You arrived at the infamous prison mine. The terrain was gray rocks as far as the eye could see, both inside and beyond the four walls made of the same material, with similarly-colored mountains visible in the distance. That rock seemed to be used for all of the builds there, with the staff buildings distinguished by signs and more care into their design. This was a dreary place, not a happy one, and you were here for life.


Why were you there? Maybe you were a criminal, sentenced there for life for whatever awful thing you did. Maybe you were born a slave, eventually sold to the government to be used for mining. Maybe you were an upstanding citizen who angered the wrong noble. Or it could have been something else entirely; whatever the reason, it really doesn't matter. When you arrived isn't really relevant either; whenever you showed up, you were lined up with the other slaves and made to listen to the Warden's speech. Oh, what a man he was. Six feet six of pure muscle, wearing the uniform of the prison staff and a necklace featuring the golden sun, the symbol of the royal family. With his hand on his sword hilt as he went on, this person's countenance made it clear that his word was law.


"Ultimately, you are all here for the same reason. That being that God has decided to punish you for your evil ways. You strayed away from the path of good, of our glorious Kingdom and its Divine Blood. But now you have a chance at redemption! By mining for gold in this place with all of your energy, you can prove yourself to this universe's creator and earn a spot in paradise. Those who fail to do so will earn a fate that will make them wish for death before finally joining all of their evil brethren in the land of eternal suffering. Welcome to the Northern Redemption District."


So saying this, you were sent to be branded on your left arm; a ladder, the mark of the prison mine and a tell-tale sign to anyone who saw it that you belonged to the Kingdom. Then you were ordered to your barracks, a spartan facility built with more gray rocks where you were kept. With only a person-sized shelf of wood to serve as your bed and personal space stacked with five others like a bunk bed, it was clear that the comfort of the slaves was not given much regard. And your days were similarly barren; wake up before dawn, mine for gold for hours, eat your one meal of soup and bread, sleep, and repeat. The only silver lining is that you shared this suffering with the other prisoners, and eventually, you even found a group of people you could call your friends. 


You would talk of wanting to be free, of course, and of course your friends agreed. But how would you do so? The facility was filled with guards, you had no weapons, and if you did know any magic your abilities have been negated by the cuff you wear around your ankle. Not to mention the inhospitable terrain of the area and the expense of leaving the continent where you would be a fugitive. But despite the odds, those thoughts wouldn't leave your head! And somehow, you've heard about an opportunity that could eventually lead to freedom, and are now discussing it in low tones with your fellow prisoner friends. Despite the risks, any chance of success was worth considering. 


Will you succeed in your escape?


-----


So that's the introduction to the idea I have. If you're here from the interest check, then some of this will look familiar. The basic concept is you're a slave in a medieval fantasy setting who wants to escape the prison mine they're in. Not only will you have to get out of the facility, but the continent as well. Maybe your character has some kind of magic that can help (once they can use it), maybe they're a warrior, or they may have something else to contribute to the team. Ideally we'd write a story together that involves these characters growing as they make their way towards freedom, so OP characters with no weaknesses or flaws are boring to write about and read, but they should have some experience with whatever it is they do already. I would encourage you to communicate with me about any ideas you have as well. I have a general story idea, but there is more than enough room for your worldbuilding here, and that makes this more fun anyway.


In order to provide a fun writing environment, a few rules are below:


1) Usual RP writing rules apply. Don't control other characters without permission, don't be a jerk, use proper spelling and grammar, etc.


2) I reserve the right to refuse entry and kick out anyone from this RP for any reason. Of course, I don't want to do this just for laughs, I just want to be able to ensure a great experience for everyone. 


3) If you have an issue with another player or me, please talk it out with them privately or PM me about it. Nobody likes being publicly called out. In my case, I am human and will make mistakes, so communicate with me when that happens.


4) Post length should vary depending on what is needed; both long and short posts have their place, but two to three quality paragraphs per post is a good minimum to expect.


5) You should be prepared to post once or twice a week. I'll make a post and give it a deadline, usually a week from that post. If the writers want, we can increase the pace, but I think that's a good starting point. Or if everyone posts before the deadline, I can push the new deadline up a bit.


6) If you can't post for a period of time or are no longer interested in the roleplay, let me know please. It's easier to know and work around it than to wonder what is going on.


And here is a CS for your use:


[hider]

Name:

Age:

Appearance: an image or written description is fine here 

Personality: a brief description of what your character is like. It's okay to develop this more as the RP goes on

Backstory: at least a few paragraphs, but it can be more, depending on how much you have in mind. This needs to include how your character ended up in the prison mine and how long they have been there for. If you have ideas for the world that could be relevant for your character, please feel free to talk to me about them (also this is true even if those worldbuilding details aren't relevant for your character, but that wouldn't go on your CS :P). If there are any details you want to be a secret, talk to me about them

Class: something like a mage, warrior, etc. Please note that clerics are not allowed for narrative reasons, and I have been talking with someone who will probably be our healer, so it's best to stay away from that as well

Notable skills or abilities: what can your character do? For example, what sort of magic would your mage have, if that is your character? For narrative reasons, light magic is not allowed

Anything else: stuff you think is worth noting but there isn't a category for. This is optional, of course

[/hider]


If you have any questions, please let me know. I look forward to writing this with you all!