Palace of Mirrors

Darien means to leave the farm, but a question haunts him. Why does Dragon-Eye hate a sword that spent five hundred years buried in the dark? In a sitting room lined with books that survived the fall, a young historian named Charles comes face to face with the past he has always dreamed of meeting. Giles shares rumors from the city: lights in the sky, off-worlders, and soldiers on the hunt. And Darien remembers that no one on Six survives alone. On a hill above a sea of mist, two lanterns rise from the earth, held up by enormous arms. Dramatis Personae Darien - A farm boy who grew up with big dreams fed by his aunt who raised him on a mixture of history and fairy tale. He’s currently on a quest to rescue Marialla, a woman he met earlier in the story, who has been kidnapped by the moon’s government for unknown reasons. Night - A sword that shelters the AI persona of Nightingale, thirteenth ship of the Imperial Guard. He is haunted by the failures of his past. Edna - Along with her husband Giles, she runs a family farm close to the city. Giles - A farmer who has some knowledge of the state of politics in the city. He has become embittered by the taxes levied on his farm. Charles - The youngest son of Edna and Giles, Charles attended university in the city where he studied history. Professor Carter - Raymond Carter, head of the history department at the university in the city. He is rumored to be leading some kind of resistance to King Masterson. King Masterson - Chase Masterson, once a member of the ruling council of Six. He seized power and named himself King of Six

As an early winter storm threatens Six, Darien and Night find shelter with a family who operate a large farm not far from the city. The friendly faces do much to ease Darien’s trauma, but they soon discover that an old foe escaped the Kraken. Dramatis Persone Darien - A farm boy who grew up with big dreams fed by his aunt who raised him on a mixture of history and fairy tale. He’s currently on a quest to rescue Marialla, a woman he met earlier in the story, who has been kidnapped by the moon’s government for unknown reasons. Night - A sword that shelters the AI persona of Nightingale, thirteenth ship of the Imperial Guard. He is haunted by the failures of his past. Edna - Along with her husband Giles, she runs a family farm close to the city. Giles - A farmer who has some knowledge of the state of politics in the city. He has become embittered by the taxes levied on his farm. Austin - The oldest son of Edna and Giles, he has recently undergone a terrifying ordeal. Charles - The youngest son of Edna and Giles, Charles attended university in the city where he studied history. Robert - Middle child of the family, with a sharp sense of humor he calls things like he sees them. Dragon-Eye - A member of Bluebeard’s crew. One side of his body is covered in scar tissue. No one knows his true motivations, but he makes no attempt to hide his obsession with Night.

Nightingale and Dark Sheldon confront Admiral Great-Skull and rescue the Empress Esmeralda. Her time with Dark sets off a series of events that ends with the destruction of Leviathan. Dramatis Personae Darien - A farm boy who grew up with big dreams fed by his aunt who raised him on a mixture of history and fairy tale. He’s currently on a quest to rescue Marialla, a woman he met earlier in the story, who has been kidnapped by the moon’s government for unknown reasons. Nightingale - Thirteenth ship of the Imperial Guard, captained in the final days of the Empire by Dark Sheldon. Powered by an AI persona. Dark Sheldon - A knight of the Imperial Guard, and captain of Nightingale, during the final days of the Empire. He rose from obscurity after gaining the notice of Esmeralda. Esmeralda - The final Empress to sit on the throne of glass in the Palace of Mirrors. Admiral Great-Skull - The leader of the Imperial Guard, and captain of Grey Wind–the flagship of the Guard–during the final days of the Empire. A member of the Great Skull clan, a powerful and influential noble family that rose to power in the City of Statues on Leviathan. Vizier Great-Skull - Brother, and ally, of Admiral Great-Skull. Politically skilled, if lacking in the charisma of his brother.

Palace of Mirrors opened with the legend of Dark Sheldon and the end of the Empire, as Darien told the story to his aunt in her final moments. Now Nightingale begins to tell the story of those events as he experienced them. He starts by describing how Dark Sheldon, an unknown space miner, came to become a memeber of the Imperial Guard. Dramatis Personae Nightingale - Thirteenth ship of the Imperial Guard, captained in the final days of the Empire by Dark Sheldon. Powered by an AI persona. Dark Sheldon - A knight of the Imperial Guard, and captain of Nightingale, during the final days of the Empire. He rose from obscurity after gaining the notice of Esmeralda. Esmeralda - The final Empress to sit on the throne of glass in the Palace of Mirrors. Admiral Great-Skull - The leader of the Imperial Guard, and captain of Grey Wind–the flagship of the Guard–during the final days of the Empire. A member of the Great Skull clan, a powerful and influential noble family that rose to power in the City of Statues on Leviathan. Vizier Great-Skull - Brother and ally of Admiral Great-Skull. Politically skilled, if lacking in charisma.

Darien destroyed the Kraken and escaped with the talking sword named Night, but now he wants nothing more than to return home to his family. He and Night argue about the path forward, with each having their own idea about what should be done next. Darien opens the box that Bluebeard left him and receives a final message from his old friend and enemy. Dramatis Personae Darien - A farm boy who grew up with big dreams fed by his aunt who raised him on a mixture of history and fairy tale. He’s currently on a quest to rescue Marialla, a woman he met earlier in the story, who has been kidnapped by the moon’s government for unknown reasons. Night - A mysterious talking sword that saved Darien’s life after soldiers kidnapped Marialla and killed her family. Captain Bluebeard knew the secret past of the blade, but never revealed it to Darien. Bluebeard - Captain of the Kraken, and leader of the pirates that have plagued Six for years. He took a liking to Darien and began to train the boy. His past is a dark tale of revenge, revolving around the betrayal of his wife Arlinda. Arlinda - Bluebeard’s former wife before he became a pirate. She betrayed him, conquered his world, and had his family executed.

A preview for Season 2 of the podcast.

As the Kraken sinks out of the sky without an engine and under attack, Darien makes a desperate attempt to save Captain Bluebeard. Dramatis Personae Darien - A farm boy who grew up with big dreams fed by his aunt who raised him on a mixture of history and fairy tale. He’s currently on a quest to rescue Marialla, a woman he met earlier in the story, who has been kidnapped by the moon’s government for unknown reasons. Captain Bluebeard - The leader of the band of pirates that serves aboard the starship Kraken. He keeps to traditions that have long fallen out of favor. For unknown reasons, he has taken a liking to Darien and is personally training the boy in the art of sword fighting. He grew up the son of a powerful family on a distant world, but lost everything when his wife, Arlinda, betrayed him and conquered his planet. He rebuilt himself into a pirate, the only man he believed could get his revenge on Arlinda. Night - A talking sword Darien found installed deep beneath the ruins of an ancient city. Who made the sword and why they put it where they did is a mystery. The sword saved Darien's life after the attack on Marialla's home, but Darien partly blames it for getting him caught by Bluebeard's crew.

Darien experiences visions of the past as he attempts to destroy the star engine. He and Gent come to a crossroads as they attempt to rescue the prisoners on the ship. Dramatis Personae Darien - A farm boy who grew up with big dreams fed by his aunt who raised him on a mixture of history and fairy tale. He’s currently on a quest to rescue Marialla, a woman he met earlier in the story, who has been kidnapped by the moon’s government for unknown reasons. Along the way he became captured by space pirates, but he has a plan to escape with the help of one of the pirates. Captain Bluebear d - The leader of the band of pirates that serves aboard the starship Kraken. He’s an enigmatic figure who keeps to traditions that have long fallen out of favor. For unknown reasons, he has taken a liking to Darien and is personally training the boy in the art of sword fighting. He grew up the son of a wealthy powerful family on a distant world, but lost everything when his wife, Arlinda, betrayed him and conquered his planet. He rebuilt himself into a pirate, the only man he believed could get his revenge on Arlinda. Gent - The Kraken’s engineer. At first glance a vain figure only concerned with appearances, he’s known to wear fine capes and flashy clothing. He’s young, just a few years older than Darien, but basically grew up on the Kraken. Although he suggests Darien be hanged in their first meeting, he has since befriended the boy and is currently training him on the engineering of the Kraken. He stepped into Darien’s duel with Fantasia and saved his life. Cassandra - The daughter of Darien’s friend Tom. Bluebeard’s crew raided her home. When her brother tried to fight them off, Dragon-Eye killed him.

The first part of the season finale sees Darien and Gent put their plan into action. However, it isn't long before they run into a problem that may very well be the end of them both.

Captain Bluebeard convenes a meeting of the crew to discuss their path forward now that they’ve been discovered. The conversation splits open old wounds between the captain and Deathmask and Darien finds himself caught in the middle. Dramatis Personae Darien - A farm boy who grew up with big dreams fed by his aunt who raised him on a mixture of history and fairy tale. He’s currently on a quest to rescue Marialla, a woman he met earlier in the story, who has been kidnapped by the moon’s government for unknown reasons. Along the way he became captured by space pirates. Now he must find a way off the pirate ship so he can continue his quest. Captain Bluebeard - The leader of the band of pirates that serves aboard the starship Kraken. He’s an enigmatic figure who keeps to traditions that have long fallen out of favor. For unknown reasons, he has taken a liking to Darien and is personally training the boy in the art of sword fighting. He grew up the son of a wealthy powerful family on a distant world, but lost everything when his wife, Arlinda, betrayed him and conquered his planet. He rebuilt himself into a pirate, the only man he believed could get his revenge on Arlinda. Deathmask - Signified by a distinctive tattoo of swirling black lines that cover his face, he serves as a member of Bluebeard’s crew. He follows an ancient religion that predates the Empire and the Palace of Mirrors. Following an experience during which Darien saw a strange vision in his tattoo, Deathmask has taken an especial dislike of him. Gent - The Kraken’s engineer. At first glance a vain figure only concerned with appearances, he’s known to wear fine capes and flashy clothing. He’s young, just a few years older than Darien, but basically grew up on the Kraken. Although he suggests Darien be hanged in their first meeting, he has since befriended the boy and is currently training him on the engineering of the Kraken. He stepped into Darien’s duel with Fantasia and saved his life. Dragon-Eye - A pirate with a scarred face, a mirrored eye, and an unsettling ability to show others visions that may or may not be true. His past is unknown to all, but he seems absolutely obsessed with Night and has on multiple occasions argued with Bluebeard about the sword. Twilight - Bluebeard’s second officer and chief enforcer. He’s a massive man who stands a head taller than any other member of the pirate crew. Skeleton - A tall pirate with a gaunt face. The helmsman of the Kraken.

Darien and Gent work to come up with a plan to escape from the ship, but before they can put anything into motion the Kraken is pursued by pirate hunters. A chase ensues across the surface of Six during which Darien finds his courage tested once again. Dramatis Personae Darien - A farm boy who grew up with big dreams fed by his aunt who raised him on a mixture of history and fairy tale. He’s currently on a quest to rescue Marialla, a woman he met earlier in the story, who has been kidnapped by the moon’s government for unknown reasons. Along the way he became captured by space pirates. Now he must find a way off the pirate ship so he can continue his quest. Captain Bluebeard - The leader of the band of pirates that serves aboard the starship Kraken. He’s an enigmatic figure who keeps to traditions that have long fallen out of favor. For unknown reasons, he has taken a liking to Darien and is personally training the boy in the art of sword fighting. He grew up the son of a wealthy powerful family on a distant world, but lost everything when his wife, Arlinda, betrayed him and conquered his planet. He rebuilt himself into a pirate, the only man he believed could get his revenge on Arlinda. Gent - The Kraken’s engineer. At first glance a vain figure only concerned with appearances, he’s known to wear fine capes and flashy clothing. He’s young, just a few years older than Darien, but basically grew up on the Kraken. Although he suggests Darien be hanged in their first meeting, he has since befriended the boy and is currently training him on the engineering of the Kraken. He stepped into Darien’s duel with Fantasia and saved his life. Skeleton - A tall pirate with a gaunt face. The helmsman of the Kraken. Deathmask - Signified by a distinctive tattoo of swirling black lines that cover his face, he serves as a member of Bluebeard’s crew. He follows an ancient religion that predates the Empire and the Palace of Mirrors. Following an experience during which Darien saw a strange vision in his tattoo, Deathmask has taken an especial dislike of him.

Darien has made his choice clear to Bluebeard. He will not remain on the Kraken and become a member of the crew. Now he must come up with a plan to escape the ship, but with the Captain aware of his plans he can only hope to succeed with the help of a friend. Dramatis Personae Darien - A farm boy who grew up with big dreams fed by his aunt who raised him on a mixture of history and fairy tale. He’s currently on a quest to rescue Marialla, a woman he met earlier in the story, who has been kidnapped by the moon’s government for unknown reasons. Along the way he became captured by space pirates. Now he must find a way off the pirate ship so he can continue his quest. Captain Bluebeard - The leader of the band of pirates that serves aboard the starship Kraken. He’s an enigmatic figure who keeps to traditions that have long fallen out of favor. For unknown reasons, he has taken a liking to Darien and is personally training the boy in the art of sword fighting. He grew up the son of a wealthy powerful family on a distant world, but lost everything when his wife, Arlinda, betrayed him and conquered his planet. He rebuilt himself into a pirate, the only man he believed could get his revenge on Arlinda. Gent - The Kraken’s engineer. At first glance a vain figure only concerned with appearances, he’s known to wear fine capes and flashy clothing. He’s young, just a few years older than Darien, but basically grew up on the Kraken. Although he suggests Darien be hanged in their first meeting, he has since befriended the boy and is currently training him on the engineering of the Kraken. He stepped into Darien’s duel with Fantasia and saved his life. Twilight - Bluebeard’s second officer and chief enforcer. He’s a massive man who stands a head taller than any other member of the pirate crew.

Show Notes: As Darien recuperates in the medbay, Captain Bluebeard shares the rest of his story recounting the tale of revenge that shaped him into the man he has become. His story takes him from the crew of a pirate ship all the way to a space battle above the surface of a planet and finally to his confrontation with the woman who betrayed him, the woman he loves, Arlinda. Dramatis Personae Darien - A farm boy who grew up with big dreams fed by his aunt who raised him on a mixture of history and fairy tale. He’s currently on a quest to rescue Marialla, a woman he met earlier in the story, who has been kidnapped by the moon’s government for unknown reasons. His quest hit a snag when he got captured by a crew of space pirates. Captain Bluebeard - The leader of the band of pirates that serves aboard the starship Kraken. He’s an enigmatic figure who keeps to traditions that have long fallen out of favor. For unknown reasons, he has taken a liking to Darien and is personally training the boy in the art of sword fighting. He grew up the son of a wealthy powerful family on a distant world, but lost everything when his wife, Arlinda, betrayed him and conquered his planet. Arlinda - Married Bluebeard so that she could work from the inside to undermine the ruling government of his planet. She worked from a secret room under their home to leak defense knowledge to her homeworld and coordinate attacks, disguised as pirate attacks, to strategically weaken the government. Her plan worked and she had Bluebeard’s family executed to ensure her grip on power over his world.

Darien experiences a strange vision of the past after touching the reflecting pool during his fight with Fantasia. Afterward he faces the fight of his life. His survival balances on the edge of a sword. On one side the empty void, on the other something like hope and beneath him the edge of all he has to lose. Dramatis Personae Darien - A farm boy who grew up with big dreams fed by his aunt who raised him on a mixture of history and fairy tale. He’s currently on a quest to rescue Marialla, a woman he met earlier in the story, who has been kidnapped by the moon’s government for unknown reasons. Fantasia - A vicious pirate, incredibly skilled with the blade, known for wielding two swords at once. Beautiful and deadly, with a brittle edge, she took an almost immediate dislike to Darien and has threatened to kill him on several occasions. Captain Bluebeard - The leader of the band of pirates that serves aboard the starship Kraken. He’s an enigmatic figure who keeps to traditions that have long fallen out of favor. For unknown reasons, he has taken a liking to Darien and is personally training the boy in the art of sword fighting. Gent - The Kraken’s engineer. At first glance a vain figure only concerned with appearances, he’s known to wear fine capes and flashy clothing. He’s young, just a few years older than Darien, but basically grew up on the Kraken. Although he suggests Darien be hanged in their first meeting, he has since befriended the boy and is currently training him on the engineering of the Kraken.

Having killed Trollbreath, Darien must now face trial by combat against Fantasia. With the odds stacked against him, it will take all the luck and skill Darien possesses to survive. Dramatis Personae Darien - A farm boy who grew up with big dreams fed by his aunt who raised him on a mixture of history and fairy tale. He’s currently on a quest to rescue Marialla, a woman he met earlier in the story, who has been kidnapped by the moon’s government for unknown reasons. Fantasia - A vicious pirate, incredibly skilled with the blade, known for wielding two swords at once. Beautiful and deadly, with a brittle edge, she took an almost immediate dislike to Darien and has threatened to kill him on several occasions. Captain Bluebeard - The leader of the band of pirates that serves aboard the starship Kraken. He’s an enigmatic figure who keeps to traditions that have long fallen out of favor. For unknown reasons, he has taken a liking to Darien and is personally training the boy in the art of sword fighting. Gent - The Kraken’s engineer. At first glance a vain figure only concerned with appearances, he’s known to wear fine capes and flashy clothing. He’s young, just a few years older than Darien, but basically grew up on the Kraken. Although he suggests Darien be hanged in their first meeting, he has since befriended the boy and is currently training him on the engineering of the Kraken. Deathmask - Signified by a distinctive tattoo of swirling black lines that cover his face, he serves as a member of Bluebeard’s crew. He follows an ancient religion that predates the Empire and the Palace of Mirrors.

Episode Description Captain Bluebeard informs Darien that he must face consequences for killing Trollbreath. Gent and Darien talk about the coming trial without much hope that Darien can emerge alive, but Bluebeard believes that Darien has a chance and sends him to Deathmask for further training. Dramatis Personae Darien - A farm boy who grew up with big dreams fed by his aunt who raised him on a mixture of history and fairy tale. He’s currently on a quest to rescue Marialla, a woman he met earlier in the story, who has been kidnapped by the moon’s government for unknown reasons. Captain Bluebeard - The leader of the band of pirates that serves aboard the starship Kraken. He’s an enigmatic figure who keeps to traditions that have long fallen out of favor. For unknown reasons, he has taken a liking to Darien and is personally training the boy in the art of sword fighting. Gent - The Kraken’s engineer. At first glance a vain figure only concerned with appearances, he’s known to wear fine capes and flashy clothing. He’s young, just a few years older than Darien, but basically grew up on the Kraken. Although he suggests Darien be hanged in their first meeting, he has since befriended the boy and is currently training him on the engineering of the Kraken. Deathmask - Signified by a distinctive tattoo of swirling black lines that cover his face, he serves as a member of Bluebeard’s crew. He follows an ancient religion that predates the Empire and the Palace of Mirrors.

Following Darien’s killing of Trollbreath, Bluebeard opens up and tells a part of his own story. From his summers on an ancient sailing ship, to the love of his life, and finally to betrayal that breaks him from the inside out. Previously on Palace of Mirrors: The kidnapping of Marialla from her farm set off a chain of events that led to Darien being taken prisoner on board the Kraken, a space pirate vessel. Instead of throwing him in the brig, Captain Bluebeard has begun to train Darien to join the crew of the ship. Along the way he has found a friend in Gent, the ship’s engineer, but has also gained enemies–most prominently a sadistic pirate who goes by the name Fantasia. In the last episode Darien killed one of the pirates on the ship, a man named Trollbreath. Dramatis Personae: Darien - A farm boy who grew up with big dreams fed by his aunt who raised him on a mixture of history and fairy tale. He’s currently on a quest to rescue Marialla, a woman he met earlier in the story, who has been kidnapped by the moon’s government for unknown reasons. Captain Bluebeard - The leader of the band of pirates that serves aboard the starship Kraken. He’s an enigmatic figure who keeps to traditions that have long fallen out of favor. For unknown reasons, he has taken a liking to Darien and is personally training the boy in the art of sword fighting. Calithorn - The young man at the heart of Captain Bluebeard’s past. The son of one of the major families that rules their planet. He loves the stars, history, and the sea. Arlinda - A woman from a planet near Calithorn’s world. Her government sent her as a visiting ambassador, but she and Calithorn soon fell in love and married.

Darien finally confronts the horrors of the pirate ship and the ways that it has changed him. Will he let Captain Bluebeard turn him into a pirate or will he take a stand and make a fateful choice? Previously on Palace of Mirrors : The kidnapping of Marialla from her farm set off a chain of events that led to Darien being taken prisoner on board the Kraken, a space pirate vessel. Instead of throwing him in the brig, Captain Bluebeard has begun to train Darien to join the crew of the ship. Along the way he has found a friend in Gent, the ship’s engineer, but has also gained enemies–most prominently a sadistic pirate who goes by the name Fantasia. Dramatis Personae: Darien - The main character, a farm boy who grew up with big dreams fed by his aunt who raised him on a mixture of history and fairy tale. He’s currently on a quest to rescue Marialla, a woman he met earlier in the story, who has been kidnapped by the moon’s government for unknown reasons. Captain Bluebeard - The leader of the band of pirates that serves aboard the starship Kraken. He’s an enigmatic figure who keeps to traditions that have long fallen out of favor. For unknown reasons, he has taken a liking to Darien and is personally training the boy in the art of sword fighting. Gent - The Kraken’s engineer. At first glance a vain figure only concerned with appearances, he’s known to wear fine capes and flashy clothing. He’s young, just a few years older than Darien, but basically grew up on the Kraken. Although he suggests Darien be hanged in their first meeting, he has since befriended the boy and is currently training him on the engineering of the Kraken. Fantasia - Beautiful and deadly, a proper femme fatale on the Kraken. She has no patience for anyone who gets in her way and has taken a particular dislike to Darien, who embarrassed her. She’s known for her exceptional skill as a wielder of dual blades. Trollbreath - A pirate low on the pecking order. Squat, brutish, and ugly. He would almost be pathetic if it weren’t for the fact that he’s as cruel as any other member of Bluebeard’s crew. Twilight - Bluebeard’s first officer and chief enforcer. He’s a massive man who stands a head taller than any other member of the pirate crew.

Captain Bluebeard begins to train Darien in earnest, but sword fighting is more difficult than the stories ever made it seem. Just as Darien is becoming more comfortable in his role on the ship, he is forced to face a stark reminder of the cruelty of the people who surround him on every side. This episode gives the audience their first real look into Bluebeard. Just what kind of a man captains this ship of killers?

Darien overhears a tense conversation between Dragon-Eye and Bluebeard. In the second half of the episode Gent takes him to the engine room, but things don't exactly go as planned.