The kidnapping and death of Amaury Bauchet

(Cinematic)

The CAMERA PANS through the streets of Paris. FOCUS on beggars, noblemen and market stalls with very little bread and vegetables in them. Blue sky with dark clouds, heavy with rain. We HEAR chatter from people, MUSIC from somewhere. The MUSIC has a happy tune, with an underlying tone of danger.

The CAMERA PANS through Place Vendôme; FOCUS on the statue of Louis IV shortly before FOCUSING on a house in the outskirts from where swordplay noises are HEARD. The CAMERA PANS through an open window with curtains waving in the wind. FOCUS on a YOUNG WOMAN and an OLDER MAN with rapiers in their hands. The man is correcting the woman’s moves:

AMAURY BAUCHET: (STERN)

Élodie, protect your side! Your guard is wide-open.

(Gameplay)

Player-controlled Actions and Effects are CAPITALIZED. Your PC is Élodie Bauchet.

Élodie and her father continue the FENCING. A quick TUTORIAL begins.

Block: A regular move. In most cases, this will stop attacks from enemies and protect Élodie from damage.

Defend: A flexible move where Élodie will evade attacks by moving.

Attack: A regular attack. Will hurt enemies lightly.

Throughout the game, the player will be able to upgrade and get many more attacks.

AMAURY BAUCHET: (STERN)

Get up!

Defend yourself!

AMAURY BAUCHET: (ABJECT)

Faster, Élodie, move faster!

Block!

ÉLODIE BAUCHET: (QUIZZICAL)

Is this right?

ÉLODIE BAUCHET: (GOBSMACKED)

Oof!

Gah!

Aaah!

ÉLODIE BAUCHET: (TRIUMPHANT)

Ah–ha!

(Cinematic)

Five men, dressed in dark colored clothes, ENTER the room. They all have various weapons, from meat cleavers to bludgeons and they ATTACK Élodie and her father.

ÉLODIE BAUCHET: (CONFUSED AND IRRITATED)

Quest-ce tu faire? What are you doing!?

MASKED MEN: (COMMANDING)

Stall her! It’s the old man we’re after.

(Gameplay)

Player-controlled Actions and Effects are CAPITALIZED. Your PC is Élodie Bauchet.

Élodie FIGHTS three of the men and SEES her father get a wallop on his head. He FALLS to the floor and two men TIE him up. They DRAG him out through the door and DISAPPEAR.

ÉLODIE BAUCHET: (FORLORN)

No! Father!

 

Élodie is LEFT alone in the room with three opponents to FIGHT. When she is FINISHED with them, she RUSHES to the door just to find it locked from the outside.

ÉLODIE BAUCHET: (BILIOUS)

Merde!

 

The window is still OPEN. The player is able to CLIMB out the window.

(Cinematic)

When Élodie APPROACHES the window, she sees the kidnappers DRAG her father THROUGH the crowd down at the square.

(Gameplay)

Player-controlled Actions and Effects are CAPITALIZED. Your PC is Élodie Bauchet.

Élodie CLIMBS out the window and DOWN the façade. THROUGH the crowd is a FADING track from the kidnappers. Place Vendôme is FULL with people and the crowd HINDERS both her and her father’s kidnapper. To GET THROUGH the crowd, Élodie uses all her acrobatic skills. She does CARTWHEELS over trolleys, JUMPS over barrels and PUSHES people away when she has to. After a while, she does no longer SEES the kidnappers.

(Cinematic)

Élodie CLIMBS up a barrel and is able to LOCALIZE the kidnappers again. The crowd is getting restless and it’s getting harder and harder to get THROUGH. Élodie is DRAGGED DOWN from the barrel and PUSHED UP AGAINST the wall to one of the houses. She starts CLIMBING up the wall.

(Gameplay)

Player-controlled Actions and Effects are CAPITALIZED. Your PC is Élodie Bauchet.

The player is not able to CLIMB DOWN.

ÉLODIE BAUCHET: (FORLORN AND DETERMINED)

There are too many people, and I can’t get through.

I will be able to see my father from up there.

No.

 

The player continues to CLIMB and REACHES the roof of the building after a while. Now, Élodie PURSUES the kidnappers over the roofs of the town houses. She needs to be careful, some of the houses have big gaps in their roofs and the moss makes part of the roof slippery. She DODGES clothes–lines, JUMPS or CARTWHEELS over chimneys and will GRAB unto the edge of the roof if she SLIPS on moss and FALLS towards the square. When she REACHES the end of the roofs, she will HEAR voices underneath her.

KIDNAPPER 1: (UNASSERTIVE)

We shouldn’t have done it today.

KIDNAPPER 2(FEMALE?): (IRRITATED)

It was your bright idea to do it when everyone gathered at Vendôme. “It would be easy,” you said, “so many people that no one will notice us”.

KIDNAPPER 1: (UNASSERTIVE AND PLEADING)

I was wrong. I know that now. What should we do with him?

KIDNAPPER 2: (IRRITATED)

Just kill him and make it look like a robbery.

 

Élodie can either CLIMB down the facades or JUMP from balcony to balcony. When she REACHES the alley, she SEES her father LYING on the ground with one of the kidnappers KNEELING beside him with a knife in his hand and the other one LEANING against one of the walls.

ÉLODIE BAUCHET: (CRYING)

No!

(Cinematic)

The kidnapper beside her father STABS her father through his chest, then NOTICES Élodie and FLEES together with his partner. Élodie RUNS to her father and KNEELS beside him. She PULLS the knife out of him and he STUTTERS:

AMAURY BAUCHET: (STRAINED, PROUD)

T–take my r–ring. Use it and kn–know… that I c–could never have a b–braver son…

ÉLODIE BAUCHET: (MISERABLE)

I will avenge you father, I promise!

 

She PULLS a ring of his finger and PUTS IT ON her finger before COLLAPSING into tears. Her father’s last breath SHOCKS her and she RUNS blindly away.