PARTIZAN 05: Profit and Loss
Friends at the Table24 Tammi 2020

PARTIZAN 05: Profit and Loss

The events in Obelle were disastrous for many, yet for the Society of Banners and Bright Returns, the nighttime raid on the seaside town went down in the book as a win. Now, they return to their home in the heavily stratified metropolis of Oxbridge in the heart of Stel Orion territory. After getting paid and tending to an unforeseen entanglement, the crew spends some time following leads, satiating their curiosity, and shoring up their reputation around town.

This is the first session featuring what Forged in the Dark games call "downtime," a phase of the game that is focused on what the characters do between missions. Because it's the first downtime of the season, we spend a little more time than usual going over the rules of play so that everyone can follow along. In the future, we'll summarize as much of the bookkeeping as possible so that we can stay focused on the drama and decision making that makes these sessions sing!

This Week on PARTIZAN: Profit and Loss

///Operation Dossier\\\

//Organizations\\

House Bittenbach: "Before all others." Technically, this is Bittenbach's motto because they were the very first noble house in Stel Orion, formed after their founder orchestrated a grand betrayal on behalf of the Principality. Today, though, it is quoted as evidence of the house's legendary hunger for wealth (and their willingness to break norms to satiate it.) The house's holdings on Partizan are operated by Burden Bittenbach. They were originally assigned to operate the Obelle mission in SBBR's place.

Carrion Collections: A low ranking scavengers squad with a handful of hollows that operates out of Stel Orion. Called shameless, even (especially) by those who employ them. Has a tense with SBBR due to a dispute over workshop materials.

The Isles of Logos: An independent nation built by the original followers of the prophet Logos Kantel's around their very first church, though it has since become a secular and independent state—something largely unheard of inside of Principality space. Though only a small handful of islands in the Prophet's Sea, the Isles keep a standing defense force that rivals any individual squad the Major Stels could throw at them.

The Church of the Resin Heart: Among all the sects under the wide umbrella of Progressive Asterism, one group—the Disciples of Logos—is dedicated to the teachings of the movement's supposed founder, the Prophet Logos Kantel. Though there are a handful of Logos-aligned houses faith across the reaches of the Principality, none is as well organized or important as the Church of the Resin Heart, named for the uncanny, 3-foot tall heart that was recovered from the prophet's sea many years ago. The Church, also named the Friends of Gur Sevraq in honor of their enigmatic and charismatic leader, are gaining followers as quickly as their leader can perform miracles. They claim the True God is coming, and seek to spread the word as far as they possibly can.

The Sable Court: Some say that on dark nights, they have seen Ashen witches on the eastern edge of Lake Timea, horns and antlers glittering in the light of Girandole. Some even say that a former elect walks among them, though whether she is the one they call the Loess, no one knows. It does not matter. Heresy, all of it.

//People\\

Midnite Matinee (she/her): The Leporine leader of Carrion Collections knows she's destined for more. She and her trusty Pack-model light AutoHollow Popcorn (she/her) are going to take what they can get, even if it means stepping on people to get it.

Gur Sevraq (he/they): The enigmatic leader of the Church of the Resin Heart. "Liberated" the divine Future from Stel Columnar. Has performed a number of seemingly-verified miracles in recent months.

Mourningbride (she/her): An Ashen born to a high ranking family, Mourningbride was once an elect, but left her post and journeyed to the Sable Court after learning about her people's ancient history. With his final act, Cymbidum requested that Thisbe deliver a message to Mourningbride.

//Places\\

The Low Slate: At its most welcoming, Orion's territory on Partizan is a large, lowland plain covered with warm riverlands. At its most hostile, these are lunar lowlands, as the cratered and barren southern pole of the moon, the one place untouched by the prophet's gift and the life that followed. Across the two is everything that makes Orion what it is: the control of vast spaces, agricultural and mineral wealth, a sense of prideful competition between aligned-yet-dueling city-states.

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 this massive 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.

The Pique Ridge: The mountainous region controlled by Stel Nideo, which rests northeast of Orion territory and west of Stel Columnar's home on Partizan, the Memoria Teardrop.

Lake Timea: A lake and its forested environs which rests towards the northern reaches of Stel Columnar territory. Rumored to be haunted, hexed, or otherwise unholy.

//Things\\

AdArm Pack-model AutoHollow: A 20 foot tall, humanoid mech with broad shoulders, fully-articulating hands, and the headshape of a jackal. Designed for flexibility, the Pack can easily change its gear between missions, though it is most often seen wielding an anti-armor rifle. The Pack was designed to offer infantry-scale squads a little extra power or to supplement hollow squads with something maneuverable, reliable, and automated. They're also exceptional bodyguard units, for those who can afford their upkeep.

//Additional Notes\\

The Nobel Fable of the First Wolves: In earlier days, when things were simple, The Nobel would say "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." And this was true when the Nobel were just the Nobel; but we determined that it was not enough for just The Nobel to be The Nobel, and the World to be the World. The Nobel needed the World; and the World needed the Lord. 


So our flock roamed, and it grew, but yet we also found ourselves threatened by wolves. And in our short-sightenedness, we assumed the Lord would protect us—and when we suffered losses, we assumed the Lord was telling us to protect ourselves, and we warred with the wolves.


But then the Lord spoke to the Nobel, and the Lord said "Did you not say that the world needed the Lord? Do you not see, that as I shepherd the Nobel, I too may shepherd the wolves?"

And so the Nobel lowered our arms and we learned of the wolves—how they hunted not for sport, but for sustenance; how they had their pack, as we had a flock. And then the wolves became one with the Nobel under the Lord, and we grew; oh, we grew, we grew in a way that we could have never imagined, and we learned one of the most important truths that we still hold dear—only the Lord can see the true path for the Nobel.

In this mask, I wear this lesson. It is a reminder of God's wisdom, God's grace, and God's potential not just for the Nobel, but for all the World. The Nobel are far from faultless; in our weakest moments, we assume we are greater than the World. We assume we know best, and that the wolves of the World must crook their knee to us and the Lord to receive the Lord's gifts. But no. The Nobel are not sheep, to be held above all others, to graze passively in the Lord's field under God's watchful eye and protected by God's fences; we are merely the first wolves that the Lord deigned to be the Lord's pack.

And as we are also wolves, our strength lies in growing our pack.

Hosted by Austin Walker (@austin_walker) Featuring Janine Hawkins (@bleatingheart), Ali Acampora (@ali_west), and Andrew Lee Swan (@swandre3000) Produced by Ali Acampora Music by Jack de Quidt (@notquitereal, available on bandcamp) Text by Austin Walker and Andrew Lee Swan (Fable of the First Wolves) Cover Art by Craig Sheldon (@shoddyrobot)

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!!

Jaksot(524)

Realis 04: Feast at the Citadel Bein 03

Realis 04: Feast at the Citadel Bein 03

This episode carries content warnings for body horror, injury and magical intoxication Like many of the truths of Realis, the nature of the Creature—conceptually—is contingent on context and subjectivity. In illustration: For the Child, the Dog may be First a companion, Second a responsibility, and Third a curious sliver of raw wilderness. For the Parent, the Dog may be First a living lesson, Second a dutiful guard, and Third, a fellow Caregiver, capable of providing food, shelter, and spiritual guidance for the Child in their own absence. Expand such a survey to include the Fisher, the Ranger (Scout), the Ranger (Herder), the Butcher, or, not least of all, the fellow Beast, and you will have a deluge of truth, each insisting on its own merit. One wonders: Why do so few dare ask the Creature to speak for itself?   Hosted by Austin Walker (@austinwalker on bluesky) Featuring Art Martinez-Tebbel, Keith J Carberry and Ali Acampora Produced by Ali Acampora Music by Jack de Quidt (available on bandcamp) Cover Art by by Oddesque With thanks to Amelia Renee, Arthur B., Aster Maragos, Bill Kaszubski, Cassie Jones, Clark, DB, Daniel Laloggia, Diana Crowley, Edwin Adelsberger, Emrys, Greg Cobb, Ian O'Dea, Ian Urbina, Irina A., Jack Shirai, Jake Strang, Katie Diekhaus, Ken George, Konisforce, Kristina Harris Esq, L Tantivy, Lawson Coleman, Mark Conner, Mike & Ruby, Muna A, Nat Knight, Olive Perry, Quinn Pollock, Robert Lasica, Shawn Drape, Shawn Hall, Summer Rose, TeganEden, Thomas Whitney, Voi, chocoube, deepFlaw, fen, & weakmint This episode was made with support from listeners like you! To support us, you can go to friendsatthetable.cash.

21 Helmi 1h 53min

Realis 03: Feast at the Citadel Bein 02

Realis 03: Feast at the Citadel Bein 02

As far as traveling spectacles go, the Krinsky Family Circus has it good. Because it only operates on the four moons of the Tetraspherica, which orbit close enough for low orbit shuttles to traverse, it does not need to rely on the mercurial whims of an Orphan Vessel. And because of the variety of cultures encountered on its circuit, there is always the opportunity to find new hires and encounter fellow showmen from which new techniques. Most of all, because the route is short and reliable, Those Nerveless Chancers are able to do more than simply skate across the surface of the local culture, little more than tourists. They're able to dig a little deeper, so to speak. A little curiosity and some sharp application of professional skill is all it takes to open the right doors… Hosted by Austin Walker (@austinwalker on bluesky) Featuring Jack de Quidt (@notquitereal on bluesky) Produced by Ali Acampora Music by Jack de Quidt (available on bandcamp) Cover Art by by Oddesque With thanks to Amelia Renee, Arthur B., Bill Kaszubski, Cassie Jones, Clark, DB, Daniel Laloggia, Diana Crowley, Edwin Adelsberger, Emrys, Greg Cobb, Ian O'Dea, Ian Urbina, Irina A., Jack Shirai, Jake Strang, Katie Diekhaus, Ken George, Konisforce, Kristina Harris Esq, L Tantivy, Lawson Coleman, Mark Conner, Mike & Ruby, Muna A, Nat Knight, Nich Maragos, Olive Perry, Quinn Pollock, Robert Lasica, Shawn Drape, Shawn Hall, Summer Rose, TeganEden, Thomas Whitney, Voi, chocoube, deepFlaw, fen, & weakmint This episode was made with support from listeners like you! To support us, you can go to friendsatthetable.cash.

14 Helmi 2h 8min

Realis 02: Feast at the Citadel Bein 01

Realis 02: Feast at the Citadel Bein 01

Ulled is a pocked and placid-seeming agricultural moon. But as the saying goes, be wary the still lake. Yes, farmers speak softly and tend to their crops with loving cultivation. Yes, life is quiet and late afternoons are restful. Yes, harvest work brings reward. But then there is underneath. There is underneath. But Those Nerveless Chancers, The Krinsky Family Circus And Travelling Curiosity, they know only what is above. They know they step on fertile soil and soft grass, perfect for staking their tents and stands. They know they walk through fields under the lights and shadows of the Citadel Bein, a fortress layered with history so visible that it is seemingly built from the accretion of time itself. They know that they stand above a castle village sonorous with the sounds of marketplaces and buskers and craftshops—a circus of a different type than their own, but not altogether unfamiliar. They know they stand on a geological shelf, the shore of a vast, shimmering lake beyond—open like a sea, polished as a mirror, reflecting the sky above, reflecting the Thousand Moons in conlunation, reflecting Realis-itself, and in its light The Tetraspherica: Three more marble-like moons. Cousin orbs. Neighbor spheres dominating the heavens above. So is it any wonder they do not consider what might be below? What might move in that fertile soil or between the blades of that soft grass? What else might have staked a claim on Placid Ulled? Or who else might move in the shadows of the citadel Bein? What else might hover above the echoes of the castle town? Who else might stare out onto the lake's horizon, might witness the impossible beauty of the dancing lunar quartet, might bathe in the bluelight of Realis-Itself, and radiating with pure possibility, dream!? It is no wonder at all. Such is life on the Thousand Moons. Such is life for those Nerveless Chancers, that circus caught in gravity. At least, for now. Hosted by Austin Walker (@austinwalker on bluesky) Featuring Jack de Quidt (@notquitereal on bluesky) Produced by Ali Acampora Music by Jack de Quidt (available on bandcamp) Cover Art by by Oddesque With thanks to Amelia Renee, Arthur B., Bill Kaszubski, Cassie Jones, Clark, DB, Daniel Laloggia, Diana Crowley, Edwin Adelsberger, Emrys, Greg Cobb, Ian O'Dea, Ian Urbina, Irina A., Jack Shirai, Jake Strang, Katie Diekhaus, Ken George, Konisforce, Kristina Harris Esq, L Tantivy, Lawson Coleman, Mark Conner, Mike & Ruby, Muna A, Nat Knight, Nich Maragos, Olive Perry, Quinn Pollock, Robert Lasica, Shawn Drape, Shawn Hall, Summer Rose, TeganEden, Thomas Whitney, Voi, chocoube, deepFlaw, fen, & weakmint This episode was made with support from listeners like you! To support us, you can go to friendsatthetable.cash.

7 Helmi 2h 8min

Realis 01: Those Nerveless Chancers

Realis 01: Those Nerveless Chancers

I want you to close your eyes and imagine with me: Imagine Realis Itself, the Radiant Planet at the heart of the Thousand Moons, that orb which lights the cosmos entire. Above it, the betrayer star, the Corpse Sun, red and sick and pulsing ill, small and fainter by the day. Below it, hungry and roiling, the Great Void, an abyss of voracious clouds. And in between, those thousand moons, countless except you know their number. Varied eternally, yet all dwarfed by the azure orb around which they glide. And there, bring them to mind too: Four colorful moons, spinning and buzzing and twirling around each other. Do you remember their names? The names of the Tetraspherica? The Speckled Quartet, the Marbled Quartenion? Those spinning, glorious jewels—unique even among all thousand of the moons of Realis? Let me tell remind you: Placid Ulled. World of farms, of cultivation, of soil—and of what lies beneath it. The Crux. A vast colosseum world where victory, glory, and power have been rendered equivalent. Prismatic Principia: Home to the Endless Academy, whose halls house famed philosophers, eager alchemists, mages, and—it seems—the occasional ghost as well. And Hypnotic Dokine, where mists mystify, clouds corrode, and the light always reveals a new truth. For as Long as Long had been, these four vibrant moons have swung with dancer's rhythm around one another. Long before the great Powers spread their influence across the orbital sphere, long before the founders of Sphenic Polytechnic revived the Orphan Vessels, LONG BEFORE THE MOONFOLK UNDERSTOOD THEY WERE THE MOONFOLK, those who lived on the worlds of the Tetraspherica knew each other as neighbors, traveling through orbital shuttle, exchanging supplies and stories, marrying and moving and making lives together. "True as the tetrad," the saying goes. A stable waltz. Four marbles in alignment. Eternal. Reliable. Unshakeable. But today… in the shadow of an Ulledd mountain, in the keep of the Citadel Bein, where negotiators bicker and showmen entertain and lords gather for a feast, a treacherous conspiracy unfolds… Hosted by Austin Walker (@austinwalker on bluesky) Featuring Ali Acampora, Keith J Carberry and Art Martinez-Tebbel Produced by Ali Acampora Music by Jack de Quidt (available on bandcamp) Cover Art by by Oddesque With thanks to Amelia Renee, Arthur B., Bill Kaszubski, Cassie Jones, Clark, DB, Daniel Laloggia, Diana Crowley, Edwin Adelsberger, Emrys, Greg Cobb, Ian O'Dea, Ian Urbina, Irina A., Jack Shirai, Jake Strang, Katie Diekhaus, Ken George, Konisforce, Kristina Harris Esq, L Tantivy, Lawson Coleman, Mark Conner, Mike & Ruby, Muna A, Nat Knight, Nich Maragos, Olive Perry, Quinn Pollock, Robert Lasica, Shawn Drape, Shawn Hall, Summer Rose, TeganEden, Thomas Whitney, Voi, chocoube, deepFlaw, fen, & weakmint, This episode was made with support from listeners like you! To support us, you can go to friendsatthetable.cash.

30 Tammi 2h 12min

An Introduction to Realis

An Introduction to Realis

Two and a half years ago, towards the end of our NNAFN fundraiser, I announced that I was making a game called Realis. That game is now here—at least in Ashcan form. So, what is Realis? Realis is a cursed orbital sphere of 1,000 mystical moons filled with mystery, magic, and impossible technology. Realis is a game of diceless storytelling, where characters deploy powerful Sentences, which are rewritten over the course of their saga. And it's available right now. This Ashcan version is being published by Possible Worlds Games. This version has 20 Playable Classes and 40 NPC Classes (both of which are less than half of what will be available in the final edition), three Grand Factions, two Example Moons, art by Sam Beck and Oddesque, and layout by Tyler Crumrine. It has some additional design and writing by Friends at the Table's own Jack de Quidt and Janine Hawkins. So, that is Realis. And today, we start our campaign of the game, beginning with this introduction to the game featuring me and Jack, free for all listeners of Friends at the Table. Then, tomorrow, all $5 members of our Patreon will get access to the character creation for our ongoing, Patreon-exclusive Realis campaign—and will receive a new episode every week for the first couple of months, as we catch up with our overdue Patreon episodes. And guess what: The whole first arc of that campaign will also be free, available here in this feed, just one week behind the Patreon release. Once that's over, we'll begin our next full, main feed season, Perpetua, where we'll be playing Fabula Ultima. We've already begun recording that, too, and it's been a blast. I can't wait for y'all to hear what we've been cooking up. (Oh, and definitely go listen to Media Club Plus. We're headed into the most exciting and dramatic part of the Chimera Ant Arc, and now is the best time to catch up with us!) Thanks as always for your support. -Austin Hosted by Austin Walker (@austinwalker on bluesky) Featuring Jack de Quidt (@notquitereal on bluesky) Produced by Ali Acampora Music by Jack de Quidt (available on bandcamp) Cover Art by by Oddesque With thanks to Amelia Renee, Arthur B., Bill Kaszubski, Cassie Jones, Clark, DB, Daniel Laloggia, Diana Crowley, Edwin Adelsberger, Emrys, Greg Cobb, Ian O'Dea, Ian Urbina, Irina A., Jack Shirai, Jake Strang, Katie Diekhaus, Ken George, Konisforce, Kristina Harris Esq, L Tantivy, Lawson Coleman, Mark Conner, Mike & Ruby, Muna A, Nat Knight, Nich Maragos, Olive Perry, Quinn Pollock, Robert Lasica, Shawn Drape, Shawn Hall, Summer Rose, TeganEden, Thomas Whitney, Voi, chocoube, deepFlaw, fen, & weakmint, This episode was made with support from listeners like you! To support us, you can go to friendsatthetable.cash.

24 Tammi 1h 54min

Bonus: Live at the Table: Shooting the Moon Pt. 4

Bonus: Live at the Table: Shooting the Moon Pt. 4

Hey everyone, here's the audio for the Shooting the Moon finale!  Ali, Jack and Janine played Shooting the Moon by Emily Care Boss (which you  can find here: http://www.blackgreengames.com/shop).  Join us as we return to a far away toy shop in a  snow covered down as the beloved toymaker and her suitors chase their dreams and their hearts~ We'll be back very soon with brand new episodes.

17 Tammi 1h 42min

Bonus: Live at the Table: Shooting the Moon Pt. 3

Bonus: Live at the Table: Shooting the Moon Pt. 3

Join us as we return to a far away toy shop in a  snow covered down as the beloved toymaker and her suitors chase their dreams and their hearts~

10 Tammi 2h 26min

Bonus: Live at the Table: Shooting the Moon Pt. 2

Bonus: Live at the Table: Shooting the Moon Pt. 2

Here's part two of Shooting The Moon featuring Jack, Janine and Ali! The suitors meet their beloved and with her, an opportunity to achieve their dreams. Will they be able to overcome the hurdles that stand in their way? Will the beloved find a partner on her path to achieve her own dreams? A transcription is available for this episode here.

3 Tammi 1h 51min