The Book of Knots - Jags

Book of Knots - The Caretakers
62
(canon?) of the Department of Works and turned it downwards into
Wonderland.
But it failed. Now, those who come and learn and suffer are fewer.
The Caretakers would destroy the temple, but it is protected in various
ways—sometimes Deconstructionists stay there for a time, waiting until
they can slip quietly away. The Rose waits, though, until it can gather
strong enough followers or revise Llamed to a more virulent strain.
Personality and Description
The Black Rose is about 12 inches high. It has, however, an incredible
psychic presence and drawings show a vast rose looming over the
person who has gotten audience. It speaks telepathically. It is cool and
androgynous in its manner. It is a prime user of people and by the time
one has made it to see it, they are often Twisted to its liking.
Disposition Towards Man
Man is the calibrating device for the Department of Works—man’s
Infection will be its triumph (that mankind will mostly be destroyed and
otherwise pretty much driven mad by this is icing on the cake). That
said, individually, the Rose is a stern teacher and even cruel at times but
not murderous. It demands respect and may (physically or mentally)
punish those who displease it—but it usually does not kill them. It would
rather send an iterant Infected back with a new strain of Wonderland
Infection to see if it can test a mass-infection-plan than bury another
body.
Strains of Wonderland: Many people who visit the rose come back
with temporary variances in their Infectiousness. In some cases they
may be temporary retrievers, able to carry devices out of Wonderland
(this may be discriminate—all to often they can carry ‘trivial’ things
out but not the really Impossible Things they (and the Rose) would
like. They may also return with a bigger “tidal pull” able to Infect
those nearby more readily during their next Episode (but, alas, this
usually doesn’t last nor is it transmitted).
The Rose As A Teacher
Visiting the Rose does not necessitate going through the shattering,
twisting chambers of Truth—if one seeks an audience, there is
usually a way to arrange it. The Rose, however, can be convinced to
teach magic for a trade in carrying Twisteds and Infections back to
Chessboard Zero.
Encounter Threat
Low. If one misbehaves in the Temple, they may be flogged. If one
annoys the Rose (comes in to make deals with it that are clearly one
sided) they may be Twisted and Infected with some test strain and kicked
out—but even this is rarely deadly and often no more than extremely