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Friends at the Table

Friends at the Tablefriendsatthetable.net
Friends at the Table is an actual play podcast about critical worldbuilding, smart characterization, and fun interaction between good friends. Find us (and a listener guide) @Friends_Table on Twitter.

Episodes

PALISADE 31: Seize the Chance Pt. 2

In the city of Carmathen, the Fabreal Duchy has spread itself too thin. Look only at the entrance to the Diadem Grav Train’s control center: Once guarded by a full detachment of Stel Kesh’s most reliable soldiers. Now, guarded by little more than an honor guard. On a world like Palisade, in a war like this one, it may as well be an invitation. The question is only how many might decide to come calling. This week on PALISADE: Seize the Chance Pt. 2 somewhere beneath the pale / moonlight, there is...

Nov 03, 20231 hr 15 min

PALISADE 30: Seize the Chance Pt. 1

There is, apparently, no time for rest. An opportunity emerges: With Kesh in chaos on the planet and Nideo not yet in proper posture, the Grav Trains which run through the Diadem and which vein across Palisade’s continents could be brought under Millennium Break control. And so the Blue Channel launches again, but not before dropping off their latest asset, a detective determined to uncover the secret of the new power stations scattered across the planet. This week on PALISADE: like a bird / my ...

Oct 27, 20232 hr 8 min

PALISADE 29: Honesty and Integrity Pt. 2

This episode carries content warnings for imprisonment, withholding medical care, civilian deaths, medical experiments, blood, description of injury, and death, “What sort of shape is it though?” “It is empire.” “Yes, no, I get that, but... Is empire a square? Is it circle? It helps to know the shape of a thing if you’re hoping to break it.” “Yes. I understand. You tell me, then. What shape do you think empire takes? Perhaps you can see it in a way I cannot, because you first apprehended it from...

Oct 15, 20233 hr 43 min

PALISADE 28: Honesty and Integrity Pt. 1

This episode carries content warnings for imprisonment, withholding medical care, chemical warfare and civilian casualties. The Blue Channel orbits Palisade unhelmed, one of its members sacrificed and two under lock and key in the brig of a ship hiding in the darkness beyond the system’s fringe. Nevertheless, the Blue Channel’s remaining crew attempt to get back to work—and there is work to do, as their allies on the planet below have suffered from Bilateral retaliation. Plus, there is the matte...

Oct 06, 20233 hr 42 min

PALISADE 27: Resentment and Frustration Pt. 2

This episode carries content warnings for hallucinations, death, and brief mention of mind control. Across Palisade, the gears of Kesh’s occupation grind to halt, for however brief a time. Attaches clear the schedules of their client-commanders. Chefs discard the still-fresh ingredients for the coming week’s feasts. Countless BIS operatives—many of whom hid in plain sight as attaches or chefs—simply vanish one midday, lost to long hallways and shaded corners. And in their stead, the Divine Crusa...

Sep 29, 20232 hr

PALISADE 26: Resentment and Frustration Pt 1

This episode carries content warnings for discussions of assassinations and death. The star at the center of the Palisade system seemed to release a breath, and all at once across the Bilateral Intercession, the line between “outcome,” “consequence,” and “blowback” became stunningly clear. Malicious action alone would have led to a great loss. But in negligent inaction, something worse has emerged: chaos. Now, something must be done. Blame must be assigned. Accountability must be achieved. Chang...

Sep 22, 20231 hr 24 min

PALISADE 25: An Impossible Ideal Pt. 4

This episode carries content warnings for body horror, mass death/genocide, mind control, and extreme heat. For months, even before the sun bulged red, the only way to think about events on Palisade was with large numbers. Troop maneuvers. Logistical networks. Centuries of oppression. A continent of power. But now all of that has collapsed. Now it is minutes, not hours. Meters, not miles. Guards, not battalions. A set of hallways. A set of doors. A set of people trying to breach them. And beyond...

Sep 05, 20233 hr 49 min

Hunter x Hunter Show Announcement - What Its Called and How to Get It

Hi everyone! The Hunter x Hunter show exists, it's called Media Club Plus, it's free, it has its own feed. It will eventually be available everywhere you can find podcasts but right now the android apps are lagging behind. You can search for it right now on Apple Podcasts and spotify and some android apps (podcast addict and beyondpod i think both work). If you use an app that can't find the show right now, here's the RSS link which you can manually add into your podcast app of choice -----> htt...

Sep 04, 20238 min

PALISADE 24: An Impossible Ideal Pt. 3

This episode carries content warnings for vomiting, mass death/genocide, mind control, manipulation, body horror, forced body modification, and extreme heat. They arrive in the long rings of the Stellar Combustor to no greeting, and this they are thankful for. The path to their objective is known, but what lies on it (and what they'll find at its end) are not. As they travel the length of the arc, spanning half the circumference of the sun, they wonder: How are their friends, now traveling throu...

Sep 01, 20232 hr 26 min

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. I...

Aug 27, 20232 hr 12 min

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...

Aug 18, 20232 hr 22 min

PALISADE 21: In Their Fear Pt. 2

This episode carries content warnings for discussion of mass destruction/death, discussion of medical treatment, mind reading and medical coercion, discussion of ethnic cleansing. Across Palisade, fingers rest on triggers, and some triggers are bigger than others. In clammy rooms, sweat slides down skin and throats are cleared without direction. Aimless eyes track the dust drifting in the red rays coming through the window. Outside the sun swells and bulges, driven sick with the possibility that...

Aug 11, 20232 hr 22 min

PALISADE 20: In Their Fear Pt. 1

This episode carries content warnings for mention of blood, discussion of mass destruction/death, discussion of medical treatment, mind reading and medical coercion. The wheel turns, for the crew of the Blue Channel, there hasn’t been time for reckoning. Instead: a funeral; a room with questions in it; the front steps of a church; another room, different questions; a message, contrite and frightening; somehow, a few small moments of real connection. And above it all: Something is wrong with the ...

Aug 04, 20232 hr 15 min

PALISADE 19: How It Always Looks Pt. 2

This episode carries content warnings for civilian harm and death. The Bilateral Intercession’s net continues to spread across Palisade in response to (and retribution for) the events on the Isle of the Broken Key. In the east, the Frontier Syndicate draws ever nearer to extracting the remaining Fundament Nodes inside Palisade’s surface, a task opposed by a Divine who’s pledged undying fealty to the people of this planet and its neighboring worlds. Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location, Crusade’...

Jul 21, 20232 hr 41 min

PALISADE 18: How It Always Looks Pt. 1

This episode carries content warnings for distorted and layered vocals, discussion of civilian death and mass destruction, description of being bound, tight spaces, compulsive thoughts and mind control After the calamitous encounter at the Isle of the Broken Key, the Bilateral Intercession finds itself on the back foot. Key intelligence assets compromised. A flagship, along with its crew and commander, lost to the sea. Insurgents capturing resources from the Diadem’s train lines. A snare closing...

Jul 14, 20232 hr 9 min

PALISADE 17: Upon Our Grace Pt. 4

This episode carries content warnings for blood, civilian harm and death, parental death, conscription, torture and kidnapping. Under the wings of the Kestrel White, war washes ashore the Isle of the Broken Key. Soon after the crew of the Blue Channel released Kenneth Marian Colver, Bilateral Viceroy to Palisade and convert of the Usher of Truth, he ordered his flagship to return and lay waste to the home of the Dim Liturgy and Devotees. Now, the Cause fights not only for ideals but for survival...

Jun 30, 20232 hr 4 min

PALISADE 16: Upon Our Grace Pt. 3

This episode carries content warnings for civilian harm and death, torture, conscription, and kidnapping. With the list of Bilateral Intelligence Service spies secure and the immediate threat from Fabreal Knight Tenn Alpenglow resolved, the crew of the Blue Channel discusses what to do next. Should they prioritize capturing the BIS agents they’ve identified, and if so, how would they go about that? Should they turn the list over to the Cause’s leadership, deferring the decision to others and win...

Jun 23, 20233 hr 39 min

PALISADE 15: Upon Our Grace Pt. 2

This episode carries content warnings for civilian harm and death, torture, conscription, hallucination, uncanny visions, body horror, bodily transformation, kidnapping, and medical experimentation. Having disregarded their official mission in an effort to both help the Figure in Bismuth and spurn Gucci Garantine, the crew of the Blue Channel begin to explore the Dim Liturgy’s primary monastery on the Isle of the Broken Key. Brnine and Phrygian corner one spy and develop suspicions about a possi...

Jun 16, 20233 hr 36 min

PALISADE 14: Upon Our Grace Pt. 1

This episode carries content warnings for discussion of blood loss and medical coercion. The crew of the Blue Channel find themselves at a crossroad. After helping to return the Cause to its feet after a period of over-extension, they discovered that they had been misled by their commander, Gucci Garantine. Now, they have a new mission: Travel to the city of Baseline, a testbed for the Frontier Syndicate, and support a growing rebellion there. But there is another option: Pursue their own ends, ...

Jun 09, 20232 hr 16 min

PALISADE 13: Worth the Trouble Pt. 2

This episode carries content warnings for discussion of death. With the Cause stretched thin, it is up to the Blue Channel to rearm, resupply, and restore their allies. It should be a simple operation, but each delivery of supplies comes with its own new revelations. Some—like the arrival of new supplies from their freebooting friends of Carmine Bight—are welcome surprises. Others, like new details about the Afflictions, are stunning developments. And one hangs over the others: a revelation of t...

Jun 02, 20231 hr 27 min

PALISADE 12: Worth the Trouble Pt. 1

This episode carries content warnings for mind reading and medical coercion. 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 plan...

May 26, 20232 hr 59 min

PALISADE 11: The Wheels Turning Pt. 2

Across Palisade, the Bilateral Intecession continue to respond to the Cause's expansion into the Bontive Valley. For some, like the Swordbearer Ramondre, this means a direct response in defense of one's honor. But for others, like BIS Commander Connadine, it means an opportunity to pursue more intriguing targets than mere revolutionaries. This week on PALISADE: The Wheels Turning Pt. 2 Homeward we go, it's victory Dossier Organizations The Bilateral Intelligence Service: Formerly called the Curt...

May 19, 20232 hr 43 min

PALISADE 10: The Wheels Turning Pt. 1

This episode carries content warnings for death and gun violence. While the Cause was executing its daring (and risky) capture of the northern Bontive Valley, Palisade continued to spin. In the south east, a witch considers what she might do with ideal power. In the center of the world, a false prophet delivers empty sermons. And in the depths of the Shale Belt, agents of the Frontier syndicate seek out something long hidden… This week on PALISADE: Reflect the world that falls apart Dossier Orga...

May 12, 20232 hr 59 min

PALISADE 09: The Canvas of Dreams Pt. 4

This episode carries content warnings for blood, uncanny body horror, and unconsciousness. The Blue Channel’s mission was delivered in simple terms: Prevent their target, codenamed Gem, from reaching her destination in the Fabreal Duchy’s capital city. But as the mission has progressed, and as the group’s commander receives increasingly troubling messages from Gucci Garantine, it’s increasingly clear that the crew is being is missing information. What is the purpose of this attack? Who is their ...

May 04, 20232 hr 4 min

PALISADE 08: The Canvas of Dreams Pt. 3

This episode carries content warnings for violence in a public place, uncanny body horror, blood, tight spaces, and discussion of claustrophobia. As Brnine and Phrygian attend to the mysteries (mundane and uncanny) on the Isle of the Broken Key, the pilots of the Blue Channel crew find themselves in an outright brawl against foes stronger than anticipated. Cori is reminded of her vows, the Figure in Bismuth pushes themself to the very brink, and Thisbe corners—and unmasks—the group’s target. Thi...

Apr 28, 20232 hr 37 min

PALISADE 07: The Canvas of Dreams Pt. 2

The Isle of the Broken Key sits in the northern Whisk Sea, shrouded in mist and mystery both. Tonight, one of its oldest structures, a stately seaside fortress, plays home to a revolutionary masquerade party. Its hosts, informed by both RSVPs and the glass-etched predictions of a broken oracle engine, anticipated many visitors, including some from beyond Palisade itself. But there is, nevertheless, an unannounced visitor tonight. And it has an invitation of its own. This week on PALISADE: The Ca...

Apr 21, 20232 hr 45 min

PALISADE 06: The Canvas of Dreams Pt. 1

This episode carries content warnings for the discussion of civilian deaths and the discussion of kidnapping. In typical fashion, the mission has a name as ostentatious as its object is mundane. “Operation Midnight Lapidary” is meant to be, in its most bloodless version, a sort of intimidating hit-and-run—though out-and-out wetwork would also be acceptable. The target, rumored to be a dealer in diamonds, rubies, and other precious gems, is en route to the Duchess’ coronation, and must be stopped...

Apr 14, 20232 hr 10 min

PALISADE 05: I Would LIke to Help You Pt. 2

This episode carries content warnings for coercion, mind reading, discussion of blood, and uncanny bodily manipulation. With one mission behind them and a new one approaching quickly, the crew of the Blue Channel finds time to relax in the most unlikely of places. But, as the colorful clouds gathering above remind us, no clear day lasts forever. This week on PALISADE: I Would Like To Help You Pt. 2 ...by this river... Dossier Organizations The Twill: Though many groups have lived on the world of...

Apr 06, 20232 hr 52 min

PALISADE 04: I Would LIke to Help You Pt. 1

This episode carries content warnings for the discussion of blood and uncanny bodily manipulation. Having placed the confusion of the Fundament Node behind them, the crew of the Blue Channel begin a slow tour across the few friendly ports in Palisade, refueling, resupplying, and escorting the displaced Twill into new, albeit temporary homes. All the while, there is an open breath, and an opportunity to converse, collaborate, and connect. It is downtime on Palisade. This week on PALISADE: I Would...

Mar 30, 20232 hr 25 min

PALISADE 03: Today Is a Monday

This episode carries content warnings for death. The sun rises on Palisade and the work week begins. Delegates move quick and quiet through the back halls of Kesh palaces while their lords plot and scheme. Nidean settlers pray to their Divines and then take up their shovels to do the work of civil expansion. The most determined Frontier Syndicate technologists woke up hours ago, beating the sun’s rise just like Exenceaster March says to do in his popular entrepreneurial handbook. And in a castle...

Mar 24, 20234 hr 49 min