Elementia Game 1

Game Master: Jeff
Game Edition: D&D 3.5
Players: Andrew
Starting Level: 1
 
Quote of the Evening:
"Not Me!"

Introduction

This was the first D&D game that we played under the JADE name, but more importantly it was Jeff's first time at DM. He had hosted a game way back when, but nothing on this scale. 

For the Elementia Campaign, I was originally planning on being a Fighter; I had even designed a vicious dual wield fighter, created a character, and painted a mini for him! But then I watched The Gamers 2: The Dorkness Rising and I started thinking; I bet I can create a Bard that doesn't suck. And thus Hercule-Savinien de Cyrano de Bergerac Was born... again. 

I designed him after the real person, making him a gallant sort of character with a lust for life. A man so suave that he could talk his way out of anything. However, stating at only level 1, the first night I played him didn't exactly go that way. 

This game was similar to Dave's game in The Conquest of Frey Game 1, where I had Dave create a small scenario for me to play through. So in a similar nature, I had Jeff host a small game between him and I so we could work out some of the kinks in his DMing.

Frankly Cyrano de Bergerac's actions that night have plagued me and the party ever since. It has a driving force in the campaign, and the reason for so many of our problems. And other then Jeff and myself, no one in JADE has heard this story. 

I present it for you now.

Scene 1 The Camp of King Vexes

Cyrano de Bergerac (Human Bard) had enlisted in King Vexes' army. It had been a rash decision, formed more out of boredom then any sense of duty, and had taken him from his home to the newly discovered, and magical continent that lay across the sea.

King Vexes' war had been dredging across the newly found continent for months. The local peoples; Halfings Dwarves and Elves had been fighting invading humans back and casualties ran high on both sides. For Cyrano, the horror's of war hang heavily on him, and he was finished with the pointless violence. It was time to desert the kings army. But it was not going to be easy.

The army had been using mechanical walkers to construct fortifications, so getting out was not as simple as strolling casually into the woods to releave myself and then never returning. No, the camp was complete with a six foot stone wall, and towers guarding the major entrances. Adding to it all, Cyrano, being the well known and well liked fellow that he is, would be immediately recognized if he just strolled out a front gate. This was going to take some finesse.

Unfortunately for Cyrano his plan, didn't have much finesse. He was just going to walk to the one of the towers at the gates, somehow convince everyone to leave the building, find a rope, climb to the top of the tower and then repel down the other side. As I, said it was not a great plan.

Scene 2 Walking Across the Camp

So with this ridiculous idea in mind, he left his tent and made his way to one of the guard towers that stood vigil before the road back to the conquered city of Genaya, and the ports that will lead him home.

To get to the tower, he had to cross the cooking fires in the center of camp. The evening was growing short and many of the king's soldiers were lounging around the fires, drinking ale and telling stories. He tried to pass through without attracting any notice. Until a voice called out from the crowd “Cyrano!”

He looked over to see a large red haired man, who's name escapes me. The man was waving his arms, calling Cyrano over to the table where the man sat with his comrades.

Cyrano greeted him without sitting. He intended for this to be brief.

“So I hear you are planning on leaving the camp.” The man said.

Cyrano was stunned. Apparently his dissension from the ranks was more commonly known then he would have liked. He would need to be more careful.

“Not me.” He replied with successful bluff roll, quoting the quote of the evening in a sarcastic tone.

The man laughed and asked where Cyrano was going.

He told him he was going for a walk. The table cheered with laughter as Cyrano walked off towards the tower. He had dodged a bullet there, but needed to get out soon, before all this talk got him arrested. Luckily, he managed to get over to the tower without getting noticed again.

Scene 3 The Tower Fiasco

In the base of the Tower, A Clerk sat behind a desk. The room was small, their were three other doors. Cyrano couldn't see any rope, and apparently the stairs lay behind one of these doors. So as to not look like a fool, he asked the clerk for some help. The clerk told him that each of the doors is locked and that only he has the key. Cyrano explained that he need to get to the top of the tower, and tried to convince the clerk to give him a key. However it wasn't that simple.

“Why do you need to go to the top of the tower?” The Clerk Asked.

Cyrano did not have a very good answer, and started rambling on about something to do with the kings business. That was when the Clerk started getting suspicious. Cyrano tried to back out of the room casually and then everything went south.

“Guards! Guards!” The Clerk started to yell. “This man is a spy!”

As quick as he called, two soldiers burst into the room demanding to know what all the racket was about. This was Cyrano's turn to shine. Before the clerk could speak Cyrano blurted out that the Clerk was the spy! He even went further to claim that he saw the clerk recording documents to be passed to the enemy. I rolled a 20 on the Bluff skill check. 

The guards took the poor clerk out of the tower and told Cyrano he had done a great service; that he was nothing short of a hero. This was not the attention he wanted, but his luck was better then the clerk's.

To complete the lie, Cyrano hastily scrawled and planted an incriminating letter on the clerk's desk, and then searched it for the keys. They weren't There. 

Cyrano left the tower and returned to his tent. As he left, he saw that the guards had taken the clerk to the chopping block. They made him kneel before it, and with a swift stroke of an axe he was decapitated. Cyrano probably should have expected that the king's justice would be as cruel as it was swift, but this really shocked him at the time and he quickly made my way back to my tent.

This was not going well.

Scene 4 Hiding in my Tent

Cyrano went back into his tent to hide and think things over. He had no idea what to do next. 

As he paced back and forth, a man in a captain's uniform entered his tent and shouted his name. Cyrano turned find an absolutely furious man with a large black mustache. Again, his name escapes me.

The Captain says that the clerk Cyrano accused of being a spy was his brother and that he was here to kill him. Cyrano quickly convinced the Captain that he did indeed see his brother passing documents to the other side. This made the captain more distraught, but it appeared to calm his rage. He stood starring at Cyrano for a moment. He was still angry, and glared at Cyrano as he turned to leave. This was the moment were everything changed. This was the moment that Cyrano went from a Noble Soldier, to a Fleeing Criminal.

Cyrano decided that when the Captain's back was turned he would plunge his rapier into it, but he tripped, and collided with the captain knocking the both of them to the ground. They struggled for bit and then rose to fence one another in their fight to the death. It was close and Cyrano was badly wounded but he managed to slay the captain. 

To hide the body, and to create a distraction, so Cyrano could could slip away, he then used a lantern to set fire to his tent. He then slipped out the back.

Scene 5 Leaving the Camp

As Cyrano left, he looked back to see a crowd had gathered out front his tent. It was burning steadily at that point, but some brave souls had rushed in, in an apparent effort to save me. However, they pulled out the body of the murdered captain. Cyrano could hear them shouting his name, word was spreading that Cyrano murdered the captain.

Cyrano though had more important matters to attend to: he was quite badly injured. So seeking medical attention he quietly made his way towards the cleric's tent. The medic had never heard of Cyrano de Bergerac, and healed his wounds without asking any questions. This first break Cyrano had had all night. 

When he left the medic's tent, Cyrano looked over and saw that the flames from his tent had been extinguished, but an even larger crowd had gathered, and they seemed angry.

He needed to get out of here fast, and he also needed a disguise. Thinking fast, Cyrano broke into the armoury and stole a suit of full platemail. Concealed from head to toe, he then sauntered towards the east gate and told the guard that he was on the king's business, and needed to return to Genaya. His lies actually worked this, and the guards let me pass without saying another word.

Casually Cyrano strolled out of the camp until the gate was out of sight. He then ducked into the woods, stripped off his plate mail and ran as fast as he could towards Genaya.

Conclusion

The next game started with Cyrano standing outside the prison in Genaya. He had just been in a bar fight was was about to arrange the release of two interesting characters. 

So I would like to say, that most of our troubles with the law have been my fault. The Captain and the Clerk were sons of a wealthy senator in Genaya. The Senator knows that Cyrano killed both of those men, and that's why the guards have been pursuing us so relentlessly. And I also assume that is why we have caught the eye of some nefarious groups.