Drawing Maps - Season 6 Faction Creation Pt. 6 - Independents, NPCs, and MECHS

Hey everyone! Welcome to the penultimate entry in the pre-PARTIZAN Drawing Maps series. Next time, we're going to go over a couple of big where-and-when things: We'll get into the calendar (why are we playing in the "Perfect Millennium?" What were the other millennia? How are days and months tracked?) and some maps (What does Partizan itself look like? What is the situation in the galaxy writ large?), so lots to look forward to!

But for today, I've got three things on my docket: 

First, I'll be wrapping up the squad & faction description by going over the Independent Squads I've cooked up for PARTIZAN. I'll also be talking a bit about what it means to be an independent squad in a world of galactic powers. 

Next, I'll be digging into a pretty interesting (I hope) list of NPCs, whose formatting may be familiar to those of you who listened to the start of COUNTER/Weight or to Bluff City's season 1 finale, Messy Business. That's right: I'm hacking in a little bit of Jeremy Keller's excellent "Transmission" system from TechNoir. I'll skim over some of these characters, what went into designing them, and how I'm prepping for them to pop up in play! (I'll note, if you really wanna have no idea about party affiliation, this might be a thing you should skip past.)

Finally, it's time to talk about mechs. (FINALLY: IT'S TIME TO TALK ABOUT MECHS!!!) While I'm not going to go over every mech I've designed for the series so far, I do want to go over my process for designing these, how they're represented in play, and what the actual fictional situation is for these. Who is building them! Who is designing them! Etc. I also want to talk through a topic that came up recently in both the Friends at the Table and Beam Saber Discords: How do you communicate something about a mech manufacturer? To help answer that, I'm going to be talking about the two major "Hollow" manufacturers in the setting, one core design from each side, and then variant designs (including one PC mech 👀) for one of these basic designs.

(Also, I do this in the episode itself, but shout outs here in text to Kevin Snow, a narrative designer and consultant who I've been contracting to provide some additional perspective and guidance on our handling of disability and chronic illness this season! You can follow them on Twitter here.)

Okay, no more prelude. Time to get into it! 

EDIT: Important note. In this episode I refer to the philosophical use of the pharmakon as being Foucauldian. Apologies. It is, of course, Derridean.

INDEPENDENT SQUADS

The Isles of Logos (Tier V): An independent nation built by the followers of the prophet Logos Kantel around their very first church. Though only a small handful of islands in the Prophet’s Sea, the Isles keep a standing defense force that rivals any individual unit of the Major Stels. (Goal: To maintain their independence)

The Divine Providence (Tier IV): “They called me Providence. But I am only a servant.” When Progressive Asterism was officially recognized, each of the stels celebrated by collaboratively building this Divine. Yet 1000 years later, it has never taken an Elect, nor accepted the name that was given to it. (Goal: To prepare the world.) 

The Church of the Resin Heart (Tier III): Led by the enigmatic Gur Sevraq, the Disciples of Logos (aka The Church of the Resin Heart, aka “The Friends of Gur Sevraq”) are gaining followers as quickly as their leader (and their stolen Divine) can perform miracles. They claim the True God is coming, and seek to spread the word as far as they possibly can. (Goal: To create a vast, galactic comms network.)

Fireblight (Tier III): The Stels might dress it up with pretty words, but this guild of assassins accept the truth readily: In a world with immortal mechs, the weak point truly is the pilot. (Goal: To eliminate elects for a price).

The Oxblood Clan (Tier III): Once, under Orion’s massive bridge that gives the city of Oxbridge its name, there was an orphanage. The children there were so unruly, the story goes, that they were left to raise themselves. Instead, they raised each other. Now, a hundred years later, they raise up any farmer, factory worker, or family member who falls. (Goal: To get paid better.)

The Cult of Perennial (Tier II): Guided by their belief in religious freedom, the Isles of Logos offers this faith of the Adversary perhaps the only safe ground in the entire galaxy. (Goal: To understand Her mysteries.)

The Sable Court (Tier II): Some say that on dark nights, they have seen these 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. Heresy, all of it. (Goal: To hex those who intrude).

Panorama (Tier II): Once, before they were a Stel, the Columnar would collect and join together the thoughts of hundreds, thousands, or even millions, to arrive at policy decisions. This “Perspective Blending” was the heart of a democratic system that has been eradicated, but you can get a taste of that experience for just a few credits. (Goal: To move product.)

To Witness (Tier I): Even the Branched have heard of Gur Sevraq’s claims of the True God. These operatives arrived, undercover, to determine the truth of that claim. (Goal: Determine if God has chosen the Principality.)

Key : No Key (Tier I): Once, a programmer dreamed of becoming a thief, so she built a device that could brute force its way into any computer in the galaxy. “Kinoki” is what happened when she attached it to a robotics factory and forgot to turn it off. (Goal: To find something even she can’t steal.) 

Starting NPCs List

KESH NPCs

A.O Rooke (he/him)

Boisterous, Young, Loyal

Audacious Opportunity Rooke was a young Orion merc caught in a daring (and foolhardy) raid against Stel Kesh. Refused to give up his employer and is now paying the price in service to Stel Kesh.

Alise Breka (she/her)

Inquisitive, Creative, Connected

Guest lecturer at Verglaz University and Author of popular Renegade Hearts pulp series, which tells stories of daring and romantic Hallow pilots. Here to research her next book.

Sombre Sky (she/her)

Brilliant, Ambitious, Practical

Chief engineer at Silversky Recovery and Restoration, she stays out of politics except for when politicians bring her new gear to play with.

Sloe Uplight (he/him)

Discreet, Cool, Knowledgeable

His business card says “Private Historian,” his parlor rooms’ security system says “information broker,” and his grinning mouth says “no difference.”

Calendar Longyear (they/them)

Melancholy, Flexible, Curious

A young ship captain who has inherited their grandmother’s vessel, the final asset of their house’s once affluent estate. Eager to make something of themself, they just don’t know what.

Gucci Garantine (she/her)

Idealistic, Clever, Rich

By light of day, Gucci Garantine manages House Brightline’s diplomatic engagements. But from the shadows, she operates all of resistant group Horizon’s activities on Partizan.

ORION NPCs

Agon Ortlights (she/her)

Powerful, Determined, Intrepid 

Aided by her servicebot companions, Agon worked hard to attain the rank of lieutenant in the Company of the Spade, where she’s become a veteran mercenary, a skilled miner, and a hell of a drinking buddy. [Here's a link to the piece which inspired Agon's life as a military woman living with Chronic Fatigue.] 

K.O. Rooke (she/her)

Gutsy, Experienced, Big

Kueen Overture Rooke spent her teenage years as an ace pilot, her 20s as an unmatched mechanic, and her 30s as an unparalleled commander. Now, she’s settled into a comfortable life as a Scrivener’s Guild dispatcher, where her knowledge and experience make her a powerful friend. 

Jesset City (he/him)

Technical, Ingenious, Distractible

A young tinkerer working in the experimental division of Adamant Arms and Artifice, but loyal to his Oxblood kin, whom he serves as a sawbone and occasional pilot. Bled for the factory, willing to bleed more if that’s what it takes to help the Ox. Jesset uses a myolectric prosthetic like this one to continue his work after being wounded.

Midnite Matinee (she/her)

Opportunistic, Aggressive, Playful

The leporine (hare-like) leader of Carrion Collections knows she’s destined for more. She (and her trusty Jackal-model light auto-hollow) are going to take what they can get, even if it means stepping on people to get it.

Callister Drive Callister (he/him)

Greedy, Scruffy, Bombastic

The Columnar-born Callister Drive once preyed on the principality’s shipping channels alongside infamous pirates like Exeter Leap. Now, in exchange for a noble title, he’s decided to ply his trade on behalf of Stel Orion.

Rosé Rita (they/them)

Nosy, Devious, Flaky

Stel Orion isn’t particularly known for espionage, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t a few professional snoops among its ranks, and Rosé’s information has turned the tide across both boardrooms and battlefields.

OTHER NPCs

Si’dra Balos (Columnar - Strand Semaphore) (formerly Apostolos)) (They/them)

Sunny, Flexible, Pacifistic

During their time in a communications division of the Apostolosian Navy, Si’dra saw the cost of war first hand. Now they dream of a world where people can connect instead of fight.

The Blossom (Nideo)

Shrewd, Serene, Massive

The Lambic House is just supposed to make beer, sell it around the world, and keep people happy. But with each keg delivered by the sect’s Abbot of Provision, the Blossom also serves a short, populist whisper.

Apparatus Aperitif (Logos City) (they/them)

Urbane, Savvy, Unpredictable

Logos City, the largest independent city on Partizan, is known as a religious center, but its robotic night mayor ensures that everyone has a good time at the end of their time traveling the Prophet’s Path.

Mourningbride (The Sable Court) (she/her)

Mysterious, Regretful, Resolute 

Once the elect of an unknown Divine, Mourningbride journeyed to the Sable Court after learning about her people’s history. Now, she is a witch of the Ashen.

Avar (Church of the Resin Heart (Formerly Columnar)) (he/him)

Principled, Driven, Vigilant

The “friends of Gur Sevraq” are often idealistic and naive about the world. But Chief of Security Avar, who served with Columnar’s 21st Voluntary Composite Division before finding his way to the faith, knows that the path to heaven is treacherous.

Key : No Key (Independent) (she/her)

Dry, Nimble, Materialistic

Once, a programmer dreamt of becoming a thief, so she built a device that could brute force its way into any computer in the galaxy. “Kinoki” is what happened when she attached it to a robotics factory and forgot to turn it off. 

MECHS

Mechs in the Divine Principality are referred to as Hollows or as Hallows, which are Hollows blessed by a Divine. (Such blessing offers a boon to morale, but can also reflect unique upgrades (like a particularly powerful weapon or device) or access to some Divine characteristic (as in those Hallows of Motion, which appear like regular Hollows, but which seem to never run out of fuel in combat). The vast majority of mechs across Divinity are hollows, but both sorts of mechs are machines employed en masse in all out warfare or in small strike teams to achieve tactical goals. 

Though hundreds of manufacturers exist across the Stels, the two largest sources for both Hollows and Hallows are Stel Orion's Adamant Arms and Artifice—a major company in the galactic economy—and Stel Columnar's Zenith Fund, which subsidizes engineers, scientists, designers, and artists and which pools their work together in the creation of custom prototypes and the highest quality designs. Stels Kesh, Nideo, and Apostolos use mechs from both of these sources extensively, with AdArm's most common hollows being recognizable across every front and the Zentih Fund's unique designs are deployed by ace pilots on both battlefields and on trading cards, where war is made to look cool to every young citizen of the Principality.

Whether via AdArm, Zenith, or another manufacturer, work is always done to ensure that mech designs are either pre-built with a Stel's aesthetic in mind, or else are modifiable through custom paint and armoring in order to meet the design goals of the Stels that will employ them.

Below, find a sampling of mechs from AdArm (and one bonus Zenith design), as well as their naming conventions as a taste of what's to come.

Example Mechs

Adamant Arms and Artifice Naming Guide

Orion's largest arms manufacturer, and the largest supplier of hollows across Divinity. Names its machines according to design type, using collective noun of closest related animal type:

Medium+ Bipedal, humanoid designs: Primate collective nouns (Troop, Shrewdness, Band)

Medium+ Quad-leg, ground-mobility designs: Ungulate collective nouns (Herd, Yoke, Dazzle)

Medium+ Flight-based designs, regardless of legs: Bird collective nouns (Cast, Convocation, Flock, Murder) 

Small designs regardless of purpose: Insect collective nouns (Cloud, Swarm, Intrusion, Business, Flutter)

Aquatic designs regardless of size: Aquatic animal collective nouns (School, Shoal, Rally)

Example machines:

MODEL: Troop 

Manufacturer: Adamant Arms and Artifice

Faction: All except Columnar

Role: General mechanized combat role.

Intended Load: Medium 

Standard Loadout: Shoulder-mounted heavy cannon,  Underarm bayonet, Optional Equipment (See description below)

Action Points: 1 Battle, 1 Maneuver, 1 Scan 

Appearance: The Troop is the standard frontline fighter of the entire Divine Principality. At 55 feet tall, these hollows are medium sized for the Principality, but bulky in aesthetic. While it can (and often is) modified to match the aesthetics of whoever uses it (with both paint and armoring changed to match), this is a fundamentally blocky machine, with exposed cabling and limited mobility. The Troop has a distinctive, rectangular head with a long, flat sensor suite that features hundreds of tiny LED-like lights to form a single “eye.” Attached to the head, above the left shoulder, is heavy cannon used for direct-fire attacks. While the troop’s right arm always ends in a simple manipulator unit with underarm bayonet, its left arm is often modified ahead of deployment to include whatever the mission requires, whether that is additional protection in the form of a shield, tools for destroying or repairing emplacements, or even anti-infantry weapons like MGs and flamethrowers. 

Suggested Quirks: Bulky torso, Steady acceleration, Shoots straight, Common Parts

Inspiration: BattleTech Shadowhawk (or here), the mech on the left in Rozalski’s 17IX, 

MODEL: Herd

Manufacturer: Adamant Arms and Artifice

Faction: Apostolos

Role: Skirmisher: The Herd is meant to sweep in and out of combat, delivering damage while a main force advances or engages directly.

Intended Load: Medium

Standard Loadout: Underarm cannon (“Machine Gun”), a pair of spears with explosive mode (“A melee weapon or two” + “A rack of missiles or rockets”), Stability Suite (“Grapnel Anchor Tool”)

Action Points: 2 Battle, 1 Maneuver

Appearance: Developed from the basic Troops design, the Herd is often used by Apostolos in both hit-and-run attacks and in more prolonged conflicts as flankers. The Troop’s bipedal legs have been replaced with piston-driven, heavy quad legs that are able to shift between two modes: Movement (with legs paired parallel like an ungulate, allowing for high speed traversal or charges) or combat (spread in a wide cross shape for stability in firing or traversal, moving like a spider). The single heavy shoulder cannon has been replaced by a lighter underarm cannon on left arm for more rapid fire harrying, and its right arm now ends in a right hand, which wields a spear that can be used in both charges and in extended melee, or which can be turned into a thrown weapon which explodes on impact. Each Herd comes standard with two such spears, which are carried vertically on each side of its back: This centaur-like silhouette is famous to any who have fought against Apostolos.

Suggested Quirks: Quad Legs, Heavy Charger, Distinct Silhouette, Common Parts

MODEL: Yoke

Manufacturer: Oxblood Clan (Modified AdArm Herd)

Faction: Oxblood Clan

Role: Battlefield Command

Intended Load: Heavy

Standard Loadout: Armor, Shield, Kanabo heavy mace, vertical missile pods, flare mortar, Yoke sesnor suite

Action Points: 1 Battle, 1 Scan, 1 Bombard

Appearance: At 65 feet tall, the Yoke towers over most hollows found on the battlefield. Heavier than the Herd units on which they’re based, this extra weight is found in two places: the extra armor which gives the entire (still Centaur-like) body more bulk, and the especially distinct “horn” sensors atop the Yoke’s head. These sensors work best when in collaboration with a partnered Yoke’s pair in order to build a reliable model of the area, to mark the location of enemies, and to provide targeting assistance to any allied machine. The head is protected (both from direct attack and from potentially destabilization) by a big, bulky neckguard. Though designed as a defense unit, the Yoke is also capable of direct combat: It wields a giant fortress shield in left hand to protect it from incoming attacks, and a kanabo in the right. At distance, it’s also able to harass enemies with a vertical missile pod on the torso’s back, but this requires firing data from both paired Yokes to lock on to launch. Additional note: Sending data between hollows in the unit via Yoke sensor makes dialup modem sounds.

Suggested Quirks: Paired Machine, Front Facing Armor, Commander UI Suite, Advanced Sensors

MODEL: KMB Service Custom Troop - “Three Cheers!”

Faction: Orion/Independent

Role: Mobile artillery support

Intended Load: Medium

Standard Loadout: Payload Bay, TBD

Appearance: Take a Troop, and slowly, over time, replace just about every piece of its design with a patchwork quilt of new parts and materials until even the fundamentals have shifted. Now: Pointed shoulder containers, pointed chest. Silhouette is like the ARX-7 Arbalest/ or Gundam F91 silhouette with ATM-09-GC Brutish Dog design aesthetic. Easily removable/replaceable plates with non-standard rivets. Can fold in its limbs in and lower itself to the ground, using newly exposed treads/wheels so that it can move through tunnels/small openings very quickly.

Quirks: Hidden Compartments, Fast Acceleration, Bulky torso, Compactable limbs

MODEL: Cast

Manufacturer: Adamant Arms and Artifice

Faction: Primarily Nideo

Role: Reconnaissance and Observation

Intended Load: Medium

Standard Loadout: Mobility Suite, Fine Sensors & Recorders, Grapnel anchor tool, Defensive Chains and Hooks

Action Points: 1 Maneuver, 2 Scan

Appearance: A mirror-coated, humanoid, four-winged angel, with a body that constricts down towards a single point at the “feet” (legs that can detach or stay joined and aerodynamic) and loud jet engines hidden inside of the metallic wings. Just above its mouth, its head becomes an AWACS-esque flat sensor disc. Largely built for reconnaissance, and deployed by the Palace to gather information and recordings. Avoids conflict, though can defend or stabilize itself with a system of chains and hooks.

Suggested Quirks: Loud Takeoff, Mirror Coating, Universal Comms, Aerodynamic Design

Zenith Mech Naming Guide

The Zenith Fund names according to which faction the design is for, attaching "Zenith-[Letter]" or "Z[LETTER]" to the front. Examples:

Kesh: Antique Furniture elements (Zenith-K Astragal, ZK Filigree,  Chevron, Tambour, etc.)

Nideo: Musical roles (Zenith-N Conductor, Composer, Soloist, Choir, Orchestra, String, etc.)

Columnar: Zenith Diode, Jet, Wedge, Axe, Capacitor, Turbine, Etc.

Apostolos: Ancient Greek cultural and philosophical concepts (Zenith-A Ataraxia, Ethos, Aporia, Arete), etc

MODEL: Ataraxia

Manufacturer: Zenith-A Project

Faction: Apostolos

Role:  CQC. The Ataraxia shines in close ranged combat situations, whether one-on-one duels or ongoing skirmishes

Intended Load: Medium

Standard Loadout: Fine Mobility Suite, Limb-locked beam blades, Armor

Action Points: 2 Battle, 1 Maneuver

Appearance: A white, purple, and yellow mantid-shaped machine, with thick, curved limbs, each of which can light up with edged, energy blades. It moves in such a way that any two limbs can be its feet, and in the sky it needs none at all. It is only a whirlwind of violence. And inside, Cas’alear, blessed by Commitment, is at perfect ease.

Suggested Quirks: Every Limb A Weapon, Unpredictable Movements, Gyro-stabilized Cockpit, Blessed By Commitment

Non-AdArm/Zenith Name Example

Singh Sisters Wheel Service & Heavy Industry: Deltoid Model Rural Construction Mech

A transcription is available for this episode here.

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