Episode 27: Past the Blacklights

**Episode 27: Past the Blacklights** (C1E27) is the twenty-seventh episode of the first campaign of The Table is Yours: A Role-playing Adventure Show. The Faded Fates traverse back to Murkside to go search for Balthazar's vats...

## Synopsis

### Caz and Isa in the Mornings (Nights)

Isa calls Cazamir and tells him the party decided to investigate the vats in the Third. Cazamir agrees with Isa that a stealth/reconnaissance mission is safest and most logical. Isa starts talking about what she learned from Maude about Shawm potentially being puppeted by Orathia, and Cazamir tells her he already theorized Orathia and Balthazar were working together, as had Isa, and it would make sense if Orathia was playing Fiara and Balthazar at the same time, since Shawm was involved with Fiara prior to the Faded Fates. Isa says it now makes sense why Shawm seemed hesitant to discuss Balthazar despite looking like he had more information to give. Cazamir asks Isa to think about when she met Shawm and why Orathia would want to be close to her; Isa starts talking about being recruited by Shawm to participate in a “fight club”, being brought back to the guild after winning, and Maude detecting an innate magic within her that they hadn’t seen in over 50 years, something similar to what Kleptar and Nova’s daughter had. Cazamir is confused and says he meant to suggest Orathia recruited her because of her parents. Isa does not enjoy this theory.

Cazamir is visibly frustrated as the conversation continues about Balthazar, not with Isa, but with the situation, and he tells her he thinks the best route will be to let Balthazar execute his plan. He explains that if the Faded Fates interfere prior to his plan being executed, Balthazar will just wait until they are too old or dead to start again. Cazamir talks about how the Faded Fates changed his sister, and how Fiara’s goal changed from killing Zoha’ruhs to tethering him to a diamond while she accomplishes her goal of cleansing the Burg. Cazamir suggests to Isa they allow Balthazar to blot out the sun and then use another diamond to undo it and that kicking him while he’s down will be a benefit. He says it will be a “small price” to pay for defeating his brother, which hurts Isa. Cazamir realizes he hurt her and apologizes, saying Guy wasn’t “small” and he didn’t mean it like that. The conversation shifts, and Isa tells Cazamir she won’t wish Guy back if given the opportunity because he probably wouldn’t want that, and she hopes he’s with his mom. Cazamir tells Isa he doesn’t really remember his parents but that their memory feels like a “warm hug”. They end their conversation with an understanding of each other’s grief.

### (Owl)Bear Claws

The party meets up in the kitchen and eats together, acting like a team, but the vibe remains awkward. One leaves the kitchen in search of the missing Codex, and finds her in her room and offers her an (owl) bear claw as she sits down across from where Codex is on her hammock. Codex tells One she blames herself for everything that’s gone wrong: recently, for bringing Wash into the Balthazar debacle, endangering his life, and for not doing a better job with the wish Balthazar offered to her. One tries to assure Codex she is doing a great job in her new life as an adventurer. One looks behind Codex and for a second sees a figure of someone she lost, which prompts her to tell Codex she needs to be able to forgive herself if something goes wrong. One continues and tells Codex she can’t prevent her own growth out of fear something bad may happen and finishes by saying the team has her back and that “things are going to blow up, and people are going to get hurt”. Codex confesses to One she is still in contact with Balthazar because he has knowledge of her arcane energy, the Hexaleep. One assures Codex she trusts her to make choices for herself, and Codex concludes their conversation with this: “if I’m going to keep moving forward, I’m bringing you all with me”.

### Past those Blacklights

The next day, the party leaves the Pale White Castle Keep(™) and arrives at the Lost & Found. One and Wash immediately start telling Darrien about the Faded Fates’ escapades, including the details of releasing trespasser gods from their diamonds. Darrien, fortunately, tells One and Wash to stop sharing the details of their missions because they don’t want to know/be complicit. Darrien leads the party to the entrance to the Murkside and wishes them luck. With the assistance of the lamp from Gug, the party makes their way past the blacklights. They head towards the center of the city, assuming the vat to be located further from the entrances to the Murkside from the Burg for safe-keeping. As the party travels further into the Murkside, they begin to hear sounds of children laughing, voices pleading “help me,” and other enticing yet frightening noises. One tells everyone to ignore the sounds and keep to their path, and they do. The Faded Fates continue to follow the river upstream. Terrance grabs some blue mushrooms called “dark caps,” which started growing there after the Burg was raised, for his stash as the party approaches a seemingly new building emitting a red hue.

Wash and Isa volunteer to scout the area around the building and find a shed towards the back of the lot, near more of the dark caps. The door is covered in runes, and there appears to be blood overtop of the runes near the handle. They decide against breaking into the shed and instead go around to the front of the larger, somehow more ominous building. Isa messages the party to join them, and everyone enters. They see a basin filled with blood on the back wall, a well to the left and next to two chests of flesh, and four suits of armor are propped near the blood. The party investigates and notices runes on both the chests and basin. One and Isa both snag a tracing of the runes before Codex lifts the helmet off of one of the suits of armor, revealing an undead being. The other three animate at the same time. One and Isa hear sounds coming from the well and are greeted by two black oozes. They first hit One, just as Codex receives a response from Balthazar, via sending: “So, you want to talk, yes? Fine. I’ll give the Faded Fates another chance. Meet at the Summit’s graduation hall.”