Thisbe

Thisbe
Basic Information
Pronouns	she/her
Aliases	Diesel (callsign)
People	Synthetic
Connections
Af­fil­i­a­tion(s)	The Society of Banners and Bright Returns Millennium Break Blue Channel
Meta Info
Season	PARTIZAN PALISADE
Playbook	Artificial (Beam Saber) Incandescent (Armour Astir)
Player	Janine Hawkins

Thisbe is a player character in PARTIZAN and PALISADE. She is an ancient, synthetic being built to resemble the Hypha, though she recalls nothing of her life before she was discovered buried in a farm on Partizan.

Appearance

She is a sleek, glassy and shiny robot in a muted blueish color based on the Hypha or the Ashen. She has large, exaggerated legs like Drossel from Fireball Charming and a stylized face - cuter than the Hypha, looking more like a deer. She has extremely intense ram's horns, like a watch spring's spiral but more conical.

She is very tall—about two feet taller than the other party members—and has a scar across her face from when she was dug up. The scar was filled with clear polymer-like material. After meeting with the Sable Court, the scar has been filled with silver white opal memoria dust with slight hints of rainbow.

She has a DOS-prompt-like computer built onto her hands. After the Red Light over Obelle, she has a thigh tattoo (a solid black design where a garter belt would be) and transparent fingerless gloves to protect her hand screens.

While on the Isles of Logos in PARTIZAN, she purchased a wraparound tropical print sarong which she wore as a skirt for the occasion.

In PALISADE, the screens on her hands have been scratched and clouded with wear, and she has a simple grey cloak.

This section contains spoilers for PALISADE 37: Reach In / Reach Out Pt. 1.
Click here to reveal.

After taking on Integrity, Thisbe's horns are replaced by more 'solid' golden ram's horns with a gold band between them coming to a vee at the nape of her neck.

Personality

Thisbe is responsible, dependable, and implacable. She views herself as a tool more than a person, but doesn't resent that. She refers to those she allows to make use of her as 'operants'. She is opposed to "the kinds of systems that could create things like her" as she was created in the image of a colonized people to serve the Principality's imperial advancement. She also does not think of Divines as gods, but rather beings on the same continuum of existence as her: "I am to them what Mow is to me."

On the train ride in "Ambush in the Sand", Thisbe's vibes are that of "a dog looking out the window": "So you sort of...you sort of stare and look until you find one thing to fixate on, but then your head moves very fast, because it’s gone immediately." However, when there are no accommodations for her, she just stands in place with her head locked into position.

Thisbe appears to like documentaries. For movie night, she recommends a documentary called Is Corn Grass? that is about whether or not corn is grass. She also lent Brnine a DVD of a documentary about space trucking to try to cheer them up when they were recovering in the Blue Channel's infirmary.

Drive (Beam Saber)

• Find the farmers of her planet and return.

Scars (Beam Saber)

• Reckless
• Relentless

Hooks (Armour Astir)

• My presence is a liability to my operants.
• I must strive at all times to demonstrate my utility.
• Fighting is not my purpose, but there is nowhere else for me until the fighting is over.

History and Involvement

Origins

Thisbe is a "Servide" model robot created to work — she was meant to be a multi-purpose tool. The people who built her wanted to exploit the skills of the Hypha; she has abilities to sense and scan technology.

This section contains spoilers for PARTIZAN 41: Orbital Decay.
Click here to reveal.

Thisbe's first operant was the Divine Space. During the Principality's first era of colonization, she was one of many units that were sent to colonize the Orion arm.

She was found by farmers, who dug her out of the ground on their farm. In the process, they damaged her face with their shovel, leaving a scar. She does not have any memories of her life from before that time.

Since she was too dangerous to live on a farm, she was purchased by a team of mercenaries, who later sold her to the current crew after most of them got killed in a mission. The team believed Thisbe was just a regular robot at first, but soon realized she was sentient, and a real part of the crew. She does her best to anticipate what people need of her.

PARTIZAN

Spoiler warning! This section contains major spoilers for PARTIZAN. Tread carefully!

Thisbe participated in SBBR's support of Oxblood during the crash landing of Past in Obelle. Cymbidium sent out a last psychic message to Thisbe, who he thinks was a Hypha sent by Mourningbride: someone rethreaded the Strand to go "where they must not", and they must be stopped. During downtime, she climbs to the top of the Pique Ridge and, taking cues from Cymbidium, uses Mow’s amplifier and her antlers to send a message to Mourningbride. When she returns, SBBR agree to visit Mourningbride at Lake Timea and confirm the message is received.

In their next mission, SBBR helped drive away the 301st from the Sable Court, and received clarified memoria in exchange, while Thisbe learned that there are unmapped worlds, one of which may be her home. During a visit to the Isles of Logos, Thisbe was made uncomfortable by Valence's attempts to bring her into conversation, but they helped her search for her home at the observatory.

Thisbe and Broun were part of a staged fight with Oxblood for SBBR's next mission, which became a real fight against Imperium's Plume. Back in Oxbridge, she scheduled an appointment with the Divine, Arbitrage to find information about her home. She also aided Valence's organizing of the Millennium Break conference by informing the Sable Court of their plans.

Thisbe aided Millennium Break where she could, such as physical labor and moderating election debates. When Courage attacked, she was damaged and had to be hotwired by Broun, but in the end was instrumental in capturing the Divine without further casualties. She joined the Vigil City attack, and worked on the Icebreaker hydroponics, and attempted to recruit Clementine Kesh into these efforts. Thisbe was also a medalist in mech sumo during the Summer Passage.

Thisbe was part of an operation with SBBR to steal Memoria from the Principality which went bad. She was ordered by Valence to take Sovereign Immunity and the Memoria and leave, which she did. Valence was left behind, and died killing Crysanth Kesh.

Upon returning to Oxbridge, Thisbe had her meeting with the Divine, Arbitrage, which was intrigued by her and informed her of the name, history and location of her home, Collier. She also brought Broun a plant in a Bing 32. Thisbe joined the evacuations into the Reflecting Pool during the arrival of the Red Light, using the Past library to find more about Collier and connecting with Sovereign Immunity, with his own history with the planet.

Thisbe was on the Blue Channel during its launch off Partizan and helped defend it against Motion's forces. At the Portcullis, she interfaced with the gate and learned why she was originally manufactured. During Operation Shackled Sun, Thisbe and Phrygian helped retrieve Kalar and the Figure and their vital information. Thisbe helped attack Motion directly in the battle by using the Blue Channel's onboard gun like a rifle from the outside of the ship. As a consequence of her notoriety, she was unable to retire to Collier.

PALISADE

Spoiler warning! This section contains major spoilers for PALISADE. Tread carefully!

As of PALISADE episode 01, she has been in hiding for several years, due to her highly recognizable appearance and public identity as the mech sumo champion from the Summer Passage of Arms. She has remained part of Millenium Break during this time, but in the years between PARTIZAN and PALISADE she did not work directly with Brnine until her recent assignment to the Blue Channel. Also, a spark in her core has awakened magic within her frame, granting her arcane powers.

While the crew is on a mission to find a Fundament in the Diadem, Thisbe, Figure and Brnine encounter two Twill people who are attempting to resurrect the Divine Palisade. Their plan fails, and instead the person who wakes up is the Delegate Partial Palisade. The crew then help to relocate the Twill's village, which had been forced into the Diadem by the Principality. Thisbe takes a special interest in aiding the Twill because of their incorporation of plants into their bodies.

During the next mission, Thisbe, Figure, and Cori attempt to apprehend Gem, a person of interest to the Cause, while she travels via gravtrain. Thisbe diverts the train, enters, and confronts Gem, who transforms first into Constantina Malady and then into an Iconoclast. Gem offers to build Thisbe a world where others can understand her perspective, but Thisbe rejects this. After a discussion with the rest of the crew, she agrees to deliver Gem to the Witch in Glass to protect Figure from the Witch.

For the next mission, the Blue Channel crew arrive at the Isle of the Broken Key to weed out BIS spies. Thisbe and Figure investigate the archives there and learn that Chimera's Lantern may be able to provide Figure with an alternate source of magical energy. They encounter an Iconoclastic Kenneth Marian Colver and Thisbe accedes to the Kestrel White's demands to return him in an attempt to prevent further conflict. Unfortunately, Colver continues to attack until Phrygian destroys the Kestrel White, allowing the crew to detain a number of spies.

In part because of the Blue Channel's actions on the Isle of the Broken Key, Stargrave Elcessor arms her stellar combustor and delivers an ultimatum: if any movement is made against the Bilateral Intercession, she will detonate it and end trillions of lives, and she will only disarm it if every leader of the Cause turns themselves in. While Phrygian, Routine and Brnine head off on a risky mission to stop the detonation, Thisbe leads the rest of the crew to Chimera's Lantern, where they dodge Divine creatures and fight off Nidean forces to meet with the Chimeric Cadent. Thisbe is intrigued and begins to think about the nature of Divines and wonder if they can be protected.

Although the stellar combustor mission was apparently successful, Phrygian, Routine and the captain do not return to the ship. To her discomfort, Thisbe is left in nominal command until Figure manages to teleport Brnine (and the DIvine Integrity) back to the Blue Channel.

In the next mission, the Blue Channel is sent to acquire the train brain directing the Palisade gravtrains, giving Thisbe a chance to use a new ability to create illusions. Thisbe is mid-combat when the Affliction Dust's effect hits, making a doppelduster of her and sending her into an alternate universe dream. In the dream, she is the leader of many similar units on Collier for the service of Millennium Break. Midway through the dream, Brnine is caught in the dust as well and joins her for an uncomfortable conversation in a local bar. The dream is broken by Cori escaping her own dream, and Brnine successfully negotiates with Dust for the train brain while Thisbe serves as an intermediary to prevent it from overwhelming them.

After the mission, Brnine speaks to Cori and Thisbe about having Integrity on board. Thisbe decides she wants to let Integrity integrate with her, and after Brnine agrees, she does so.

Relationships

Sombre Sky

In character creation, Thisbe was said to be "avoidant" of Sombre Sky because of a bad interaction where Sombre was "a little too interested" in her between Thisbe leaving her home planet and being picked up by SBBR. However, Sombre never interacted with the SBBR crew in the podcast after this.

Mourningbride

In character creation, it was mentioned that Thisbe once met Mourningbride briefly while on a job bringing supplies to the Sable Court. Their relationship is "uncanny" due to Thisbe's uncomfortable visual resemblance to the Hypha. In the aftermath of the crash of Past, Cymbidium entrusted a message for Mourningbride to her. Thisbe attempted to relay the message psychically, but in response Mourningbride gave her a sort of psychic slap, forcing her to come to the Sable Court in person.

This section contains spoilers for PARTIZAN 25: Millennium Break: Courage in the Shadow of Opportunity.
Click here to reveal.

Thisbe was among those who helped take down Mourningbride and Courage when they attacked Icebreaker Prime. Although Mourningbride used a Principality code phrase to deactivate her, Broun brought Thisbe back online and she and Eiden immobilized Mourningbride and Courage.

This section contains spoilers for PARTIZAN 38: The Red Light.
Click here to reveal.

When Mourningbride and Law attacked Oxbridge, Thisbe gave her a return psychic slap before evacuating the city.

Integrity

This section contains spoilers for PALISADE 37: Reach In / Reach Out Pt. 1.
Click here to reveal.

Thisbe becomes the Elect of Integrity during PALISADE. After Brnine unintentionally brings Integrity back to the Blue Channel following their assassination of Dahlia, Thisbe tells Brnine that she would like to let Integrity integrate with her, and Brnine agrees.

Beliefs (Beam Saber)

Valence

• Operant Valence seeks my obsolescence.
• Operant Valence's priorities are beyond my understanding.
• Operant Valence is not forceful enough to lead.

Kal'mera Broun

• Operant Broun will sell or trade me in the moment my usefulness is expended.
• Operant Broun will protect me.
• Operant Broun lies to me because they believe I am a person.

Ver'million Blue

• Operant Blue will not ask for help when she most needs it.

Gravity clocks (Armour Astir)

• Brnine is like everybody else. They are not a uniquely privileged operant.
  • Brnine is capable but brittle. Their success and survival is the only way forward.
• I will tend to the Twill. They need to be shown care, and I am capable.
• If I am a bullet, Cori is a grenade. If she is not stopped she will self-destruct and take others with her.

Abilities

Beam Saber

• Purpose-Built: Thisbe may take an extra dice when fulfilling the purpose Labor.
• Connect the Dots: Thisbe can spend spark to ask an extra question while gathering information. (From the Memoria gifted to SBBR by the Sable Court.)
• Internal Mechanism: Thisbe can declare a piece of gear as part of her body at the start of a mission.
• Will Not Stop. Ever.: Thisbe can choose to stay in a scene after receiving a scar or vehicle breakdown, at the cost of harm to her or Mow.
• Like Looking Into A Mirror: Thisbe can tell when someone is lying.
• Tough as Nails: Thisbe takes less penalties from harm.
• Super Charge: Thisbe may act with extreme strength or speed when pushing herself.

Armour Astir

• Internal Codex: Thisbe can take advantage to Dispel Uncertainties related to her original purpose in a mission.
• Animation Matrix: Thisbe can communicate with ardents of any type or level of awareness.
• Deny: When Thisbe uses magic to temporarily restrict the actions of another, she rolls plus Channel.
• Unstable Charge: During a Sortie, Thisbe can attempt to change her or Mow's Approach.
• Tactical Illusions: Thisbe can use illusions to distract her foes. They may distract someone else as well in the process.
• Worldwide Resonance: During Downtime, Thisbe can Glide Through Currents (essentially, astral project) in order to either ask the Director a question and gain useful information, or lay a trap against the Authority for the next Conflict Turn. Anyone who participates in her Glide Through Currents scene may spend a token to: add a D6 to Plan & Prepare; start or advance a long-term project; or advance their Gravity with someone else in the scene.

Possessions

Armour Astir

• Grappling hook (Tier 1)

Mech

Thisbe's mech is called Mow. He is very big and has the build of a gorilla — top-heavy, with big arms. There's a little horn-like protrusion on his back that Thisbe hangs onto. He is kind of battered, but lovingly maintained; he's seen better days, but is washed and waxed.

In the years between PARTIZAN and PALISADE, Mow got a new paint job. It makes him look like the mech equivalent of an antique milk truck.

Trivia

• Thisbe's voice cast if PARTIZAN were adapted into live action is Gillian Anderson.
• The name Thisbe is a contraction of "this being". She began to call herself Thisbe instead of "this being" when she realized that the farmers who found her wanted to be able to call her by a name.

Gallery

• 

  Thisbe fanart by Si F Sweetman

• 

  Thisbe and her colleagues in PALISADE by Vlasdygoth