestiltskin designed it. He would offer them the easy way, or the only way, or the fastest way--and some would turn him down. At first. He could give them reasons to come back, and he would.
He didn't even care about the war or the cause behind it. Nor did he care who the victor was. What he wanted was their secrets. One of those secrets would help lead him back to his son.
Hello, Dearie~
I certainly hope you haven't forgotten the nature of our agreement. You provide the talisman and ~then~ I shall provide you with the potion you desire. Not before. Do not attempt to make demands of me.
Of course, if you would prefer to face the Evil Queen's wrath without such a useful backup plan, by all means. I am certain your talisman would be just as easy for me to recover after she is finished with you.
Canon: (ABC's) Once Upon a Time
Character Journal:
lets_make_a_dealGender: Male
Age: ummmmmmmmmmmmmmm pffft I. Uh. Shit, like 200ish? 300ish? A guess.
Birthday: for Sunshine, it'll be January 19th, 203 years before game starts (yes, 203. I refuse to make it even 200)
Village Affiliation: Land of Forests.
Rank: The Dark One. He's not technically in charge of a village and he's not technically a ninja.
Canon History
Before the First Curse
Canon Abilities/Powers
Rumple's abilities are ...difficult to pin down. He is magical and at times the canon feels limitless in his magic. We know that magic always comes with a price and that generally the person who pays the price isn't the caster, but the person the magic is cast for: in other words, when Rumple makes a deal with Snow to do magic for her, Snow pays the price.
That said, he has access to books and scrolls that teach him new magic, and as the Dark One (the most powerful sorceror we've seen yet) his magic is dark and overwhelmingly powerful.
His usual spells include:
Hearts - Rumple, like Cora and Regina, has the ability to pull people's hearts out of their chests. We know that once the heart is out of the chest, the person holding the heart has power to control the person that the heart belonged to. Or they can shove the heart back into the person's chest. Or crush it to dust and kill the owner. Hearts, we know, can also be put into other people's bodies. This can have disasterous effects (see Gerhardt) or a heart can be broken into two halves and shared between True Loves (Snow and Charming)
Teleportation - Can poof around the Enchanted Forest, but requires a magic bean or Jefferson's magic hat (or the Dark Curse) to teleport between realms.
Conjuring - He can make things appear from nothing or summon them from another location (or from someone's hand). He has the ability to make fireballs, I believe, though that's a skill we generally see Regina do. His magic tends to be emotionally fueled, so you channel anger and hate to do Dark Magic.
Seer - a stolen power, but he is capable of seeing parts of the future. It can be vague, but he tends to be good at anticipating what people will do before they do it.
Transformation - Changing his own appearance to look like others, or changing other things appearances (turning a man into a rose, conjuring new clothing for guests, etc)
Potions - He creates bottled True Love from hairs from Snow and Charming and makes various other potions/elixirs/etc including a locator spell that he can pour onto an object to find the person it belonged to.
The Dagger - is the source of his power as the Dark One, but it is also his curse. Whoever possesses the dagger controls Rumplestiltskin and if he should be stabbed with the dagger, he dies, his powers as the Dark One transfer to the other person and they become the new Dark One.
Straw into gold - What it says on the box. He can spin straw into gold, and in general is very good wool spinner.
Deals, Pawns, and Bargains - Rumple's greatest powers over people are the deals that they make with him. He offers them magic, for a price, and they enter into a (typically unbreaking) contract with him. His Storybrooke counterpart is a pawnbroker. People come to him because they need something he can give them and he acquires things from them as a result. Sometimes it's an object (usually magical or of value to the person; it is not usually simply expensive), sometimes it is information or a promise or servitude. What he acquires from one deal generally is used in another. True to his roots, names and first-borns are rather popular deal items.
Appearance
Shoulder-length brown hair, amber colored eyes, and greenish gold skin that appears to sparkle as though flecked with gold. He tends to dress in leathers or expensive fitted wear, sometimes with billowy sleeves befitting of the fantasy/fairytale European elements of his canon. His height is 5'8" (1.73 m) (the height of his actor, Robert Carlyle) and he sometimes speaks with a Scottish accent that varies between giggly and manic, or mellow and dark. Compared to a ninja, he probably looks a little thin.In his original human form, he has normal human skin (not gold) and brown eyes. His voice tends to be calmer and more subdued (the actor changes his accent a little) and he walks with a limp.
Personality
Rumplestiltskin in his original human form is cowardly and timid. He is not the kind of man to rock the boat. He is cautious and loves his family very much, but his fear drives him to take few chances and to bow down to oppressive authority.
Now, however, he is the Dark One. Now he is the authority. There is nothing he cannot do with his powers--except find Baelfire. That will haunt and drive him forever. But the Dark One is blinded by his own power and not eager to lose it. Inside he is the same scared old spinner, but now he has tasted power and he fears returning to the way he was--a cripple, a coward, a man unable to defend his son or keep his wife. So he is cautious about how much he reveals of himself to others. Weakness and compassion are carefully hidden. If he does something nice, he brushes it off or has an excuse for it; he is never going to let you think he is nice just to be nice. There is generally a deal, an advantage he wants, some bargain or debt he intends to put you in. Perhaps you will owe him.
Like his Grimm Brothers namesake, this Rumplestiltskin is a trickster. Part con-artist like his father, part fast-talking used-car-salesman, chaos-embodied and puppeteer enjoying his own show. Rather than do his own dirty work, he tends to engineer it to be done by others--ultizing their own motivations to his advantage. Regina seems to be a particularly useful pawn of his, as is Snow. The funny thing is? They know what he is, what his deals mean, and they still manage to play into his hand.
To Snow and Regina's impulsiveness, he is calculated. He sees the future in hints and suggestions and sets up the pieces to play the long game so everything works in his favor. He is a master of contingency plans and can predict based on personalities what his pawns might do.
He's impish, like his namesake. He enjoys tricks and trolling people. He likes to play games with them simply for his own amusement, to prove his own power. He giggles almost manically, smiles slyly, and likes to show off, strutting about the room, and then can turn darker, proving his cleverness and playing a dangerous chess game. Do not cross him, because he will get you back. His games
Belle unearths a very unique side of Rumple. He is smitten with her, his caution comes down just a little (enough that she almost managed True Love's Kiss once, which would remove his power), and he does nice things for her. He tries to be the beast he has come to be known as, but for her, the man shows through: a scared, lonely man who likes her very much.
It is probably good, then, for the Dark One, that Belle is gone now. She would have been a weakness his enemies might have exploited. Only a chipped teacup and memories remain for him to hold onto.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Mental, emotional, and physical. This can be a bullet point explanation.| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| - Clever and cunning. | - Cowardly -- there are just so many shades of cowardly in Rumplestiltskin's behavior. |
| - Shrewd businessman in that he can usually convince his victims that they need what he has and that the price (often steep) is worth it. | - Only true ally is himself. |
| - Uses people to his advantage. | - Uses people. |
| - Wants to protect those he cares about. | - Scared to get too close to people; equally scared to lose those few people he cares for, to the point of over-protective controlling. |
| - Powerful. | - Afraid of losing that power. |
| - Can spin straw into gold. | - In his natural form, he's lame and requires a cane or walking-stick. |
| - Wealthy. | |
| - Almost limitless power. | - Except he cannot bring back Baelfire. |
| - Baelfire and Belle, when he has them. | - Baelfire and Belle, whether he has them or not. |
| - The Dagger, the source of his power. | - The Dagger, especially when he does not have it or know that it is safe. |
Sunshine Abilities/Powers
Hearts - modified for the ninja world into a deep, hyper-realistic genjutsu. In it, he withdraws your heart and holds it in his hand. If he chooses to crush it, the pain itself manifests first only in the mind (where the illusion affects you directly) then your mind makes it real. The end result will probably be something akin to suffering a heart attack as soon as the genjutsu itself drops. He can also use the jutsu to control a person's actions, while they are under the affects of the genjutsu.
Teleportation - A little fancier than your basic Naruto teleportation (Body Flicker Technique), it's not reliant on moving fast, but actually involves disappearing and reappearing in an instant. It is not, however equal to Kakashi and Obito's Kamui Ninjutsu. He does not go to another realm. In fact, he is very much interested in the powers of those who can.
Conjuring - I guess this might be a sort of summoning jutsu, summoning up an item from another location. It could also be accomplished with chakra strings if taking it out of someone nearby's hand.
Seer - Limited in what he can see to what players will allow him to see and what can generally be engineered in gameplay with the approval of whoever is involved. Mostly going to be anticipating moves.
Transformation - a typical transformation jutsu, plus heavy emphasis on genjutsu. Illusion is a forte.
Potions - Well-versed in potions/elixirs/etc. Locator and poisons being a specialty.
The Dagger - Remains the source of his power as the Dark One. It is chakra infused, bonded to the chakra of the person who stabbed the last Dark One (and thus is the current Dark One). Whoever possesses the dagger controls Rumplestiltskin and like before, if he should be stabbed with the dagger, he dies, his powers as the Dark One transfer to the other person and they become the new Dark One. It is also capable to summoning him, much like a contract would with a creature.
Straw into gold - I guess this is a jutsu, but it's really not important to the Sunshine verse? It's mainly an excuse to say he might be good with chakra strings because threads...?
Wheeling and Dealing - Rumple's still making deals, offering jutsu or items or information, for a price, and sealed with a contract (possibly in blood if it comes to that).
I'm taking a guess, but perhaps his affinity would be yin and yang based??
Sunshine Map
Most of the events originally take place in the Fairy-tale Land which mainly consists of the Enchanted Forest. The Enchanted Forest itself is comprised of several smaller lordships, dukedoms, and kingdoms. Most of these kingdoms/etc are central for one story or a mix of them. Arendelle (the land of Frozen) is a continent to the south of the Enchanted Forest. Frankenstein comes from another realm entirely (the World without Color) which is accessed by magic portal; other worlds accessed only by portal include Oz and Wonderland.
Proposed Additions to Map in Courier Font - Current map data in dreamwidth's default
Note: For the purposes of clarity and ease, I'm consolidating and leaving out unnecessary detail about the various regions until they become relevant (yes, there are a million more places here).
Land of Forests
A land so thickly forested that only natives can navigate it and hidden nature has led to stories of the forest being enchanted. A river flows through the middle of it which allows foreigners to pass by the land. The land has no hidden village, nor does it have shinobi. Instead, it is guarded by civilian soldiers, typically heavily armored and armed with swords, lances, or bows, who are notably well-skilled, however, and can navigate the forests of the land with ease.
The Land of Forests largely consists of smaller administrative regions (example: Maurice's kingdom, Aurora's, etc) ruled by civilian leadership under the banner/command of the rulers of the Royal Castle. Exceptions include the Dark Castle and the Dark Palace.
In recent years, Forests has seen some turmoil and uprisings. With Leopold's death, the Evil Queen Regina seized the Dark Palace region and seeks still to enact revenge on Snow White. George, the late ruler of the Royal Castle was ousted by his son, David, and David's wife Snow White.
Royal Castle
Currently ruled by royals Snow White and David (aka Prince Charming, the heir to this region), the palacial fortress is nestled deep in Forests, and serves as governing body for most of the Land of Forests. Situated over water, it is accessible by land only through a stone bridge with a drawbridge and is heavily guarded. The army, a mixture of bowman, swordsman, and mounted calvalry serve their lord and lady dutifully. The throne of Land of Forests is contested by Regina (The Evil Queen), Snow's stepmother.
Dark Palace
A dark, spire-like tower ruled by Regina. The region is formerly the kingdom of Snow White's father, Regina's late husband Leopold. After a failed attempt to assassinate Snow, Regina was banished to this region.
Dark Castle
The home of the Dark One, Rumplestiltskin. A stone fortress, it is lavishly decorated, but often dark, dusty, and ill-kept, especially now that his servant-girl has gone.
Neverland Island
Ruled by The Shadow and Peter Pan, the island is lush with forests. It has special powers to maintain youth, but what are the costs?
Forest River
A wide and winding river which cuts through the middle of the Land of Forests almost its entire length, originating in the northern part of the country and eventually emptying into the southern sea. For foreigners who are unable to navigate the thick forests of the country, this is the only method of travel through it.
Genjutsu Tree Village
Although the village does not train its own shinobi, it is a location other countries send their shinobi to practice dealing with genjutsu, as the forest surrounding the village are full of trees which create a magnetic field that has genjutsu-like effects on minds. Recently, people who travel to Genjutsu Tree Village do not return. It isn't technically aligned with the Land of Forests, but the Land of Forests allow the residents to remain there, due to the immobile nature of their village. It is rumored that the tree possesses chakra that will grant knowledge of secret jutsu to those with valiant hearts.
Sunshine History
Due to the nature of Rumplestiltskin's character and the world of Fairy-tale Land (how it bleeds together and manipulates various fairy-tale roles), he is in and out of a lot of different character-stories. I'll try to keep the history as easy to understand as possible.
They are civilians of the Land of Forests, long before the villages themselves are established...
Once Upon a Time...
Rumplestiltskin's father, Malcolm, is a swindler and a cheat, and this ultimately leaves the two penniless, so Rumplestiltskin is sent to live with a pair of wool spinners, where he becomes quite promising at the craft. The spinners suggest Rumplestiltskin leave and travel elsewhere, escaping his father's reputation and poor example, but Rumplestiltskin attempts to bring his father with him.
Their voyage crashes on a island just off the coast of Forests: Neverland Island.
Think of a Happy Thought:
On Neverland Island, they discover that a chakra force known as the Shadow controls the island. The Shadow inhibits the chakra of adults, amplifys the chakra of children, and siphons chakra to prolong the lives of everyone living on the island (including itself). By fusing with the Shadow, one can be young forever. It isn't long before Rumplestiltskin's father selfishly chooses to bond with the Shadow and is transformed into a teenage boy, while Rumplestiltskin is cast off the island and returned home.
Malcolm renames himself Peter Pan, after a toy doll Rumplestiltskin leaves behind on the island.
Years pass. Rumplestiltskin grows to adulthood. The ninja world is in turmoil.
Want So Much More Than They've Got Planned:
A war, one of many, rages across the region. Rumplestiltskin, now married to a woman named Milah, is recruited for war and is eager to prove (to himself and to her) that he is not like his father. But while guarding a seer taken prisoner by the army, he is tempted by the seer's visions of his future. She tells him that Milah is pregnant and Rumplestiltskin's actions on the battlefield will leave his son fatherless.
Afraid, Rumplestiltskin intentionally criples himself so that he can leave the war to raise his son Baelfire. But in leaving his post, he is labeled a coward, a disgrace. Even his wife Milah is ashamed of him. She wishes he would have died on the battlefield. Their marriage is unraveling.
Bitter and discontent with her life, she fakes her own kidnapping and runs away, tempted by the promise of freedom with the pirate, Killian Jones. Believing her kidnapped, Rumplestiltskin attempts to bring her back. But cowardice gets the better of him, he cannot bring himself to duel Killian. Rumplestiltskin returns to his hovel, defeated, to raise his son alone. He tells his son only that his mother is gone, dead, nothing more.
A Dark Man Waits With a Dark Purpose:
The Land of Forests has been engaged in their war for some time now. It is going badly.
Rumplestiltskin's son, Baelfire, is turning thirteen, which will make him old enough to be drafted into the bloodbath. During the night, three days before Baelfire's birthday, they attempt to flee the village, but are caught by soldiers. The soldiers recognize Rumplestiltskin for his cowardly act years earlier and they ridicule and bully him. The spinner pathetically endures it, even going so far as to kiss the boot of the lead soldier.
As the soldiers leave, a beggar-man helps the father and son home. Over dinner, the man tries to encourage Rumplestiltskin to save Baelfire, not to just run away
He tells them about a chakra-infused dagger owned by the Daimyo. The dagger controls the Dark One, the most feared and fiendish being in the land. With the dagger, and the Dark One it controls, Rumplestiltskin could protect Baelfire from anything. He would never again need to be afraid.
Rumplestiltskin's fear is overwhelming, but for once, he pushes it aside. He has no other choice. He has to protect his son.
He enacts a plan and sets fire to the Daimyo's castle. In the chaos, Rumplestiltskin goes inside and locates the dagger, claiming it for himself. Then, he summons the Dark One, by calling out the name on the dagger: Zoso. But with the Dark One in front of him, Rumplestiltskin cowers in fear. The Dark One taunts him, suggesting Baelfire is not actually Rumplestiltskin's son, and in his rage, Rumplestiltskin kills the Dark One with the dagger.
Zoso, the Dark One, is the old beggar man.
And Zoso knows a desperate soul when he sees one, and he saw such a soul in Rumplestiltskin. Life became a burden doing the Daimyo's bidding in the war, but with Zoso's death, now the power--and the price--of being the Dark One has fallen to Rumplestiltskin's shoulders. The dagger assumes Rumplestiltskin's name now and his predecessor dies with an ominous warning: All magic comes with a price.
Not Much Fun For Little Harpo:
When the knights return to the village for Baelfire the next day, Rumplestiltskin, now the Dark One, degrades and kills them. His son is horrified, but Rumplestiltskin "justifies" it by saying that he has to protect what is his. And that he's no longer afraid. He has enough power, he believes, to not have to fear anymore.
Or does he? He is so constantly in fear of losing what he has, including his son, that he forbids Baelfire from going outside, from making friends, from living.
Eager for companions, lost little boys, Peter Pan attempts to lure Baelfire away to the island. Rumplestiltskin retrieves him, giving Baelfire no choice in the matter. The rift between father and son grows.
Rumplestiltskin goes on to turn the tide of the war, brokering a truce in the middle of the battlefield and trying to win over Baelfire again. People respect him, but the power consumes him. His skin changes, appearing almost flecked with gold and scaly like a lizard's. His irises become enlarged and his voice becomes prone to manic giggles. Most importantly, though, the Dark One's power makes him aranoid, fearful in a different way. He knows he has to keep his power to keep his enemies away from his son. He's willing to kill innocents for it.
Baelfire is frightened of what has become of his father. He pleads with Rumplestiltskin to change; without power, he wouldn't need more power, he wouldn't have these enemies.
But the only way Rumplestiltskin knows of to be rid of his power (his burden, his drug) is to be killed with the dagger. He refuses.
Worlds Apart, Hearts Broken In Two:
Baelfire strikes up a deal with his father, then. If he can find a way to be rid of the Dark One's powers without harm to either of them, Rumplestiltskin must take it. Rumplestiltskin agrees.
His son discovers, with aid, how to reverse the curse of the Dark One, to remove the chakra infused in his father and restore Rumplestiltskin to the man he once was without killing him and without becoming the Dark One himself. It involves going somewhere far away, a place only accessible by a portal created with a forgotten jutsu.
A priestess gives Baelfire the one ingredient he needs most for this jutsu: a bean infused with the chakra of the man who invented the jutsu, the only one who knows how... A man long dead.
But with the option there, Rumplestiltskin still refuses. He's too scared to go back to being powerless, and the portal opened by the jutsu draws Baelfire into it, while Rumplestiltskin clings to his dagger and remains where he is, as he is.
The deal between them has been broken and Baelfire is gone. Rumplestiltskin is alone with his power and his fear, and every bit the coward his son told him he was in those last few moments together.
There is no way to cast the jutsu. He may never feel Baelfire again.
Struck with regret, Rumplestiltskin seeks out the aid of the priestess, but all she can (begrudgingly and after being tricked into admitting) offer him is that there is another jutsu--a curse--that could return Baelfire to him.
And it comes with a great cost.
Rumplestiltskin again meets the seer--now much older--and before he takes her power for himself, she leaves him with one last prophecy: A young boy who will be the key to the reunion will also be Rumplestiltskin's undoing.
But You Have Heard of Me:
Rumplestiltskin spends his time gathering information on the jutsu. He hears rumors of another bean like the one Baelfire had and attempts to procure it.
There, in the rundown port-town, Rumplestiltskin again meets Killian, the pirate who stole Milah. Killian has the bean and taunts Rumplestiltskin with it and with memories of Milah. Powerful enough to take on Killian without fear, Rumplestiltskin nearly removes Killian's heart straight from his chest, but then...there is Milah, pleading for mercy.
She admits to feeling guilty about leaving behind Baelfire, but she claims to have never loved Rumplestiltskin. Perhaps words like that would have only provoked tears and sadness from Rumplestiltskin before, but now the Dark One acts on his anger. He tears out her heart and crushes it, leaving her to die in Killian's arms. Then, he cuts off Killian's hand to take the bean from him. Though Killian stabs him with a rigging hook, nothing he can do can injure Rumplestiltskin.
However, Killian still has the bean.
The Golden Thread:
(We are now probably somewhere around 50-60 years before Sunshine Game Year 1 - Cora is probably 20s when she meets Rumplestiltskin, she goes on to have Regina, who is maybe early twenties when she becomes Snow's stepmother, and Snow probably ages another 10-15 years after that before the Dark Curse occurs.)
With his power from the seer, Rumplestiltskin learns of the importance of the first-born child of a miller's daughter, Cora, and strikes up a deal to acquire the yet-unconcieved child. They bond, romantically, and he teaches her how to channel her chakra through anger to perform powerful jutsu, including the very one he used on Killian and Milah: removing a human heart. Driven and blinded by desire for power, she puts her own heart into a box, limiting her loving emotions, and alters her deal with him. Her child will never be his.
A Pauper Becomes a Prince:
(With the birth of James/David, we are probably now about 25-30years before Sunshine Game Year 1)
George, ruler of a village within Forests, finds himself unable to have children. Striking a deal, Rumplestiltskin acquires one twin boy from a farmer. In exchange for monetary compensation, the farmers get to keep their other son, David, while James become George's heir.
Not Evil, Just Drawn That Way:
Rumplestiltskin meets Cora's daughter, Regina, now a very sweet young adult who has been forced into a marriage she does not want by Cora. Rumplestiltskin tempts her to seal Cora inside a mirror with a forbidden jutsu. She does, freeing herself from her mother's control, and though she tries to avoid becoming like her mother, Rumplestiltskin manages to lure Regina into becoming his student.
Slowly but surely, using her unhappiness against her, he unravels her resolve and her resistance to using forbidden jutsu. He cultivates her rage.
When Regina complains about Rumplestiltskin's tutelage, so he sends her to Maleficient. She returns with sleeping potion (which she tests on Snow White's prized horse), more patience, and a renewed interest in his teachings. He is slowly shaping her to become what he knows he needs her to be for his prophecy to come true...for him to get Baelfire back.
He will need her to cast his ultimate jutsu. And he's not above corrupting her heart for that.
[Anna visits the mainland from Arendelle while on a quest for information. Rumplestiltskin uses her in an attempt to acquire a powerful magic-sealing/absorbing box, but Anna manages to outwit him. The region of Arendelle is frozen over by Ingrid and Rumplestiltskin acquires the urn containing Elsa (like a sealed demon). Not really important unless we have Ingrid or Anna and Elsa, though it is worth noting that he would have Elsa-urn in his inventory somewhere.]
She Didn't Shudder At My Paw:
Sir Maurice's daughter Belle willingly goes to live forever with Rumplestiltskin as his servant in exchange for his help in protecting her father's people. She is so nervous around him at first. His quips about skinning children make her jump and she drops a cup. Fearing his wrath, she appologizes.
"It's only a cup," he replies.
Belle is scared, but she's a nosy and brave girl, and he slowly develops a fondness for her...and her for him. She is capable of staying his hand, voicing reason to him. She's even willing to defy him at risk to her own life. She pleaded with him to not kill Robin Hood because it would leave his child (with Marian) fatherless, and unbeknownst to her, it reminded him of his own son. He gifts her a library in his castle because she loves reading and knowledge and adventure. He even tells her vaguely about Baelfire and goes so far as to retrieve her when she is stolen for ransom.
He is falling in love with the 'help.'
A Kingdom of Isolation:
Meanwhile, he disguises Regina as a peasant so that she can see how the commoners view her. To her frustration, they do indeed love her stepdaughter Snow White, and she sadly realizes (much to Rumplestiltskin's delight) that she is, truly, The Evil Queen and she will punish them all.
Regina is nearly where he needs her to be.
I've Been Dreaming of a True Love's Kiss:
Prince James is killed in a tournament. George bargains for James' twin brother, David, who Rumplestiltskin forces to go adopt James' identity. David is eventually nicknamed Prince Charming by a sarcastic Snow White. The name sticks and the two slowly start to fall in love with occasional interference from Rumplestiltskin.
Meanwhile, back at Rumplestiltskin's own castle, Rumplestiltskin bends his rules for Belle and sends her outside alone for once, under the pretext of bringing back straw for his spinning, fully expecting the girl to leave him. Along the way, Belle unknowingly meets Regina and learns about a jutsu that might free Rumplestiltskin from his curse. She cares about him so much and surprisingly returns.
She attempts to kiss him--True Love's Kiss, no less--the powerful jutsu only existing between two closely bonded people and capable of undoing any jutsu, however strong. It starts to work and he slowly begins to turn human again...
Shocked and angered, he accuses her of working with Regina to remove his powers. He is so threatened by the thought of losing his power, he would rather alienate the one person who loves him.
He sends her away, claiming to love power more than everything else.
So she leaves, but not before calling him out for the coward he is, hiding behind power and away from love. "All you'll have is an empty heart and a chipped cup."
And that's all he does have. Sometime later, Regina takes a great deal of pleasure in telling him that Belle returned her father, that she was believed to have been tainted by the Dark One and that Maurice had tried to exorcise it out of her.
And that torture had been too much. Belle threw herself from the tower.
He has no idea Regina has Belle locked in a tower, alive. His brave, beautiful Belle became a pawn to be used against him... Perhaps as he feared she could be. In the end, most of his fears come true because he makes them so, however inadvertantly.
The chipped cup is given a place of honor in his castle. His empty heart beats in his chest and he returns to his efforts to find a way to reunite with the only precious person he has left: Baelfire.
Prove That "True Love" Conquers All!:
Rumplestiltskin has several arrangements and deals that he sets up in preparation for what he knows is to come. In one, he arranges to take Cinderella's first born child. In another series of deals, he acquires hair from Charming and Snow to create a rare form of true love in a bottle. The exact happenings with that bottle are unimportant, but notably Rumplestiltskin helps bring Snow and David together. He is a fan of true love, he admits, and what it creates.
They do not know it, but Rumplestiltskin has plans for their True Love. Their love will be a pivotal ingredient to getting Baelfire back.
Charming and Snow White go to war against Regina and George and win the kingdom. Regina is eventually pardoned by Snow and banished back to her region, the Dark Palace. Trouble brews as the Charmings settle into married life.
As stirrings of war begin outside the borders of Forests, Rumplestiltskin pays keen attention. He continues assembling the pieces and manipulating his plan into action, keeping close watch on the powers, giving nudges where necessary. Their leadership is a mix of the old and the new guard--full of changing ideals, old rivalries, deep and unburied resentment. It would only be a matter of time before it unraveled. Sooner rather than later, if Rumplestiltskin had anything to say about it. Perhaps there is something he might find useful if they were to topple... No, there definitely is.
After all, the ninja possess many secrets--and Rumplestiltskin knows they have what he needs.
Prose sample
A gentle nudge here, a prod there, and people were so eager to go to war! How delightful! Rumplestiltskin had seen it many times, even helped create a few, watching as the building blocks of alliances came tumbling down in a ridiculously pattered domino arrangement.
You just had to know the right way to lay the pieces and even those ninja villages with their precious alliances would light the torchs and raise the pitchforks like they had been for centuries. And Rumple knew. Regina was easy in comparison: one person, one source of ire. All he had to do was wave Snow White in front of her like a cape and the Queen saw red.
The Alliances would be more challenging, more intriguing. And that was the fun of it!
He could barely contain a giggle behind his steepled fingers as he watched from the shadows on a rooftop. The Kages were arriving for their summit. But his eyes weren't on the Kages. He was watching the guards, the attendants, the entourages. The powerful men who controlled these powerful villages weren't untouchable. They had their weaknesses. Rumplestiltskin had no designs to go to war with them himself--at least not combat. He would play them, let them do his work for him... It was so easy, too! Every piece of baggage they had betrayed them, every gesture and look: a hand lingering too long on an assistant's shoulder, a genuine smile from a slippery politician, words that were too familiar for their stations. Everyone had something valuable with them worth bartering with; few of those were worth any gold.
And they would seek him out soon enough! Some on their own, with little provocation, others because Fate and Rumplestiltskin designed it. He would offer them the easy way, or the only way, or the fastest way--and some would turn him down. At first. He could give them reasons to come back, and he would.
He didn't even care about the war or the cause behind it. Nor did he care who the victor was. What he wanted was their secrets. One of those secrets would help lead him back to his son.
Missive Sample
Hello, Dearie~
I certainly hope you haven't forgotten the nature of our agreement. You provide the talisman and ~then~ I shall provide you with the potion you desire. Not before. Do not attempt to make demands of me.
Of course, if you would prefer to face the Evil Queen's wrath without such a useful backup plan, by all means. I am certain your talisman would be just as easy for me to recover after she is finished with you.