Lady Rose
Lady Elizabeth Rose Hunt
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Portrayed By: Mia Wasikowska
Status: Moved In!
Age: 17/15 (Real/Claimed)
Calling: Socialite Exchange Student
Pantheon: British
Divine Parent: Britannia
Significant Other(s): Nope!

Background

Born into the peerage of the Dukedom of Norfolk, Elizabeth Rose Hunt had the world at her feet from the very beginning. Her father's mother was – in her life – first cousin to Elizabeth II, the Queen. This meant that as soon as she could walk and speak well enough, the eldest Hunt child was moved among the highest in British society. Though she was named for the current monarch, it just would not do to have another Elizabeth in the same circles as Her Majesty, and so her family called her Rose for every day. Only when her full title is required is Rose's first name used. Though she had no mother – so tragic that she should die in childbirth, how rare a tragedy these days – Rose had a happy childhood. Everyone she spoke with told her how beautiful her mother was, how wonderful, how regal. It gave her a ghost to live up to, but it also made her glad. Her father – Duke of Norfolk and Earl Marshal to the House of Lords – adored his little girl. When she showed a love of adventure stories, he opened to her the house's library – reading to her every night before bed – and by doing so, opened Rose's heart.

Devouring the works of Tolkien, Lewis, Carrol and Grimm like they were her bread and water, little Rose soon developed quite the adventurous spirit. When she wasn't in lessons with her tutor, Rose would play Narnia in the wardrobe; when she wasn't at picnics and luncheons with her father, she would lose herself in the Wonderland nestled in her backyard; and when she wasn't being introduced to a string of women anxious to 'be her new mummy', she'd take her pony – named Merrylegs, of course – to “Mount Doom”, conveniently located on top of a hill in her estate's backyard. Life was good… until the winter before she turned seven.

That winter, the queen herself ratified a law that removed the right of hereditary peerage from a vast majority of the House of Lords. Thankfully, her own father's position was secure – for now – but he had fought hard against this bill and its passing changed him. It marked a change in humanity, he said. No longer did the people trust in the system that had done them well for hundreds of years. Without that, there was no way he could trust them, either. That Christmas he married the daughter of a diamond mine tycoon from South Africa and at Rose's birthday tea, it was announced that the new Lady Norfolk was pregnant. Six months later, she gave birth to a baby boy.

With what felt like her whole world going topsy-turvey, Rose started to pull away from her “family”. She spent more and more time shut up in her room or out on their vast estate. Her father grew concerned, but his new wife assured him that it was just a phase little girls went through and that Rose would come around in time. When it didn't seem to end, she was enrolled in a private school, to expose her to other children her age. Rose did well in school. She didn't have very many friends but had many acquaintances. Her study of fairytales had taught her to be kind to everyone – those who were well-liked and those who weren't – and this made her a rather popular figure, but she never seemed to get close to anyone. Some whispered behind her back that she was arrogant, that none of them were good enough for her. In reality, Rose found that there were no truly adventuresome spirits among her classmates and she found she couldn't really relate to someone without it. Then came the bombings…

The summer after she'd turned 12, Rose and her step-mother were supposed to go into London to do some shopping. At the last minute, Lady Norfolk fell ill and could not go. Determined to get out of the house anyway, Rose and her nanny – which she'd insisted upon keeping even after her father's marriage – went into London. Being of an adventurous nature and having never been on them before, Rose wanted very much to ride the tube from one of their destinations to the other. Seeing as it would be only a short trip – and wanting to keep that rare excitement in her charge's eyes – her nanny agreed. If only they had known that July 7 was to be one of a string of attacks across the world.

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As they rumbled along towards their destination, the lights in the train went out and the car started to rumble and shake on its tracks. By the time anyone knew what had happened, it was too late to stop. All Rose knew was a rush of fire and heat and darkness… and then a soft light and a cool, comforting embrace. When she opened her eyes, her first thought was immediately vocalized. “Mother!” she cried, throwing her arms around the woman's neck and breathing in an impossibly wonderful scent that she found she remembered. Pulling away from the startling display of emotion, she straightened her dress and looked up into a much-beloved face. “Am I dead, then?” The sheer pragmatism of the question made her mother laugh. “No, dear. You're not dead. I brought you here for safekeeping until those mongrels' evil work is finished. This was never meant to happen, but your step-mother has become far too human.” Seeing the confused expression on her daughter's face, she smiled and patted the seat next to her. It was only then that Rose noticed they were in an open pavillion on a high cliff overlooking the sea. Without hesitation, she sat.

”My name is Britannia. I am goddess and protector of these shores and you, my darling Elizabeth, are my daughter.” She fell silent a moment, letting that revelation sink in. When Rose nodded calmly, Britannia's eyes flashed with pride. “You are of the same ilk of royalty – and in an even closer sense than your half-brother. For hundreds of years my children sat the throne of England, using their power to safeguard its shores and create an Empire. Sadly, in this age, the blood of my Scions has thinned and the royal family holds very little of what power used to be theirs by right.” Rose nodded again. “Is that why the Lords are losing their peerage?” she asked quietly. Britannia smiled approvingly at her daughter's insight, then sighed, looking out to the sea. “It is, in part. The world is changing, Elizabeth. The mortals believe more in technology than they do in the divine. They no longer trust in anything they cannot ultimately control.”

Turning to Rose, Britannia brushed a curl from her face, smiling with the deep reserves of restrained love and affection that all British children have seen from their mothers at some time or other. “That is why I need your help. In your veins flows the divinity that once belonged to the Kings and Queens of England, but their time is diminishing along with their power and we have more enemies at our doorstep than ever before.” Standing, the beautiful woman went to a chest sitting on a nearby table, raising its lid and beckoning Rose to come closer.

“Like your heroes and heroines, Elizabeth, you must stand strong. Your adventure will be dangerous, but there is glory to be found in even the smallest acts of kindness. Still, I would not send you out alone.” Reaching up into the sky, she plucked something and held it tightly, squeezing it in her fist before showing it to Rose. "Here is Peter Pan's second star, it will guide you through the skies as it did he and his friends." There was a sting in the cartilage of her right ear as her mother fixed its place. Turning then to the chest, Britannia pushed open the lid and lifted a shining silver blade from within, holding it flat in her palms and offering it to Rose. Opals lined the sides of the sword, but the edges were sharp and when Rose took it, it fit her palm as nothing else had. “Your own Vorpal sword, to slay the Jabberwockies that will be strewn among your path.” Nodding, but unsure of what to say, Rose merely set the sword on the table in front of her and waited. Her mother reached into the chest again and pulled out the most beautiful ring Rose had ever seen. “Your Nenya, a true ring of power the likes of which this world needs to see again. Wield it as Galadriel, always in defense of your island Lorien.” Finally, she pulled a long silver chain from the chest. As she held it aloft, a silver roaring lion's head flashed in the sunlight. “This was last worn by your true namesake, Elizabeth the first. In those days, wild lions still roamed our forests, but I know it will serve you just as well, for I have one final gift for you.”

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So saying, Britannia closed the lid of the chest and walked to the edge of her pavillion, long hair blowing in the breeze that played in the gossamer curtains. Putting fingers to her lips, she let out a long whistle, carried over the sea by that same wind. In response, a roar was heard, a fearsome sound that made Rose's ears ring and her spirits soar. Loping across the grass towards them was a golden blur, a spirit that only took shape as it neared and slowed. Britannia laid her hand upon its head, and Rose could no longer contain her delight. “Aslan!” she cried, running forward and throwing her arms around his neck. Her mother laughed. “If that is how you see him, then that is how he shall be called.” The lion ran his rough tongue up the side of Rose's face and she knew she had never been happier. “He is diminished from his former glory as well, but as your legend grows, so will he. For now, mortals who are not ready to accept the divine will see him as your bodyguard, an amenity your station permits. Keep him always by your side, love him well and you will never want for a loyal friend. Remember only this, my dear; he is not a tame lion.” Rose couldn't hold back a giggle at the reference, but nodded very seriously.

Suddenly an arrow pierced the very chest from whence her gifts had come, and Britannia nodded. “It is time, dearest. The way has been cleared and you must go. There are books in your father's library that will teach you all the true lore of this land; use them and learn their contents well. Be kind to your stepmother. She was once my most trusted messenger.” Embracing her daughter tightly, she whispered words – old words – into the child's hair. To the onlookers crowded around the subway's entrance, it appeared that a bald, burly man in a torn and burnt suit carried the small, frail Lady Rose from the wreckage, but Rose had only the vague dream of riding on the back of a lion who carried her from the fire before she woke in her own bed.

She woke to find Aslan sitting guard in one corner of her room and her gifts in a chest hidden under her bed. The ring and necklace she immediately put on – at which point she discovered Aslan could really talk - but the sword presented a problem. Fencing was an art reserved for young boys unless one expressed true interest. And so she was resolved. The very next day she asked her father for fencing lessons at his local club. Surprised and pleased to have her address him for something directly, Lord Norfolk agreed readily. The question of her mysterious bodyguard was never brought up to her or in front of her, but Rose saw her stepmother look at him askance from time to time and assumed that she had settled the matter with her father already. Aslan went with her everywhere, but it never seemed intrusive. The school allowed it because word was leaked through several channels that the daughter of the Duke may have been the target of the July bombings.

A quick learner, Rose had progressed far in her lessons after only two years, but a rapier is different than a sword, even one as light and maneuverable as Rose's. She knew this, and began practicing her patterns with her own Vorpal blade at night where she had no prying eyes to watch her struggle. Or so she thought.

One night as she practiced, her stepmother wandered in. Sure that she would be punished, Rose fell still and waited for the axe to fall. Imagine her surprise then, when her stepmother pulled out – not a tongue-lashing as expected – but her own sword, similar in make (though not as fine) as Rose's own. From then on, three nights a week, Rose and her stepmother would work. During those times, they developed a steady friendship, though when day broke, Lady Norfolk was just as she always had been – cool to Rose and absolutely spoiling her own son, Thomas. This hurt Rose at first, but she adjusted, as she always did. And on her 15th birthday, something wonderful happened.

Her stepmother had insisted on planning the whole affair and so Rose had been dreading some society tea where all the old ladies of blood inspected her like a horse at a fair and made bids for her marriage to one of their sons or grandsons. Instead, she came into the garden to find that a stage had been set up and that all of her schoolmates had been invited to hear this up and coming punk rock band, called The Merry Men. The party had gone well and Rose had surprised herself by having quite a lot of fun, then came a break in the set; time to socialize and to give the band a bit of a rest. At the tables for food, Rose caught sight of the lead singer, Charlie X. His wild punk appearance put her in mind of one thing alone. Moving to stand just across from him, she smiled up into his face. “You must be my Mad Hatter, then.” He smiled back down at her and raised a pierced brow. “I very well may be, at that. Can I assume, then, that you are the Alice everyone's talking about?” And she was just about to respond when Aslan moved from his vantage point to stand just behind her. “You are aware that you have a lion just behind you, yes?”

”Oh yes, this is Aslan, my – wait, you can see him?” Rose's eyes lit up and she may have bounced in place a few times. “Then you really are my Mad Hatter.” And from that point on – despite the several years difference in age – Alice adopted Charlie into her adventures. With the exception of a harpie attack on her school – odd how that seems to be their favorite hunting ground – Rose had no experience in fighting real Titanspawn, but that changed very quickly. She learned that Charlie had been doing so for several years now, and learned very much from him. He was a scion of Robin Hood, she of Britannia; it was almost as if they were Fatebound.

They became fast friends and worked well together, learning each others strengths and filling in the gaps. He was the one who helped her design the leather scabbard for her sword so it would lie along Aslan's back – always within easy reach. Britain became a little bit safer for mortals, thanks to their efforts, but now, with word of the horrors and wonders of New Atlantis spreading across the globe, the two have decided to come to the city looking for answers. At seventeen, Rose has already passed both her GCSE's and A Levels, but her childlike appearance lends credence to her falsely documented claim of fifteen, and her money and connections got Charlie his claimed age of seventeen. Now as a “freshman” and a “junior”, they have mortal cover for their not-so-mortal plans.

Personality

Rose is sweet and kind, but she was born into the aristocracy… Sometimes that is inescapable. She has a thirst for adventure and a love of fairytales. She is innocent and wise by turns - sometimes it's a little unnerving. She appears young and has a joy and a zest for life that adds to her childlike appearance. She never seems to get close to anyone aside from Charlie and his boys and her bodyguard; nevertheless, she is an endearing soul and tends to leave a good impression wherever she goes.

Hard to believe this one fights Titanspawn, in'nit?

Relationships

Name Notes
Charlie X Rose's first truly close friend. He's the lead singer and guitarist for the band unMerry Men and a wonderfully mad addition to her life. The two have worked together so closely for so long that some of their thoughts and movements and even speech patterns have alligned with each other. They may not look like much, but whoa: watch out!
Aslan Rose's bodyguard-cum-companion. Mortals not ready to accept the divine see him as a rather terrifying bodyguard, but anyone with divine blood or a strong connection with the divine will see him as he truly is.
Charlie's Boys This rag-tag group of friends was adopted by Rose just as quickly as Charlie was. Touched by the divine - even in so small a way - they've become quite like a miniature family.

Events Thus Far

East Meets West charlie lin rose social
Investigating Scion High hopper rose social
Saks, 5th Avenue charlie josh rose social

Character Sheet

Attributes
Strength 1 Charisma 4 Perception 3
Dexterity 4 Manipulation 3 Intelligence 2
Stamina 2 Appearance 4 Wits 4
Abilities
Awareness 2 Command 2 Politics 3
Presence 3 Occult 2 Melee 3
Athletics 3 Animal Ken 2 Investigation 2
Art (Harp) 2 Art (Painting) 2 Control (Supercars) 2
Academics 2
Relics
Vorpal Blade (Moon) Nenya (Water, Magic) Pendant of the Pride (Animal: Lion)
Aslan (Level 3 Lion) Second Star (Sky)
Boons
Animal Communication Water Breathing Water Control
The Unlidded Eye Smoking Mirror Sky's Grace
Wind's Freedom
Knacks
Blessing of Importance BFF Fast Learner
Social Chameleon Perfect Pitch Refined Palate
Epic Attributes
Strength Charisma 2 Perception 3
Dexterity Manipulation Intelligence 1
Stamina Appearance Wits 1
Virtues
Conviction 3 Duty 2 Endurance 3
Valor 1
Pools
Legend 3 Legend Points 9/9
Wounds 0 0 0 Willpower 6/6
Health -0 -1 -1 -2 -2 -4 I D
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