C2 E52

Selene has been putting off her big OT based decision for some time now. It was prudent to wait and see just what sort of danger she was in just in case everything was fine and dandy. But with the battalion of soldiers and who knows what else heading to Rimeford it seems like that decision needs to be made today. Good luck and all that.

## **Story**

### Long Story

The party is currently speaking to the dragon, which I guess they've decided to name "JiMichael", or something like that? Also, the dragon can speak now, which is cool, though it's really slurred and hard to understand. R'Oarc attempts to give the dragon an illicit comic book, but they aren't able to find out what it's... proclivities are. What it's interested in, you know? T'Chuck's too stressed out to deal with all of this, and reminds them that The Order has sent an army their way. It will be arriving any day now.

They decide to leave today, at night-fall. This will give them time to collect their things, and wrap up some loose ends. For example, Selene's collar still needs to be removed. Screech ponders his new ward, Gertie. Will she come with? Who knows! And what about the dragon? He will be coming with the party, and seems cool with that. He doesn't have much to pack, just a bindle, which won't take long. Cool. They leave, but will be coming back for the dragon tonight. JiMichael requests that they please knock before entering.

Non-Bachmann members of the podcast are not permitted in this paragraph. Along the way back to The Goblin Pit, Screech pulls his butler Milton Graves aside for a private conversation. Screech is beginning to suspect that some of the others are beginning to suspect that Screech and Beholder-doodle are one and the same! A ludicrous thought, to be sure, but... Just to be safe, Screech gives the Beholder-doodle costume over to Graves, along with a special request: Follow behind the party at a safe distance. Then, when the time is right, don the Beholder-doodle costume and make his presence known! This will throw Screech's allies off the scent. That's a dog pun. Dogs love scents. Graves agrees (agreeves?), and the two of them do their special secret handshake.

Selene's kind of panicking a little bit. She panics as the group makes it back to the Goblin Pit. She panics still as she heads up to her room to pack. It's a classic pack and panic! As she packs (and panics), she hears a strange thumping sound. She follows it out into the hallway. It appears to be coming from the abandoned room of one Ratma Ritmo. Using a *Mage Hand* to push open the door, Selene peers inside. There's no-one, so she steps in and closes the door behind her. The thumping is coming from a locked chest at the foot of Ratma's bed. Soon, Selene is met by a raspy, flirtatious voice. It's the Incubus that they fought! Apparently, Ratma left him behind. The demon asks Selene to free him, which she agrees to do, but only if he will help them, which he agrees to do, but only if she will free him! Anyway, she says she'll be back for him later, and heads back downstairs to the tavern.

Meanwhile, down in their little hobbit house, T'Chuck and R'Oarc collect the dusty bug-out bags they've been storing for such a case as this. R'Oarc's is slightly less dusty than T'Chuck's, it should be said. She removes a poster from the wall, revealing a map of the Whispering Peaks region on the back. The two have been preparing for this day since they got here. They've been practicing. A classic pack practice! R'Oarc also sends a quick message to Lucee, telling them that she and her friends are out-ty five thou-ty, and also that Ratma's already run off. Shit's going, in a word, down.

Meanwhile Meanwhile, Screech tells Milton Graves to stay behind in Rimeford, in order to handle Screech's affairs (though really, he'll be delaying the Order from following them). The two say goodbyes, in case this is the last time they see each other. Gertie appears, and is all like, "what's going on?" Screech tells her their peace-ing the eff out of here, and invites Gertie to come along. Although he admits that he won't have much time to do a lot of parenting. That's cool, she just likes to be included. Quietly, Screech asks her if she ever decided on an animal to use as her fursona. She had, at one point, decided on using a tanuki, but who can remember if she changed her mind later on. Not me. Screech sends her off to go make her costume. She says she'll be waiting at the stables.

Selene meets up with T'Chuck, who's busy pouring oil over everything that they're not bring with them. She tells him about the Incubus, and has had an idea. They can unleash the Inky (who's name is Brandon, according to me) upon the members of the OT, as a means of distraction and subterfuge. It's a good idea, but R'Oarc has other plans in mind. She wants to just bring Brandon with them. They can't decide what to do, so they return to the Goblin Pit to regroup. Selene goes back to her room to finish packing.

As she's about to leave, Skin Kyle darts into her room. Despite being told to hide out in the basement of the Temple of Reya, Kyle has instead been hiding out in the attic of the Goblin Pit. This is, basically, the exact opposite hiding spot to where he was told to go, but whatever. Anyway, Kyle, like Selene, is panicking! What are they to do? He wants to come with her when she leaves, but Selene doesn't know if the others will go for that. She'll have to ask T'Chuck. She tells him to go keep hiding up in the attic, but first, grab the Incubus box and hide it up there, too. She says to use the Incubus in any way he sees fit. I can think of a few ways to use him, that I can see fit, youknowwhatImean? Anyway, she tells him to wait in the attic, and she will come back for him. She tells him to look for her note at the base of the waterfall. Kyle agrees to all of this. He also suggests Selene leave her collar behind, because that way, the OT will really think she's dead. She likes that plan. Together, they trash her room, to make it look like she was attacked. With that, Kyle heads back to the attic, and Selene goes back downstairs once more.

Back in the tavern, everyone meets up again, and they ponder their next moves. Selene needs to get that collar off, and that means they need to use those magical bolt cutters of Ratma's. Now, back in Episode 25, they had taken these bolt cutters for themselves, but now, they are back in Ratma's room. I don't know about all that. R'Oarc volunteers to go get them, which she does, but not before caressing the Incubus box, and slipping a note to Brandon, detailing their plans. She whispers to come and find her later...

Anyway, it's nightfall, and there's nothing left to do. T'Chuck has left a note with whoever's left at the Goblin Pit (Meat, probably), explaining that he's going. With that, the party leaves the Goblin Pit, for the final time. They approach Ridgewood Keep, but before they enter, it's time to remove Selene's collar. Is she ready? As ready as she'll ever be. Screech is the one to do the honors. He takes the clippers, aims for the collar, aaaaaand...

Snip!

The collar is separated. Selene's eyes grow wide. A magical light begins to emanate from the collar. And that's the end of the episode.

### Short

The party is going to be escaping Rimeford, but first, they need to tie up some loose ends. They agree to return to grab the dragon later. Screech has a private conversation with Milton, before instructing him to stay behind in Rimeford. He also tells Gertie to go make her Tanuki costume, and sends her off to the stables until he picks her up later. Selene finds Brandon the Incubus back in Ratma's room, and also runs into Skin Kyle. She tells him to take Brandon and hide in the attic. She will return for him later, and will leave a note beneath the waterfall for him. R'Oarc gives Brandon a note explaining their entire plan, and tells him to come find her. Everyone packs their things, and they head to Ridgewood Keep. Outside the castle, Screech cuts off Selene's collar.

## **Trivia**

* Day 15 of the campaign.
* JiMichael the dragon is 143 years old, which is young for a dragon.
	+ He's been in Ridgewood Keep for "30 Dragon Years". A Dragon Year is 365 days. But that's Dragon Days. Who knows what that means.
* The Wiki does exist and is a great and helpful tool for remembering what has happened in this show!
	+ For example, Gertie decided back in Episode 42 to become Tanuki girl. This may have been forgotten about (by Gertie, not the cast), so who knows if she will actually decide to be something else.
* My memory does, indeed, dictate the canon of this show. Fun fact: Jaela never existed. She was an invention of mine. I made her up as a joke.

## **In This Episode...**

### **Cast and Player Characters**

* Michael DiMauro - *Dungeon Master*
* Tim Lanning - T'Chuck
* Jennifer Cheek - Selene von Esper
* Nika Howard - R'Oarc
* Mike Bachmann - Screech Echo

### **Non-Player Characters**

* JiMichael, the dragon
* Milton Graves
* Brandon the Incubus
* Gertie
* Skin Kyle

### **Locations**

* Drunkeros
	+ Whispering Peaks
		- Rimeford
			* Ridgewood Keep
			* The Goblin Pit

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [Active] - Escape The Order
	+ [Complete] - ~~Get Selene's Theonite collar off~~
		- [Complete] - ~~Find a way to fake Selene's death~~
	+ [Active] - Smuggle JiMichael out of the city
	+ [NEW][Active] - Don't forget to get Gertie from the stables
* [NEW][Optional] - Return for Skin Kyle
* [Abandoned?] - Stop The Cult of Ugnos
	+ [Abandoned?] - Investigate Thistledown

### **Quotes**

* **"You obviously have never ran away from a town in the night before. He he he!"** ~ *T'Chuck*

* **"We're getting ready to leave town. Ratma's gone. Everything's going to hell. I'll see you on the other side."** ~ *R'Oarc's message to Lucee*

## **Rolls**

* Some of the party members roll *Perception* in the Goblin Pit
	+ **Screech** - 1
		- He hears nothing
	+ **Selene** - 10
		- She hears a distant thumping

* **Selene** rolls *Perception* to track the distant thumping (with Advantage) - 19
	+ It's coming from Ratma Ritmo's room

* **Selene** rolls *Perception* to see if there are any OT in the hallway - 11
	+ She neither hears nor sees any OT members