"It was a princess who stood outside the gate. But, mercy! How she looked, from the rain and the rough weather! The water ran down from her hair and her clothes! It ran in at the points of her shoes and out at the heels; and yet she declared that she was a real princess. "
~The Princess on the Pea, by Hans Christian Andersen

The youngest daughter of King January has a great many complaints, including a terrible allergy to peas, and a mildly inconvenient curse which causes frogs to fall from her mouth whenever she says the word "altruistic"; but the worst of these is her inability to sleep. She has learned that her problem can be cured if she manages to find the Moon, which has gone missing. Accustomed to being surrounded by people who do as she says, yet unaccustomed to having to make decisions of any importance, her first impulse after running away from home is to seek out companions to help her on her quest. Before she left home, she was engaged to be married to a peasant boy.

"The Cat, who heard all this, but made as if he did not, said to him with a grave and serious air, 'Do not thus afflict your self, my good master. You have nothing else to do but to give me a bag and get a pair of boots made for me that I may scamper through the dirt and the brambles, and you shall see that you have not so bad a portion of me as you imagine.'"
~ The Master Cat, or Puss in Boots, by Charles Perrault

Born a common barnyard mouser, he was able to use his wits and cunning to elevate his master's -- and his own -- lot in life. He now conducts himself as a gentleman of leisure; but he has never lost the wiles which kept him alive back when he had to eat vermin for a living. On the rare occasions when he can't talk his way out of trouble, he finds the most effective strategy is still his oldest: dash up the nearest tree, and wait for whatever it is to go away. He has grown to dislike the taste of mice, but he still hunts them -- and other small, guileless creatures -- with great enthusiasm. His other passions are travel and stylish yet comfortable footwear.

"The grandmother lived out in the wood, half a league from the village, and just as Little Red-Cap entered the wood, a wolf met her. Red-Cap did not know what a wicked creature he was, and was not at all afraid of him.
'Good-day, Little Red-Cap,' said he.
'Thank you kindly, wolf.'"
~Little Red-Cap, by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

Red has been living in the woods by herself for some time. She is often seen carrying an axe, but is rarely seen chopping any wood. Her hobbies include hunting and gathering flowers. Due to circumstances in her past, she hates wolves in particular and has a deep-seated mistrust of all flesh-eating animals, especially talking ones.

"But the dead man shouted 'Now I'm going to strangle you!'
'What?' the boy responded. 'Is that my thanks? I'm going to put you right back into your coffin.' He lifted him up, tossed him inside, and shut the lid. Then the six men returned and carried the coffin away.
'I can't get the creeps,' the boy said. ' I'll never learn it here no matter how long I live.'"
~A Tale About the Boy Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was, by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

A peasant youth who impressed King January by spending three nights in a severely haunted castle and bringing back a mind-blowing amount of treasure. This earned him an engagement to the King's youngest daughter (who has since gone missing). Rumor has it that he knows no fear; but then, he doesn't seem to know much of anything.

"There was but one thing that gave Beauty any concern, which was that every night, before she went to bed, the monster always asked her if she would be his wife. One day she said to him, 'Beast, you make me very uneasy, I wish I could consent to marry you, but I am too sincere to make you believe that will ever happen; I shall always esteem you as a friend, endeavor to be satisfied with this.' 'I must,' said the Beast, 'for, alas! I know too well my own misfortune, but then I love you with the tenderest affection. However, I ought to think myself happy, that you will stay here; promise me never to leave me.'"
~Beauty and the Beast, by Jeanne-Marie LePrince de Beaumont

This rather reclusive and high-strung creature lives in a grand, richly-furnished home in the deep woods, and has apparently not left it for a quite a while, nor does he entertain many visitors. His main pastimes seem to be gardening and proposing marriage, though he is much more proficient at the former than the latter. The only one he loves more than his rose garden is Beauty; and being deprived of either of these puts him in an extremely foul temper.

"She replied, 'I am no spirit, but an unhappy mortal deserted by all but God.' The King said, 'If thou art forsaken by all the world, yet will I not forsake thee.'"
~The Girl Without Hands, by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

A woman with a convoluted past; the daughter of an impoverished miller who allowed himself to be tricked into giving his only child to the Devil in exchange for great wealth, and who cut off her hands under the Devil's orders. She was able to escape the Devil's claim and leave home to fend for herself. Though she eventually met and married a king, this apparently did not put an end to her misfortunes. She is now once again wandering without a thing to her name except the silver hands which are her last memento of her husband. Although quite candid in discussing her history, there still seem to be a few details that she prefers not to talk about, including the secret she took away from her chance encounter with the Moon.

"Hansel and Gretel were so terrified that they let what they had in their hands fall. But the old woman shook her head and said: 'Oh, ho! you dear children, who led you here? Just come in and stay with me, no ill shall befall you.'"
~Hansel and Gretel, by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm

An old woman who has been living in the woods by herself for some time.

"There was once a Prince who wished to marry a Princess; but then she must be a real Princess. He travelled all over the world in hopes of finding such a lady; but there was always something wrong. Princesses he found in plenty; but whether they were real Princesses it was impossible for him to decide, for now one thing, now another, seemed to him not quite right about the ladies."
~ The Princess on the Pea, by Hans Christian Andersen

Ever since the loss of his betrothed several years ago, Prince Ricardo has been searching for a bride. Handsome, valiant, an unequaled swordsman and heir to a wealthy and influential kingdom, he would be one of the most eligible young bachelors around if he weren't an insufferable ass. As it is, he has managed to snub or offend nearly every princess of marriagable age within reach of his father's kingdom, and is persona non grata with many royal families. This has forced him to extend his search to princesses who live well away from polite society, in cursed castles and other remote places.