Episode description
As the shape in the sea draws ever near, much of SBBR--with the help of their rivals in the Company of the Spade--begin to evacuate hundreds of thousands out of a city of millions. But Kal'mera Broun turns elsewhere, to their ship, looking for guidance before this new invader arrives.
This week on PARTIZAN: The Red Light
///Operation Dossier\\\
//Organizations\\
Organization for the Foundation of the Orion Republic (OFOR): A group of growing import in Orion territory, who advocate for Orion’s secession from the Divine Principality and re-establishment as a league of democratic, merchant republics. Both OFOR and their opposition, the yet-unnamed Principality loyalist faction, have support across class demographics. Many corporations and independent guilds see OFOR as an opportunity for additional profit, while others believe that leaving the Principality is a risk too great to take. The Party of the Wolf: One of two quickly growing parties inside of Millennium Break, named for their fallen hero, Valence. Though both parties support revolution, the Party of the Wolf advocates for radical, military action across Partizan and (eventually) the Principality in whole. Currently led by Jesset City. The Party of the Masque: The other major party emerging inside of Millennium Break. Headed by Gucci Garantine, the Masques believe that a fast revolution will burn itself out (or be snuffed by the attention of the Principality writ large). They advocate for precision military action as part of a larger, ideological campaign that will bring the masses to their side of the conflict. The Church of the Resin Heart: A Disciples of Logos church on Partizan which claims to be the true inheritor of the prophet’s religious mission. The “resin heart” in question is a 3-foot large object pulled from the sea 400+ years ago and displayed as a relic by the Church. It was originally part of the Exemplar. The Curtain of Divinity: Though Kesh is technically governed through an elaborate parliamentary democracy, the truth is that The Curtain of Divinity, a secretive organization inside of the Stel (and with agents across all of the Principality), serves as the actual power behind the throne. Knowledge of the Curtain is carefully guarded, and its membership is even further protected. Was originally established to rein in the Principality’s most tyrannical institutions and encourage growth and equity over generations, while hiding the truth of what lied beyond the Scutum-Centaurus Portcullis. Over time, their more noble aims were eroded, and only this final goal remained, along with a much more selfish goal of controlling the state.
Is currently in a covert war against the Pact of Necessary Venture. Largely aligned with Stels Kesh and Nideo.
The Pact of Necessary Venture: Though they trace their lineage back to an exploratory committee founded in the late 14th century of the Perfect Millenium, the Pact was not made in earnest until five years ago in 1418 PM, soon after hostilities began between Kesh and Apostolos. It’s original leadership committee, Plumeria, Gallica, Myosotis, Rye, and Hyacinth determined that to ensure the future stability of the Principality, the Pact would establish a power base in the Scutum–Centaurus arm, amass a vast fleet using the unexploited resources there, and sweep both princepts out of power, replacing the role with a five-part council representing each Stel equally.
Each was an elect: Plumeria the elect of Past, Gallica of Present, Myosotis of Future, Rye of Space, and Hyacinth of Motion. Plumeria and Myosotis were killed during Gur Sevraq’s theft of the Divine Future. Plumeria’s successor, Cymbidium, was killed when Past crashed into the sands of the Prophet’s Path. Hyacinth was killed in combat by the Rapid Evening, but has already been replaced.
Has gained increasing influence among Stels Columnar and Apostolos.
//People\\
Gucci Garantine (she/her): Defector from Stel Kesh, controller of House Brightline and HORIZON’s efforts on Partizan. Now a powerful member of Millennium Break’s political class, heading the Party of the Masque. Jesset City (he/him): Previously worked for Adamant Arms and Manufacturing, Jesset became full time Oxblood Clan lieutenant and then a major figure in Millennium Break. Expert technician, veteran hollow pilot, and Cipher Certified by Stel Nideo. Utilizes prostheses on his right arm, switching between an affordable myoelectric model with grip hooks and a custom model specifically designed for interfacing with a hollow cockpit. SBBR’s CO for this mission. Agon Ortlights (she/her): Aided by her servicebot companions, Agon worked hard to attain the rank of lieutenant in the Company of the Spade, where she’s become a veteren mercenary, a skilled miner, and a hell of a drinking buddy. In recent days, she and the Company have become major backers of the Party of the Masque inside of Millennium Break. But that doesn't mean that she isn't willing to bring her pragmatic talents to bear for the revolutionary project. Cas’alear Rizah (cas/cas’, they/them): Leader of the Swordbreakers, sibling of the Glorious Princept. Cas has brown skin with dark green hair up in a bun, with a few strands hanging down in front of their face (which is framed with similarly colored scales covering cas’ jawline and neck. Broken sword tattoos under their eyes. Reputation as being beautiful and brave by allies, unflinching and unpredictable by foes. Pilots the notorious Ataraxia. Was badly wounded in the defense against Motion and GLORY in Auspice. The Witch in Glass (she/her): A mysterious figure who has recently begun prowling the cursed battlefields of Partizan, supposedly kidnapping, leading away, or otherwise retrieving the wounded and desperate. No one knows where she takes them, but reports always indicate that she arrives after the sound of bells and the appearance of strange distant shape in the sky. The Figure in Bismuth (he/them): The Right Hand of the Witch in Glass. Former school teacher, now a supernaturally gifted ace pilot. Comes bearing gifts. Kueen Overture “K.O.” Rooke (she/her): SBBR’s contact at the Scrivener's Guild. A former ace pilot, lead mechanic, and battlefield commander, KO now uses her expertise to dispatch and guide mercenary units across Partizan as a broker in the Scrivener’s Guild. Additionally performs some logistics work for Millennium Break and OFOR. Mother of Audacious Opportunity (“A.O.”) Rooke. Audacious Opportunity (A.O.) Rooke (he/him): Was a young freelance mercenary operating under Stel Orion charter before being captured by Stel Kesh on an assignment deep behind enemy lines. After serving in the Rapid Evening’s infantry division, A.O. joined Millennium Break and SBBR where he became an ace pilot, able to wield the legendary Panther mech with great skill. //Places\\
Oxbridge: Most bridges connect land to land, but the enormous Bridge of the Ox connects ocean ports to the docks of largest freshwater lake on the moon. Under the bridge rests Oxbridge, a dense city of canals and crimson light, and the first large scale Principality settlement to come to the moon, nearly 1000 years ago. Oxbridge is split into three regions: Brightsky West, Underbridge, and Brightsky East. To the East and West, merchants, nobles, and the ever-upwardly mobile live, work, shop and play. But below the bridge’s shadow is an undercity of laborers both local and transient, eking by from job to job, day to day, by the fuel of their effort and the light of the red, phosphorescent “lamps” that give Underbridge its distinct glow, even in daytime.
Connecting it all together are a network of waterways, roads, and secret tunnels. And above it all is the Bridge of the Ox, the symbol of Orion’s commitment to (and mastery of) brute-force ideology.
In recent days, Oxbridge has been home to rolling gunfights and bloody skirmishes between those loyal to the Principality and those advocating for the state’s secession and reformation as a league of merchant republics.
The Reflecting Pool: The Witch in Glass’ residence, the recovered and partially repaired body of Past. Part floating city, part living library. The Reflecting Pool was originally built tens of thousands of years before the Divine Principality was created. It stores an untold amount of information about the cultures it has observed, including the Divine Principality itself. //Things\\
The Red Light: A large figure, covered by red cloth, quickly approaching the Oxbridge shoreline.
Contents
Plot
Sovereign Immunity plans to steal information from Past, and begins casing it as he escorts people into the city alongside the Figure. Broun is in their ship, the Blue Channel, prepping to leave: they find a recording from Valence giving them the coordinates to their homeland. Kalar prepares to send a message back to his family. Thisbe continues researching Collier and reads about it in Past’s library.
As people begin to board Past, the Red Light reveals itself as a combination of Order and Courage: the Divine Law, piloted by Mourningbride. It begins to attack the city. Broun makes small evacuation runs with the Blue Channel. Thisbe sends a final psychic slap back to Mourningbride after the Reflecting Pool lifts off.
In the final accounting, Millie, AO, Kalar, SI, and Thisbe are on the Reflecting Pool; KO, Jesset and some other Oxblood people join Broun.
Law topples the huge bridge of Oxbridge and destroys much of the city’s infrastructure. After it stops, it projects a speech from the puppet Gur. They scold the insurrectionists of OFOR and Millennium Break. The existence of the Pact is revealed and the Curtain formulates itself as representing the traditional regime. The lines are being drawn: Kesh and Nideo on the side of the Curtain, and Apostolos and Columnar turning towards the Pact. But still, off Partizan, new fights begin as OFOR spreads and the possibility of resistance seems imaginable.
5 months since the Red Light fell on Oxbridge, SI and Broun meet at a train station. SI has been sifting obsessively through tens of thousands of years of information from Past. He gives them notes and recordings from Valence and Gur, along with coordinates for the nearest off-map worlds. With this, Broun is ready to leave Partizan.
Cast
- Austin Walker (GM)
- Janine Hawkins (Thisbe)
- Sylvia Clare (Ver'million Blue)
- Alicia Acampora (Kal'mera Broun)
- Art Martinez-Tebbel (Sovereign Immunity)
- Jack de Quidt (Kalar Anakalar)
- Keith J Carberry (Phrygian)
- Andrew Lee Swan (The Figure in Bismuth)