Rosara is played by Ariel Quinn
Sword and Scale: a Spawn of Chaos solo adventure
Background
Character Name: Rosara
Class: Paladin (Ancients) Race: Edwed Major
Background
Parcivaar Vinari was special. He could trace his bloodline back to Romar himself, thus when he married Mysharra, a commoner from inner Nov Romara, it raised a few eyebrows. It did not help that she often said some very un-Romaran things and seemed unapologetic in her opinions. Mysharra’s strength of mind, however, fascinated Parcivaar, and he would not be deterred in pursuing her.
After they married, some whispered their children would never manifest the Gifts of Romar and this line of holy knights would be cut short. Parcivaar saw only grace and nobility in his new wife and had no doubts their children would accomplish great things.
Mysharra bore twins, Rosara and Mari. As is often the case with twins, they were different as night and day. Rosara carried her father’s stoic strength and quiet resolve, while Mari had her mother’s quick wit and rebellious spirit. The two sisters were as inseparable as they were competitive and from the day they differentiated, they were trained in the martial tradition of the Vinari family.
But all of this was told to Rosara. She had no memory of her mother or her early life. She was told Mysharra succumbed to the wasting sickness in Rosara's sixth year, but she couldn't remember her face. Rosara did, however, have an impression of her father. She thought of him as a hero, an infallible dynamo, but her first memory challenged this notion. In her ninth year she witnessed what a true hero could do, and it had profoundly changed her perception of Parcivaar.
A monster of the old world, an aberration with the body of a massive bear with a single eye and an oversized head full of razor teeth, rampaged through the countryside and found its way into the village surrounding the family manor. Parcivaar sent soldiers to confront the beast but did not ride out himself. As the monster ripped through their ranks, a bright light descended from the sky. A warrior in gleaming armor and a dark cloak emblazoned with the insignia of the Order of the Crimson Wing landed with a sound like a thunderclap. The magnificent knight confronted the beast and made short work of it. Rosara marveled at the spectacle, but that night, lying in her bed, she realized her father was not the demigod she had believed him to be. Sometimes she wonders if this is why she could not remember her life before this moment, as if seeing her father as a mere mortal awakened her from a deep slumber.
Still, she fostered a desire to make Parcivaar proud, yet her sister, Mari, was always the better fighter and took great pleasure beating Rosara in every sparring match. Rosara never wavered and always came back to the circle ready for more, and Parcivaar nodded solemnly, respecting Rosara’s determination, but he beamed when he saw Mari’s natural skill and it became clear who he favored.
But Mari was her mother’s daughter in many ways and as she matured, she began questioning Nov Romaran doctrine. Her unorthodox opinions soured her relationship with Parcivaar, and Rosara pleaded with Mari to fall into line or at least keep her borderline seditious thoughts to herself. Mari would have none of it. Her arguments with her father were intense, and sometimes spilled over into the sisters’ relationship, but the bond between them always remained strong.
They argued politics and philosophy as Rosara was one of the few people with whom Mari could speak to openly. Mari questioned Nov Romaran doctrine in ways that made Rosara pause, but Rosara’s commitment to the empire always won out. Rosara dreamed of being like her father and maybe, one day surpassing him and succeeding where he failed: becoming a Knight of the Crimson Wing.
When Rosara began manifesting the touch of Romar and Mari did not, many whispered that Mari’s rebellious nature was to blame. She scoffed at their criticisms, claiming she would find her own way, using her own strength and not the strength of her blood. Rosara never said it, but she was hurt by her sister’s words. Mari did not attend the ceremony when Rosara took the oath of a holy knight and Parcivaar seemed more upset by her absence than proud of his other daughter’s achievement. Even her success was secondary, and in a small rebellious act of her own, she altered the wording of her oath. She would not be a simple extension of Romaran doctrine. She would fight for a greater good and a greater purpose. She would be a Knight of the Crimson Wing.
After a tense confrontation with Mari, Rosara trekked into the mountains where she knew a young black dragon nested. Dragons were sacred in Nov Romara, and the first test of the Order of the Crimson Wing was to tame one as a mount. Deep in her heart, Rosara knew she was not ready, but she pushed these doubts aside. She would prove herself.
The dragon nearly killed her and did kill Mogwin Hartel, her squire who, against her wishes, followed Rosara into the dragon’s cave.
Her armor shredded and bleeding from multiple wounds, she fled from the dragon’s cave with the beast close behind, intent on finishing the job it had started. She stumbled into the light of the afternoon convinced these were her last moments. But what she didn’t know was that Mari had followed Rosara into the mountains and lay in wait outside the cave. As the enraged dragon emerged, Mari leapt from above and impaled the creature’s skull with her spear.
In the aftermath, the sisters stared at the corpse. This was bad. Killing a dragon was a crime and there was no way to hide this. Rosara was prepared to take responsibility, but Mari would have none of it. They returned home where Mari bound Rosara’s wounds and buried her gashed and tattered armor. Exhausted, Rosara slept and when she awoke, the manor was abuzz with the news That Mari had killed a dragon and would be exiled. Rosara knew she should step up and defend her sister and absorb the blame. But she didn’t. Rather than be expelled, Mari left Nov Romara. Rosara was left alone. She hasn’t seen her sister since.
Affiliations
As a Knight of Fury, Rosara will be revered and respected by any Nov Romaran citizen and will have rank among any common Nov Romaran soldiers. Within Nov Romaran colonies, she will have access to goods and services through government contacts (within limits) and should be able to easily obtain information.
In nations outside of Nov Romaran influence, she will be viewed with suspicion if not outright hostility.
NPCs of Note
Her sister, Mari, has earned a name for herself as a mercenary, and has recently been connected with various seditious groups operating in a number of Nov Romaran colonies.
Her father, Parcivaar, is a prominent Nov Romaran noble.
Mogwin Hartel is Rosara’s squire. He is killed in her confrontation with the dragon
Psychology
Most Holy Knights are focused on order, but the adjustments Rosara made in her oath changed her focus to the greater good. A subtle change, yet one that inadvertently gives her the flexibility to look at the intent of Nov Romaran doctrine rather than the letter of its laws.
Rosara loves her sister dearly but is also jealous of her. She is jealous of her freedom, her strength, and her willingness to go against tradition. Rosara wants to be the hero who will do right, no matter the cost. Ironically, she sees this quality in Mari and not in herself. She does not agree with much of Mari’s ideology, but recognizes Mari’s conviction and it is this conviction that she is not sure she shares.
On a more primal level, she wants to surpass both her father and her sister, to be a hero beyond their imaginings and to make a true and tangible difference in the world.
Despite her slight variation on Nov Romaran doctrine, she genuinely believes that Nov Romara is the light in the world and that Nov Romara is the only force that can bring peace and order to Gregoor-Sheav. As with many Nov Romarans, she will not understand why other Edwed can’t see it this way.
Current Situation
It has been two years since Mari’s exile and two of the most unhappy years in Rosara’s life. She misses her sister, she feels guilty for what happened, and she keeps thinking her powers as a Paladin will fade because of what she’s done. The fact that they do not has also seeded her with doubt as to what her purpose is. She is increasingly disillusioned with her day-to-day duties within the Nov Romaran power structure, and she feels like she’s falling into the same role her father played for so many years: a figurehead, a cog in the machine of the empire.
At this time, she receives a note from a middling captain stationed in outer Nov Romara. It mentions her sister. She does not hesitate in setting up a meeting. The man informs her that they have received reliable intelligence that Mari is working with a powerful terrorist organization bent on destabilizing various colonial governments. Rosara is shocked but knowing her sister’s ideals and can’t help but take the story seriously.
The officer has contacted an operative of a spy network out of Tekinesh that sometimes shares information with Romaran operatives for the right price. Interestingly, this contact says he will only speak with Rosara and only in the foothold colony of Nov Ri.
Rosara knows she should bring this information to her father. She knows she should pursue this lead through the proper channel. But she also knows if she does, she will never find her sister. Moreover, on a personal level, she knows her life needs to change.
In an uncharacteristic surge of spontaneity, she does not return to the Vinari Manor. She prepares to leave Nov Romara for the first time in her life. It is terrifying and exciting, but more importantly, she feels deep down, it is the right thing to do.