Territory Nouveau 01: The State of Things - a podcast by Michael Collins, Leon Barnes, Liam Higgins, Laura Coe

“I was fifteen years old, the last time the Union tried to take back the Freeholds. A ‘fact of life’ my mother told me. Happens periodically. Been happening forever, shit. And we’ve pushed them back every time, them and Kennet’s damned Commonwealth. Every time, for centuries. Like clockwork.

Let’s look at the state of things, folks. Our forebearers watched the Solar Union collapse. Saw it reborn as the ghoulish bastard-thing it is now. Saw the Jovian’s close ranks. And even apart, they still come after us. They go out of their way to cast hell on our lives. For a mining operation that dried up centuries ago. For sunk costs.

It’s 279-goddamned-3. If they really wanted their colonies back they’d know by now it takes more than a measly little fleet of cruisers to break the Charon Freeholds. So what gives? There’s no profit in it for them, it doesn’t track.

I see it three ways. One, the Gentry are a bigger bunch of incompentent pissants than even we thought. That’s rich. Two, they’ve got a real long con going and one day they’ll send a real armada while our pants are down around our ankles, which ain’t ever likely. Or three, they don’t really want the Charon Freeholds folding back to them.

Those monied bastards still have their hands around our throats, they just want to keep reminding us that they could crush us if they wanted. Anytime.”

* Linwood Berrett, Dockmaster of Charon Alpha, overheard in the Dockside Bar.

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In today’s episode, we give a rundown of the familiar yet strange expanse known as the Territory: a hellish, hyper-capitalist vision of the Sol system. We talk about the setting’s powerful factions, our odd lot of characters, and the driving ideals behind both. Greedy Galactic Aristocrats? Giant mechs on Mars? A sentient crash test dummy? Still gay? But of course. All that and more to come in this season of Play By Podcast!

This week on Play By Podcast: Territory Nouveau 01: The State of Things

Play By Podcast is Michael Collins (@arealwriter), Leon Barnes (@SlapKatZ), Liam Higgins(@liamhiggins97), and Max Coe (@_NotMyDivision_)

Cover Art by Ariel Corrales (@arielcorrales_)

Music by Cody Ojea (@SixChordCircus)

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Further podcasts by Michael Collins, Leon Barnes, Liam Higgins, Laura Coe

Website of Michael Collins, Leon Barnes, Liam Higgins, Laura Coe