Index Entry: The Charming

Dorothy closed the door behind her leaving guests; Miss Shesh and Mister Baldur. The two had come back from Gran's house on the third night after the Field Incident. Gran had told the two of Cuu's Tale, as well as how he had ended up in Antiquity; to which both had a seemingly odd reaction. Miss Shesh seemed to get back some of her pride, as she hadn't been scared into submission by just some random Dog-Like Tale, and Mister Baldur... he seemed to be near constantly lost in thought. She had expected the meek blowhard to be constantly on edge in her home, but instead, he had even requested a chance to speak with Cuu once The Wolf finally awoke from his beauty sleep.

"So odd." Dorothy said to herself; as well as her constant companion, The Hood. "He didn't even ask for a drink, either."

"The Charming has always been a line of strange, and confused individuals." The Hood replied. "Would you like to know more?"

The folds of cloth held out Dorothy's Index; she took it with a smile. "Good idea, Miss Margo."

Pouring herself a final glass of wine, Dorothy perused through the Index, looking for the page on The Charming. A minutes search came up with the usually styled artwork she had grown used to seeing within her personal tome. A valiant knight, crowned by the sun itself, holding up a blade as he charged at what looked to be a dragon; who itself clutched a fair maiden within it's horrid claws.

The Charming.

Stories: The Little Ash Girl. Snow White. The Maiden in the Tower. The Story of Pretty Goldilocks. The Blue Bird. The Beauty and the Beast.

Allies: Woodland Creatures. Fair Maidens. Wise Rulers.

Enemies: Villains. Monsters. Tyrants.

Banes: Self-Loathing.

Booms: The Golden Ruler. The Nick of Time. True Love's Kiss.

The Charming is, baring The Hunter, the most praised and valued of Heroic Tales. This Tale has achieved the most Itterations of any on record; spawning several other Heroic Tales, each just as notable than the last. Due to their status as a Heroic Tale, their birth will be the result of Immaculate Conception. This is a result of the curse of The Thorn Crown; an Event that occured in the very first itteration of Page, if the legends are to be believed. The result is that most Heroic Tales, such as The Charming, are seen as bastard children until after their birth. This has caused many parents to forgo any sort of punishment of presumed promiscuity on the behalf of their daughters, for fear their grandchild will bring their righteous fury down upon them.

The power of The Golden Ruler is a **** of Fate itself; The Charming's Soul emerges from their body, allowing even non-Storytellers to witness their aura. This Fateful power grants neigh immunity to damage, as well as the speed and strength to lay low just about any creature known to man. It must, however, require a condition to be met. Namely, that someone The Charming cares deeply for to be in mortal peril of some kimd. If these conditions are not met, The Golden Ruler will not emerge, even to save The Charming themselves. If The Charming holds themselves as a person worthy of saving, and cares deeply for themselves, this should not be an issue; however, Imposter Syndrome is a seeming constant for this Tale, as they are usually expected to be just as grand as all who came before them.

The Nick of Time is another Fateful Boon; causing The Charming to have a constant flow of interesting events occur around them. This odd power means that The Charming has a never ending series of stories where they arrive "just in time" to help someone, or something, with some sort of problem. However, this power can quickly wear down a weak willed individual; and those with poor fortune are likely to find themselves engrossed in intrigues and plots that go far beyond what they can handle at the time. Should The Charming be engaged with multiple Tales in some sort of grand adventure, however, this Boon seems to lessen heavily in it's severity.

This "Boon" has killed many a Charming, or driven them to madness; it is mostly considered a Boon to those who The Charming ends up helping.

True Love's Kiss, despite it's name, does not require lip-on-lip contact, nor a romantic desire nor interest in it's target to function. This Boon will remove curses, diseases, and even mortal wounds in an instant; however, should The Charming not be protected by The Golden Ruler, these afflictions will quickly inflict themselves upon them. The requirements for this power to be used are the same as The Golden Ruler, but cannot be used on The Charming themselves; meaning that a mortal wound is as deadly as it would for any normal man or woman.

Dorothy_ _finished the entry, looking over the first paragraph again a few times. "Immaculate Conception... so, Mister Baldur doesn't have a father?"

"Indeed." The Hood told her, setting aside the Index within it's silken folds. "I do not envy his position in the Author's grand narrative."

...

Baldur walked down the yellow brick road with Shesh, his mind racing; his teeth grating against each other. He could feel it in the air; that ever present pressure that rested sorely upon him, and him alone. An opportunity, no, the opportunity; the one he had never thought could exist. He had been living as nothing but an urchin since that day, but now... if he could get the help of The Wolf...

He could make that bastard pay; and Shesh could get some well deserved justice as well.

"Handsome?" Shesh called, those gorgeous eyes of hers glowing in the growing dark of dusk. "You've got that look again. The one that led us here... have you got another good scheme cooking?"

"Not a scheme, Shesh." Baldur said, looking up at the moon. "I think you know what's on my mind."

Her tail bristled; she had been thinking the same as him. "I like Doc; not sure about Doggy... but if we can put that aside. It sounds like he wants the same thing as us."

Baldur walked to Shesh's side, speaking darkly; his hushed voice heard only by her. "Payback..."

He saw his dear friend wince, holding her wrists; even now, she remembered the torment that The Wonder had put her through. Baldur hated when she got like this. He could see how much pain laid in the past of the only person who still gave a damn about him; and it made him want nothing more than to skewer the next fucker who even glanced at her wrong. Baldur rested a hand over Shesh's own, trying to give her a small comfort. She pulled away as a matter of instinct; just as she always would.

Seeing the now disheartened look on Baldur's face, Shesh smiled weakly; vanishing. "Let's talk about this more in the morning; last one to the tower pays for breakfast!"

Baldur grumbled, not even bothering to try and outrun his super-human companion. Instead, he turned back towards Antiquity; deep in thought once again. His soured mood turned to further dark thoughts. How long had it been now, sixteen years? Seventeen? He was small back then, so long enough ago now that he had stopped counting his birthdays; not that he had a great memory to begin with...

-but he'd never forget that night; the fires, the screaming, the of smell ozone and charred flesh; his friend's horrified faces as the doors to the orphanage burst open.

"I wonder which is louder; you son of a bitch." Baldur snarled, spitting in disgust; the sound of a hammer crushing bones still ringing in his ears.

"A howling Wolf, or your damned Thunder."