The White Rose

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In the Spectre of the Black Rose novel, the White Rose is the leader of the Thorns of the White Rose resistance group. Her organization opposed Lord Soth in ways both conventional (banditry, spying, etc.)[1] and less conventional (the transformation of Sithicus through a complicated cryptic series of mystical acts).[2] In addition to her normal humanoid followers, she also commanded the obedience of the the Whispering Beast.[3]

The White Rose is a female elf who knew Lord Soth's origins, which led him to initially think she was Kitiara reborn in the flesh[4]. However, this conclusion proved false, as Soth discovered the White Rose's true identity to be the spirit of his second wife, Isolde Denissa.[5]

On The Nature of the White Rose

The White Rose described herself and The Whispering Beast as "agents of a justice older than Sithicus, older than even Soth." Their purpose was to remind Soth that "such justice reaches even into those places hidden from the gods."[6] Dragon Magazine calls The Whispering Beast a[7], a label which might probably could be extended to the White Rose herself

Although she claims to Ganelon to serve some sort of ancient force of justice, the White Rose tells Soth that it was her curse that brought her to Ravenloft to make him remember and feel the curse once more.[8]

History in Spectre of the Black Rose

Though Soth and Azrael seek to root out the White Rose and her gang of rebels, her goals remain largely a mystery until the later half of the book.

When Ganelon reaches the Lair of the Whispering Beast, the White Rose reveals the nature of her plans. Those of the Thorns not gone off to quest pour sacks of gathered white and red roses into purified cauldron furnaces in order to shine the moons of Lunitari and Solinari upon Sithicus such that Soth will face judgement.[2] The White Rose offers Ganelon a trade: to heal Helain of madness in exchange for the collection and delivery of the red roses they needed for Lunitari.[9]

To assist Ganelon, The Whispering Beast gave a severed ear from his necklace of severed ears.[10] This allows Ganelon to lead and command The Whispering Beast's wards by speaking into the ear.[11] Later, the Bloody Cobbler reveals to Ganelon that Helain's madness had been cured when Solinari rises.[12]

The White Rose intervenes in Lord Soth's fight with Inza Magdova Kulchevich during the Hour of Screaming Shadows, revealing her true nature as Isolde, brought there by the curse she had laid upon Soth centuries ago. Before Isolde could be released, she once more had to sting Soth and bring him to remember his curse. As Nedragaard Keep trembles around them, Isolde presents to Soth a ghostly Peradur just as she presented him to Soth to save during the initial destruction of Dargaard Keep on Krynn, and once again Soth turns away from his child, repeating the disaster that caused him to become a Death Knight. The shadows fall upon and demolish Nedragaard Keep. With this, Soth's memory is restored, he sees all the acts, both malevolent and benevolent, he had committed during his existence, and is removed from the Demiplane of Dread and returned to Krynn.[13]

Final Whereabouts and True Nature

In the epilogue of the book, Soth is returned to Krynn. With his vanishing from the Land of Mists, so too the White Rose, the Bloody Cobbler, and The Whispering Beast also vanished (the latter two being manifestations of Soth's son, Peradur).[14] Curiously, although Isolde was supposed to be freed from her curse by punishing Soth one last time according to SotBR, Inza's entry in Gazetteer IV mentions that the White Rose still can be encountered as a benevolent spectral being within the ruins of Nedregaard Keep.[15]

Gothic Earth

Gothic Earth is home to The Society of the White Rose, an organization of people who have experienced the supernatural and banded together to fight Red Death. They were founded in the late 1750s, possibly in North America with the help of Benjamin Franklin. Unusually by the standards of the 1890s, they were of multi-ethic composition.

In addition to requiring members be devoted to fighting the Red Death, they required all members be literate in some language, be able to set aside their beliefs and biases for the mission, and work with their team members. Members were expected to obey the local laws, but it was accepted if breaking the law was necessary for the mission. A member could be inducted into the senior membership if they had seasoned judgement, quick wit, impeccable morals, and dedication to the the Society's work and the recommendation of multiple senior members. [16]

In December of 1899, heroes of the White Rose, including some senior management, gathered in Cairo in a plot to banish the Red Death once and for all. [17]

References

  1. ↑ Spectre of the Black Rose p. 60
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Spectre of the Black Rose p. 215-216
  3. ↑ Spectre of the Black Rose p. 208-209
  4. ↑ Spectre of the Black Rose p. 99
  5. ↑ Spectre of the Black Rose p. 298-299
  6. ↑ Spectre of the Black Rose p. 214
  7. ↑ Land of Spectres, Dragon #258 (April 1999), p. 68
  8. ↑ Spectre of the Black Rose p. 306
  9. ↑ Spectre of the Black Rose p. 216-218
  10. ↑ Spectre of the Black Rose p. 207-208
  11. ↑ Spectre of the Black Rose p. 233
  12. ↑ Spectre of the Black Rose p. 284
  13. ↑ Spectre of the Black Rose p. 297-299, 301-302, 304-307
  14. ↑ Spectre of the Black Rose p. 304-310
  15. ↑ Gazetteer IV p. 157
  16. ↑ Living Death Campaign Sourcebook p.91-94
  17. ↑ Defiance
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