The White Rose

In the Spectre of the Black Rose novel, the White Rose is the leader of the Thorns of the White Rose resistance group. Her organization opposed Lord Soth in ways both conventional (banditry, spying, etc.) and less conventional (the transformation of Sithicus through a complicated cryptic series of mystical acts). In addition to her normal humanoid followers, she also commanded the obedience of the the Whispering Beast.

The White Rose is a female elf who knew Lord Soth's origins, which led him to initially think she was Kitiara reborn in the flesh. However, this conclusion proved false, as Soth discovered the White Rose's true identity to be the spirit of his second wife, Isolde Denissa.

On The Nature of the White Rose

The White Rose described herself and the Whispering Beast as "agents of a justice older than Sithicus, older than even Soth." There purpose was to remind Soth that "such justice reaches even into those places even into those places hidden from the gods." Dragon Magazine calls the Whispering Beast a supernatural agent, a label which might probably could be extended to the White Rose herself

Although she claims to Ganelon to serve some sort of ancient force of justice, the White Rose tells Soth that it was her curse that brought her to Ravenloft to make him remember and feel the curse once more.

History in Spectre of the Black Rose

Though Soth and Azrael seek to root out the White Rose and her gang of rebels, her goals remain largely a mystery until the later half of the book.

When Ganelon reaches the Lair of the Whispering Beast, the White Rose reveals the nature of her plans. Those of the Thorns not gone off to quest pour sacks of gathered white and red roses into purified cauldron furnaces in order to shine the Krynnish moons of Lunitari and Solinari upon Sithicus such that Soth will face judgement. The White Rose offers Ganelon a trade: to heal Helain of madness in exchange for the collection and delivery of the red roses they needed for Solinari.

To assist Ganelon, the Whispering Beast gave a severed ear from his necklace of severed ears. This allows Ganelon to lead and command the Whispering Beast's wards by speaking into the ear. Later, the Bloody Cobbler reveals to Ganelon that Helain's madness has been cured when Solinari rises.

The White Rose intervenes in Lord Soth's fight with Inza during the Hour of Screaming Shadows, revealing her true nature as Isolde, brought there by the curse she had laid upon Soth centuries ago. Before she could be released from it, Isolde once more had to sting Soth once more and bring him to remember his curse. She presents to Soth a ghostly Peradur once more, and once again he turns away from his child. The shadows fall upon and demolish Nedragaard Keep, essentially repeating the disaster that destroyed Dragaard Keep so long before. With this, Soth's memory was restored, and he saw all that acts, both malevolent and benevolent, he had committed during his existence.

Final Whereabouts and True Nature

In the epilogue of the book, Soth is returned to Krynn. With his vanishing from the Land of Mists, so too the White Rose, the Bloody Cobbler, and the Whispering Beast also vanished (the latter two being manifestations of Soth's son, Peradur). Curiously, although Isolde was supposed to be freed from her curse by punishing Soth one last time according to SotBR, Inza's entry in Gazetteer IV mentions that the White Rose still can be encountered as a benevolent spectral being within the ruins of Nedregaard Keep.