Rosa Stellata
Jan 25, 2019 10:46:06 GMT -4
Post by sesh on Jan 25, 2019 10:46:06 GMT -4
Name: Rosa Stellata
Species: Gerudo
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Physical Appearance:
Named after the desert rose, the Gerudo named Rosa lives up to the title admirably. Her features are far softer than her Gerudo peers, and her skin fairer as well. She maintains a greater height than the average Hylian woman at 1.8m, and long, slender legs more suited to her race's proportions. Her hair has been dyed black, casting the most striking difference from the rest of the desert women. Vibrant emerald eyes resemble a standard amongst her sister people, however, and frequently reveal her true nature. Rosa appears to be incredibly youthful, even beyond her actual age, with skin seemingly untouched by the harsh sandstorms of her homeland.
Donning the robes of a Devoted of Hylia on most occasions, Rosa can be seen in clothes of white and gold. A dress she frequents covers her modestly from shoulder to toe, draping from her edges and curves to a golden rope sash around her wash, before summiting her hips and cascading down to her ankles. Holy symbols decorate various spots upon the dress, signifying her status among the devout. A rose gold tiara is usually accompanied with such robes, spreading elegantly across her forehead and embedded with brilliant opals that each contain dancing rainbows in the sunlight. White silk slippers sprinkled with golden runes adorn her feet, though these go largely unseen beneath the long robes.
When outside of her religious duties, the clothes Rosa wears take a large tonal shift. A slim black dress that hugs her youthful physique only reached mid thigh, and her tall, olive-toned legs make up nearly half of her image. Golden decor, crafted by a Gerudo seamstress, show exaggerated designs on her shoulders, back, and waist of faux dragon scales and thorny stems. Black stilettos add another thumb of height and emphasize her feminine posture. A lace of woven gold and emeralds rests vibrantly on her head, its Gerudo origins revealing her desert upbringing by any fooled by her dyed hair and light skin. Similar jewelry is draped around her wrists and neck, exemplifying a woman of impressive status.
Background:
The heat of the desert has always been notorious, but few realize it's the bone-chilling nights that claim the most lives. Little compares to the quiet of those nights, the lifelessness of its gentle breezes. Company becomes that much more valuable within the solidarity of the sands, and few understand this more than the Gerudo. The desert women know the harshness of arid climate more than others, and the lonesome life that comes with it is deeply ingrained in their culture. For men are born among them but once in a hundred years, and most seek companionship above all else. Many seek the claim a voe to share in their lives with, bearing children in hopes the next male might be born. Though some find little appeal in this path, their motivations free to pursue unusual things.
Rosa had been unusual for a Gerudo. Their strong, angular structure hadn't been passed onto her, and many of the mightier desert women had viewed the young girl as a weakling. She struggled more than most in her childhood bearing the harshness of the desert, as her fair skin burned easily and lacking muscle making the cold nights freeze deeper. At first, in her young adolescence, she had despised her sister people for their condescension. But womanhood began to blossom and that contempt turned to admiration. She began to idolize the strength of the Gerudo warriors, and the talent of their seamstresses, and the guile of their merchants. As others her age began to discuss journeying out to find a voe of their own, her mind was filled with the many new beauties that had then surrounded her. The attraction she felt towards other, however, was only met with rejection and disgust. She learned to hide her feelings, and feign interest in the foreign sex. Those days were dark and Rosa's life, though fortunately they didn't last long.
One fateful day, a scholar of sorts visited Gerudo Town on unknown business. An interesting figure, pale of skin and white of hair. She was a Sheikah, Rosa had learned upon asking a nearby elder. It was almost immediately that infatuation had welled up inside the youth. Having bottled up her true feelings for far too long, she approached and made introductions. The Sheikah woman seemed incredibly open, and the two spoke long and profoundly for minutes, then hours, and then multiple times over the coming days. Rosa learned the woman's name to be Nozomi, and her interests fell upon ancient technology long forgotten by the current denizens of the realm. She had come to the desert searching for an artifact of particular legend, and was planning an expedition to nearby ruins. Rosa, without a second thought, offered her assistance. She knew the land, and recognized the description of their destination. Nozomi agreed, happy to find a local guide for free.
The two set off on their excavation with Rosa leading the way. They found themselves reaching the ruins with little issue, yet traps and hazards within sprung several unwanted surprises. Still, Rosa and Nozomi found that they had a natural chemistry for these sorts of things and reached the inner chambers without lasting harm. A statue standing half a meter stood on a pedestal in the center of the ruins, a red faint etched faintly on its facade. Nozomi exclaimed that the statue was the artifact in question, and with that the expedition was done. Both women returned to Gerudo Town once more, and Nozomi admitted she had to make a hasty departure. Feeling the fingers of despair pulling her back into the gloom, Rosa made a desperate gambit. She offered herself up to Nozomi as a servant, hoping the Sheikah might have further use of her. Nozomi puzzled over the prospect but for a moment, gazing into the eyes of the statue as if looking for an answer. "I might need a test subject..." she muttered, and then turned to Rosa with a grin. "Very well, you'll do just fine!"
The memories of this part are hazy for Rosa, and soon it will be obvious why. She found herself in some sort of underground lab, with various objects resembling similar make to the ruins' statue. A stone slab stood nearly upright in the center, and Rosa's limbs were being restrained by metal cuffs. "For your protection," Nozomi said, checking the binds for security. "I promise." Rosa was afraid, but no others ever had such confidence from her. Some sort of mechanism was prepared by the scientist, and the statue was placed within its bowels. A deep, red light began to glow from the eye on the statue's face.
"I love you," Rosa said suddenly aloud, unsure what spurred such an outburst. Her face began turning red from shame, though Nozomi was soon by her side. The Sheikah had a smile of such warmth that Rosa's concerns melted away in an instant.
"Thank you," Nozomi responded, her lips suddenly pressed against Rosa's cheek. "Our work here will change the world. You and me, we shall be pioneers." The Sheikah lowered the slab parallel to the ground, and shifted the mechanism towards her test subject. The last thing Rosa saw was a flash of red, and that glowing eye gazing deep into her mind.
She awoke with flames and smoke dancing all around. Rosa couldn't tell if she was still in the lab, but soon three black silhouettes approached and grabbed her beneath the arms. She felt herself dipping in and out of consciousness as they dragged her from the wreckage, and soon everything went black. Rosa awoke once more in a dark cabin, and soon the three figures were seen clearly. One was a Hylian man, bald as a newborn but a red beard warming his cheeks. The next was a Hylian woman, with sandy hair pulled tight into a bun. Those two had seemed intimately familiar. The last was a Sheikah, telling by the white hair and red eyes, though Rosa could identify little else about the figure with a mask covering most else on their face. All three donned the same uniform, and the familiar symbol of the Royal Family was seen on each.
"She's awake," the woman said, forcing all three to turn their gaze on Rosa. The Gerudo found herself in the corner of the room, curled up in blankets on the floor. She was shaking uncontrollably. "Poor thing's scared. Can't blame her, after having to deal with that lunatic."
"Won't have to deal with 'er anymore," the man replied, an obnoxious glee soaking his voice. "That damned heretic won't be torturing innocent little girls anymore. Ey Set, you made sure she was dead, didn't ya?" The Sheikah didn't speak, but nodded almost unnoticeably. The man let out a gruff laugh, and then turned to Rosa on the ground. "No thanks needed, my dear. Just part of our duties. Carolin. take Set and grab some more ale. Have 'em put it on my tab!" The woman groaned and lead the Sheikah out of the room with her. The obnoxious man turned away from Rosa, and began to polish a blood-stained claymore.
Rosa couldn't process. What she had thought to be saviors were her darling's killers. Her trembling became more furious, her heartbeat rising exponentially, and her breath rapid. Suddenly, a tingling sensation lit up her entire body, which transformed into a foreign sensation altogether. Her shaking stopped in an instant, and Rosa found herself on her feet approaching the remaining knight. The man continued polishing his weapon for another moment, though stopped upon hearing footsteps. He turned to Rosa, and a look of total bewilderment took hold upon his face.
"Carolin?!" the man inquired, standing suddenly from his seat. The Gerudo was perplexed, and turned her gaze downwards. She found her view closer to the floor, and the body beneath her belonging to someone else entirely. The same knight's uniform was now on her, and she reached instinctively to her scalp. Her hair was now tied up into a tight bun, which she pulled loose revealing tumbling blonde hair in her peripheral. Though becoming overwhelmed with shock for a moment, soon the rage she felt against the knights offered her up an idea. She looked to the table beside them, eyeing a dagger flickering under torch light. She reached for it slowly, and looked to the man with a warm smile. "Wha-... where's my drinks, gal? Where's Set? What're... gimme back my knife, lass."
"Certainly," 'Carolin' replied, as Rosa turned the man's rib cage into a dagger's sheath. She stared deeply into his eyes as confusion was substituted for horror. "Goddess above..." escaped his lips with his final breath. As the knight's blood coated her forearm, her body was morphing once more. Muscle and hair developed in abundance, her vision gained half a foot in height, and the blonde hair vanished entirely. She stepped away from the knight as his body hit the floor, feeling the bare skin of her scalp. An itchy warmth began to take hold of her cheeks, and in seconds her face was covered with a scraggly, black beard. Rosa finally realized what was happening, and her mind thought back to Nozomi's experiment. Thinking of her Sheikah lover, however, only managed to reignite her rage.
The female knight returned after several minutes, several tankards stacked in her arms. "Little help, Machias?" Carolin requested, waiting a couple seconds in response. The knight looked into the room and saw her large comrade sitting at the table, polishing his claymore as always. "Mack, put down that damned blade and give me a hand, would ya?" The man didn't respond. Carolin grunted, staggering to the table and slamming down the drinks with much spillage. She stomped around the table to confront her friend, but froze in place upon witnessing Machias's doppelganger lying cold on the stone floor. The living Machias rose, large greatsword in hand, and turned to face the frightened woman. Carolin took in the other knight's stare, and realized his hazel eyes had been replaced by radiant, emerald ones. "You're not-" 'Machias' rose the claymore and drove it into Carolin's gut, piercing her against the wall behind her. "Dear Goddess-" the female knight called out before being greeted by death.
Rosa stepped away from her handiwork, her attention turning to the doorway when another approached. The Sheikah known as Set looked upon the bloodbath, though there was little change in their stoic eyes. Rosa felt herself trying to assume the remaining knight's shape, though couldn't seem to make the change. She didn't know their face, and it was impossible to adopt an identity for such an enigmatic figure. Set shifted their feet quicker than Rosa could react, and suddenly they were out of the cabin and rushing into the night air. The Gerudo followed quickly.
The streets of an unknown city were the only peers on the other side of the door. It didn't take long for her to discover she was in the depths of Hyrule Castle Town. She spent each remaining hour of that night hunting down signs of the final knight, but soon sunrise would reveal her bloodied state to the denizens of the city. She abandoned looking for the Sheikah, and desperately turned for any asylum from any that might seek to confront her. A modest church was the closest building, and was suitable for her needs. Rosa ducked away into the chapel just as light peeked above the horizon.
An aging priest greeted softly from the pitiful altar in the center of the cozy chamber. Although her first reaction was to flee, Rosa found the father waving away her worries. "You are safe here, child," the old man said. "Your pursuers will not find you here. Are you hungry?" What was just a generous breakfast soon became lunch, which became dinner, which became an offer of shelter in the form of a storage room cot. Unsure of what she would do next, Rosa accepted. She volunteered herself for chores around the church to repay the free room, and after much insistence managed to convince the priest to accept.
The coming weeks passed faster than Rosa had realized. She had feigned faith to the priest and convinced him to take her on as a novice Devoted of Hylia. In the day, she wore the mask of the innocent nun. At night, her mind raced over Nozomi's death, her lover's murderers, and their devotion to the very faith that was sheltering her from possible investigation for killing the two royal knights. She found herself growing spiteful of the Goddess and her followers. It was just an excuse, in Rosa's mind, for evil people to excuse their sins. Each time she sung Hylia's praise, images of Nozomi's face melting in the lab's fire flashed before her eyes. Every instance of false piety only drew her further and further from Hylia's light.
Nearly a year passed, and Rosa's beliefs continued to twist. There was another that began to draw her favor: a solution to the scourge of Hylian faith. A being of darkness by the name of Ganon came up again and again in the religious texts. A creature destined to combat the champions of Hylia's blessing... such a deity seemed far more deserving of the Gerudo's faith. Her nights began to turn from the past and into the future, devising schemes to bring about Ganon's revival. With her practice in playing her act as a devoted sister of the church, and her mysterious talent as changing her physical being, Rosa realized she might have the tools to bring about her goals.
She decided she would see how far her role might take her, and asked the church's father what she might do to further help the people of Hyrule. The priest thanked her for all the help she provided, and noted the Crown's need of a new minister from the Devoted. Rosa accepted, and within a week she found herself moving up the ladder's rungs. She would rise from the ashes of Nozomi's downfall, and claim Hylia's head as recompense.
Relevance:
As a minister to the Royal Family, Rosa exists as a connection between the Crown and the Devoted of Hylia; her true aspirations lie in discovering the means to resurrect the dark god, Ganon, however.
Skill Set:
Alter Form As the side effect of an exposure to ancient Sheikah technology, Rosa finds herself with the ability to replicate the appearance of others. She gains simple benefits and detriments befitting the person copied. For example, a large, brutish fighter would grant her increased strength but hindered speed, or a sprightly youth would offer impressive agility but little might. Her voice also shifts to that of the replicated, if she had heard them speak at least once before. She is unable to replicate talents beyond rudimentary levels, and magical spells are not copied at all. Weaponry and other utility equipment is not produced, either. Rosa also cannot copy the appearance of people she has not seen before, nor of beings twice her mass or greater. The doppelganger form is simply a shallow recreation, adopting the physical form and most recent clothing of the target. The copy is visually indistinguishable otherwise, however.
Facade Thousands of hours pretending to be another person, aided by the effects of her shape-shifting nature, has granted the Gerudo a mastery of falsities. She is incredibly convincing when adopting another role beyond her own, and she finds herself gifted boons as a reward for this deception. Youthful charm and exotic beauty also amplify this talent. The skill of adopting another persona also plays well into her shifting ability, allowing her to fool others into truly believing Rosa is the person whose identity she's assumed (considerably so when said person is not present).
Holy Acolyte Having poured a great deal of blood, sweat, and tears into her work for the church, Rosa comprehends and utilizes the basics of Devoted knowledge. She has a novice's grasp on holy magic, with the capability of healing light wounds for her allies, illuminate a dark room, and perform exorcisms on demons. She is also quite learned in the texts of Hylia's religion, and that of Hyrule's long history, too. The young minister is also privy to the benefits that come to a person in her station: access to most but the private/secured chambers of Hyrule Castle, status as an emissary of both church and crown across the realm, and immediate assistance from the Royal Guard and Hyrule Town Guard in times of crisis (as well as other factions devoted to Hylia).
Weathered Will Having spent several decades living in the harsh climate of the Gerudo Desert, Rosa is able to withstand much abuse from her surroundings. She is resilient to heat and cold from all sources to an impressive degree, and can handle extreme temperatures with little need to prepare or dress accordingly. As an additional bonus, she is largely unaffected by the effects of sandstorms.
Weaknesses:
False Fighter See Alter Form skill for related weaknesses to the ability.
Novice Combatant In her true form, Rosa is not experienced in battle. She had a handful of run ins with amateur bandits and small monsters around Gerudo Town growing up. Beyond that, the other others she fought were the two knights murdered after learning her shape-shifting talent. Even then, they were bested when blindsided under trances of shock. Beyond that, Rosa can only keep up in combat when assuming the form of another who has combat prowess. Even then, she is forced to find an unused weapon as she cannot copy one.
Blackened Soul Rosa is deeply scarred from the trauma of her past, and her soul is tainted by a festering taint of hatred. This has the side effect of limiting her capacity for holy magic, stunting her progress into more advanced spells. She is also vulnerable to the same type of magic that repels evil and darkness if any such thing is turned upon her, as her true nature cannot be hidden by pure light. Socially, Rosa's relationships typically only develop to skin-depth, and trust is virtually impossible to establish. This can have a detrimental effect on her long-term attempts to fool others, as she pushes people away when they start getting close; however, she often attributes this to trauma in her past (though this is kept vague, in her description).
Species: Gerudo
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Physical Appearance:
Named after the desert rose, the Gerudo named Rosa lives up to the title admirably. Her features are far softer than her Gerudo peers, and her skin fairer as well. She maintains a greater height than the average Hylian woman at 1.8m, and long, slender legs more suited to her race's proportions. Her hair has been dyed black, casting the most striking difference from the rest of the desert women. Vibrant emerald eyes resemble a standard amongst her sister people, however, and frequently reveal her true nature. Rosa appears to be incredibly youthful, even beyond her actual age, with skin seemingly untouched by the harsh sandstorms of her homeland.
Donning the robes of a Devoted of Hylia on most occasions, Rosa can be seen in clothes of white and gold. A dress she frequents covers her modestly from shoulder to toe, draping from her edges and curves to a golden rope sash around her wash, before summiting her hips and cascading down to her ankles. Holy symbols decorate various spots upon the dress, signifying her status among the devout. A rose gold tiara is usually accompanied with such robes, spreading elegantly across her forehead and embedded with brilliant opals that each contain dancing rainbows in the sunlight. White silk slippers sprinkled with golden runes adorn her feet, though these go largely unseen beneath the long robes.
When outside of her religious duties, the clothes Rosa wears take a large tonal shift. A slim black dress that hugs her youthful physique only reached mid thigh, and her tall, olive-toned legs make up nearly half of her image. Golden decor, crafted by a Gerudo seamstress, show exaggerated designs on her shoulders, back, and waist of faux dragon scales and thorny stems. Black stilettos add another thumb of height and emphasize her feminine posture. A lace of woven gold and emeralds rests vibrantly on her head, its Gerudo origins revealing her desert upbringing by any fooled by her dyed hair and light skin. Similar jewelry is draped around her wrists and neck, exemplifying a woman of impressive status.
Background:
The heat of the desert has always been notorious, but few realize it's the bone-chilling nights that claim the most lives. Little compares to the quiet of those nights, the lifelessness of its gentle breezes. Company becomes that much more valuable within the solidarity of the sands, and few understand this more than the Gerudo. The desert women know the harshness of arid climate more than others, and the lonesome life that comes with it is deeply ingrained in their culture. For men are born among them but once in a hundred years, and most seek companionship above all else. Many seek the claim a voe to share in their lives with, bearing children in hopes the next male might be born. Though some find little appeal in this path, their motivations free to pursue unusual things.
Rosa had been unusual for a Gerudo. Their strong, angular structure hadn't been passed onto her, and many of the mightier desert women had viewed the young girl as a weakling. She struggled more than most in her childhood bearing the harshness of the desert, as her fair skin burned easily and lacking muscle making the cold nights freeze deeper. At first, in her young adolescence, she had despised her sister people for their condescension. But womanhood began to blossom and that contempt turned to admiration. She began to idolize the strength of the Gerudo warriors, and the talent of their seamstresses, and the guile of their merchants. As others her age began to discuss journeying out to find a voe of their own, her mind was filled with the many new beauties that had then surrounded her. The attraction she felt towards other, however, was only met with rejection and disgust. She learned to hide her feelings, and feign interest in the foreign sex. Those days were dark and Rosa's life, though fortunately they didn't last long.
One fateful day, a scholar of sorts visited Gerudo Town on unknown business. An interesting figure, pale of skin and white of hair. She was a Sheikah, Rosa had learned upon asking a nearby elder. It was almost immediately that infatuation had welled up inside the youth. Having bottled up her true feelings for far too long, she approached and made introductions. The Sheikah woman seemed incredibly open, and the two spoke long and profoundly for minutes, then hours, and then multiple times over the coming days. Rosa learned the woman's name to be Nozomi, and her interests fell upon ancient technology long forgotten by the current denizens of the realm. She had come to the desert searching for an artifact of particular legend, and was planning an expedition to nearby ruins. Rosa, without a second thought, offered her assistance. She knew the land, and recognized the description of their destination. Nozomi agreed, happy to find a local guide for free.
The two set off on their excavation with Rosa leading the way. They found themselves reaching the ruins with little issue, yet traps and hazards within sprung several unwanted surprises. Still, Rosa and Nozomi found that they had a natural chemistry for these sorts of things and reached the inner chambers without lasting harm. A statue standing half a meter stood on a pedestal in the center of the ruins, a red faint etched faintly on its facade. Nozomi exclaimed that the statue was the artifact in question, and with that the expedition was done. Both women returned to Gerudo Town once more, and Nozomi admitted she had to make a hasty departure. Feeling the fingers of despair pulling her back into the gloom, Rosa made a desperate gambit. She offered herself up to Nozomi as a servant, hoping the Sheikah might have further use of her. Nozomi puzzled over the prospect but for a moment, gazing into the eyes of the statue as if looking for an answer. "I might need a test subject..." she muttered, and then turned to Rosa with a grin. "Very well, you'll do just fine!"
The memories of this part are hazy for Rosa, and soon it will be obvious why. She found herself in some sort of underground lab, with various objects resembling similar make to the ruins' statue. A stone slab stood nearly upright in the center, and Rosa's limbs were being restrained by metal cuffs. "For your protection," Nozomi said, checking the binds for security. "I promise." Rosa was afraid, but no others ever had such confidence from her. Some sort of mechanism was prepared by the scientist, and the statue was placed within its bowels. A deep, red light began to glow from the eye on the statue's face.
"I love you," Rosa said suddenly aloud, unsure what spurred such an outburst. Her face began turning red from shame, though Nozomi was soon by her side. The Sheikah had a smile of such warmth that Rosa's concerns melted away in an instant.
"Thank you," Nozomi responded, her lips suddenly pressed against Rosa's cheek. "Our work here will change the world. You and me, we shall be pioneers." The Sheikah lowered the slab parallel to the ground, and shifted the mechanism towards her test subject. The last thing Rosa saw was a flash of red, and that glowing eye gazing deep into her mind.
She awoke with flames and smoke dancing all around. Rosa couldn't tell if she was still in the lab, but soon three black silhouettes approached and grabbed her beneath the arms. She felt herself dipping in and out of consciousness as they dragged her from the wreckage, and soon everything went black. Rosa awoke once more in a dark cabin, and soon the three figures were seen clearly. One was a Hylian man, bald as a newborn but a red beard warming his cheeks. The next was a Hylian woman, with sandy hair pulled tight into a bun. Those two had seemed intimately familiar. The last was a Sheikah, telling by the white hair and red eyes, though Rosa could identify little else about the figure with a mask covering most else on their face. All three donned the same uniform, and the familiar symbol of the Royal Family was seen on each.
"She's awake," the woman said, forcing all three to turn their gaze on Rosa. The Gerudo found herself in the corner of the room, curled up in blankets on the floor. She was shaking uncontrollably. "Poor thing's scared. Can't blame her, after having to deal with that lunatic."
"Won't have to deal with 'er anymore," the man replied, an obnoxious glee soaking his voice. "That damned heretic won't be torturing innocent little girls anymore. Ey Set, you made sure she was dead, didn't ya?" The Sheikah didn't speak, but nodded almost unnoticeably. The man let out a gruff laugh, and then turned to Rosa on the ground. "No thanks needed, my dear. Just part of our duties. Carolin. take Set and grab some more ale. Have 'em put it on my tab!" The woman groaned and lead the Sheikah out of the room with her. The obnoxious man turned away from Rosa, and began to polish a blood-stained claymore.
Rosa couldn't process. What she had thought to be saviors were her darling's killers. Her trembling became more furious, her heartbeat rising exponentially, and her breath rapid. Suddenly, a tingling sensation lit up her entire body, which transformed into a foreign sensation altogether. Her shaking stopped in an instant, and Rosa found herself on her feet approaching the remaining knight. The man continued polishing his weapon for another moment, though stopped upon hearing footsteps. He turned to Rosa, and a look of total bewilderment took hold upon his face.
"Carolin?!" the man inquired, standing suddenly from his seat. The Gerudo was perplexed, and turned her gaze downwards. She found her view closer to the floor, and the body beneath her belonging to someone else entirely. The same knight's uniform was now on her, and she reached instinctively to her scalp. Her hair was now tied up into a tight bun, which she pulled loose revealing tumbling blonde hair in her peripheral. Though becoming overwhelmed with shock for a moment, soon the rage she felt against the knights offered her up an idea. She looked to the table beside them, eyeing a dagger flickering under torch light. She reached for it slowly, and looked to the man with a warm smile. "Wha-... where's my drinks, gal? Where's Set? What're... gimme back my knife, lass."
"Certainly," 'Carolin' replied, as Rosa turned the man's rib cage into a dagger's sheath. She stared deeply into his eyes as confusion was substituted for horror. "Goddess above..." escaped his lips with his final breath. As the knight's blood coated her forearm, her body was morphing once more. Muscle and hair developed in abundance, her vision gained half a foot in height, and the blonde hair vanished entirely. She stepped away from the knight as his body hit the floor, feeling the bare skin of her scalp. An itchy warmth began to take hold of her cheeks, and in seconds her face was covered with a scraggly, black beard. Rosa finally realized what was happening, and her mind thought back to Nozomi's experiment. Thinking of her Sheikah lover, however, only managed to reignite her rage.
The female knight returned after several minutes, several tankards stacked in her arms. "Little help, Machias?" Carolin requested, waiting a couple seconds in response. The knight looked into the room and saw her large comrade sitting at the table, polishing his claymore as always. "Mack, put down that damned blade and give me a hand, would ya?" The man didn't respond. Carolin grunted, staggering to the table and slamming down the drinks with much spillage. She stomped around the table to confront her friend, but froze in place upon witnessing Machias's doppelganger lying cold on the stone floor. The living Machias rose, large greatsword in hand, and turned to face the frightened woman. Carolin took in the other knight's stare, and realized his hazel eyes had been replaced by radiant, emerald ones. "You're not-" 'Machias' rose the claymore and drove it into Carolin's gut, piercing her against the wall behind her. "Dear Goddess-" the female knight called out before being greeted by death.
Rosa stepped away from her handiwork, her attention turning to the doorway when another approached. The Sheikah known as Set looked upon the bloodbath, though there was little change in their stoic eyes. Rosa felt herself trying to assume the remaining knight's shape, though couldn't seem to make the change. She didn't know their face, and it was impossible to adopt an identity for such an enigmatic figure. Set shifted their feet quicker than Rosa could react, and suddenly they were out of the cabin and rushing into the night air. The Gerudo followed quickly.
The streets of an unknown city were the only peers on the other side of the door. It didn't take long for her to discover she was in the depths of Hyrule Castle Town. She spent each remaining hour of that night hunting down signs of the final knight, but soon sunrise would reveal her bloodied state to the denizens of the city. She abandoned looking for the Sheikah, and desperately turned for any asylum from any that might seek to confront her. A modest church was the closest building, and was suitable for her needs. Rosa ducked away into the chapel just as light peeked above the horizon.
An aging priest greeted softly from the pitiful altar in the center of the cozy chamber. Although her first reaction was to flee, Rosa found the father waving away her worries. "You are safe here, child," the old man said. "Your pursuers will not find you here. Are you hungry?" What was just a generous breakfast soon became lunch, which became dinner, which became an offer of shelter in the form of a storage room cot. Unsure of what she would do next, Rosa accepted. She volunteered herself for chores around the church to repay the free room, and after much insistence managed to convince the priest to accept.
The coming weeks passed faster than Rosa had realized. She had feigned faith to the priest and convinced him to take her on as a novice Devoted of Hylia. In the day, she wore the mask of the innocent nun. At night, her mind raced over Nozomi's death, her lover's murderers, and their devotion to the very faith that was sheltering her from possible investigation for killing the two royal knights. She found herself growing spiteful of the Goddess and her followers. It was just an excuse, in Rosa's mind, for evil people to excuse their sins. Each time she sung Hylia's praise, images of Nozomi's face melting in the lab's fire flashed before her eyes. Every instance of false piety only drew her further and further from Hylia's light.
Nearly a year passed, and Rosa's beliefs continued to twist. There was another that began to draw her favor: a solution to the scourge of Hylian faith. A being of darkness by the name of Ganon came up again and again in the religious texts. A creature destined to combat the champions of Hylia's blessing... such a deity seemed far more deserving of the Gerudo's faith. Her nights began to turn from the past and into the future, devising schemes to bring about Ganon's revival. With her practice in playing her act as a devoted sister of the church, and her mysterious talent as changing her physical being, Rosa realized she might have the tools to bring about her goals.
She decided she would see how far her role might take her, and asked the church's father what she might do to further help the people of Hyrule. The priest thanked her for all the help she provided, and noted the Crown's need of a new minister from the Devoted. Rosa accepted, and within a week she found herself moving up the ladder's rungs. She would rise from the ashes of Nozomi's downfall, and claim Hylia's head as recompense.
Relevance:
As a minister to the Royal Family, Rosa exists as a connection between the Crown and the Devoted of Hylia; her true aspirations lie in discovering the means to resurrect the dark god, Ganon, however.
Skill Set:
Alter Form As the side effect of an exposure to ancient Sheikah technology, Rosa finds herself with the ability to replicate the appearance of others. She gains simple benefits and detriments befitting the person copied. For example, a large, brutish fighter would grant her increased strength but hindered speed, or a sprightly youth would offer impressive agility but little might. Her voice also shifts to that of the replicated, if she had heard them speak at least once before. She is unable to replicate talents beyond rudimentary levels, and magical spells are not copied at all. Weaponry and other utility equipment is not produced, either. Rosa also cannot copy the appearance of people she has not seen before, nor of beings twice her mass or greater. The doppelganger form is simply a shallow recreation, adopting the physical form and most recent clothing of the target. The copy is visually indistinguishable otherwise, however.
Facade Thousands of hours pretending to be another person, aided by the effects of her shape-shifting nature, has granted the Gerudo a mastery of falsities. She is incredibly convincing when adopting another role beyond her own, and she finds herself gifted boons as a reward for this deception. Youthful charm and exotic beauty also amplify this talent. The skill of adopting another persona also plays well into her shifting ability, allowing her to fool others into truly believing Rosa is the person whose identity she's assumed (considerably so when said person is not present).
Holy Acolyte Having poured a great deal of blood, sweat, and tears into her work for the church, Rosa comprehends and utilizes the basics of Devoted knowledge. She has a novice's grasp on holy magic, with the capability of healing light wounds for her allies, illuminate a dark room, and perform exorcisms on demons. She is also quite learned in the texts of Hylia's religion, and that of Hyrule's long history, too. The young minister is also privy to the benefits that come to a person in her station: access to most but the private/secured chambers of Hyrule Castle, status as an emissary of both church and crown across the realm, and immediate assistance from the Royal Guard and Hyrule Town Guard in times of crisis (as well as other factions devoted to Hylia).
Weathered Will Having spent several decades living in the harsh climate of the Gerudo Desert, Rosa is able to withstand much abuse from her surroundings. She is resilient to heat and cold from all sources to an impressive degree, and can handle extreme temperatures with little need to prepare or dress accordingly. As an additional bonus, she is largely unaffected by the effects of sandstorms.
Weaknesses:
False Fighter See Alter Form skill for related weaknesses to the ability.
Novice Combatant In her true form, Rosa is not experienced in battle. She had a handful of run ins with amateur bandits and small monsters around Gerudo Town growing up. Beyond that, the other others she fought were the two knights murdered after learning her shape-shifting talent. Even then, they were bested when blindsided under trances of shock. Beyond that, Rosa can only keep up in combat when assuming the form of another who has combat prowess. Even then, she is forced to find an unused weapon as she cannot copy one.
Blackened Soul Rosa is deeply scarred from the trauma of her past, and her soul is tainted by a festering taint of hatred. This has the side effect of limiting her capacity for holy magic, stunting her progress into more advanced spells. She is also vulnerable to the same type of magic that repels evil and darkness if any such thing is turned upon her, as her true nature cannot be hidden by pure light. Socially, Rosa's relationships typically only develop to skin-depth, and trust is virtually impossible to establish. This can have a detrimental effect on her long-term attempts to fool others, as she pushes people away when they start getting close; however, she often attributes this to trauma in her past (though this is kept vague, in her description).
