"How deep into the mirror do your darkest fears lie? Are they there upon your face, or just behind the eyes? Do they rest in boxes long forgotten, covered in dust and elm wood rotten?

Some day, the running will end and you will see that the mirror is nothing but glass. Perhaps by then, you will know yourself. Perhaps by then, I will know myself.

I hope. I hope. I hope.

One day I will tell this tale for the last time and the Mortimers will know that every triumph was a tragedy in waiting, and every tragedy a triumph of fate. One day, they will know as much as I do, and I shall know as much as them. I hope - as always - that she will remember me.

But until that day... a cardinal flies overhead. The streets smell like rain. My old hands are the youngest they will ever be. There are beautiful things to write about. At times like this, the joy is not so misty."

- From the diaries of the poet Lorenzo.

Part 1 of a Grand Season Finale.

Once upon a time, there was a woman called Ilse, and she - much to her despair - had fallen terribly in love with a man.

Once upon a time, there will be a bard called Lorenzo, and he - much to his delight - is falling terribly in love with a woman.

But those are just are just fairytales from long ago and far away, Tomorrow and Yesterday. For now, it is the age of a family they called The Mortimers whose fates bore a terrible hand. For now, it is the story of a shattered Glass, and the hungry hate that feeds him. For now, The Mortimers are a dead family walking. For now, The Mortimers are blind to the enormity of the lives they will one day lead.

For now... it starts here - as the historians say - in The Undercroft, fifteen years after the Dispersion when everything went wrong. When a group of adventurers dared to ask - against all their better judgement and the amassed forces of evil that would stand in their way - Where. Is. Valeria. Pfeiffer?

Steel yourself, prepare your spells, check all circuits available to you. Here is a compilation of everything you may have forgotten that will set you up for EPISODE 14: "Mabel", EPISODE 15: "Blind as a Looking Glass" and EPISODE 16: "The Battle of Silver & Fair" as Arc 1 of The Barmy Balladeers draws to a close.

Brace yourself.

Glass has won, he's taken a Mortimer's magic, left her sundered in the astral realm and fled to The Undercroft. It's up to Sibly, Gwerxos, Brian, Eka and Clemency to realign Mabel with her body.

As for the arcane heart in her chest that Glass so desires? That's up to the Tinker of Tanamai herself. And it won't be easy to defend. Memories repressed and horrors profound await her. It's a fight for the soul, a fight for her fate, a fight for the future of Tanamai.

This is going to hurt.

Featuring Kit Oliver as Possibly Mortimer, Elias Weaver as Mabel Mortimer, Billy Nicholls as Gwerxos and Ted Collins as Ellitha Mortimer.

Scoring and sound design provided by the Standard License libraries over on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.zapsplat.com/⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://pixabay.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Ballad of Silver and Fair was composed by @krumpetsband.

A soul for a soul

The tempest revolves

In black bile shadow

The hunger evolves

Peer through the putrid glass

Where desolation rolls

Old sands sing older songs:

Salas Uthero

Salas Uthero.

Featuring Kit Oliver as Possibly Mortimer, Elias Weaver as Mabel Mortimer, Billy Nicholls as Gwerxos and Ted Collins as BEINGS BEYOND COMPREHENSION.

Scoring and sound design provided by the Standard License libraries over on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.zapsplat.com/⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://pixabay.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Ballad of Silver and Fair was composed by @krumpetsband.

In the walls, many things hide away. But the light shines and illuminates all dark corners, even one's that should have stayed hidden away. The Mortimers are pulling together strands of a terrible truth. One that will change everything.

Featuring Kit Oliver as Possibly Mortimer, Elias Weaver as Mabel Mortimer, Billy Nicholls as Gwerxos and Ted Collins as Brian.

Scoring and sound design provided by the Standard License libraries over on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.zapsplat.com/⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://pixabay.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Ballad of Silver and Fair was composed by @krumpetsband.

Nothing lies deeper than the truth. Men of Gahara tell themselves it is not a fate worse than death. To be kept in the dark. To know nothing of how the world turns. They are wrong.

The Mortimers have been blind for too long. Now their eyes are opening to the doors that shift in shadow and the songs that sing in silence. Some people must fall before they rise.

Be careful where you tread. The steps down below get treacherous when no one is looking and no one is there to catch you.

Featuring Kit Oliver as Possibly Mortimer, Elias Weaver as Mabel Mortimer, Billy Nicholls as Gwerxos and Ted Collins as Several Walking OFSTED Violations.

Scoring and sound design provided by the Standard License libraries over on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.zapsplat.com/⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://pixabay.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Ballad of Silver and Fair was composed George Burman and Noah Barton, who you can find on Instagram @krumpetsband.

Memories are a hazy thing. Fingerprints on glass. Breath in a hurricane. But it's happening again - that much is terribly certain - and history rhymes in couplets. If you cannot remember her, the one you have lost, let her shadow fall in your footsteps.

She walks with you now. No matter the waning moment.

Featuring Kit Oliver as Possibly Mortimer, Elias Weaver as Mabel Mortimer, Billy Nicholls as Gwerxos and Ted Collins as Yet Another Echoey Serpent.

Scoring and sound design provided by the Standard License libraries over on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.zapsplat.com/⁠and⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://pixabay.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our intro/outro song was composed by the incredible George Burman and Noah Barton, who you can find on Instagram @krumpetsband.