Woodsman

"Jersey was wrong, you know. About those girls. There IS somethin' you can do about it. You can GET the fucker who did it." —The Woodsman to Bigby about the murders.

The Woodsman, called "Woody" for short, is a Fable featured in The Wolf Among Us. He is a drunk with a history of violence, and is initially thought to be closely connected to the murder of Faith.

Background
He and Bigby have a centuries-old history of fighting, and the Woodsman is the first hostile character encountered by the sheriff in the game. The Woodsman is beating Faith, but later proclaims his innocence when she is found dead. He also has an entry in the Book of Fables. He later explains that the prostitute who would usually visit him was Lily, and she was willing to give him credit if he was short on cash, but on that night Faith covered for her, and she was not willing to make the same kind deal with him. Combined with the facts that the Woodsman was both broke and very drunk that night, he flew off the handle and assaulted her.

In a twist of irony, the Woodsman drunkenly tells Bigby when their first meeting happened, he initially wasn't there to save Red Riding Hood or her grandmother; instead, he was there to rob them and found the wolf there instead. His demeanor while telling the story, indicates that he is full of self-loathing over the fact that he has been hailed as a hero after the event.

Episode 1: Faith
At the start of the game, Sheriff Bigby Wolf gets a call from Toad about the Woodsman making a lot of ruckus and damaging the apartment. He is then shown assaulting Faith, and when told to stop, engages in a fight with Bigby. This fight ends with both of them going out the window, and the Woodsman getting an axe shoved into his head. Faith begins to work the axe deeper in his head, and Bigby can choose whether to stop her or to let her keep going. The Woodsman seen can be seen again through the magic mirror if Bigby asks where the Woodsman is. If the player does so, he can be seen, just outside of the Lucky Pawn struggling to walk. He ends up at the Trip Trap, and is not seen again until Bigby enters the bar later on. He tells Bigby that he was there to rob Riding Hood rather than save her, but Bigby was already in the bed. Bigby then informs him of the murder of Faith, but the Woodsman claims he had nothing to do with it. Grendel, who is defending Woody, starts a fight with Bigby, which ends in Bigby winning and tearing off Gren's left arm (Determinant). After the altercation, Tweedledee steps in the bar, and upon realizing Bigby is there, tries to run, which Woodsman who also sees this opportunity to escape. Bigby then has to choose who to arrest.

In-Game Decision
(Arrest Dee)

If you decide to arrest Dee, Bigby catches him and pins him against a wall while the Woodsman escapes through what is assumed to be the backdoor.

(Arrest Woodsman)

If you decide to arrest the Woodsman, Bigby catches him and pins him against a wall while Dee escapes through the exit of the Trip Trap. Bigby marches Woody back to the Woodlands, but upon seeing the police lights around the entrance, secures him to a light post and goes to investigate.

Episode 2: Smoke and Mirrors
If Bigby arrested the Woodsman, he is heard deliriously singing to himself when Bigby and Crane return to the Woodlands. They walk to the basement to find Bluebeard sharpening a knife while Woody is strapped to a chair. Crane grows angry at Bluebeard for using violence, and they step aside to let Bigby handle the questioning. Through either peaceful or violent means, Bigby gets Woody to reveal that he was fighting with Faith because the prostitute he normally got, Lily, usually comped him the cost of their sessions. When Faith, refused to, he was set off and started beating on her. He then regretfully admits that Lily was the sister of Holly, the Trip Trap's owner and bartender. He begs Bigby not to tell her and Grendel, thinking that they wouldn't understand. At that point, Crane or Bluebeard will confront Bigby over their disagreements with his interrogation tactics. If Bigby was violent, Crane will demand that he stop, leading to Bigby pinning him against the wall and threatening to punch him. If Bigby was peaceful, Bluebeard will push him out of the way and start beating on Woody. Bigby, in turn, pulls him away and the two start brawling. Regardless, Snow then arrives and demands to know what is going on, stunning all of them into silence.

If Dee was arrested instead of Woody, he can be observed drinking by himself in the Magic Mirror after TJ is questioned.

Episode 3: A Crooked Mile
The Woodsman appears in the Trip Trap with the drugged Holly and Grendel. When Bigby arrives, he hears Woody and Gren arguing about Woody waking Holly. After announcing his arrival, Gren lets Bigby in. If Bigby previously arrested Woody, he explains that Snow let him out of jail as there was no real need for him to be there. He then explains that Swineheart gave his two compatriots painkillers, which caused Holly to fall asleep and Gren to become high. Woody displays concern for Gren, who repeatedly ignores his advice of getting some rest and not drinking. Gren grows increasingly hostile towards Woody, and after the three have a toast to Lily, he punches Woody in the face, demanding that he stops pestering him. The two begin brawling, and Bigby can either break it up or wait it out. Gren reveals that he and Holly found out that the Woodsman was sleeping with Lily behind their backs, and continually berates him doing so knowing how angry it would make Holly. Eventually, Woody has enough and starts to walk out. Bigby can stop and defend him or ask him a question before he leaves.

Later, Bigby and company are confronted by Bloody Mary and the Tweedles in an alley outside of the Pudding & Pie. After nearly killing Bigby with a silver bullet, Mary pulls Woody's axe out of her car and moves to behead Bigby with it. However, Snow stops her and offers Crane in exchange for his life, to which Mary agrees after being given the Crooked Man's approval. She then exits the scene with the axe in tow.

Episode 4: In Sheep's Clothing
Offscreen, Woody discovers that his axe was stolen from his apartment and is told by Grendel that it was taken to the Lucky Pawn. He seeks out the shop's owner, the Jersey Devil, finding him in Battery Park and following him all the way back to the store demanding that Jersey returns the axe. Bigby finds them arguing either entering the shop or in it depending on where he investigates first. The two begin to brawl, and Bigby can choose whether to restrain Woody or Jersey. If Bigby restrains Woody he can then choose to stop his assault on J.D. or let him carry on the assault. Regardless, J.D. soon reverts to his true form and attacks both of them. While Bigby and Jersey Devil are fighting, Woody finds his axe hidden in a safe in the back of the store, apparently returned by Mary after the previous night. He then uses the axe to strike the Jersey Devil in the head and helps Bigby to interrogate him. Jersey reveals that the Crooked Man's door is magical and changes locations at certain intervals. If Bigby visits the shop second, he also finds Crane's coat and the missing mirror shard. Satisfied, they go outside and Woody asks Bigby for a cigarette, which he can agree to or refuse. Woody then encourages Bigby by saying that even though he can't save the two dead girls, he can at least catch the murderer. As a taxi pulls up for Bigby, Woody says goodbye and walks off down the street with his axe over his shoulder. His fate is unknown after that.

Book of Fables Entry
''The Woodsman is one of the few men who went toe to toe with Bigby in his Black Forest days and lived to tell the tale. In an attempt to save Little Red Riding Hood, he split the great wolf's belly open with his axe, filled him full of rocks, and threw the beast into a river. To his dismay his popularity faded. Even his name is forgotten, and he is only known as The Woodsman.''

Appearances
Faith Smoke and Mirrors A Crooked Mile In Sheep's Clothing