Out of my Element (performance)

*Out of my Element* is a multi-act rock opera composed by Mordekai, comprised of old and new songs, telling the tale of his, um, I mean his group's, epic fight against elemental evils. Like most rock operas, it is born of much ego. The intention is to self-aggrandize, entertain, and get support fighting the elemental evils (in that order.)

Many facts were intentionally changed for storytelling purposes, (and some for manipulative reasons.) The writing is rather juvenile but if well-performed it should be a high-production-value crowd-pleaser. (The bar is low for storytelling when there isn't recorded media.)

## Part 1: A Harrowed Wind

### Introduction

When the room is full, the lights go out. (Starts with a darkened stage,)

MORDEKAI: "How did I get here? (5 second pause)

I remember, there was love... there was action... there was sacrifice... and there was..."

Suddenly Mordekai descends on his wings in the spotlight. He lingers dramatically a moment, motionless on stage, his back to the crowd. Mordekai lifts one hand in the air.

MORDEKAI: "MUSIC!"

Mordekai strums his lute with a power chord and suddenly pretidigitation fireworks fill the room and he immediately breaks into a sick solo. When he stops playing, the room gets dark again. He says slowly, with gravitas,

MORDEKAI: "I remember... fighting... something big... larger than any man. A villian as large as Faerun itself. I remember... THE EYE."

**Song:** *The Third Eye Opens* - Song about the elder elemental eye

Mordekai begins playing the song and the stage lights up via prestidigitation torches, first revealing a giant eye, then more lights reveal a stage full of all manner of cultists, praying to a giant "eye of sauron" that's (stage rear, center.) at they circle it. The eye stares at Mordekai. At first the cultists looks like they might attack, they pull out their daggers and pretend to stab at him as he dances about, dodging their attacks and rocking out. Eventually they start to sing along to the chorus about the elder elemental eye and some accompany him, musically. When the song ends the lights go out again.

MORDEKAI: "I remember now... it all started... with a band..."

### Act 1: Death to Regicide!

(Curtains down, lights on, this is supposed to look like a stage)

Tells the story of noble Mordekai, who sacrificed everything to lead Regicide to success as their most talented front-man, only to be betrayed by sinister Windharrow. He snuck off in the night, stole Mordekai's songs, the band's money, and joined up with the sinister Aerisi Kalinoth's wind cult. Broke, the other band members had no choice but to give up their dream of fame alongside the musical genius Mordekai. (Regicide is no more.) For a moment, Mordekai is sad, but then he gets angry and vows revenge!

(curtains up, WINDHARROW and cultists are at the feathergale set, performing for feathergale knights) Windharrow begins performing Mordekai's songs without giving credit.

WINDHARROW: "I can't stand that self-righteous tiefling. I can't match his musical talent, so I'll have to do the next best thing: DESTROY HIM AND STEAL HIS SONGS! AHAHAHA"

**Song:** *Windharrow is a CUNT!* (sung by WINDHARROW & MORDEKAI with backup singers dressed as wind cultists)

### Act 2: New Beginnings

(set: tavern)

Mordekai, an honest and virtuous man, agreed to fulfill his word by going to perform solo at the tavern Regicide was scheduled in. He sacrificed his old life and hit the road to perform at Red Larch out of a sense of duty and honor.

There he meets some strangers, a greedy High Elf, an aloof Tabaxi kitty cat (Panger Bon), and a strange religious "Human" (Roland) talking to the Tavern owner, and overhears them talking about how they are seeking other elemental foes who have wronged them. Mordekai overhears and suggests teaming up. They treat him very cruelly at first, dismissing him because he is a tiefling, but he manages to earn their trust by reaching out through the hatred and making a true connection, through the power... of music!

**Song:** (new song) *Tiefling (sad version)* - Song about how it's lonely being Mordekai, and how he deserves as much love and trust as any other humanoid. "Just because my skin is scarlet, others treat me like a harlot..." it starts out sad but then his new acquaintances start singing along and the song gets more upbeat. By the end of the song they are all singing together, indicating they all get along now, and tieflings are awesome, and they head out the door for adventure!

ELADRIN: "All I care about is coin, and that's how I know you have a heart of gold, Mordekai."

MORDEKAI: "Aw, shucks you're making me blush."

ROLAND: "Huzzah! Let us share our love of justice, and Lethander."

MORDEKAI: "Yeah, well, yeah to the first part anyway."

The cast members introduce themselves as Roland, Panger Bon, and Eladrin. Eladrin is a bladesinger.

**Song:** (new song) *Bladesong* - a song about bladesinging, sung by ELADRIN and MORDEKAI. ELADRIN bounds all around the stage doing acrobatics, atop bookshelves, on tables, all the while singing and slashing about.

They suggest that they work together, and Roland suggests they talk to the feathergale knights for clues about what's going on. On the way, they meet Thonk who joins the party.

### Act 3: the Feathergale Fraternity

(set: feathergale spire)

When they arrive at Feathergale Spire, they are greeted by frat-boys who say that they just missed windharrow. It is late and they offer the party rooms to rest. The party accepts and in the middle of the night they are bound and carried to the top of the tower. The (idiot frat-boy) leader reveals he's a wind cultist working for his master, Aerisi Kalinoth, and threatens to throw them off the tower. Mordekai says "No, you will never harm my friends!" and goes down fighting. The leader laughs and goes to throw Roland off the tower, when suddenly an Acracocra (thonk on a rope) swoops in and saves him!

**Song:** *Death from Above! (the ackracocra song)*: Mordekai rocks out and a battle happens on-stage, there is a choreographed fight, a giant stuffed gryffon clashes with the acracockra, the frat boys are defeated throughout the course of the song and thrown off of the tower (off side of stage or into orchestra pit), except for the cowards who escape.

The group learns of cultists of many elemental types causing havok in the valley ad warring with each other from the acracockra. "When we heard the great musician Mordekai was here, we had to come!" Everyone is confused about how to proceed, Mordekai convinces the group to make a pact with him to protect the people of the valley at any cost.

**Song:** *Out of my Element* (new song) - a song about the elements spilling to faerun and how the cultists forgot something very important, they didn't count on the one element that can move anything... \*music.\*

Mordekai thanks his new feathered friends, and they fly off. The party decides the right thing to do is bolster their morale before continuing the fight, and insist that Mordekai needs to perform his duty to his fans by playing a scheduled show at the Helm and High Sun. While in town they can look for clues about where the cultists might be.

### Act 4: Fire at the Disco

(set: tavern, signage changed to say "helm and high sun")

Mordekai spreads joy at a concert and meets a friendly goblin/fan there, Rancin before the show. They share some drinks and then he starts the show.

**Song:** *Hell at High Sun* - Bastian Thermandar attacks Mordekai's concert with lava beasts, killing many of his fans. Rancin fights bravely.

ROLAND: There's no way we could have known he would do this. What a chaotic and unpredictable tragedy. All we wanted to do was spread justice and make the realms safe.

After a tough battle, THERMANDAR escapes and his lava beasts are driven away. MORDEKAI swears revenge, cradling a torched fan in his arms as they turn to ash. A mysterious man appears to MORDEKAI and offers to help right this terrible wrong. He gives information to the group about where the other cultists can be found, in the ruins of Tyar-Besil, and offers his sincerest condolences. He says he is from the Zhentarim and that he also shares a love of music and justice, and is a huge fan of Mordekai's.

MORDEKAI: I thought you lot were the bad guys.

ZHENTARIM AGENT: No, we have driven out those bad apples and we hope to return to our true purpose, to make faerun safe for everyone, especially the everyday merchants and farmers that make up the backbone of our great lands.

(the party sizes this man up, and goes into a huddle)

ZHENTARIM AGENT: You don't have to trust me, but please look into that information. I assure you it's valid. For the sake of these poor townspeople.

(ROLAND nods, stoically.)

ELDRIN: It appears we have misjudged you.

ROLAND: Indeed.

(everyone shakes the mysterious man's hand.)

ZHENTARIM AGENT: No hard feelings, I understand why you might have reservations. We hope to make up for our past and thank you for this opportunity to help. Please let us know if we can be of further assistance. Give 'em hell, boys.

**Song:** *Black brotherhood*: a song about the zhents and why they've changed, sung by ZHENTARIM AGENT

RANCIN: I'm coming with you guys, I have a score to settle with these elemental jerks!

EVERYONE: (laughs) Oh, Rancin!

### Act 5: Knock the wind out of 'em

(set: Tyar-Besil)

**Song:** *Besilmer* - A song about the mysterious disappearance of the Besilmer Dwarven civilization

The party explores the city and confronts WINDHARROW, who attacks them with minions who are defeated whicle he cackles. MORDEKAI defeats him and gets justice for Regicide. The party has knives to his throat. WINDHARROW pees himself. MORDEKAI thinks it over a moment.

WINDHARROW: Noooo! Please spare me, I'll do anything! \*cries\* I don't \*sniff\* wanna... dieeeeee... (WINDHARROW starts blubbering incoherently.)

The party recoils to strike the killing blow.

WINDHARROW: I'll do anything! I'll give the money back! I'll stop stealing your songs! Have mercy!

MORDEKAI: Wait! ... I hate to say it, but he's a competent musician. ... occasionally. When he isn't a complete wank, which is most days. But, you know, sometimes, he hits the notes alright and understands the nuances of the pentatonic scale.

WINDHARROW: Does that mean you'll let me go?

MORDEKAI: Oi! Damn it, WINDHARROW you stupid twat, I just can't. You're lucky that I love music even more than I despise you! Don't let me catch you plagiarizing again. You must play music as it was intended, for joy and love and passion, not for selfishness and personal gain. Now get your knickers out of my sight before I change my mind!

MORDEKAI lets WINDHARROW go in an act of bardic charity and goodwill over what they once had. Windharrow breaks down and tells Mordekai he was always jealous of him, and then pitifully betrays his master, telling them where her chamber is, then sneaks away like gollum leaving a trail of piss behind.

ROLAND: What a sad creature, he truly is pitied and reviled by the gods themselves.

PANGER BON: For such an affront, the cat lord would have played with him until he died and left his corpse chewed up on the holy doorstep. You truly are magnanimous, MORDEKAI.

RANCIN: What a blow-hard!

EVERYONE: (laughs) Oh, Rancin!

After a dramatic lead-in accompanied by epic operatic singing over rock music (sounds like the trans-Siberian orchestra) they confront the prophet of air. It is revealed that her wings are fake and that she's working with other prophets to release the elder elemental eye.

**Song:** *Wingliar* - A song about the death of Aerisi Kalinoth, princess of air, whose wings were a lie

This is an epic battle, with lots of prestidigitation and illusions for effect, and choreography. Mordekai and Aerisi take to the air, only to have her felled by ELADRIN's bladesong while MORDEKAI plays a power chord. The party catches their breath, before remembering this is but the first wing of the massive Dwarven ruined city. There are 3 more types of cultists to contend with.

The party bursts into song, with a more upbeat version of:

**Song:** *The Third Eye Opens* - Song about the elder elemental eye (reprisal)

It ends with an upbeat call to battle, an appeal to the audience to help, and the party charges off-stage to do battle with the next elemental foe, the fire cultists!

RANCIN: See you immo-later!

-The End (of part 1)-

After the show I tell them that we've defeated all but the water cultists in Tayar-Besil and we need their help, any information or assistance would be welcome. Stay safe and beware the evil cults! Know the warning signs, so it doesn't happen to your families! Have a great night. Thank you.

Stay tuned for Out of My Element part 2: "A pyre of fire", coming soon!

Then, like, 3 curtain calls at least.