Rosebud Redblade (Saga, EQ2)

[Sagacity]

Name: Rosebud Redblade
Guild: Saga, EQ2
Profession: berserker and provisioner (and aspiring pirate)
Race: gnome
Gender: female
Alignment: chaotic-good
Deity: unknown

Description:

Rosebud is a tiny gnome, with delicate features, and white hair normally tied back with a cloth.  Her grandmother, Cata V, was an infamous pirate in the pre-shattering era.  However, Rosebud's parents disapproved of the pirate life and retired to Steamfont to make a "respectable" living.  To their chagrin, when the wars and the shattering tore apart the lands, it was the gnomish pirates who rescued many of their gnomish kinsmen from Steamfont and brought them to safety in Qeynos or Freeport.  Rosebud and her parents travelled with Cata's pirates for some time, aiding the rescue efforts; this was the best time of Rosebud's life, as she admired the pirate life and began to aspire to earning her own ship and joining the fleet one day.  However, Rosebud's parents were killed during a drakota attack on the ship they were travelling on, and Rosebud's mother demanded with her dying breath that Rosebud be taken to Qeynos and raised in a "civilized" manner, not lead the pirate life.  Cata therefore called on her old contacts in the Saga association, and left Rosebud in their care some years ago.  She has taken arms in the Queen's service and is in training with the Qeynos guard.

Sir Katu Reddbeard
c/o The Saga Tavern
The Lion's Mane
South Qeynos

Dear Sir

We have not had the pleasure of meeting, but perhaps you may have seen my name in old Saga records, if any survived the Shattering. I write to request your assistance, for the sake of past friendships, and Saga's sterling reputation.

I was once, long ago, welcomed in your esteemed company, and had the pleasure of accompanying your predecessor Kanina on a number of expeditions. I believe the old dwarf was quite fond of me, if I do say so myself. But of course, it was quite natural for her to admire gnomes (though she used to become quite gruff when pressed on the subject - a natural envy I believe). But enough reminiscing.

As you may be aware, I was once a gnomish pirate, and following the disappearance of Kanina and many other members of Saga, I returned to life at sea. Among the various events since then, I had a daughter, and then a granddaughter. My daughter did not approve of the piratical life and retired to Faydwer to raise her family in what she saw as a "proper" manner - ridiculous attitude for a gnome, in my opinion, but that's not the issue here, my thoughts are wandering... At any rate, when the cataclysm came upon Norrath, Faydwer was torn apart and it was fortunate indeed for them that those pirates were around to rescue them from the flooding.

My daughter and family travelled with the pirates for some years during the worst of the upheavals, assisting with rescues, and earning some coin by dropping survivors off at the Isle of Refuge, or transporting them from there to Qeynos. I thought that my daughter was finally becoming reconciled to our wandering life, but tragically, a few months ago a wild drakota attacked the ship, killing my son-in-law and fatally injuring my daughter. Her dying request was that I promise that my granddaughter will live a "proper" life among the landed folk, not become a "disgraceful pirate" like her grandmother.

And so, by the time this letter reaches you, I will have left my granddaughter Rosebud in the Baubbleshire with instructions to seek you out at the earliest opportunity. I entrust her care to you, and hope that you will be able to raise her into a proper Qeynos citizen. She is young, and has picked up some of the pirate slang already from her time aboard ship, but I am confident you will be able to tame her wildness.

With regards to the members of the new Saga association,

Your servant,

Cata V
Gnomish pirate, sailing aboard The Scurvy Rat III

~ a wax seal on the letter is embossed with the gnomish pirate emblem, a grinning scull above crossed spanners~