Episode description[edit | edit source]
This episode carries content warnings for physical harm, death, and the discussion of sports-related injuries.
Even as Stels Kesh and Apostolos began to fall into war, the in the year 1423 of the Perfect Millennium, the Divine Principality held the the Summer Passage of Arms on the world of Partizan, moon of Girandole. There, poets competed in verse, the Providence was run, biathletes strutted their stuff by land and by sea, and pilots wrestled their hollows against each other along the coastlines. In one such hollow was a grappler whose vision saw beyond the shore of that ill-fated moon. A man who dreamed of being something more than a athlete. A man who dreamed of being a superstar.
This week on the Road to PALISADE: My Way
Records Recovered from the Divine, Arbitrage[edit | edit source]
Factions[edit | edit source]
Principality Wrestling Association (PWA): The largest professional hollow wrestling organization in the Principality. Tours each Stel. The PWA’s current active roster includes Caden "The Sensation" Davis (they/them), Vlad “Bone Daddy” Rivera (he/him), Jade “The Dentist” Suzuki (she/her), Brian Million Dollar Man” Johnson (he/him), Liam “The Beast” Petit (they/them), and Dash “City Slicker” Dubrovnik (they/them). The PWA also maintains a “special relationship” with the Divine Honor, who referees all matches for the control of the Belt of Honor. The Bilateral Intercession: This faction, made up primarily from Stel Nideo and Kesh assets, was formerly known as the Curtain. The rebranding comes as part of a “civil coup” performed by Cynosure Whitestar-Kesh. In a move that surprised no group more than the Curtain themselves, Cynosure spent years growing in confidence and power, until that intelligence organization could be once again reduced to a tool. Still defined by their traditionalism, they wield their control on culture, religion, and history as a weapon—and the extensive spy network for which they are named when those come up short. The Pact of Free States: While the Bilateral Intercession’s name change reflects a shift in leadership and posture for the Curtain, the shift from “The Pact of Necessary Venture” to “The Pact of Free States” is simply the public acceptance of what was already widely understood to be true. Led in name by Dahlia, the Glorious Princept, and in day-to-day operation by senior members of Stels Apostolos and Columnar, the Pact paint themselves as liberal reformists whose aim is to increase the degree of autonomy in each of the Stels, such that they become in reality five separate nations. Persons[edit | edit source]
Dogmatic Mettle (he/him): Former shoot combatant in real hollow sumo competitions and pilot of the fearsome Harvester, Mettle has turned his sights on the squared circle. Does he hope to obtain glory? To lift others to his heights? Or something else? Locations[edit | edit source]
Deep Dish Steakhouse: A gimmick-driven bar-and-grill chain. I would call its fare repugnant, but being able to avoid such slop is one the benefits of my form, and unlike mortal minds, I would never lower myself to offer uninformed critique. The decor, though, is an absolute disaster. Articles[edit | edit source]
Steam and Smolder: One of the Principality’s most popular professional hollow wrestling podcasts, hosted by Jimmy "Steam" Steamanski (he/him) and Smolderin' Sara McKenzie (she/her).
Contents[edit | edit source]
Opening[edit | edit source]
“
CROWD: Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven! Six! Five! Four! Three! Two! One!
[dog barks] [cheering]
AUSTIN as ANNOUNCER: Now entering the battlefield, piloting the Harvester, hailing from Stel Nideo, it’s Dogmatic Mettle!
SYLVIA as JADE “THE DENTIST” SUZUKI: I mean, Dog was, ch, Dog was one of the good ones. The best of us. Oh, especially in those territory games. He might have said he just wanted to wrestle, but he did more than that. He really fought for people, y’know? A fighter in every sense of the word.
AUSTIN as VLAD “BONE DADDY” RIVERA: Dogmatic Mettle. Yeah, more like, uh, Dogshittic Petal, cuz he smells like dogshit, and cuz he’s soft, soft like a flower petal is, roses and tulips and daisies and what nott. And thattt is the Bone Daddy’s worddd!
ALI as LIAM “THE BEAST” PETIT: He came from robo sumo, y’know. He had a real chip on his shoulder. Something to prove. But I guess with everything happening, we all had something to prove, didn’t we?
KEITH[1] as CADEN “THE SENSATION” DAVIS: [through a voice modulator] I mean, what are we talking about here? Robot wrestling, really? The war was on! People were dyin’ left and right and center! The whole galaxy was on fire! And you’re making a show about wrestling! Give me a break! Grow up! Get that camera out of my face! [sound of mic being bumped]”
“
Jade “The Dentist” Suzuki. Vlad “Bone Daddy” Rivera. Liam “The Beast” Petite. Kayden “The Sensation” Davis. You might not know these names, but for a group of people during the final days of the Perfect Millennium, they were the names of heroes. They weren’t loyalist soldiers or everyman revolutionaries, or dentists or beasts or bone daddies for that matter, but they did play those things in the ring, and they were sensational. It is a common analysis that professional mechanized wrestling is popular because it makes the world simple, easy to understand. I’m not so sure. Yeah, it offers up clear heroes and villains – except sometimes the heroes are dressed in black and the villains wear the haloes. Maybe the real reason people love this stuff is because it reflects our own confusion back to us: losses where there should be wins, cheaters saluting the flag, finishing moves that don't end anything, and all of it driven by t-shirt sales. Let’s get ready to rumble.”
Plot[edit | edit source]
Professional mech sumo wrestler Dogmatic Mettle is injured participating in the Summer Passage of Arms, and transitions to performing in the Principality Wrestling Association, taking up the name “Dog Metal”. In his scheduled debut, he intervenes ahead of schedule to defend Caden "The Sensation" Davis in a fight against Vlad “Bone Daddy” Rivera, who had pushed the fight too far and badly injured Caden. Dog discusses this experience on the podcast Steam and Smolder, hosted by Jimmy “Steam” Steamanski and Smolderin’ Sara McKenzie, two retired wrestlers, and he quickly becomes a regular guest.
The PWA moves on to more matches around the Principality, and the podcast does a live show in a Nidean Deep Dish Steakhouse. Dog goes against the brass for Jade “The Dentist” Suzuki, who was going to have a career-killing gimmick change without his intervention, and begins working with the younger talent, including Brian “Thousand Dollar Man” Johnson.
As the tensions in the Principality escalate, a backstage altercation results in six Pact wrestlers leaving the PWA, including Vlad and Dash “City Slicker” Dubrovnik, who held the Honor Belt title. With them gone, the PWA hosts the Honor Belt match, which Dogmatic wins against Jade. The victory is short-lived, however, as the conflict in the Principality grows more serious and the PWA begins having to cancel shows. The crew heads to Partizan for their next show, but by the time they arrive tensions have caused the PWA to disband. In its place, Steam, Smolder, Dog, and several other wrestlers form the smaller Wrestlers First Association. The hosts note that they are unable to leave Nideo space due to invading Apostolosian forces moving on Palisade forming a blockade.
At an early show, there is an incident with a fan who attempted to join the fight in a home-made mech using military grade hardware, something Smolder obliquely blames on Millennium Break. After the incident, Dog is approached by the March Anecdatist Foundation about joining their league on Palisade (started after Kesh and Nideo made landfall) but he declines -- choosing instead to stay and help lead the WFA. Steam and Smolder officially invite Dog to be the third host of their show, and the three of them reaffirm their commitment to bringing much-needed role models and entertainment to their fans in the Principality.
Cast[edit | edit source]
- Austin Walker (Smolderin' Sara McKenzie)
- Andrew Lee Swan (Dogmatic Mettle)
- Art Martinez-Tebbel (Jimmy "Steam" Steamanski)