Black Rose
The last warning you will ever get, the last thing you will ever see....
This very rare species of the rose is native only to one small area on Kirileth, but is also cultivated by members of the Mattiel Syndicate to use as a symbol. This can either be a threat, warning or a sign that a debt is being called to be re-paid. The meaning of this depends on how the black rose is delivered. If it is standing in a slender vase then it is a sign that you have a debt outstanding with the organisation and that it is time to pay what is due, either financially or by doing some sort of job or favour for them. However, if you are sent this by some form of courier then it is a warning that you have displeased the guild in some way. This is not to be taken lightly as it may be the last warning you ever get unless you are prepared to do whatever it takes to make things right. Even then you must tread very very careful indeed from that point onwards. Any further issues will certainly be dealt with very efficiently and your life would be forfeit.
The worst case scenario is if you either wake up with one laying next to you or it is pinned to your front door in the morning. This is a very severe threat and it is time to just drop everything and run. At this point you are nothing more than mere prey to the Syndicate and your existence on the mortal plane is very soon coming to an abrupt end. Even though you may run there is certain to be someone watching from somewhere who will follow you wherever you go and it is their job to report back and wait for the person, or persons, sent to deal with the problem. Whether you stay or run the ultimate end is the same, you are sure to be dead soon anyway.
This symbolism started over 100 years ago and is in fact not often used by the Syndicate. If they do have an issue to deal with then it is usually done without going to these lengths, although violence is seen as a last resort, often being detrimental to the needs of the business. That is not to say that they shy away from such things if the need does arise. The Black Rose has not been used as a warning for over twenty years now, on this occasion the person had just enough time to register the rose on his door before an arrow entered through his eye and pierced the back of his skull, being dead before they hit the ground. No sign was ever found of the one that shot the arrow and the murder was mysteriously never solved. It has been used to call in a debt many times since then, which is how it is most commonly utilized. Madame Giselle Laroche is the one to normally do such things, ever the fan of dramatic statements. Most others in the guild just don't bother with such fanfare, they would rather just complete the job, be done with it and move on to the next thing.
Item type
Communication
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