Editor’s note: The following is a behind-the-scenes look at what our characters and players were thinking during episodes of our D&D show, The Anachroschism. For more about the series, click here.

EPISODES 1-4

Shaun / Stuart: We start seeing in these episodes what is probably my favorite aspect of this campaign: there are tough choices to be made, and we don’t all always see eye to eye on what course of action is best.

You also see how these characters are still getting to know each other, and trust doesn’t come easy–in particular, Stuart doesn’t trust Tessian because Stuart is afraid his quick witted and silver tongued companion is exactly the type of person he’s fighting against, while Tessian knows Stuart is not at all who he says he is and questions his motives in turn.

Their talk with the beef jerky and speaking in “hypotheticals” epitomizes this…and I equally love the discomfort expressed by our companions listening in on us….

Jason / Tessian: I’m with Shaun, these marked the start of our groups first foray into a larger world. Sure we’d fought some stuff and overthrew a keep, but in many ways we were still exploring who we were as a group then. This marked the moment after those beginning steps in our journey, and our first real effort to come together and pick a new direction. We agreed on some things, disagreed on others… We’ve still got a long way to go before we’re a well-oiled machine of a party, but we’re getting there!

Mike / Kerash: I, too, eagerly await properly oiling up our party. While it feels so, so right to hesitate and try to feel one another out on new things as they arise, I also look forward to the time when we are more sure of ourselves and our world. For now, everything that pops up is new and worrisome as none of us wish to inadvertently upset our party or accidentally cause the deaths of a bunch of friendly NPC’s. And yet our party seems to be made up entirely of magnanimous do-gooders in a world with enough corruption to make Asmodeus blush, so we are essentially doomed to ever increasing risk and worry. And that is what I love about any story.

Michaela / Lena: I also appreciate that it’s a slow process becoming a tight knit group / a group that can agree on anything ever. We’re all still very different characters trying to learn to trust each other, and the fact that it isn’t happening overnight makes the roleplaying really interesting for us as well.

Which character(s) stood out?

Shaun / Stuart: I loved Grail’s trepidation regarding her brother–to this point, she’s been so single minded in her mission to find him. Now that she’s discovering more about him (and how he’s probably a shitty dude), she’s questioning if she even wants to know more. She’s been rattled to her core and I think it’s sad and fascinating.

In an episode that covered the conclusion of a pretty critical arch where we freed a bunch of slaves, it’s these little moments like these that still stand out as my favorite.

Michelle / Grail: What’s great is I didn’t have anything set in stone for Grail’s brother; I gave Chris full control of his character after giving him his backstory, so learning about what Holden is up to will come as a surprise to both myself and to Grail. I’m really looking forward to how this particular arc for my character continues to unfold. Personally, I really enjoyed Kerash’s development in these episodes, and his attachment to finding another dragonborn. His devotion and caution with her gave us a lot of insight into Kerash and the trauma and and his people have gone through.

Mike / Kerash: Lena’s reservations about sharing too much of herself is lovely. She seems like the sleeper character in the party. A close second is Tessian, whose motivations seem murky, thus far.

Did anything unexpected happen?

Mike / Kerash: Learning that Kava is still alive and running around free is…  curious. That she, and possibly others evaded or escaped Bareev is surprising, and something I hadn’t considered. I was trying to find the whole of Clan Mysterian, but I may be picking up the pieces of it as I go, instead.

Stuart / Shaun: They’ll be like your little collectibles throughout the campaign.

Were there any difficult role playing choices you had to make?

Jason / Tessian: Honestly? Our group is so green at this point that I often wonder if we’re biting off more than we can chew.

Shaun / Stuart: I definitely agree….which is mostly great except unlike fiction, any and all of your characters can bite it at any time….