Inciting Incidents
Reluctant Shaun faces an unexpected hero's journey with a quirky cast, challenging his passive stance.

The world created by J.R.R.Tolkien (and other fantasies of its ilk) is a never ending treasure box of mind candy. Orcs. Fairies. Sword and sorcery battles; epic stuff, no doubt. Worlds EVERYONE would want to live in... right?

Um, not exactly. While folks like Gandolf make it look whimsical, dealing with that level of turmoil – dressed up with bleeding edge FX or not – kind of takes up all one’s time. And diving into a good vs. evil battle can pretty quickly wear a person out.

Which is why layabout Shaun in Justin K. Lynch’s Inciting Incidents is content to just hang on his couch and watch films. Because movies can always be shut off – there’s no life commitment there. And because fantasy worlds are… well, fantasy. So they’re really not much of an opt-in life choice after all.

At least, that’s what Shaun thinks until a knock on his door interrupts his TV streaming plans. Flinging it open, he discovers Lenore – a beautiful long-sword wielding warrior - on the threshold. Clad in a robe peppered with arcane, mystic symbols, Lenore looks serious. Shaun looks… understandably confused.

SHAUN 
Uh, I think you got the wrong house. 

LENORE
Are you Sir Shaun, kin of house Stewart? 

SHAUN
Who are you? 

Lenore kneels with a fist to her heart. 

LENORE
I am Lenore Ironthorn, daughter of Lord Ironthorn, 
and your loyal sentinel, Great One. I must be swift; 
there is a great evil emerging, and you are the 
only one powerful enough to stop it. 

After dropping THAT information bomb, Lenore strolls into Shaun’s living room, and sets up a white board. Where’d she get it, Shaun gawks. Magic, dear viewers – best not to ask!

Forging on with a flourish of exposition, Lenore explains that according to the Great Prophecy, Shaun’s the Hero who must save her beloved land of Eldoria, even now being beseiged with a civil war – and an equally Great Evil looming over all.

Uh, that’s kind of out of Shaun’s weekend plans. Which he bluntly tells Lenore:

SHAUN 
Nah. 

Shaun hops onto the couch and continues his movie-surfing. Lenore marches up to him. 

LENORE
You must not have understood me, Great One. Evil is- 

SHAUN
Oh, I understood you, lady. I watched Lord of the Rings; 
Frodo and Sam looked rough at the end of that trilogy. I'm good. 

LENORE
I assume these "Sam" and "Frodo" characters 
are formidable heroes? How can we levy their aid? 

Shaun yawns and ignores her. She steps in front of the TV. 

SHAUN
You're not gonna move, are you? 

LENORE 
Sir Shaun, I- 

Before Lenore can finish her pitch, Shaun’s door EXPLODES open (no knocking this time around.)  Through smoke, an evil looking man – Malakor – strides in.

Lenore readies her sword. The battle’s on!

Or is it? Is Shaun ready to pick up the gauntlet thrown by fate? But what if his mother calls? And can his Amazon Prime rental viewing wait?

A fun tongue and cheek ribbing of the Fantasy genre, Inciting Incidents is an easy shoot – especially if you have any friends who still go to Renaissance Faires now and then. There’s also a twist or two in this tale. Chalk it up to magic, or just quirky satire. Either answer works in this realm!