PALISADE 23: An Impossible Ideal Pt. 2
Friends at the Table27 Elo 2023

PALISADE 23: An Impossible Ideal Pt. 2

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

The ball is in the air; water pours from the pitcher; the rope draws taut. The Blue Channel hides in the shadow of the Chimera's Lantern, and everyone on board holds their breath. Inside the strange moon, the search for a new source of power—and thus, stability and freedom—for the Figure continues. It is a mission taken in the highest faith, possible only because its members believe utterly in Brnine, Phrygian, and Routine's ability to infiltrate and dismantle the Stellar Combustor, one way or the other. Of course, they aren't the only ones moving…

And in between the gaps of the stars / We lay in the dark

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.

BAC Secateurs: Designed and built on Chimera's Lantern by the Blessed Armory of Consecration, an Altar who holds itself in the form of a tortured saint, with sharp, crystaline "holy expressions" emerging from its body, like wounds in reverse. As it pulls these from its body, its form glows like heated glass, then reverberates back into place.

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.

The Divine Consecration: Though humanoid in shape, like most Nideo Divines, its chest is a vacuous cavity that serves a living forge. This open wound burns brightly, and Consecration can reach inside of it to produce a range of objects, or a sort of Divine molten metal which rapidly hardens as it is shaped by the Divine. But this is only half of its fearsome nature. Guided by the hand of its elect, a Sovereign Immunity devoutly committed to his role as armorer, Consecration also operates as Nideo's chief weaponsmith, Altar designer, and forge.

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.

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)

COUNTER/Weight 10: Drawing Clocks

COUNTER/Weight 10: Drawing Clocks

After 10 or so episodes of using Jeremy Keller's excellent MechNoir, we're switching our game of giant robots, neon hair, and gig economies over to Hamish Cameron's upcoming game The Sprawl. This week, we transfer Aria, AuDy, Cass, and Mako to the new system, but it's also a lot more than just shifting stats around! After the food crisis that struck Counterweight, tensions between OriCon, the Diaspora, and the remnants of Apostolos are high. The Chime has gone to ground, giving them a chance to reminisce about their pasts and reveal a little bit more about who they are and what they really want in life. But while they'd would love to wait for things to cool off, you need to run missions to eat, and each mission brings change. Cass reveals that the September Institute played a horrific role in the defeat of Apostolos during the Golden War, AuDy begins to doubt their free will, and Mako determines that he will be the funniest person in the room, even if it costs everyone else their lives. Meanwhile, on a beautiful blue and green planet in the sky, Aria Joie finds something to believe in... This week on COUNTER/Weight: "Drawing Clocks" What's past is prologue... Hosted by Austin Walker (@austin_walker) Featuring Keith J Carberry (@KeithJCarberry), Jack de Quidt (@notquitereal), Ali Acampora (@ali_west), and Art Tebbel (@atebbel) Produced by Ali Acampora Cover Art by Craig Sheldon (@shoddyrobot) Intro Music by Jack de Quidt A transcription is available for this episode here.A full list of completed transcriptions is available here. Our transcriptions are provided by a fan-organized paid transcription project. If you'd like to join, you can get more information at https://twitter.com/transcript_fatt. Thank you to all of our transcribers!!

23 Loka 20152h 54min

COUNTER/Weight 09: This Month Of Ours

COUNTER/Weight 09: This Month Of Ours

Throughout the Golden Branch sector, a dozen little pieces begin to move all at once, each one causing two dozen to move, and each of those, four, and suddenly the whole sector is... What will happen to those loyal souls on the abandoned world of Sage? What tricks does the manipulative headmaster of the September Institute have up his sleeves? What do the disenfranchised do when they find themselves in power? And what force sleeps, buried in the ice of Ionias? All of that and more... This time on the Friends at the Table: COUNTER/Weight Faction Turn: "This Month of Ours" There's no turning back, you know. Hosted by Austin Walker (@austin_walker) Featuring Sylvi Clare (@captaintrash) and Andrew Lee Swan (@andrewleeswan) Produced by Ali Acampora Cover Art by Craig Sheldon (@shoddyrobot) Intro Music by Jack de Quidt A transcription is available for this episode here. A full list of completed transcriptions is available here. Our transcriptions are provided by a fan-organized paid transcription project. If you'd like to join, you can get more information at https://twitter.com/transcript_fatt. Thank you to all of our transcribers!!

15 Loka 20152h 24min

COUNTER/Weight 08: Our Hostage Below

COUNTER/Weight 08: Our Hostage Below

The battle continues as The Chime tries to rescue Orth Godlove but they aren't the only ones with their sights set on him... between the Iron Choir and the Netted Wave, this Orth guy is pretty popular! Who knows what they want with him, but who's asking questions when his life--and more importantly, kredits are on the line? This time on COUNTER/Weight: "Our Hostage Below" Ready for action? Hosted by Austin Walker (@austin_walker) Featuring Keith J Carberry (@KeithJCarberry), Jack de Quidt (@notquitereal), Ali Acampora (@ali_west), and Art Tebbel (@atebbel) Produced by Ali Acampora Cover Art by Craig Sheldon (@shoddyrobot) Intro Music by Jack de Quidt A transcription is available for this episode here.A full list of completed transcriptions is available here. Our transcriptions are provided by a fan-organized paid transcription project. If you'd like to join, you can get more information at https://twitter.com/transcript_fatt. Thank you to all of our transcribers!!

1 Loka 20151h 48min

COUNTER/Weight 07: I Am Not Allowed

COUNTER/Weight 07: I Am Not Allowed

The Chime's sometimes-employer Orth Godlove has gone missing and the group is on the hunt... but the mysterious Netted Wave is just a few steps behind them. A key witness, who is both familiar and strange, leads them to a brand new line on the Starlight Straights MagLev System. Will they find Orth out in the the desert wastes of Counterweight... or will they run into something else altogether? This time on COUNTER/Weight: "I Am Not Allowed" Keep your head down, Orth! Hosted by Austin Walker (@austin_walker) Featuring Keith J Carberry (@KeithJCarberry), Jack de Quidt (@notquitereal), Ali Acampora (@ali_west), and Art Tebbel (@atebbel) Produced by Ali Acampora Cover Art by Craig Sheldon (@shoddyrobot) Intro Music by Jack de Quidt A transcription is available for this episode here.A full list of completed transcriptions is available here. Our transcriptions are provided by a fan-organized paid transcription project. If you'd like to join, you can get more information at https://twitter.com/transcript_fatt. Thank you to all of our transcribers!!

19 Syys 20151h 26min

COUNTER/Weight 06: Here's Your Bribe Tip

COUNTER/Weight 06: Here's Your Bribe Tip

After a few weeks of recovery and dry times, The Chime finally gets a new job from Orth Godlove: to investigate his own disappearance. Stakes are high but tensions are even higher as protesters fill the streets around the Consolidated Counterweight Technocracy. Just what, if anything, do the protests have to do with Orth? Where is Orth and what else can The Chime learn about him while they have the chance? This episode of COUNTER/Weight: "Here's Your Bribe Tip" Things are heating up! Hosted by Austin Walker (@austin_walker) Featuring Keith J Carberry (@KeithJCarberry), Jack de Quidt (@notquitereal), Ali Acampora (@ali_west), and Art Tebbel (@atebbel) Produced by Ali Acampora Cover Art by Craig Sheldon (@shoddyrobot) Intro Music by Jack de Quidt A transcription is available for this episode here.A full list of completed transcriptions is available here. Our transcriptions are provided by a fan-organized paid transcription project. If you'd like to join, you can get more information at https://twitter.com/transcript_fatt. Thank you to all of our transcribers!!

19 Syys 20151h 24min

COUNTER/Weight 05: A Ship of Seeds

COUNTER/Weight 05: A Ship of Seeds

In this episode of Friends at the Table, we introduce the "second layer" to our MechNoir campaign, combining elements from Microscope and Stars Without Number to get a fuller picture of the powers that be in the Golden Branch star sector. Find out what Snowtrak Industries is digging up from the icefields of the planet Ionias. Listen in on EarthHome Entertainment as they put wicked machinations into action. And get ready to meet the slickest pirate fleet you've ever heard of. This time on Friends at the Table: COUNTER/Weight "A Ship of Seeds" Remember not to lose the forest for the trees! Hosted by Austin Walker (@austin_walker) Featuring Sylvi Clare (@captaintrash) and Andrew Lee Swan (@andrewleeswan) Produced by Ali Acampora Cover Art by Craig Sheldon (@shoddyrobot) Intro Music by Jack de Quidt A transcription is available for this episode here.A full list of completed transcriptions is available here. Our transcriptions are provided by a fan-organized paid transcription project. If you'd like to join, you can get more information at https://twitter.com/transcript_fatt. Thank you to all of our transcribers!!

11 Syys 20152h 6min

COUNTER/Weight 04: The Bells Are Ringing

COUNTER/Weight 04: The Bells Are Ringing

The Chime continues their rescue of Cene Sixheart, the brilliant roboticist kidnapped by Snowtrak Industries and forced to work on a mysterious project in a research and development facility. Surely things couldn't get any worse—or ridiculous—for our heroes, right? AuDy (Jack de Quidt) makes a scene, Aria Joie (Ali Acampora) makes a statement, Mako Trig (Keith Carberry) pushes the limits of his charm and Cassander (Art Tebbel) tests his skills as a doctor. This episode of COUNTER/Weight: "The Bells Are Ringing" Gotta lose some to win some! Hosted by Austin Walker (@austin_walker) Featuring Keith J Carberry (@KeithJCarberry), Jack de Quidt (@notquitereal), Ali Acampora (@ali_west), and Art Tebbel (@atebbel) Produced by Keith J Carberry Cover Art by Craig Sheldon (@shoddyrobot) Intro Music by Jack de Quidt (Heads up, this episode is still using an OBS back up and is a little lower quality than our usual standard! We apologize and thank you for understanding~!) A transcription is available for this episode here.A full list of completed transcriptions is available here. Our transcriptions are provided by a fan-organized paid transcription project. If you'd like to join, you can get more information at https://twitter.com/transcript_fatt. Thank you to all of our transcribers!!

3 Syys 20152h 18min

COUNTER/Weight 03: It's Fine, We're Criminals

COUNTER/Weight 03: It's Fine, We're Criminals

The Chime, our intrepid group of freelance investigators and problem solvers, managed to survive their encounter with the mercenary band known as The Weightless. But many questions remain unanswered: Who are The Weightless. What have they done with Cene Sixheart? What does Orth Godlove of the Consolidated Counterweight Technocracy know about all of this? And who, or what, are the angels of Counterweight? Mako Trig (Keith Carberry) and Aria Joie (Ali Acampora) devise a cunning (and absurd) plan to answer these questions. AuDy (Jack de Quidt) and Cassander (Art Tebbel), meanwhile, have a much more direct approach in mind. This episode of COUNTER/Weight: " It's Fine, We're Criminals" There's nothing like a little breaking and entering! Hosted by Austin Walker (@austin_walker) Featuring Keith J Carberry (@KeithJCarberry), Jack de Quidt (@notquitereal), Ali Acampora (@ali_west), and Art Tebbel (@atebbel) Produced by Keith J Carberry Cover Art by Craig Sheldon (@shoddyrobot) Intro Music by Jack de Quidt A transcription is available for this episode here.A full list of completed transcriptions is available here. Our transcriptions are provided by a fan-organized paid transcription project. If you'd like to join, you can get more information at https://twitter.com/transcript_fatt. Thank you to all of our transcribers!!

1 Elo 20151h 52min