Dragons and Things - Backstory: Back to Before - Episode 1

<infobox>
 <title source="title"><default>*Cold Open*</default></title>

 <image source="image"></image>
 <group>
 <label>Season</label><default>*1*</default>
<label>Episode</label><default>*1*</default>
<label>Director</label><default>*Adam Rady*</default>
<label>Writer</label><default>*James Rodehaver*</default>
<label>Producer</label><default>*James Rodehaver, Adam Rady, Jared Hoy*</default>
<label>Starring</label><default>*Diana Restrepo, Ben Burch, Eric Radic, Ashley Seal, Adam Rady & James Rodehaver*</default>
<label>Guest Starring</label><default> </default>
<label>Runtime</label><default>*2:26:30*</default>
<label>VOD</label><default>*Season 01 Episode 01*</default>
<label>Website</label><default>*https://www.twitch.tv/datdragonshow*</default>
<label>First Aired</label><default>*January 26, 2018*</default>
 </group>

### **Opening Text**

*"Remember when George Lucas...Introduced us to the Prequels? Well...Since everyone loved that...Quigley decided to answer...What happened before: Krag yelling...Quigley charging..Alex stabbing...Leera in #Leeraland...And Markus doing...whatever. So grab those gummy bears...Pour a tall glass of maple syrup...For...This...Right, Creech? Dragons and Things Backstory.*

### **When Last We Met**

 *"There are no trees in the Windscourge Wastes. It is a hot frustrating life to be a barbarian and not a life that one would normally choose. But you do not choose to be a barbarian. You are born into it.*

*This is the home of the Bleeding Yak Barbarians. This camp may have once been nomadic in style but now the roots of the tribe have taken ground. Tan and brown permanent tents overgrow the now wooden walled in inhabitants. Weathered red ribbons sway as the sun beats down on this desert land.*

*We pass through the narrow paths that lead to the center of the encampment and reach two tall doors. This, one of the few wood structures is the training grounds of the Bleeding Yak Barbarians. The smell of dried sweat lingers in the blistering air. The dust stirs from the dry ground creating a thin haze.*

*Although there are few training, the sounds of weapons crashing against wood targets echoes. Yells of frustration, fury and focus are embodied in grunts and gasps.*

*A cursory glance shows five distinct areas. An area focused on archery. An area for unarmed combat. A weapons arsenal and an area of targets for said weapons. The final area is a 10 foot small ring in the center where Krag and his mentor Arfad are sparing.*

*There's a couple of things I should explain to you about Krag in his earlier days. He's very much younger. In fact, he is 17 about to be 18 and..."*

*Eric: You should have told me. I put the wrong age on my character sheet.*

*Ben: "He is not carrying his ancestral war hammer."*

*Eric: You son of a...*

*Ben: What are you carrying Krag?*

*Eric: A bardiche.*

*Diana: What's a bardiche?*

*Ben: A bardiche.*

*Eric: A bardiche. It's the only bard that Krag can tolerate. Eh? You like that. It's like a combination of an axe and a spear kind of put together on a long, it's a pole weapon.*

*Ben: And in this backstory, he doesn't necessarily hate magic. Now, his mentor, his name is Arfad, what you see before you is he has shoulder length gray hair, but it looks like his age has not diminished his skill. His muscles flex with weathered and time tested strength. He's got a wide ornate leather belt that holds up his loincloth and a blue dragon scale hangs from his neck as a symbol of his proudest victory which echoes the colors in his eyes.*

*And if I were to give you an actor who would play this character, it would be Sean Bean.*

*Diana: Oooh, Sean Bean!*

*Eric: Your mentor dies.*

*Ben: And you are circling this 10 foot ringed in area. You have your weapon. You have your bardiche. And he's got his, he's just got a wooden stick and he is smiling at you and you guys are just pacing around almost like lions looking at each other and he says to you. "Tell me Krag, what does it mean to be a barbarian?*

*Eric: Should I give you the Arnold line?*

*Ben: You do what ever you like Krag.*

*Eric: (in Arnold Schwarzennager voice) "To crush your enemies. See them driven before you and hear the lamentations of their women."*

*Ben: So you say that and he takes his stick and no matter how hard you try he just bats your weapon and and smacks you in the neck with it.*

*Adam: Roll to see how hard you try.*

*Ben: Yeah, roll to see how hard you try.*

*Eric: I tried so hard I rolled right out of my tray. 17.*

*Ben: Oh no. That's way too low, he just baps you in the neck with it. And he says...(Krag rolls several more times)...no he just keeps batting you with the stick. He keeps hitting you with a stick. HE HITS YOU WITH A STICK! He says to you every single time, he goes, "Fight with honor." He hits you once.*

*What do you do?"*

### **Episode Description**

#### **Sponsors & Prizes**

Ben read the prizes as Sir Jonathan The Bold & Quigley "manically" laughing.

* Wayward Masquerade - Dragon Bagon Dice Bag.
* Brick Warriors – Warrior Packs
* Syrinscape - $20 Gift Card

### **Trivia**

* This is the first episode of Dragons and Things ever GM'd by Ben Burch and marks the first in the "Backstory" story lines.