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The Kingdom Of Haven
Ambrose and his fellow refugees come across his old/new kingdom.
After recovering from his personal crisis of long-repressed grief and despair, Fabletown's humble janitor Flycatcher began to realize his vast magical potential, becoming endowed with mystic abilities making him virtually invulnerable, and able to transcend the boundaries of time and space. After being knighted, he plunged the depths of the dreaded Witching Well, embarking alongside other Well refugees on a long, arduous journey that eventually took them to his old, deserted former kingdom in the homelands. There, Flycatcher reclaimed his once and future identity and role as King Ambrose, and, with the help of his fellow refugees, established the bright new kingdom of Haven. Flycatcher (King Ambrose the First)
"But sometimes I miss the old days, and this floor did need a good mopping, so..."
"And that about wraps up this story. A lowly janitor called Flycatcher endured many trials and saved many lost people. And then he became a great and powerful king and his kingdom was at peace."
The Frog Prince. Initially introduced as a bumbling oaf who keeps getting in trouble with the law due to his constant desire to eat flies, and is constantly serving community service by being the janitor of Fabletown.- Almighty Janitor: He ends up becoming an almost literal example.
- Ascended Extra: Not even the most dedicated, longtime Fables fan could have guessed that the simple, unassuming, fly-devouring janitor for the Woodland Building would only scant years later prove to be one of the most powerful, pivotal figures in future storyarcs and the mythos on the whole.
- Babies Ever After: In The Last Flycatcher Story included in issue #141, it's revealed he and Red Riding Hood eventually get married and have four children.
- Badass Pacifist: Defeats many, many of Geppetto's armies without spilling a single drop of blood, all by himself.
- Beard of Sorrow: During his Heroic BSoD.
- Beautiful All Along: After his makeover in The Good Prince.
- Big Good: After creating his own kingdom in Haven.
- Cool Sword: Arguably the coolest of all- Excalibur. It adds to his Invincible Hero traits.
- Everybody Calls Him "Barkeep": Even after his given name (Ambrose) is revealed, every Fable calls him "Flycatcher", or "Fly" for short (due to his penchant for eating flies). This even extends to after he becomes King of Haven; he rankles under royal titles and prefers his old nickname.
- Everyone Can See It: In Haven, his relationship with Red Riding Hood goes this way. Everyone in the kingdom can see that they're falling in love, but Ambrose resists his feelings for quite some time due to his continued guilt over the deaths of his wife and children.
- Forced to Watch: When the Adversary's soldiers barged into his home, he accidentally changed into a frog and could only hide and watch while every single one of his family members were killed (with his wife and eldest daughter being raped beforehand).
- Forced Transformation: Laced with a curse long ago that would turn him into a frog whenever he got extremely nervous or excited.
- The Good King: After establishing the kingdom of Haven in the Homelands, he becomes a wise and powerful king, respected and loved by all.
- Happily Married: To his long-dead first wife. And much later to Red Riding Hood as revealed in The Last Flycatcher Story.
- Heroic BSoD: After remembering what happened to his family.
- Suffers an earlier one when Beast relieves him of his never-ending "community service" sentence, effectively (and unintentionally) making him homeless and destitute.
- Hidden Depths: Despite being introduced as a bumbler, Flycatcher is actually a very skilled swordfighter and a wise leader.
- Humble Hero: After achieving a ridiculous level of magical power, conquering wave after wave of invading Imperial soldiers, and becoming King of Haven, he nevertheless sheds his royal trappings every now and then and returns to Fabletown's Woodland building to do janitorial work. Because it needs doing and makes him happy.
- In Vino Veritas: Never drinks, because that is when he remembers what happens to his family, and shares the tragedy with others.
- Incorruptible Pure Pureness: The ONLY Fable who had no crimes or misdeeds to confess when he signed the Fabletown Compact.
- This is taken even further when he becomes the king of Haven. After he fells Geppetto's Golden Horde (a fighting force composed of every wooden soldier Geppetto has under his command), he gains control of the magic grove that birthed them all, which gives him almost absolute power over his territory and the ability to form his own army of wooden soldiers, if he so wished. He steadfastly refuses to do this, as he is fully aware of the temptation to use those soldiers to form an empire of his own and believes he would succumb to that temptation ultimately, however good-intentioned he might have been when he started. During the final arc, he even goes so far as to explain that he's helping both Rose and Snow by staying out of their fight, otherwise they would most likely simply go down in history as the first casualties in the rise of a new Adversary.
- Invincible Hero: His armor and Excalibur make him this, as long as his heart remains pure and he fights for a good cause. With these provisions, he will win any and every battle, but it is still possible to injure him, as Grinder did during their duel (possibly breaking his ribs).
- Involuntary Shapeshifter: He transforms into a frog if he's thoroughly startled or scared, and can only be brought back by a True Love's Kiss each time. Following his story arc in The Good Prince however, he starts working on controlling it.
- Knight in Shining Armor: Takes on Lancelot's armor, which magically becomes pristine and totally free of rust, gleaming golden, signifying that it has been purged of its previous owner's dishonor.
- Knighting: Starts his journey to becoming King by being made a knight by no less than Sir Lancelot.
- Manchild: His innocence and bubbly friendliness make him seem like a big, lanky kid. He loves playing baseball and sneaking Pinocchio's toy soldiers out of his room to play with them.
- In Haven, more often than not, the King can be found playing with the children of Imperial refugees, most of which are goblins and other non-humanoids. He considers this his "most important duty".
- Nice Guy: Quite possibly the kindest Fable seen in the mythos. There's a reason his arc is called "The Good Prince."
- Only Known by Their Nickname: Almost everyone calls him Flycatcher, or just Fly for short. After he becomes king of Haven, people try to start calling him Ambrose, or "Your Majesty", but he orders them to just keep using the nickname.
- Or Are You Just Happy to See Me?: After Flycatcher transforms back into a human by himself, he is naked for Red to see her effect on him.
- Symbolic Baptism: Receives one from his new squire, Sir Lancelot, in preparation for the trials to come. He also receives a conventional (and desperately needed) scrubbing and shave.
- Take a Third Option: The kingdom of Haven on the whole is built on this ideal, as anyone who chooses not to live in the Mundane world with the Fabletown society, or even those within the Empire, seeking to escape its oppression, may come to Haven and become citizens. Even enemy soldiers are granted this offer.
- King Ambrose invokes this trope when facing the first invading Imperial Horde. After demonstrating how futile and utterly wasteful a full-fledged battle between his forces and theirs would be (as any Fable in Fly's army who is struck down would be instantaneously resurrected), and when the enemy commander states that he cannot simply return home to face the Emperor without putting up a fight, Ambrose offers to settle the matter with one-on-one combat between himself and the enemy's chosen champion.
- Those Two Guys: He started out as this with Pinocchio and Boy Blue.
- Took a Level in Badass: He creates an Undefeatable Little Village against The Empire.
- Thou Shalt Not Kill: Applies this mindset to his rule in Haven.
- True Love's Kiss: How to restore him if he reverts to being a frog.
- What You Are in the Dark: When he gains access to Geppetto's wooden army, he's asked upfront if he will use them to create an Empire of his own. The very thought horrifies him.
Weyland Smith
"You think you can stand against me?"
"I admire excellence wherever it's found. I'll have to devise some way to keep Smith around and seduce him into my service once I take over." - Bluebeard
Fabletown's legendary blacksmith, engineer and inventor. He formerly ran the Farm and later served as Haven's Builder of the Kingdom.
- Bad Boss: Reportedly was this to the animal Fables at the Farm during his tenure- but seeing as how the non-humanoid citizens mostly resented the fact that a human was appointed their leader, that claim is extremely suspect.
- Was definitely this to Prince Brandish during his forced servitude, by design. Though he by all means deserved it and worse, this would come back to bite Weyland in the ass in a major way.
- The Big Guy: The largest Fable who isn't a non-humanoid creature.
- Carpet of Virility: Has very thick tufts of hair adorning his chest.
- Gadgeteer Genius: Can and has built just about anything under the sun, from weapons systems modified for animals to castles.
- Insufferable Genius: A very mild example, as he is very congenial and friendly, but does have a tendency to refer to people as "amateurs" a lot, as well as questioning the intelligence levels of others.
- Killed Off for Real: Twice. His first corporeal death came during the Battle of Fabletown, when he was gunned down by the Adversary's invading Wooden Soldiers. He was later resurrected by King Ambrose (Flycatcher), only to later die again at the hands (and crowbar) of Prince Brandish.
- Loophole Abuse: When he's captured and enslaved by the Farm revolutionaries, they restrain him with magical shackles that prevent him from trying to escape, but do not stop him from helping his fellow prisoner Snow White, get away by forging a key for her shackles, which are identical to his own. With Reynard the Fox helping to point this out, Snow is able to (eventually) free Weyland as well.
- Manly Facial Hair: He's a big, strong, masculine man with a thick beard.
- Meaningful Name: Although he is an ingenious builder and all-around inventor, Weyland at his core is fundamentally a blacksmith.
- 0% Approval Rating: Was universally hated during his tenure as Farm Administrator. Not because he was a bad leader, but simply because he, a humanoid Fable, was appointed Administrator over a population almost entirely composed of non-humanoids. This leads to his eventual ouster and enslavement.
Red Riding Hood
"Small courtesies are often more of a blessing than great deeds."
"You can't afford to set a rude table when princes and ambassadors and other great personages come to call. Now normally that would be your queen's' duty. But until the day comes when you find yourself a proper queen, I'm volunteering to fill in." - Red Riding Hood, to King Ambrose (Flycatcher)
Goes from being a peasant girl who once had a near-fatal encounter with a certain Wolf, to a tool in the machinations of an evil Empire, and ultimately the royal Hostess and love interest of a powerful, righteous King.
- Affectionate Nickname: Flycatcher, Blue and her other close friends call her "Ride".
- Big Stupid Doo Doo Head: When someone in the crowd at a baseball game mocks her lack of batting skill, Red responds with the clever, edgy retort "You siddown, you big poop!"
- Color Character: Red Riding Hood.
- Fiery Redhead: Ordinarily a polite. mild-mannered, quiet girl. But when she gets her dander up, like on the several occasions she has to tell Flycatcher to pull his head out of his rear, she can be a real firebrand.
- Have We Met?: Flycatcher, when escorting Red to Bigby and Snow's wedding, tells Red that she no longer has to fear The Big Bad Wolf, as he's no longer the ravenous beast she encountered before, in the Homelands so long ago. Red is mystified by this, as she does not recognize Bigby as a human. But upon briefly meeting him in passing, she notes that he does seem strangely familiar...
- Lady Macbeth: A very mild and benign example. She is the one who initially motivates Flycatcher to come out his funk and seek vengeance for the death of his family. She later influences him to abuse his royal privilege to obtain extra tickets for the Farm's "Glamour Lottery", and tries (unsuccessfully) to get him to go on an "impromptu diplomatic mission" so that he might escape the responsibility of presiding over Mr. Brump's murder trial.
- The Makeover: Soon after arriving in Fabletown, Red goes out into the Mundy city to get a new hairstyle and some modern clothing, all in an attempt to blend in better and to impress Flycatcher.
- Nice Girl: A quiet, modest, somewhat introverted sweetheart of a girl, making her the perfect mate and future Queen for King Ambrose.
- Once Done, Never Forgotten: For a couple of years at least, Fabletown citizens started at the very sight of Red Riding Hood, as Baba Yaga used her likeness to infiltrate and attempt to destroy Fabletown.
- Quit Your Whining: Gives Flycatcher a scathing but well-meaning tongue-lashing about being a man and a king and taking vengeance for wrongs, as opposed to sulking in the shadows like a coward.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Unbeknownst to her, the Adversary's sorcerers had been using her as the template for many of their spies and infiltrators, seemingly for centuries. The most notable one was Baba Yaga, who used Riding Hood's form to ingratiate herself with Boy Blue and Mayor Cole, paving the way for the Imperial invasion of Fabletown.
Lancelot
"The 'brief shining moment' needn't have been so brief, but for me."
"I'm the ghost of Lancelot of the Lake, former knight of the Round Table, and now official envoy to your august court from the new kingdom of Haven." - Lancelot
Legendary and infamous as the greatest knight of Camelot, and at once a major cause of its downfall, Sir Lancelot ultimately took his own life. Known only as "The Forsworn Knight", his spirit remained trapped inside a rusted suit of armor, hanging in the Fabletown Business Office for centuries. But after being magically drafted to embark on a quest for redemption, he becomes a main component in the apotheosis of Flycatcher, serving as his trainer and sponsor in knighthood, and the voice of the kingdom of Haven. Later becomes one of Rose Red's knights and her lover.
- Affectionate Nickname: All his close friends in the modern era call him "Lance" for short.
- The Atoner: Makes up for his sins of antiquity by becoming squire to the future King Ambrose.
- Deadpan Snarker: Has a very wry sense of humor. Hanging yourself after causing the downfall of a kingdom through your betrayal of all you hold dear will do that to you.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: The exact method of his demise at the hands (or sword) of Prince Brandish.
- Invincible Hero: Was this in the flower of Camelot, thanks to a spell placed upon him by Frau Totenkinder. He was unbeatable in battle (even mock combat), as long as his virtue remained untarnished. And we all know how that turned out...
- Killed Off for Real: Prince Brandish, by virtue of being nigh unkillable, eventually wears Lancelot down over the extended course of their trial by combat, and kills him.
- The Lancer: To Ambrose, in his official capacity as advisor, as the former Flycatcher's unorthodox methods in dealing with crisises and overall approach to knighthood often clashes dramatically with his own. Fly values his candor and counts on him to give honest, unvarnished advice.
- Master Swordsman: As befits arguably the greatest knight of all legend.
- Oh, Crap!: His verbatim reaction upon realizing that he has just become Queen Rose's "Guinevere", meaning that he is fated to help bring down Rose's new Camelot as he did the previous one, only in a different role.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: His betrayal of Arthur led to not only his own downfall, but that of the kingdom of Camelot. Upon realizing this, and being granted forgiveness by his King and friend, he took his own life out of shame.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Expresses his shock and dismay in no uncertain terms at Flycatcher's strategy of using non-lethal attacks in his duel with the gigantic troll Grinder, as a loss by Fly would doom their entire cause, not to mention torpedoing Lance's shot at redemption.
Trusty John
"Oh dear. Some dark business that was last year. Terrible days."
"They call me Trusty John, a name that tastes of bitter ashes in my mouth because it's such a grotesque lie."
Former doorman of Fabletown's Woodland Building, he later unwillingly becomes a spy for the Empire, dies, and is resurrected as King Ambrose's squire and later Chancellor of Haven.
- The Atoner: Serves loyally as Flycather's squire to make up for his betrayal of Fabletown.
- But Thou Must!: Named "Trusty John" because he was magically compelled to have undying loyalty to his king, even at the cost of betraying Fabletown's secrets to the Empire.
- Cruel and Unusual Death: For the crime of betraying Fabletown secrets to the enemy, Mayor Charming sentences him to death, with his dead body to be dumped down the Witching Well with many other deceased Fables. Charming offers him the mercy of not being shot in the head by Grimble and jumping in alive, not realizing that in choosing this, John would actually suffer far more, as his still living form would be slowly and agonizingly torn apart all the way down, until his eventual demise.
- The Farmer and the Viper: John cites the scorpion and frog variant of this trope in his defense of Mr. Brump during the latter's murder trial.
- The Good Chancellor: Becomes this to King Ambrose after proving his worth and loyalty.
- The Mole: His vow of fealty to his king from the Homelands forced him to act as a spy for the Empire, as the king became a thrall of The Adversary.
- My Master, Right or Wrong: Bound by magics of loyalty, he had no choice but to continue to obey the dictates of his king, even after the ruler threw in with the hated Adversary.
- Nice Guy: A cheerful man who always had a smile and pleasant greeting for anyone crossing the entrance to the Woodland Building. Which made it all the more heartrending when Mayor Charming had to condemn him to death for betrayal.
- Sacrificial Lamb: To the shock of the invading Imperial army, King Ambrose uses Excalibur to slice John in two, right down the middle. But despite some minor discomfort, John is unharmed and instantly restored by Fly's magic, as he is actually a ghost, and his physical form is just transitory. Ambrose does this to demonstrate to the enemy that as he can instantaneously resurrect any of his followers that fall in battle, the forces of Haven will eventually and invariably win by attrition, so no invaders would ever have a chance of victory.
- Undying Loyalty: To his original king, induced and imposed by magic. This goes away after his death, and he willingly and wholeheartedly swears eternal fealty to King Ambrose.
Grinder
"An oath is an oath. We're the words we live by, or we're animals. No room for interpretation."
"Grinder the Troll appeared out of the falls like a vision of certain doom. Even fortifed with great magic, how could my king possibly hope to prevail against such a creature?" - Trusty John
Formerly the appointed champion of one of the first Imperial hordes attempting to invade Haven, this gigantic troll is bloodlessly but decisively defeated in single combat by King Ambrose, and thereafter swears his allegiance to Flycatcher and his new kingdom.
- The Big Guy: Naturally served as this for his original Horde of invading Imperial soldiers, later for King Ambrose's army and circle of friends, and also for Pinocchio's "Super Team".
- Defeat Means Friendship: After Ambrose bests him in ritual combat, sparing his life in the process, Grinder gladly swears fealty to his new king, and the two prove to have long-lasting genuine affection and mutual respect for each other.
- Undying Loyalty: Grinder is so grateful to not only be spared after Flycatcher defeats him in their duel (without drawing blood or otherwise seriously injuring him), he not only bends the knee to his new king, but proves to be one of the most steadfast and unwavering defenders of Haven, even singlehandedly putting down an uprising perpetuated by many of his former fellow Imperial invaders.
- You Shall Not Pass!: A small army of goblins, trolls and whatnot, agitated and determined to confront and disrupt the murder trial of Mr. Brump, are stopped in their tracks by the imposing figure of Grinder. A few words from the monstrous troll are sufficient to make the horde disperse and return home.
Mister Brump
"Buh ah had me a wee snack s'all!"
"And aren' I entitled t'me own sup? Aren' I a gob whelped with gob ways?" - Mister Brump
A goblin from one of The Emperor's countless hordes who fled Imperial oppression and retaliation for desertion by fleeing to Haven and swearing loyalty to its King. He lives peacefully alongside his fellow refugee denizens until the day he eats one...- Defeat Means Friendship: Was part of General Hildebrand's feared Sixteenth Horde, routed by the onslaught of Haven's ghosts. Is later a citizen of Haven, playing as part of the Gob Marauders baseball team, and is on hand to cradle his beloved King Ambrose when he collapses.
- The Exile: Is banished under pain of death from Haven forever as penalty for murder.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: At least nearly so. Mr. Brump is so popular among his fellow goblins of Haven that his arrest and murder trial almost sparks a full blown rebellion. Fortunately, Grinder is on hand to singlehandedly squash all such notions.
Boo Bear
"It's because Papa's lil' Boo Bear is hung like a..."
"Earth to Goldilocks: this ain't no island, babe," - Boo Bear
The "baby" of the Three Bears family. He was the longtime sex partner of Goldilocks and actively participated in the Revolution. He was killed in the Battle of Fabletown, but found new life in King Ambrose's Haven. Later, he becomes one of Prince Charming's guerrilla soldiers. fighting renewed tyranny in the Homelands.- Affectionate Nickname: His parents, as well as many other Fables, call him "Baby Boo", despite the fact he's definitely an adult and almost as big and imposing as his father.
- The Atoner: Served as a key member of Goldilocks' "animal revolution", and was sentenced to many years of hard labor as punishment. Later volunteers to serve in the defense of Fabletown against the invading Wooden Soldiers of the Empire, to have his sentenced reduced, and to prove his loyalty to the established regime.
- Bigger Is Better in Bed: Asserts that this is the reason Goldilocks so often finds his bed "just right".
- Comically Missing the Point: Goldilocks' metaphor about the Farm Fables being "marooned on this island" goes right over the head of her erstwhile lover Boo, who asserts that the Farm is not an island.
- During the hunting of Snow White and Reynard the Fox at the beginning of the Farm Revolt, uprising ringleaders Goldilocks and Posey Pig argue the wisdom of putting Colin Pig's head on display, as it was not only time consuming, but also gave their enemies advance warning. Goldilocks remarks "You can't put shit back into a goose". Minutes later, Boo Bear, in the middle of tracking Snow and Reynard, feels the need to comment that putting shit back inside the goose is in fact possible, provided you use a pestle and a funnel...
