Audio Play / The Princess Thieves

Come On Down to London Town

The Princess Thieves is an audio drama created by Alexander Shaw and is the fifth story in The New Century Multiverse, as well as the fifth part of Phase 1 of the overarching story.

Set on the same Alternate History Earth as the rest of the series, it explores what has become of Victorian Britain since the coming of the Zombie Apocalypse that has wiped out most of humanity.

Now has a direct prequel in the form of The Christmas Thieves.

---

The Princess Thieves provides examples of:

• Abusive Parents:
  • Robin's father would regularly beat Robin and his sisters.
  • Robin believes Captain Baltus had these.
• Action Girl: Gwen is shown to be one of the best fighters in the story, matched only by Mortimer and bested by Oberon. She outstrips both of them after she starts wielding the Archenblade.
• Adjective Animal Alehouse:
  • The Thirsty Hog, a bar controlled by the Hoods.
  • The Mad Bull, where Gwendoline first goes Fight Clubbing.
• Affectionate Nickname: Aaron refers to Gwendoline as 'sweet pea.'
• Agony of the Feet:
  • Since he was woken from sleep by the Knives attack on Camelot, Robin spends the fight barefoot and cuts up his feet on the rubble strewn around the ruins.
  • During the same battle, Mortimer takes advantage of Robin's weakness by stamping one of her heeled boot on his exposed toes.
• Alternate Timeline: Word of God says that the bad ending of episode 18 actually happened in an alternate timeline.
• Amplifier Artifact: The Archenblade, which amplifies its wielder's physical and mental prowess to superhuman levels.
• Angrish: Oberon becomes so angry, he verbally snarls at Imogen, though he was likely deliberately doing this just to frighten her.
• Ancient Keeper: Merlene, as you might expect, is this for the Archenblade.
• Anywhere but Their Lips: Gwen's last gesture to Robin before returning to Buckingham Palace with Mortimer and Viola is to kiss him on the head.
• Archnemesis Dad: Coriolanus becomes this to Gwen by the end of the story, despite the fact that both still hold a measure of love for each other.
• Armies Are Evil: The Duart are extremely militaristic and their soldiers and guards are almost universally portrayed as racist, corrupt and abusive.
• Arranged Marriage: Between Princess Gwendoline and Aaron of Britannica.
• Arrows on Fire: Robin learns how to light the tips of his arrows with his firecasting.
• Ass Shove:
  • After being mistaken for a prostitute, Mortimer warns the person that they'll have to remove the payment from their rectum.
  • After she gets shocked by it, Gwen threatens to do this to Mortimer with her cattle prod.
• Asshole Victim:
  • Robin points out that he was able to get information on the Marquis of Cheswick from his servants after he cut their pay.
  • Robin also acknowledges that Lady Imogen deserved to have her doll stolen after her racist remarks towards Oberon.
  • Robin accidentally killed his father who was abusive to family and murdered his own daughter.
• Attempted Rape: The Black Shuck stalks a woman through the London streets and beats a man who approaches her, assuming he is going to try and rape her.
• Awesome Anachronistic Apparel: The Duart gentry has taken a liking to the fashion of the Regency and Napoleonic eras, causing them to come back into style.
• Badass Boast: The Black Shuck attempts to give one, but it's undercut by the fact that he's lying on the ground after being tased and everyone is ignoring him.
• Bad Guy Bar: The Mad Bull, owned and controlled by the Knives gang.
• The Bad Guy Wins: Episode 18 is presented as the end of the story and in it, Coriolanus appears to succeed in making Gwen go along his plans and putting the Hoods to death.
• Badly Battered Babysitter: The nanny before Viola is mentioned leaving with torn clothes and a black eye.
• Bag of Kidnapping:
  • Oberon stuffs Viola into one as the group makes their escape from the watchmen.
  • Lampshaded by Robin later when he says it's unoriginal but effective.
• Bait-and-Switch:
  • The narrator and music make it seem as though Gwendoline is going to pull the Archenblade from its stone, but she ultimately fails to move it an inch.
  • This is done again twice when Robin and Gwendoline attempt to pull the sword out together.
• Battle Strip: Gwendoline strips down to her underclothes and Simon takes off his shirt when they spar with one another.
• Beneath Notice: The group sneaks back into London disguised as commoners, relying on this and Viola's magic to escape notice.
• Big Bad: Archduke Coriolanus who wishes to lead the Duart in conquering Europe.
• Big Brother Instinct: Robin's sister Joanna would regularly protect Robin and their younger sister from their abusive father.
• Big Damn Heroes:
  • Gwen pulls one with the Nag to save Robin and the Hoods from being executed.
  • When Gwen's rescue attempt goes south, the Nag brings Merlene into the fray, who saves the others from Baltus and his firecasters.
• The Big Damn Kiss: Robin and Gwen share one at the Thirsty Hog Inn, which leads to Gwen realize she's in love with him.
• Big Fancy House: Mortimer's apartment is an inner city version of this. Robin comments it could house twelve families.
• Blatant Lies:
  • Viola attempts to convince Robin that she and Gwendoline are fishmongers, despite the fact he already knows who they are and they don't smell like fish.
  • After trying to flee from and ending up captured by a group of guards, Robin claims that he was just walking home.
• Blocking Stops All Damage: Justified with the underground fighter Colin's fighting style, as he purposefully blocks punches with his knees and elbows, which are less delicate then fists.
• Blood from the Mouth: Blood begins leaking from Mortimer's mouth after Gwen punches her in the face.
• Blood Knight: Gwendoline shows signs of this, sparring with Simon to work off her aggression and smiling after he hits her on the jaw.
• Blue Blood: Similar to many depictions of Robin Hood, Robin was apparently part of the Duart nobility before turning to a life of crime. At least, that's what he wants people to think.
• Body Double: Simon, with the help of Viola's magic, serves as one for Gwen while she sneaks out of the Palace to spring the Hoods from prison.
• Bolivian Army Ending: Episode 18 would be one for Robin and the Hoods, as it ends moments before they are all supposed to be hung for their crimes. Luckily, it's not the real ending.
• Bookcase Passage: Viola and 9-year-old Gwendoline find one in the library of Buckingham Palace.
• Bond One-Liner: "Weaker sex, my ass." Delivered by Viola after killing Baltus.
• Bounty Hunter: Mortimer, who is introduced capturing the Black Shuck for the bounty on his head.
• Braids of Action: Mortimer puts her hair up in twin French braids when on the job.
• Brainwashed: Gwen, who has been hypnotized for most of her life into believing she was a member of the royal family.
• Bratty Half-Pint:
  • 9-year-old Princess Gwendoline comes across as this, having given a previous nanny a black eye.
  • Lady Imogen, the daughter of the Marquis of Cheswick, doesn't let things like being held at gunpoint stop her from making racist remarks.
• Break Her Heart to Save Her: Mortimer suggests that Robin do this to Gwendoline, as she's not suited to life on the street.
• Breaking the Fourth Wall: Robin briefly talks to the Nag, who is acting as the narrator at the time, and bemoaning the fact he's losing impact as a hero during the Knives' attack on Camelot.
• Break Them by Talking: Robin does this to Baltus while he has the Hoods locked up in the Tower of London.
• Bureaucratically Arranged Marriage: As Princess Gwendoline has no parents, it is the regent of the British throne who has arranged her marriage to Aaron of Britannica.
• Butt-Monkey: The Black Shuck. He's easily beaten by Mortimer in an embarrassing fashion, respected by no one, and was only spared his initial execution because he was supposed to be made an example of but no one came to watch him hang.
• Cain and Abel: King Arthor died fighting his brother Morgan, a powerful necromancer.
• Can't Argue with Elves: Viola dismisses Oberon's complaints on how the Duart have treated the Akka as slander despite offering no evidence that anything he said was untrue. It is implied most Duart hold this viewpoint.
• The Caper: The Hoods' plan to steal the White Hart and ransom it back to its owner.
• Caper Crew: The Hoods fit the roles of this trope in the following ways:
  • Scarlet is the Mastermind.
  • Robin is the Burglar.
  • Oberon serves as both the Muscle and the Driver.
• Carry a Big Stick:
  • Some of the Heavies in the Duart city guard are armed with cudgels.
  • Oberon receives and uses a warclub crafted for him by his brother Ajax.
• Cast from Calories: Viola's magic apparently works like this, as she tires herself out after casting multiple spells in a row and requires food and sleep afterwards.
• Casual Danger Dialogue: Robin and Gwendoline have an entire conversation as she is trying to beat him to a pulp.
• Chained Heat: After Mortimer slaps shackles on them, Gwendoline and Robin spend the rest of the Knives' attack on Camelot chained together.
• The Chains of Commanding: Gwen suffers under these especially because she has to give up on her love for Robin.
• Chekhov's Gun: The Archenblade, which is introduced early on and comes into play after Gwen proves worthy to wield it.
• Cherubic Choir: Can be heard in the background during Gwen's transformation after retrieving the Archenblade.
• The Chessmaster:
  • Old Meg has shades of this, as she is intimately familiar with all four of the heroes and is responsible for getting Viola installed as Gwendoline's nanny. Later on, Oberon directly thinks of her as this.
  • Archduke Coriolanus as well, most obvious in him setting up Gwen as a heir to the British throne so that he could better control the country.
• Chessmaster Sidekick: Old Meg implies to Viola that both of them are this.
• Child Eater: Oberon threatens to eat Imogen, though he's likely doing it just to be intimidating.
• A Child Shall Lead Them: After Queen Victoria flees Britain, Princess Gwendoline is the heir to the British throne, which is currently held by her regent, the Duart Archduke of Buckingham.
• Chivalrous Pervert: Robin, who is a genuinely good person, but nonetheless hits on every woman he meets, regardless of species.
• Choke Holds: Colin does this to Gwendoline in their fight, but she manages to break free.
• Chronic Hero Syndrome: Robin seems to be unable to not help people in need, even if there are good reasons for him not to, especially if the victim is a child. When asked why he does what he does, he admits he doesn't know how to do anything else.
• Circles of Hell: A comment from Baltus seems to indicate that the Duart believe in eight Hells, which might be similar to the nine circles of Hell.
• Classy Cane: Dr. Marcus possess one made out of Australian snakewood.
• Climactic Music: Starts up a beat after Gwen accidentally pulls the Archenblade out of its stone, as if the music itself had been caught off guard.
• Cluster F-Bomb: Gwendoline lets out a string of British expletives after being forced by Coriolanus to go see her doctor.
• Color Character: The Black Shuck.
• Common Tongue: Humans, Duart and Akka all speak English. It's unclear if they former two have unique languages of their own.
• Connected All Along: Mortimer off handedly reveals that her twin brother is Commander Calvin Wilson, the explorer who had previously appeared in The Cartographer's Handbook and Arlington.
• Covered in Scars: Robin, do to the years of abuse at the hands of his father.
• Contrived Coincidence: Gwendoline happens to fight Oberon in the underground fight ring they visit, and Robin happens to be the only person who sees her briefly unmasked.
• Cool Horse: The Nag, a talking horse who can transform into a Winged Unicorn.
• Cool Sword: The Archenblade, a magic longsword that was wielded by Arthor, the Celador equivalent of King Arthur.
• Cooperation Gambit: After working to capture Gwendoline and Robin, Mortimer decides it would be easier to let Gwendoline stay on the run for a few days before she would willingly return to London and Mortimer and Robin would split the bounty for her return.
• Court Jester: Viola is officially Princess Gwendoline's jester and isn't afraid to tell her off.
• Covert Group with Mundane Front: The Hoods own and use factories in the city, as do their rival gang, the Knives.
• The Cowl: The Black Shuck is a parody of this trope, who spouts nonsense about justice while beating up random people in the street.
• Crazy Cat Lady: Gwendoline is drifting close to this, as she is dealing with mental illness and owns ten or so cats.
• Cruel to Be Kind: Robin has Viola knock Oberon out so that if the return of Gwen goes south, he won't hurt by the consequences.
• Crystal Dragon Jesus: While not fully elaborated on, Duart religion seems to involve a "Great Father" and eight Hells.
• Cue the Sun: In her first act of testing her new powers, Gwen leaps a mile into the air, allowing her to see the sun just as it starts to come up over the horizon.
• Cunning Like a Fox: Robin describes himself as fast as a fox and twice as cunning.
• Curse Cut Short: Gwen threatens to perform an Ass Shove on Mortimer with a cattle prod but the story cuts away from her before she can indicate where she wants to put it.
• Cut His Heart Out with a Spoon: Scarlet threatens twice to crush Robin's head like a melon if he doesn't stop flirting with her.
• Dark Action Girl: Mortimer, who serves as an antagonist for most of the story as London's best Bounty Hunter and one of the few people who can fight Gwen to a stand still.
• Dark and Troubled Past: Robin's which involves an abusive father, a dead sister, and an accidental murder.
• Deadpan Snarker:
  • Viola, often towards Gwendoline.

"There's a snap in the air, can you smell it?"

"No, just cat."

• Scarlet has shades of this towards Robin as well.
• More than half of what comes out of the Nag's mouth is some form of snarking.

• Death by Origin Story: Robin's father and older sister, Joanna.
• Decapitation Presentation: Lady Imogen demands Oberon's head on a spike after he steals her doll.
• Defiant Captive: Viola, as opposed to Gwendoline, who is willing to go along with her kidnapping.
• Deflector Shields: Old Meg is capable of using her magic to create shields and barriers.
• Delayed Narrator Introduction: Most the major characters serve as narrator in various parts of the story, with some narrating segments before they're introduced properly in the story, leading to this.
• Demythification: Robin explains that the real King Arthur was not magical but was a charismatic Roman era tribal leader who united the tribes of Britain against the Saxons.
• Deprogram: Gwen and Viola force Dr. Marcus to do this to Gwen.
• Dies Wide Shut: Baltus dies with his eyes wide open while also rolling back into his head.
• Dirty Harriet: Mortimer pretends to be a Damsel in Distress in order to lure the Black Shuck in and arrest him.
• Disapproving Look: Robin lampshades the fact he is giving Oberon one when he discovers the Akka stole the door handle off of the Marquis of Cheswick's carriage.
• Disproportionate Retribution: For the Hood's crimes, the guards arrest not just their members but anyone they've helped, including children, and sentenced them to die.
• Distant Prologue: The prologue begins one thousand years before the story takes place.
• Distressed Dude: Robin, who is captured and locked in the Tower of London to await execution for his crimes.
• Does Not Know Her Own Strength: Gwen has to deal with this after she starts wielding the Archenblade.
• Domestic Abuse: Robin's father would beat his mother along with their children.
• Double Entendre: At the end of the story, when Robin asks Gwen what name he should call her, she replies that he didn't have trouble deciding last night.
• Downer Ending: Episode 18 would be one, as it ends with the revelation that Gwen is not actually Queen Victoria's granddaughter being used to blackmail her into marrying Lord Aaron and allowing the Duart to continue their plans to invade Europe lest they become even more tyrannical towards Britain while the Hoods are captured and sentenced to be hung for their crimes. Luckily, it's not the real ending.
• Do You Want to Haggle?: Mortimer and Stoat haggle over how much of the reward the Knives will collect for helping her recover the princess.
• The Dragon: Baltus, the Captain of the city guard.
• Dramatic Drop: Gwen is so shocked at having pulled the Archenblade out of the stone that she drops it, which Merlene admonishes her for.
• Dramatic Thunder: A miniature hurricane springs up after Gwen pulls the Archenblade from its stone.
• Dramatic Wind: Accompanies the above mentioned thunder.
• The Dreaded: The Black Shuck believes he is this to the London's criminal element.
• Dream Intro: Episode six has one with Gwendoline.
• Drowning My Sorrows: Oberon attempts to do this after he finds out everyone he cares about has been arrested while he was unconscious.
• Duart Bites Duart: Viola bites Robin's hand to escape from his grapple.
• Dynamic Entry:
  • Gwen interrupts Mortimer and Oberon's conversation in the Thirsty Hog by arriving unnoticed and punching Mortimer in the face.
  • Gwen does this again later when she leaps from the Nag's back midair to try and get to Robin on the gallows. It doesn't work as well as she had hoped.
• Ear Notch: One of the enforcers at the rope factory is described as having a chewed off ear and is referred to as Half-Ear in the narration.
• Elemental Punch: Robin performs one on a thug harassing an Akka girl, lighting his beard on fire in the process.
• Elite Mook: The firecaster members of the Duart city guard.
• Elves Versus Dwarves: The Akka and the Duart have a distrust for each other that stretches back to the start of their shared histories.
• The Empire: The Duart, who control both Britannia and Britain, and have plans to conquer Europe.
• Enemy Mine: At the end of the story, Gwen plans on recruiting the Drakes to fight against the Duart.
• Erotic Dream: The group seems to wake Old Meg from one when they arrive at her home.
• Establishing Series Moment: Less than a minute into the first episode, the Narrator and her sound engineer get into an argument over how to pronounce Celador, establishing that the story has a more comedic bent than previous entries in the New Century series.
• Even the Guys Want Him: Robin implies he wouldn't be completely against the idea of kissing Simon.
• Exact Eavesdropping: Happens when Gwen and Viola overhear Coriolanus and Aaron discussing the Duarts' plans to invade Europe and execute the Hoods.
• Excalibur in the Rust: The time it has spent waiting for a new wielder has caused the Archenblade to rust and become overgrown with ivy.
• Excalibur in the Stone: Played with in that the Archenblade is Celador's equivalent to Excalibur, but was entombed in stone to await someone worthy to wield it after Arthor had made it famous.
• Face Death with Dignity: Robin plans to try and do this as he's being led to the gallows.
• Face Palm: Oberon does this after Robin unintentionally insults Gwendoline.
• Facial Horror: Though we don't see the results of Robin lighting a thug's beard on fire, the man's screams of pain and everyone's horrified reactions seem to indicate he was maimed terribly.
• Failure Montage: At the beginning of Viola's Training Montage to learn how to use glamours, she messes up a number of times.
• Fake Aristocrat: Robin, who claims to be part of the Duart gentry but is actually the son of a cobbler.
• Fake Memories: Gwen's memories of her former life have been repressed for years and replaced with her current ones by Dr. Marcus at the behest of Coriolanus.
• Fake-Out Fade-Out: Episode 18 presents itself as the end of the story, with credits and everything. It was only when Episode 19 came out the following week was it revealed there was more.
• Famed In-Story: Robin is somewhat this, as he claims to be the real Robin Hood though not everyone believes him.
• Famous Ancestor: Princess Gwendoline is the bastard daughter of Edward VIII and an actress named Anne Hathaway, making her the granddaughter of Queen Victoria, the half-sister of George V and, depending on how the timeline continues, the great aunt of Elizabeth II.
• Fantastic Racism:
  • Lady Imogen reacts with disgust at the sight of Oberon and accuses all Akka of being thieves.
  • Marchioness Marissa refers to Oberon as a repulsive creature.
  • Viola holds a particular grudge against Akka as well, believing they are squatters and thieves.
• Fantastic Slur:
  • "Greenskin" is a common slur towards the Akka.
  • "Goblin" is also heard at least once.
• Fantasy Gun Control: Guns are not as popular in Britain as other parts of the world due to the Duart's low opinion of firearms compared to their firecasting and the fact that bullets have trouble piercing Caronite armor.
• Fantasy Metals: Caronite, an alloy from Celador that is particularly fire-resistant and dense.
• Flashback: Episode four starts with one of 9-year-old Gwendoline and Viola discovering a secret passage hidden in the palace library.
• Fight Clubbing: Gwendoline enjoys taking part in an underground fight ring in a seedy London bar.
• Fighting from the Inside: Gwen's headaches are the result of her mind unconsciously fighting against her Fake Memories.
• Finger in the Mail: While Scarlet is detailing the plan for the Hoods to ransom the White Hart diamond back to its owner, Robin suggests that if she doesn't pay, they should start shaving bits off the diamond and send her engagement rings to let her know they're serious.
• First-Name Basis: Viola starts out referring to Oberon as Akka but starts calling him by his name as their friendship develops.
• A Foggy Day in London Town: After robbing the Marquis of Cheswick, Robin and Oberon loose the watchmen by disappearing into the thick, London fog.
• Folk Hero: Robin aims to be one by borrowing the reputation of actual folk hero Robin Hood.
• Forced Sleep: Viola knocks Princess Gwendoline out with a sleeping spell during their first encounter.
• Force-Field Door: While trying to escape Camelot with Gwendoline, Viola discovers the main gate is blocked by an invisible wall.
• A Form You Are Comfortable With: Old Meg comments that she always have a glamour up, because if people could see her true form, she'd never be able to have a meaningful conversation with them.
• Friendless Background: According to Mortimer, the only friend she had growing up was her twin brother and she doesn't seemed to have gained any as an adult.
• Functional Magic: The Duart and Akka can perform magic, and Word of God confirms that, to date, humans can't perform magic here.
• The Gadfly: Mortimer seems to say hurtful things to people just to get a rise out of them.
• Genre Savvy:
  • Robin refuses to let anyone go anywhere alone, because he's convinced that when they do, that's when someone will come and try to take Gwendoline away from them.
  • Coriolanus sets the execution of Hoods before Gwen becomes Empress so that she can't pardon them.
• Gentleman Thief: Robin functions as one, charming Marchioness Marissa even as he robs her at gunpoint.
• Geometric Magic: The unknown language written on the Archenblade and its pedestal appears to be a form of this.
• Get Your Mind Out of the Gutter: One of the narrators says this to the audience after she talks about Robin following Scarlet into her private quarters.
• Gift-Giving Gaffe: Aaron of Britannica keeps giving Gwendoline gifts despite the fact she does not want them.
• Gilded Cage: Buckingham Palace is essentially this for Gwendoline, as she is never allowed to leave. Coriolanus invokes this trope later in the story.
• Given Name Reveal: Robin reveals that his real name is Benjamin Wessex to Gwen while telling her about his past.
• Global Ignorance: Oberon sees little difference between Latvia and Albania, despite, as Robin points out, they are on opposite sides of Europe.
• Glory Seeker: Robin seems more interested in making a name for himself through thieving than actual thieving.
• Gold Makes Everything Shiny:
  • The Marquis of Chiswick's carriage is gilded as a sign of his wealth.
  • The Archenblade's handle is made of gold, though it has dulled with age.
  • After his transformation into a Winged Unicorn, the Nag has a golden horn.
• Gold–Silver–Copper Standard: British currency has switched to this.
• Good Feels Good: Gwendoline experiences this while handing out money to the poor in Whitechapel.
• Good Old Fisticuffs: Gwendoline's fighting style, as she has no formal training.
• Good Scars, Evil Scars: Oberon has a classic good guy cheek scar below his right eye.
• Got Me Doing It: The Narrator gets frustrated when she starts accidentally using the pronunciation of Celador the sound engineer was using instead of the one she had been insisting on before.
• Government in Exile: Presumably what Queen Victoria and the rest of the British royal family left the country to become, but no one has seen or heard from them since.
• Grand Staircase Entrance: Gwen does this at the end of the story.
• Grappling-Hook Pistol: Mortimer has one amongst her gadgets.
• Grievous Harm with a Body:
  • After Mortimer cuffs Gwendoline and Robin together, the princess swings the Duart around and hits the bounty hunter with him.
  • During the battle at the Tower of London after she starts wielding the Archenblade, one of the tactics Gwen develops is throwing the guards into each other.
• Grin of Audacity: Robin gives one while being held at knife point by a group of guards.
• Groin Attack:
  • Gwendoline watches a fight where one fighter attempts this on the other, only to find his opponent is wearing an iron codpiece.
  • Mortimer shoots off a man's testicle after one too many drunken advances.
  • Gwen knees Mortimer in the crotch during their fight.
• Guns Akimbo: Robin pulls out a pair of pistols when he and Oberon attempt to kidnap Gwendoline and Viola.
• Gunpoint Banter: Mortimer and Gwen have some at the end of their fight.
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Robin is blonde and a genuinely good person at heart, as is Gwen.
• Hand Gagging: Robin does this to Viola to stop her from casting spells.
• Hard-Work Montage: Viola goes through one when Old Meg teaches her how to use glamours. Lampshaded by the Nag, who points out that montages don't work well in a non-visual medium.
• Has a Type: Robin says he likes big women, which Scarlet points out is any human or Akka woman compared to him.
• Headbutting Heroes: While the main cast as a whole has trouble getting along, Viola and Oberon head butt the most, fueled by Viola's racism towards Akka.
• Head Desk: Robin bounces his forehead off the table after he insults Gwendoline at dinner.
• Heavily Armored Mook: The appropriately named Heavies within the Duart city guard.
• Held Gaze: Gwen and Robin share one in a carriage ride after their first kiss.
• Hellhound: The infected are called Barghests in reference to the English legend.
• Heroes Love Dogs: Oberon and Ajax are shown to be big lovers of dogs.
• Hide and No Seek: 9-year-old Gwendoline gets Viola to reveal her hiding spot by threatening to walk away from the game and get something to eat.
• The High Queen: What Gwen hopes to become.
• The Highwayman: Robin and Oberon are these. Robin even announces himself to the Marquis of Chiswick with "stand and deliver!"
• Holding Hands: Gwen holds Robin's hand to get him to stay when she is lying down in Scarlet's room, leading to their first kiss.
• Honest Corporate Executive: Scarlet appears to be a variation of this, willing to pay her employees a living wage while her competitors use literal slave labor.
• Horn Attack: The Nag, as befitting a Winged Unicorn, is capable of this.
• Humans Are Bastards: Mortimer's view of the world, believing everyone is ultimately selfish.
• Hypocritical Humor:
  • The Black Shuck stops what he thinks is an attempted rape in a back alley. He then suggests the woman can repay him with sex in a back alley.
  • While they are comparing the books they have read, Robin tells Gwendoline that it's not a competition, then continues to compete with her.
• I Call Him "Mister Happy": While having a conversation with Mortimer, Robin refers to his privates as his "gizmo."
• If You Ever Do Anything to Hurt Her...: Both Viola and Robin say this to one another in regards to Gwen and Oberon, respectively.
• I Have Many Names: Old Meg is both the Merlene and Merlin of legend. She was also Gwendoline's old governess, Nanny Em, and mentions she's had many other names and identities as well.
• I Just Want to Be Free: Gwendoline dreams of having the freedom to experience the world outside the palace.
• Imaginary Friend: Gwendoline says that she used to have an imaginary friend named Lady Catherine. It turns out these are actually memories of her old life as Katy Ladden.
• In a Single Bound: the first thing Gwen does after retrieving the Archenblade is leap a mile straight into the air.
• Insistent Terminology: Gwendoline corrects Robin when he calls her "Your Majesty" saying that's a title for a king or queen and that she, as a princess, is referred to as "Your Highness."
• Interactive Narrator: At one point, the Nag breaks the fourth wall while narrating and has a conversation with Robin.
• Interspecies Friendship:
  • Robin the Duart and Oberon the Akka.
  • Princess Gwendoline the human and Viola the Duart.
  • By the end of the story, all the main characters, consisting of members from each of the three races, would consider each other friends.
• Interspecies Romance:
  • Between Robin the Duart and Gwendoline the human.
• In the Hood:
  • Robin and Oberon's disguises include hoods to hide their identities. In fact, Robin is fully known as "Robin of the Hood."
  • Their whole gang is called the Hoods, and it appears they all use these as disguises.
• Intimidation Demonstration: While questioning Scarlet about the whereabouts of the princess, Captain Baltus uses his firecasting to heat the ends of a fork and use it to burn the table they were sitting at.
• In Vino Veritas: Viola tells Robin that he'd have to get her pretty drunk for her to tell him how she learned her mental maajik.
• Ironic Echo: Near the start of the story, Baltus refers to females as the weaker sex. Viola repeats it to him while adding "my ass" after she kills him.
• Ironic Nickname: Lampshaded. Robin has to explain to Lavinia why he refers to Oberon as Little John.
• I Should Have Been Better: Robin carries the guilt of not being able to help as many of the poor and downtrodden as he wants to.
• Istanbul (Not Constantinople): The prologue reveals that on Celador the British Isles are referred to as Britannica and London as Londinium.
• It Will Never Catch On: In The Stinger, the Black Shuck wants Jack to take a less intimidating name than his own. Jack ultimately settles on Spring-Heeled Jack, which the Black Shuck allows.
• I Want Them Alive!: Coriolanus wants Mortimer to bring Gwendoline back in as good condition as she can manage. He does not extend this order to Viola however.
• Jade-Colored Glasses: Due to her poor upbringing, Viola is something of a cynic. Gwendoline describes her as not liking or trusting anyone.
• Jedi Mind Trick: Viola is capable of using her magic like this, such as when she makes the portal guard not see Gwendoline and Robin, despite the fact they're right in front of him.
• Just Like Robin Hood: As Robin uses the Robin Hood persona in his crimes, it is only fitting that he gives some of his loot to the poor.
• Kangaroo Court: Robin's trial is like this and it's implied that most trails in Britain are similar.
• Kids Are Cruel:
  • Viola says that Gwendoline was cruel and spoiled as a child, unlike now, when she's just spoiled.
  • Lady Imogen is virulently racist towards Oberon and demands his head on a spike for stealing her doll.
• Kill It with Fire:
  • The Duart's preferred method of eradicating the Barghest is to burn them with magical fire.
  • What Robin accidentally does to his own father.
• Kill It with Ice: The Akka's solution to the Drakes who were ravaging the Duart lands thirty years ago is to drive them off with their icecasting.
• Kindhearted Cat Lover: Viola starts to win Princess Gwendoline around when her cat, Sebastian, warms up quickly to the Duart, something he hadn't done to her previous nannies.
• King Incognito:
  • Gwendoline disguises herself when she and Viola take their secret trips into London.
  • She does so again while exploring London with Robin later on.
• King in the Mountain: Similar to King Arthur, King Arthor is prophesied to return when he is needed, though Old Meg says that this is just a metaphor for finding a worthy successor for him.
• Knock Out Gas: Viola's sleep spell is visualized as a cloud of blue smoke.
• Kung-Shui: During their fight at the Thirsty Hog, Gwen throws Mortimer onto the table that Oberon is sitting at, shattering it in the process.
• Ladykiller in Love: Robin with Gwen.
• Lady of War: Gwen, who can be both regal and dangerous.
• Lampshaded Double Entendre:
  • After Oberon threatens to eat Lady Imogen, Robin assures her mother, Marchioness Marissa, that no one will be eaten, unless she plays her cards right.
  • Oberon says that for their next robbery, he will intimidate the victim by sticking his head in his mouth. Robin asks if he wants to rephrase that.
• La Résistance: The Hoods, while appearing as nothing more than a street gang on the surface, are actually working towards bringing an end to Duart control of London and the poverty that comes with it.
• Lawman Baton:
  • The Grabbers wield Caronite batons for the purposes of disabling fleeing criminals.
  • The Black Shuck wields one of these, though Mortimer refers to it as a broom handle.
• Lemony Narrator:
  • The narrator in the opening pauses multiple times to critique what she's been given to read.
  • The characters of the story also act as the main narrators and will occasionally comment or joke about the proceedings. Including the Nag. Especially the Nag.
• Le Parkour: Robin and Oberon are shown to have skill in this, as do the type of Duart guardsmen known as the Grabbers.
• Let's You and Him Fight: Gwen starts a fight with Mortimer under the mistaken belief that Mortimer betrayed Robin to the guards.
• Locked in the Dungeon: After being captured, Robin is locked away in the Tower of London to await execution.

• Loveable Rogue: Robin, who is incredibly charismatic for a highwayman.
• Love Confession: Gwen confesses to Robin while he is telling her about his past.
• Love Epiphany: Gwen realizes she's in love with Robin after they share their first kiss.
• Luck-Based Search Technique: Viola discovers the lever opening the secret passage in the library because she hid under a chair while playing hide-and-seek with Gwendoline and happened to spot it.
• Madonna-Whore Complex: After Mortimer reveals that she lured the Black Shuck into a trap, he says she wasn't a defenseless virgin but a lying whore.
• Magical Gesture: Apparently needed to use magic, as Viola can't cast spells with her hands bound.
• Magical Nanny:
  • Viola is a literal one, capable of casting spells.
  • Gwendoline's previous governess, Nanny Em, also counts as one, since she was actually Old Meg/Merlene/Merlin in disguise.
• Magic Staff: Old Meg possesses one.
• Magik: Spelled Maajik and pronounced "MARR-jik."
• Maid and Maiden: Gwendoline doesn't go anywhere without Viola accompanying her.
• Major Injury Underreaction: After the Black Shuck is tased, he attempts to escape while shouting about the nobility of his quest, all despite the fact his legs have stopped working.
• Make an Example of Them:
  • The Black Shuck was supposed to be this, but no one showed up for his execution, so the guards left him in the Tower of London until they could include him in a group hanging.
  • More seriously, this is what Baltus intends to do to Robin and the Hoods.
• Malicious Slander: The Akka have fallen victim to this at the hands of the Duart, leading to widely believed falsehoods such as Akka all being thieves or Mind Shadow being contagious instead of hereditary.
• Manipulative Bastard: Coriolanus who uses Gwen's empathy to manipulate into remaining as Empress even when she finds out she's not of royal blood by telling her he'd be a far harsher ruler.
• Master of Unlocking: Robin is an extremely skilled lockpick.
• A Match Made in Stockholm: Robin kidnaps Gwen so he can ransom her to help poor children. They end up developing feelings for each other along the way.
• Meaningful Look: Archduke Coriolanus gives Viola one when talking to Gwendoline about how other people have to see to her comings and goings.
• Meaningful Rename: Robin gives himself one before the events of the story, to distance himself from his old life.
• The Mentally Disturbed: Gwendoline has a condition that causes pain in her head and body and also causes her to have angry outbursts. It turns out this is actually her mind fighting against the hypnosis repressing the memories of her former life.
• Mercy Kill: After Ajax injures a man while under the influence of Mind Shadow, one of his fellow workers suggest they put him out of his misery.
• The Migration: The Akka flee from their home world to Celador due to the devastation caused by Mind Shadow. Once reaching Britannia, while some stayed in Duart lands or moved through the Gateway into Britain, others went south across the Green Sea in hopes of finding a new homeland.
• Mind Virus: Akka suffer from a wide spread, hereditary mental disease known as Mind Shadow, which causes those afflicted with it to devolve into mindless brutes.
• Mistaken for Prostitute: Mortimer is mistaken for one by a patron of the Mad Bull. It costs him more than he bargained for.
• Mutual Kill: King Arthor and his brother Morgan in their final confrontation.
• My Species Doth Protest Too Much: Robin is a Duart who opposes everything the Duart stand for, mainly their treatment of Akka and the poor.
• Named Weapons: The Archenblade, Celador's equivalent to Excalibur.
• Natural Spotlight: A ray of sunlight is resting on the Archenblade and its pedestal when the group enters the clearing it is being kept in.
• A Nazi by Any Other Name: Baltus in particular and possibly the Duart government in general believe in militaristic law and order with a system of superiority and inferiority based on race and gender, with Duart men at the top.
• Necromancer: King Arthor's brother Morgan was apparently a classic example.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Early in the story, Oberon gives Lavinia a doll he had stolen from Lady Imogen, daughter of the Marquis of Cheswick. She gets spotted with it later, resulting in her and her adoptive family's arrest.
• Nicknaming the Enemy: The infected are referred to as Barghests in the UK, as opposed to the US where they are primarily known as Wendigo.
• Nightmare Sequence: At the start of episode six, Gwendoline has a nightmare of being pursued by a malevolent force.
• No Biochemical Barriers: Averted with the Duart, who are immune to Barghest plague.
• No Dead Body Poops: In a slight aversion, Robin is worried about voiding his bowels when he's hung, as it would be terribly undignified.
• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: The Akka's viewpoint on their strained relationship with the Duart. The Akka went out of their way to save the Duart from the Drake invasion, and the Duart repaid them with subpar land followed by racism when the Akka complained.
• Non-Linear Character: Merlene is something of this, as she apparently exists within multiple timelines and sometimes has trouble keeping track of them.
• No Sense of Personal Space: During a conversation with Robin, Mortimer purposefully gets unnecessarily close in order to make him uncomfortable.
• The Nose Knows: 9-year-old Gwendoline is able to spot the fact Viola is hiding in the library with her when she catches whiff of the Duart's perfume.
• No Time to Explain: The excuse the Nag gives for not elaborating on how and why he's able to transform into a Winged Unicorn.
• Not What It Looks Like: Everyone believes that Mortimer sold Robin out, leading to his arrest. Mortimer claims she was unwittingly followed.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Barkeeping: When first scene, the bartender in the Thirsty Hog is described doing this.
• Offing the Offspring: Robin's abusive father was responsible for the death of his older sister Joanna.
• Off with His Head!: Oberon manages to knock off a guard's head with a single blow from his warclub.
• Oh, My Gods!:
  • At one point, Robin let's out an exasperated "Oh, by Thrale Copperhelm." It's never brought up who, exactly, Thrale Copperhelm is.
  • Later on, Scarlet use the exclamation of "Bonaparte's Balls!"
• Ominous Music Box Tune: A slow downed version of The Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy plays after Viola fails to escape Camelot and passes out.
• One-Hit KO: Gwendoline's second fight in the underground ring ends in six seconds after she gets punched in the head.
• Only the Chosen May Ride: The Nag will only allow Gwen to ride him.
• Only the Chosen May Wield: The Archenblade is entombed in stone until someone worthy of wielding it can pull it free.
• Opening Monologue: The first episode begins with one, with the narrator stopping multiple times to critique what she's been given to read.
• Open Mouth, Insert Foot: While ranting about all the terrible things the Duart have done to the Akka, Robin ends up insulting Gwendoline to her face, something he immediately regrets.
• Order Versus Chaos: The central conflict of the story, with the Chaotic Good gang of thieves facing off against the Lawful Evil empire.
• Our Dragons Are Different: Creatures referred to as Drakes are mentioned. Native to Celador, they are flying, fire-breathing reptiles who have attacked Duart lands in the past, being driven back once by King Arthor and again by the intervention of the Akka.
• Our Dwarves Are All the Same: Averted by the Duart, who, while short and industrious, lack the traits associated with dwarves, and are more known for the ability to use magic.
• Our Orcs Are Different: The Akka appear to be similar to Blizzard-esque orcs.
• Overly Long Name: Gwendoline's full name is "Princess Gwendoline Amelia Gertrude Victoria of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha."
• The Pardon:
  • Robin suggests Gwen can give him one once she becomes Empress.
  • Coriolanus sets the execution of the Hoods before Gwen is crowned Empress specifically so she can't do this.
  • Gwen forces Coriolanus to pardon the Hoods at the end of the story.
• Parental Substitute: Gwendoline refers to Archduke Coriolanus as her father.
• Patricide: Robin killed his father in a fury when his firecasting manifested at the age of nine.
• Perception Filter: Viola's befuddlement spell seems to work this way, causing people to ignore things that should be obvious to them.
• Percussive Therapy: After a particularly stressful meeting with Aaron and Coriolanus, Gwendoline works off some steam by sparring with one of the guards.
• Perp Walk: Robin is publically walked to the Tower of London after his arrest.
• Pimped-Out Dress: The red gown Gwen wears at the end of the story.
• Playing with Fire:
  • The Duart have magic user call firecasters who specialize in using fire offensively.
  • It turns out later that Robin can firecast.
• Poirot Speak: The Albanian family that take Lavinia in speak with heavy accents and occasionally slip Albanian words into their speech.
• Police Brutality: The Duart guard are known for lighting free-standing buildings on fire to keep the common folk of London in line.
• Political Marriage: Princess Gwendoline, the last remaining member of the British House Saxe-Coburg is to marry the Duart lord, Aaron of Britanica to unite their peoples.
• Portal Door: One of the Windows that have appeared in other New Century stories exists north of London, connecting Centrum and Celador.
• Pose of Supplication: After magically gagging her, Viola makes Gwendoline get down on one knee to beg for her voice back.
• Posthumous Character: We only learn about Robin's father and his older sister Joanna long after they're dead.
• Post-Victory Collapse: Viola passes out after killing Baltus.
• Power Crystal: The Archenblade's power comes from the black orb set into its blade.
• Power Dyes Your Hair: A unique horse example, as transforming into a Winged Unicorn turns the Nag's mane from black to white.
• Power Echoes: Viola's voice echoes whenever she casts a spell.
• Power Fist:
  • Some of the Heavies in the Duart city guard are armed with studded gauntlets.
  • Some of the Knives carry knuckle dusters.
• Power Incontinence: Robin never learned to properly control his firecasting, the best he can do is control his anger so it doesn't manifest.
• Power Makes Your Voice Deep: Viola's voice drops a few octaves whenever she casts a spell.
• The Power of Love: Gwen is able to breakthrough Dr. Marcus' hypnosis by focusing on her love for Robin.
• Power-Strain Blackout: Viola overtaxes her powers in her battle with Captain Baltus and passes out.
• Pretty Boy: Robin implies Simon is one.
• Pretty Princess Powerhouse: Gwen is repeatedly described as being beautiful and elegant and doesn't appear to dislike the fancy dresses that come with her station, while also being shown to be a skilled fighter who regularly takes part in underground fight rings. She only becomes more powerful when she starts to wield the Archenblade.
• Price on Their Head: Oberon mentions that there is a fifty gold price on Robin's head.
• Production Throwback: At one point, Robin invokes the name of Thrale Copperhelm, who was one of the characters in Alex Shaw's Gonzo Adventures series.
• Projectile Spell: Maajik spells, including mental effects like Viola's spells, are physical forces that still need to hit their target.
• Properly Paranoid: Viola states that as a bodyguard, she has every right to be as paranoid as she is.
• Protagonist Power-Up Privileges: Gwen, the main character of the story, is the one who ultimately pulls the Archenblade from its stone.
• Psychic Powers: Though technically a form of magic, Viola's spells all involve manipulation of the mind in some way, making them come across as this.
• Psycho Psychologist: Dr. Marcus, who has been hyponotizing Gwen and implanting false memories in her head.
• Public Domain Soundtrack:
  • In the first episode, a re-orchestrated version of the Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy plays during the flashback and a separate one plays at the end of the episode. It plays again at the end of episode six. A slowed down, off kilter version plays at the end of episode nine.
  • Episode three features a re-orchestrated version the Brandonberg Concerto by Johann Sebastian Bach
  • Egmont Overture by Ludwig van Beethoven is heard in both episode three and eight.
  • In the Hall of the Mountain King plays at the beginning of episode seven.
  • Ranz des Vaces, an old Swiss tune used in Rossini's opera of William Tell, is heard in episode eight.
• Public Execution:
  • The Duart perform this on any Barghests they capture.
  • The Duart plan to do this to the Hoods (and the Black Shuck) with a giant gallows.
• Punched Across the Room:
  • Gwen manages to throw Mortimer across the room of the Thirsty Hog during their fight.
  • Later on, backed by the power of the Archenblade, she kicks a Duart Heavy across the courtyard of the Tower of London and into a wall.
• Race-Name Basis:
  • Viola racism leads her to refer to Oberon merely as 'Akka.'
  • In general, many humans and Duart refer to Akka's in the same, derogatory way.
• Ransacked Room: Oberon finds the entire Thirsty Hog like this after all the Hoods are arrested.
• Rearing Horse: The Nag assumes this pose as he transforms into a Winged Unicorn.
• Really Royalty Reveal: Inverted with the reveal the Gwen is actually a commoner who Coriolanus presented as being Queen Victoria's forgotten granddaughter.
• Rebellious Princess: Gwendoline would rather be out exploring England than performing her expected duties.
• Record Needle Scratch:
  • Happens after the Nag reads the narration at the start of episode 19 before shouting angrily that this can't actually be what happened.
  • Happens again when Aaron realizes he has not actually married Gwen.
• Recruited from the Gutter: How the Hoods seemingly get new members.
• Refuge in Audacity: Robin pulls this after the guards stumble upon his and Oberon's failed kidnapping attempt, accusing Gwendoline and Viola of attempting to rob them.
• Regretful Traitor: Jack, who claims to have regretted betraying the Hoods even as he was doing it.
• Rescue Sex: The Black Shuck tries to get some of this from a woman he thinks he has saved from a rape.
• The Reveal:
  • Robin grew up poor, was the son of an abusive man who murdered Robin's sister and was accidentally killed by Robin in return when his firecasting abilities first awakened.
  • Gwen is not one of Queen Victoria's grandchildren, but an orphan girl that Archduke Coriolanus found and presented as being of royal blood so that he could better control the people of Britain.
• Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Jack, one of the children rescued from a factory by Robin and Oberon gives the Hoods up to the guard, only to be arrested and sentenced to die alongside them.
• Rousing Speech:
  • The Black Shuck attempts one, but is interrupted when Captain Baltus mentions he had forgotten he was still there.
  • Gwen attempts to give one while revealing to the people of London her true heritage and dispersing the crowd for their safety.
• Royal Brat:
  • 9-year-old Princess Gwendoline was known to the populace as a "miniature tyrant."
  • 17-year-old Gwendoline isn't much better, lounging in bed and demanding Viola fetch her cake.
• Royally Screwed Up: Princess Gwendoline, the crown princess of the British Isles, possesses an impulse disorder of some sort that she must hide from her subjects.
• Rugged Scar:
  • Archduke Coriolanus is described as having facial scars he received in battle.
  • Oberon, the physically toughest of the four main characters, sports a ragged scar under his right eye.
• Rule of Seven: The Duart are apparently ruled by seven dukes who seem to be lead by Archduke Coriolanus.
• Rule of Three: Gwen attempts to pull the Archenblade from its stone three times. The first two times are accompanied by swelling music, but she fails. The third time she pulls it out off handedly without meaning to.
• The Runaway:
  • Robin's sister Joanna attempts to run away and find a job to save them from their abusive father but he catches her and brings her back home.
  • Robin himself becomes one after killing his father.
• Running Gag:
  • The various narrators and characters mispronouncing areas of England.
  • The fact that the person narrating can change at any moment and they will sometimes comment on events.
    • If a reference is made to something from pop culture that was made after the Victorian era, it will be made by the Nag while narrating.
• Sadistic Choice:
  • Coriolanus gives one to Gwen when she leads the people of London to Westminster Abbey. She can marry Aaron, or she can fight him and see the people slaughtered by the Duart soldiers.
• Safe Word: Oberon is supposed to say "handle" to warn Robin when his kleptomania starts acting up.
• Sapient Steed: The Nag is one for Gwen.
• Scars Are Forever:
  • Oberon sports a scar given to him by his brother during one of his Mind Shadow episodes.
  • Robin still bares the many scars he gained from his abusive father.
• Sculpted Physique: While not literal, Archduke Coriolanus is described as appearing to have a face that looked like it was sculpted from stone.
• Secret Art: Viola's mental magic appears to both be rare and forbidden in some way.
• Secret Identity: The Black Shuck, who's real name is Gregory.
• Secret Underground Passage: One exists in the library of Buckingham Palace, leading to a Tunnel Network that spreads out into London, connecting additionally to a statue of King George IV in Green Park.
• Sex Shifter: Old Meg is capable of changing her sex along with her form, and has spent extended time as both male and female.
• Shameful Shrinking: Viola shrinks under Archduke Coriolanus' gaze after he subtly accuses her of not taking proper care of Gwendoline.
• Shaped Like Itself: The Black Shuck describes criminals burrowing into London like burrowing insects.
• Shot at Dawn: The Duart execute Barghests via firing squads, though in this case they use literal fire.
• Silence, You Fool!: Viola does this to Gwendoline backed with magical power to literally mute her.
• Slut-Shaming: Coriolanus subtly does this towards Gwen when he reveals he knows she lost her virginity. He offers to let Gwen come up with an explanation for her future husband and promises to keep it secret to protect her dignity.
• The Social Darwinist: Captain Baltus believes in a strict hierarchy of races and genders, with men above women, Duart above humans and everyone above the Akka.
• So Proud of You: A rare example of the villain doing this to the hero, as Coriolanus expresses his pride in Gwen's accomplishments at the end of the story.
• Spotting the Thread: What most of the skill in creating a good glamour goes into avoiding.
• Stab the Sky: Gwen assumes this pose after pulling the Archenblade from its stone.
• Steampunk: Like other entries in the New Century Multiverse, the story has elements of it, specifically with Mortimer's gadgets.
• Steam Punk Gadgeteers: Mortimer qualifies as one.
• Stereotype Reaction Gag: Oberon's reaction to being called a thief for being an Akka by a little girl is to steal her doll.
• Sticky Fingers: Oberon is directly stated to have kleptomania, which he wishes to control and finds shameful because it plays into the stereotype that all Akka are thieves. It's later revealed this is actually an early symptom of Mind Shadow.
• The Stinger: It's revealed at the end that the Black Shuck survived the battle of the Tower of London and has taken Jack on as his protégé.
• Stock British Phrases: Since the story is set in Victorian Britain, these pop up, including such swears as "buggeration" and "gobshite."
• Stock Scream: One of the Duart Heavy's let's out the Wilhelm Scream after Gwen punches him.
• The Straight and Arrow Path:
  • Some of the Heavies in the Duart city guard are armed with bows and crossbows.
  • Robin, as befitting his name, sometimes employs a bow.
• Stupidity-Inducing Attack: Viola's main offensive form of magic. It's not permanent, but it does leave people as quivering messes on the ground.
• Straw Misogynist: Basically half of what Captain Baltus says is sexist in one way or another.
• Street Urchin: The Hoods recruit these to work as their eyes and ears in the city.
• Super-Strength: The Archenblade grants its wielder this according to Robin.
• Super-Toughness: The Archenblade also bestows this on its wielder as well, if the stories are true.
• Surprisingly Realistic Outcome:
  • Gwen tries to jump to Robin from the Nag's back, only to realize she has no ability to direct herself in midair.
  • In her first fight while wielding the Archenblade, Gwen brutally kills a Duart Heavy by kicking him into a wall, leaving everyone, including herself, shocked.
  • Even if the Duart regime can be defeated, the heroes realize it would cost a lot of lives and could possibly leave Britain in a worse position than it was in before.
• Sweet Polly Oliver: Gwendoline disguises herself as a man so that she can fight in the underground rings.
• Sword of Plot Advancement: The Archenblade serves as this as it gives Gwen enough power to mount a rescue for the Hoods.
• Sword Pointing: Gwen points the Archenblade at Coriolanus while addressing London.
• Take a Third Option: When Coriolanus gives Gwen the option of either marrying Aaron or having him reveal to the crowd that she is not a princess and having the crowd slaughtered, Gwen instead decides to reveal the truth to the crowd herself in a Rousing Speech and disperse the crowd peacefully.
• Take Over the World: While they are only heard talking of an invasion of Europe, global domination is likely the plan in the long run for Coriolanus and Aaron.
• Taking You with Me: Robin briefly considers doing this with his firecasting on the crowd who had come to watch his execution but decides against it.
• Taking Up the Mantle:
  • Robin, obviously, does this with the original Robin Hood, hoping to use the fame of the title to help with his battle against the oppressive Duart regime.
  • Later on, both the Black Shuck and Robin tell Baltus that even if he kills them, someone else will take their place, with Robin invoking the trope by name.
• Talking Animal: The Nag, a talking horse.
• Talk to the Fist: Mortimer attempts to mock Gwen after getting punched by her, only to be silenced as Gwen immediately attacks her again.
• A Tankard of Moose Urine: Lampshaded by Mortimer who requests the least urine-tasting beer available at the Mad Bull.
• Tantrum Throwing: The 9-year-old Princess Gwendoline is mentioned as having thrown a vase at a wall during a temper tantrum.
• Tap on the Head: A single blow to the head knocks Gwendoline out in her second fight in the underground ring.
• Taser Tag Weakness: Mortimer hits the Black Shuck with a steampunk taser, leaving him a twitching mess on the ground.
• Technicolor Eyes:
  • Viola is described as having purple eyes.
  • Barghests, like their Wendigo cousins, all have orange eyes.
• Teeth Flying: One of the enforcers at the rope factory hits one of the child laborers on the mouth, causing one of her teeth to fall out.
• Theme Music Power-Up: The show's main theme plays while Gwen is getting a power up from the Archenblade.
• Thieves' Guild:
  • On the surface, the Hoods are this, though there is much more to them then that.
  • Their rivals, the Knives, are a more straight example.
• Thou Shalt Not Kill: After becoming the wielder of the Archenblade, Gwen decides to try and avoid killing because of how frighteningly easy her new power makes it.
• Throwing Your Sword Always Works: During the battle at the Tower of London, Mortimer returns the Archenblade to Gwen by throwing it into the Duart grappling with her.
• Title Drop:
  • A close example when Robin explains to Gwendoline that his attempted kidnapping of her was his first attempt at princess thievery.
  • Almost happens later when Gwen says she has a new name for the gang, and implies it's the Princess Thieves, but the scene ends before she can say it.
• Toilet Humor: Mortimer comments that she's trying not to breath in the Mad Bull, as the air is mostly farts.
• Tranquillizer Dart: Mortimer is armed with these, used for capturing bounties alive.
• Traumatic Superpower Awakening: Robin's firecasting first manifests after his abusive father finally pushes him too far when he breaks his mother's jaw.
• Trouser Space: The Marquis of Chiswick keeps a coin pouch in his underclothes.
• Try Not to Die: Gwen says she will do this as she prepares to try and rescue Robin from the Tower of London.
• Tunnel Network: A partially flooded one exists beneath Buckingham Palace, apparently built by one Franz Nordstrom.
• The Unsolved Mystery: No one has yet been able to find out where Victoria and the rest of the British royal family fled to or what became of them.
• Unstoppable Rage: Robin's firecasting is tied to his anger and only comes out when he truly loses his temper.
• Use Your Head: Gwendoline defeats one of the Knives by head butting him in the face, breaking his nose.
• Victorian London: The main setting of the story.
• Villain Has a Point: While the Duart regime is oppressive and tyrannical, Coriolanus is correct when he points out that if they just up and left, Britain would likely descend into chaos.
• Virtue Is Weakness: Coriolanus doesn't believe in sparing criminals because he thinks it shows weakness.
• Voluntary Shapeshifting: Old Meg's is capable of this with magic.
• Wall Jump:
  • Robin does this to try and escape a group of guards.
  • Mortimer does this after Gwen throws her at a wall during their fight.
• Wall of Weapons: Mortimer keeps one in her apartment.
• "Wanted!" Poster: Captain Baltus compares one to Robin's face after capturing him.
• The Watson: Gwen largely fills this role, having things like the history of King Arthor and the history of the Duart and Akka explained to her.
• Weapon for Intimidation: Mortimer subtly flashes her holstered gun at Viola to intimidate her while questioning her about if the Duart is planning on betraying her.
• We Are Everywhere: When the Marquis of Chiswick demands to know how Robin knew about his hidden money, Robin replies that in London there are eyes at every window and ears at every door.
• "Well Done, Son" Guy: Robin accuses Captain Baltus of being one and receives no denial.
• Well, Excuse Me, Princess!: Robin and Gwendoline's relationship occasionally descends into this, and Robin even drops the trope name at one point.
• Wham Episode: Episode 18, in which we find out the Duart are planning to invade Europe, Gwen is not actually of royal blood, and the Hoods have been captured and are soon to be executed. Additionally, the episode is presented as the end of the story, making it seem as though everything had come to a sudden, tragic end.
• White Stallion:
  • The Marquis of Chiswick's carriage is pulled by four white horses.
  • Robin and Oberon's horse Carrots is one as well.
• Who Dares?:
  • The Marquis of Chiswick exclaims "How dare you!" when Robin and Oberon rob him.
  • Gwendoline says the same thing when Viola magically gags her.
• Winged Unicorn: The Nag can transform into one.
• Mage Species: Word of God states that the maajik that the Duart are capable of is due to a genetic mutation.
• Wizard Classic: Old Meg's appearance as Merlin seems to conform to this.
• Our Wormholes Are Different: As with other New Century stories, the world is heavily effected by portals to other Earths that are opening up for unknown reasons.
• Wrestler in All of Us: Oberon beats Gwendoline by running at her and clotheslining her.
• You Are Fat: Mortimer makes multiple petty remarks about Gwendoline's weight during the course of the story.
• You Are Not Alone: The others prove this to Oberon when they all volunteer to travel with him and Ajax across the Green Sea to find the Akka tribes.
• You Have No Idea Who You're Dealing With:
  • While being robbed, the Marquis of Chiswick questions if Robin knows who he is, to which Robin snidely replies of course he does, he's been planning the robbery for days.
  • Viola says a variation of this to Oberon, saying he has no idea what she can do to his mind.
• You Must Be Cold: At one point, while walking through Whitechapel and after Gwen has gotten rid of her own coat, Robin puts his around her shoulders.
• You Shall Not Pass!: Old Meg pulls this to give Gwendoline time to escape the Knives in Camelot. She even lampshades the Trope Namer.