Rosenstern's Background

The being who would be known briefly as Kabatstselael (from Hebrew, "Chabatstseleth" or 'rose,' thus almost literally, "Rose of God") was initially sent to Earth along the shores of the Danube. One of the first things he did was to look up into Earth's night sky and decide that each star was an angel. It was a young and silly thought, he knew, since he was already developed enough to realize the stars were distant suns, light-years away... but that didn't concern him too much. He knew what they were; but he also gave them a symbolic meaning.

He fledged as an Intercessionist relatively early, much to the consternation of some of the other angels in the region. Still, he was welcomed into their ranks and instructed as one of Novalis' own, though he was closely watched for his own protection.

In 1703 he was given his first assignment as a gardener for the Ratisbon Schottenklöster monastery. Things went well for thirty years, and Kabatstselael was well known to the townsfolk and monks. It was during this time he took the name "Rosenstern" -- literally, "Star-Roses" -- as it seemed to fit him so much better. He would often be in the garden sky gazing, so the name seemed fitting for his earthly Role. Since that time, his "true" Celestial name has become mostly forgotten, except by those who actually knew him way back when. Amongst that number were an Elohite of Trade, and a Cherub of the Sword who was the protector of the Ratisbon monastery.

All didn't go too well, however... one night there were visitors to the lovely garden -- Rosie took his gardening extremely seriously. The young Mercurian went to them to offer comfort if they needed it, or just company. As it turned out, they wanted neither. They were Soldiers of Hell in service to Corruption, and they had heard from their Impudite and Calabite "handlers" of how nice a garden the monastery had. They decided to vandalize the garden, and were in the process of this when Rosenstern came upon them. The young Mercurian was hardly pleased, and forgot the first rule of being an Intercessionist: you don't hurt humans.

When the dust settled, Rosie's vessel was a bit battered, one of the Soldiers was running off, and the other had a head injury from fallen stonework. Unfortunately, despite Rosie's efforts and a lack of spare Essence on his part, the Soldier died.

Normally, when one of Novalis' angels becomes dissonant, they get called back to Heaven, are counseled, work off their dissonance, and return to their work. This is what happened to Rosie as well... but he asked to have an additional penalty imposed upon him. Since he had fledged much earlier than normal, he requested time to meditate and ponder things before he once again returned to interacting with mortals. Novalis, a little reluctantly (but perhaps knowingly) permitted this, and Rosie became the lay-brother gardener for the Ratisbon monastery, spending one hundred years within the walls of the monastery.

During this time, he was protected by the presence of the various Cherubs of the Sword who guarded the monastery. The monks, who were aware of the War themselves, grew to accept their gardener being an angel who would do no more than talk with them. In the end, Rosie tended not only the decorative foliage but also their food-gardens, talked with those monks who had not taken vows of silence, meditated within the cloisters and, late at night, lay awake and stargaze.

At the end of the hundred years, he and Novalis felt that he was ready to return to his choral duties for Flowers. One night soon thereafter his Mutter came to him in the monastery, and granted him the Numinous Corpus... for his dedication to his penance, for the little things he found so important to do right in the time of his penance, for how seriously he took his work. He indulged a little, in celebration -- that night, in the mountains nearby, in overcast skies where nobody was watching, Rosie was closer to the stars than he ever had been.

That was in 1855. That year, along with one of Novalis' Elohim, an Eliite Cherub who would become attuned to the castle, an Ofanite of Stone, and a Menunite and Seraph of Dreams, he went to the Pollat Gorge to help oversee the planning and construction of Neuschwanstein. There were some issues with demons -- in particular, Beleth sought to cause Neuschwanstein to be destroyed -- but they were mostly thwarted. Unfortunately, the death of King Ludwig Konig in 1886 left the nearly-finished castle uncompleted, and the angels were forced to disband.

The Great War was not kind to Europe, though fortunately what Rosie saw was minor and distant. He remained very far from the fighting, helping families rebuild from a chaos he only heard about and didn't see. Mostly he tended gardens, provided flowers for courts and churches, and did what he could to keep peoples' spirits up. Through it all there was always another, much more experienced angel with him. Usually it was another Novalite, but sometimes it was an angel of Trade, Creation, or Dreams -- even an angel of Jordi was there once -- to keep him from having to deal with the more violent elements that began to abound.

During those difficult times, Rosie and the other German angels ended up more often than not trying to clean up after Malphas' Servitors' work. Weimar Germany was a hotbed of factions, with the Stahlhelm, Natzionalsocialist Deutschearbeiterparti, and others vying for control in a discontented culture. Rosie called for assistance, but all over the world it was becoming harder and harder.

It was under instructions from Yves that Novalis kept Rosie and her other Intercessionists from going to Munich that day. Indeed, for most of the rest of the Weimar period and the Second World War he was kept away from Berlin and the surrounding areas. He was certainly a sensitive soul, and perhaps Novalis and Yves realized that he and others like him, while very badly needed for their beliefs and relative innocence -- so important to future work -- would be devastated if they were directly exposed to what was happening. Rosenstern in particular, due to his attachment to Germany, would have been appalled at what he saw.

The young angel knew none of this, of course. He would always wonder why Destiny and Flowers kept him and other Intercessionists in Heaven, though he would later read the history of what happened. Indeed, the Second World War was a hard one for all Friends of Man in Europe. Rosie spent most of it in Heaven, doing work for Flowers. He was thus not exposed to much of the devastation wrought, and did not work with the streams of blessed but very unhappy souls which poured into Heaven during that time. He still had faith in humanity.

He returned to Earth in 1952, spending a little time (more nostalgic than anything) in Ratisbon and along the Danube before moving to Berlin. Again, he was mostly a gardener, but he also began expanding his portfolio somewhat, interacting more with humanity. It was during this time there was a minor plot undertaken by some demons of Factions to instigate trouble between the East and West German authorities. While this would doubtless fail to cause any sort of international incident between NATO and the Warsaw Pact, it would certainly cause trouble for the celestials working on both sides of the Berlin Wall.

Though it made him more nervous than he'd ever been, and risked attracting the attention of the Game, Rosie managed to rise to the occasion. He served as a courier for the angelic hosts between both sides of the Berlin Wall. Of course, for almost all of this time he was well-protected by other angels, but for the first time it was for a reason other than him being delicate and fragile: he was actually important to them. His Role of a florist made him innocuous even to the East German border guards, who let him through repeatedly, never realizing he was a courier as well.

It was this year of work which made Rosenstern one of Novalis' favored servitors -- though it can be argued that all of Mom's Servitors are favored, in their own way. At that point he was taken up to Heaven for several years, working with the newly-arrived blessed souls; shortly after he was sent down to help with the 'flower children' movement. Rosie made an unusual hippie; having lived through the Great War and the celestial and ethereal tragedy surrounding Neuschwanstein, he had a slightly better appreciation of the more warlike angels than most of Flowers' own. Still, he was much, much more comfortable without having to actually fight.

He was sent down to Arizona to start this work and see it through to the end. Someone had been causing the peace demonstrations to turn violent, and this bothered everyone in service to Flowers greatly. Rosie went down to Earth to try and help find out what was going on and, if possible, to help stop it. During his time on Earth, early on he met (much to his consternation) a tough Malakite of War named Ellie. Though the two were about as mismatched a pair of Celestials as could be, they became acquaintances and helped each other out a few times during the chaotic period of the peace demonstrations. It was during one of these demonstrations that Rosie ran into -- almost literally -- a Seraph of Stone who had also just arrived in Phoenix, though via a different route....

Rosenstern's Questionnaire

What's your name?

Rosenstern. I know, I know, it's a mortal name, *laugh* -I'm perfectly happy with it. It's kind of fitting, you know? "Rosen," of course, German for "roses" -- Novalis likes that. And "stern," German for "star." So... roughly Star-Roses. Oh... you mean my True Name? Heavens, I haven't used it in such a long time. Nobody does, really. It's Kabatstselael, which roughly means "Rose of God." Very roughly.

What does your vessel look like -- gender, height, weight, apparent age, hair, eyes, skin, etc.?

Let's see... I would be called male, just about six feet tall, about early thirties. I've got a nice mane of auburn hair, long but neat, brushing my shoulders. Green eyes, dusky skin... not bad looking, all told, though that's not why I chose that form. No, really, it isn't! *sigh* Anyway, where was I? Oh, yes. I know it's likely that when I'm in the mortal realms I'll be involved in a lot of messy things. That's to be expected, I'm there on business after all -- but that doesn't mean I shouldn't look my best. A green shirt with dark brown pants, and a matching vest. Loafers on my feet. It probably wouldn't stand up to a fight, but I'm not planning on getting into any, now, am I?

What is your earthly Role?

Well, traditionally I've helped mortals to create gardens together, to use them as gathering spaces and places to enjoy each others' company peacefully and in joy. Of late I've worked to help maintain botanical gardens and forests in the United States.

How old are you in actuality? What and when was your first earthly assignment?

Age? That's a little hard to apply to celestials, you know. Well, all the same, I've been on Earth for a while. Only about 200 or 300 years.

Have you always worked for your current Superior?

Novalis? For as long as I can remember.

Have you ever erred seriously under this Superior?

Well... once, yes. I had fledged a bit early -- I'm not entirely sure why, but in 1702 I fledged from a Reliever to an Intercessionist. Some of the angels in Germany were worried that I fledged too early, but I was still welcomed.

My first assignment was to tend the gardens at the Ratisbon monastery, one of the few Scotch monasteries in Germany. Since it was important, the garden was important too. Mutter -- that is, Novalis, sent me there to tend to the garden. I think it was a goodwill arrangement with the Sword, but I never asked. I was just glad to do it.

Well, apparently I did my job too well. One night I came upon a pair of Soldiers of Hell vandalizing the garden. I... lost it. I got angry, very angry, and the next thing I remember clearly, I was beaten up a bit, one of the Soldiers was running away, and the other was dying, from stonework that had fallen on him during the fighting. I tried to help him, I really did, but I had used too much Essence in the fight, and I wasn't skilled enough with the Corporeal Song of Healing. He died, and I could feel the guilt jarring myself, against my nature.

Mom and I talked about it, and we both agreed that I should spend some time meditating on this, thinking about it, seeing where I went wrong and letting myself more fully develop as an angel before I would go out amongst mortals again. It would only be a short time -- well, a relatively short time; a hundred years or so -- and I would remain in the Ratisbon monastery for that time. I would not be permitted to manifest celestially. I would not be permitted to use Songs. I would not advance in Forces.

I spent one hundred years there, talking with the monks, meditating, tending their food-garden as well as the more decorative gardens. They knew I was an angel; the monks were aware of the War. I talked with them, did what I could for them, though I was still young and there's only so much I could say or do for them. But... in a sense I know I welcomed it. I was glad for the chance to properly study my nature and myself, and become more in tune with it. At the end, Novalis came and released me from my penance, and granted me the Numinous Corpus for... well, for sticking to my penance, and for doing what I could for the monks.

What is your working relationship with your Superior like?

I like working for Novalis. She has a wonderful, very, well... "earthy" feel for the mortals, and for making their lives a little easier.

Would you be interested in service to a different Superior?

Uhm... no. Definitely not. Maybe I've just gotten used to Novalis' way of doing things.

What do you think your Superior would say are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

That's a hard one. I don't think anyone can like the mortals more than Novalis, but some of the celestials I've worked with have said I care about them too much. Ugh, some of Michael's warbrands like harping on that to me. But I can't help it. It's my nature. The mortals... you can't put them through suffering all the time. *sigh* I know, I know... all the Hosts have their natures, all of us provide to the Symphony. I'm not foolish enough to say that there's no place for war and stoicism, and that there's no place for suffering. Even a tree needs to be properly pruned now and then, after all.

If you were assigned a Word today, what would it be?

*laugh* I've been a "generalist" for so long, I'm not sure what Word it would be. I'll have to get back to you on that.

Do you have the ambition to seek a Word?

I'm perfectly happy to let it come to me when Novalis and I feel I'm ready. Which may be a very long while, but that doesn't bother me, really.

Do you have friends on the Other Side? Does your Superior know?

Friends? Well... no, not really. I've run into a few of the Lilim -- hard not to. I mean, mortals sometimes associate flowers with coupling. Usually the Lilim end up disappointed, since flowers aren't used as a preamble to coupling like some of the younger Lilim think they are. But anywhere there's joy and happiness, there'll probably be a Lilim around somewhere. Or an Impudite.

I'm still confused as to what to do when I run into them. I'm not a fighter; I can't just up and attack them. But at the same time they pervert everything that... well, everything that makes me who I am. I've heard of Seraphim getting incredibly persnickety when they run into Balseraphs, to the point where the duels are almost mythic. You don't hear the same thing going on about Friends and Takers, really. So I usually tell the nearest, more fighting-inclined angel; I haven't yet tried to take an Impudite on my own.

Still, sometimes I haven't even been able to do that, so there's been an... uncomfortable avoidance of fighting when I run into a Taker -- and yet I'm comfortable with not fighting them. You get to know the people in the neighborhood, you know? Even if they are... the Other Side. You make contacts. I'm glad, though, that it's mostly been Lilim I've had to deal with. And some Impudites. I'd have my hands full if somehow I ran into a Calabite. But Calabites and flowers don't seem to mix. Fortunately. I don't really relish trying to convince one of them to not make a mess of things. But *sigh* I'd try. It's what I do.

How do you feel about Demons in general? Are there Bands or Princes to whom you're more opposed than others?

Well... the Calabim are horrors, surely. I can't stand them. They destroy, destroy, destroy. Nothing spreads sorrow like destruction. They'll tramp all over the gardens of the Earth with nary a second glance. But that's just on general terms. Personally, I have nothing against the Fallen Ofanim. It's the Impudites who bother me on a deep, deep level. As for princes... Kobal. Oh, Novalis is opposed to Malphas, of course, and so I am too. Discord spreads chaos and discontent, sorrow and suffering -- you should have seen the mess he made in Weimar Germany!

But Kobal... he's my personal pet peeve. How many people have been shattered by someone laughing at them, taking advantage of their misfortune, all to satisfy some wicked sense of humor? It's abhorrent; it's disgusting. I have no sympathy for what will happen to Kobal.

Are there specific Attunements, Songs, Skills, etc., which you don't currently have but are pursuing?

Someday, perhaps, I would like to learn to fashion the Crown of Flowers. I know, it's pretty silly -- here we are in a veritable war. What's a few minutes of happiness going to do for anyone? Well, I feel that there's more to joy than the emotion. There are the effects of that joy, which can last for much, much longer. I would need to learn more, though, before I can use such a thing appropriately. Joy, like Michael's swords, are not to be distributed with abandon.

What's your general opinion of mortals?

I feel for them, deeply and strongly. They are bound to Earth for a reason. They have a special role in the Symphony.

What about the whole sex thing? Have you ever had sex with a mortal?

Well, I'm a Mercurian, not a Lilim. But it certainly isn't a bad thing. The mortals I have been with, I have never left in anything like a bad way; we enjoyed each other's presence, then parted our ways amicably and, I like to hope, the both of us the better for the time.

Have you ever killed a mortal?

What in the...? No, never! Of all the cursed things... I'm very highly insulted you even thought to ask me that! The very idea is abhorrent to me! It's bad enough other angels kill mortals now and then, even if they say it's 'necessary.'

But... saying that... the idea is very much anathema to me, but I have to admit... I did cause the death, indirectly, of that Soldier. I won't let my actions be the cause of anything like that again.

What's your attitude towards mortal laws?

They are often more harm than help to them. A poorly written law can cause untold suffering. But a well-written law can create a good, harmonious community. There are just so few of those.

Religions?

*sigh* Too many religions caused so much strife in the world, but... there's no helping that. It's sadly inevitable, but maybe we can make some good from the differences.

Sin?

That's a rather broad term. Sin in mortals' eyes, or sin in Celestials' eyes?

Are there mortal habits which you've acquired?

Well... does stopping to smell the flowers count? *laugh* I drive some of my companions crazy doing that, but I can't help it. And I occasionally sleep. Dreams can make for a very interesting reflection on one's self and the world around.

What about God? What's up with Him?

He's the Primum Immobile, the Joyful Sower and the Sorrowful Reaper, that which is our central, guiding light. I'll spare you what other angels see as the 'silly flower' philosophy of Novalis.

And Lucifer? What's his deal?

You know he used to be an angel. Well, of course you knew that, but... he had been meant to help humanity. That was his role, his position. I know he was a Seraph, one of the Most Holy, and now the Arch-Balseraph, but I sometimes find myself thinking... was he a Mercurian? They say he's a Balseraph now, but was he once the same choir as I am?

Have you ever doubted God's wisdom or questioned your place in the Symphony? What if God was one of us? Just a slob like one of us?

I believe that God's been where we are, in a sense. I mean, I'm sure God gets out and around, just very quietly. He's been there. He's seen what we've seen. I can't really question that.

Do you like to fight? Are you good at it?

Uhm, no. And no. Next question.

With what musical instrument do you associate your part in the Symphony? What musical style?

*laugh* Myself, of course! You don't need a musical instrument to play in the Symphony. It is its own music. The players are their own instruments.

Do mortals have free will? What about Celestials?

Of course they do. What entity in their right mind would be so disharmonious as to put others through suffering? ...uhm, let me get back to you on that second one...

Who's your best friend? Worst enemy? Most hated rival?

I've fortunately not made any significant enemies or rivals in my time.

You're told that the Game is investigating you. How do you react?

Er... let them? I don't really have anything to hide. Novalis knows anything I've done that might be questionable, and why in the world would the Game be investigating me? Well, all right, there was that time in Berlin, but that was a long time ago, and I wasn't going to let them catch me! Okay, it would make me nervous.

What if they're investigating your best friend?

I would be surprised if they didn't keep tabs on all angels, but it would bother me, greatly. I'd do everything I could to keep them away from the Game.

Have you ever accumulated significant Dissonance, or even Discord?

You already know the answer to this, I'm afraid.

Your best friend is perilously close to Tripping, even Falling. How do you handle it? What if he or she has already Fallen? Has a friend of yours ever Tripped or Fallen?

I'd do what I can to hold him back from the brink, of course. If they'd already Fallen... well, I guess I'll have my first friend on the Other Side, wouldn't I? I would do what I can to pull them back. If there is one thing that I have learned, it's that the souls of mortals do not ascend with selfishness, but rather with sacrifice and love.

Is there anything that could make you defy the will of your Superior? What about the Will of God? What if you're ordered to perform actions which run contrary to your deepest individual commitments?

...Novalis is the last one I would ever want to disappoint, right after God. This isn't a vacation; angels do not get vacations. Well, not per se. My nature can't take a vacation, and what I do is my nature. Next question, please.

If you could eradicate one sin in the corporeal realm, what would it be? What if you could maximize one virtue?

One sin? I didn't know there was really a level of categorization.

Is there a mortal whose character you particularly admire?

None in particular. They're all admirable in their own way.

Despise?

*sigh* And, yes, they all have something despicable about them in their own way. Maybe that's one of the reasons why we love them so much.

What do you do when you don't have a specific assignment?

*laugh* I work with flowers there, when I can, and do what I can to ease suffering. I know I seem like I have a one-track mind. But I'm an angel; unlike mortals I don't have the blessed ignorance of what my purpose in life is.

With whom do you associate if the choice is entirely yours?

Mortals. I spend time in the earthly realms, just... well, living. Yes, it reminds me of the time I did penance, but not in a bad way! The hearts and minds and souls of mortals are what the Symphony is all about.

With whom do you prefer not to associate?

*uncomfortable shifting* Well, there are a few choirs of angels I could cheerfully let carry on far and away from where I am. Of course, Impudites I would cheerfully avoid. Or at least, that's what I think I would say.

How do you dress? Do you pay much attention to mortal fashion? Do you have any tattoos or piercings?

I pay some attention... I dress as appropriate. When approaching many mortals, you have to be in a form and fashion so that they'll listen to you. A broker on the stock market running the risk of corruption -- I know, sounds already like a lost cause, doesn't he? -- isn't going to give a bum a second glance, even if that bum were shouting out the Higher Powers' Truth. He would need to be approached by someone he at first perceives as an equal. Fashion is just the foot used to get in the door, of course. A proper mortal wouldn't mind what a person was wearing, if they heard the Truth from them.

Assuming for a moment that you enjoy mortal entertainment, what's your favorite movie? Book? Album?

I don't watch movies much. I watch people who watch movies. As for books, they're very good for getting into the mind of the author. Yes, I see them more as tools than as something to enjoy, I imagine. Music is another thing entirely, though. I love music!

If you had to compare yourself to a media personality, who would it be?

Uhm... I wouldn't, I don't think.

Is there a media personality who screams "NYBBAS"?

Several, but nothing I have definite proof of...

Do you eat or drink? Smoke? Use drugs? Details, please, thanks.

I eat, I drink, when in human company. I can enjoy food and drink, as well. I don't smoke, though fire doesn't seem to like me too much. There are some vegetables and plants that have some iiiiiinteresting effects on mortal bodies.

Do you know what "felching" is? Who the fuck thinks of that? Seriously, that's fucked up.

I imagine now would be a good time to forgo the request of 'next question' and go right to 'end of interview.'