Rosethorn

On my life and my honor, you have nothing to fear, ma petite chèrie.

About

Public Knowledge

An august and well-respected school, the Rosethorns are known as premiere bodyguards and enforcers. The Rosethorns serve as bodyguards for many of the most important people in the Kingdom such as the royal family and Rose Queens. Wealthy clans flaunt their status by hiring Rosethorn escorts.

Within Flora, this school weilds authority equal to a Royal Inspector. When games get out of hand and passionate days turn into bloodfeuds, the Rosethorns wade into the mix to set things right. Few others would dare try to herd the Floran cats into line!

Given this association with law and protection, the Rosethorns are often derided as nannies and nursemaids. There is a shred of truth to the insult - Rosethorns often watch those who cannot watch themselves.

Still, folk can count on Rosethorns to be level-headed and honest, valuable traits anywhere in the Kingdom, and the Path enjoys the benefit of the doubt in most corners of Seln.

Application

While Rosethorns serve in the courts at the pleasure of the Rose Queens, the Path actually has two separate paths to power.

• The Rose Queens annoint worthy warriors and other applications, evoking the beginning of the Path in their target
• The prospective Rosethorn consumes a Nettle-Nettle fruit found somewhere in the world

The first method of application is the more popular. Like the Crystal Swans, folk may apply to the Rose Queens and request the honor; the Queens choose according to their own fancy.

Glowing Nettles, on the other hand, are found when Harmony cries out for protection and none others can answer the call. These odd fruit can grow anywhere that wild things grow - from the depths of a crystal den to the shadowed corners of a public park - and release a subtle song to draw in candidates.

Those called by the Nettle-Nettle fruit have dreams that draw them towards the fruit.

A Nettle-Nettle fruit can be eaten by anyone, though the fruit are exceptionally hard to spot by anyone other than their candidates.

The act of eating a Nettle-Nettle fruit is a challenge in itself! Each bite of the fruit conjures images of the candidate’s own past - their sins and pettiness rising like intrusive thoughts to hound the candidate. Only those that can stomach the sight of their own flawed nature can finish the fruit and gain this Path.

Despite the stereotypes, Rosethorns do not have to be Floran. A few Alorans trickle through every year and one or two Wehrans have braved the trials in the last years. Being distant both physically and spiritually from the Florans, no Izuno candidate has arrived in centuries.

Path History

The Rosethorns arose from the need for balance in Flora. Sometimes Floran games turn vicious; sometimes the trick is just a scam. Someone needed to be the arbiter of when the fun had soured into viciousness, and the Rosethorns answered.

In the early days of the Path, formal schools were established at the outskirts of the major Floran settlements. Here students were subjected to rigid ascetism: no alcohol, no festivals, no sports festivals!

Few students recognized these rules as the first meditation of the Rosethorns: restraint. Only later would they come to recognize their place in Flora: the stalwart rock in a playful river.

As time passed, the school added more meditations: kindness, patience, silence…

Today the school teaches more than fifty meditations. Most of these meditations are about living a healthy life and helping others rather than ferocious Path powers. The Rosethorns, however, teach that these are equally important to the ability to blast someone with nettles!

Not coincidentally, strands of these meditations have snuck into the Teacher program, and many Rosethorns smile to hear children today reciting the verses on the power of patience that they once learned in the dojo.

Nanny duty

In the early days of the Kingdom, a Rosethorn knight named Elysia saved the life of King Riku and Queen Astra from a foul plot. The historical details have long since faded, but the deed remains commemorated in a popular play known as To Save the Queen. The play takes many liberties but ends with the truth: the official blessing of Queen Astra that the Rosethorns should guard all her children.

At the time, the royal family had no princess, and this command was interpreted to include all of her children.

From this beginning, the Rosethorns soon became very popular as the bodyguards for high clan dignitaries and their families. Once minted, this stereotpye propagated itself for millenia into the modern day.

This stereotype is so prevalent, in fact, that the Rosethorns have something of a counterfeit problem. Every clan wants a Rosethorn protector, but the Path has only so many warriors (and those warriors may have other priorities).

Instead, unscrupulous warriors pass themselves off as Rosethorns to secure lucrative contracts. This works often enough to give the Path some difficulties.

Powers

• Primary element: Earth
• Secondary: Water
• Bane: Fire

Nettles

You gain a unique resource: Nettles

• These nettles grow from vines, leaves, or bark that grow across your forearms
• Each nettle is a tiny elemental crystal integrated into your body
  • You decide the exact way nettles manifest. For example, your nettles might literally burst from your arms; glow brightly as they influence the environment to obey your will; or influence your movements and weapons to supernatural feats
• Dormant nettles fade into your skin, usually visible only as small bumps or freckles

You have 4 Nettles

• Nettles regenerate at the start of each Scene

You may spend 1 Nettle to:

• Add +1 damage to any Attack (max one Nettle per Attack)
• Make a ranged Attack (Earth or Water) against a single foe
  • Weapon Cores: Ranged
  • Damage: C-1
• When a foe enters or leaves your zone, spend 1 Nettle to make a melee attack against that foe using any of your weapons and any element
  • Maximum once per foe per round

Additionally, at C3, you gain new Nettle abilities. You may now:

• Spend 2 Nettles and an Action to gird your zone in thorns
  • The zone gains Difficult Terrain equal to your Earth Defense
  • Foes that move into the zone take 1 damage against Earth or Water (your choice)
  • This effect lasts for the rest of the Scene
  • You may gird only one zone at a time; if you use this effect again, the first fades
• Spend 1 Nettle when you are the target of a melee Attack to counterattack
  • Like other melee counters, this cannot trigger against foes with Reach
  • You may choose any melee weapon and element for your counterattack
• Spend 2 Nettles to lay a Nettle trap within Prowess meters. Challenge Earth to generate a Stealth score as usual. Then choose an effect:
  • When triggered, the trap applies a Restraint against the target’s Earth or Water (your choice at time of creation) and Condition equal to your Earth Standard Value
  • When triggered, impose a Penalty Prowess against all foes within the current zone
  • When triggered, you may Attack the triggering foe with Earth or Water (your choice at time of creation) and damage C-1

Additionally, at C4:

• When you spend Nettles to counterattack, you may counterattack against foes regardless of whether they have Reach; ignore the Reach property
• When a foe’s Attack against you or your Flower results in a Disaster, regenerate 1d4 Nettles

Rose Armaments

By secret Arts of the Path, you find or grow a piece of living wood armor with supernatural durability. Common forms are a shield or breastplate.

This special armor allows you to soak additional Damage.

• You may assign damage to your Rose Armaments
• Negate that much damage and reduce the durability (below) of your Armaments by the same amount
• Unlike normal Armor, Rosethorn Armaments may reduce incoming damage to 0!
  • When incoming Damage is reduced to 0, treat secondary effects (such as throws or poisons) as though the attack was a Failure

Your Armaments have a Block rating of C

• Unlike normal Block, you may spend any Charge to trigger this Advanced Defense; the Charge does not have to be related to the ongoing Challenge at all
• You may spend 1 Nettle to trigger this Advanced Defense (instead of Charge)

Your Armaments begin each day with a durability of C*2.

• On your turn, you may spend 1 Nettle to regenerate C durability. This does not require an Action.
• You may spend 2 Nettle to regenerate C durability at any time, including in response to an incoming effect
  • You may choose to do this after the Challenge Result

When your Armaments reach 0 durability, they break

• You may not use a broken Armament to gain any benefit
• You may not add durability to a broken Armament
• You may regrow the Armament by spending 1 hour, 1 Earth Charge, and 1 Water Charge to mend the item
  • The best time to do this is between Scenes, as your Charge will regenerate anyways
• Rosethorn Armaments will only grow in natural surroundings where plants blossom and ley lines are not tainted
  • You may regrow Armaments in Fae or Spirit realms, assuming the above is true
  • It is difficult to find a place in a Shade realm where you can regrow your Armaments

Additionally, at C3:

You learn how to grow wood as strong and hardened as steel. You gain an Armament sword (either dao, katana, or greatsword)

This Armament has the following weapon properties

• Damage C-1
• Weapon Cores:
  • Titanium-cutting
  • Numbing
  • Infinite Durability

These weapon properties are reprinted here for convenience.

• Numbing: On a successful Attack, inflict a Penalty die equal to 1/2 your Prowess to the target foe(s)
• Titanium-cutting: This weapon cuts through metal of its rating or lower with ease
• Infinite Durability : This weapon is immune to being broken

If this weapon is lost, it decays into mulch within 1 hour of its last contact with you.

You may create a new sword by spending 1 hour, 1 Earth Charge, and 1 Water Charge to grow a replacement. The same restrictions as the Armament apply.

Knight and Flower

As a Rosethorn, you may choose a single character to receive the blessing of your protective power.

• You must lay hands upon the character at dawn of the day to annoint your Flower
• Once chosen, the target remains your Flower until you perish, you choose another at dawn of another day, or they reject the Flower bond
  • This bonus must be given in whole; if the bond is rejected, all beneficial effects are lost immediately
  • You gain great insight into your Petal’s affairs; allies with something to hide are recommended to avoid accepting the Petal bond!

You gain the following abilities in relation to your Flower.

Meditation of the Step

• You are always considered Partnered Up with your Flower; this does not count against your Partner Up limit
• When you move into another zone with your Flower, your Flower does not need to spend Movement

Meditation of the Protector

• At any time, as long as your Flower is within the same Scene, you may spend 1 Charge of any element or 1 Nettle to grant your Flower protection against one effect
  • Apply your Rosethorn Armament’s Block Rating to your Flower for this effect
  • Subtract Durability for damage absorbed
  • This may reduce incoming damage to 0, identical to your usage of the Armaments

Meditation of Sacrifice

• While your Flower is within the same Scene as you, you may absorb damage meant for your Flower
  • No Action required
• Your Flower instead takes 0 damage.
• The damage transfers to you. However, your Armor and Armaments do not apply; treat the Attack as having infinite Pierce
  • Meditation of the Protector is a more advantageous protection; however, you may use Meditation of Sacrifice even when out of Charge and Nettles

Meditation of Distance

• You are aware of your Flower’s precise location regardless of location within Seln
  • You may in fact use them to navigate. If you left your Flower in Seln Alora, you can walk towards them to get home!
• If your Flower moves to another Realm, you are aware of which Realm and an approximate location of a gate (if any active) to that Realm
  • However, while in the other Realm, you do not know their precise location

Meditation of Vitality

• You are aware of your Flower’s vitals regardless of their location, including other Realms
  • You may simply look at their sheet to discern state

Additionally, at C3 gain:

Meditation of Truth

• You are automatically aware when your Flower lies. Treat this as automatic Success against the deception
  • You also gain a general idea of why your Flower lied, such as “embarrassment”, “concern for someone”, or “attempting to set up a trick”
• You automatically succeed against deceptions meant to impersonate your Flower, such as false identities and ki readings
  • Examples: A doppelganger or Fae agent pretending to be your friend; a certain princess pretending to be a commoner

Meditation of Memory

• You may spend a few minutes in physical contact with your Flower to transmit thoughts, impressions, and memories
• This is a meditative process not possible in the heat of combat
• At its completion, you may transfer 1 Essence from your sheet to your Flower
  • Non-cultivators are unable to make use of Essence. They may hold up to 10, same as cultivators, but cannot use it
• Maximum of C Essence transfer per Flower per year, resetting at Equilibrium

Additionally, at C4 gain:

Meditation of Recall

• You may spend your Move to teleport to your Flower, ignoring line of sight and obstacles, within the same Scene

Meditation of Beneficence

• While you and your flower are within the same Scene, any effect that heals you also heals your Flower for the same amount

Names of meaning

As a Rosethorn, you declare your relationship with your Flower by your nickname in use. These terms use High Floran. Inside Flora, the terms are well-known; outside, less commonly understood. Rosethorns that are feeling cheeky often refer to their overbearing high clan bosses as mon petit chéri, providing a hint for other Florans about said boss’ behavior.

Junior Flowers, such as children or students: Ma petite chérie (feminine) and mon petit chéri (masculine)

Partner Flowers, such as another Path warrior: Ma chére (feminine), mon cher (masculine)

Lovers: Mon amour (both)

Misbehaving Flowers: Petit. When you hear this, you know your Rosethorn is cross with you.

Meditations of the Knight

You are a practitioner of the manifold meditations of the Rosethorn. In addition to precepts of proper living and etiquette, you choose one special meditation at a time to focus and gain a matching power. These matching powers affect your Flower as well.

During your turn, you may change your Meditation by spending the matching elemental Charge listed. This does not require an Action.

Meditation of Caution

• You and your Flower add +1 to all defenses, including your Bane
• Casting cost: 1 Earth Charge

Meditation of Retaliation

• In reaction to an Attack against your Flower, you may make a melee counterattack at no additional cost
  • You must be in the same zone as the attacker and respect line of sight as usual
  • Foes with Reach ignore your counterattack as usual until you gain your C4 Nettles powers; at C4, you may ignore Reach
• Casting cost: 1 Earth Charge

Meditation of Leading By Example

• Boost your Flower’s Water
• Casting cost: 1 Water Charge

Meditation of Precision

• You and your Flower may sculpt your AOE effects
  • Choose up to C allies to exclude for each effect
• Casting cost: 1 Water Charge

Meditation of Contemplation

• You and your Flower both gain a Bonus Ki when Challenging against illusions, lies, and deceit in all its forms
  • For arguments over what counts as deceit, the storyteller has final arbitration
• Casting cost: 1 Air Charge

Additionally, at C3, gain the following meditations:

Meditation of Silence

• You and your Flower do not generate Alertness increase on the first C Challenges of each Scene
  • C Challenges total, between both of you
• Casting cost: 1 Air Charge

Meditation of Resilience

• You and your Flower both gain +1 Aura for this Scene
• Casting cost: 1 Earth Charge

Additionally, at C4, gain the following meditations:

Meditation of Gardens

• Activate: 1 Light Charge, 1 Earth Charge
• You transform your Flower into a pixie
  • While in pixie form, all effects that would target the Flower instead target you for good or ill
  • While in this form, your Flower may Challenge with no more than 2 Ki in any element; adds 1/2 their Attributes
• The transformation drops when:
  • You fall unconscious, die, or move to another Realm without your Flower
  • Your Flower moves more than 1 kilometer from you
  • At Dawn of the next day, unless you spend the resources again

Rosewood Will

You subconsciously resist Enchantments; your mind and spirit swiftly recover.

• When afflicted by an Enchantment, degrade its Severity by Cd6 at dawn of each day

Additionally, at C3:

• Your Flower gains a portion of this blessing
• Your Flower degrades one Enchantment by 1 at dawn of each day
• If you change your Flower at the same dawn, only the new target benefits

Additionally, at C4:

• You are immune to Enchantment. Treat all attempts to inflict Enchantments as Disasters.

The Auspice of the Thorn

Unlike the Crystal Swan, the Rosethorn do not have to be Floran. You retain your original lineage, though usually with a few Floran flairs.

Regardless of your original Lineage:

• You tend towards tall and strong build relative to your Lineage baselines
  • Add 6d10 cm to your full adult height from before your Path
  • The tallest Rosethorn on record was 245 cm tall!
• Slim vines or bark grows across your forearms; here rest the nettles of your Path power
• You do not have to grow a rose in your hair, though this is common
  • Roses in the hair are usually seen as a symbol of pregnancy in Floran women; for this Path, that symbol is interpreted more generally as a sign of motherly protection. After all, many Rosethorns consider their young Flowers as dear as children!

Bureaucratically, the Kingdom considers Rosethorns as an Auspice of Flora and thus under the command of the Rose Queens.

• You may choose to invoke that authority to override many mundane rules of the Kingdom such as right of way or trespassing laws
• You are not above the law; you must answer to the Rose Queens and/or Queen Astra for your behavior
• Flagrant abuse is likely to result in a summons to the Rose Court

Arts

Circle 2

Shield of the Forest

• Chakra (Water)
• Requires: None
• Effect:
  • The first time you Block each round using your Rose Armaments, you may ignore the Charge or Nettle cost

Stalwart stance

• Chakra (Earth)
• Requires: None
• Effect:
  • When foes attempt to enter or exit your zone, you may spend 1 Earth Charge or 1 Nettle to Blockade the zone against them
  • The foe must Challenge against your blockade as usual
  • You may do this against multiple foes, but each foe requires a new Charge or Nettle payment

Challenging Invocation

• Boon
• Requires: None
• Effect:
  • Spend your Action and 1 Nettle or 1 Earth Charge
  • All foes within Prowess meters take a Penalty Prowess when Challenging any target but you until the start of your next turn

Poison Nettles

• Chakra (Earth)
• Requires: None
• Effect:
  • While you have this Chakra equipped, you may not spend Nettles to add +1 Damage to an Attack
  • Instead, you may spend 1 Nettle on a successful Attack to inflict poison against the target element
  • Afflicted enemies take 1 Damage at the start of each turn to a maximum of C
  • Afflicted enemies automatically Challenge your Earth at the end of each turn to overcome the effect

Eye of the Rose Court

• Chakra (Water)
• Requires: None
• Cultivate: AirWater
• Effect:
  • Illusions in the same zone as you automatically degrade by 1d6 per turn
  • You do not have to be aware of the illusion for this effect; it is automatic
  • You may suppress this effect; you must be aware of the illusion to suppress the effect for that illusion
  • Dawnsingers and other allies that make heavy use of illusions should coordinate with you to avoid this effect ruining their work; you can be assumed to design signals as a team to inform each other

Circle 3

Shield of the Forest II

• Boon
• Requires: Shield of the Forest
• Effect: While you have Shield of the Forest synced:
  • You may now Block on behalf of any ally within your zone; you must pay any required Charge or Nettle cost as usual

Gravity of the Oak

• Boon
• Requires: Stalwart Stance
• Effect:
  • You may spend your Action, 1 Earth Charge and 1 Nettle to yank all nearby foes inwards towards your position
  • Challenge Earth against all foes in Adjacent zones
  • Disaster, Failure: No effect
  • Success, Flourish: The foes are immediately drawn into your zone

Command of the Protector

• Chakra (Water)
• Requires: Eye of the Rose Court
• Effect
  • Add a Bonus Ki to Water Challenges to issue commands to friends and allies or taunts to enemies
  • For example, “Take cover behind that rock!”, “get off that ledge!”, or “face me!”
  • This command is particularly hypnotizing for children, pixies, and the small Fae of Flora; treat the command as an automatic Success

Circle 4

Peace of the Bough

• Boon
• Requires: Command of the Protector
• Effect:
  • All noncombatants in the Scene gain Armor C against all effects while you are present, conscious, and they remain non-hostile

Ivy of Rejuvination

• Boon
• Requires: Shield of the Forest II
• Cultivate: LightWater
• Effect:
  • Spend 1 Earth, 1 Water Charge, and your Action
  • A stationary bloom of ivy rises from the ground, laden with C fruit
  • Anyone, friend or foe, who secures and eats one of these fruit regains 2d4 Aura
  • Characters may eat a fruit as a free action while within the same zone as the fruit
  • Additional fruit have no effect
  • After the first fruit, eating additional fruit requires an Action

Cultivation