Rosidira

Rosidira (also goes by Rose)

Gnome barbarian, Path of the Totem Warrior

115 years old, 3’3”

Rose is one of my favorite characters. I love her so much, I wrote an entire story about her! (psst… check out the story Pint Sized Rage!)

Rosidira lived in the Wandering Woods, a magical old growth forest and place of respite from the world beyond. A nearby stronghold, the Daemon Empire, had previously formed diplomatic relations with those of the Wandering Woods, trading supplies for information about the forest’s magic. But once they had learned all that they needed, the leaders of the Empire became corrupted by greed. They wanted to expand their kingdom into the Woods. When the benevolent folk of the Woods refused, wishing to protect the sacred ground, the Empire abandoned all forms of diplomacy and invaded. The people of the Woods had no chance of winning.

Rose herself was one who believed in peace and justice, but she was enraged by how the Empire treated her people. She leapt into the battle, fighting until she could no longer. When she awoke to the aftermath of the Empire’s invasion, she found her Woods destroyed. Some of her people had managed to escape, but not all. They took refuge beyond the Empire’s reach while the Empire began the process of logging what remained of the Woods. Rose left, confused at the anger she felt during the battle and seeking answers as to who she would become. She met some new friends who taught her how to harness her emotions and use them for protection rather than destruction.

Campaign Start

Now equipped with the tools she would need to take the battle to the Daemon Empire, Rose joined an undercover guild tasked with protecting the heirs of the Kingdom opposing their Empire. The campaign began with the employment of this so-called ‘Misfits of the Invisible Guard’ and the introduction to the five heirs to the throne. The only problem: only one of them could take the throne. Aldus, the eldest, was the flamboyant face of the group, believing himself to be the obvious choice for the throne. Mirelda was the brains of the group, resenting her brothers and plotting a way to climb to the throne. Blavier, the tactician, was always in the midst of conducting elaborate schemes to take down the Empire and viewing himself as the only one smart enough to become king. Gerolt was the quiet one and seemed to be uninterested in the throne, instead wishing to protect the people of the Kingdom. Finally, the last and youngest heir was… unknown. The party never met her, only hearing that she was a closely kept secret.

On top of that, Rose and another PC, a changeling named Kipp, began to develop a fondness for each other. Each one, broken and hurting from the traumas they lived through in the past, found solace in each other’s company. Kipp had never had a home, always drifting from place to place due to their ever-shifting nature, while Rose had lost the very home and family she failed to protect. The two of them were able to share in their grief and begin soothe the pain of the other, discovering someone new that was worth protecting. Their love bloomed.

This would be a sensitive enough situation without the presence of… Pitter Patter. You see, Pitter Patter was a fairy tale. They were a character from a children’s story. The story of Pitter Patter depicted a night where the being appeared to two children. While one ran away, the other was curious and offered their friendship, a gesture of kindness. In return, Pitter Patter granted the child one wish.

Pitter Patter seemed to be attracted to the Misfits, appearing soaking wet in the midst of a sudden rainstorm to simply watch them from the corner of a room or the middle of a clearing. If approached, they vanished. But when Pitter Patter appeared in the middle of Rose’s night watch, she took inspiration from the fairy tale. Slowly, she approached and, before they could leave, offered her cloak and a wish: ‘I want to understand you.” Several days later, the cloak reappeared outside her tent with four teardrop-shaped patches embedded in the hood.

There was no time to decipher the mystery of Pitter Patter, though, because the Daemon Empire launched their attack on the Kingdom! Sending hordes of demons and monsters, the Kingdom had no hope of survival. Appearing to the entire party, Pitter Patter’s voice resonated in our minds: “You have the choice to either fight, or flee to live another day.” In order to give the Kingdom a chance, the Misfits would need to split up and protect one (known) heir each. They would need to leave their friends, the ones they had grown to trust and depend upon in the face of this great evil.

This was the campaign where both Rosidira and I met some of our best friends. The story left off at a bit of a cliffhanger, but our former DM offered the possibility of continuing in the future, so we shall have to see! The future of the Kingdom (and Rosidira and Kipp!) is still hanging in the balance; perhaps one day, we will discover these Misfits’ fate. May the dice be ever in your favor.