PALISADE 12: Worth the Trouble Pt. 1

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Episode description[edit | edit source]

Though the Cause has made important gains during their most recent efforts, they nevertheless find themselves limping. In the northwest, both Jade Kill and Grey Pond find themselves stretched thin, low on key resources necessary for holding their newly taken territory in the Bontive Valley. Rose River and Carmine Bight, normally sustained by keeping to their island strongholds, have instead been deployed across the planet, and find themselves low on basic goods. Even the Dim Liturgy seems under-supplied—the contents of their supply depots do not match up with their balance books. How could that have happened?

And so it seems at this moment that resupplying the Cause falls on the Blue Channel. Unfortunately, the Blue Channel has many of its own wounds to lick first…

This week on PALISADE: Worth the Trouble Pt. 1

I'm not okay / In fact, I'm sick today, I'm on the floor[Note 1]

Dossier[edit | edit source]

Organizations[edit | edit source]

The Branched: A post-human society of beings who have transformed their bodies into forms terrifying and spectacular and free—only to have the threat of war force them to rebuild themselves as soldiers first and foremost. After centuries of fighting a purely defensive war, the Branched have now begun to strike into the Principality’s territory.
The Devotees: A church from the Twilight Mirage that is committed to the worship of the divine Devotion, which they sometimes refer to as Fervor. Common practices include the regular checking of one’s pulse and multi-day group picnic outings.

People[edit | edit source]

The Witch in Glass: A former scion of Kesh who, after knitting a bond with the adversary Perennial, came into control of the broken body of the Divine Past, which she has renamed the Reflecting Pool. Rules over the Crown of Glass, a city-state on the southeastern reaches of Palisade. A shaky ally of Millennium Break. Haunted by an old foe.
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 the commander of Millennium Break forces there. Codename Watershed.
Midnite Matinee (she/her): Leporine scout and member of the Blue Channel. She and her trusty Pack-model light AutoHollow Popcorn (she/her) used to run a repo company, but now are tentatively committed to the Cause and Millennium Break.
Routine Rennari (he/him): Half-Apostolsian, scion of a minor Kesh noble house, and the Blue Channel's heavy.
Hunting "Hunt" Tomorrow (he/him): Concretist specialist in communications and technology, assigned to the Blue Channel during its integration into the Cause.
Saffron Septet (she/her):  A doctor from the Twilight Mirage who lives as a digital consciousness, spread across a number of bodily forms including a heavy Torch Unit, a small motorcycle, and a unique and specially-crafted surgeon body.
Gig Kephart (he/him): A DIY vlogger from the Twilight Mirage who lived during a time of chaos and change, just years before the founding of the Divine Principality.
Misericorde 'Miseri' (he/they): Former Nidean scion who helped secure Palisade for the Bilateral Intercession. Officially MIA, but secretly working with Pact loyalist Cor'rina Corrine (cor/cors), famed Apostolosian peacemaker (and Miseri's rival), as agents of chaos on the planet.

Places[edit | edit source]

Bontive Valley: Blessed by the departed divine Bounty, the Valley provides the Bilats with fruit that never rots and hyper-nutritional grain.

Mysteries[edit | edit source]

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.  

Divines[edit | edit source]

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 recently bonded with Kalmeria.

Contents[edit | edit source]

Opening[edit | edit source]

“

Friends, colleagues, contractors, thank you for joining me here today as we break ground not just on the foundation of the metropolis of the future, nor only on a grand experiment unlike any other performed even by we, the finest researchers and scientists of the galaxy, nor is it simply a new way of living. Today we take our first step towards a new way of being. Today begins City City, but City City did not really begin today, did it? After all, today marks five years in, five years since I left the Zenith Fund behind. Such a pity the committee had such petty minds.

Ossified academics, incurious censors, counterfeit intellectuals—all of the above. Systemically bad science and tar pit fashion, and they lacked what moved us to the Frontier—true love, because we are driven by the love of knowledge, the knowledge of cost, the cost of ignorance. Fingerprints on the world, our ideas shape the clay, whirled together from dreams that cowardly men abandon in the night.

After his mother died, my father called me from the threshold of his office. Cautious I neared, we didn’t talk, we never said a word. He asked me, “Exanceaster, do you know the difference between a shovel and an oar?” Before I could speak, he answered with the door. I knew the answer straight away, but never got to tell him so. But you all live as the answer, here on Palisade. See, an oar is an awfully bad tool when trying to dig a hole, but stuck at sea on a raft, you can row your way home with a spade.

And that is why we’re the ones who break new ground. It’s not just luck or drive deep-rooted, we’re simply better suited, from Baseline to City City, from clerk to engineer. Leave the oars behind to complain and row around, fix your eyes on the frontier, and put your steel in the ground.”

Plot[edit | edit source]

The Figure in Bismuth calls a meeting with Brnine, Phrygian, and Hunt to report for disciplinary action. They explain that the Witch in Glass has access to everything they see and hear. Brnine declines to discipline them and instead the team agrees to end Figure's reliance on the Witch by finding another witch whose magic can keep them alive. As the meeting ends, Thisbe, who was listening in, intercepts Figure and tells them she will help.

It's Cori's week for movie night. Everyone except Brnine pitches her a film, but she ultimately picks a romantic period drama that she's watched 36 times. Brnine is surprised when Thisbe shows up and makes an awkward but ultimately successful attempt to relate to Thisbe by asking about the documentary she recommended.

Phrygian looks for volunteers in their project to improve their Caustic Breath. Brnine, Routine, and Saffron all agree to let Phrygian drip potentially corrosive materials on their skin in the name of science.

Cori is exhausted from her recovery and chooses not to proselytize about Devotion. Devotion, angered by this, issues Cori a challenge: establish a church in Baseline during the next Sortie, or face Devotion's disfavour.

Cast[edit | edit source]

Other[edit | edit source]

Notes[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Lyrics from the song The Same by Alex G
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