Al-Qadim Gentleman

A Gentleman NPC for the Al-Qadim. I imagine he is going to get a lot of use, being one of the only civilians we have for that setting.



                          

Elementia Game 4

Game Master: Jeff
Game Edition: D&D 3.5
Players: Andrew, Dave, Elijah
Starting Level: 1

Quote of the Evening:
"Bravado."

Introduction

In the last game, Jeff left us with one hell of a cliff hanger, and frankly, things were about to take a turn for the worst.

Jeff wanted to do the write up for this game, so take it away Jeff!

When we last left our band of rebels they had retired to their favoured watering hole Shantese in a desperate attempt to shake the heat garnered from their merciless but glorious butchering of the recently appointed sheriff of the slum district earlier that day in the market. Their actions have put the city on lock-down meaning no lower-born citizen is allowed in or out of their tiers or the city.

With a dangerous plague afflicting Genaya's -slums causing the cursed to breath fire and burn the world- and an elven rebellion simmering under the surface of the city, Genaya is quickly becoming more dangerous.

Scene 1 Trouble at Shantese.

Sitting at a table in the bar covered head to toe in blood, Cyrano was hailed to a table near the the bar to speak with one of the dark bards. Mäaar, Ghar, and the alchemist they grabbed during their flight from the market looked on from afar as suddenly the hooded figure shouted out for the guards and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Startled, the gaggle of guards at the table adjacent to Mäaar, Ghar and the Alchemist got up to rush over to the cloud of smoke. Unable to effectively hide himself and coming face to face with the very real possibility of getting arrested, Cyrano was saved by his elven ally Mäaar and the barbarian Ghar.

With two well-placed arrows Mäaar assassinated two of the four guards from behind. Ghar then flipped the table and sunk his axe into the head of the third. Cyrano doled out justice with his own blade, and the four guards fell dead.

The bartender of Shantese was absolutely shocked at what has just transpired in his establishment and immediately closed and locked the front door. He told the party that it wasn't safe here. Shantese' reputation had attracted the attention of the city guard and they had begun ritual of  searching his place regularly. he had also heard that the ruthless Captain Keithra was coming for a personal inspection tomorrow. They could not stay long.

They party was surprised at how helpful Jarmir (The bartender) had been, but his hospitality was explained when he asked Mäaar what his rank in the elven rebellion was. Jarmir had been active in the rebellion for some time but had not seen him before. Mäaar told Jarmir about his camp, and Jarmir revealed that he has been turning a profit smuggling weapons and selling them to escaped elven slaves who were in the process of amassing their forces in a hidden sanctuary deep beneath the Genayen Underground.

Jarmir reasoned that the party was the same one responsible for the assassination of the sheriff in the market earlier, and decided to get something out of it. He told the three that a local organized crime outfit, operating out of a bar down the boardwalk called Fallen Waves, had been actively giving him trouble, trying to shut down his operation, and stop a weapon shipment that was arriving the next morning. He asked the party if, in exchange for his generosity in disposing of yet another mess they created, that they investigate Fallen Waves and find out what the mafia knows. The party agreed, on the condition that they be fed and allowed to rest before the journey. Jarmir agreed and his bar maid saw to their comforts.

After their baths and laundering their blood-soaked and clothes, the party reunited and decided to finally properly interrogate the Alchemist whose name was Dormin. The alchemist revealed that he was the leading scientist on the guild's research team researching the strange fire plague. He was under intense pressure from the Crown to start producing results, and on top of that he had been receiving anonymous death threats that have frightened him to the point of panic.

His research had revealed that the red residue left around the mouths of fire-breath victims indicated the ingestion of a liquid. He suspected the liquid was Elementia crystals but he had had no idea how they could be turned into a stable liquid. He also mentioned that the plague didn't just cause fire breathing, but there were also cases of  vines growing on people, and ones who they have found frozen solid along with surrounding area.

Dormin recalled the less stressful times for the guild before their former leader Dr. Xavin disappeared while on field study in the swamplands two years ago. Presumed dead, Xavin was the only one with the required insight into energy separation needed to further the guild's research.

The party offered Dormin sanctuary in Shantese for as long as it was safe, which Dormin gladly accepted. However he realized that he will need to return to the Guild to retrieve the rest of his research. Not being in any state to pull of that sort of caper at the moment, the group decided to crash after what had been one hell of day.

Scene 2 Captain Keithra Crashes Shantese.

Around 6 am the next morning the party was frantically awoken by Jarmir who claimed that Captain Keithra and his entourage were making their inspection far earlier than expected and that the party needed to leave right away. He lead Cyrano and Ghar out a back door and instructs them to hide in a large and itchy looking bush.

Mäaar, however, saw an opportunity and, decided to disguise himself as Jarmir's new slave; sweeping the upstairs and listening. He hoped to gather some more information about this ruthless Captain Keithra.

The guards searched the bushes outside, where Ghar and Cyrano hid, but the foliage covered them nicely. Inside Mäaar overheard Keithra harassing Jarmir, but unable to prove anything, the Captain of the guard grabbed Dormin, who claimed to have been kidnapped, and had his guards take him away.  Mäaar saw he need to get out, and so grabbing a bin of trash, he headed out back by the bush to "take out the garbage." Finding Cyrano and Ghar, he hid in the bushes with them until the guards finished searching Shantese.

After the Guards left, Jarmir went out back and instructed the party to head toward Fallen Waves and sort out the threat to the weapons shipment, which was due to arrive the next morning around 5 am.

Scene 3. The Waves of the Fallen.

The party quietly sneaked down the boardwalk to the edge of the plaza where the Fallen Waves stood. AS they arrived, they were stopped by a patrol of guards with a Steam Walker who were guarding the only bridge across the canal and to the bar. Not wanting to sneak-swim across in what was bound to be poopy water, it is decided that disguises were needed.

Looking around, Cyrano had the thought that maybe if they disguised themselves as harmless fishermen, the Guards would let them through to fish on the other side. They were standing next to a surf shop and obtained some fishing gear and rain cloaks, hoping that would be enough to fool the guards.

In their disguises the party went to cross the bridge, only to be confronted by the Steam Walker and the patrol. The guards questioned why Cyrano didn't have a fishing permit, but some smooth talking from Cyrano convinced the guard that the party was told to get fishing permits across the bridge, so they would need to get to the other side. Being either too stupid or too lazy to follow up, the guards let walker the party pass.

On the other side of the bridge, the group realized it was still too early in the morning for a bar to be open, so they camped outside, fishing on the edge of canal until mid-afternoon.

Mäaar and Cyrano were content to wait until a little alter, hoping to slip in with the evening crowd, but Ghar was fed up with waiting. He went over to the bar and tried to enter, only to be stopped by a large thug who asked him what he wanted, while berating him and laughing at for his stupidity. Realizing that to lose his temper would cost him his life, Ghar returned to his friends to find that the Thug watched him, and sicked the Guards ands their Steam Walker on them to show “this little prick” a lesson.

The three  barely managed to evade the Walker. They ran around the back of the Fallen Waves, and by some miracle and a natural 20 from Cyrano they were able to pick the lock of the back door and enter the establishment. They came bursting into the main room of Fallen Waves completely unannounced, and its tenants were not pleased.

Scene 4: A Red Tide in Fallen Waves

Three mafioso grab the party, asking if they enjoy breaking into members only establishments and having their body part removed. One of the pulled out a knife, but just before things got messy, the party was summoned over to a table at the back to speak with who could only be the mob boss.

The Boss was impressed by the cojones of the party and decided to find out what the three were all about. He too figured out that party were the market slayers, and during the conversation he dropped subtle hints as to his organization's control over various Elementia mining operations outside of the city walls. It would seem that many of the guards were in his pocket.

The party also learned that Jarmir was who he said he was when they asked the Don about him. The don was almost finished with the party when Cyrano, thinking fast, plays it up like the party wished to contract their services out to the boss' crime outfit. he was secretly hoping to gain the party access to the Elementia mines and possibly the upper tiers of society.

The Boss laughed and asked what the three could provide him that he didn't already have in plenty. Cyrano responded with one word:

"Bravado."

And thus the quote of the evening was born.

The don laughed and offered Cyrano and his friends work. Things seemed to be going well, when all of a sudden there was a commotion from the basement. Two men then brought an elf upstairs into the bar shoving him to his knees in front of the Don's table. Mäaar instantly recognized the captured elf as his old ranging partners and friend Maikeo, but kept his face hidden so as not to blow his slave disguise and get everyone killed. The Don was delighted to have such a valuable prisoner in his clutches stating that the elven rebellion would be over before it even got started.

Mäaar was in a very tough spot, he did not want one of his oldest friends to be killed right in front of him and was continually taking verbal abuse about "elven scum" from the mobsters. At his breaking point he silently moved his hand onto his bow...

Just as you could cut the hot tension with a butter knife, one of the thugs saw Mäaar move, and fires an arrow into Mäaar left shoulder. Angry that their “property” has been damaged The Don instructs Mäaar to take his revenge by brutally butchering Maikeo right there. A injury for an injury. The party was out of options.

It happened very fast. Cyrano hit the Don over the head, dropping him to the floor, Mäaar fired two arrows into the guard behind Maikeo dropping him, and the captured elf is given a weapon with which to defend himself.

The fight was bloody and the party managed to kill everyone in Fallen Waves including the shocked Don himself, who Cyrano accidently killed with a critical hit from his dagger. They freed Maikeo from his captors and decided to search the bar. Most of the bottles had been smashed in the fight, Cyrano was able to find a bottle of Boublanche Ci, one of the finest champagnes in the land.

Maikeo revealed that the reason the city was in such a state was because the wealthiest nobles and Senators are using tax revenue to fund their own personal armies and mercenary operations, rather then helping the city. Hunger and an unequal distribution of water from the city's aqueduct system were causing civil unrest, and Jarmir was revealed to really be a legit good guy providing weapons to the underground rebellion contrary to what the party suspected!

The weapons shipment coming into port tomorrow morning was destined for rebels underneath the Colosseum who would put them into the hands of elven gladiators who were to liberate themselves and return to the elven sanctuary to begin final preparations for an attack on the Genayan Senate. Maikeo needed the party's help safely moving the weapons shipment from the port to the Hypogeum of the Colosseum.

Maikeo also told them that one of the wealthiest senators in Genaya; Nexin Roth had been pouring a ton of resources into an archaeological dig at the ruins of the elven temple on the upper tier. Both Maikeo and Mäaar knew these ruins to be one of their people's ancient vaults where their most powerful Elementia related artifacts were kept out of the hands of dangerous beings.

Maikeo  did not know what was still in the vault since the Vexian Invasion, but he knew that if Roth got his hands on it the rebellion was doomed. He was unable to take men to the temple as he was quite badly injured and needed time to heal so he implored Mäaar to find a way up to the heavily guarded temple and retrieve the artifact before Roth and his goons do.

He suggested that the best way to reach the upper tier was joining the entourage of one of the nobles attending the gladiatorial games. this would let them go through the gates as they pleased. He also warned that the only way to reach the temple was buy Zeppelin so they would have to acquire one.

If they wanted to learn more about the temple, he told them that they visit the Witcher's Tale, a tavern in the upper, artistic District of Sinyvai. The Witcher's tale was frequented by scholars and archaeologists who might be able to help them As a final warning, Maikeo also told the party that a shadow force was organizing all of the street gangs in the Genayen Underground and that a dark purpose is brewing.

They must move quickly.

Scene 5: The Great Colosseum Caper

Despite the parties growing feeling of haste, they realized they had about fifteen hours to kill before the weapons shipment arrived, and that to attempt a raid on the temple in their weakened and ill-supplied state would probably be suicide. So, the party elected to descend into the bowels of the Colosseum and liberate the elven gladiators themselves. It was a bold plan, but Cyrano was confident that he could talk his way through. Overhearing the plan, Maikeo quietly Mäaar some Sleeping Sand Elixir to put on his arrows... in case Cyrano's tongue was not as quick as he hoped.

He then showed the party an access tunnel to the city's sewer system outside of Fallen Waves, and the group successfully navigated the smelly labyrinth, arriving in the hypogeum, and discovering an escape route for themselves and the gladiators in the process.

In the hypogeum, guards patrolled among animals and gladiators they kept locked in cells. It was going to be tricky.

Peeking through a crack in the door and performing a successful listen check revealed that in fifteen minutes Captain Keithra and an armed escort would be bringing the noble Lord Greymere down for a tour of the hypogeum and that both elven captives, and southern barbarian Captives from Ghar's territory are slated for a death match later that afternoon. Ghar and Mäaar were outraged at this and quickly hatched, and gave Cyrano some sleeping Sand just in case.

Mäaar approached one of the Beastiatii, again posing as a slave. His goal was to get a key to the animal pens and release the beasts to cause a panic. Mäaar was unsuccessful in his first attempt to grab the keys, and the The Beastiatii at assumed he was a slave and ordered Mäaar to retrieve a belonging or body part of the Human Gladiator Gorgok, who was locked in another sell. The Beastiatii was planning to complete a dark ritual he believed would prevent Gorgok from winning his match, thus making the Beastiatii a profit when he bet against him. Rather then dealing that nonsense, Mäaar simply chose to stick him with a Sand Elixir Soaked arrow and put him to sleep. With the keys in hand, Mäaar released the prisoners, and Ghar used his handle animal ability to whip a Lion, Rhino, and Gorilla into a frenzy, and charge through the narrow tunnels doing a lot of damage to what was caught in their path.

As the scheme unfolded, Keithra was showing Lord Graymere the other side of the area and Lord Graymere was forced to take cover in Gorgok's dressing room. The battle was on.

Mäaar just began dropping people with Sand elixir arrows including the beasts and Captain Keithra when they became to close for comfort. He was a like a machine gun, and his onslaught of arrows could not be stopped. The commotion caused guards to keep pouring into the tunnels, overwhelming the party. Several of the escaping gladiators fell, and then Gorgok the greatest gladiator in the land emerged from his dressing room.

With a single blow he killed a lion, who was about to maul Cyrano and then turned to face the bard. Before he could swing, the cheeky minstrel through all of his sleep sand into the giants face. He stumbled a shouted angrily before collapsing to the ground in a deep slumber. He was not likely to wake up for several days.

As more guards rushed down the stairs Mäaar and the freed prisoners made for the sewers! Ghar managed to seal the main door leading into the hypogeum stopping the guards temporarily and met up with Cyrano outside Gorgok's dressing room. Lord Greymere and his body guard were inside, and Cyrano convinced him and his guardian that the party was here to rescue him. He followed them out through the tunnels to safety, just as the guards burst through barred door.

It was close, but one of the gladiator slaves who Mäaar recognized as Jurassolese, one of the sons of an important elder in his tribe. He wanted to save the boy, but Jurassolese had other plans. He threw Mäaar into the room where the sewer tunnels were and barred the door. Holding back the guards and giving the party enough time to escape.

In the sewers, the rescued slaves went back to the elven sanctuary, following one of the rescued gladiators who knew they way.

Lord Graymere was thankful that the party saved his life, and offered them a position in his entourage, and access to the second tier! his body guard then gave each of them a couple Cure Moderate wounds potions and they headed off through the sewers.

Conclusion

It was an awesome round where a lot more of the story and what's at stake was revealed to the party. Now that some key elven warriors have been freed, the party should be free to focus on reaching that temple and extracting the dangerous artifact from. Cyrano proposed that hijacking the Zeppelin would allow them to establish a permanent base of operations from the sky effectively making them sky pirates able raid various Royal Targets on behalf of the Elven rebellion. Hijacking the Zeppelin is going to be a massive undertaking requiring some solid planning, and maintaining it even more difficult. I can't wait to see how this one plays out.

First you guys should stop in the Sinyvai District. I guarantee it will help you with the temple.

Thanks Jeff! Always a pleasure, and watch our adventure unfold in Elementia Game 5!



                          

Half-Orc Caster

A Half-Orc Caster. Could really be any type of magic user: a Sorcerer, a Wizard, Cleric; you name it!

But one thing is for certain: you can't get that many skulls without being at least a little bit evil.



                          

Duergar Fighter

My Duergar Fighter... Although he could just as easily be a cleric. No one is using him just yet, But I hope he will be able to assist us in the Conquest of Frey.



                          

Player Character Wizard

My player character wizard! No one is using him right now. But you never know when you need a wizard mini to throw down!

Wen with the classic red robes and blue hat, just like in Disney's Fantasia.



                          

Elementia Game 3

Game Master: Jeff
Game Edition: D&D 3.5
Players: Andrew, Dave, Elijah
Starting Level: 1 

Quote of the evening:
"I've gotta whale of a tale to tell you lads,
I've gotta whale of a tale or two!
About the flappin' fish, and the girl's I've Loved
About night's like this with the moon above!
I've gotta whale of a tale and it's all true,
I swear by my tattoo!"

Introduction

After running around in the last game and accomplishing almost nothing, Jeff was prepared to set us back on track.

Mäaar (Dave) and Ghar (Elijah) were resting at Mäaar's camp, while Cyrano de Bergerac (Andrew) was having some trouble. He had been kidnapped by dark bards, and had barricaded himself in his room. Why did they take him, and what did the dark bards have in store for Cyrano?One thing was for certain, the plan to kidnap the queen was off.

I had no idea what Jeff had in store for me, and by the end, I wasn't much wiser.

Scene 1 A Meeting With the Dark Bards.

Cyrano awoke from his slumber unharmed. The barricade of furniture he had placed around the door in Elementia Game 2 had held, but seeing it was his only way out, he quickly began to dismantle his blockade, and then tried the door: It wasn't locked.

Slowly Cyrano turned to the doorknob and opened the door; it squeaked loudly on it's hinges, but no one came running. Crouching, Cyrano crept out the door. A thin hallway with a railing that overlooked the floor below wrapped around the square building's second floor. There were a couple doors around the hall  and Cyrano slowly made his way towards one of them and tried the handle; this door was locked. Feeling that his bard friends were already watching his every move, Cyrano stood up, clapped his hands and headed towards a stair case that lead to the first level.

On the ground floor, several dark Bards, were sitting around a large wooden table. One of them asked Cyrano to sit, and graciously he acquiesced, nervously shifting his eyes among the four dark bards as he sat down.

The Dark Bards blackmailed Cyrano. They told him that they knew he killed the captain in Elementia Game 1, and that they would tell the authorities unless Cyrano did something for them; they wanted him to murder the sheriff in the low tiers. Not wanting to leave empty handed, Cyrano convinced them to pay him 250gp for expenses; 100 of which he was given up front.  Pleased with his success, he then excused himself and almost walked out the door, but before he left he felt a sharp blow on the back of his head and everything went black again.

He awoke several hours later in a gutter in a back alley. Luckily no one had robbed him, and the Dark Bards let him keep his gold.

Cyrano needed to tell his companions about the threats and the change of plans. Using Bardic knowledge he learned of a messaging system Genaya used involving ravens. It was long shot, but Cyrano found that the man had worked with Mäaar in the past, and he was able to send a message. It read:

"Plans have changed. In trouble. Need to meet."

Scene 2 The Refugee Camp.

Mäaar's camp was less the military camp he made it out to be and more a refugee camp. The elderly, and children made up much of the population, leaving only a handful who could actually fight if the need arose.

The two had received healing from a cleric that Mäaar had rescued some time ago, and were waiting around the camp. As Mäaar was resting in his tent, Ghar was busy talking of the coming fire beasts with the elves. They were sympathetic to his cause, and a scribe began to copy the note he had with him so that they may warn all of the elves. Ghar was relieved that he had finally found someone who would listen to him.

Around noon, a raven arrived bearing Cyrano's message and one of the elves brought it to Mäaar. He responded telling Cyrano to him to meet them at Ghar's wrecked ship as soon as he could.

With that Gahr and Mäaar each took a horse and rode towards the beach. Ghar had considered bringing the cart with him, but in the end he decided the elves needed it more an delft it with them to help around the camp.

Meanwhile in Genaya, Cyrano had been waiting by the aviary for a response, and saw the raven bearing Mäaar's message return. The clerk gave him the note, and he rushed towards the beach as quickly as he could.

Scene 3 Ghar's Ship.

The weather had not been kind to Ghar's ship. The wreck had been stripped by the wind and waves, leaving little more then a battered shell; it's remains scattered about the shore.

Cyrano arrived about a half hour after Ghar and Mäaar did, and found them hiding inside. He told them that the Bards were blackmailing him, and that they needed to murder a sheriff.

Mäaar was always willing to kill more humans and agreed without a second thought. However, Ghar needed some convincing. Cyrano pointed out that the guards were rather corrupt and that the humans in the city didn't seem willing to help him with his task, so maybe removing them from power was the best thing to do? It was a fickle argument, but the Barbarian agreed and the three started to discuss the best way to go about murdering the sheriff.

As the plans were growing more convoluted; such as the plan to to take the Sheriff's place, a group of passing guards interrupted the creative flow. They were talking about how more fire breathing men, like the one in Elementia Game 2 were preparing to attack, and that they were preparing to close the city down. Hearing this, Cyrano, Mäaar and Ghar leaped from behind the ship wreck, and attacked the guards killing them easily. The fewer gaurds the better at this point.

With that, their lives as criminals began.

Scene 4 The Gate.

Ghar and Mäaar were concerned that the guards would try to stop them from entering the city. However, Cyrano thought that it would be fine, telling the group to follow him. With some hesitation Ghar and Mäaar followed Cyrano as he marched off towards the gate.

Several guards stood out front, and were stopping peasants as they tried to pass through. While they were harassing one of these poor people, Mäaar used the opportunity to slip in unseen arranging to meet Ghar and Cyrano on the other side.

Ghar was a little nervous as he and Cyrano approached the guards, but Cyrano brandished the contract to solve the murder they had gotten from the guards in Elementia Game 2 and explained they needed to get back into the city to solve it. The murder was still unsovled, and the guards let the two of them enter the lower tier of Genaya.

Scene 5 Shantese.

Before planning the easiest way to deal with the sheriff, the three agreed that a base camp was necessary. They needed a place to hide and rest for at least for a little while.

A small sea side tavern called Shantese provided the perfect spot. Cyrano was able to win the the bartender over by rolling a 20 on his performance roll. Hence where our quote of the evening comes from, which is of course the song Ned sings in Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Cyrano played his song and had the whole tavern dancing and singing along.

The owner was so thrilled with the performance that he offered free room and board to Cyrano and his two companions, on the condition that Cyrano play for them every night. With a firm handshake Cyrano sealed the deal, and then ate a well deserved meal with Mäaar and Ghar. They each ordered the fugu, the most expensive item on the menu. This proved to be a mistake for Cyrano as it upset his stomach and he ended up soiling his breeches. Luckily one of the patrons was kind enough to trade pants with Cyrano. It would seem Shantese was a strange place.

Just as Cyrano finished buckling his belt, a loud boom echoed around the lower tier.

Scene 6 The Fight in the Market. The Doom of the Sheriff.

The three rushed out into the streets and asked the nearest panicing bystander what had happened. He told them that there was a battle happening between the sheriff's men and the fire breathers in the market. It was the opportunity they were looking for.

They ran into the market and found the Sheriff standing among rubble. Dead guards and townsfolk lay strewn across the grown. At first the party only saw five guards standing with the Sheriff, but as the smoke cleared a damaged steam walker became visible. A battle had just raged here.

Wasting no time a bellowing a mighty cry, Ghar ran into battle with Cyrano following behind him. Mäaar set up behind some rocks, and a new battle began.

Ghar smashed through a guard and fought the steam walker which was still a powerful foe, even in its damaged state. Cyrano fought with a guard and eventually fought the steam walker's operator. Mäaar killed three of the guards with arrows and even killed the Sheriff himself.  It seemed the day was won, but an explosion of flame proved them wrong.

One of the fire breathing men rushed towards Ghar, erupting with flames and striking him with violent and fiery force. Ghar and the creature fought for some time until Ghar's axe split the man in two.

With the battle won and the sound of guards approaching from all sides, the party looked for their nearest avenue of escape and rushed towards it. As they were leaving, a man who was hiding behind some rocks jumped out and asked them to take him with them. Ghar grabbed the man with one arm the four ran out of the market heading towards Shantese.

Scene 7 The Barracks. The Way to Shantese.

Every way they tried to escape form the market they found barricaded by men and steam walkers. It seemed there was only one way to get back to Shantese: cut through the guards barracks. So stuck between a rock and a hard place, the party approached the barracks' door and the two men that guarded it.

Cyrano was able to convince them to let them in, and then through either Cyrano's slick tongue or Ghar's intimidating stature, they were able to talk their way through the entire barracks, ending up on the street on the other side.

As quick as they could, our heroes headed towards Shantese, questioning the man the brought with them along the way. He said he was an alchemist, but wouldn't tell them anything else, claiming it wasn't safe here.

Seeing the man's concern, Cyrano snatched a sailors cap off a passing man and put it on the alchemist's head. He explained that the four of them would act like drunken sailors on their way to Shantese for a good time. That shouldn't attract too much attention.

Everyone played the part well, and although two guards eyed the alchemist as they passed, all four of them made it to Shantese without incident.

Scene 8 A Victory Party Cut Short.

Back at Shantese Cyrano was greeted with a cheer, and he began to play the patrons another song. Ghar and Mäaar took a seat in the back, and the drinking and merriment went into the night.

After Cyrano finished playing, he sat down with his fellows for drink, and laugh. However his good mood was ruined when he spotted one of the dark bards standing in a corner, starring right at him. Cyrano approached him and told him the deed was done. The dark bard smiled and then pointed at Cyrano announcing to the room that this was Cyrano de Bergerac, the man who killed the captain in the kings camp!

Guards stood up from the tables and drew their swords. It was a Trap!

Conclusion

Jeff left us with that cliff hanger of an ending! I planned to have Cyrano try to talk his way out of it, but if things went south we could only hope the guards hadn't noticed Ghar and Mäaar in the back corner.

The dark bards were proving to be of some trouble, but we still had no idea who they were. One thing was for certain, they cannot be trusted.



                          

Dave's Cthulhu Mini Part 1

While Dave was shopping at The Silver Snail he pulled a book from a shelf which revealed a secret chamber. It was dimly lit, but he could see there was a statue sitting on a rough stone pedestal. He could not help but grab it. "Cthulhu..." The statue whispered in his mind. So of course he had to buy it!

Reaper Miniature's Cthulhu mini is 9 inches tall! It is made out of white resin, comes with it's own base, and is highly detailed.

We will keep you all updated as Dave continues to paint this monstrosity, and of course give you coverage of his appearance in our next game of Chaosiums Call of Cthulhu.

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn



                          

Cave Evil

In the dark bowels of the earth, something evil stirs. Demons and the undead burrow through the ground; spawned from the dark pits that lead to the wicked underworlds where the dark gods reside.

You are a necromancer in this evil place: one who can control the monsters, and summon powerful dark magics. You seek to become the ultimate evil, but there can only be one new Dark god, and others are vying for your power.

Cave Evil, by Emperors of Evil is a hex and counter war game. Each turn players get new spells and resources, activate their squads and battle over the monsters, items, spells and resources that spawn on the map.

Battling with creatures uses the stats around their "blade hex" and adding them to a d12 roll. The best two out of three wins the combat round, and the other creature is ripped apart into Gore resources.

Each of your squads is represented by a little marker on the game board, and using your control cards, which tell you what is in each squad. Your squads can dig tunnels, cast spells, pick up resources, and battle depending on their stats.

You win the game by killing all the other necromancers, or by pleasing the dark gods and completing the task on the awakening card. For our first game we our awakening card was the Eternal Evil Emperor.

When he awakens, you must please him by killing more than the other players, which let's you command him to destroy the others.

Cave Evil feels like a classic fantasy board game from the 80's. The art is wonderful, and the game play is easy to understand, while still providing a challenge. If the darkness calls to you, and you feel ground swell with the energy of evil gods, Cave Evil just might be your cup of tea.



                          

Ottoman Empire Sadrazam Class Battleship

My Ottoman Empire Sadrazam Class Battleship from Spartan Games Dystopian Wars.

They use huge fans to create an air cushion under the ship, which lets them float above the ground. This of course means that the Ottoman Empire's Battleship is as powerful on land as it is on the sea.


Written by: Andrew Gregory

Elementia Game 2

Game Master: Jeff
Game Edition: D&D 3.5
Players: Andrew, Dave, Elijah
Starting Level: 1

Quote of the Evening:
"Wait, you have a camp outside of town?"

Introduction

Not only was this Jeff's first time DMing, it was also JADE's first D&D game as a group. Back in May of last year, Jeff and I were feeling nostalgic for the D&D games of our high school days, and agreed that he would write a campaign and so would I. That way we could both be players.

Dave and Elijah had never played D&D at this point, so before we had our game, I quickly ran them through some combat. They started in a bar in the city of Genaya, the location of Jeff's first game. Cyrano de Bergerac the Human Bard (Andrew) sat in a corner, finding himself there after deserting the army in Elementia Game 1. Two other interesting character were in the bar with Cyrano, though he didn't know them yet. The human Barbarian Ghar son of Dhar (Elijah) was there, as well as Mäaar the elf Ranger (Dave).

Well one drunken thing lead to another and Mäaar and Ghar started fighting. Ghar had just knocked Mäaar to the ground with a barrel, when the city guard rushed in and arrested both of them.

Now, Cyrano de Bergerac was always looking for a good adventure, so I decided to weasel them out of prison.

Scene 1 Outside the Prison.

Cyrano de Bergerac had no trouble convincing the town guard that Mäaar and Ghar were of no trouble and that they had learned their lesson. So they let them go and cast the three of them into the street.

Outside Cyrano introduced himself, and Mäaar and Ghar apologized to one another over the misunderstanding in the bar. Cyrano told them that he was a man looking for adventure, and that the two of them looked like the sort to accompany him. Ghar and Mäaar were flattered and agreed to join Cyrano,  but where to start?

After checking their pockets and finding that only Ghar had a few gold coins on him, it was decided that the first order of business was to secure some funds. Ghar mentioned that he had arrived in Genaya after his ship had been beached in the recent storm, and suggested that they might be able to  salvage something from its remains.

It seemed a long shot, but having nothing better to do, the three stormed off towards the beach.

Scene 2 The Beach. Ghar's Ship.

The beach was washed and windswept from the recent storm, and large rocks covered a great deal of it, blocking the view of Ghar's wrecked ship, which he assure Mäaar and Cyrano was there.

As they strolled along the sand, they were approached by a half-elven man asking for help. He said he didn't have time to explain what was wrong, and ran off behind some rocks. Cyrano was not one to turn down a story and before Mäaar or Ghar could think, he dashed off, following the man... And, as they should all have expected, it was a trap.

They were six half-elf bandits waiting for them. Mäaar was able to deal with most of them using his bow, while Cyrano and Ghar fought the rest. Cyrano stabbed at the bandits with his rapier, while Ghar went into a rage slashing with his battle axe and finally pummeling them to death with his bare hands.

The party never learned who the bandits were, but after the fight, the three saw they were close to Ghar's wrecked ship and decided to hide the bodies inside of it. After their disposing of the corpses, they searched the ship.

Any valuables their may have been, had washed out to sea with the tide. So, disappointed and now feeling their injuries from the fight, Cyrano recommended that they find a inn and rest. A successful Bardic Knowledge roll revealed that the best bar in Genaya's lower district was the Slimy Cauldron, and that was where they headed.

Scene 3 The Slimy Cauldron.

The popularity of the Slimy Cauldron made it an easy place to find. Its patrons spilled into the streets and the noise could be heard from afar. Before entering, Mäaar remembered that Elves are often not welcome in establishments with humans. Humans had recently captured Genaya from his kin, and forced the elves into slavery. A free elf was becoming something of a rarity.

Bowing his head, and covering it with his hood, Mäaar entered the Slimy Cauldron, following closely behind Ghar and Cyrano. They found a seat at a table  and ordered a round of drinks, knowing full well they didn't have the money to pay for it.

Cyrano downed his cup and surveyed the room for an opportunity. He found two guards drinking ale, and discussing a recent murder that had happened in the market. Hearing that, the bard approached the two guards claiming that he was a famous detective and could solve the murder. the bluff worked and the guards promised him a 100gp if he could catch the murderer. Needing money immediately, Cyrano told the guards that he would solve it for 50gp if they gave it to him now. Surprisingly they agreed, and had the money on them. So they tossed Cyrano a bag of 50gp and small contract granting the party permission to investigate arrest the murderer. 

After pocketing the gold, Cyrano returned to the table to find Ghar telling the story of why he came to Genaya. His village had come under attack from strange fire creatures. His chief had sent him on a quest to get help, but the storm had wrecked his ship stranding him in Genaya. He showed Mäaar and Cyrano a scroll that his chief had given him, explaining the threat in further detail. It was chilling tale. When he arrived he had asked for help, but no one in Genaya had been willing to help him.

Feeling a little down from Ghar's tale, Cyrano decided to have some fun and seduced a barmaid; disappearing upstairs for some time. When he returned, a strange event occurred. A man came running into the bar screaming. With each breath he belched flames until he seemed to burn up form the inside, reducing him to little more then a pile of ash. The patrons of the Slimy Cauldron went screaming into the streets, but the party stayed to investigate

Mäaar, Cyrano and Ghar searched the remains and asked around about the strange fire breathing man, but no one knew anything. They would investigate it further if any more information presented itself.

Scene 4 The Market.

With the murder investigation being their only lead, Cyrano, Mäaar and Ghar headed towards the market to begin their inquest. However, the market was full of so many wonderful things, and both Cyrano and Ghar got distracted and started spending some of the coin they had just earned. Ghar bought a pet spider, and Cyrano bought some silk scarves in case they would need to conceal their faces. Mäaar on the other hand, didn't want to give any of his gold to the humans so kept his coin purse close and explored the market on his own. It was there that he spied the Queen of Genaya, accompanied by some very large elven slaves.

While the queen was shopping Mäaar spoke to her slaves, who said that the she could easily be seduced. Mäaar then went to tell Cyrano, who came up with plan: they would kidnap her.

Cyrano tried to disguise himself but rolled a one, exposing himself to the queen, and almost getting himself arrested. But after hiding and rolling a 20 on a second disguise attempt, he was able to get a meeting with the queen that evening.

Ghar was very insistent that they investigate the murder, so he and Mäaar searched for the scene. They found it guarded, but were permitted entry with the contract they had been given by the guards in the Slimy Cauldron. The two spent almost a hour searching the scene, and found absolutely no leads. It was starting to get frustrating.

Cyrano had finished his conversation with the queen, and saw Ghar and Mäaar heading towards the murder the scene. Cyrano didn't feel this was very interesting, and instead decided to secure some more funds. He quickly forged some proofs of purchase, managed to convince a poor shopkeep to give him 50 gold for them. Feeling pleased with his acquisition, Cyrano joined Mäaar and Ghar at the murder scene, but was also unable to find anything at all.

During this Mäaar and Cyrano had been quietly talking about how they would kidnap the queen and ransom her. However, they had chosen to leave Ghar out of the loop. The Barbarian seemed to have a strong sense of right and wrong, and the two were unsure where his loyalties would lie.

Deciding they would need to tell him eventually, Cyrano and Mäaar, told Ghar that they were going to the Bloody Pigeon for dinner, but really they were going to plan their next steps.

Scene 5 Planning at the Bloody Pigeon

The Bloody Pigeon was the scuzziest bar in Genaya. The cups were dirty, the tables were rickety and unkempt, and its clientele left much to be desired. But it was at least a place where no one would ask questions and even a elf wouldn't attract attention.

The three sat down. and Cyrano and Mäaar told Ghar their plan. During this Mäaar revealed that he was a more important man then either Cyrano or Ghar had realized. For years he had been active in the elven underground: smuggling people out of the city through the sewer and to a small camp he had set up outside of town. With that they plan became a little more complicated.

Ghar and Mäaar would go to the camp and gather some support: a few followers who could carry a blade. They would then hide in the sewers until the next day. Cyrano was supposed to meet that queen that evening, but his job was to postpone the meeting until tomorrow.

That day, Cryano would meet the Queen in the market and then play a song for her. However it would be just any song, Cyrano would use Bardic Music to fascinate a crowd. While the towns people were distracted, Mäaar, Ghar and their troops would grab the queen and smuggle her into the sewers and back towards the camp.

With the planned laid out, each of them set it into motion.

Scene 6 The Flight of Mäaar and Ghar. Cyrano de Bergerac and the Strange Bards.

Mäaar and Ghar rushed off through the sewers, fighting spiders and a couple of guards. they dealt with these obstacles as quickly as they came, until they were stopped by the sound of heavy, irregular footsteps and the grinding of gears. The Guards, it would seem, had become aware of Mäaar's illegal smuggling activities and had sent an imperial steam-walker into the sewers to stop him.

Ghar tried to rush the walker but was badly injured, and the machine's onslaught was unceasing. It fired ballista bolt after ballista bolt at them. One of the bolts struck Mäaar in the shoulder injuring him severely, and he fell to the ground in pain.

Seeing the fight was hopeless, Ghar grabbed Mäaar and ran for his life. He managed to find his way out of the sewers and onto a road just outside the city. 

Mäaar, though still hurt, was able to walk from there, and they began the trek towards Mäaar's hidden camp. Along the way, they encountered a pair of traders who were taking their wares, and their horse and cart to Genaya.

Ghar and Mäaar attacked the merchants as they approached, taking their cart and dragging their bodies into the woods. The merchant's cart was full of food for the most part, but Ghar also found some strange crystals which he put into his pack. Mäaar then took the reigns and drove the horse and cart to his camp.  His followers were happy to see him, and thanked him for the food they brought. With their job completed for the moment, the two adventures rested for the evening.

Meanwhile in town, Cyrano had met up with the queen and asked if they could meet again the following evening. She laughed and told him to meet her in her Royal Zeppelin that was docked nearby. The plan was falling apart, but Cyrano could do nothing about it then, so he followed the Queen and spent the evening in her bed chamber. Afterwards, the Queen kicked Cyrano out, and he wandered the street looking for something to do. he need to get a message to his comrades, but it was to late at night to anything about it.

Cyrano found himself wandering down a dark street when a strange fellow dressed in black Bard's clothes seemed to appear out of thin air in front of him. The dark Bard asked Cyrano if he would accompany him, and as he said that, two men grabbed Cyrano from behind. He felt a sharp scratch on his neck, and the world started to spin around him until everything went black.

He awoke to find himself unharmed, but locked in a small bedroom. Still feeling groggy from the poison, Cyrano pushed all of the furniture in the room against the door, forming a crude barricade. He then lay down in the bed and let himself drift off while still wearing his armour

Conclusion

And that is where we left off Jeff's first game! All in all it went pretty well, but we never really figured out any of the plot hooks we opened up.

Honestly we were too focused with the small, and rather pointless, adventures we were creating, but that is a classic mistake for a beginning group.

As the games went on, we would get more and track and Jeff would find ways to keep us following his story.

Little did we know, but the dark bards had plans for us, whether we wanted to be part of them or not.



                          

Star Fleet Battles

Star Fleet Battles has a long an largely unknown history. Task Force Games created it in 1979, as a hex and counter game that allows a player to take command of their favorite ships from the Star Trek universe and battle them at warp speeds. However, being only a hex and counter game, it used to be considered a little lack luster.

But what it lacked in visuals, it has made up for in detail. The rule book is over 200 pages long, and covers all the ship systems of your chosen vessel and their operation in game. It requires two sheets to command a single ship: an energy allocation sheet where you record your power usage each turn, and your ships stats page (SSD), where you record damage, and learn the various capabilities of your vessel. Here is the SSD for a Klingon D7 cruiser:

Now most of that will be gibberish, but it covers shield strength, warp power, phaser power and type, and the list keeps going and going. It's got all the detail on paper, but what this game has always needed was something more visual. In 1988 Star Fleet Battles was sold to the Amarillo Design Bureau (ABD) and they released a line of miniatures for it.

Star Fleet battles is now on its fifth generation of miniatures with ABD's Starline 2500 series and they keep getting better and better. There are dozens of ships, including some old favourites:

They have also added in new ships and created ship models for species mentioned in the Star Trek universe, as well as some of their own.

After choosing your fleet, players tally and then allocate energy to their ships different systems, including, phasers, disruptors, shields, life support, and warp travel. After Energy Allocation, comes the action phase, which is segmented into 32 small rounds called impulses where you move and shoot. You move one space for each energy you put into movement. So if your speed was 10 you would move 10 spaces over the course of the 32 impulses, and they have a chart that tells you when to move your ship.

Damage is done by rolling d6's and comparing it to a table to determine the damage. Shields can absorb some damage, but once they go down they are difficult to get back up, and the player then gets to roll for damage on your vessel itself which causes systems to fail and you to lose your fighting spirit.

If you are looking for an exciting, in depth look into starship command, then look no further then Star Fleet Battles!