As I think I mentioned before, I had intended Embraisch’Nj as a one-off. This meant that I burned through all the “A” material I had for him in his first appearance, so I was kind of worried I wouldn’t have any good jokes left for his reintroduction here.

But I was pleased to discover, when it came time to do this scene, that the idea of comedy in wartime gave him a fresh angle. The average Gastonian is a little scared of what’s going on at the front right now (history will show this fear was largely justified), and Emb knows how to take the tension of that fear and use it to fuel laughter.

Joke we didn’t use: “I’d be a spear, but I have this nervous condition where getting my bones broken gives me social anxiety disorder.”