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Lift my dark forge from the ashes of this kingdom. |
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| —Rasputin, The Thief and the Tinderbox | ||
Rasputin is the main antagonist of the twelfth Dark Parables game, The Thief and the Tinderbox. He is the elder brother of King Edric, and seeks to have his revenge on the Snowfall Kingdom.
Rasputin is based on the Russian historical figure Grigori Rasputin and the Arabic mythological figure of the Jinn/dijinn.
Appearance and Personality
Rasputin is a sinister-looking man with dark brown hair, brown eyes, and a long dark beard. He wears a ragged purple cloak, gold manacles on his wrists and ankles and carries a wooden staff with him. He also has long, sharp fingernails and walks around barefoot.
Rasputin is a power-hungry man who's completely engrossed by dark Sorcery. He's also very manipulative, able to convince Kai to release him from his Tinderbox prison by promising that having the Tinderbox in his possession would win Kai Gerda's love.
History
Rasputin is the first-born son of the Old King and thus the elder brother of Edric. Not much is known of his childhood but it's hinted the darkness that would corrupt him began during his youth. While his brother was drawn to physical combat, Rasputin devoted himself to Sorcery and Alchemy.
As the elder son, Rasputin was first in line for the throne when his time came. However, the Old King wanted to test his sons to see who was most worthy. He had three tasks for his sons to complete. While Edric used his strength, and fought battles as a warrior, Rasputin used magic and Sorcery to complete all three tasks.
Rasputin had shown his true nature to his father when he had burnt alive one of the people he was assigned to complete the task with. Deeming Rasputin unfitting to rule the kingdom, the Old King chose Edric to be the heir. Angered, Rasputin decided to wait for the time to take back what he thought was rightfully his. He had Odna create the Truth and False Mirror. Hoping to keep the Truth Mirror for himself, the older brother planned to give the False Mirror to his brother to bring out his worse self. However, Odna foiled his plans when he shattered the False Mirror into pieces.
Rasputin later battled Hansel, the Moon Priest, for three days and nights until he was defeated. His powers were stripped away and he was put on trial. He was to die by Edric's hand, but the King's brotherly love for him had spared his life. Instead, he was banished from the Mountain Kingdom.
Badly scarred by his duel with Hansel, Rasputin travelled east where a Golden Child lived deep in the hills. Although it is unknown exactly what happened, Rasputin was seen leaving with his scars healed but the girl was dead, her eyes completely dry of tears.
Somehow, Rasputin had made his way to another kingdom and married the Princess there after finding the Tinderbox.
He got enslaved inside the Tinderbox and the magic object somehow was hidden somewhere in the Swiss Alps forest. Tired of being trapped in the Tinderbox for so long, Rasputin planned his escape by searching for someone to make three wishes for him to be free. Thus, Rasputin had begun to influence Kai using a strange medallion.
He had Kai burn down the forest in search for the Tinderbox, hoping for the young man to use his three wishes unwisely. Despite this, the Detective got the Tinderbox first, Kai snatched it from her hands and made his way to the new Snowfall Kingdom to make his wishes.
He granted Kai's first wish to stop the wedding... Literally. When Kai wished Gerda to "be with the man who loved you the longest", Rasputin changed that wish so that it erased all the men from the kingdom. Once Kai used up his last wish to fix the damage he'd done, Rasputin was released from the Tinderbox while the botanist got trapped inside.
When Snow White confronted him, he redirected her magic back at her, freezing Snow where she stood. He then went after Gerda. After pushing the Golden Child off the edge of the cliff with his magic, he planned to later come back for her blood before continuing his way to the old Snowfall Kingdom.
When confronted by the Detective, Rasputin gave her a warning to turn away before blocking the entrance to the old kingdom. When the Detective made her way to the old Snowfall Kingdom, Rasputin made his first wish: to lift the dark forge from the ashes so he could capture Odna to break the gems that sealed his powers. He later caused some damage to the castle's courtyard and chapel before disappearing. He then took the gems that contained his powers and disappeared to make his way to the dark forge.
When confronted by the Detective and the Moon Priest, Rasputin made his second wish of wishing them gone from the world. Kai, however, modified the wish so that the Detective was only trapped in the Tinderbox and released her. Although shocked that the Detective was still alive, Rasputin arrogantly dismissed it as unimportant and prevented her from interfering as he had Odna shatter the gems with Edric's hammer. He then battled the Moon Priest and was victorious. He then went after Gerda to ensure his immortality. However, his plot was foiled when the Detective activated the four seals to defeat him. Before the barrier closed in on him, Rasputin made his final wish for the people on the battlefield to die. However, it didn't work because of the rules and he got trapped in the Tinderbox once more.
The Tinderbox that has him inside was later sealed in a temple on a land called the Edge of the World.
Relevant Parables
Two Brothers, Two Mirrors (from The Thief and the Tinderbox)
The King's two sons lived with their father in the Mountain Kingdom. The elder, Rasputin, was first in line for the throne by birthright, but his heart had been darkened in childhood and he lusted only for power. The King decreed he was unfit to rule and named Edric, the younger son, as heir. The King's decision instilled great anger and resentment in his elder son, and darkness often brings great cunning. So Rasputin did his plotting and scheming in the shadows until the time was right. Rasputin used his sorcerer's power to trick Odna, the legendary dwarf blacksmith, into crafting a pair of Magic Mirrors for him. One Mirror reflected only the truth, and Rasputin wanted that one for himself. The second Mirror reflected only darkness, and brought out the worst in the person it reflected. This one he intended to give his younger brother, Edric the King. Rasputin's plan went awry when Odna realized his magical creations were to be corrupted in the service of Rasputin's wrongdoing. He swung his hammer one last time and shattered the False Mirror.
The End of Tears (from The Thief and the Tinderbox)
Deep in the hills of the East there once lived an unusual child. She was small and timid, and cried at the slightest provocation. Everyone assumed she wouldn't last long in the bitter climate, yet the girl grew and thrived. One night her father returned from the hunt with a bloody gash in his stomach. The healers were summoned and they shook their heads. "We can do nothing for him except prepare him for the journey." But as soon as the girl shed loving tears over her father's wound, the gash closed and healed before their eyes. Word of the healing spread and the girl became a sought-after miracle worker. One day a man bearing the scars of a great battle approached and said to the girl, "You are a Golden Child, able to hold death at bay, even for a man like me." Later that day he was seen peacefully exiting the girl's home, with no scars to be seen, and the villagers found the girl dead, her eyes dried of all tears. It would later be revealed: Rasputin had been there.
The Wounded Beast (from The Thief and the Tinderbox)
One summer day, the skies suddenly darkened over the Mountain Kingdom's capital and a deep booming sound came from somewhere in the city. It was Odna shattering the False Mirror, releasing its immense power and discharging it in an explosion that tore down the Dark Forge and changed Odna forever. Thus Rasputin's plot to overthrow King Edric was revealed. Edric feared his brother, for he knew Rasputin's powers were great. The King summoned the arbiter of the Moon Goddess, the Moon Priest, who dueled with Rasputin for three days and nights. The Moon Priest was victorious and Rasputin was at last apprehended. The Moon Priest stripped Rasputin of his dark powers, then pronounced his punishment: death at the hands of the King. But an ineffable brotherly love softened the King's heart. "Rasputin, for your betrayal I banish you from these lands forever and ever. You were my brother, and that bought you a second life, but know this: there will not be a third."
Powers and Abilities
- Fire Manipulation: Like his nephew Ross Red, Rasputin has the ability to control fire - sending powerful blasts with his staff at his target.
- Granting Wishes (regained): When being imprisoned in the Tinderbox, Rasputin can grant any wish. However, he can twist the wishes if the person in possession of the Tinderbox is not specific.
- Immortality (regained): Not the kind of immortality he wanted sadly for him. Being trapped in the Tinderbox will give him what he wants, but he can never be free from it.
Relationships
- Old King (father, deceased)
- King Edric (younger brother, deceased)
- Snow White (niece)
- Ross Red (nephew)
- Empress Brunhilda (sister-in-law, deceased)
- Evil Stepmother (sister-in-law, unknown)
- Gwyn (great-nephew)
- Gerda (great-niece by marriage)
- Kai (enemy)
- Odna (former prisoner)
- Hansel (enemy)
Quotes
Quotes by Rasputin
- "You summoned me, Master? What is your first wish?"
- "Your wish is granted. The clock in the city has stopped ticking."
- "Ah, Snow White. Last time we met, you were just a little brat. I'm impressed that you remember me!"
- "Lift my dark forge from the ashes of this kingdom."
- "My new kingdom won't pay respect to such weaklings from the past."
- "That's why I intend to kill every last one of you!"
- "No ... No! I wish you all to die!"
Quotes about Rasputin
- "Rasputin is haunted by the past, and driven by revenge."
- "Rasputin clearly loves enslaving people."
Trivia
- Rasputin's name is Russian and translates to 'Ill-behaved child'.
Galleries
