Briar Rose - Part 1

This is Part 1 of Briar Rose, a scenario for the use of OSR games. This is written with Lamentations of the Flame Princess in mind. 

"Specimen 9. Butterfly Sprite." by Kathryn Jenkins.

The Original Story

Little Briar Rose is the Grimm version of the famous story that we know as Sleeping Beauty.

A beautiful queen walks along a river one day, lamenting that she has been unable to have a child with the King. She comes across a fish, or frog depending on the account, who has flopped out of the river and is gasping for air. Alarmed, the queen rescues the fish and places it back into the water. The fish turns out to be magical (as many animals are, apparently) and rewards the Queen for her kindness by fulfilling her wish for a child. The Queen then gives birth to a daughter.

The celebration for the Princess's birth is a grand party and the Queen and King invite all nobles, peasants and and friends and neighboring allies to attend. They invited twelve fairies. There is a thirteenth fairy, but the King and Queen don't invite her because they don't have enough plates. Given that they are the King and Queen and could have ordered someone to bring an extra bowl, this seems a little ridiculous. The Thirteenth fairy was either a terrible guest or the Queen was simply scatterbrained and forgot to invite her. Regardless, during the party each of the fairies gift the princess with magical gifts such as beauty, wealth, kindness and so on. After the eleventh fairy gives their gift, the thirteenth fairy arrives, uninvited. 

Enraged, the thirteenth fairy lays a curse on the princess. On her sixteenth birthday she will prick her finger on a spinning wheel and die. She then leaves the distraught courtroom, cackling. The twelfth fairy quickly tries to undo the curse, but cannot. Instead, she changes is stating that the princess will not die but will fall into a deep slumber.

On her sixteenth birthday Briar Rose manages to find a spinning wheel, pricking her finger and falling into a deep slumber. Around the castle grows thick walls of brambles. The kingdom slumbers for one hundred years until a pathway opens in the brambles and a prince rides in. He kisses the princess or finds a way to wake her, and she marries him, releasing the kingdom from its spell.

The Backstory

The King and Queen were not the gracious rulers the original tale made them out to be. Like many in the kingdom, the King and Queen were terrified of magic and the fair folk who live in the woods surrounding the palace. Witches, fairies, goblins and gnomes are often hunted or burned alive. Any magic users are treated as abominations. 

The Queen had a morbid fascination with fairies. She ordered that any captured magical creatures be brought to her. She requested the captured fairies giver her a gift to save their lives, promising they would be released once their gifts were bestowed upon her and her unborn child. The fairies cast gifts but were betrayed. They were displayed by the queen in a manner of gruesome ways. Still alive.

It was then that the King made a mistake. The King invited a twelfth fairy to the celebration of his daughters birth; planning on having the fairy detained and displayed for her after the fairy bestowed her gift on the child. The fae creature they invited was not like those they had ever encountered before. She knew all about her kins ill fate. She was Uonaidh, High Queen of the Daoine Sidhe. Her other names, Mab, Morgan and Titania and she was angry. 

The ballroom darkened and Uonaidh placed upon the Princess a terrible curse; she would die on her sixteenth birthday, pricking her finger on a spinning wheel and upon her death the Kingdom would fall to into eternal nightmare. After the curse was sung, the High Queen of the Faeries granted the King and Queen a mercy. If they would release the captured Faeries, she would lift the curse. 

The Queen and King spent the next year hunting down every fairy and fae creature their Knights could find in hopes of capturing Uonaidh and reversing the curse. They burned all spinning wheels and cut the fingers off of everyone who hid them. 

The night before her sixteenth birthday, the young Princess, Briar Rose, discovered her mother and father’s gruesome collection. Unable help them all, Briar Rose could only rescue a single fairy from the displays. Thus, the mischievous Puck was finally free. Grateful for the kindness Briar Rose had shown him, he rewrote his mistresses curse so instead of death, the price was eternal slumber. 

Briar Rose pricked her finger on a spinning wheel and the entire Kingdom fell. Visiting diplomats, ambassadors and royalty collapsed where they stood and the King and Queen never rose from their bed. 

A great wall of roses and brambles grew around the enchanted palace sealing the now awakened soldiers of Uonaidh, who in the distorted world of Fae, enact their vengeance on the palace and its sleeping inhabitants. One hundred years have passed and the palace is now a realm of nightmare filled with riches and strange magics. If anyone dares to enter.

Uonaidh, High Queen of the Faeries

Uonaidh has been the queen of faeries since the beginning of time. She does not suffer fools lightly. In her mortal form she is a dark haired, pale skinned maiden with eyes that change colour with the seasons. Her body is draped with the furs of animals, who in her passing glory have skinned themselves to keep her warm. Human skulls adorn her shoulders and on her necklace hangs the skull of an infant. Her helmet is the head of a might goat, whose head is adorned with ivy, acorns and the antlers of a stag. 

When she is the Otherworlds, her skin is made of stars and the darkness of space, her eyes flash with lightning and filled with swirling storm clouds. She is both enormous and tiny, slim and voluptuous, her shape ever changing as she sits on a throne of twisted ivy and the heads of goats. To gaze on her too long is maddening. If she is touched by a mortal in this form, the individual is split apart and reassembled over and over for the rest of time. 

She is a trickster and she does not suffer fools. She is a vengeful goddess; believing herself above humans. She believes in “an eye for an eye”. She views humans as lesser creatures to be toyed with. Their souls are useful as servants. She delights in a few of their fancies; such as art, alcohol and festivals. She is intelligent and cold. However, like all Faeries, she cannot help herself when it comes to playing demented games and puzzles. She has an obligation to grant wishes; however, the fae are tricky and desire human souls to serve them in the otherworlds, so be careful what you wish for. 

She must pay a tithe to the devil every seven years; the reason why is not know, even she has forgotten and the price of her missing the tithe is cataclysmic for both human and fae. Her control of Briar Rose palace is strategic; every seven years she plucks a wrongdoer from the nightmare she has created and gifts her sacrifice to the devil. It is an easy place to harvest souls until she runs out of bodies. 

Over the 105 years the palace has been in slumber she has sacrificed 14 souls to the devil. She is due to gift her 15th soon. 

Uonaidh is a 18th level Elf or a 18th level Magic User. She is invulnerable in the Fae realm, however, she is vulnerable in the mortal world. The person who kills Uonaidh or accepts her duties as her Champion will enter into a pact with the devil. The player will gain her responsibility to fulfil the seven year tithe or bring about the end of the world. 

Bramble Forest

The Bramble Forest is Uonaidh’s first line of defence against intruders who seek to awaken the sleeping princess. It is a swarming mass of roses bushes and giant thorned vines. These vines are sentient and any damage to its natural habitat cause the vines to attack. The vines can be warded off with fire and torches. The thorns do not have leaves. There are great roses larger than a human growing from the enormous brambles. There are also smaller roses amongst the thickets about the base of the larger vines. 

Unsuccessful Bushcraft rolls will result in players becoming lost. The pathway through takes a full day to traverse, if it is correctly followed from the beginning. Players will need to roll a few times to ensure they are still following the same path as the vines move and change it. The path will never be the same and only a fairy guide can lead them through without the need for frequent Bushcraft or other skill rolls. 

The forest leads to the same place regardless of where you exit. It ends on the edge of a great hill that leads down into a valley where the castle sits. 

Once you enter the Bramble Forest, you are not able to find your way out again without the assistance of a fairy or waking or killing Briar Rose or Uonaidh. 

Encounters in the Bramble Forest

Here are a few random encounters for the Bramble Forest. 

1. Moonlit Pools

The party happen across a great shrine within a copse of trees. The shrine is a ring of stones carved into meter tall mushrooms. In the centre is a clear pool of water with a stone altar in the centre. The altar is decorated with flowers, berries, nuts and roses.. Regardless of the time of day outside of the copse of trees; a beam of moonlight falls on the water illuminating it. The water is waist deep and the pool has a 50 foot in diameter. 

When the players approach they will see nothing on the mushrooms at first from the outskirts of the copse of trees. If they enter, three beautiful water nymphs are sitting on the edge of the pool will fade into existence as if melting into the moonlight. If the nymphs notice the adventurers, they will beckon them closer and engage them in conversation. They will lament Uonaidh’s curse on the kingdom, expressing that it has completely ruined it for all Nymphs who just want to “have fun” with adventurers.

The nymphs intentions are either to sacrifice the adventurers to Uonaidh or to have sexual intercourse with the players. The latter may seem appealing, but remember, this is a weird tale and any kind of fun will often result in something extremely horrible. 

The nymphs will offer food. If the players eat any berries or nuts they will need to make a Save Vs Magic or they will not be able to leave the clearing without express permission from the nymphs. If the nymphs are killed and they have eaten any of the food on the altar they have a 2 in 6 chance of being unable to leave and be trapped in the clearing forever. 

If a player has intercourse with a nymph the nymph will turn into water upon climax and soak the player. The player, regardless of gender, is now pregnant and the player is now a nymphomaniac. The longer they go without sex the faster their HP and their strength deteriorates. If they have sex, the NPC or player they have sex with also experiences this effect. If their strength hits 3, they die. 

If the players attempt to leave without giving the nymphs what they want or eating the nymphs will become aggressive and attack. One of the nymphs knows the way through the forest. 

2. Knights of the Rose

The Knights of the Rose, lead by Knight Captain Perrault, are out hunting fairies. There are six left out of the original two hundred. They wander up and down the same road and have done for the last 105 years. They are aware of how long they have been walking but they have not aged a day. During the night they camp by the side of the pathway they have trodden for years and the path is now resembling a well word ditch. 

The Knights eat anything that wanders across their temporal path. Out of the two hundred, many starved, were eaten by their comrades in times of hardship or froze during the winter due to a lack of suppliers. Because the players are not part of Uonaidh’s curse, they can leave the path whenever they wish. If the Knights attempt to follow, they appear back where they started their hunt. 

Perrault is convinced the curse will lift if the Princess, Briar Rose, is killed. If the Knights are hungry there is a 2 in 6 chance that they may rob or attack the players in an attempt to get food regardless of honour. 

3. The Drinking Party

There is a grand party being held in a clearing. During the day, the party is being set up and prepared by Nymphs, Fae Folk and Satyrs. They are friendly and will ask the players to assist them in pressing the wine, setting out the banquet and cooking the meat. 

Search rolls will reveal the tabards, boots, swords and shields of the Knights of the Rose kept in barrels or containers stained with blood. What the players don't know if the meat at the party has been hunted by the Maenads and Satyrs from the eternally trapped Knights of the Rose. 

The players may also be able to find the severed heads of Knights. The tops of their heads have been removed and wine has been poured into the scooped out skull. These would be hidden by the fair folk. 

During the night, great fires burn, Nymphs, Fae folk and Satyrs dance playing lutes, pipes and drums. The adventurers are welcome to the alcohol and the food at the party (the meat is human). 

If the players sleep at the party and do not take shifts, they will wake to find themselves bound together with their weapons removed due to be chopped up and eaten for the next night's party. 

Any of the Fae at the party are able to lead the party through the forest. 

4. The Millers Cottage

A two story, quaint cottage sits abandoned by a stream. There is a large water wheel. Inside the cottage the kitchen is in disarray and the living room is covered in dust. The cottage has not been lived in for years. 

Upstairs, three skeletons dressed in rotting dresses lie impaled by swords on their beds. One wears red, one wears green and the other wears blue. 

There is a young girl's room with pictures of castles, butterflies and roses drawn in chalk on the walls. The bedroom is empty and full of cobwebs. 

If the players search the bedroom, they will be able to find a map through the forest. This map is years old and completely inaccurate. It has been drawn by a child. Following this map will only cause the players to become more lost. 

5. Puck

Puck is watching the players from the brambles and rose bushes. Puck loves to play tricks on players. As the players walk through the forest, they begin to experience some strange happenstances. 

Puck will cause one or more of the following faerie pranks to happen: 

1. Any food or drink has a human face and screams whenever it is consumed by the player. 

2. Any seats, stones or logs that the player sits on sinks into the earth or throws them off. 

3. Any metal the player holds becomes white hot and burns doing 1d4 damage for every minute the player touches it. 

4. Brambles and vines will raise up attempting to separate one of the players from the rest of the party and have them walk in circles 

5. Any fires or torches will be blown out followed by a childish cackling. 

If Puck is caught or convinced to speak with the players he knows the true story of Briar Rose. He knows that killing the princess will result in a fate worse than death for the players and the way through the forest to the palace. 

6. Fairy Dust

A copse of thick vines surrounds the bodies of five adventurers. They all appear to have been settled down to camp. Their bodies are a few days old and their skin is just beginning to rot. Their bodies are covered in a thick fungus. The fungus is bio-luminescent at night. 

The bodies have a few gold or silver pieces covering it and standard adventuring equipment. 

If the players search or touch any of the bodies they need to make a Save Vs. Poison. If they fail their Save Vs. Poison they will be infected with the fungal spores that have covered the body. These fungal spores are Ophiocordyceps Unilateralis. This fairy dust spread by the denizens of the forest.

The player is now immune to any ingested poisons and they are do not need to eat every day to survive. However, they are infected with a mind controlling fungus. The fungus begins to grow thicker over the body of the player eventually immobilizing them. Each day the player will need to make a Save Vs. Poison to delay the spread of the fungus. Eventually, a great fungal branch erupts from the players orifices and spreads further spores. Fairies harvest these fungi as a delicacy. 

An antidote by magic users or specialists on an intelligence roll. This will take a full day of research to concoct and require a clean working environment. Uonaidh can remove the fungus. 

7. The Wishing Fish

An emerald river runs through the great vines and rose bushes. The river is teeming with fat golden fish and croaking frogs. The river, if followed, does not lead anywhere. If the players follow the river, it has them walking in circles. 

If the players catch a fish it will shriek with a human voice and demand to be put back into the river. It will offer the player a wish if they agree. The player can wish for whatever they want however the fish will interpret the wish incorrectly. Only 2 in 6 fish are wishing fish.

If a player wishes for example "I wish I had I was rich" the fish will nod and grant it. The player will receive no gold but their flesh will taste very rich and delicious. Any wolves or creatures in the forest will instantly attack the player. If the player says "I wish I was immortal" the player will live forever, however they will age as normal to the point they are living dust on the wind and they will still die if wounded. 

If a player captures a frog and kisses it, the frog will turn into a grotesque half human half frog hybrid. It will be unable to move and its limbs will be swollen, slick with mucus and twisted horribly. Its human eyes will bulge out of its head and its gumless mouth will mouth "kill me!". 

8. Once Upon A Dream

The players might come across a young woman singing and gathering roses on the pathway they travel. She is a beautiful raven haired woman with red lips. When she meets the players she will seem

dazed and confused by her surroundings. She will fall asleep halfway through conversations and igf asked about the palace she will point in different directions for where it is.

She will offer the players roses that she has picked. If the players attempt to harm her, the brambles around her will leap to her defence. 

This is a shade of Briar Rose; the dreams of those in the castle often leak into the reality of the bramble forest. 

She might accompany the players if they ask her too however as soon as they begin their journey again after meeting her she will disappear. Then, the players will all wake up in the dead of night suddenly realizing that the woman was a dream. They will have no recollection of going to sleep.

Part 2

Part 2 will be coming soon! This will involve going into nightmarish palaces and meeting the strange Denizens of Uonaidh's court. 

Until then, enjoy!

Images from Wiki. Commons and by Kathryn Jenkins