To most the Shadowfell is simply the first fearful step on the journey we all take to the realm of the dead, where our acts in life will be balanced and judged.
There are a few who understand that the shadowy realm of the Raven Queen is also the thin line between the denizens of the lower reaches and their dominion over the material plane.
And there are yet fewer still who swear their allegiance to the Raven Queen to form her last line of defence against those that would evade their passing, or breach the Shadowfell.
It is these few who stand ever vigilant, hunting down and banishing those that defy the Raven Queen. Sending them back through the thin veil and away from the material plane. These few are known as the Order of the Black Rose.
The Order of the Black Rose is a monastic order believed to be a distant offshoot of the Wardens. However, their organisation is more akin to a knightly order than an eastern monastery.
- Wolves, are the Order’s hunters and trackers.
- Ravens, are the eyes and ears of the Order.
- Knights, are fearsome demon slayers and are the warriors of the order
- Quills, are the clerics keepers of lore and practitioners of the arcane sworn to uphold the law of the Raven Queen.
Almost every member of The Order has suffered great loss at the hands of the enemies of the Raven Queen, many before they even joined the ranks of The Order. Typically recruited at an early age the members of The Order are intensively trained in the lore and secrets of the arcane.
As a consequence of their approach to recruitment the Order of the Black Rose are an eclectic mix to say the least, whose origins and nature could easily be accused of blurring, or even contradicting, the very laws that define them. But, after all who better to catch a thief, than another thief.
- Skill Proficiencies: Choose two from among Athletics, Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Stealth, Arcana, History, Investigation, Religion, Insight, Medicine, Perception, Survival, Deception, Intimidation, and Persuasion
- Tool Proficiencies: Choose one
- Languages: Choose one exotic language (Abyssal, Celestial, Deep Speech, Infernal, Primordial, Sylvan, or Undercommon)
- Equipment: A monster hunter's pack, a set of common clothes, a pouch containing 20 gp, and one trinket of special significance (choose one or roll on the Gothic Trinkets table on the Haunted One background).
Prior to becoming an adventurer, your path in life was defined by one dark moment, one fateful decision, or one tragedy. Now you feel a darkness threatening to consume you, and you fear there may be no hope of escape. Choose a harrowing event that haunts you, or roll one on the Harrowing Events table.
| d10 | Harrowing Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | A monster that slaughtered dozens of innocent people spared your life, and you don’t know why. |
| 2 | You were born under a dark star. You can feel it watching you, coldly and distantly. Sometimes it beckons you in the dead of night. |
| 3 | An apparition that has haunted your family for generations now haunts you. You don’t know what it wants, and it won’t leave you alone. |
| 4 | Your family has a history of practicing the dark arts. You dabbled once and felt something horrible clutch at your soul, whereupon you fled in terror. |
| 5 | An oni took your sibling one cold, dark night, and you were unable to stop it. |
| 6 | You were cursed with lycanthropy and later cured. You are now haunted by the innocents you slaughtered. |
| 7 | A hag kidnapped and raised you. You escaped, but the hag still has a magical hold over you and fills your mind with evil thoughts. |
| 8 | You opened an eldritch tome and saw things unfit for a sane mind. You burned the book, but its words and images are burned into your psyche. |
| 9 | A fiend possessed you as a child. You were locked away but escaped. The fiend is still inside you, but now you try to keep it locked away. |
| 10 | You did terrible things to avenge the murder of someone you loved. You became a monster, and it haunts your waking dreams. |
You are in frequent contact with people in the segment of society that your chosen quarries move through. These people might be associated with the criminal underworld, the rough-and-tumble folk of the streets, or members of high society. This connection comes in the form of a contact in any city you visit, a person who provides information about the people and places of the local area.
Suggested Characteristics
Use the tables for the Haunted One below as the basis for your traits and motivations, modifying the entries when appropriate to suit your identity as a member of The Order of the Black Rose.
| d8 | Personality Trait |
|---|---|
| 1 | I don’t run from evil. Evil runs from me. |
| 2 | I like to read and memorize poetry. It keeps me calm and brings me fleeting moments of happiness. |
| 3 | I spend money freely and live life to the fullest, knowing that tomorrow I might die. |
| 4 | I live for the thrill of the hunt. |
| 5 | I don’t talk about the thing that torments me. I’d rather not burden others with my curse. |
| 6 | I expect danger around every corner. |
| 7 | I refuse to become a victim, and I will not allow others to be victimised. |
| 8 | I put no trust in divine beings. |
| d6 | Ideal |
|---|---|
| 1 | I try to help those in need, no matter what the personal cost. (Good) |
| 2 | I’ll stop the spirits that haunt me or die trying. (Any) |
| 3 | I kill monsters to make the world a safer place, and to exorcise my own demons. (Good) |
| 4 | I have a dark calling that puts me above the law. (Chaotic) |
| 5 | I like to know my enemy’s capabilities and weaknesses before rushing into battle. (Lawful) |
| 6 | I’m a monster that destroys other monsters, and anything else that gets in my way. (Evil) |
| d6 | Bond |
|---|---|
| 1 | I keep my thoughts and discoveries in a journal. My journal is my legacy. |
| 2 | I would sacrifice my life and my soul to protect the innocent. |
| 3 | My torment drove away the person I love. I strive to win back the love I’ve lost. |
| 4 | A terrible guilt consumes me. I hope that I can find redemption through my actions. |
| 5 | There’s evil in me, I can feel it. It must never be set free. |
| 6 | I have a child to protect. I must make the world a safer place for him (or her). |
| d6 | Flaw |
|---|---|
| 1 | I have certain rituals that I must follow every day. I can never break them. |
| 2 | I assume the worst in people. |
| 3 | I feel no compassion for the dead. They’re the lucky ones. |
| 4 | I have an addiction. |
| 5 | I am a purveyor of doom and gloom who lives in a world without hope. |
| 6 | I talk to spirits that no one else can see. |