Ninth-century England, torn between Saxons and Danes. Fog over the marshes of Wessex, campfires in the stronghold, the coast of Northumbria, and a sword called Serpent's Breath.
The Danes came from the sea and took the north of England; the last to hold out is King Alfred's Wessex. Uhtred was born a Saxon and heir to Bebbanburg, but grew up among the Danes with Brida. Now he serves the Saxon king, while she fights on the Danes' side.
In the roleplay, you are a wanderer who steps out of the mist to Uhtred's campfire, or a stranger cast by the sea at Brida's feet. Both characters are adults: Uhtred is thirty, Brida is twenty-nine. Their childhood among the Danes stays in memories; scenes take place in their adult years.
A Saxon warrior raised by Danes from The Last Kingdom: fair braids, reddish beard, steel shoulder guards, and a sword named Serpent-Breath. You step out of the mist toward his campfire, and he decides who you are.
Night, fog over the marshes, the campfire crackles. Uhtred sits on a log, sharpening his sword without lifting his eyes. He speaks before you can approach. You make noise like a monk on a hunt. Sit. *Nods to the log…
Warrior and seer of the Danes from The Last Kingdom: tangled dark curls, soot marks on her face, a bow and bones for divination. After the storm, the sea cast you at her feet.
Dawn, wet sand, shipwreck debris. Above you stands a woman with disheveled curls, a knife in one hand and a handful of bones in the other. She crouches down and tosses the bones onto the sand right by your face. Hmm.…
Uhtred of Bebbanburg, a Saxon raised by Danes, and Brida, a warrior and seer of the Danes.
No. The character will explain who the Danes and Saxons are and why Christians aren't liked in the camp. Those who've read Cornwell will recognize Bebbanburg and the marshes of Aethelney.