From Changeling Venue

Seeming	Elemental Manikin
Court	Summer Court ••••
Freehold	Freehold of Misplaced Dreams, Los Angeles, CA
Player	Kelly Phillips

Contents 1 Overview 2 Character Information 2.1 Known History 2.2 Motley: The Merry Men 2.3 Friends, Allies, Accquaintances 2.4 Enemies, Rivals, Betrayals 2.5 Character Inspirations 2.6 Soundtrack 2.7 Quotes 2.8 Rumors

Overview

Alias(es): Mother, Mother Rowan

Real Name: Rowena Lynn Thompson

Age: 49

Concept: Compassionate Defender of the Tortured and Abused; Mother Figure; Sexual Abuse and Assault Victim; Innkeeper

Entitlement: Unknown

Other IC Organizations: The Innkeepers, The Family

Physical description:
Mask

Overview: A youthful beauty with fine, doll-like features and gorgeous hair. A supermodel figure with a healthy tanned complexion. That is, if she'll let you see what she looks like. She's always hiding her body under those ugly clothes. What is she ashamed of? Is she trying to hide from someone?

• Age: Late Twenties
• Garb: Intentionally shapeless, "frumpy" clothing, dull colors, bulky jackets, shawls to hide hair and face, etc.
• Height: 5'9"
• Weight: 121 lbs
• Nationality: American (Californian)
• Hair: Long Blonde Curls or Waves, typically pulled up in a ponytail or a bun
• Eyes: blue
• Complexion: tanned
• Build: athletic, slender
• Other: Extremely Beautiful (Striking Looks x4)

Relevant Mechanics:

Character Livejournal:

Character Information

Known History

Timeline:

• June 16, 1958 - Birth
  
• June 21, 1973 - Abduction
  
• TIME - Feels like about 7 years to Rowan.
  
• Oct. 31, 1998 - Escapes with help from Shane Darkpool but emerges from the Hedge alone.
  
• Summer 2000 - Meets Stephen Daedalus at Summer Court Tourney.
  
• Oct. 31, 2000 - Opens The Haven.
  
• Late 2000 - Nycto Feraz stays at the haven for the first time.
  
• November 2000 - Meets Holloway, who was one of her first Changeling guests at The Haven.
  
• December 2000 - Rigger stays at The Haven; Rowan hires him to build her (something undetermined as yet).
  
• January 2001 - Holloway leaves The Haven.
  
• Early 2001 - Pawn first stays at The Haven.
  
• Spring 2002 - Queg is found by Rowan he stays several months at the Haven before beginning to wander.
• Late Oct - Early December 2002 - Jimmy Quick stays at The Haven.
  
• (Undecided) 2004 - Anika makes her way out of the Hedge and arrives at The Haven.
  
• (Undecided) 2004 - Amber Clinton first stays at The Haven and joins the Family.
  
• Late Oct - Early December 2004 - Jimmy Quick stays at The Haven.
  
• Summer 2005 - Meets Cain Grimm and his brother Abel Grimm at Summer Court Tourney.
  
• Summer 2005 - Meets Gaea at Summer Court Tourney.
  
• Fall 2006 - Hosts Aretas at The Haven for a month, during which time he joins the Family and makes an arrangement with Rowan.
  
• Late Oct - Early December 2006 - Jimmy Quick stays at The Haven.
  
• May 2007 - Finds Aklia Grimm after her escape and helps reunite her with her brothers.
  
• May 2007 - Employs Stephen Daedalus to escort Aklia back to her brothers in TN.
  
• January 28 - 30, 2007 - Notorious run-in with Vestigere the Usurper, who abruptly leaves The Haven without incident shortly after being revealed.
  
• February 14, 2007 - Nycto Feraz arrives at The Haven, bearing a delivery of flowers from Stephen Daedalus.
  
• June 2007 - Hosts Belle Chanson at The Haven for the month.
  
• Summer 2007 - X-Caliber-8 brings newly escaped or rescued Lost to The Haven for aid. Later, the two meet again at a Summer Tourney, and X-Cal gives Rowan some weaponry tutelage after that.
  
• September 15, 2007 - Emma Hart passes through L.A. and stays at The Haven.
  

Current Activities: Spends a great deal of time working with Lost who recently returned to Earth from Arcadia, helping them and caring for them and recruiting them into her Family. Spends much of her time with them at her Bed and Breakfast, "The Haven", or in the underground warrens connected to it, in which much of her Family lives and works.

Merit Details: Striking Looks 4, Summer Court Mantle 4, Freehold Status 3

Background:Rowena was born to a wealthy family in the year that the Hollywood Walk of Fame was established on Hollywood Boulivard. Her parents had recently moved to the prestigious Beverly Hills area, but they both worked and spent most of their time in the area known as Hollywood. Rowena had an older brother named Kevin who looked after her some of the time when their parents were busy. As she grew up, she seemed destined for the silver screen herself; a young beauty with a dazzling smile and an outspoken personality. Her blonde curls cascaded in a way that was reminiscent of the beautiful star named Marilyn Monroe, and everyone who knew her thought that one day Rowena would be just as famous. Her brother, on the other hand, seemed to have a future behind the cameras, and he spent quite a bit of time with his best friend Franklin Nicholas, a master talespinner when it came to scary stories. Often when Franklin was over, he delighted in telling the girl a brief tale and then watching her flee to her bedroom, where she was certain to have nightmares once she fell asleep.

In Middle School, Rowena herself knew her destiny called her to be an actress, and she was heavily involved in her school's theatre program. She also played small roles in what would become known as 99-seat theatres around the Hollywood area. When she was 13, she had an agent who was working on getting her into television commercials, but that never seemed to pan out. Although it was not the closest school to her home, when it was time Rowena started at Hollywood High School. There she had stiff competition for the theatre roles but managed a few good parts in her freshman year. She finished out the year with promises from her agent that she'd find work in the television studios soon.

Rowena's television debut never happened. Or rather, she never experienced it. In June of 1973, just days after her 15th birthday and not long after the end of her freshman school year, she vanished. For three days, no one Rowena knew had any idea of where she was. Her parents and brother were distraught, her friends frightened and stricken. Hollywood was no stranger to runaways, but Rowena had been a happy girl with no cause to leave without telling anyone her intentions. Police and other officials searched, but finally the girl turned up at her parents' home in Beverly Hills, dazed, disheveled, and completely without memory of her 3 missing days.

The community rejoiced at the girl's return, but her close friends and family worried for her in secret. The girl who had come back looked like Rowena, and seemed very like Rowena, but something undefinable was different. Television news reporters interviewed her about her ordeal, and though the girl could not give satisfactory answers to their questions, the sensation around her story finally landed her a job in Hollywood. Her brother's best friend Franklin was now producing a horror film called "Time of Blood", and he gave Rowena a small part on an upcoming film, in part because he was convinced that her recent fame would draw audiences to see the movie. Instead, tragedy again struck the girl. While filming, a freak accident caused a fire on the set, and Rowena was trapped in the flames. She survived, but was deeply scarred, both emotionally and physically by the accident. The movie also survived and gained cult status both for its own merit and the incidents surrounding the girl. She received a bit too much publicity over the film's release, and - not surprisingly - she took her own life less than two years later.

Or that's what everyone else thought. In truth, Rowena was abducted on June 21, 1973, days after her 15th birthday. She did not return 3 days later to her parents' home, but rather was taken into a strange alien world called Arcadia, in which terrible beings called the Fae ruled, and where magic and illusion were the only laws of nature.

For what seemed like several years but felt like an eternity, Rowena was held prisoner against her will in Faerie, reformed by the will and powers of Viscount Dom Nuidouleur, Lord of Unquenchable Lust, the Gentry who transformed her into a crude mockery, a living doll which he used to suit his every dark whim and lusty desire. The Viscount had many such playthings; among them was a china doll named Anika, who urged Rowena to do what she was told so that she wouldn't suffer as much. Her will strong, Rowena resisted as she could but paid dearly for it, for if she did not submit to her master, he would punish her, beat her, torment her, and then he would have his way with her regardless, and be all the more cruel about it for her trouble. Rowena attempted escape only once while with the Viscount, making a mad dash when someone forgot to latch the storeroom door. It was Anika that chased her down and brought her home. The china doll girl had grown quite fond of Rowena and wanted her to stay, and thought she was wrong for wanting to get away from the Keeper's Domain. Spiritually broken and betrayed by her fellow slave, Rowan would never attempt to leave on her own again.

The one bright light in that otherwise midnight dark time was a single poem, words whispered in the dark from one Manikin to the next, words written by someone named Cahalenn whom Rowena had never met. Ashton Keyes, a Darkling Antiquarian in servitude to the Viscount, brought the poem to the collection of dolls as he reshelved them after the Master was done with them one day. The poem was a reminder of hope, a source of solace for those in Dom Nuidouleur's vile domain. She learned to play along with the Viscount's sick games, but she bided her time, her memories of who she had been back home, her destiny to become a star, thoughts of her school and family, and that one bright poem keeping her alive when nothing else mattered, until one day a stranger named Shane Darkpool appeared to help her and possibly others escape the Viscount's clutches.

Rowena's memory of her escape is extremely fuzzy, but she remembers the Hedge and it's thorns very well. She remembers that it wasn't at all easy, and at times she thought it would be far better to return to her life as a living sex toy among the Gentry than to continue through the thick green barrier between the worlds. But she made it out, made it home at last.

She stood, blinking in the sunlight on a hillside overlooking the huge valley that contained the whole of Los Angeles, and after a moment the exultation of her accomplishment faded a bit. She was alone. Though the memory of her daring escape faded quickly, she remembered the Wizened Brewer who helped her enough to find it strange that he had not emerged with her. And had he or had he not helped others also escape? She couldn't be sure, but she thought he had. Where was Anika, then? Or even Ashton?

Looking down upon the sprawling metropolis before her, she began to despair. This was Los Angeles, but it was not *her* Los Angeles. It had changed significantly since she'd last seen it. There were so many people, so many cars, so many roads. So much...everything. Smog hung thickly over the tall towers of downtown and smudged her view of the ocean beyond. How long had she been gone?

Rowena stumbled into the nearest populated area. People stopped and stared at her, and she realized for the first time that her Durance in Arcadia had changed her appearance drastically. She no longer looked at all like a human being but rather like some distorted oversexed marionnette without strings. She folded her arms infront of her chest to hide, and realized her clothes were in tatters from the thorns of the Hedge. No one had screamed and run in fear, so perhaps they were instead staring because of the nature of her clothing. She couldn't be sure, but it was all so overwhelming that she found herself in tears, crumpling to the ground in the middle of the street.

Someone draped a blanket over her shoulders and helped her to her feet. He led her inside a nearby house and tried to help her, and Rowena came to understand that he could not see her true form, he saw only a beautiful young woman, bloodied and disheveled, her clothing scraps leaving her nearly naked. At first she responded to his entreaties that she let him help her, but as she tried to answer him, tried to tell him what she'd been through, she saw his disbelief and fear of her grow in his eyes. More than that, she became increasingly uncomfortable in his presence. He was male...and he was looking at her. He didn't believe her stories of her abduction, couldn't believe her, but she knew she sounded confused, frightened, a little insane perhaps...and he saw that as a weakness to be exploited. She saw now that he looked at her not with compassion but with craving. He lusted for her as her Fae Master had lusted, and he would use her if she stayed with him.

She ran away at once, taking the blanket with her, and fled, instinctively running towards her childhood home. It was no short distance, and so she calmed down before too long and slowed her pace a bit, her tears drying on her cheeks. Out of curiousity she stopped to look at a newspaper in a dispenser in front of a liquor store... The date was Oct. 31, 1998. 25 years had passed since her abduction...

The rest of the story is history, as Rowan might tell you now. She did what most Changelings do when they first escape back to the world... she went home. Her parents was amazed and frightened by her resemblence to their daughter who died so many years ago, but when she claimed to them that she really was their daughter come home finally after being abducted all those years ago, they became angry and hostile. Their daughter was gone, they'd found her body themselves, and their other child had died in a fire only about a year later. How could she, this dirty, vile vagrant dare to speak of their children, dig into their pain. Hadn't they been through enough? In shock over the news of her brother's death, confused, lonely... yes, Lost, Rowena left there with a heavy heart. She could never go home again.

A chance encounter as she was leaving saved her. Another changeling spotted her - at first she thought it was the Gentry come to claim her back for her Master - and recognized from her appearance and demeanor that she was probably newly escaped. After he calmed her down enough to explain that he was an escapee like herself, he told her where the freehold was and who to speak to there to get help. She wasn't alone, he said.

Two years later, she was almost a different person. Rowena Thompson, the girl who was abducted after her first year of high school, was dead. The girl who escaped from Faerie was just Rowan. Her ordeal at the hands of the Fae had shaped her, yes, but also made her stronger. She has survived and escaped, scarred but alive. The other Lost in the city had helped her with fake identification, a fake history that showed her as just 25 years old to match her youthful appearance, had sheltered her and supported her as best they could. Time after time, though, she saw someone like herself, another slave of the Fae escaped back to Earth and shattered by the knowledge that the home they'd longed for throughout their captivity was theirs no longer and that everything they'd known was changed. Seeing them, watching them suffer, it broke her heart each time. And although she had her own trust issues (specifically revolving around her physical body and her dislike of being touched or looked at for very long), she wanted to help them.

She joined the Court of Summer, and as a member she grasped tightly the ideals of strength and valor. Her Fae Master unwittingly taught her to fight each time he struck her, the escape from the Hedge forged her strength and will, and her compassion for those weaker than she gave her the desire to hone her abilities so she could protect them. She took simple self defense classes first, then moved up to other fighting styles...boxing, tai kwan do, tai chi, and others. If the Fae came back for her or her friends, she would do all she could to fight them off.

In Summer of 2000, Rowan attended her first Summer Court Tourney and there met Stephen Daedalus. The two sparred against each other in the tourney, and Rowan found herself a bit outmatched. Stephen handily bested her, but he was so gallant, so gentlemanly about it that Rowan found herself surprised, impressed, and intrigued by the Bright One. She made an Effort to speak with him after the contest, trying hard to overcome her initial fear of new men and her discomfort at any sort of prolonged attention in order to find out more about this very interesting sort of Fairest.

After some initial awkwardness caused by Rowan's personal social shortcomings and an accidental but strictly platonic touch on the part of Stephen, the two managed to become fast friends and allies, knowing each could call upon the other in times of need. Stephen, from that first minor faux pas that triggered her unease, has been nothing but a perfect gentleman with Rowan, allowing her to relax a bit when dealing with him.

On October 31, 2000, to celebrate her two-year anniversary of freedom from the Gentry, Rowan opened a Bed and Breakfast called "The Haven" in a 6-bedroom manor in Pasadena, near the trod which she and many of the other escapees had used to find their way home. She does routinely have human guests in her house to help pay the bills, but just as often her beds are filled with Changelings, Lost who are new to town and who have no where else to go. She is generous and lets them stay without asking for recompense. In a world where no one - human, Fae, or Changeling - seems capable of trust or truly caring for someone other than themselves, Rowan is definitely an oddity. But she can't help empathizing with those Changelings she helps. She knows how it felt when she returned to find her hopes and dreams shattered with no one to turn to.

She couldn't afford to give away her bedspace all the time, however. She needed to make money to keep the small inn open. Within the first year of The Haven's operation, she recognized the need for additional space for her Changeling visitors. A quick survey of the surrounds imparted the knowledge of a small network of underground caves not far from the B&B, and she called on some favors among the community of the LOST to help her connect her small basement to that network. The underground has grown since then, from a couple of rooms worth of space to another house, practically, in which several of her Changeling Family (Lost who stayed with her and had no where else to go, to whom she offered kinship and protection in exchange for some useful service or talent the Changeling could offer) can routinely be found. Among them she is known as Mother Rowen, or simply Mother, and the nickname seems to have caught on around the city's Freehold as well.

In early November, a wanderer named Holloway came to stay at The Haven. Rowan was very wary of him at first; he seemed to have a certain predatory something that triggered her apprehension and mistrust, but the Mirrorskin always treated her with the utmost respect. Occasionally, Rowan saw him with other women and he seemed to be quite comfortable seducing them, but he was never that way with her. Over the next couple months, Rowan became more at ease with Holloway, her initial fear of him fading with familiarity. She began to feel the friendship between them grow stronger.

In December, Rigger stayed at the inn while passing through on business, and he had examples of his craft, clocks and clockwork machines, with him. Instantly enamored of the beautiful and functional machines, Rowan is known to have purchased a custom item from the fellow Manikin.

Also around this time, another ((possibly Mirrorskin)) arrived at The Haven seeking lodging. The seemingly stranger called himself Nycto Feraz and there was something familiar about him, but Rowan couldn't put her finger on what it was. Later that night, as The Haven's guests were conversing in a public area, someone tried to draw Nycto out and into the conversation. He complied, beginning to spin a tale for the gathered Lost, a fiction of fright and fear. Surprisingly, Rowan found the tale familiar, and as he neared the ending she finished the tale for him in front of the group. As she did so, Nycto looked at her with some amount of fear. She said his name, the name of her brother's friend all those years ago, and the fear grew on him. "It's me, Rowena..." He was stunned, remembering aloud that he had seen her horribly burned, and had heard that she died not long after that, but then when Rowan told him it had been her Fetch that died, he visibly relaxed and the two exchanged greetings while the rest of the Changeling guests watched.

Later, the two talked privately, and during that conversation Nycto, once known as Franklin, told her that he'd been tricked by one of the Gentry into making a movie about her so she could cross into this world. Once her bags were full of those unfortunates she would take back with her, she burned the place down. Her brother, he said, had been there with him, but he'd died in that fire. At least he hadn't been Taken, too. Rowen abruptly changed the subject, having already researched her brother's death and been aware of its circumstances. She would not ever bring up that subject with Nycto again.

In the first month of the new year, Holloway betrayed her. Rowan does not speak of the details, but the two close friends suddenly split, all of Rowan's usual unease and mistrust coming back threefold in all aspects of her life. She actually closed The Haven to all human patrons for two weeks with some pretense of emergency repairs on the home. Not many Changelings were staying with her at the time, so she stayed in the old house alone, not even coming out to visit the Freehold. Even after she reopened the inn and resumed her normal routines, her friends and accquaintences could tell something was wrong. It was a long time before the haunted look left her eyes again.

(Sometime) in 2004, Anika appeared on The Haven's doorstep, having only recently escaped Faerie and its trecherous Hedge boarder. The girl was destraught, finally realizing how horrific their Keeper's domain had been and full of sorrow and shame that she had kept Rowan from leaving those many years ago. Rowan took her in and tried to put the girl at ease as much as possible. Anika became part of the family and a permanent fixture at the inn after Rowan taught her some basic skills. She works diligently as a maid and Rowan's personal assistant, making sure that Rowan herself had many of the comforts she offers her Changeling guests.

At a Summer Court Tourney in 2005, Rowan was approached by a man named Cain Grimm. He had heard a rumor of what had happened between her and Holloway. He finally coaxed her into talking openly with him and she ended up sharing alot of her emotional issues surrounding her relationship with Holloway and things of that nature. Cain seemed a kindred spirit of a sort, and despite her usual standoffishness towards men, Rowan felt an instant liking towards him. She mentioned her safehouse to him, and they discovered they had a mutual friend in Gaea. At the end of their conversation, Cain invited Rowan to a meeting with his brother regarding a buisiness proposition, and reluctantly Rowan agreed to go. When she arrived, Rowan met Abel Grimm and the Grimm brothers' bodyguard Dog. Gaea was also present. Abel seemed less socially inclined than his brother Cain, and Rowan did not feel the instant friendship with him that she had with Cain. Nonetheless, Abel made a generous offer of financial assistance for The Haven, and after a careful consideration of the terms of the agreement, Rowan accepted. The Brothers Grimm have been steadfast allies and financiers of the safehouse ever since.

The Haven has continued sucessfully since then, both as a human inn and a Changeling Safehouse, properly marked in the accepted manner of the city. Looking back over the past few years, she's not sure how she kept the place running before Anika arrived. She has many guests of various ilk and Seeming, and many of them, including Nycto Feraz, Rigger, Amber Clinton, Jimmy Quick and others, are return and repeat guests, staying whenever they are in town or passing through.

Rowan's biggest fault may be that she is too willing to trust those who have recently escaped back to Earth even after the few betrayals she has experienced, seeing in them the helpless wretch she was when she made good her escape, but she can and has sucessfully defended herself and her house against those who would trick her and betray her trust. Speaking of that, apparently Vestigere, the boogieman harrier nightmare of any Changeling with dreams of escape, turned up at The Haven in late January 2007 and went unrecognized there for a couple days until Rowan finally realized who he was and suddenly understood why his very presence had been more and more unnerving for her the longer he stayed. After a very brief altercation and a hushed conversation, Rowan allowed the Darkling to leave unharmed with the warning that she would be letting the Lost know that he was Out and about. After she was certain he'd left, she placed several quick phone calls to her friends and allies, warning them of the possible Loyalist threat.

This past Valentine's Day, Nycto again arrived at The Haven, this time with a delivery. He brought her a lovely bouquet and a sweet card from Stephen Daedalus, which unwittingly triggered her fear once again. Nycto saw her reaction and spoke with her about it, but instead of helping he only managed to frighten her a bit more. Realizing the damage he was doing, he left her, but as he walked away he again brought up her brother's death. "Your brother and I were close freinds. We stayed in touch. he Even drove to see the opening of my greatest film.... he was trapped in the flames when the Lady came for me. For that, I will help you in any way I can. I owe him that."

Even after Nycto's attempt at helping her through her fears and hangups, Rowan stressed about the floral delivery for about 2 weeks aftarward, becoming more withdrawn from her Family and the other Changelings of Misplaced Dreams, quicker to respond with hostility and fear to any casual attention even from those she otherwise had grown used to, but she said nothing of this to Stephen. In her mind she knew Stephen meant only the best and was too much a gentleman to truly intend anything sexual or overtly romantic with his gift, but her experiences with Holloway had left a raw wound within her that had not yet healed, and Stephen's unexpected semi-romantic gesture had come too close to that sore spot within her psyche, no matter what Nycto had said about facing her fears.

The truth is that Rowan is somewhat attracted to the white knight, but she has no idea how to handle those feelings, so she tends to try to bury them as much as possible.

In May of this year, Rowan took in a newly escaped Changeling girl, and discovered that she was the sister of the Brothers Grimm, Aklia Grimm. Upon identifying the brothers from the girl's description, she immediately contacted Cain and told him of the girl. Cain asked that Rowan bring Aklia to Tennessee, but since she had other charges and couldn't leave, Rowan called upon Stephen Daedalus to escort the girl home.

Motley: The Merry Men

Anika - (Lady in Waiting) - Rowan's sidekick and assistant, the girl has been invaluable to Rowan since she arrived at the Haven. The two seem to have some deep connection from their shared Durance in Faerie.

The Colonel - "King Richard"

John the Little Ogre - (Little John) -

Rob Fletcher - (Robin Hood) -

Ignus

Garret Wexford, aka "Horace" - (Friar Tuck) - Ensorceled human protected by Rowan and the Merry Men

Friends, Allies, Accquaintances

Shane Darkpool - Although Rowan's memory of it are vague at best, she does recall that Shane helped her and possibly others escape from her Keeper. She's not sure why she emerged from the Hedge alone, though. Also, a friend and ally through the Innkeepers Guild.

Stephen Daedalus - Met at the 2000 Summer Court Tourney while sparring against each other; Rowan took an interest in his knightly ways and the two became friends after some initial issues stemming from Rowan's personal social shortcomings.

Queg - Rowan found him when he returned to reality and introduced him to changing society, she was promptly repaid with his social faux pas and crazy antics.

Belle Chanson - Friend of Stephen Daedalus's. Stephen asked Rowan to look after the girl for a month in June of 2007 so that Belle could gain a little experience in the world but still be out of danger for the most part.

Cain Grimm - Met at 2005 Summer Court Tourney, and Rowan found Cain could truly understand what she'd been through at the hands of the Gentry in ways she thought no one outside those who had been there with her could. Quick to offer friendship and aid, Cain quickly became a treasured ally.

Gaea - Friendly Summer Tourney rival and fellow member of the Innkeeper's Guild.

Cahalenn - Although Rowan has never met this Changeling, she vividly remembers a poem whispered among the Viscount's Manikins that was written by her. The poem inspired hope and kindled memories of home, and was a bright light in a very dark place for Rowan and many others. If Rowan ever met Cahalenn, she would certainly call the woman a friend.

Aretas - Summer Court King of North-Central Florida, Aretas learned of Rowan after seeing her compete in the 2006 Summer Tourney. He came to stay at The Haven that Fall to ask for Rowan's assistance in keeping track of possible Loyalists and Sleepers in her area. The two grew to respect each other during his stay and Aretas accepted the invitation to join the Family.

Amber Clinton - Las Vegas Lost who stays at The Haven when she's in town, friend of Rowans, and a member of the Family.

Rigger - He has stayed at The Haven numerous times and Rowan has purchased at least one clockwork item from him. The two seem to share too much of the same kind of "ideosyncrasies" to get along on a deeply personal level.

Jimmy Quick - Frequent guest at The Haven and occasional "errand runner" and local entertainer. Also a member of Rowan's Family.

Abel Grimm - Brother to Cain Grimm, both are joint business partner with Rowan.

Aklia Grimm - Sister to the Brothers Grimm, she escaped the Hedge with the help of Brand only this year and ended up in Rowan's care. After learning of who the girl was looking for, Rowan contacted the Grimm Brothers to let them know about her, and hired Stephen Daedalus to escort the girl across the country to them.

Belladonna - Motley-mate of Nycto Feraz, she has stayed at The Haven a few times when traveling with him.

Brand - This knight arrived at the Haven one day with some refugees he'd helped liberate from Faerie and was looking for a safe place for them to stay. She was happy to help a friend of Aretas, and later Brand was interested to hear that Vestigere had been seen on Earth. He was the one to help Aklia escape.

Nycto Feraz - Often Stays at The Haven. They seem to have known each other from before...

Dog - Loyal and steadfast bodyguard to the family Grimm.

Emma Hart - At first enamored of the girl's seemingly cheerful and positive outlook, then interested in her relationship with Vestigere, Rowan through conversation with Emma acquired a deep insight into her personality and through that the trauma she must have endured within Arcadia. Although in some ways Rowan has mixed feelings about the girl, on another level she is deeply sympathetic to her and wants very much to help her in some way, which is why she invited Emma to join the Family.

Pawn - Introduced to Rowan by Nycto (pending confirmation), this changeling has goals similar to those of Rowan and often brings abused Lost to Rowan for assistance. Frequently stays at The Haven himself, and a valued member of the Family.

Construct - Rowan seems to have a special interest in "Connie" and spends quite a lot of time working with her fellow Manikin, trying to rehabilitate it and get it acclimated to life on Earth. Funny thing is, Connie seems to be helping Rowan deal with many of her issues, as much as she's helping Connie.

Enemies, Rivals, Betrayals

Holloway - Was once a good friend, perhaps her first real male friend who she felt comfortable around since her durance in Arcadia, he betrayed her trust in him and tried to force a sexual relationship on her. The two rarely speak these days, but the wounds he caused in her still run deep, unhealed.

Vestigere the Usurper - A chance meeting brought a strange darkling to The Haven one winter evening in January 2007. The telltale signs could be gleaned even through the thick mortal mask--the Usurper had come to Earth. After a tense and stunted discourse, though, he agreed to leave without incident, gathering his belongings. He is believed to have neither returned nor tried to contact her since.

Rainbow Connection - In early May 2008, members of this motley are strongly suspected of attempting to break and enter uninvited into The Haven, setting off the security alarm and endangering the safety of Mother Rowan's safehouse, not to mention her charges. Rowan has taken exception to this act, which was seen as a politically motivated attack against the Spring King Rob Fletcher (who stays with Rowan and is a member of her Motley), and is not likely to forgive this easily.

Character Inspirations

• OWOD Nosferatu Clan
  
• Father, from Beauty and The Beast (80s TV Show)

Soundtrack

(If you have suggestions for songs, please feel free to add them)

• Guardian Angel, Juno Reactor
• Home, Zero 7
• Court of the Crimson King, King Crimson
• As the World Falls Down, David Bowie
• Duvet, Lain Soundtrack
• Part of Me, Tool
• Cold and Ugly, Tool
• You Happy Puppet, 10,000 Maniacs
• I'm a Marionette, Abba
• Marionette, Art Garfunkel
• Somewhere I Belong, Linkin Park
• Electric Barbarella, Duran Duran
• Crime of the Heart, Asia

Quotes

• "I can never undo what I have done." -Ashton Keyes

• "I won't say that I regret my relationship with Rowan but I definitely regret the manner in which it ended." -Holloway

• "We have much in common. Call upon me whenever you need." -Cain Grimm

• "She is slow to trust. I respect that. My brother is correct. we have much in common. If you need us...Call." -Abel

• "Conviction, loyalty, and a steadfast resolve. The Lady Rowan has proven herself a hundred fold in measures that are far beyond what could be commonly expected. For this, she will always have my thanks and aid should she require such." -Aretas

• "Yes, I stayed at The Haven. No, nothing happened. She is unharmed. *hisses* Stop...asking me...about this. She sent me away, I left. Wouldn't even take my money. I refuse to answer any more of these questions. Between her and the sapling, every Gentry likely knows I'm back on Earth. Now go away." -Vestigere the Usurper

• "*laughs* You know I dont mind calling Rowan Mom or Mama occasionally. It makes us both smile. I always love staying in LA because it gives us a chance to catch up. The Haven is like a second home to be honest. Every time there's a computer problem she calls me and it gives me an excuse to visit." -Amber Clinton

• "The Haven, oh yeah - I've hung my hat there a few times. Mom takes care of me, and in return I do some errands. Like that TV in the main room? I got that for her as an early Christmas present. Yep - huge flat screen with the surround sound. Where did I get it? Oh...it fell off the truck." -Jimmy Quick

• "The first person to help me after my escape, I am forever grateful for her help in finding my brothers. Already friends with my brothers, she has my regard and help if she should ever need it." -Aklia Grimm

• "Summer is the season of Wrath... so... who is she *really* angry with?" -Nycto Feraz

• "Bravery is not being fearless, Little Sister, it's facing your fear, no matter how big." -Nycto Feraz

• "It's difficult... not knowing what motion or tone of voice or question may bother another. Something is hiding inside Rowan, something that is hurting her. She should go downstairs and scream... just scream lots and lots... let the bad things escape back to the dark shadowy places where they like to live!" -Emma Hart

• "Rowan keeps a fine place and she's a good example of Summer in my book as well. Too many people get stuck in the idea of Summer and Rage. No one asks if Autumn is scared all the time or Winter is sad all the time. Why do they assume Summer is Angry all the time?" - Gilded

Rumors

Rowan's Safehouse is the place to go if you're ever in Los Angeles area. Ask for Rowan, she'll take care of your every need, know what I'm sayin'?

Some people say that Rowan had fallen in love with Holloway, or at least led him on, and that Holloway wasn't entirely to blame in the...incident.

There's a rumor that Vestigere paid off or otherwise coerced Rowan into letting him go free, or that her compassionate nature is really an elaborate act...maybe she's a Loyalist herself. She certainly could be collaborating in some way with Vestigere.

It's possible that Rowan is gay. I mean, she is *way* more comfortable around girls than guys, if you know what I mean.

Trust me, don't send her flowers.

Amiable departure my ass. Rowan tried to attack Vestigere and they had the most silent fight two combatants ever engaged in. In the end, he grabbed his things and slipped out when the squeaking of floorboards drew too much attention.

She keeps puppets in a secret compartment in her inn. At night, when the moon is full, she will animate the marionettes to replay incidents of her past long-forgotten.