Episode 17: My Dinner with Cazamir

**Episode 17: My Dinner with Cazamir** (C1E17) is the seventeenth episode of the first campaign of The Table is Yours: A Role-playing Adventure Show. The Faded Fates are taken to a lovely dinner with Cazamir di Marte where they can digest Fiara's plan...

## Synopsis

### Walking the Walk & Talking the Talk

Cazamir accompanies the Faded Fates through the streets of the Third, and as he steps into the public marketplace, his visage changes to that of a less-vampire-looking mortal. Most of the group walks in silence, attempting to process the information just learned from Fiara. Cazamir chooses to sidle up to One and asks how she is feeling. She deflects the question back to Cazamir, how is he feeling? He pauses for a moment and says that he is in a troubling position. He says that he understands the motive and frustration that fuels both of his siblings’ plans, but it is clear that Balthazar’s is far less acceptable. Still, he hates having to be in the middle of it all. Cazamir says if it was up to him, he wouldn’t be worrying about any of it, but it involves him so he does. One asks what he would be doing if he had the choice to not be involved, but he isn’t sure. This plan, even before it came to a head, consumed his life after they were changed. Cazamir hopes that he will be able to figure himself out once everything is said and done, but overall he just wants to live his life. One nods and continues walking in silence as Cazamir slows his pace to match with the person following behind.

Terrance’s thoughts are interrupted by Cazamir who falls in stride with him. Confused, Terrance asks Cazamir what he wants. Ignoring formalities, Cazamir launches straight into a rapid fire list of questions. He asks what Terrance does exactly, and he starts to answer by saying it is complicated, but is cut off with a “why is it complicated?” from Cazamir. Terrance stammers for a moment and tells Cazamir that most people don’t understand his work because he doesn’t use magic, and Cazamir interrupts again with a, “Why don’t you use magic?”. Getting more flustered, Terrance explains he isn’t very good at it, and he wants to create something without it to prove he is capable… Cazamir again interjects: “Then why does it matter that people understand? You could just do it and let it speak for itself. What do these serums do exactly?” Terrance tells him they make him strong, like really strong. Cazamir asks if he ever used it out of combat, and Terrance answers yes, but not often because it makes him… foggy. Cazamir suggests that he use it more often to see what happens; he tells him to try it at dinner, for fun. Cazamir gives him an awkward smile and slows his pace yet again, leaving Terrance even more lost in thought than he was before.

Next in line for Cazamir to speak with is Wash, who is smoking a cigarette and brooding, as usual. A moment of silence passes between the two of them as their strides match, and then Cazamir asks why Wash doesn’t like his name. Wash says it isn’t that he doesn’t like it, he doesn’t like what it is associated with. He comes from a well known family that doesn’t have the best reputation, so he changed it. Cazamir nods and explains that the Bull of the Onyx Obscurity probably also knows his name, but she knows practically everything about everyone, so it's not too worrisome. Wash doesn’t care who knows his name as long as he isn’t found. Cazamir, sensing Wash’s irritation, decides to slow his pace again.

Codex is farther back, throwing up in an alleyway. Cazamir waits for her to catch up in hopes of cheering her up a bit. She explains to him that she feels guilty for what she did with the diamond, she was just doing as she was told and now she feels like this is all happening because of her choices. He reassures her with another awkward smile that this would be happening whether it was her who stole the diamond or someone else, so there was no reason to beat herself up over it. Plus, if this all goes as planned, she will be a successful hero just like she wanted. Codex stares back at him unsure if he is being genuine or not, and his tone remains flat and unwavering. She smiles warily and gives him a thumbs up as he falls back to the last person in line.

Cazamir looks for Shae, but because she is lurking in the shadows, turns his attention to Isa instead. He asks how she is feeling, and she tells him she isn’t feeling great. Cazamir nods, actively listening, as Isa continues. She just doesn’t understand how everyone seems so chill with this and that it is extreme. She looks to Cazamir for reassurance. He agrees with her that it is extreme, and if they discover a better way to accomplish their goal, he is all for it, but as of right now, it’s all they have. She asks why he doesn’t say anything to Fiara about it. He explains that what happened to them occurred on his fourteenth birthday. There is a rage that lives inside both of his siblings, but it doesn’t surge as strongly in himself. He supports his sister through it all because it’s, he’s, all she has. He wants her to be happy and feel the relief that she deserves, and she’s more sensitive than she lets on. As for himself, he’s been stuck feeling like a child, forced to grow up too fast for 300 years, and he just wants to figure out who he is and what he wants from his own life. Their conversation wraps up as the party approaches *Moments by the Pyre*, their restaurant destination.

### Cazamir Experiments

As they enter the restaurant, Terrance slides a note to One that explains his plan. He will get up from the table at some point and return as Terry. One needs to make sure he takes another serum every 30 minutes and note down her observations. She gives him an “are-you-sure” look, and he gives her a thumbs up. After the group is seated, Terrance excuses himself while everyone else makes idle chatter. It isn’t until they hear a loud crash that they notice the fumbling oaf known as Terry trying to squeeze his way through the dining room. He apologizes to everyone he bumps into. Terry might be big and scary, but he is also polite. Cazamir looks as pleased as he can with his monotone face, while everyone, besides One, looks at Terry with the utmost confusion. Wash is the first to ask what the big guy is doing there. Cazamir explains he thinks Terry can be an asset to the party outside of battle as well as in it, but that will never be known if Terrance doesn’t decide to let him out every once and a while. Cazamir wants to run a few tests. Terry scooches his way into the booth next to Shae. Cazamir presses his hands flat on the stone table and asks everyone in the party, besides Terry, to try and lift it. The remaining party is not weak by any means, but they cannot lift the table as a group. Cazamir then prompts Terry to try and lift the table by himself, he grips the edge and is able to lift the table off the ground without spilling a drink. This makes Terry confident and happy, two emotions Terrance rarely expresses. One notes this on the paper given to her earlier.

Cazamir then stands up and gestures for Terry to join him. He explains he is going to charge at Terry and wants to be grappled by him. Terry says he is worried because he gets angry if he is scared, but Cazamir tells him he is no threat. Even still, when Cazamir takes his stance, Terry’s eyes flash orange, and a whiff of fear crosses his mind. Luckily Cazamir notices the flash in his eyes that signal a loss of control and stands back up to calm him down. Attempt two is slightly better, although Cazamir has to play it up a bit because Terry is afraid of hurting someone he deems as safe. However, Terry’s ability to grapple someone is still displayed. The last thing Cazamir wants to display is intimidation which, truth be told, isn’t very difficult for a 7’ 6” tall, 54” wide gorilla of a man, but he still wants to prove his point. After Terry succeeds, Cazamir takes this moment to excuse himself and allow the Faded Fates to discuss their feelings about the day's events without him present.

### Feelings Matter

The group sits in silence for a moment until Terry slams his fist on the table and says that they need to talk about their feelings. Isa agrees and tells the group that she is confused and overwhelmed. It seems to her that they are working for so many people and have too many plots going on at the same time. She isn’t sure who to trust or where their allegiances lie. Shae suggests playing the field, that they should pretend to trust everyone but actually trust no one. Wash and One agree. They don’t work for Darrien anymore considering the Vorano problem is solved, and the two of them don’t trust anyone else. Codex says she trusts Shawm but isn’t so sure of that anymore after the diamond revelation. Isa nods in agreement and says they have to work with Fiara because she’s a Bull and they can’t really say no. Serafima is a whole other beast. The conversation peters out without any real resolution, and Isa decides to get Cazamir and bring him back to the table.

Cazamir stands at the bar drinking a deep red “wine” as Isa approaches for a conversation. He greets her kindly and asks how the conversation went. Isa shrugs and tells him she isn’t sure. She pauses for a moment before saying what is on her mind. She confesses that she is wary of him, the fact that he was observing her and the party, and she asks how long he had been watching her specifically. Cazamir tells her he’d been observing her since she was hired by Shawm, before the graduation. He had a feeling something bad was brewing but didn’t know to what extent. This upsets Isa, and she asks why he didn’t try to intervene. He admits that he could have, but it wouldn’t have changed much. Balthazar would have still gotten away with whatever he was planning to do, unfortunately. The two stare at each other in silence until Cazamir asks Isa, “why do you lie?”.

Isa thinks Cazamir is asking about their made up relationship, so she tells him that she plans on coming clean; she just needs to talk to Terrance first about his part in Guy’s death. Cazamir cuts her off and scoffs a bit as he clarifies that he meant why does she lie to her parents. Isa sighs heavily and turns away a bit. She isn’t sure how they would react to news like that. She continues, almost forgetting Cazamir is there, saying that she doesn’t understand their path for her, but she knows that she doesn’t want that for herself. She enjoyed college, but the guild just felt like a better choice for her. She still has her faith and ties to the church, at least enough to not want to kill a god. She understands why Fiara wants it to happen, and she understands the corruption, but there are a lot of people who use Zoha’ruhs’s energy for good. She worries about what will happen to them if the sun, and he, are gone. Cazamir responds with the fact that several gods were locked away Post Divide. They held power and titles, too, and the world is still turning. If Zoha’ruhs dies, he is certain another god will take up the mantle, and who knows, maybe they will find a better way. Until then, he wants to uproot and destroy what killed his parents, changed his life, and poisoned the minds of both of his siblings. He tells Isa he feels lost with no clear objective, but this is all that he has, and he wants to fix his family. It is only in the dark that people will show their true faces, so he’s all for eliminating the sun in some capacity.

### The Pale White Castle Keep

While Cazamir and Isa talk, the rest of the party plays a game, as prompted by Terry, to boost morale. It does not really work. As they rejoin the table, Cazamir guides the party out of the restaurant and through the streets of the Silent Oasis, a well known lavishness district in Precinct Three. There are the Silent Museum, Silent Opera House, Silent Casino, and a high value marketplace. Overall, it feels a bit too fancy for the Faded Fates. The Pale Keep, as Cazamir calls it, or the White Castle as named by Terry, is located just outside the district. Terry charges in to claim the biggest room, but as he steps through the door he shrinks back down to Terrance, who still wants to claim the biggest room. Everyone else splits up to settle into their own spaces and Cazamir makes his leave. As Codex sets down her things in her new room, she thinks to herself that it lacks personality, but she also has something else on her mind. She grabs her weapons and starts to head out the door, but is surprised to see Wash on the other side.

She quickly slouches off her gear and asks what he is doing there. Sensing some unease radiating off her, he decides to make the conversation quick. He sighs and runs his hand through his hair, almost embarrassed. He admits that the reading lessons aren’t going well, and he feels bad about it. Codex reassures him that it isn’t his fault, she is just hard to teach and she appreciates him trying. She half expects him to tell her that he is going to give up, so it catches her off guard when he says he came up with a new plan. He looks at his feet and offers the idea of getting to know each other more, maybe if she feels more comfortable with him, she would be more receptive to his teaching. Still a bit surprised, Codex agrees. An awkward silence passes between them before Wash clears his throat and tells Codex he won’t take any more of her time, especially since it looks like she is going somewhere. Codex laughs nervously and shoves her gear back into her room with her foot. She tells him she isn’t going anywhere but is clearly lying. Wash just laughs and says okay before heading back down to his room. Once he is out of sight, she grabs her things and heads down to the courtyard in the center of the keep.

Terrance, One, and Shae are all in the courtyard. Terrance and One exchange theories quietly regarding the restaurant experiment while Shae maneuvers through the shadows. Suddenly, Codex appears in the archway leading to the courtyard and walks confidently up to Shae who looks angry. Codex confronts her saying that she isn’t sure why Shae is angry with her, but she figures they should spar about it. Shae smirks and agrees to the duel. Terrance and One’s eyes quickly perk up at the unfolding drama in front of them. Codex draws her sword and Shae her daggers. The fight begins, and it is clear that Codex is pulling her hits, only connecting with Shae using the flat of her sword as to not do any real harm. Shae, on the other hand, does not; at one point she nicks Codex’s ear, leaving a notch near the top. Codex’s crackling pink energy is met with Shae’s smoky green wisps as they dance around the yard. After a few moments of battle, Shae dissipates into smoke and appears behind Codex with a dagger in front of her throat. The fight is over, and Codex explains that she doesn’t know anything about the diamond, but it is clearly important to Shae and that she is sorry. The two hug, and Shae offers to spar with Codex again.

One walks up to Codex and heals her wounds using some augmented artificer magic while Shae glares daggers at her. Codex heads to the bath as One returns to her spot under the tree next to Terrance. Shae sits on his other side, only making the vibes worse. He tries to alleviate the mood with some conversation, but it doesn't go quite as planned. Shae stands up, looks at One, and asks why she lied to her. One says that she didn’t lie, she just left out information. Shae states that One was involved in the theft and use of the diamond and knew what happened to it. Shae asks who One thinks the real enemy is in this situation, to which One responds, “The Burg, I thought you would have felt the same”. Shae asks if One would do it again as Terrance’s eyes widen with anticipation, and One says it is complicated. Shae scoffs and decides to redirect the conversation: “What does the name Adelaide mean to you?”