EXT. LARGE FIELD OUTSIDE OF THE CASTLE – NOON (V.O.) AXEL A dragon encircles the Tygree field as a large shadow is cast down upon the villagers tending to a herd of sheep on the farm. Chaos ensues as the people start to scream and scatter as the looming threat of a Dragon’s presence grows. People panic, and run to hide as they see the unmistakable shadow of the dragon flying overhead. As the crowd clears out of the center of the city. The three heroes stand resolute while the rest of the village flees in terror. (V.O.) AXEL (WITH GOD-LIKE REVERB) So What do you guys do about it? Talaxia and Tagati just look at each other, and as a fleeing villager bumps into the group, the villager falls to the ground. Only to pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and see the players looking wistfully into the sky appearing to be able to hear a message from above. The villager slowly waves their hands in front of all three players to see if they are conscious. Then Denarion starts to talk to the other two, and the villager runs off frightened by both the dragon AND the sudden jump scare of the player character suddenly coming to life out of nowhere! DENARION/SPENCER Why do you lot not flee from this place? Hath you the strength to best such a foe? TALAXIA/MAVERICK Bro, Seriously!?! You Sound like someone slapped the shit outta you with the King James Bible…. speak normal, please. (V.O.) SPENCER * You’re supposed to act like your character numb nuts. DENARION/SPENCER Hath you the physical prowess to whelm this beast, then mayhap you can assist me. What be your names fellow journeymen? Tagati and Talaxia both look at each other, and then look directly at the camera with a look of confusion. DENARION/SPENCER (in Spencer’s raised aggravated voice) What are your names Dickwads?!?! TALAXIA/MAVERICK AND TAGATI/TRE’VON Ohhhhhhh!!! Tagati and Talaxia both turn their attention to Denarion with an annoyed but enlightened body language. TAGATI/TRE’VON If thats all you wanted man, then next time…. just say dat, Dee!! My name’s Tagati Like T-a-g- Tag… and Gotti….put together Tagati! TALAXIA/MAVERICK Putangina mo!! Just because you wanna be weird don’t mean everybody got do that shit!! Talaxia’s the name, and smacking heads together is my game! The dragon flaps down to the ground quite a ways away from our heroes. It lifts its snout to the sky and Roars while it shoots fire into the air. It then proceeds to pick up a sheep from the field, toss it high up into the air, Shoot it with fire, and catch it with its maw. Crunching down on its lightly roasted lamb dinner, we hear every flambéed sheep bone crack as the dragon continues to devour his meal. INT. MANSION THE GROUP SITTING AT THE TABLE – AFTERNOON Tre’von violently pushes back from the table and throws up his hands while Maverick lifts up out of his chair as they both shout. TRE’VON MAVERICK (SIMULTANEOUSLY) Woah!! Bro what the Hell?! TRE’VON Yoooo! What in the ENTIRE FUCK….was Dat my Nigga?!? Spencer throws up his palms in a dismissive gesture as he says. SPENCER Woah…. chill out, bro…I’m just acting the way my Character would have in this world. Like for real bro, you have heard worse…. like and said just now bro, you literally called me a slur. Imagine if I were to call you “My nig..” — (gets interrupted) Tre’von puts his two fists down on the table in front of him in a stand off-ish position. TRE’VON Then you’d get your ass snatched across this table…Now watch your mouth before Axe has to call the Police on me for stomping your ass out… I can’t stand pigs…they ALWAYS know how to mess up a good time…. Trevon intently stares through his brow at Spencer, and holds the stare just a hair too long to be a friendly joke. Before Spencer turns his attention over to Axel. TRE’VON (CONT.) Maaaan, Where’d you get this corny dude from? cause he about to Fuck around and find out real quick! AXEL Okay Fellas, this is a table where everyone is welcome. So let’s stop for a moment and set some social guard rails up. Tre….this world has a rich history, which includes a lot of allegories and comparisons to real life human history and events. I know this is all new to you, but it might behoove you to learn some of the lore after today. And Spencer… Stop it! This is improv storytelling… and we are all telling a story together. Through these characters… we don’t have scripts…. just a character sheet with spells and stats, so everything that your character says or does is a reflection on you, and what you think about the world…… Now I don’t restrict you to playing good aligned heroes, but if you start making evil choices you have to deal with the consequences, no matter what they may be…. got it? SPENCER Yeah, I guess. Still don’t know why everyone’s so sensitive. It’s in the lore. AXEL Now, can we get back into the game, guys? With that, the two players nod their heads in agreement, but while Spencer looks away in exasperation. Tre looks at Spencer with the most serious side eye. EXT. LARGE FIELD OUTSIDE OF THE CASTLE – AFTERNOON The three adventurers look at each other as if nothing had ever happened and then continue in the same field Talking amongst themselves. TALAXIA/MAVERICK Okaaaaaayyyy…Soooooooo…..Yeaaaaahh…I’m not trying to end up like that. Points to offscreen in the direction of the Dragon. And this armor is probably only going to act like aluminum foil does on a baked potato….Soooooyeeaah…..any Plans guys? DENARION/SPENCER Let’s See it’s an adult red dragon, meaning that is has about 250 hitpoin- Tagati steps forward and opens his arms as a gust of wind begins to swirl around him. A magical glowing Rune of African Script appears between his fingers as he proclaims. TAGATI/TRE’VON okay… I’m gonna take a page from your book Denarion. Tagati plants his feet, takes a deep breath, sticks his chest out and proclaims. I AM the will of nature’s fury made flesh! Leave this Place! Youuu…….. Ya big… Tagati pauses for a moment to think of something epic to call the massive hulking dragon. TAGATI (CONT.) Ya Big Dick!! CUT TO: INT. MANSION THE GROUP SITTING AT THE TABLE – AFTERNOON The four men sit at the table… Spencer and Maverick both take a moment and then break into laughter. The DM Axel also pauses a beat, but instead of laughing he just smiles.

Interactive Story Excerpt

Audience of Shadows

A tabletop narrative module by Joseph Hunter

Cold Open: “So It Is Agreed Then”

The party arrives at the Ojuba palace expecting an audience with the Queen. They are escorted through the halls toward the throne room.

The corridor to the throne room is lined with guards—more than they remember from their last visit. Their posture is perfect. Their eyes do not move. Something about the stillness feels rehearsed, like the entire palace is holding its breath.

As they reach the great doors, they hear a voice from within. Male. Calm. Satisfied. The voice of a man concluding something that went exactly the way he intended.

“So it is agreed then.”

The doors begin to open.

Ade Walks Out

The man who steps through the doors is an elf—dark-skinned, silver-streaked hair pulled back from a face marked with a single red sigil upon the brow. He wears dark plate armor chased in silver, and over it, a cloak of deep royal purple. He is dressed as a king and armored as a soldier, and he wears both like neither costs him anything.

In one hand he carries a staff crowned with pale blue light. In the other, held loosely at his side like a lantern he has forgotten he is holding—a blackened skull, wreathed in golden flame.

He is not surprised to see the party. He was never going to be surprised to see them.

He smiles. Small. Genuine. Like he is pleased.

Then he walks forward—not around them. Through them. The geometry of the corridor forces the party to part for him, and he passes close enough to touch.

The Whisper

As Ade passes Arcrai—and only Arcrai—he slows for half a step. Without turning his head, quietly enough that no one else hears it, he says:

“You keep arriving after the important part.”

Then he is gone.

Scene One: The Queen’s Explanation

The throne room feels larger with only one person in it. Her Majesty stands at a long table below the dais, a quill still in her hand. Before her lies a document bearing two seals—one of them still cooling in dark wax. Her Consort stands at the window, back to the room.

The Queen does not speak first. She watches the party enter, her face perfectly and deliberately unreadable. The document on the table is facing them—as if she left it that way on purpose.

The Queen’s composure cracks for exactly one sentence:

“He did not lie to me. He did something worse. He gave me just enough truth to make the wrong decision look responsible.”

The Choice That Remains

The treaty is signed and cannot be publicly broken without evidence that Ade deliberately misrepresented his intentions. The Queen cannot undo what was signed—but the party can decide what to investigate, whom to trust, and how far they are willing to go for proof.

“If Ade acted in bad faith—if what he told me was designed to mislead—then that agreement has no moral weight, regardless of its legal standing. Bring me that proof.”

© 2026 Joseph Hunter. All rights reserved. Excerpt shared for portfolio review only.