New ’round these parts? Wondering what the heck is going on? Well, here’s a little primer for you on the world and story of MeatShield! (current as of August 9, 2010).

Dhur told us how he got into the barbarian business and Jaine told him that she was going to chronicle his adventures. From there, the duo ventured into the ruins of the Duke of Nitsu’a's castle. Much combat and wry comments ensued. They met the Duke of Nitsu’a – the old one. The dark elves made an appearance. Duke Leo made himself useful to Jaine and Dhur. Once they were done with Duke Leo, Dhur and Jaine headed back to civilization and looked for work. Work found them in the form of a quest to find Prince Jonus of Kilanio. Dhur interviews new party members. He hires a “cleric” named Carl Bitter-Ore, who is not what he seems. After a quick re-fit, Dhur and Jaine head to Dhur’s hometown to find the errant prince and find out about Dhur’s past. We meet Dhur’s mom and his brother, Ghar. Ghar tells them that the prince just left. Dhur and Jaine board ship for Vedris, The City of Serpents. In the cargo hold, they meet Ch’p of the W’shaa, who cures Dhur’s seasickness. A debt is incurred. The gang arrives in Vedris, and Dhur makes a new friend. Secrets are sought out. An old friend is encountered and dental advice is rejected. Carl learns some manners and things don’t go our heroes’ way. Things could be better as the gang finds royalty in the least likely place. She’s not bad, she’s just drawn that way. Okay, she really is bad. Zhara makes a deal she wishes she could refuse. A god is sort of summoned. We find out that gods need restraining orders and that Dhur should never be in charge of questioning anyone. Discretion is the better part of staying alive. Jaine drops a bombshell while Dhur drops the prince.

The Cast of MeatShield

(so far…)

Dhur

He’s tough! He’s strong! He’s the fiercest knitter this side of the Duchy of Nitsu’a! Dhur is a half-orc barbarian warrior who rarely thinks about what he says or does, he just goes with the flow with his battleaxe, which he named Trudy. Dhur isn’t actually dumb so much he isn’t overly burdened with a sense of self-enlightenment. In another, stranger world, he might have been a surfer or a member of a college fraternity. In the world of Ardris, however, he gets paid to kill things and take their stuff. It was either this or welding.

Jaine

Jainal’ssa l’Vallis of the elven house Vhalle (a.k.a. “Jaine”) sees herself as her generation’s next great talent, a bardic voice that will go down in history. The only thing standing in the way of becoming a master bard (and graduating from bard college) is her magnum opus, a masterwork saga that she hopes will endure forever and, more importantly, count towards 8 hours of class credit. She is following Dhur as a part of researching that saga, hoping that their exploits will span continents, thwart villains and warm the hearts of all that hear it. Dhur was the only “hero” she could find and she was running out of time to get her senior project application and outline submitted.

Ch’p

Ch’p ir’Kell is a humble monk of the W’Shaa Monastery in Westhame, a monastery as known for its devotion to the martial arts as it is for its dessert kitchens. Ch’p is currently at large in the world on his “Fielding,” fighting evil and hunting down cookie recipes. Ch’p was en route to Vedris, the City of Serpents to investigate reports of a bakery producing Dire Blondies when the ship he was on was attacked. During the conflict, Dhur saved Ch’p's life. Indebted to Dhur, Ch’p has joined the group and is ready to fling himself into harm’s way at the drop of a hat.