The Prime
Rosa dos not know her age only that she is not of this plane. She was found in the ice covered lands at the Crown of the World, There at a small Snow Elf trading port she was placed in the Hall of Healing. When she came to she talked in a language few understood, words from the higher planes. One did an old elf Monk, when he came she at last to talk to someone, she told him she was the Rose Luminass, A being of light that had been working to hold a battle in Elysium. But just when she thought it was stopped she was expelled and had found herself on the prime. The old mage has understood and said if she wished he would send her back. But Rosa has seen the world, seen the need for hope and help. Healing and forgiveness. She declined his offer but said she would know more of this plane. Days, weeks years past and the old Monk passed on what he knew. Rosa leaned and worded her divine magics to help the ill and sick in the Village. This then became her home he place of new life. The long house where those harmed by the bitter cold, explorers, adventures and traders could fine a warm bed and healing to mend their hurts. It was here that she oneday meet a pathfinder group, they were young brave and looking for old ruins. They told her tales of the big world outside, it was then that also gave her name another name "The Winter Rosa" for the said the Gem in her head whispered at night and the fact her skin was cold like steel. Soon everyone was calling her by this name, and the stone in her for head the "The God Tear" She made up her mind to go with them, exploring with the pathfinders and seeing the world. To see if she could find out whom she was and where she came from. The team of pathfinders helped her and with that help she started to remember some of her former self.
Life in the pathfinders.
He was dying he knew that, he could feel is life bleeding out from the wound in his back. The undead horde can come so fast, he looked over at his captain, half of his head was missing and the mess that was left was no longer moving. A tears started to from in his eyes, he turned his head away from his leader and his last thoughts turned to his 3 year old daughter, he tried to hold her image in his mind, I shall end seeing her, he though. Then the ground shuddered as another Arbalistor round slammed down hard onto cold earth. He could hear that there was still some fighting around the camp. He forgot that and dying sent his mind to home, his daughter, the smell of her hair, his wife Kira, he would be in the bone yard soon and he felt so sad, so very sad. He got ready to take is last breath and he wished so much to see his child and wife again. Then it came, he held his last breath and looked up into the snow clouds, white flurries passing. Then… what was that? Something moved up there, coming across the sky. All around fighting but something was coming for him flying down from above, a start?, a star just for him such was so bright. An angle in gleaming with starlight winds, her wings , wings that covered him and blacked out the pain, as he looked into her eyes she said "Every things going to be fine" the angel placed her hands on him and for a moment he was a being of light as her, Then he tuck another breath. Not his last but a fresh good one "you were so close but now you will be fine, rest here, others fight this day and you have done your duty” The angel stood up then and looked around, the undead now came for her, she looked down at him "you should cover your eyes or this will hurt" as he did so it was if the sun had come out that cold and most memorable day, the dead screamed all around.
He spotted her again, two days later; she was at the new commander’s tent. She was talking to others of the pathfinders. The battle was won and soon they would be going home. It was their aid that had won the day, when no others would come, the pathfinders did. They say The Winter Rose comes not to the high-born but to the lowest 1st, to the poorest and weakest, the ones with no hope. He knows that's true every time he holds his child. Kings died that day but not he, blessed be the Winter Rose.
Child in the Snow
She had made a mistake, now she was running for her life, she was six, or seven she did not really know, and she hated the fact her legs where so small. Bigger kids can run faster, they can climb walls. She was too weak to slow and now drunks would cache her. She just called herself Liz. It was the name the old lady had given her when she had found the Tiafling baby, thorn out, left to die in the cold. Horns, tail, wrapped in a rag. Old Meg was kind; she had taken the child in, feed it and looked after it. Meg was mother old meg was her world. But then the cold winter, now heat in the Shack and meg had grown still and cold, trying to keep the child warm. She has sat with her for 3 days and nights until hunger had driven her out into the streets, there to beg and steal. Beatings, cold and hunger became her world.
Today she was so hungry she had made a mistake, she had waited by the old Inn, the one with fights and waited. Soon a drunk came out, so drink he had fallen into the snow and band his head on the rail. She had taken her chance, run over and going into hes pockets looking for food of any kind. She had thrown his coins away, you can’t eat gold.
It was then that three boys came up the street, they stopped looked and the man out cold and what they could see, her over him as he bled.
"What!!" "ITS DRINKING HIS BLOOD" "ITS A DEVIL, "GET STICKS, COME ON LETS GET IT!"
She had run, but her legs where to short, she had gone down a side street and there was noway out. They came after and the rain of blows started. Pain and pain and crying, so much pain and cold, they had done, she lay there, her blood around in the snow,
"I want to be with Meg, I don't want to feel hungry any more, why did she have to die"
The cold was such her tears slowed as they ran down her blood stained face. There she lay, waiting to die, feeling warm as the cold too her life away.
Then from above, a light, filling the dull evening snow glow on the cold city ally. Was this what Meg had felt when the cold took her.
Then down from above in wings of light a tall woman in silver.
The snow around her blow aside and this woman of light placed her feet in the ground, and her wings folded over to over Liz.
A smile like a star looked at her, to hands came down and with great care picked her off the snow. Hand fall of real warmth, her pain faded away, she felt bones move and strength come back into her small body. She smiled at the woman, the woman spoke.
"Hello, I'm Rosa, what’s you name."
She could not talk, but then in a small voice she said.
"liz, please miss, are you here to take me to Meg?"
The Woman looked sad. It was then that Liz knew she would have to say what she had not said even to herself.
"Meg went to Heaven, she went cold and ..."
The Crying started, the woman held her close as she did; The Gem looked into the child's mind.
::Let me tell you of this child’s life and you decide Rosa,:: it did this a lot now Rosa remembered more. It told her the child’s life, after the crying has eased Rosa said.
"I Knew old Meg, she was kind and you know what, she asked me to come get you, before she went to Heaven. She wanted me to come and look after you and I promised her I would. I am so sorry i'm late; the snow heavy you see, and it took a lot long to find the town. So now I am here, I need to ask you something, would you like to come home with me, I live a long way from her, at the city in the centre of the world, I have a big house and in it is a room just for you. How do’s that sound."
All she could do was nod her head, this woman had shown her care and she trusted her, why she did not know but she did.
"Good, now hold tight they may tingle."
The woman pulled out a roll of something and read it. Then next moment they were in sunshine a whole world away.
Retirement
"A 'good Cleric' they say the best thing to take on a mission, this has a double meaning, when your blood is pumping out onto the cold stone deep underground. You have to ask would you want a cleric who knows Angels or one that knows Devils and Demons."
This was Torig the Brave, who had known her for year’s., The bar was packed and more where coming they had been drinking and eating most of the day, old faces, new ones, everyone and anyone who knew her as there. Friends, she had adventured with over the years.
"You know Torig when I pulled that bad tooth of yours out; remember in the Iron wood hills, you called me all manner of Demon."
The group broke out with laughter at that, Ron the halfling, who joked they had never made a lock he could not get past. Shot back
”And I had to hold him down ME! Just about through me over a tree!!.”
More laughter, Lord Greenwold, an elf always bad hopping once her lover long ago, now a trusted confidant. He's latest lover, a male human knight who was flaring with the barman added.
”And I had to try and open his mouth; in the end Rosa had to smack him over the head three times to knock Torig and get that blasted tooth out. She was just about…”
Then Zorg-Leen the mage who had come with some kind of woman he had made of Glass and by now as very drunk stole the punch line. He had been spending the day telling everyone of the time she had been turned into a Chicken by a trap. But now he cried out
”It was then the Dragon ATTACKED!!”
More laughter and Torig gave every one a fake grumpy look, the he broke out in a smile,
”Then Rosa has to... in the middle of one of the MOST epic fights ever, take out my bloody tooth and wake me back up to deal with an angry red dragon. Arr Rosa, I am going to miss ye”
He hugged her, just missing her wings thank the gods, the half orc could crush rocks with his hugs. He held her but asked.
"So Rosa, after doing this madness for years, you’re really retiring from the pathfinders? What the hell for, your respected, well known, you can pick you crew for a mission, why now, you’re on the top of your game kid, now why though that all walk away.?"
She reached over and upped her empty wine glass and indicated she wanted anther, while holding him with the other arm. She noted others had stopped what they were doing and where looking at the pear of them.
"That's why, I am retiring you dumb half orc, I'm spending more and more time working on the other planes, meetings meeting, that is my life now. Not much more for me to do but get a desk and send poor sots like you out to get chopped up looking for loot. Look, see my wings, no use behind a desk and you just can't get a seat that lets you fold them up the way I like. So it’s a simple as that. That and the fact I have a child to look after as well."
"The Tifling child you found?" Torig asked
"Yes Elisabeth, I have legally adopted her and she is now, Elisabeth Luminass. I made promises to protect her and look after her. She has lost one protector I'm not be another, I know how loss feels trust me."
"Like the time you lost that Orb of Dragon kind Rosa"
Someone shouted out, there was more laughter.
"You know what I mean Tinna, and I did not lose that ORB!, that blasted half Devil Zon stole it back!"
More laughter, She let Torig and turned to the collected throng, she tapped her now full class, all most fell silent.
"Fiends, collages and rascals, yes I am talking about you Jarick, and get your hand out of Ologs Money Pouch" She did not need to see to know what he was up to.
"There comes a time when the fun must stop, the adventuring come to an end. I have died more times than I care to count, come back to be burned, frozen, blasted, swindled, shot, stabbed, blown up. I have picked up your legs and arms, fixed broken bones and minds. All this on a good pathfinder day . “
Laughter again.
”You all know our lives as pathfinders are hard. The coin we make large the risks we take larger still. I have enjoyed every moment. But I am retiring, I will be taking a Diplomatic post spending most of my work time commuting between here and the higher plans. Also Elisabeth my daughter will be starting Mage Collage soon, So this is my last drunken night as a real pathfinder, the bar bill is on Jarick and he has most of your money by now.
Laughter again.
”Thank you all so much for coming and the presents, I’m going to come ground now and see you all. It has been a joyand an honour to work with you.”
She pushed her drink up.
”To the pathfinders, may Adventure find you all”
There was cheering an drinking.
::”Was that hard to do?::
”You have no idea how hard and no peeking in my mind to find out, all I want to say is, this new job of yours better not be risky!”
::”Not at all, you’re just going to be an envoy that’s all”::
She did not believe it for a moment, She now knew what lived in the Gem and why, but it had been with her for so long she had kept it even she had had the change to drive it out. She had bound it now, it was hers and it seemed not to mind do much. O yes it still talked of her joining the ranks of the Demi Angels, but she had seen so much, 50 years a pathfinder on and off and you stop taking anything at face value.
Redemption
He came to her one night while the house slept. She opened her eyes and there he was at the foot of her bed.
"Get dress Rosa we need to talk"
It was unlike him to be so start forward; She did as told then went outside. He was looking up at the stars.
"I need you to do something for us, for the host Celestial and it’s not going to be easy."
She was now concerned, was this about Elisabeth? Her mind raced, was she in trouble?.
"Don't worry its not Elisabeth, she is in no danger or trouble."
That made her feel better, but now she had to deal with the blasted riddles and half-truths, O well somethings never change.
He patted a seat; she went over and sat, next to him.
"It’s time you thought about Ascendancy, we know your past, where you are from and why we feel you like it here. You feel you are doing good. But as your skills and powers have grown, you know that one day you must come into our ranks, it is your destiny."
Well she knew this day would come, it has all been leading to this, she asked
"How?”
"Events are now under-way that will shape this world, our aim to it have someone on our side in the middle of it, to help the shaping.
::”Ho ho now what are they upto?.”::
::”and so much for retirement then”::
He was still talking
”When this starts we want you there, eyes on the grown, we are hoping it will not come to conflict.."
::”Whats he hiding?”::
”Hes one of yours you ask him!”
::”They don’t tell me anything, been down here to long, to be honest I think they may have forgotten about me”::
”Fat chance of that happening.”
She looked over at him, Well once more unto..
[b]”Well nice, thank you, now if you don’t mind pop off and let me get some sleep, it would seem I have going to have a long day tomorrow.
