No one remembers how the old world ended. Buildings are toppled. Ash and fog flood the skies. With dry, blistering days and long, cold nights, entire cities lay beneath the rising tide, and long lost is the world's most valuable commodity: Trust. Answers may lie beneath all the ruin and water. But there isn't even enough time to search. Most survivors have to live by their name and scavenge for food or supplies above all else. Though, over time, small communities have been raised. Some attempt to recreate the old world through what little knowledge was passed down or read in salvageable books. Many have resorted to tribalism as a result of desperation and confusion. And then there are Drifters. Drifters hold no titles or affiliates. They are gunslingers. Mercenaries. Lone scavengers and questless explorers who spend so much time trying to live, they can hardly find something to live for. Since the #1 commodity is so rare, two Drifters crossing paths is almost always a confrontation. It comes down to the most silver tongue or the fastest draw. But it is important to note that the survivors of this Macabre universe are not savages or inherently “evil”. Most are searching the land for salvation. There is enough bleak proof around them serving as a constant reminder... “Things were once much better”. We understand this concept as Manifest Destiny. Many caravans will set sights on the horizon in hopes of finding what is known as “The New Frontier”. The most traversed of Drifters know, however, that The Frontier is a lie. It is a fabrication of each survivor's hopes and dreams to find a purpose where any help is almost completely destroyed. These ideologies divide the New West. Think of it this way; There are three types of people... Those who seek to rebuild the past Those who seek to build a new future Those who seek nothing than their own gain Violence is hence still rampant, even with a bare population. You could travel days without encountering a single soul, but that would almost be a blessing. In most of the New West, among all its crumbled ruin and flooded passages and dry plains and buried bunkers and hidden communities, there is no name more uttered and feared than The Ravagers. Bandits dressed in black leather and blood. Lawless—that is without moral bounds—and chaotic with no control aside from trickle-down, alpha male power plays. They take, rape, pillage, and plunder all they can. While chaotic and violent in nature, their group is not without organization. Rumor has it that they are lead by a mysterious man named Stefan. He travels with minimum packs of 7, with a mostly covered face, a long duster, and the quickest smoking barrels in all the West. There are Drifters who make it their sole mission to seek out Stefan, but he never stays in one encampment. Some wish to take his throne, others see his power as a moral dilemma. What is certain is that it takes a legend to catch a legend. The Ravagers have more concentrated fire power than any faction in the New West. Where most get around on foot or bikes, Ravagers have been on motorcycles and in even buses. They can scavenge faster and wider than any Drifter or caravan, and they do so ruthlessly. It's this sheer power that leads so many to join in the first place. Though, how exactly one becomes a Ravager is still myth. There are many other groups and collectives across the wasteland. The Ashwood tribe, The Freemasons, Scholars of the Temple of the Fog, and many other secret societies can be discovered by any curious Drifter. That is, if they can best the hurdles of starvation, thirst, and crippling depression. No one remembers how the old world ended, and while many are happy to leave it behind, just as many search endlessly for clues, answers, and hope. It is Mad Max meets The Road. Fallout meets Red Dead Redemption. The Book of Eli meets The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Will you fix the world or build a new one?

On last week's episode, Drifter Dallas Porter and his 7 year old daughter Kathrine barely escaped a Ravager conflict. Kathy was wounded badly and their only hope was the island called Angel. The rumor turned out mostly true. But the society is in a crisis. Their leader, Proctor Baylis has given Darby McManis, the resident trader, and Sammy Tombstone, resident medic, a list of essentials to start a caravan to leave the island and migrate south. They sailed to a nearby city. But then, a Drifter stole one of their rafts. Our adventurers chased him down and shot him and on his deathbed he revealed he had a son named Mikel somewhere in the city. Age 14. They also encountered Angel Island's missing hunter, CD, who revealed that he's since become a Ravager and now works for Mikel. Darby convinced CD to leave the Ravagers, but he's not going to do it without bringing back some spoils for the caravan. The four of them are headed to the top of Ravager Tower, hoping to play off as CD's hostages. But Ravagers aren't as dumb as they look... or are they...

Last episode, Drifter Dallas Porter and his 7 year old daughter Kathrine barely escaped a Ravager conflict. Kathy was wounded badly and their only hope was the island called Angel. The rumor turned out mostly true. But the society is in a crisis. Their leader, Proctor Baylis has given Darby McManis, the resident trader, and Sammy Tombstone, resident medic, a list of essentials to start a caravan to leave the island and migrate south. They sailed to a nearby city. But then, a Drifter stole one of their rafts. Our adventurers chased him down and shot him and on his deathbed he revealed he had a son named Mikel somewhere in the city. Age 14. They also encountered Angel Island's missing hunter, CD, who revealed that he's since become a Ravager and now works for Mikel. Darby convinced CD to leave the Ravagers, but he's not going to do it without bringing back some spoils for the caravan. The four of them are headed to the top of Ravager Tower, hoping to play off as CD's hostages. But Ravagers aren't as dumb as they look... or are they...?

Dallas, Darby, and Sammy continued their mission to stock up for Angel Island's caravan and so far things aren't going quite as planned. They found the island's missing hunter CD, and worked with him to get to the top of Ravager tower in hopes of stealing supplies. They ended up trapped in a barbed-wire cage by Young Mikel, Age 14. Young Mikel still doesn't know they also killed his father. But Darby used his charming attitude to get an escorted trip to the bathroom, which turned into a pissing contest with a Ravager guard. Literally. Darby won the bet, and now has the key to the Ravager's food stockade. Meanwhile, Dallas and Sammy conjured a plan to send out Bill, a hopeless prisoner of the Ravagers, with a stick of dynamite to scare Young Mikel, and then “save” him, in quotes, to earn his trust. Except, some extra guards just showed up, and they have a striking looking woman in custody.

Previously, our survivors Dallas, Darby, and Sammy all found themselves ensnared at the top of Ravager Tower, the tallest skyscraper in the city. The local leader, Young Mikel, was completely blindsighted by not only a guard of his, named Scumbag, but also a prisoner, Bill, turning on him. Lots of gunfire broke out, but thanks to a drifter named Nova and some lucky dice rolls, Dallas, Darby, Sammy and CD were able to escape down the elevator. Now with 100 lbs of stolen food and two out of the four needed water purifiers, the party reconvened a few miles northwest. Nova made it clear that she travels alone, but before leaving, gave them a rough map of the surrounding area, including the location of a mysterious Masonic library. Night has fallen, our survivors have set up camp, and we join them round the somber fire.

Darby, Dallas, Sammy, and CD, gathered around the campfire and discussed various topics such as how Dallas came to have his daughter, how Sammy has never left Angel, long lost religion, and the next steps of their mission. During Darby's watch, the party was attacked by wolves. Dallas once again saved Sammy from worse fate, and the party had no choice but to fire off their guns, potentially alerting the Ravagers who are on their tail. They made way towards the Freemason Library, where they hope to find a map.

Previously, Darby, Dallas, Sammy, and CD, explored the secrets of the Freemason Library. They lost CD for a bit, collected some books that are probably illegible, and discovered a creepy theater. Eventually they met up with CD, and, after a spiritual detour in the cathedral across the street, they were hit by a dust storm. Returning, they took shelter in a back room of the theater. Sammy totally figured out on his own without any help from me, a pass-code, that lead to a confrontation with an actual Freemason, or so they can assume. They received a detailed map with a recommended location to immigrate to, and now have just a few more things to check off before heading back to Angel.

Darby, Dallas, and Sammy were all sent out from a secret island town called Angel, to gather supplies for an emigrating caravan. They met up with Angel's previously missing hunter, CD, right after shooting someone who tried to steal their raft. They went to the top of Ravager tower, and after a lot of gunfire and dick jokes, made it out with looted supplies. They gathered round the campfire, but after being attacked by wolves, our survivors had no choice but to make way towards a seemingly abandoned Masonic Library. Upon exploring, they learned quickly that it wasn't abandoned after all, and that there are folks living underground. Those same folks handed over a map that pointed to Mono Lake, to the East, and our adventurers made way to Bunker Coast to finish their list. They stumbled upon a boat, before crossing the bridge, and of course, investigated. The boat didn't work but they met its owner, Toben. The drunk offered a service as long as they'd help him search for his missing crew who were last seen in the mysterious Battery Spencer, where they are about to head in. But not before checking in with their ex-Ravager friend, CD. This episode is dedicated to my friend Kevin Redrico, who passed away April 5th, 2017. This episode was recorded before the news and I honestly felt for a bit that we should re-record, due to the topic at hand. But I am not one to shy away from heavy discussions. And neither will 20 Sided Stories. I know we don't have a lot of listeners out there yet but, if there's anyone tuning in who has struggled with thoughts of depression or suicide, know that you will make it out of the tunnel. No one knows how long you'll be down there, it could feel like an eternity, but you aren't alone. Persevere. Find your song.

Our survivors return home from their mission, and among reunions and revelations, must face one final challenge.