| “ |
Hah! This game you shall never win! |
” |
| —Rumpelstiltskin, Rumpelstiltskin and the Queen | ||
Rumpelstiltskin is a minor character first mentioned in the sixth Dark Parables game, Jack and the Sky Kingdom, and who appears as the main antagonist in its bonus game, Rumpelstiltskin and the Queen.
He was a mean-spirited imp who kidnapped the Princess of the Sky Kingdom because of a bargain he made with the child's mother.
Rumpelstiltskin is based on Rumpelstiltskin from the German fairy tale of the same name.
Appearance and Personality[]
Rumpelstiltskin is an ugly little imp with enormous ears and a whiny voice. He's normally a grayish stone color, but when drunk (as pictured), his face turns red.
Rumpelstiltskin's personality is rather distasteful - he is selfish and mischievous, not caring who he hurts, so long as he's amused. He's fond of games and riddles, so long as he wins.
History[]
Rumpelstiltskin was created by a Sorcerer who found himself in need of a loyal servant. The Sorcerer cast a spell on a mud idol, giving it life and bonding it to himself so that it would always do his bidding. Rumpelstiltskin dutifully served his master for many years, until the Sorcerer's death. It is implied that Rumpelstiltskin had a hand in his master's death, either by hastening it or outright causing it.
Sometime after this, Rumpelstiltskin encountered a young man named Bulvar walking through the woods. He played a guessing game with the young man, threatening to kill him if he couldn't guess correctly, but promising a gift if he got the answer correct. When Bulvar guessed the right answer to Rumpelstiltskin's riddle, the imp was furious but kept his word. He gave Bulvar an Ancient Dagger that was capable of cutting through magic, allowing the young man to travel through magical barriers to lands near and far (including both Barsia and Olesia), becoming the greatest merchant who ever lived.
It was at some point after this that Rumpelstiltskin appeared before the miller's daughter in King Eurig's castle. She was facing certain death because she was unable to spin wheat into gold as her father had claimed she could. Rumpelstiltskin offered to do this for her, in exchange for her first-born child. The miller's daughter agreed and Rumpelstiltskin spent all night spinning wheat into gold for her, a feat which so impressed the King that he married the girl and made her his Queen.
When Eurig's Queen had a child, Rumpelstiltskin appeared before her again to demand his payment. He took the child back to his forest home but was followed by the Queen and King. He offered them a chance to have their daughter returned to them if they could guess his name within three days' time. The King guessed rashly and was turned to solid gold by Rumpelstiltskin.
The Queen, however, took her time investigating the situation. She was able to learn his true name and find the magic book that the Sorcerer had used to keep Rumpelstiltskin under his control. Using these things, she was able to subdue the imp in magical chains and rescue her child.
Rumpelstiltskin was placed in the dungeons belonging to the King and Queen, where the King forced him to spin gold in order to fill the kingdom's coffers. At some point, Rumpelstiltskin reverted back to a stone idol. The circumstances of this are as yet unknown. He remains in the Sky Kingdom dungeon, chained up inside an open cage in his stone form.
Powers and Abilities[]
- Flight: Rumpelstiltskin's bat wings let him hover in the air.
- Gold Transmogrification: Rumpelstiltskin has the magical ability to transform anything into gold. He spun straw into gold and transformed King Eurig into a gold statue.
- Portal Creation: He can open magic doorways that let him travel from his home in the Dark Forest to anywhere in the world.
Relationships[]
- Unnamed Sorcerer (creator and first master, deceased)
- Bulvar the Merchant (acquaintance, deceased)
- Queen of the Sky Kingdom (acquaintance, presumed deceased)
- King Eurig (second master, deceased)
- Princess of the Sky Kingdom (kidnap victim, fate unknown)
Relevant Parables[]
Rumpelstiltskin (from Jack and the Sky Kingdom)
Once upon a time, a miller boasted his daughter could spin wheat into gold. The King demanded a demonstration, but the miller's daughter had no such skill. Knowing the dawn would bring her death, the daughter wept bitterly. Suddenly, an imp appeared before her and offered to spin the wheat in return for her first-born child. The daughter agreed. Delighted, the King married her the next day. Their first child soon followed and for a while all was well. But one day, the imp reappeared, demanding what had been promised to him. The King and Queen pleaded with the imp for mercy. So he proposed that if they could guess his name in three days time, he would release their daughter from the promise. The King guessed rashly and was cursed. But with the help of a tiny messenger, the Queen learned the imp's true name was Rumpelstiltskin. Foiled, the imp tried to leave, but the king had other plans.
What's in an Imp's Name? (from Rumpelstiltskin and the Queen)
Once upon a time, there was a Sorcerer who found himself in need of a magical servant. But he had little trust for outsiders. The Sorcerer discovered a ritual that would turn a muddy idol into a living, loyal servant. The Sorcerer used the spell on a mud imp idol. And when it came to life, he gave it the name of Rumpelstiltskin. The imp was a greedy thing, favoring the precious honey beer made from fairies as his meal. But he was an eager servant and the Sorcerer felt secure in his loyalty, thanks to the spell. Sorcerer and servant lived side by side for many years. Until it inevitably came that the Sorcerer reached his end and the imp was freed into the world. And if the Sorcerer's death came sooner than anticipated...well, who was to know?
Bulvar and Rumpelstiltskin (from Goldilocks and the Fallen Star)
In the land of Barsia, there was a young man named Bulvar. He was a merchant's apprentice, working all day long to support his old parents. One night, when he was returning from a late errand for his master, he passed through a thick and dark forest. There, he met an evil imp named Rumpelstiltskin. "Off my path, you human mutt. In my forest, you shan't strut! If you want to live and pass, we shall play a game of chance. What flows like a river, yet has no banks? What can go forward, yet never back? If you guess wrong, it will be your doom, but if you're right, there's a gift for you!" Bulvar was a bright lad, but it took him some time to think of an answer. The imp smiled confidently. "No mortal has ever beaten me in the game of guessing, and it seems you aren't any smarter than those I've already encountered on this road. Well? Your time is almost up!" What the imp had just said gave Bulvar an idea. "The answer to your riddle is Time," he said, and that was, of course, the right answer. Rumpelstiltskin was furious, but he held his promise. As a reward for beating him in the game, Rumpelstiltskin gave Bulvar a magic dagger that lead him to become the biggest merchant that ever was.
Quotes[]
Quotes by Rumpelstiltskin[]
- "Off my path, you human mutt. In my forest, you shan't strut!"
- "No mortal has ever beaten me in the game of guessing."
- "As per our agreement, the child is mine."
- "Go away! The child belongs to me now! Unless... you can guess my name. But be warned, the wrong answer comes with a price."
- "Hah! This game you shall never win!"
- "You again?! Get out! You are not welcome in my hut!"
- "No. No... The master is dead. Can't control me anymore. And no one else can make a claim, for Rumpelstiltskin is my name!"
Quotes about Rumpelstiltskin[]
Gallery[]
