Of course, underneath all of the glitz and glamour of AMBER was a firm foundation of hard work and utter dedication to the narrative. Much of this can be attributed to the work of its Commentators, in particular Decibel.
Decibel’s charismatic brand of commentary had audiences hanging on their every word, a phenomenon best evidenced by the title “The Voice of Bastion” which was assigned to them by Fans. By the end of their illustrious career, their commentary was practically synonymous with AMBER – during the rare Seasons where they made no appearances at all, even the most diehard AMBER Fans reported a feeling that something crucial was missing.
Their devotion to crafting the narrative of AMBER was made even more impressive by the equal amounts of enthusiasm which they put into their other celebrity appearances throughout their career. The Ultimate Show Tonight with Decibel (and the critically acclaimed spin-off: On the Road with Jinx) remained highly popular until its final airing, and the Voice of Bastion was also seen drawing crowds at the Beetle Circus and in the Bunker.
Although they are not known to have taken on a protege during their career, they inspired a distinct style of commentary which was the foundation for many future entertainment techniques – this is best shown in the work of prolific Commentators Beacon and Flagship, both of whom have named Decibel as a formative inspiration.
- From Shaping a New Era: Celebrity Culture of Modern Bastion, by Skyscraper
DECIBEL: And we’re live backstage at AMBER! I’m joined by a couple of lucky Fans – say hello, Fossil and Scrape!
FOSSIL: Hello, everyone!
SCRAPE: Hi!
DECIBEL: So, are you looking forward to tonight?
FOSSIL: [Talk about the plot twist last week. I’m not going to write this for you – it needs to sound natural!]
DECIBEL: Oh, I couldn’t agree more. And Scrape, how do you think the night is going to end? Reconciliation or just another escalation?
SCRAPE: [Say that you’re expecting a nice, safe ending to AMBER – surely Thistle wouldn’t go through with her threats; Thorn isn’t that scary, etc. IMPORTANT – the cue you need to deliver is the phrase “there’s nothing to worry about.”]
THISTLE: [Upon cue, release Thorn.]
DECIBEL: Oh no! It looks like Thorn got loose! And – quick, Jinx, we need to help poor Scrape! Hold tight, Scrape, we’ll help you!
- From the script of On the Road with Jinx: ‘Calamity at AMBER!’