Rhoda née Eliot Rossi
Rhoda Rossi is the long-vanished and thought-dead mother of Stefano Rossi.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
A hulking figure draped in dark clothes. From a distance, she is a pitiful wretch; while in close proximity; she reeks of fish.
Rhoda appears as a large, bulky, vaguely feminine figure. She is swathed in black clothes from head to toe. She wears a large, decrepit Easter bonnet, fitted with a filthy opaque veil, atop her misshapen head. Her gait is an unsteady, shuffling limp. Only rarely does she speak, and then only in a low, croaking whisper; the tone is so unpleasant and alien that listeners seldom recall her words.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
- Link: trails the investigators (The Widow, page 165).
THE WIDOW
Rhoda (née Eliot) Rossi is still alive—and contrary to what her son thinks, has not abandoned him. When Stefano Rossi was a young boy, Rhoda began to undergo physiological changes, causing her great discomfort. Her doctors were unable to diagnose the situation; thus, Rhoda could find no help. With the departure of her husband and son, Rhoda turned to wandering the streets. Rhoda knows there’s something bad about Innsmouth, something terrible, evil, and horrifying. While her body changed, this wormy thought gnawed at her mind. Very little is left of the kind and happy girl who ran away from her family. As of late, she has been filled with a near-irresistible urge to return to Innsmouth. Such desires also come with a sense of frustration and violence, which sometimes force her to lash out. Now, Rhoda haunts the streets of Harlem, frequenting the places where her son and family live. She often follows the children to and from school, watching from afar; she does not interact with her family members, although she occasionally waves at Ava, the youngest of Rossi’s children. While the children are in school, Rhoda often visits the St. Mark the Evangelist Church. When she and Nunzio arrived in Harlem, she happily adopted his Roman Catholic faith. Despite Rhoda growing less human, she still attends Mass (a veil hides her physical transformation), and while considered somewhat odd, she is generally accepted by the multicultural parish community—even if she steadfastly maintains an understandably aloof presence. Tough Rhoda is routinely seen in Harlem: dressed in dark clothes and face hidden beneath a hat and veil, she is an anonymous derelict, quickly forgotten. Those who remember the strange woman call her “the Widow.”MEETING THE WIDOW
The two encounters with Rhoda Rossi are outlined. These scenes should escalate as the investigation progresses, serving to reveal the horrible fate that awaits Stefano Rossi. Scene: 2.2 Rhoda- Chasing Down a Dream: the first encounter should take place after the investigators have met with Stefano Rossi and his family (Going the Distance, page 162). Here, the investigators notice Rhoda Rossi’s dark form watching from the street.
- A Guardian Angel’s Plight: ideally takes place on Thursday night, and serves to illustrate the doom posed by Rossi’s heritage. Here, the investigators encounter Rhoda, getting the chance to hear her speak and glimpse her true form (bulging eyes, lip-less mouth, misshapen head, webbed fingers, and so on). In so doing, the investigators may deduce Stefan Rossi’s ultimate fate.
Social
Mannerisms
Mad and guilty of terrible crimes; a pitiable menace, but still gives off an air of danger.
Age
56
Children
Gender
Woman
Eyes
Watery, Dark Gray
Hair
Random strands of gray hair.
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Leathery Tan, Scales.
Height
6'6" when standing straight up, usually hunched
Weight
240 lbs
Related Reports
Comments