The Marquizate of Labardiche, which considered itself to be the birthplace of the loose federation known as The Rosen Imperium as well as a dominant force within it, periodically sent expeditions to find holy relics as a means of maintaining the legitimacy of its privileged position. Such expeditions were rarely, if ever, successful in finding anything, usually resulting in simple military conquests, sometimes within the empire itself.
However, one such expedition led by Beatrix VIII, the abbess of Labardiche, never returned from its quest. Beatrix was an important member of the Labardichian branch of the Horned Ecclesia as well as a member of the Withered Servants, a military order which revered a relic linked to the origin myth of the empire: the Petalless Rose. Numerous expeditions set out in search of it but to no avail. Beatrix began the 14th crusade and together with her troops she eventually arrived at Quitlingen, a fringe city-state of little significance, known only for its beautiful monastery. During what was supposed to be a brief stay for supplies before venturing outside of the empire's territory, Beatrix ordered a sudden evacuation of all inhabitants, leaving only her soldiers and personal guards within the city walls. Shortly after, the entire area was consumed by flames, leaving almost nothing but scorched earth. The bodies of the expedition members were never found and what transpired in the city remains unknown. Thanks to her decisions, almost all citizens survived the inferno and to commemorate her actions, the Church established Beatrix as the patron saint of Quitlingen.
Some insinuated that it was Beatrix who was responsible for the fire, few however had the courage to say so openly.