Characters Partners

Each partner is a coach. They train the protagonist in one specific mechanic via the rally; once the protagonist qualifies, the partner takes the other side of the court for the round. Master-and-pupil shape. By the championship the protagonist has a stack of techniques, each tied to a person who taught them.

This profile holds the lineage rule and the wider partner cast.

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The lineage rule

Every partner shares a name with a character from a science-fiction author's work, with a bias toward authors writing outside the dominant tradition. Le Guin, Jemisin, Tiptree / Sheldon, Becky Chambers, Margaret Atwood, Naomi Mitchison, Joanna Russ, Liu Cixin, Nnedi Okorafor.

Martha's tie to Octavia Butler's "The Book of Martha" sits in martha.md. Lineage shapes how each partner carries themselves; it does not need to surface in the game.

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The other partners

Three more partners arrive in the early game; from then on each new venue brings one. Beyond Martha, none are drafted yet. Martha sets the bar for the rest.