Rosemary

Knowledge Shepherd

Overview

An Orccodro girl who served as an advisor to various warlords during the Sacred Dragon War, later joined Dolores' team, solving magical problems and playing a key role in opening the Abyssal Portal.

Chapter One

(18075–18180, Era of Frost Veil) Member of the Rogue Squad. At the end of the Sacred Dragon War, Elgron Orccodro merchant spouses, after a long and perilous journey, settled in Abbey Town for a peaceful life, investing in property and opening a bookshop. Some time later, a lovely child became a clerk in this bookstore—the daughter of the store owners, Rosalyn. A small-town bookshop had little business, but with ample free time and a nurturing environment, the clever cat-girl Rosalyn developed a love for reading from a young age. With her near-photographic memory, even the incomprehensible was stored in her mind, and over time, she gained the understanding to grasp it. For Rosalyn, the most fascinating part wasn't how the books matched her interests, but how each page revealed something new and unfamiliar. The first books she finished were those in her own home. With the bookshop's slow restocking speed, Rosalyn read through all of Abbey Town's collection. For young Rosalyn, Abbey Town was her world. When there were no more books to read, she became dazed, overwhelmed by a growing darkness…One day, when the irises bloomed, she left the bookshop, climbed into a cart, and took a dirt road that seemed to stretch to the horizon, toward a more prosperous town. Rosalyn found books from another town. Rosalyn explored nearby towns for unread books, venturing ever farther.She began gathering knowledge from the "book of society," learning the outside world's views on Orccodros and the looming war's cruelty.Rosalyn felt discouraged but not deeply saddened, content with her life—until everything changed. Had the war spared her town, Rosalyn might have inherited the bookshop and lived as a scholarly owner. But the war's flames consumed even the remotest corners, changing everything.Rosalyn was fortunate. When she returned from her book-seeking journey, the ashes over Abbey Town had mostly dissipated. Amid the bookshop ruins, Rosalyn found no trace of her parents but discovered their old journals in the safe. The journal listed addresses that matched Rosalyn's mental map. If her parents escaped, they might have sought refuge in a familiar place. Though reason told her it was over, Rosalyn ventured into the unknown worlds she had only read about. Rosalyn faced many challenges: war blocked travel, the Kingdom occupied key areas, and both humans and elves distrusted an Orccodro. Most Orccodro warlords welcomed Rosalyn, some even offering her advisory roles. A skilled strategist, especially an Orccodro, was far more trustworthy than any human or elf. For survival, and for convenience, Rosalyn agreed.

Chapter Two

Rosalyn traveled in search of her parents, diligently assisting Orccodro warlords with supplies, rations, and logistics. But after searching fruitlessly across the region, she would move on to the next Orccodro warlord, continuing the endless cycle. Rosalyn knew the truth about her parents, but she couldn't give up. Without a goal, people were consumed by a dark void. Rosalyn knew that the Orccodro warlords were merely using her knowledge, she'd never be treated as one of their subordinates. Traveling between the Orccodro warlords, Rosalyn learned magic from the mages in their armies. Thanks to years of study, her magical progress amazed everyone, and many believed she was a rare prodigy. This continued until one day, the army received an unusual "guest"—Karin. The warlord despised dragons and the Orccodros who allied with them. Karin, a dragon guide, was captured and placed under house arrest to reveal her patron. The task of receiving the "guest" was assigned to Rosalyn, and up until now, it had just been a strange job she took on. But one night, Rosalyn met the dragon, Dolores, who was being hunted by the warlord. Dolores asked Rosalyn to release Karin, promising a handsome reward, and hoped Rosalyn would join their Squad. Having spoken with Karin, Rosalyn knew the guide was innocent, and the large reward was tempting. But Rosalyn, being clever, didn't easily agree. She could sense something bigger was at play. After Rosalyn signed the contract, her curiosity was finally satisfied.They sought the Key of the Moon from Dragon Queen Danni and the Abyssal Portal from Calliopsis to enter the Abyssal Temple, destroy the god's laboratory, and restore peace. Rosalyn thought deeply—rationally, the chances of succeeding were very low, almost as low as finding her parents. But if they could succeed...After calming her thoughts, she saw two choices.She could release the "guest" and return to the life of wandering between warlords. Or she could join the Squad to seek peace and end the tragic fates of countless lives like hers. After much hesitation, Rosalyn remembered a moment from her childhood—a chance encounter, when a new world unfolded before her.Maybe the light of hope was faint, but she had to reach for it. Only then could that faint light shine bright. After joining the Squad, Rosalyn convinced the talented logistics officer, Debbie, to help them, freeing Karin and escaping the pursuit. Once safe, the Squad headed to the main battlefield. Despite Karin's genius as a guide, it took great effort before they reached a land littered with corpses. The battlefield was a wasteland, with both sides waiting like wounded beasts. This meant trouble for the Squad—the Kingdom forces would be on high alert. Thanks to Dolores' connections within the Kingdom, the Squad learned the location and defenses of Danni's camp. Rosalyn devised a clever plan—she used magic to create illusions of the Alliance. Simultaneously, Debbie, skilled in stealth, sneaked into Danni's tent. The plan worked. By the time the soldiers realized the deception, Debbie had retrieved the Key and a ring to communicate with angels, joining the Squad. The ring was handed over to the Alliance, and to evade the assault, the Squad set off on their journey to find Calliopsis. Their journey was perilous, with Dolores' dragon forces in hot pursuit, determined to recover the Key. Rosalyn's quick thinking repeatedly saved them from certain death.After days of evasion, they caught up with Yazor the Beastmaster, whose army was preparing to retreat. There, they found Calliopsis and the Abyssal Portal. However, opening the portal required immense magical energy, far more than the Squad could muster. The enemy was closing in. The Squad's only hope was Yasor, who cared little for them but wanted to protect her people. Calliopsis approached—and miraculously succeeded. With the magic from Yasor's mages and the Key of the Moon, Rosalyn channeled enough power to activate the Abyssal Portal. As the portal opened, Danni and her elite guards attacked Yasor's camp. The Orccodros fought valiantly to buy the Squad time, but was eventually burned to ashes. Yazor the Beastmaster, of course wouldn't stand idly by, even in the face of an unstoppable force. To cover her people, Yasor led her forces in a final stand until she was killed by Danni. Meanwhile, the Squad entered the Abyss passage, and Rosalyn closed the portal, evading Danni. On the journey to the Abyss, Rosalyn remained silent. If she hadn't joined the Squad and continued as a strategist for the Orccodro warlord in nothingness and tedium, would the suffering and sacrifices have been avoided? No, the burning towns, the dying groans, the endless graves—these would continue to happen...Until someone could end the war, thus ending the source of all suffering and sacrifice. And now, this chance lay at the end of the passage, faint though it may be, it was the only chance she knew of. But she had little time to think, as the light from the exit was enveloping the entire Squad...

Chapter Three

The squad finally reached the Abyss, though Danni's interference had diverted them from their original goal of the sacred temple. At least they were close. Rosalyn knew they were only one step away from the end, but that final step was far harder than anyone had imagined. The squad pushed through harsh conditions and dangers. Driven by faith, they reached the sacred temple, its bell shaking the earth.After losing the Key of the Moon, the Kingdom fortified the temple's defenses to an extreme, leaving even the most hopeful squad members in despair. Just then, a massive horde of demons gathered nearby. Driven by rage and unshakable resolve, they charged the temple like a relentless tidal wave. Yet, against the temple's formidable guards, their assault was like waves crashing on a cliff. For the squad, however, it was enough. The flawless defenses faltered, revealing cracks—just wide enough for them to slip through. With a final, desperate push, the squad breached the temple. Dolores, holding the Key of the Moon, led them to its innermost chamber. As the Key activated, the "Storm of Sorrow" began. The disaster came suddenly. Without unexpected help, the entire squad would have perished, buried alongside the temple with no hope of escaping the Abyss alive. The "Storm of Sorrow" ravaged both sides and, crucially, destroyed the god's laboratory. For now, the outcome deterred both sides from resuming hostilities. The squad seized their one shot at success. The war ended. As Rosalyn stepped back onto familiar ground, she immediately sensed that the Rogue Squad's success wasn't entirely a blessing. The earth, scarred as though by a decade of war, fell silent as battle cries faded. Yet Rosalyn felt no regret. The cost of peace was high, but it was the only way to end an endless war. At least the suffering was over for most. It wasn't perfect, but perhaps the future held no more tragedies like hers. With relief and sorrow, she contemplated what came next. For now, the Rogue Squad had achieved its goal, and there was no longer a reason for it to remain. Before parting ways, Rosalyn accepted her share of the reward and locked the faces of each teammate in her memory, tucking them deep within her heart. Alone again, Rosalyn declined to advise the Orccodro warlords. Instead, she wandered, giving most of her reward to the most desperate survivors. Her journey left a mark in the world's grandest libraries, her footsteps now part of their halls. Finally, Rosalyn returned to Abbey Town, her rebuilt hometown. She visited the ruins of the old bookstore and hired workers to restore it. Rosalyn reopened the bookstore and resumed her trade. In quiet moments, she wrote. When weary, she traveled or sat at the entrance, watching the road stretch on. Her life from that point on remained quiet, unnoticed by the wider world. Only in death did she achieve fame. After her passing, neighbors found a trove of faithful reproductions of war-lost books, painstakingly rewritten by Rosalyn. These volumes became invaluable relics. Over time, those who acknowledged her contributions visited her grave, puzzled by the epitaph she chose."If you are the one I've been waiting for, I'd like a bouquet of irises." Years later, long after Rosalyn was forgotten, a single bouquet of irises was placed on her grave.

Historical Notes

Abbey Town: Abbey Town, once isolated in southern Ciaran, rose to prominence after discovering a rich silver mine but declined when the mine ran dry. During the Age of Godslaying, Abbey Town's bookstore uncovered lost works from the Sacred Dragon War, briefly reviving the town. But as the copies spread, it withered and vanished after nearly two centuries. Storm of Sorrow: A cataclysm at the end of the Sacred Dragon War began in a mysterious temple in the Abyss, triggered after the Rogue Squad entered with the Key of the Moon. In the aftermath, meteor showers, earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions ravaged the land, ending the Sacred Dragon War era with the Storm of Sorrow. The Epitaph of Rosalyn: Scattered records and cryptic clues suggest that, alongside Dolores, Rosalyn, Karin, and Debbie, a fifth member may have been part of the Rogue Squad. Rosalyn's epitaph is key evidence. An iris flower was placed on her grave long after Dolores, Karin, and Debbie had died, implying the fifth member lived longer. Detractors argue the flowers were from admirers, dismissing the theory.