Kelewen

Between the hammer and the anvil

I'm ok with a make it up as we go approach. I trust you all to not make it all-powerful. ;)

Hopefully Poo can get his introduction in today.. But either way, I'll push the story ahead soon. The remaining prisoners can remain undefined for awhile to give more players a chance to join later.

Between the hammer and the anvil

"I would have expected nothing less," Dulcena replied to the half orc. She knew more of this one than he might suspect. Sigmar Shield, renowned warrior, easily worth ten lesser men on the battle field. Pity that he'd sworn an oath to Lady Celina instead of her, he might not have fallen so far otherwise.

Rumor had it that the two had been lovers, but that Celina had taken another to her bed and Sigmar had killed them both in a fit of rage.

Naught but rumors, of course. Dulcena had started them herself. Half-orcs were notorious for their ill-tempers and though unconfirmed, her spies thought there might be more than a strictly professional relationship between Sigmar and Celina. It covered up the work of her hired assassin easily enough. If only the woman hadn't come before the high council and outright accused Dulcena of sorcery! She'd brought it on herself, really.

Dulcena's features reflected nothing of her thoughts as she unlocked the half-orc's shackles.

She continued down the line, repeating her question to each of the remaining prisoners.

Between the hammer and the anvil

I should have a character tomorrow^^

@POOHEAD189

Ok! If I don't get a chance to do an IC post before you do, you can assume Lady Dulcena presents your character with the same question.

(That goes for anyone else considering joining too)

Between the hammer and the anvil

I might join.

@POOHEAD189

I'll join in once I finish school today

@ProfessorLambo

Ok cool. I tried to set it up so that either of you (or other players still considering joining) can jump in next. Welcome!

Between the hammer and the anvil

"Good," Dulcena rewarded Rolf White with smile, pleased with his quick response. He was some kind of magic user, if she could judge by the shackles he bore, inscribed with a protective magic to keep him from breaking the lock with his magic. Carelessly flaunting that forbidden skill was probably why he had been imprisoned in the first place, though she did not know the history of many of the prisoners here. It was entirely possible his crime was more sinister, though she had difficulty imagining the physically unimposing man before her had committed atrocities. Looks could be deceiving though.

She held up a key, indicating that he should present his shackles to her. It was symbolic in a way and she had insisted to the jailor that she should be the one to physically release them from their restraints. She unlocked first his left wrist, then the right.

"Stay right here," she commanded, then moved to the next prisoner. "What do you choose?"

Between the hammer and the anvil

@Gisk, you've got it right. I've always been a big fan of introducing the characters in the RP.

Also, welcome!

Jump-in medieval fantasy

The story begins with a group of prisoners being offered a chance at freedom in exchange for working for a dangerous woman of questionable character.

https://www.roleplayerguild.com/topics/165463-between-the-hammer-and-the-anvil/ic

Where it goes from there? Let's find out!

Feel free to post any questions or comments either here on in the RP OOC.

Between the hammer and the anvil

Premise: A D&D esque adventure, but where the adventurers are prisoners, sent on various dangerous missions toward the completion of a goal.

This RP is intended to be a "make it up as we go" story. Character sheets are optional. However, please no demons, dragons, or the like as PCs.

Combat rules: Defender (ie, the person who created the character) gets to decide the outcome of an attack, unless we wait for more than 3 days for a reply. In that case, the attacker decides the outcome.

Other than that, have fun and let's make a cool story!

Between the hammer and the anvil

The red-clad woman stepped down into the dimly lit underground portion of the prison, wrinkling her nose as the stale stench of human feces assaulted her senses. The bent figure of the jailor moved ahead of her, his large ring of keys clanking against his hip with each step. The prisoners housed here would most likely never see the light of day again, those not sentenced to death by hanging, but left here to rot in squalid conditions. The end result would likely be the same, perhaps delayed a few years, when some disease or other claimed them.

Rumor had it that the red-clad Lady Dulcena, esteemed member of the High Council, was a powerful sorceress, despite the use of magic being outlawed more than a century ago. But there was also rumor that those that had sought to discredit her had succumbed to unfortunate accidents.

She looked into each cell, pausing at some to study the inhabitant more closely, by-passing others with barely more than a glance. Most were human, though a few of other races were imprisoned here too. She spoke to none of them immediately, but when she had completed her inspection, she had the jailor, aided by two more armed guards, collect those that had caught her attention. 10 in all, each shackled and taken to a room on the level above. Here a single, barred window let in both sunlight and fresh air.

She let that pleasant breeze wash over them for a few long moments. That small taste of the outside world would make it harder to refuse her deal, not that she suspected any of them would.

"I have an offer," she began, eyes sweeping over each of the prisoners before her, not bothering with introductions. "I have a dangerous job ahead, one that I suspect will cost at least a few lives. If you choose to serve me and survive the tasks ahead, you will have earned your freedom. If you decline, then so be it, you will go back to your cell."

She looked directly at one of the prisoners, a human male, and commanded. "Choose."

He hesitated. "What kind of task?" he finally asked, uncertain.

Instead of answering, she waved a hand at one of the guards, who immediately grabbed the man and started dragging him back toward the stairs. "I'll do it! I accept! Please don't send me back down there. Please..." his desperate pleas ignored, still echoing up the stairs when Dulcena looked to the next and repeated "Choose."