Act I: Prison Break

Magoldor stands in the darkness, seething. He strains against his chains, not really to escape but just to cause trouble. He had laughed like a madman as they branded him. He intends to laugh just as hard when they burn him. Asmodeus take them all!

Jealousy brought him here. False-faced vermin claiming to be servants of the Dark Prince, angered by Magoldor's claim to priesthood, had given him up to the king's men. Exchanged him for a fat purse, no doubt, and their hides intact. Traitors! Unworthy worms! It was true, he had never been ordained, never endured the rites. But there never lived a truer servant of the God-fiend than he! May the Lord of Hell curse their souls!

Alyndra stands against the wall, arms hanging limply from the manacles above her head. He dark hair frames her dirty - but still beautiful - face. Her bright blue eyes are currently closed as she plays over the events that led up to her capture.

She had been so close to achieving true power, had in fact been in the middle of summoning a powerful demon that would grant her incredible might in exchange for its freedom. She'd been in the final syllables of her incantation when Sir Balin had butted in and ruined years of research and preparation.

She growls slightly and grinds her teeth, but refuses to let the tears come. She's beyond that now... she's no longer the little girl who had to stand by helplessly as she watched her father burn. Taking a deep breath, she tries to twist and pull, anything to try to slip her hands out of her shackles.

Magoldor turns his gaze to the squirming slip of a she-elf she looks like she's about to cry. Pathetic. The dwarf guffaws and looks around at the rest of the prisoners.

Harrison stares off at the others around him. The grim dwarf trying to break free. The woman squirming around, perhaps trying to escape? And there are others..., but there are the guards. Stoically, and with a burning hatred, Harrison shouts back to the guard. "Silence worm! You are here to guard us, not to counsel us. If you truly wanted to feel courageous you'd let me free and actually test yourself. Truthfully, you haven't the courage for that, do you?"

"When I rule, you will be among the first to perish," sneers Harrison.

I lower my head, letting my hair fall back into my face as I roll my eyes. I'll be glad to leave this place if only to be free from these guards who utter the same threats, inflict the same pain over and over again. Dull, all of them. They know nothing. I pity them. They may break my body but as long as my mind is intact I will survive. Unlike the others I don't need to cry or scream or claw at the walls to express my displeasure with the current situation. I'll be glad to plan my revenge.

I look up for a moment, unintentionally making eye contact with the dwarf. I break it to take a closer look at the brand on my arm. Forsaken indeed.

It's not long after this whole exchange when a man you all recognize all too well walks into the cell block and up to your cell. Sergeant Tomas Blackerly...the bastard that held the brand to your flesh, and the leader of the watch here at Branderscar. He opens the cell, flanked by three of his men, and points to Alyndra.

"You there! That's the scum! Get 'em unshackled! And if any of you make trouble, they'll earn a thrashing!" Turning to Alyndra, he continues as they escort her away. "Today's your lucky day, scum. You've got a visitor! However you warranted such a fine lady is beyond me. Seems she wants to say good-bye. Now step lively. We wouldn't want to keep her waiting."

I look up at the interruption to gaze impassively at the bastard himself. At the mention of a visitor, I am immediately intrigued.

A visitor? What trickery is this? Magoldor peers at Blackerly as the guards work the bonds free. The moment he is unchained, Magoldor gleefully goes for Blackerly's throat.

While the dwarf is distracting the guard with all of his thrashing around, I look in my immediate vicinity to see if there's anything useful.

Harrison stares down the sergeant as takes in the spectacle before him.

Blackerly sneers at the lot of you, especially Malgoldor, before he and his cadre of guards roughly escort Alyndra from the cell block. The guard assigned to the door locks your cell, then goes back to his post outside of the block.

You are escorted roughly from the cell block, and taken to a room down the hall. The room is about 20x40 ft, and has a long table positioned in the center of it. Sitting at the table is a hauntingly beautiful woman, with hair so platinum it's almost white, and vibrant, unearthly green eyes. She's dressed like she's heading to a funeral, and she's obviously been weeping.

"Oh, dearest!" proclaims the unfamiliar woman. "I'm so relieved you're alive!" She turns to Sergeant Blackerly. "Could we please have a moment alone, good sir? For pity's sake?"

Tomas goes blank for a bit and then quickly agrees. "Of course, my lady. For you, 'tis no problem."

I turn my eyes and ears towards the western cell, walled off from our view. Strange, I've never paid much attention to that cell previously. What could be causing that sound? I whisper to the person standing closest to me. "Do you hear that?"