With talk of "fifth children of fifth children" and "Dragonsbane", one would think that Dreamcast is about to get its first role-playing game...
Andy Ashwin

I suppose one would. The name Dragon's Blood is a bit of a give-away too.
Indeed. Dragon's Blood, formerly known as Draconus: Cult of the Wyrm, is a third-person hack 'n' slash adventure with a glut of goblins and an abundance of magic spells. The hero is the fifth child of a fifth child, the ruler of a small kingdom that lies on the borderlands between civilised territory and a hostile wilderness. As legend has it, there was once a mighty hero who saved the land from a great dragon. He was the fifth child of a king, who was himself a fifth child, so it has become tradition to give any such person the honorary title of "Dragonsbane".

What? They don't even have to apply for the job?
Not at all. Why would they want to apply for a job that's already theirs? Anyway, dragons have long since vanished from the land, so the title isn't taken literally anymore.

Like 'King' or indeed 'Queen'.
Absolutely. There was a time when the King would jump on his trusty steed and lead his country into battle. Can't really picture old Liz donning a helmet, leaping into a Chieftain tank and storming into Serbia, can you?

Yeah, right! So there's nothing to do in Dragon's Blood then?
On the contrary, it has become customary for the Dragonsbane of a kingdom to be given special training and sent on dangerous but vital missions in the service of the kingdom.

Like fetching in the milk or going down the road for the papers?
Now that's a great idea for a game...