Session 6 (The Pirates of Atlas)

 

"Session 6"
The Pirates of Atlas episode
Episode no.	Episode 6
Original air date	July 9, 2023 (2023-07-09)

"Session 6" is the sixth session of the campaign The Pirates of Atlas.

Synopsis

Following the events that transpired in Session 5, the party are on their way to the gala in a carriage, about a day away on a Thursday morning in a carriage. Vidro opens the window and takes a look outside, seeing Lockwood is feeling chilly. Vidro tells Ren to look at her and jeers. He asks Ren what the purpose of the sword that he has been giving to people to try and test. Maren tells Willem that she feels cold. Durgl questions why Willem does not give Maren enough clothes to keep warm in the early morning, suggesting Willem offer his armor. Willem asks if Durgl is cold-blooded and Durgl affirms that he is. Lockwood asks if the driver could rope the horse that she is on. They spar and claims that if there is a problem with the horse, the horse may be more intelligent than their rider. Vidro gives Durgl a blanket. Maren decides to share a blanket with Willem but he grabs more than he needs from her.

Akula has fallen asleep and Maren casts a spell to splash water onto him. He is stirred from his slumber. Durgl informs him that the captain said "fond words" about him. Akula blushes and Willem offers to share the blanket with Akula. The carriage wobbles as Akula shifts his way to the blanket. Maren side-eyes the pair disdainfully. Willem insists that it is his duty as the captain to keep everyone warm and he is oblivious to Maren's displeasure. Akula asks if Lockwood is okay and she simply stares at him annoyedly.

As the day goes by, the party camps and nothing of substance happens that day. The next day, two hours away from the mansion, Lara asks if anyone has been to a fancy event. Maren explains the nuances of nobility to Lara. Another hour passes, Durgl asks if they ever deliver a finishing move, they use the catchphrase, "It's durgin' time". Akula prepares a five-star meal for his party, which includes some pulled pork and other Southern-styled fixings. The party enjoys the hearty meal.

As they continue their route, they enter a dense forest as they leave the open plains. The vast mountains crown around the woods and find themselves deep within the thickets of the natural area. As they continue through the overgrowth, they see a large house which has paved road. As they continue down this path, they make their way towards the large mansion.

They enter the palace complex and notice a line of individuals staring them. Once they reach the end of the path, they are met with guards. They open up their windows and doors. Pravuil introduces themselves and hands a letter to the guards. The guard informs them to step out of the carriage and to begin walking. They may carry their weapons but may not draw them lest they be met with force. They are formally welcomed to the Durathyon Manor.

As they walk through the first section of the entrance, they notice various attendants and guards, some of whom have symbols of the Coven strewn across their uniform. Pravuil and Vidro notice above in the fourth floor strong and intimidating-looking individuals. They enter a garden area and are greeted by one of the attendants. The attendant escorts them to the master of the house and informs them that the carriage will be parked. As they step through a doorway, they hear a persistent background sound of classical music. They see gothic architecture in this room, navy blue flooring, stony structures, chandeliers, and flowers decorated for the gala.

They meet a familiar man again with a raven on his shoulder. He welcomes them and asks if they would like any refreshments. As he beckons for attendants to give the necessary provisions to the party's demands, they see that they are being given through magical means. Durgl pours the water given to him all over him. Lockwood asks the man who the pianist is and the man responds that the music they hear is actually enchanted and plays constantly. He leads them further into the mansion. They meander through an endless maze of confusing directions. Vidro, Lockwood, Maren, and Akula recognize that the path they are being led through is meant to confuse the travelers so they would be unable to know for certain where they are within the mansion.

The man explains the importance of the Durathyons, being one of the few families who were invited to Atlas when it ascended into the sky. He states that the Durathyons are interested in promoting the arcane arts. They touch upon the sore subject of the Ruby Queen who brought public shame for the family.

Once they reach the third floor, they are presented with gold-trimmed doors. The man taps the door with his cane three times and it opens. Vidro notices that there are numerous trinkets, expensive vases, and an obscured portrait of an individual. He ascertains that it must be of the lady of the house. They enter into a Greek classical-styled room filled with pillars and awnings.

As they go through another set of doors, they notice an open space with large clusters of empty spaces in between furnishings. At the center of the room, there is a large collection of couches and chairs. One individual sits on the most prominent chair there with his legs crossed with a glass of wine and a book. A blue hue flashes and flames dissipate after he closes the book. He smiles coyly.

The man says he has been told that they are known as Akula's Friends. The man greets Maren as "Your Majesty". The man explains that their first impressions of each other were not great. He acknowledges what his son had done. He says he has a debt to repay to them. However, before he will do such, he has a few questions to ask. He turns his attention to Akula. He inquires what Akula's abilities are and Akula remains secretive. Durathyon then suggests he must not have discovered his true powers yet. He then turns his attention to Willem and asks how it must be as a captain and what he seeks. The captain explains that he is seeking God. He tells Pravuil that he has heard great things about his sister and had made acquaintance of his father, but he had never heard anything about him. Pravuil explains what he seeks and his destiny. Durathyon asks Maren what her story is and she says it is one about love. Durathyon also acknowledges that he has interest in her race. He then draws his attention to Durgl, and finally to Vidro. He commends Vidro's commitment to self-teaching. Durathyon returns to the subject of his son and his desire to make known that his son's transgression was inexcusable. The doors burst open and the man with the cane returns with Dmitry Durathyon II himself, along with an older-looking girl.

Suddenly, Akula's Friend spawns Jué Zosteif in one of the seats after a long-sustained absence. No one seems perturbed by her sudden appearance. Durathyon asks Maren and Lockwood if the boy was the same they saw that day they were slighted. Akula finally takes notices of Zosteif and welcomes her back. Durathyon asks Maren and Lockwood how they can atone. Maren states she does not mind while Lockwood demands an apology where the boy must bow down and kiss her hand, apologizing. Durathyon II is offended by this and calls Lockwood a "whore". Akula and Maren are taken aback. Durathyon asks what if he should do in parenting. Durathyon II challenges his father and tells him that he is too weak as the man of the house. Durathyon sets his glass back down and apologizes to the rest of the crew. He then walks over to his son and tells him that there are many things he could do but that from learning shame, he would be able to grow and think. He calls him "half the man" his sister is. Durathyon then turns his attention to Lockwood and asks about literature. He then grips onto Durathyon II's head and presses his thumbs into the boy's eyes. Lockwood tries to grab Durathyon away and says she will not stand for the corporal punishment against the child. As she grips his arms, she feels that he feels dead cold. The boy writhes in pain and screams. Vidro tries to help Lockwood. Willem and Pravuil unsuccessfully try to pull Lockwood away. Lockwood is able to pull the father away but the son's left eye has been burst into mush and the right eye has been severely damaged. Vidro calls for Pravuil to help but he simply stands there. Vidro and Lockwood try to perform emergency medical assistance to the child. They debate about the morality of pirates and pirate codes. Lockwood and Durathyon have a terse back-and-forth. Lockwood decides to relent and leave with the boy. He asks whether Lockwood can speak for the crew and she realizes her behavior and defers to the captain. Willem states that he is not responsible or opposed to his own crewmates forming their own opinions and initiatives. Maren decides to step in and heal one of Durathyon II's eyes and tries to mediate the tensions with Durathyon. Lockwood apologizes. Durathyon states that he had invited them to alleviate tensions but it appears that it has only aggravated things. Durathyon refuses to release his son to the crew. After Maren heals Durathyon II, Willem says that the boy should be given an opportunity to speak for himself. He remains psychologically frayed. He remains standoffish and mocks Lockwood's poverty. Lockwood stares at Durathyon II's good eye and tells him if he realizes his circumstances and whether it is worth to remain petty despite all that Lockwood had just done for him. The boy decides not to join Akula's Friends but decides to leave the house and become like his sister. Lockwood tosses him a machete and tells him to figure the world out for himself then. He then slinks away and Lockwood tells Durathyon that he is responsible for losing his son.

Durathyon asks what allegiance Akula's Friends holds to. He then speaks of vampires and where they stand. He does not wish for a straightforward answer as of yet and that they may enjoy the gala. He says he allows them to speak freely at the gala and to network. He simply states that if they are to sheathe their weapons, they must fight whomever they challenge. No one else will intervene so long as they do not attack or endanger any of the other guests. He tells them to feast and be merry. When they finally have an answer, they may return to him and he apologizes for what has happened to his son and how he treated his son. He assures them that they will have personal quarters during their stay and that they are under his protection despite their bounties. He tells them not to worry about the Stormlords as he will keep them away.

The man with the cane reappears and leads the crew out to their own separate rooms. Maren is reminded of her royal life. Willem is taken aback by the finest rooms. Akula feels at home in a room catered for larger species. During the night, Vidro speaks to one of the Coven spies and tell him that Dmitry Durathyon II is finally on his own. The spy says that if Vidro is able to extract more information from the boy, he may be seeing a promotion. Willem checks if there is anything suspicious in the room due to his paranoid upbringing in Flairwind.

At some point in the night, Durgl hears a knock at the door. He sees the man with the cane and tells him that the master noticed Durgl's musical talent and gives him a musical piece to play. Durgl walks over to the captain's room in disguise as one of the butlers. He impersonates one of the butler and Willem immediately suspects it is Durgl due to his "ribbit" tics. Durgl decides to drop off what he has received from the man with the cane. Willem spends time disassembling his security features to open the door. He gives Willem a fine bottle of alcohol and says it is from Akula. He says his name is "Hurgl" and then waddles away. Willem asks Maren if he has to give something in return as part of the protocol. He says he does not drink and asks what to do. She suggests that he simply throw it out and that he does not need to return the favor. He then rebuilds his security features in the room.

Vidro spends time talking to the man with the cane and inquires him about various topics. The man with a cane is named Ivan. Ivan offers Vidro a drink but Vidro turns it down, stating he is bad with alcohol. He inquires about the library. He notices a family tree of the Durathyons and notices a large gap of about 200 years. Dmitry Durathyon had two wives. One has borne the child they saw today. The other is the lady he recognized in the portrait who had since passed. He notices a third child on the family tree with no drawings and is simply an empty silhouette. He discovers that Allie Durathyon was meant to marry a noble from the Golden Sails Company. At the age of 16, she broke away from the engagement, stole gold from the vault, and took one of the family ship. He learns that her mother was the one who socialized the most while the father became more reclusive. The incident between the Durathyons and Golden Sails caused a strain between them.

Akula goes to the kitchen and notices three chefs. One of the chef, a turtle chef, welcomes Akula and offers him various baked goods. Akula says he has free time and wishes to learn how to cook more dishes for his crew. A second chef butts in and says that he has better recipes including a fine steak. The turtle chef says he is great with sweets and putting smiles to people's faces. A little gnome chef says that their cooking is not great but hers is presentable. Akula says he can learn from all three but the turtle chef says it is not possible in one night. He then chooses the turtle chef and Akula asks what kind of recipes he can prepare. Akula spends the night to expertly bake pies.

Lockwood heads to Lara. Lara asks if Lockwood is okay and if she can sneak in and do some reconnaissance. Lockwood asks for Lara for honesty about her thoughts on the whole situation. Lara says she was scared but that her father was a good dad and once they had an argument, she had said that he was not her real father. After this incident, she wished to show her love for him and regretted her words. She failed in her endeavors but says that she knows her father loved her. She says she saw no love in Dmitry Durathyon for his son. Lockwood reminds Lara her vow to Lara's father and says that she will stick to her principles no matter what. She warns Lara that one day she may not be able to keep her promise but wants Lara to know to find her way back to her father and to ask him what she should do. Lockwood says that just because she and Lara are not the strongest physically, they could be the strongest in principles. Lara says that she could agree with some words of Durathyon but with their principles, they must sometimes take a stand against. Lara suggests Lockwood to ask for advice and consul. Lockwood says she has tried but that the best she can do is that so long as people will be underprivileged and be mistreated, she can empathize with them and to advocate for them. "A life is a life," and people can be shown proper methods on improving their life. It is their choice to accept this guidance or not. Lara thanks Lockwood for her advice, hugs her, and goes to bed.

The next morning, they are informed that the gala will occur at 6 PM. Before the gala begins, Akula goes to the kitchen, takes sugar cubes, and gives it to Autumn. Maren notices that Durgl is a bit dry and Akula douses him in water. For breakfast, everyone eats together and at the end of it, Akula gives everyone blueberry pies. The pie has a powerful effect of shielding damage for a whole day.

Clothes are given to each of the crewmates. Vidro continues to explore and walk around the manor.

Everyone arrives to the gala on time. The ballroom has red carpeting and filled with butlers and guests. One of the butler asks how they should be addressed. He then introduces Akula's Friends to all of the guests. Each are referred normally but Lara is interestingly addressed "Lady President Queen Princess Lara".

Zosteif notices familiar faces. She asks if Lockwood can pretend to be her older sister. Akula, oblivious, follows them. He then breaks away from them and approaches one of the guests. The dragonborne guest says Akula is a giant shark and a badass. The guest introduces himself as Draconis as a doctor. Immediately upon hearing this, Akula introduces the doctor to Pravuil, the ship's doctor and they speak for a while about their shared profession, before Pravuil talks about faith and its relation to science.

Pravuil and Lockwood cross paths as they end up meet Desmond and Mazan. They discuss among themselves and learn about the Four Stormlords. Desmond is surprised to hear Lockwood has a "sister" (Zosteif) and Zosteif lies that she is a stepsister. Lara butts in. Zosteif pickpockets Desmond stealthily.

Maren and Willem heads to one of the genasi guests. The guest stares at them. Maren asks where he is from and he gives a rude non-answer. She walks away. Willem and the guest continue to speak. The guest assumes he is the captain and Willem tells him about the Dreamwell. The guest is skeptical of the Dreamwell and suggests it may be a ploy for the Navy to simply kill off pirates. He says he is heading north and that there is talk of new magic being founded there. He says that there is strange fruit growing that endows one with power. He turns his attention back to Maren and asks if he offended her. Maren tells Willem that he did not recognize her. Willem asks if he recognized her or not. He does not. They leave and the guest says his name is Ikaza.

Vidro and Durgl make their way to Lady Durathyon and Maddie. Maddie recognizes them and says she is glad to see them again. Durgl asks if he could have one of the strongest ales they have. They introduce themselves to the lady of the house. Durathyon asks if Maddie can escort them and Maddie says she has an obligationt o serve her. Durathyon decides to order her to accompany them. The man standing by them introduces himself as Sir Jonathan and soon-to-be member of the Durathyon. He tells them if they would like a drink. Vidro is hesitant because of his past experiences with it. Sir Jonathan describes the benefits of drinking and its effect on networking. They part and Maddie returns back and ask what drinks they would like. Vidro says something "easy". Durgl says to drink "harder". Maddie asks if Vidro is going through a difficult time and Durgl explains his situation in his love life. Maddie says she is a smart person and says that he is disappointed that he has learned that the Durathyon lady is now betrothed. Maddie says that she does not like Jonathan's company, the Golden Sails, and personally does not approve of the marriage but has no say on it. She suggests that they all drink whiskey together.

Akula, carrying around a large keg of beer, walks up to one of the guests and begins a conversation with her in the hopes of dancing with her. She introduces herself as Carin and that she is here with her parents to meet with another family known as the Hightowers. She asks if Akula can really drink ale. She says if he can drink the whole thing, he can have a dance with her and if he does not, he will have to dance with a squat gnome who loves cheesecake. She says if they should wager on it. Akula accepts and says he will see her later tonight.

Willem and Maren have a minor marital disagreement over Ikaza. Willem notices two men, one who looks like an older gentleman with glasses and another with a gruff face and jacket. The bespectacled man greets him as a "fine boy" and Willem says he recognize him as from Flairwind. He offers to have him return to the "family" on the streets. He asks how he was able to be acquainted with Maren. Maren explains she tried to drown Willem while his first love tried to stab him. The man says she is from the water and why she came to the shore. She says bluntly that she wanted to simply drown them. He says that she has the killer spirit "in the sheets" and respects them. The man next to the bespectacled man says that "Broxton" is looking for them. Willem explains to Maren that the man with the glasses is known as the "Butcher" and has taken a better job at taking care of children compared to the Navy.

Lockwood walks up to Jonathan Goldstrike and offers him a drink. He rebuffs her. Akula, having witnessed Lockwood's blunder, he decides to speak to Goldstrike and apologizes for Lockwood's embarrassing act. He tells her about his deal with Carin and offers to drink with Goldstrike. He agrees as long as Akula is paying.

As Pravuil is walking, he is stopped by a woman named Maiya who recognizes him for his wings. She says if he is aware of the bounty placed on his wings and he says he does but he is unafraid. She then whisks away but he pursues her. He asks why she asked and she implies that she also has a bounty on her because she is an aasimar as well. They find they have much in common and Pravuil assures her that God is with them and that she has a destiny written for her. He says if she ever needs someone to talk to or go to, he will always be available for her.

Vidro bonds with Maddie and decides to dance with her. She warns him that the tips of her boots have blades. She asks if he is ready to dance.

Meanwhile, Ren continues to walk around asking if anyone is worthy of picking up his sword. He bumps into Lockwood who seems to have lost some interest in his attractiveness. Durgl comes and speaks to him briefly. Lockwood suspects that Ren may care more about the sword than her.

Lara goes up to Zosteif and shows her a trove of pickpocketed goods that she has stolen. Zosteif is shocked but congratulates her and tells her to target another person. Lara says if there is another mission, she is the girl for it. She tells her to target the man in green robes at the staircase. Zosteif decides to watch from afar near the refreshments.

Featured characters

Player characters

• Akula
• Anradeem Pravuil
• Durgl
• Jué Zosteif
• Ryul Vidro
• Serena Lockwood
• Maren
• Willem