PALISADE 43: Where They Are Pt. 1

Where They Are Pt. 1
Episode information
Episode	43
Release Date	March 29, 2024
Length	2 hours 16 minutes
Meta
Cast	Austin Walker Ali Acampora Andrew Lee Swan Art Martinez-Tebbel Jack de Quidt Janine Hawkins Keith J. Carberry Sylvi Bullet
Game	Armour Astir: Advent
Score	Nothing is Stationary
Episode guide
Previous	A Mechanical Whine Pt. 4
Previous	A Mechanical Whine Pt. 4
Next	Where They Are Pt. 2
Next	Where They Are Pt. 2
Previous Arc	A Mechanical Whine
Previous Arc	A Mechanical Whine
Next Arc	TBA
Next Arc	TBA
Links
Episode Page	friendsatthetable.net
Transcript	Google Docs

Episode description

So, with one loud sob, the galaxy shifted. But as with all widespread changes, this one was unevenly distributed. Few places changed as totally as Palisade, once just beyond the edge of the Twilight Mirage, now brought into orbit around the pseudo-sun of Volition as the new, ninth planet of the Quire System. And as above, so below: The change in the air is also a change in bodies, in minds, in matters military and social and even culinary. And parked below the newly painted skies of the Bontive Valley, the remaining crew of the Blue Channel ponders the future, reaching out to each other and beyond.

This week on PALISADE: Where They Are Pt. 1

If you could do it all again / Yeah, without a second thought / I don't like leaving / The door shut / I think I missed something / But I'm not sure what

Dossier

People

Gucci Garantine (she/her): A defector from Stel Kesh, who used the remaining wealth and power of House Brightline to help found Millennium Break. Currently a key member of the resistance efforts on Palisade, and a commander of Millenium Break forces there. Codename Watershed.
Jesset City (he/him): After helping to kick off Millennium Break on Partizan, Jesset served as one of its major leaders during its expansion across the Principality. Now, he uses his talents in Hollow and Altar engineering, piloting, and cipher breaking on behalf of the Grey Pond unit of the cause. Still considers himself to be a member of the Party of the Wolf, though those designations have largely fallen from use.
Mustard Red (she/her): A cyborg who once served as a member of Brink Proxy, with a speciality in surveillance. Joined the Cause during the Devotees expansion onto Palisade.
Lucia Whitestar (she/her): The young “Lady Whitestar” emerged as a strategic genius during the early conflict between Kesh and Apostolos on PARTIZAN five years ago. Daughter of the Peaceful Princept, Cynosure Whitestar-Kesh. Commands her forces from her flagship, the Lander One with the support of her combat AI, Fire Support (it/its).
Partial Palisade (he/him): A man who was once a Divine, now living in the shell of a being quite unlike what he once was.

Organizations

The New Asterism: What was once a schism between Received and Progressive Asterism has now been healed by the false prophet Gur Sevraq (he/they), or at least someone in his name and face. The New Asterism claims that to be a citizen of the Principality is to have an obligation to "better the world," in the sense that one invests in property or in the way that a settler “rehabilitates” or “improves” the places they claim by violence. If Received Asterism places virtue in the state and Progressive Asterism places it in the Divines, the New Asterism places it in the Principality's mythologized point of origin: The Twilight Mirage.

Places

Bontive Valley: Blessed by the departed divine Bounty, the Valley provides the Bilats with fruit that never rots and hyper-nutritional grain.
Temple of the Threshold: Built at the center of a massive bridge that crosses the Diadem, this serves as the home of New Asterism and its false prophet,
The Twilight Mirage: Created over 5000 years ago by what was then the Divine Empyrean in an effort to protect the Divine Fleet, of which they were a member. The Mirage is a false nebula that obscures the position of its inhabitants both visually and by distorting time and space. Inside, there is now a vibrant and peaceful culture that spans eight planets, orbiting a dark and living Divine sun.

Objects

FS-N Dais: One of the Altars competing in the tournament, piltoed by Zjenta Zjarule (she/they).  Utilizes a special glass originally from the Twilight Mirage.
AdArm Jury: The Jury is the future of AdArm machines. As the first design which fully moves beyond the platforms of the previous generation, it’s a startling diversion from the bulky and boxy designs that the company is known for. In fact, the actual “unit” is only the cockpit, around which the rest of the Jury forms using concentrated Perennial Wave Material (PWM). Gone is the old LCD “eye,” replaced by a full pixel “face” that can send complex, laser-based communications silently to any other AdArm unit that can see it, as well as display iconographic messages to anyone nearby. A close study of the machine’s curved and ovaline elements suggests that it has much in common with the Motion’s Demiurgos design that AdArm salvaged as it does with the company’s previous designs…

Divines

The Divine Future (they/them, it/its): An ancient divine, dating back to the second major war in the Golden Branch star sector. Exists in the form of golden orb slightly larger than a softball or bocce ball, which can either be carried by or hover around its Elect. Historically, it has been bidden to share its unparalleled perspective on the hopes and dreams of its chosen (and the endless vigor with which to pursue those goals).
The Divine Integrity (it/its): Sometimes appearing as an articulated staff or a metallic spine, Integrity integrates itself into its chosen user. Once the two are connected, Integrity becomes a powerful exoskeleton, and supports its user in matters of military and morale. Until being assassinated by Brnine, Dahlia, the Glorious Princept, was the elect of Integrity. Now, it has found a new home in Thisbe.
The Divine Motion (she/her): One of the founding members of the Pact, the necromantic Apostolosian divine once led its infamous retinue, the Black Century, on Partizan. They were defeated and dispersed, turned into part of Kalmeria, during Operation Shackled Sun.
The Divine, Arbitrage (it/its): The amoral machine turned de facto treasurer keeps the Frontier Syndicate a step ahead in all matters of commerce. Sole minter of “glint,” a newly popular currency on Palisade.
The Divine Crusade (they/them): Leads Stel Nideo’s occupation on Palisade along with their Elect, Gentian. Crusade is an enormous, bipedal machine covered (or perhaps made with) beautiful stained glass.

Mysteries

Axioms: Once, these beings were made by a so-called "Post-Divine" as embodiments of particular ideals, supposedly detached from mortal perspective or subjectivity. Today, the vast majority of them are the emanation of one woman's ideals, given perfect, violent form.
Perennial (she/her):  The Principality's so-called 'adversary,' who lives at the center of the galaxy and whose chaotic whims spread through her "Perennial Wave," an ever-present nanoparticle that has bonded with elements of Autonomy Itself and the Divine Motion to create Kalmeria.

Contents

Opening

“

...say, say it's not just a mentality, it's like, it's a structure that keeps people, no it produces mentality, it doesn't just, one second, I think we're live, I think the signal's up again

hello?
hello? are you hearing us?
hello Palisade
hello Twilight Mirage
hello Qui Err Coalition
you know what? hello to the Bilateral Intercession, I know you hate to hear us, but we're baaa-aack

back in the lab again
back finding mixtures and fixes for shit you done mixed up
back in black's chair
back at his microphone
I wish he could see it
the colors, the tone
the skies all rhinestones
I'm sorry, I'm stoned just a little
a little goes a long way here in our new home
a little ripple in the middle of war
I saw a missile transformed into straw
hospital filled but it's hard to ignore that the sky's on fire with light

yes they named me Particular Emphasis but there's a party up in here
I heard nothing is stationary, well it's never been more clear
we're moving on them now, and it's up for them, it ain't even really close
bout to hit the lip, then take home a full serve and notes
so let me check mine cause I know that got some shit to say
before small things grow big, before tomorrow turns yesterday

this one's for Baldwin, for BLACK SCREEN, all caps please
this one's for Phrygian, who's between the fuse and the bomb
this one's for the Figure in our hearts who I hope is finally calm
this one's for those who've had their names stripped away
or with names we never say
or with many names, multivalence, but committed in each to snatchin they chains today

no, you know what, this one's just for me
if you're listening, Bilats, let me tell you what I see
we are ungettable, unforgettable, unfuckwiddable
and, we're really cute
we are unmistakable, undebatable
and we don't even need a backing track to do what we bout to do

”

– Particular Emphasis

Cast

• Austin Walker (GM)
• Ali Acampora (Kalvin Brnine)
• Andrew Lee Swan
• Art Martinez-Tebbel
• Jack de Quidt
• Janine Hawkins (Thisbe)
• Keith J. Carberry (Eclectic Opposition)
• Sylvi Bullet (Coriolis Sunset)