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.

Featured characters

Player characters

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