PALISADE 22: An Impossible Ideal Pt. 1
Friends at the Table18 Elo 2023

PALISADE 22: An Impossible Ideal Pt. 1

This episode carries content warnings for body horror, description of teeth, discussion of mass destruction/death, small/tight spaces, indentured servants and slavery, and extreme heat.

Behind a twirling ornament of metal, the sun grows—the sun grows. Inside a concrete body, the feeling of a hand, pulling downward. Across a planet under red light, fear.

They would not wait. They could not.

This week on PALISADE: An Impossible Ideal Pt. 1

The "war" will appear on the surface to be a peace

Dossier People

Stargrave Elcessor (she/her): Leader of the Bilateral Interecession's occupation of Palisade, assigned personally by Cynosure Whitestar-Kesh. As a Stargrave, she has been granted the means and "right" to detonate the star at the center of Palisade's star system if she determines that those here are an existential threat to the Principality.

Connadine (he/him): Commander of the BIS on Palisade. An expert in psychological operations and folklore. As a composer, his opus is the Adagio, a plan to get everyone on Palisade operating in ways not only predictable, but scripted. As a conductor, his orchestra now turns towards the second movement.

Routine Rennari (he/him): Half-Apostolsian, scion of a minor Kesh noble house, and the Blue Channel's heavy.

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.

Midnite Matinee (she/her): Leporine scout and member of the Blue Channel. She and her trusty Pack-model light AutoHollow Popcorn used to run a repo company, but now are tentatively committed to the Cause and Millennium Break.

Places

Chimera's Lantern: The second moon of Palisade, shaped oddly like a wasp's nest or paper lantern. New arrivals to the world find its occasional glow unnatural and frightening. Thisbe and the Figure found evidence that it could be tied to driving the bulk of ancient Divine Principality forces off of Palisade.

Objects

Gambeson: The Gambeson is only about 10 meters tall (less than half an Altar), but it is nevertheless a terrifying scourge of the battlefield. Modeled after an iron maiden, except with it's tortorous doors attached to its back serving as wings. Its head features a metalworked face, twisted into extreme and offputting smile. Its skeletal frame serves not only as body, but cage: pilots are criminal conscripts forced to pay off their "debt" to Kesh by the Divine Plight, earning their freedom through combat achievements.

Paramerion: Cori's new Altar, as designed by her brother Formido. Constantly twitching and rippling underneath the regal embellishments of its filigreed armor. Massive metallic wings stay folded on its back, a smaller pair cover its eyes like a visor and the sickles jut out from its forearms when stowed. A halo shaped like a crown rotates above its skull-like head.

The Stellar Combustor: A weapon of immense destruction, capable of destroying countless star systems if deployed without a firebreak. Has been used in some form or another since the time of the earliest Divines. In current form they take the form of a twirling, 3-ringed space station that rotates around a system's sun.

Divines

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 Plight (she/her): Plight is a 40 meter tall, humanoid Divine cast in black metal armor, and wearing the of a judge or inquisitor. She conscripts the guilty into her army as Gambeson pilots, compelling their loyalty with terrible, Divine feelings of guilt. Hemlock, whose interest is fundamentally in punishment and not justice, was born heir to a mid-tier Kesh House, but jumped at the chance to become an Elect.

Mysteries

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.

Additional Notes

The 23 Star Systems Nearest Palisade (with developmental focus):

  1. Tartarus 5: Gas Mining

  2. Lonn: Resorts

  3. Helaine Delta: Duplicate of Helaine Gamma

  4. Thulsa: Standard Spread

  5. Xenacip: Lost Contact. Lost Portcullis Repair Team

  6. Bhopal Kha: Pact Occupied

  7. Maine: Lumber, Spice

  8. Bishamonten: Arms Manufacturing

  9. Carjel: Standard Spread

  10. Isfahan: Standard Spread

  11. Yoca: Standard Spread

  12. KX 93-39: Black Hole Research Lab

  13. Dul-Kaw: Established via Nidean Art grant

  14. Darre: Tomb Sector

  15. Ecou: Refugee Camps

  16. Edino: Quarantined Sector

  17. Skarnoc: Debris Fields

  18. Hilde: Gas Mining

  19. Por: Standard Spread

  20. Nova Melides: Abandoned Divine Clash Worlds

  21. Palamedes 8: Regional Refueling Depot

  22. Castax 8: Stratus Research Facility

  23. Ashlen: Standard Spread

Hosted by Austin Walker (@austin_walker)

Featuring Janine Hawkins (@bleatingheart) Sylvi Bullet (@sylvibullet), Ali Acampora (@ali_west), Art Martinez-Tebbel (@atebbel), Jack de Quidt (@notquitereal), Keith J Carberry (@keithjcarberry) and Andrew Lee Swan (@swandre3000)

Produced by Ali Acampora

Music by Jack de Quidt (available on bandcamp)

Text by Austin Walker

Cover Art by by aurahack (aurahack.jp)

With thanks to Arthur B., chocoube, DB, deepFlaw, Edwin Adelsberger, Emrys, Greg Cobb, huw, Ian O'Dea, Ian Urbina, Irina A., Jack Shirai, K. Morris, Katie Diekhaus, Konisforce, Kristina Harris Esq, L Tantivy, Lawson Coleman, Mike & Ruby, Nich Maragos, Olive Perry, Patrick Murray, Robert Lasica, Shawn Hall, TeganEden, Thomas Whitney, viviridian, and Voi for their support

We are playing Armour Astir: Advent with additional playbooks from Strangers in the Night and 106th Astir Squadron. If you enjoy the show, consider supporting the TTRPG.

This episode was made with support from listeners like you! To support us, you can go to friendsatthetable.cash.

Jaksot(524)

Autumn in Hieron 10: Chekhov's Torture Elf

Autumn in Hieron 10: Chekhov's Torture Elf

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Autumn in Hieron 09: I'm Not Happy With This Decision At All

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Autumn in Hieron 08: On The Tip Of Your Tongue

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Autumn in Hieron 07: Boat Party?

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31 Loka 20141h 6min

Autumn in Hieron 06: A Bad Trip

Autumn in Hieron 06: A Bad Trip

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Autumn in Hieron 04: Is It Time Already?

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