From SuspireWiki
Title
Rosaline, Daughter of Sekhmet, High Priestess of the Circle of the Crone
Background
Rosaline Herman was born in England in 1610 as the third daughter of a country squire, the beginning years of her life were spent in daily chores and in assisting her older sisters when it came time for them to wed, move away and bear children. It was considered somewhat of a catch when she married at sixteen to Sir Harry Randolf. Shortly after their marriage, Sir Harry was given an assignment in India. Rosaline was more than excited at the prospect of adventure in the humid country. The couple set out for their new life.
Once in India Rosaline was able to indulge in the type of society that was never open to her in England, that of a lady. Being English in the world of "heathens" automatically made her one step above every one else. She even had her own slave, a woman brought all the way from Africa.
For three years things went swimmingly for Rosaline, she basked in the attention of her husband, the glory of having a servant to do her chores, and the society of the English in India. She enjoyed having pretty dresses and giggly friends. Then every thing went /hideously/ wrong for Rosaline. Sir Harry went tiger hunting one morning with a group of his gentlemen friends; the elephants were frightened by the wounded and vicious tiger and Sir Harry was trampled to death.
Rosaline went deep into despair at Sir Harry's death; those who knew her quietly admired her devotion to her husband only demonstrating that they truly did not know her at all. In truth what Rosaline mourned was her loss of life style. She realized that the pension for a soldier's widow was not nearly enough to support her and it would take months if not years for the solicitors in England to figure out if she was entitled to any thing, given that Sir Harry hadn't left a will. Nor did Rosaline have any desire at all to return to her parents' poor lifestyle and her work as an indentured servant there.
It was in these dark days that Rosaline's only companion was her bought slave who had no choice but to stay with her. It was also in the dark nights that Rosaline turned from her own God to Carla's Goddess. When it seemed that Rosaline's God had forsaken her, it was Carla who explained that Sakhmet would try them all through pain, but once they had survived they would prove ultimately stronger. It was Carla who explained to her that Sakhmet would never give her a trial that she could not handle, but it was the tribulation that would bring enlightment. And that it was Sakhmet who would mold Rosaline into a perfect daughter for herself when it was time. It wouldn't be until later that Rosaline would realize that Carla served as a slave to another master as well.
For two more years Rosaline lived meagerly on her pension and the mysterious funds Carla came up with while she sought the truth inside herself; it seemed during this time that their relationship had altered dramatically - Rosaline was now student and Carla was now mentor. Rosaline thrived on whatever Carla wished to teach her but she was always aware that Carla seemed to be waiting for some signal just out of sight before she told Rosaline the /final secret/; Rosaline merely assumed Carla waited for a signal from Sakhmet, in some ways she did.
On the second anniversary of Sir Harry's death, Rosaline opened a knock at the door to see a man dressed in a soldier's uniform. She assumed he was a friend of Sir Harry's and invited him in, expecting him to give his condolences and leave. Much to her surprise he did otherwise. He asked her if she felt ready to become the daughter of Sakhmet. Rosaline's response was typical given the question; initially she stared at him then asked what he meant. Given his nature, as she would find out later in her life, he refused to answer but instead invited her to sit down and discuss it over a glass of wine. Finding that perfectly reasonable, Rosaline complied - she might have refused if she had known he was going to poison her wine.
It wasn't poison, exactly, but merely a powerful hallucinogen that he slipped into her glass when she turned to ask Carla's well timed question (it was choreographed after all). While they sipped the wine and he waited for the drug to work they spoke of the deity and the potential of a mortal man mating with a goddess to produce a demi-god child - and what form it would take on earth given the deity in question. He imagined a blood sucking creature like the mythical vampires, Rosaline suggested something more lion-ish.
When the hallucinogen started working, Rosaline slipped into a near catatonic state on the settee. It was at this point that he embraced her. He never knew what dreams she experienced; it's different for every one. But for Rosaline they're as real today as they were then; she dreamed of vampires and lions marching together into battle together, then curling up afterwards in peaceful sleep; she dreamed of the goddess Sakhmet and a beautiful golden-haired man (strangely reminiscent of Sir Harry) mating in a desert; then she dreamed of herself, clothed in blood, walking amid the lions.
Finally, Rosaline awoke, it really wasn't that long of a death but it was long enough for the hunger to awake with in her. It was slaked on Carla's life and thus Rosaline was introduced to the food chain of vampires. He wasn't one for subtlety, nor one to care about things like the Tradition of Progeny or the Tradition of Masquerade; later that would be explained to Rosaline by other vampires, which would also explain to her why they left town that night.
They traveled north, overland. He seemed to have a plan and she wasn't one to question it. It took them nearly a hundred years to make it overland to France, stopping in towns here and there to share stories and sleep a few nights, or months as He might have wanted it. On the way he taught her things, about the Circle of the Crone, about the other covenants, never about himself. Sometimes, when they stopped over, she learned other things from people - like the Traditions he cared so little about.
Once in France he booked passage aboard a ship for them both, explaining to Rosaline it was the only way for them to travel. They'd stay below decks all the time. He even went to the pains of ghouling a Frenchman to travel with them to keep watch upon their cabin. Rosaline was amazed that He would think they would make it to America, a 3 month journey, alive and safe but he'd never lead her wrong yet, so she did as bid and climbed aboard.
They landed in Boston, safe and sound just as he said. Then he abandoned her. Rosaline waited around for weeks, then a month, longer than she'd ever stayed in one place before. Finally she was hauled in to see the Prince - he wanted to know who she was and why she was there. What's more, he wanted to know her lineage. That's when Rosaline decided it'd be prudent to make up a sire. She became Rosaline Randolf, childe of Michael Wilson. It seemed to appease them for the time being. After another two weeks though, Rosaline realized that He was gone; He'd hauled her for a century, through rough country, never stopping, never telling her where they were going, only to leave her in Boston on the verge of revolution.
Having determined that a city in the throes of war is no place for a Kindred to be, she quickly made arrangements to continue her journey southward, into the lesser populated states where she likely wouldn't become a target for angry Englishmen despite her own English heritage. For the first time in her life, Rosaline set out alone.
It would be another five months before she reached Atlanta, having traveled down the newest railroad to be created. Sore weary of traveling, Rosaline finally decided to settle. The mix of plantations and slavery were a far cry from the life of almost luxury she was living in India, but it's a far sight better than what she experienced being dragged throughout Asia and Europe, not to mention the horrific journey across newly developing America. Rosaline quietly settles into the background to practice her religion and keep to herself.
Half a century after arriving in Atlanta, Rosaline's feeding habits changed... they became more exclusive... they demanded Kindred blood. But more disturbing for her, her appearance changed. She started taking on the trade-mark appearance of the cobra. It was then that she took refuge in a small underground cellar to sleep off the change. Unfortunately for Rosaline, where her body was buried was soon bricked over. Several years after that it was used as a foundation for a house. When the house was torn down, the foundation wasn't removed; it was merely paved over for a parking lot. Then the parking lot was abandoned when the store it catered to went out of business.
The first time Rosaline awoke, it was just a few years after her torpor. She beat on the brick, digging at it with her fingers and punching at it with her fists. Her frenzied beast wanted out at whatever cost to itself. The cost to itself was enough injuries to put it back into torpor. The process repeated itself every few years, regardless of the pain and trauma however, she hasn't been able to free herself. That is, until now.
A recent purchase and an impatient businessman has a late-night construction crew working double time to break up the existing pavement and foundation so he can lay new foundation for an office building. This disruption is enough to wake the resting vampire, having long since realized the futility of her position and gone into voluntary torpor. Upon awaking, the two man night crew is quickly overwhelmed and devoured. Their equipment is stolen and pawned. Rosaline doesn't even feel bad when she counts out the cash and sees about buying herself some new clothes.