Rose accepta la main des filles, se hissant sur le mur. Elle a donné à la fille un sourire denté, "Merci. Je ne pensais presque pas que tu allais aider." Rose a laissé sortir un léger chanfrein. Apparemment, presque mourir était amusant pour la sorcière. Rose a regardé vers le bas ceux qui sont encore en dessous, particulièrement Nail. Elle s'est ébranlée la tête, "Bad deal. Ces choses ne sont pas négociées à moins qu'ils n'obtiennent la meilleure fin de l'accord. La plupart des démons ont besoin de vous piéger pour voler votre âme, mais il semble que notre ami est impatient de la perdre. Rose s'est rendue compte qu'elle ne connaissait pas le nom de son sauveur, ni d'ailleurs quiconque avait vécu le tremblement de terre. "Je suis Rose, par le passé." Rose n'a pas étendu sa main pour être secouée, au lieu d'attraper de force la main des filles aux cheveux bleus et de la secouer.
Ce serait une interaction normale, quoique légèrement bizarre dans toute autre situation, mais ici, dans une prison s'écroulant étant attaqué par un ogre à ce qui semblait être la fin du monde, le calme de Rose aurait pu être un peu déconcertant pour certains. En fait, il semblait qu'elle ne se souciait pas de l'apocalypse qui se passait autour d'elle, ou du moins si elle ne s'inquiétait pas visiblement. Elle regarda le trot ogre vers eux. "Sauf si vous avez un plan pour faire tomber cette chose, je recommanderais que nous nous mettions au sol et que nous commencions à courir. Je voudrais... Eh bien, tu sais,'magique', mais, euh, il n'y a pas vraiment beaucoup de réactifs à portée de main. Peut-être avec un peu de craie et un petit sacrifice de sang... non, non, en fait ça deviendrait plutôt merdique, à la seconde pensée, on va juste courir."
Rose a commencé à scanner le mur, cherchant un chemin vers le bas. Elle a remarqué que l'extérieur de la prison était couvert de vignes et d'autres verdures. On dirait qu'elle a trouvé son chemin. -- Eh bien, ça ressemble certainement à notre meilleur pari. Elle a dit, gesticulant vers les vignes."La dernière baisse de la nourriture ogre?" Elle a dit avec un sourire ludique. "On ferait mieux d'y aller vite." Rose a attrapé une vigne épaisse, lui donnant un remorqueur exploratoire. C'était assez solide, j'espère. Elle l'a attrapée et a commencé à glisser son chemin vers le bas, en espérant que l'ogre ne courrait pas et ne l'envahissait pas.
An errant witch with a penchant for snark who's motives and history are uncertain.



Many tales hide in tomes of forgotten lore scattered throughout the land. One such tale is that of Rose Halwell, known to the people of a dreary village called Everfall as the 'trickster witch'. The old books tell many conflicting stories, although a few key details always remain the same. They all agree that Rose appears as a young, beautiful women, although some posit that she is a actually a withered hag that uses the souls of her victims to maintain her youth. They all agree that she lures weary travelers into her swamp hut, although to what ends no book will ever know. And they all agree that she was captured and taken to the Stone. But there is one more key detail that the books lie in agreement on: All roses have their thorns, particularly the Trickster Witch of Everfall.
William Humphrey's book "On Monsters and Mysteries" is one book that tells the tale of Rose. In Humphrey's tale he writes of a hag that takes the form of a young maiden, stalking the roads about Everfall posing as a young maid in peril and preying on lone men. She plays the part of the damsel, conjuring wicked abominations for travelling men to save her from. Of course they always succeed in slaying Rose's conjurations, at which point the liberated maiden implores them to escort her back to her swampland home, stringing them along with promise of... an enticing reward. Upon reaching her hut the witch invites them inside, entering into a darkened room. As the door swings shut behind them it locks, sealed by some form of magic, and the room illuminates to reveal the horrid interior of the witch's lair. Humphrey describes the interior in great detail, painting a picture of a slaughterhouse filled with human remnants, strange brews, demonic symbols, and much and more depraved sights. Finally, as the prey realizes they have fallen into a trap, the witch's skin melts to reveal her true form, a withered old women. She then presents them with a riddle. If one answers it correctly they leave with their life. However, if they do not the witch will kills them, using their remains and their soul itself to fuel her demonic magic, particularly that which gives her life eternal.
However Humphrey's version of the story is not the sole account of Rose. Indeed there are many more, all conflicting. One other story is that told in Henry Bisland's "The Lore of the Wispy Woods", an account of the legends of the city of Everfall and the darkened woods around it. Rose's is not the only legend of Everfall, its inhabitants will tell you that the forests around it hold all sorts of dark mysteries and twisted monsters. However, in Bisland's tale Rose doesn't take the form of a malevolent hag. Bisland's account claims that she was indeed the age which she appeared, and uses no sort of demonic magic to achieve longevity. Instead the young witch roams the woods, playing harmless pranks on the people of Everfall and seeking to help lost or injured travelers in need. Those she finds in need may be taken back to her hut to rest and recover, by Bisland's account a warm and pleasant nook. Bisland describes her as a healer and a generally pleasant person to all who cross her path, likening her to some sort of whimsical forest spirit.
Both tales although differing do have the same ending, only the details changing. They both say that one day Rose encountered a valiant knight on the road, a champion of his hometown and a mighty warrior with wile to match. The tale splits here, with Humphrey's Rose using her trap to lure the knight back to her hut. Upon being presented with the witch's riddle he quickly deduces the answer, leaving unmolested. However in Bisland's tale the knight encounters Rose and the young witch becomes enamored with him, inviting him to sup at her home. The knight came to stay in Everfall for a time, and the witch came to love him. The knight too loved Rose, and as time went on the two would soon wed. However, Rose concealed from the knight that she was a witch, knowing that he was a religious man and despised witchery. Inevitably the truth would be revealed, and the knight would flee in disgust of his lover's use of demonic pagan arts.
Both tales converge when the knight returns and imprisons Rose, taking her to the Stone. Both Roses curse the knight, causing him to live a life of misfortune for imprisoning her. One story is a tale of an heroic knight, the other a tragedy of a benevolent witch betrayed by the one she loved.
No one can truly say which story is correct, and the truth is likely somewhere between the many accounts of her life.