More Background on the Prize Fighter Lucan
In regards to the background of Lucan, the Monk/Prize Fighter character I have proposed. This is in prose format, so skip it if it's too long...
The mothers, tearfully separated from their children, stood in one sunken area, their eyes fixed with a dire gaze upon the slaver Rogolka, who stood upon a raised dais in the center of Merisander Square. The children were huddled in pairs or triples in a sunken area across from their mothers, and looked mostly upon the dirt beneath their feet. On occasion, a whimper would permeate the crowd, but the children knew better than to make too much of a protest lest they be hauled off to the pits without a second word.
"Now," Rogolka began, as he had many speeches prior, "It is time for the unpairing. Mothers, as is dictated by the laws of the King of Goruka, you must choose. One of your children will be returned to your family, and can remain as such for the rest of his or her days." He smiled in anticipation of the next part of this sorrowful bargain. "And as you know, your other children are thus sacrificed to the king, who will sell them to me. Those of you who refuse to make a decision... will find themselves in Potter's Field and all of their children in chains."
Heavy anticipation followed as the mothers prepared to make this horrific decision. No one in their right mind could ever choose between their children, but Merisander Square, the veritable heart of slave trading in Goruka, was not necessarily a place for sane thinking. This was a matter of survival, and of cruel sacrifice.
Rogolka's pikemen surrounded the square perimeter, and several thugs in leather armor held heavy chains, waiting to take the children away to the slave pens. The slaver smiled, knowing that soon, his coffers would flow with gold and silver by way of his agreement with the king.
He produced a scroll, which listed the names of the families brought forth today. Most of them did not have proper names, just familiar names. This was normal, as the poor did not warrant special distinction in Goruka. He called out the mothers' names, and gave them a few moments to announce whether one of her children would be spared, or whether she would sacrifice herself. As this practice had been common in Goruka for many years, the womenfolk were somewhat prepared for this eventual heartbreaking decision. Even so, such societal pre-programming did not assuage the hurt.
The numbers of the enslaved children rose as the slavers took them in chains to the pens located not far from Merisander Square. Rogolka smiled, knowing that soon he would be a rich man again. Night fell, and the list was coming to an end. Most of the womenfolk had been dragged out of Merisander Square kicking and screaming, some to their death. One name remained on the roll: Catha of Shelor.
"And finally," Rogolka announced, "Catha... state your choice."
The mother looked upon her son Lucan and her daughter Taisa, who stood across the way. Taisa was older, and might provide the family with a good marriage trade someday. She was pretty enough, and skilled in the kitchen, and would perhaps fetch a handsome prize indeed. Lucan, the younger son, was not much to look at - shy, skinny, and of average appearance at best. he had proven to be worth much, and may not even be strong enough to carry on the family trade.
"I... cannot..." Catha declared, realizing the weight of such a decision. "You... monster!"
Rogolka's pikemen advanced a step or two before the master stopped them with a hand. "Catha, you surely know by now the penalty you face for refusing my generous offer."
The mother did not budge. "These are both my children, and I shall never have another. The King has already conscripted my oldest son to fight against the southern lands."
"That matters not to me," Rogolka replied coolly. "A decision - choose one child to return to your family, or face the blade yourself and both your children shall be mine."
She stepped forward, advancing right into the sea of pikes that faced her. "Then take me, cruel slave lord," Catha answered. "For I cannot make such a decision."
Rogolka smiled broadly. "Then it is done," he said. "Seize her, and dispose of this dissenter." Rogulka looked upon the last of his take for the day. "As for these lovely children," he added, "I think they shall make fine servants for me and my family."
The slaver walked down the stairs of the dais to greet his final two slaves. Taking Taisa's chin in two fingers, the Rogulka smiled again. "Or perhaps you shall be a better fit in my harem."
With that remark, Lucan, the younger brother to Taisa, stormed forward and attempted to tackle the much larger Rogulka. It was a very brave move, but foolhardy and fraught with danger. Rogulka, sensing the boy's growing anger, tossed Lucan aside with a backhand.
Now standing above Lucan, Rogulka seethed. "Boy," he said. "You will learn your place. No one dares strike Rogulka!" The slaver detached a nine-tail from his belt. "And now you shall learn the price of defiance."
Whip cracks in the middle of Merisander Square perforated the settling air, sending the dusk on its way to nightfall. Somewhere, the mother died, and so did the innocence of her two youngest children. Their enslavement would not be an end, but perhaps a beginning to something bigger to come...
