C2 E26

With Skin Kyle not exploded and Selene shown just how different things are from what she thought was taught her whole life leaves the gang is in an interesting spot. Do they do the right thing even though it is dangerous? Or do they just keep chilling and hope some other band of adventurers figures it out. Find out today!

## **Story**

### Long Story

Kyle Oakenbacher is awake, and ready to have spake. Spoken. Ready to speak, I mean. He sees Ratma Ritmo in front of him, which is good news for him. The bad news is that it's actually Selene, not Ratma. But before he realizes that, he asks her if she's gotten his letters, asking for her assistance in starting a revolution. She hasn't been responding, so, did she get them? Selene drops the act, and they ask him if he killed Corey Blue. He's cagey on the issue. Selene decides not to kill Kyle right away, they may be able to get more information out of him. The subject of the revolution is brought up, and various characters offer their insight on whether or not magic should belong to the people, or controlled by the state. Attention is turned back to Kyle, where he reveals his life story. He was a simple man, who had grown up in a world where magic was accessible by all. But then came Emperor Beauregard, and the Mage Wars. Magic was taken from him. He says that he "used to spend his days running through the field in the daisies" (whatever the hell that means), but this did nothing to help feed his starving family, so he was forced to steal a loaf of bread. He was arrested for this, and thrown in jail. He probably would have died there, except for the fact that the OT found out that he was born with magical abilities. Kyle was instead forced to join them, against his wishes. On his first mission (this mission), he escaped, to meet up with Ratma.

Selene doesn't trust him. She thinks that he must have done something to his collar, to prevent it killing him. But Kyle is insistent that he did not. In fact, he believed that removing the collar would kill him, too. That's part of the reason that he was going to find Ratma. He trusted her to be able to remove the collar without killing him. Which she did. Ratma seems to be quite the capable companion. In fact, Kyle refers to her as "the most magical creature in the world."

They decide to go and talk to Ratma. She's downstairs, tending bar, but gets pulled into one of the back store-rooms. With everyone together, they all discuss what's going on, and what their next moves should be. T'Chuck was there during the Mage Wars, and saw a lot of people die. He's worried that this will all happen again if there is a revolution, and he believes that open access to magic is just not worth it. Screech is also against the revolution. Even though he now realizes that magic can be used for good, he also knows that it can also be used for evil, also. So, he thinks it's a bad idea. R'Oarc believes that it's wrong for the OT to decide no one else should use magic. And Selene is against the whole thing on principal. In fact, she's the one that they're revolting against. Ratma decides that Selene should be killed, since she's not on their side. Selene panics, and is able to convince Ratma not to kill her by mentioning the arrest warrant that the OT had against her. This endears her to Ratma, who lets her live. Ratma mentions that the whole reason she's out here is to start a revolution, but doesn't mention anyone she's working with specifically. She just offers, coyly, that she has "a few fish on a few hooks".

Talk turns to what they should do next. Screech suggests hiding the bodies of the OT in the mines, and maybe when the other OT members come, they'll just assume it was a random ant attack. But they will still be after Selene, is the problem. Ratma also mentions that she is the only one of Bo's old team that isn't still hanging around him, which adds fuel to the theory that she's going to be the one to revolution against him. Selene asks her what would happen if she stops being OT, and the answer is... not good. They would kill her family. So, what should she do, then? Ratma suggests faking her death. She also suggests that the OT thinks Kyle is dead, because his collar is off. Selene suggests something too. What if she reports back to the OT, informs them that Kyle was here to start a revolution, but they took him out. That way the heats off of her. This is a good idea. Even Kyle thinks so, who agrees to help guide her in talking with the OT.

And good timing, too. Because at that moment, Selene's collar begins to blink. She shushes everyone, and presses a button on it, connecting her to the dreaded Master Caegin. He asks if she's alone, and she lies and says she is. And Caegin says that he has something incredibly important to tell her...

### Short

Kyle asks for their help, and they bring him to Ratma Ritmo. Kyle and Ratma want to start a revolution against Bo, but T'Chuck, Screech, and Selene don't want to. R'Oarc is on board. They decide to have Selene tell the Order that Kyle was planning on starting a revolution, but they killed him. That way the heat's off her, and on Kyle, who's "dead". So, no heat anywhere. And then they can fake Selene's death to get her out of the OT, and everything's fine! As they are making this plan, Master Caegin calls Selene, saying that he has something very important to tell her.

## **Trivia**

* Day 7 of the campaign.
* It was definitely R'Oarc who used the bolt cutters last episode.
* Kyle's grand-papa played the accordion
* Ratma seems surprised that Kyle wasn't killed by removing the collar, suggesting that she didn't know he wouldn't be.
* Screech never went to school
* The *Home Alone*\Kevimp McBallister episode was Episode 342. It's very good, you should listen to it.
* Corey Blue was Kyle's trainer, but Corey wasn't a part of the resistance.

## **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**

* Kyle Oakenbacher
* Ratma Ritmo
* Master Caegin

### **Locations**

* Drunkeros
	+ Whispering Peaks
		- Rimeford
			* The Goblin Pit

### **Quest Log Updates**

* [Active] - Investigate the mysterious goings-on in Rimeford
	+ [Active] - Interrogate Kyle Oakenbacher

### **Quotes**

* **"I gotta say, I came here to check out a mine, and it really seems like we're getting in the weeds."** ~ *Screech Echo*

## **Rolls**

* **Screech** rolls *Initiative* against Ratma - 27
	+ That's a good roll

* **Selene** rolls *Intimidation* to convince Ratma to tell her of any other resistance-doers - 10
	+ Ratma laughs her off