Palace of Mirrors

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 PersonaeDarien - 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 PersonaeDarien - 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 PersonaeDarien - 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 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. 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 PersonaeDarien - 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 PersonaeDarien - 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 PersonaeDarien - 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 PersonaeDarien - 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 PersonaeDarien - 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 PersonaeDarien - 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 DescriptionCaptain 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 PersonaeDarien - 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.

Darien is taken aboard Bluebeard's ship, the Kraken, but finds something very different from the childhood stories about starships his Aunt Kathy used to tell him. On the ship, he finds an unexpected ally in a pirate going by the name Gent. The man once suggested hanging him, but now he offers Darien some much needed advice.

The narrative takes a brief break from Darien and gives us a view into what happened to Marialla following her capture in episode 5.She meets her captor, a man claiming to be the King of Six, but quickly learns that there's someone else who wants her. Later, in the room where she's being held, she finds a hidden doorway leading to a ruined library.

Darien spins a story that he hopes will earn his freedom, but Bluebeard responds in an unexpected way and Darien finds himself slipping further from his quest than ever before. Confronted by a member of Bluebeard's crew, Darien will need to marshal all the strength he possesses just to survive the night.

Night's plan to capture a pirate ship takes an unexpected turn and leaves Darien in a precarious situation.

Darien follows the instructions of the talking sword through the ruined city and beyond. The sword has a plan, but it promises to be dangerous beyond anything Darien had imagined. On the road they find a crashed ship, derelict and striped down to bones. Though wrecked, the ship still has a glimmer of something like life.

Wounded, Darien finds himself lost in the warrens beneath the ruins. A mysterious figure guides him to help, but it turns out to be something out of one of his aunt's stories. From this moment, everything will change, and the only thing Darien can be sure of is that nothing will be the same again.

This week, on a special double-length episode, Darien gets to know the Reynolds and finds himself drawn to their daughter, Marialla. An ancient book hidden in the basement of a ruined house holds secrets of the past. Darien begins to think that maybe with Marialla, he can finally see the appeal of the quiet life his father wants for him. But on the world of Six, a storm always lies on the horizon...

In this week's episode of my science-fiction audiobook drama, Darien and Tom travel to an ancient bridge that rekindles Darien's wonder. He travels to a crossroads and must choose between his father's dreams and his own.

In this week's episode of my science-fiction audio drama, Darien and Tom set off on a journey. The road is quiet, but that only leaves more room for memories that they would both rather forget. Together they will pass through forests of ancient trees and brave the cold darkness of a chasm that seems to stretch all the way down to the heart of the world.

Spring arrives and with it the work of keeping the farm running, but Darien struggles to keep his heart in the work with the ache of Kathy's passing fresh in his mind. A visitor arrives, unexpectedly, and with him a prelude of things to come.

On a barren moon, beneath a sky where the stars are always shrouded, a young man named Darien comforts his dying aunt with a final story. He doesn't know it now, but his own story has just begun.

A short scene in which an Empress kneels before a reflecting pool and sees visions of things to come.