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This episode carries content warnings for cults, depiction of a missing child, assassination, description of a wounded corpse, and non-gory but uncanny body horror.

Despite the best (and worst) efforts of those aboard, matters on the Brink have remained frayed and taut\\u2014but no pulled rope stays unbroken forever. Some, like Paris France, busy recruiting more members to Brink Proxy, prepare for what is to come. Others, like Mustard Red and Pushy Cheal\\u2014diving deeper into their cult investigations\\u2014hope to cut off the worst of it before it arrives. And for a rare few\\u2014like 3T and the undercover assassin named Lament\\u2014the chaos to come is not an obstacle at all. It\\u2019s the first step.

This week on the Road to Palisade: Orbital Pt. 3

Records Recovered from the Divine, Arbitrage

Factions

The Curtain of Divinity:\\xa0Largely aligned to Stels Kesh and Nideo, the Curtain of Divinity is made uup of those loyal to Cynosure Whitestar-Kesh, the Peaceful Princept, and who desire the Divine Principality to continue on as it has for millenia. Defined by their traditionalism, they wield their control on culture, religion, and history as a weapon\\u2014and the extensive spy network for which they are named when those come up short.

The Pact of Necessary Venture:\\xa0Led in name by Dahlia, the Glorious Princept, and in day-to-day operation by senior members of Stels Apostolos and Columnar, the Pact paint themselves as liberal reformists who hope to increase the degree of autonomy in each of the Stels. Some even claim that they would see the Principality utterly destroyed and replaced by a loose affiliation of free states.\\xa0

Brink Proxy:\\xa0The volunteers who function as mechanics, operators, janitors, and engineers for the Brink. Bureaucratic, but some tasks require such things.

Orchard Syndicate:\\xa0A group of gardeners, farmers, and their delivery unit. Specialize in oranges and hidden motivations.

The Devotees (aka the Friends of Devotion):\\xa0A cultish organization that some suspect is responsible for those who have gone missing recently. Seems to worship something called either Devotion or Fervor.

Qui Err Coalition:\\xa0Comprised of the descendents (literal, metaphorical, and mystical) of the planet Quire\\u2019s original people, the Qui Err Coalition is the de facto government of the Twilight Mirage.\\xa0

Persons

Cheal Pushy (he/him):\\xa0While his single biggest influence on the Brink was the founding of the ever spreading Community Gardens, he\\u2019s mostly known as the heart of the station, operating everyone\\u2019s favorite dive bar and venue, Pushy\\u2019s.\\xa0

Mustard Red (she/her):\\xa0A cyborg member of the Brink Proxy. A little paranoid, but perfectly tuned for a role in surveillance. Oh, and quite eager. A useful trait.

Paris France (he/him):\\xa0The Brink is a hub, with countless\\xa0things\\xa0moving through its halls and ports. Paris France is the person you go to when you want access to those things, even when you shouldn\\u2019t have it.

Deutsch Synchro a.k.a. Lament (they/she):\\xa0A simple bartender at Pushy\\u2019s. That\\u2019s all. Certainly not an asset in play.

Teleos Triton Tanager a.k.a. 3T (he/him):\\xa0A idealist, a fool, and a musician with a following of \\u201cTroublemakers.\\u201d

Saint Decario Dicario (he/him): Chief Troublemaker, 3T\'s lover, and a bellicose whisper in the ear.

Sly Dente (they/them):\\xa0Space trucker and memebr of the Orchard Syndicate.

General Mourning (she/her):\\xa0Military commander from the Qui Err Coalition.

False Fruit (he/they): An Orchard Guildsman, Paris\' rival fruit trader, and father of a missing child.

Toaster Wroaster (any): Member of the Devotees who went missing.

Coracin Seventine (he/him):\\xa0Head of security in Brink Proxy. Suspicious of 3T.

C.T.H. Pasodoble (he/him):\\xa0Member of the Friends of Devotion

Joe de Vivre (he/him):\\xa0The charming rogue that Mustard can\\u2019t stop loving.

Locations

The Brink:\\xa0A space station and central transport hub that orbits through the Shore, the very edge of the Twilight Mirage. Founded during the crisis on Quire.

Articles

The \\u201cDivine\\u201d Arbit:\\xa0A machine that twists and spins and twirls in impossible to predict ways\\u2014making it a poison to prediction engines. To call it a Divine though. What a joke.

Miscellany

The Perennial Wave:\\xa0Perennial is something like a god, or at least I think she imagines she is. Her wave is her arrogant whim, made manifest. Functionally infinite nano-particles, spread throughout the galaxy, hampering all technology except (curiously) Divines.\\xa0

Hosted by\\xa0Austin Walker (@austin_walker)\\xa0

Featuring Ali Acampora (@ali_west),\\xa0Keith J Carberry (@keithjcarberry), Jack de Quidt (@notquitereal), and Sylvi Bullet (@GODSNEXTMARTYR)

Produced by Ali Acampora (@ali_west)

Music by Jack de Quidt (available on bandcamp)

Text by Austin Walker

Cover Art by Craig Sheldon (@shoddyrobot)

You can purchase Orbital at\\xa0\\xa0https://mouseholepress.itch.io/orbital\\xa0

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