Rosa

Ghost (temporarily)

Immortal

> "Cecil made me happy. We were made for each other. I wasn't going to let him fight for us alone."
>
>

Rosa was the childhood friend and eventual lover of Cecil Von Zarovich.

## Biography

### Blood on the Snow

Born in the town of Vandelheim, Rosa was raised by her father, Anorius, as her mother had died when she was in childbirth. Being one of the younger kids in town, he was sometimes bullied, especially by the mayor's son, but all that changed when she met Cecil.

A few years after she and Cecil met, they were dared into spending a night in the Blackwoods. Rosa and Cecil walked through the woods, talking and trying to remain calm. However, they had been stalked and ambushed by a vampire. As Cecil wrestled with the attacked, Rosa threw a tent stake to him, which he used to kill the vampire. After that, they retreated to the Zarovich Estate.

During her childhood, she frequently visited the Zarovich Estate, and grew close with Vigo Von Zarovich and Alexandra, seeing them as the parents she felt she didn't have.

At around age sixteen, she and Cecil attended Vandelheim's annual Ceremony of Flame. After Cecil's failure to dance, she and him snuck off to the forest, where they shared an intimate moment, and talked about their plans for the future.

When they reached adulthood, Rosa and Cecil had grown close, and Cecil planned to admit his feelings. Unfortunately, Anorius knew of Cecil's true identity as a vampire, and forbade the two from meeting. This did not stop Rosa, however, as she snuck out of the house to meet with Cecil in private, and they shared the night. The next morning, Rosa knew she would have to face her father, as they could not hide forever.

Unfortunately, the town of Vandelheim came under attack by Deathlord Morlund and his vampires. Rosa fled to the church, but was found by Morlund. Even as Cecil tried to save her, Morlund defeated him in battle, and killed her. She was buried alongside her father at the Waterfalls of Agharta.

Even after the siege, Rosa's death still plagued Cecil, as every time he slept he constantly would relive her death, his greatest failure.

### Savior of the Sun

Centuries after her death, Cecil would continue to be haunted by his failure to protect Rosa. Her death served as the fuel for his grief and rage in battle, and his fear when he tried to sleep.

After the final battle, Cecil visited the River of Innocence in an attempt to see his mother one last time. After he spoke with her, Cecil had a vision of himself and Rosa as kids, strengthening his resolve and letting him know his fight wasn't over yet.

### Season of Red Leaves

When Eversong was forcibly merged with Belwyn, so too were the Waterfalls of Agharta, Rosa's resting place. Since her soul still had not passed on, Rosa ended up in the dimensional space between Belwyn and Eversong. Speaking with The Lady of the River, Rosa learned she had been chosen to temporarily mantle the power of The Forest Soul, enabling her to manifest herself in the physical world, albeit in spirit form; and giving her almost godlike power. When Saber attempted to gather some of the healing waters of Agharta in order to cure Linthea Shadowsong, Rosa appeared, blessing the water with powerful radiant magic. As Saber left, Rosa managed to say a few fleeting words to Cecil before vanishing.

When the heroes of Eversong were battling Morlund and losing, Rosa manifested again to appear one more time, and blasted Morlund with a beam of radiant sunlight, turning him to ash.

When Cecil departed from The Dark Citadel to purify the Forest Soul, he was ambushed by Morlund and The Moon Lord. Before he was killed, however, Rosa appeared, saving his life and healing his wounds. Now at full strength, Rosa and Cecil battled Morlund and The Moon Lord, driving them off. However, The Forest Soul had become too corrupted. Sharing a tender moment, Cecil absorbed the corruption from the Soul, before Rosa used the last of her power to purify it. As Cecil consumed the last of the darkness, he vanished, and Rosa successfully purified Eversong, seperating the two countries and banishing Belwyn back to the Abyss. With a smile, Rosa faded away.

### The Red Death

Rosa's spirit did not pass on, however. Shortly after Cecil returned to Belwyn, her body was stolen by The Moon Lord. Using what she thought was leftover power from The Forest Soul, her spirit appeared to Cecil, offering him comfort and companionship. Before departing Vandelheim, she and Cecil took one last tour around the town. Rosa told Cecil what had happened to the town in his absence, and the last plight of the townspeople before Vandelheim became deserted, Before leaving, Cecil set fire to the town, wishing to wash away the sea of bad memories the two of them shared.

During Cecil's travels through the Blackwoods, she eventually met DeMarkov, who she did not hold a grudge against for his involvement in the attack on Vandelheim. Shortly after, Cecil came under attack by the mysterious knight known as The Red Death. Finding Cecil gravely wounded, she was unable to help treat his wound, but comforted him nonetheless. Together, they braved the Haunted Wastes and found Lord Acheron's tomb, and learned along with him of his dark birthright as the reincarnation of Acheron Von Zarovich. Rosa continued to stay by Cecil's side until he confronted The Red Death in front of Castle Krakensburg.

### One Last Kiss

   During Cecil's battle with The Red Death, Cecil was gravely wounded, and his mind retreated into his subconscious. There, he shared one last moment with Rosa, before her soul faded away, seemingly forever. However, it was revealed that it was by The Moon Lord's will that she was able to appear to Cecil; and instead of returning to death, she was instead resurrected, and used to mess with Cecil's emotions before his duel with The Moon Lord. She was horrified to learn she had accidentally assisted The Moon Lord in his plan to bring Cecil to Krakensburg and awaken the darkness within him, but was reassured to learn Cecil didn't blame her. She watched as Cecil battled The Moon Lord's physical avatar, and gave him the last bit of motivation he needed to drag The Moon Lord into the Abyss, where he was stripped of his power and banished from his own realm.

However, since his power was what kept Rosa alive, she began to die again in Cecil's arms. But before she could die, Cecil offered her his blood, to share in his curse. She accepted, and temporarily became a vampire. During her vision while her body transformed, she was able to speak to her father one last time, and forgive him for his poor parenthood; as well as reunite with Vigo, her posthumous father in law, who offered her advice in the coming days, and magically altered her curse, repressing the vampiric aspects and allowing her to become immortal while keeping her humanity intact. As she awoke, she and Cecil shared a tender moment as they watched the sunrise together, beginning their new life as King and Queen of Belwyn.

## Personality

Being bullied from a young age made Rosa a bit shy, but kind nonetheless. She was also wisecracking and lighthearted, cracking jokes even in the face of death. Eventually, she would brave herself, not hesitating to spend a night in the Blackwoods when dared, and standing up to Morlund, even when unarmed.

After her death, Rosa's ghost continued to provide a sense of comfort and warmth to all who felt it. Even in death, she did whatever she could to help people, like when she cured Linthea Shadowsong of her illness, or when she appeared during the battle of the Dark Citadel to finish off Morlund, as the latter was likely performed out of a desire to protect Cecil and his allies, rather than to enact vengeance on the Deathlord.

Rosa did have her moments of anger, however. This could be fully seen when confronting her father about her decision to spend eternity with Cecil; and when fighting Morlund and The Moon Lord, as Cecil's life was at stake.

## Abilities and Equipment

In life, Rosa had no special abilities or equipment, but this did not stop her from standing up to threats much stronger than she was.

In death, however, Rosa's mantling of the Forest Soul temporarily gave her the powers of a god, and enabled her to fight The Moon Lord, one of the most powerful beings in The Planescape.

After her resurrection, Rosa gained eternal life, being unable to age. It is unknown if she kept any of her powers from the Forest Soul or gained any powers from Cecil.

## Appearance

Rosa was a bit shorter than average, and the lack of sunlight in Belwyn made her pale. She had chest-length red hair which ran down her back and over her right shoulder. She had golden-hazel eyes, and often wore a blue clothing, with a leather cuirass, vambraces, and boots. She also sported a necklace depicting a golden lion, something Cecil gave to her.

When she emerged in spirit form, she appeared as she did in life, though slightly transparent and bathed in a soft golden light.

Right after she fed on Cecil's blood, she temporarily gained red eyes and fangs, but this was quickly reversed by Vigo's blessing.

Strangely, Rosa lacked the heterochromatic eyes common among people who had died and returned to life. However, this could have been a decision by The Moon Lord to preserve her appearance before death.