Grendel (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
oneagainstall) wrote2014-06-16 10:14 pm
oneagainstall) wrote2014-06-16 10:14 pm
Basic Info
BASIC INFO
Name: Grendel (more commonly known as Gren).
Sex: Male.
Age: He's been around since the 5th century or so, so OLD. His glamoured form is in his 30s.
Species: Fable.
Appearance: Glamoured and true form. Both have a deep scar on the top right arm. His glamoured form, is, for all intents and purposes very human. It comes with human limitations, but only someone able to sense glamours would be able to tell he isn't what he appears to be.
Stats:Glamour: Average height, skinny build, one hazel eye, one white, blue/black hair, goatee, pieced left ear, scar across nose.
True form: About 10 foot tall, white with grey and brown mottling. Three claws on each hand, two claws on each foot. Webbing between toes and fingers, small dorsal fin on top of head. White eyes, really fucking sharp teeth. He looks like a gorilla crossed with a shark, tbh.
Handwriting: Here.
Voice: Here.
Hobbies & Interests: Drinking and being left the fuck alone.
Other info: His right eye is milky due to his shoddy glamour, he can see out of it just fine.
Previous Residence: Fabletown; New York City. Previously: Fryslân (Hrothgar's Kingdom); the Homelands.
Canon: Fables (and Beowulf, technically).
Canon Point: The Wolf Among Us: Episode 3 "A Crooked Mile" - After he passes out.
Tropes: Jerk With A Heart Of Gold, One-Winged Angel, The Brute, Grumpy Old Man, Good Thing You Can Heal, Sir Swears-a-Lot, Hates Everyone Equally, Glamour Failure, Perpetual Frowner, Even Bad Men Love Their Mammas, Be As Unhelpful As Possible, An Arm And A Leg, Older Than Print.
HISTORY
“Then at the dawning, as day was breaking, the might of Grendel to men was known; then after wassail was wail uplifted, loud moan in the morn”
To begin with, Grendel enjoyed a quiet existence with only his mother for company in a dark, creepy cave; which let's face it, is probably a good start for any story involving mass murder. A titanic monster with some severe anger management issues, he avoided humans on the whole. One day, however, he decided to kill and eat a bunch of Danes for having fun in their mead hall and playing their music too damn loudly. This is something he did every night for twelve years, before the Danes had enough and got a big damn hero to fight him; ripping his arm off and 'killing' him. Then the guy killed his mother. And beheaded his corpse. Because there's nothing like doing a job properly, I guess.
Yes, this is that Grendel, from the epic poem Beowulf, and he's very much real. Grendel is a Fable, an immortal being of myth, legend and storytelling. He and the other Fables lived in their separate realms, largely ignoring one another's existence, until a great foe; the Adversary came and started conquering them, one by one. Some Fables managed to escape into the Mundane (or Mundy) world; regular old Earth. They set up their own borough of New York, Fabletown, and lived amongst the Mundies (humans) for centuries. Less human looking Fables had to either get glamours from witches (mystical artefacts which allowed them to take on a human appearance) or move up-state to the dreaded Farm. Gren was lucky to be able to get a glamour, and a job to pay for its regular upkeep. Oh, and somehow his head and arm got reattached at some point. Fables are weird, don't question it.
In 1986, centuries after living in the mundane world, a troll friend of Gren's, Lily, goes missing. As is the usual case for the down-and-outs of Fabletown, her disappearance is ignored, until she shows up dead and glamoured to look like Snow White. Gren and the other members of the Trip Trap, a bar he frequents, get dragged into the investigation. He gets into a fight with the town sheriff, Bigby Wolf, and generally gets angry at a lot of things. He then gets himself shot at Lily's funeral, after which he gets high off his pain medication and eventually passes out. It's at this point he gets brought to Teleios. Fun times for him.
PERSONALITY
"Where were you when we reported this weeks ago? Where are you when we ever fucking need you? If you'd given one ounce of a shit about her, about any of us, she might have been saved!"
On first meeting, Gren comes off as very angry creature. He's abrasive, snarky, and can rise into a blinding rage over seemingly very inconsequential things. This is, of course, very true. In the old days, he slaughtered thousands of Nords because their happiness and loud music got on his nerves. He is the sort of guy who will act first, and think later, and his actions are almost always violent. But he's learned the hard way that violence is the best way to get attention. He also tends to resort to alcohol to deal with his issues, and can often be found in the Trip Trap Bar, drinking away his problems with the Fables he truly cares about, but more on them later.
Gren is one of the unfortunate Fables who survived exile to New York in poverty. Some managed to flee the Homelands with their fortunes in tact, and as such got to live a plush lifestyle, and as their money pays for the upkeep of the community, no small amount of preference went to their needs, above those who had nothing. The divide between the haves and have nots is visible and gaping, and it's something that really gets under Gren's skin. When his friend goes missing, he and her sister go through all the correct channels to report her; suffering paperwork and constant shuffling out of the way. The deputy mayor considers people like Gren to be time wasters, and it's only when Snow White, a member of the higher up community gets caught up in all the trouble, that the law comes to Gren and Holly asking questions; infuriating Gren to the point where he attacks the Sheriff, Bigby.
It's even harder for inhuman Fables like himself, who have to pay money for glamours, to give them a human appearance as not to alert the Mundies of their existence. This is becoming increasingly more difficult, as the price of glamours goes up, while their potency goes down. His glassy white eye is a prime example of the inadequate glamours he and other inhuman Fables have to rely on. If they can't afford their glamours, they are sent up-state, to the Farm, essentially a prison in the wide open spaces. The sense of inadequacy, the complete lack of equality, despite the opposite being promised them as they fled the Homelands is something that's put a real chip on Gren's shoulder. He's grown tired of going through the proper channels, finding it so much easier to resort to the violence he relied on during his Beowulf days. At least he can get some sort of satisfaction to all his frustrations that way.
Despite all badly kept under control rage, Gren really desires to be left alone, in peace and quiet. He hates the noise of the city, but has to work there so he can afford his glamour. It seems his hatred of loud noises is one of those things carried with him from the Homelands. Those who treat him with respect, and give him this space and silence, earn a dangerously fierce loyalty. Gren is willing to fight for those he cares about, no matter what harm comes to himself. He gets himself beaten to a pulp by Bigby in an attempt to stop one of his friends being apprehended for a crime he didn't commit. For all his gruff nature, Gren truly loves those who get close to him. He really grieves over the loss of Lily, and it's clear he only has a very small number of Fables as friends. They're all certainly on the lower end of town, as he is. Prostitutes, bar regulars, the strays and downtrodden are part of his social circle, those who understand the life of a Fable struggling to get by.
Even with his great loyalty, Gren does not handle betrayal well. If you cross him, you'd best be ready to face all his wrath. Woody, the very same Fable he fought so hard to protect, was turned on when Gren discovered he'd been paying the deceased Lily for sex. Angry at the betrayal, angry that Holly had to learn this by going through Lily's things, he turns on Woody. They have a brief scuffle, and as Woody leaves, it's clear that Gren's friendship with him has dissolved completely, Gren telling him he wants "there to be a big black hole where your fat, dumb, fucking ass used to be". Once you've crossed that line, the chances of getting back in his good graces are slim to none.
Gren's also a lot of talk and not a lot of action. If he can't out right brawl his way out of a problem, he's quick to back down. Jack comments on how he and Holly are always talking about rising up a posse to take on the Woodlands, to right the wrongs they have suffered and maybe even take over themselves, but it's all just that; talk, they never actually act on their plans. When he's not clouded by rage, Gren knows which fights he can and can't win. And he knows he wouldn't stand a chance against all the Woodlands. This doesn't mean he's not passionate, of course. Even with all his talk, he throws his whole self into things; be it his rage, or his desire for equality, or how completely and utterly he cares for his loved ones. There are no half-measures with Gren, you get everything or nothing at all.
Vengeful, deeply bitter but loyal and all too quick to anger, Gren is equally a Fable you don't want to cross, and one you'd really want on your side. All he wants is a little quiet and respect.
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POWERS
“I can growl, too.”
Gren is a Fable, first and foremost, and this grants him a special sort of immortality. The more well known and popular a Fable's story is in the mundane world, the more power a Fable gains from it. They are granted an even longer lifespan than they already have, and gain a healing factor of sorts. They're very hard to kill, it's not impossible however, cutting off their heads tends to work, as does some magical means. Gren's no exception to this rule. Beowulf, after all, is a very old story that the mundies have been telling for a very, very long time. In the original tale, Grendel was impervious to any weapon with a cutting edge, but how much of that effects him in his current state is unknown. Fables themselves admit that parts of their tales get 'lost in translation' with various retellings. Regardless, Dr. Swineheart points out that Gren is a titan, and as such can heal quickly from damage that would put other Fables out for a while. Gren's back on his feet and seemingly unharmed mere hours after taking a shotgun round point-blank to the chest.
While he has his glamour on, Gren's strength is much like that of the body his glamour has made for him. That being a scrawny guy, all mouth and no muscle. Of course, if he lets his glamour fade, and he takes on his true form, he's very strong. He tosses Bigby around the bar like a rag doll, flinging pieces of furniture and fixtures as if they weighed nothing, and taking everything Bigby can throw at him, like a hat stand to the face, without really breaking stride. It's only when Bigby lets the wolf out a little, and evens up the battle that Gren loses ground. Gren does have a weak spot, it seems. Where his right arm joins his shoulder, he has a deep scar, presumably from where Beowulf pulled it off, hit this spot, and he goes down like a ton of bricks.
His human appearance can only be maintained thanks to his glamour, a magical spell hidden inside a capsule which he keeps on his person. Glamours, however, run out, and a witch is required to top up the magic in it, as it were, to prevent it from stopping working. Once it runs out in Telios, he'll need someone with magic to get it working again, or he'll be stomping around in his true form all the time.
Name: Grendel (more commonly known as Gren).
Sex: Male.
Age: He's been around since the 5th century or so, so OLD. His glamoured form is in his 30s.
Species: Fable.
Appearance: Glamoured and true form. Both have a deep scar on the top right arm. His glamoured form, is, for all intents and purposes very human. It comes with human limitations, but only someone able to sense glamours would be able to tell he isn't what he appears to be.
Stats:
Handwriting: Here.
Voice: Here.
Hobbies & Interests: Drinking and being left the fuck alone.
Other info: His right eye is milky due to his shoddy glamour, he can see out of it just fine.
Previous Residence: Fabletown; New York City. Previously: Fryslân (Hrothgar's Kingdom); the Homelands.
Canon: Fables (and Beowulf, technically).
Canon Point: The Wolf Among Us: Episode 3 "A Crooked Mile" - After he passes out.
Tropes: Jerk With A Heart Of Gold, One-Winged Angel, The Brute, Grumpy Old Man, Good Thing You Can Heal, Sir Swears-a-Lot, Hates Everyone Equally, Glamour Failure, Perpetual Frowner, Even Bad Men Love Their Mammas, Be As Unhelpful As Possible, An Arm And A Leg, Older Than Print.
HISTORY
To begin with, Grendel enjoyed a quiet existence with only his mother for company in a dark, creepy cave; which let's face it, is probably a good start for any story involving mass murder. A titanic monster with some severe anger management issues, he avoided humans on the whole. One day, however, he decided to kill and eat a bunch of Danes for having fun in their mead hall and playing their music too damn loudly. This is something he did every night for twelve years, before the Danes had enough and got a big damn hero to fight him; ripping his arm off and 'killing' him. Then the guy killed his mother. And beheaded his corpse. Because there's nothing like doing a job properly, I guess.
Yes, this is that Grendel, from the epic poem Beowulf, and he's very much real. Grendel is a Fable, an immortal being of myth, legend and storytelling. He and the other Fables lived in their separate realms, largely ignoring one another's existence, until a great foe; the Adversary came and started conquering them, one by one. Some Fables managed to escape into the Mundane (or Mundy) world; regular old Earth. They set up their own borough of New York, Fabletown, and lived amongst the Mundies (humans) for centuries. Less human looking Fables had to either get glamours from witches (mystical artefacts which allowed them to take on a human appearance) or move up-state to the dreaded Farm. Gren was lucky to be able to get a glamour, and a job to pay for its regular upkeep. Oh, and somehow his head and arm got reattached at some point. Fables are weird, don't question it.
In 1986, centuries after living in the mundane world, a troll friend of Gren's, Lily, goes missing. As is the usual case for the down-and-outs of Fabletown, her disappearance is ignored, until she shows up dead and glamoured to look like Snow White. Gren and the other members of the Trip Trap, a bar he frequents, get dragged into the investigation. He gets into a fight with the town sheriff, Bigby Wolf, and generally gets angry at a lot of things. He then gets himself shot at Lily's funeral, after which he gets high off his pain medication and eventually passes out. It's at this point he gets brought to Teleios. Fun times for him.
PERSONALITY
On first meeting, Gren comes off as very angry creature. He's abrasive, snarky, and can rise into a blinding rage over seemingly very inconsequential things. This is, of course, very true. In the old days, he slaughtered thousands of Nords because their happiness and loud music got on his nerves. He is the sort of guy who will act first, and think later, and his actions are almost always violent. But he's learned the hard way that violence is the best way to get attention. He also tends to resort to alcohol to deal with his issues, and can often be found in the Trip Trap Bar, drinking away his problems with the Fables he truly cares about, but more on them later.
Gren is one of the unfortunate Fables who survived exile to New York in poverty. Some managed to flee the Homelands with their fortunes in tact, and as such got to live a plush lifestyle, and as their money pays for the upkeep of the community, no small amount of preference went to their needs, above those who had nothing. The divide between the haves and have nots is visible and gaping, and it's something that really gets under Gren's skin. When his friend goes missing, he and her sister go through all the correct channels to report her; suffering paperwork and constant shuffling out of the way. The deputy mayor considers people like Gren to be time wasters, and it's only when Snow White, a member of the higher up community gets caught up in all the trouble, that the law comes to Gren and Holly asking questions; infuriating Gren to the point where he attacks the Sheriff, Bigby.
It's even harder for inhuman Fables like himself, who have to pay money for glamours, to give them a human appearance as not to alert the Mundies of their existence. This is becoming increasingly more difficult, as the price of glamours goes up, while their potency goes down. His glassy white eye is a prime example of the inadequate glamours he and other inhuman Fables have to rely on. If they can't afford their glamours, they are sent up-state, to the Farm, essentially a prison in the wide open spaces. The sense of inadequacy, the complete lack of equality, despite the opposite being promised them as they fled the Homelands is something that's put a real chip on Gren's shoulder. He's grown tired of going through the proper channels, finding it so much easier to resort to the violence he relied on during his Beowulf days. At least he can get some sort of satisfaction to all his frustrations that way.
Despite all badly kept under control rage, Gren really desires to be left alone, in peace and quiet. He hates the noise of the city, but has to work there so he can afford his glamour. It seems his hatred of loud noises is one of those things carried with him from the Homelands. Those who treat him with respect, and give him this space and silence, earn a dangerously fierce loyalty. Gren is willing to fight for those he cares about, no matter what harm comes to himself. He gets himself beaten to a pulp by Bigby in an attempt to stop one of his friends being apprehended for a crime he didn't commit. For all his gruff nature, Gren truly loves those who get close to him. He really grieves over the loss of Lily, and it's clear he only has a very small number of Fables as friends. They're all certainly on the lower end of town, as he is. Prostitutes, bar regulars, the strays and downtrodden are part of his social circle, those who understand the life of a Fable struggling to get by.
Even with his great loyalty, Gren does not handle betrayal well. If you cross him, you'd best be ready to face all his wrath. Woody, the very same Fable he fought so hard to protect, was turned on when Gren discovered he'd been paying the deceased Lily for sex. Angry at the betrayal, angry that Holly had to learn this by going through Lily's things, he turns on Woody. They have a brief scuffle, and as Woody leaves, it's clear that Gren's friendship with him has dissolved completely, Gren telling him he wants "there to be a big black hole where your fat, dumb, fucking ass used to be". Once you've crossed that line, the chances of getting back in his good graces are slim to none.
Gren's also a lot of talk and not a lot of action. If he can't out right brawl his way out of a problem, he's quick to back down. Jack comments on how he and Holly are always talking about rising up a posse to take on the Woodlands, to right the wrongs they have suffered and maybe even take over themselves, but it's all just that; talk, they never actually act on their plans. When he's not clouded by rage, Gren knows which fights he can and can't win. And he knows he wouldn't stand a chance against all the Woodlands. This doesn't mean he's not passionate, of course. Even with all his talk, he throws his whole self into things; be it his rage, or his desire for equality, or how completely and utterly he cares for his loved ones. There are no half-measures with Gren, you get everything or nothing at all.
Vengeful, deeply bitter but loyal and all too quick to anger, Gren is equally a Fable you don't want to cross, and one you'd really want on your side. All he wants is a little quiet and respect.
Gren is a Fable, first and foremost, and this grants him a special sort of immortality. The more well known and popular a Fable's story is in the mundane world, the more power a Fable gains from it. They are granted an even longer lifespan than they already have, and gain a healing factor of sorts. They're very hard to kill, it's not impossible however, cutting off their heads tends to work, as does some magical means. Gren's no exception to this rule. Beowulf, after all, is a very old story that the mundies have been telling for a very, very long time. In the original tale, Grendel was impervious to any weapon with a cutting edge, but how much of that effects him in his current state is unknown. Fables themselves admit that parts of their tales get 'lost in translation' with various retellings. Regardless, Dr. Swineheart points out that Gren is a titan, and as such can heal quickly from damage that would put other Fables out for a while. Gren's back on his feet and seemingly unharmed mere hours after taking a shotgun round point-blank to the chest.
While he has his glamour on, Gren's strength is much like that of the body his glamour has made for him. That being a scrawny guy, all mouth and no muscle. Of course, if he lets his glamour fade, and he takes on his true form, he's very strong. He tosses Bigby around the bar like a rag doll, flinging pieces of furniture and fixtures as if they weighed nothing, and taking everything Bigby can throw at him, like a hat stand to the face, without really breaking stride. It's only when Bigby lets the wolf out a little, and evens up the battle that Gren loses ground. Gren does have a weak spot, it seems. Where his right arm joins his shoulder, he has a deep scar, presumably from where Beowulf pulled it off, hit this spot, and he goes down like a ton of bricks.
His human appearance can only be maintained thanks to his glamour, a magical spell hidden inside a capsule which he keeps on his person. Glamours, however, run out, and a witch is required to top up the magic in it, as it were, to prevent it from stopping working. Once it runs out in Telios, he'll need someone with magic to get it working again, or he'll be stomping around in his true form all the time.