application

[steamqueen]

IN CHARACTER

Character Name: Rose the Hat (Rose O'Hara)
Canon: Doctor Sleep
Canon Point: chapter 20, prior to part 9.

In-Game Tattoo Placement: right thigh
Age: appears mid-30s, but in reality is approx. 250 years old
Species: a member of the True Knot, aka "shine vampires"

Content Warnings: violence, violence against children, graphic torture, mind control, drug use, abduction, body horror, blood/gore, mentions of terror attacks.

History: link 1, link 2, link 3
Little is known about Rose's past, except that she was born in County Antrim, Ireland, as Rose O'Hara. She was born with psychic powers known as the Shining (as all members of the True Knot are) which manifested as telepathy and the ability to astrally project. At an unknown time while she was still human, she emigrated to the United States. Although it is not revealed, due to the typical demeanor of those in the True Knot, this was likely the result of a transportation sentence. Rose traveled into the western frontier, and it was there that she was initiated in the tribe of "shine vampires" known as the True Knot. During that time, she was then known as 'Irish Rose' and did not gain the moniker 'Rose the Hat' until some time later after she acquired her signature article of clothing. [The origin of the hat is never stated. My favorite headcanon, and the one I will be using, is that it was given to her by a man with the initials R.F.] Her exact age is unknown, but she has been a member of the True Knot since at least the mid-19th century. It is confirmed that she and the True Knot were present at the Battle of Little Bighorn, and she was already a member in good standing (perhaps already its leader) at that time.

Because the "steam" the True Knot feeds on is purified by pain, fear, and suffering, they are frequently present during major violent or traumatic events--everything from natural disasters like hurricanes and floods to terror attacks such as 9/11. The True Knot possesses limited precognition (through the abilities of their members) that gives them a few days warning of these events. [Part One, chapter 2, sec 10 describes their feeding during 9/11.]

Personality:
Not much is left of the human that was once Rosie O'Hara. The Turning not only initiated her into the vampiric tribe of quasi-demonic predators known as the True Knot, it transformed her body and corrupted her mind. Her personality turned cold and uncaring toward the rest of the world. Because the shine vampires consume the life essence of a psychically gifted person (which they call "steam" due to its white vaporous appearance), it became necessary for Rose to become a vicious hunter in order to survive. Humans (who the True call "rubes") are nothing more than a food source, cattle for the slaughter. No longer human herself, the act of killing rubes is no more problematic than shooting a deer in the forest for meat might be. And because steam becomes faint or corrupted as the hosts of the power get older, children are the purest source of steam. Children are her favorite prey. She stalks them, lures them away, and takes advantage of the defenselessness. Rose gleefully tortures them to purify the steam through pain and fear, and she has had a lot of practice to get the most efficient results. She keeps a brass hat pin in her signature hat as a tool for this exact purpose. As the leader, as the most sadistic, it is Rose who prolongs a child's death in order to harvest the most steam from the victim. It is Rose who delivers the killing blow. Drenched in blood, she digs shallow graves and feels no remorse. The young victims are only human after all. Ungrateful. Pathetic. Weak.

The truth of the matter is that the rube doesn't have to die from this feeding. Rose and the True Knot choose to kill them--because they can. Because they want to. Because why does a predator care for the life of its meal? It's us vs. them, and the True Knot--Rose chief among them--care only for their own security.

The only thing that Rose cares about is the True Knot itself, and it is because of this fierce loyalty for her found family combined with ruthless ambition that she rapidly climbed to the position of leader. She is their caretaker and their linchpin. While she is not the eldest of the True Knot, Rose is strong, charismatic and fearless. Every move she makes is for their benefit. From the pattern of their cross-country travel to scouting the locations for their next meals, Rose takes charge of everything. While occasionally they may question her methods or reasoning (which she will never explain to anyone but her second-in-command), the True never question her authority. Especially as steam becomes less available in the world (due to the rise of technology and a number of other contributing factors), with her calculating mind and unquestionable power, Rose is the only thing preventing their extinction. She believes this, and they believe this.

But this isn't to say that she doesn't value the other members of the True. In fact, the exact opposite is the case. Rose will always order the others into action based on a deep knowledge of every member's ability. Mundane skills are just as important as their shining ones. Mechanics, a cook, a doctor, someone skilled with computers, navigators, tailors--every member of the True Knot has their role to play, and as a good leader, she will concede to (or at least seriously consider) another's specialty knowledge. While Rose's is the final word, she will give that order having at least heard from the rest.

However, she is not always the most patient. She has been known to lose her temper at the slightest inconvenience, but while this is not frequent, it is unpredictable and volatile. This is primarily seen around the times when she uses her astral projection. Because the personal ritual she must preform takes complete concentration, interruptions for any reason can provoke an angry (or occasionally violent) response. Using this ability also takes a lot out of Rose physically, and that vulnerability causes her to be more likely to lash out. When Rose feels she is in control, she is stable and receptive. It is the moments when she starts to lose her tight grip on her surroundings, be it in a minor or major way, that this side of her personality emerges.

This is, at least in part, due to a profound overconfidence cultivated through centuries of experience while sitting atop the food chain. Rose is assured of the superiority of the True Knot, in the strength of her own abilities, and the inconsequential significance of the rubes. Even extremely large powers ("steamheads") such as Abra Stone do not give Rose a moment of pause. No rube child, no matter how much steam she possessed, could ever surpass Rose. This is what she truly believes. Even as Rose would get turned away by Abra again and again, she would never stop underestimating the young girl. Even faced with the proof of her own eyes, even with physical injury to prove a loss at the rube's hand, Rose would never admit to being outplayed. She is convinced that, if she were to remove her opponent's element of surprise, she is clever enough and powerful enough to come out on top every time. For all her life so far, Rose has been right. They are predators who are not used to prey fighting back. This overconfidence will eventually be her undoing.

Rose has the tendency to get fixated on a target, never giving up once her sights have been locked. Whether it's picking up a new recruit for the True Knot, choosing a lover, or picking a victim, once Rose decides what she wants, she will have it practically at all cost. She will use every resource at her disposal (people, money, or objects) to acquire it. Because she is relentless, she is rarely disappointed.

Despite evidence to the contrary, it is not all about the hunt for Rose. Much of her life is spent simply being with her family, her tribe, the True Knot. They are a much smaller family these days than they were a century ago, so Rose keeps them as close as she can. All members of the True are connected to each other psychically to varying degrees, and Rose has a profound love for all of them. Like any family, they do fight on occasion, but there isn't a single member in their dwindling 41-count that Rose wouldn't kill or die for.

The True Knot lives a nomadic, traveler lifestyle and travel cross-country in RVs and campers. Like sharks, they have to keep moving in order to find food in a nationally dwindling supply. The True Knot exists outside of rube society: dealing only in cash, avoiding public transportation, staying on the move using back roads and scenic routes. Despite Rose's odd-looking hat, despite the rest of the True Knot's occasionally eccentric appearance, they aim to blend in. Suits for business meetings, jeans and road-side graphic tees for everyday wear. Rosie is personally fond of leggings and over-sized t-shirts. Attracting too much attention to any aspect of their lives puts them in danger of the murders they commit being discovered, so they try to keep to themselves. They are RV people, the same as any rube family on a vacation as far as anyone can tell at a glance.

So much time on the road has also honed Rose's tastes into an appreciation of a few particular luxuries. She likes to take long hot showers with the lights turned off, especially after months on the road. Due to frequent low blood sugar, Rose has developed a sweet tooth and usually carries a candy bar in her purse. She takes lovers of any gender whenever she likes, but her steady companion and love is her second-in-command Crow Daddy. Money is never an issue for the millennia-old True Knot, so her camper is an expensive imported EarthCruiser with rich furnishings and an extremely comfortable bed. She likes the freedom that money provides, but (despite the last) doesn't overdo it on material objects.

Abilities/Powers/Weaknesses & Warping:
• long-range astral projection: Rose is able to project her consciousness far outside of her physical body by entering a deep meditative state. While projecting, she cannot interact with physical objects but can enter sleeping minds. Her mental form is vulnerable to mental/psychic attack, and a fraction of the damage is relayed to her physical body. [This will be limited to within the boundaries of Deerington (but may include the Great Sleep).]
• mind swap: An ability she also calls "turning the world". While projecting, Rose can enter someone's mind in order to view the world through their eyes. The person she "swaps" with can also see the world through hers, so she frequently blindfolds herself. While in control of their eyes, Rose is able to take limited control of their bodies as well. [This aspect will be greatly diminished and will require OOC permissions.]
• inception: Rose is able to implant suggestions into another person's sleeping mind. She describes the process as planting "little worms" in the "boxes" her victim's thoughts and memories. The victim wakes thinking that these ideas are their own. Theoretically, the worms can later be extracted causing these suggestions to simply vanish, but canonically it has never been shown.
• touch telepathy: Rose is able to both project her thoughts and read those of others. These can come either as flashes of imagery or as full sentences and can be blocked. [While normally her telepathy is long-distance, within Deerington it is limited to those she can touch and only maintains its full power within members of the True Knot (of which none are present).]
• regeneration/rejuvenation: Using steam, she can recover from injury and prevents herself from aging. She can also boost the effect her abilities and enhance her physical prowess to above human baseline (but not superhuman). Rose has been shown to use this mainly for added strength and stamina.
• Rose is a Finder: Rose can sense talent (steam/shining/power) in others and is skilled in using this information in combination with her other abilities to locate and identify those possessing that talent. Usually this ability is used to hunt for sources of steam, which she needs to survive.
• uncanny luck: "Providence favors True above rubes." While it is not a great feat, one passive ability of the True Knot is that--on small odds against humans (rubes)--luck nearly always sides with the True. This is not the case against other monsters or when playing large odds. (This is a side-effect of the shining that members of the True possess.)
• Although considered a type of vampire, the True Knot are able to be killed in the same manner as humans. They are long lived and cannot be poisoned, but no stake to the heart is required.

Inventory:
• battered silk top hat (magic, undefined. has only been shown to vanish/produce small objects and to stay atop her head despite the normal effects of gravity)
• three (3) canisters of steam
• gold ring with a Celtic design
• a leather trunk of clothing, including a stash of jewelry of various origin/age
• two (2) 12-inch hat pins
• in lieu of housing: Rose's EarthCruiser

Writing Samples:
• TDM top level + comments
• TDM thread w/ Mad Sweeney


Additional Information: