Akuban Knights: Flashback Episode - Bud: Drekkis Depression

## Cast

Neal Pass Erickson - Dungeon Master

Sven - Budariousz

## Recap

### Year 1499

A couple of years ago, Budariousz was struck by an Assassin, who then escaped. Sara is sister saved Bud's life, but he still fled Akuba. Bud spend a night gambling on a ship, lost all his money and got black-out drunk.

Budarious, age 20, wakes up on the sandy beach under a pier with not a copper to his name and only wearing his pants. In the harbor he sees Drekis-styled ships. A child walks over at Bud, but they are speaking another language that Bud doesn't understand. Bud is confused. The local kids surround Bud and start kicking sand at him, then swarm him. Bud flees from the children.

Bud stops running after a while and catches his breath. He sees a restaurant near him. Bud starts talking with someone at the restaurant and is speaking Drekissin, and Bud realises he is in Drekis. Bud doesn't speak Drekissin, but speaks Eridonian (Common). One man at the restaurant, Rahlee, speaks the language and talks to Bud. Rahlee explains to Bud he is in Outlast and some other information. Bud pretends to be from Eridon, not Akuba. The Rahlee demands that Bud pay 5 silver for the information, but Bud has no money, so Rahlee insists that Bud pay off his debt.

Rahlee takes Bud towards the Colosseum, which makes Bud afraid, and he breaks free of the man's grip. Rahlee says Bud can either work off his debt as a training partner for the champions of the Colosseum or he work off his debt in the local brothel. Bud decides on being the training partner in the Colosseum. The training area of the Colosseum is guarded by an armed Half-Orc Guard.

Bud is taken to the potential champion Mongo, a half-orc, who is training by fighting opponents who are agile, before being able to knock them out. Bud is thrown into the fight. Bud tries to pretend he gets hit and falls over, but Mongo sees through it, so Bud has to actually fight. Bud is then knocked out for real in a single blow.

Bud walkes up some time later in a cell with bunks for 4 people. Bud finds that his face has already been stitched up. Rahlee comes into the room and tells Bud the doctor cost 10 silver, so Bud's debt has grown larger. Bud grows distressed and angry at Rahlee about having to working off more debt. Rahlee explains he is the owner of champions, and is calls Bud weak and if Bud was strong he wouldn't be in this situation. He also says if Bud wants to eat, each meal will cost him 5 copper a day, along with lodging. Bud is named "Punching Bag No. 9".

Bud doesn't want to fight again, but Rahlee says he'll be back in 5 minutes. Bud talks with the other person in his cell on the bunk, Carl, who is pretending to sleep. Bud accidentally gets into a fight with Carl and ends up knocking him out. Rahlee rushes back in and sees the unconscious Carl, and says that Bud owes him another 10 silver for the Doctor Hendrick's Fees for this man as well.

Bud is then escorted out to fight with a man named Skull. Bud tries to talk is way out of the fight, but Skull doesn't speak Eridonian. Rahlee says that if Bud can knock out Skull, he'll give Bud 4 silver back towards his debt. Bud tries in earnest and delivers a Crotch Kick. Rahlee calls off the fight, since Crotch Kick and Eye Gouge are against the rules (unless it is a death match). Bud is then told this was just a warm up, and he still has to fight Mungo. Bud loses.

A week later, Bud is still in debt. He has learned Skull is the Rank 4 Fighter, and Mungo is the Rank 1 Fighter. Only the Doctor Hendrick, the Waterboy Ladue and Rahlee speak Eridonian Common. Carl speaks broken Common.

On day 10, Bud is trying to make a Shiv, so he needs a wooden splinter from a chair, so tries to break a chair while is fighting Mungo one time. Bud is shortly knocked out.

On day 12 Bud wakes up. He challenges Skull. During the fight, Bud uses the shiv on Skull, but the fight continues. Eventually Bud knocks out Skull. Rahlee says Bud isn't promoted, it was best 2 of 3 to takes Skull's spot, and Bud cheated using a Shiv. Bud points out that Rahlee didn't say Shiv were against the rules. Rahlee then knocks Bud out.

Bud wakes some days later. He finds his hands have been bound into fists with fabric. He is told this is so he can't hold a shiv. Bud then is pushed back into the training room where Skull and Mungo beat him up.

Bud wakes up some time later. He starts talking with other people in the fighting pit and finds out they all like being here. Doctor Hendrick used to be a fighter, and after getting his freedom, he moved away for a while, but came back after 10 years with his family as a Doctor because he missed it. The Doctor declares the Outlast philosophy, that strong people will always exploit the weak, so the only way to do good in the world is to be strong yourself.

Bud head towards the exit. He see up the stonecase a wooden door where a little bit of daylight is coming in. Bud climbs up the stairs where the Half-Orc guard is standing. Bud goes for the door, but the Half-Orc stops him. Bud gives insults the Half-Orc in Eridonian, before giving up and heading downstairs.

That night Bud makes a pact with himself. He is going to train and is going to get out of the Colosseum. Work with the system until he able to escape.

Bud starts to learn Thrak'Nor, the Drekis martial art, a name that translates to "Full of Body".

After a month, the No. 2 and No. 3 Fighters return from their tour. No.2 is a Mahtavan man named Maipai, a Dexterity Fighter. No. 3 is a Drekissin man named Wage, a rage brawler fighter (and speaks Eridonian). Bud reaches the first level of learning Thrak'Nor and becomes slightly at hitting and damaging.

Bud gets talking with Wage. Wage tells his story of how he was in these pits for 4 months before he was let into the Colosseum and saw Sunlight for the first time in 4 months, and about being in the Colosseum in front of the cheering crowds is like nothing else. Wage doesn't like Bud's self-depreciating attitude and tells him to go away after a while.

Bud goes back to training. By the end of the next week Bud ends up beat up by Maipai in one training session and is knocked out. His debt goes up to 70 silver.

The next week for Bud goes well and is down to 66 silver of debt.

During week 7, Bud fights with Skull, and using Thrak'Nor, goes a lot better against Skull, and ends up knocking him out legitimately. Doctor Hendrick tells Bud he still needs to win 2 of 3 times. Rahlee comes into the training pits later that day and tells Bud if he takes Skull's place he will earn silver at a faster rate, unless he losses in the Colosseum where he'll need to pay for doctor's fees.

A few days later Skull challenges Bud, saying he wants to kill him. The two start to fight in the training room. Bud ends up breaking Skull's knee and Skull surrenders. Doctor Hendrick inspects the wound, talks with Rahlee, then rushes off to get a Cleric of Martha.

The crowd in the training room seem unhappy about Skull's broken knee, there is no celebration over Bud's victory. Bud isn't happy either, but he is doing this to get out of this situation.

The Cleric of Martha arrives, and Skull is taken away. He is gone for a while. Bud is promoted to the Rank 4 Fighter, and given Skull's room (at no extra cost). Bud no longer has to pay for food, but no longer earns silver as a punching bag, the only way he earns silver now is fighting in the Colosseum or other Arena's around Drekis.

### NPCs

* Rahlee - Male Drekissin Human. Fighter Pimp. Is very strong.
* Handrick - Male Human. Doctor, Former Fighter
* Skull - Male Drekissin Human. Rahlee's Rank 4 Fighter. Level 1.
* Wage - Male Drekissin Human. Rahlee's Rank 3 Fighter. Rage Fighter.
* Maipai - Male Mahtavan Human. Rahlee's Rank 2 Fighter. Agile Martial Artist
* Mongo - Male Half-orc. Rahlee's Rank 1 Fighter. Level 5.
* Ladue - Waterboy, too old to fight
* Carl - Another Punching Bag