Location: Aphrodite
Mt. Buxanshal is the tallest mountain on Aphrodite, rising higher than Mount Everest on Earth. Despite its extreme elevation, the peak maintains a surprisingly temperate climate due to Aphrodite’s deep troposphere. The atmospheric pressure remains high enough at the summit to allow for unassisted breathing, and the temperature is far milder than what would be expected at comparable altitudes on Earth or Tian.
Originally developed as a Cubist spiritual retreat by Frederick Ansel, Mt. Buxanshal was designed as a remote sanctuary for meditation, study, and philosophical contemplation. The retreat was later seized by Gerard Kurz, a radicalized former Dasarius supervisor who transformed it into a fortified base for a militant cult derived from Cubism.
During the events of Royal Orders, Mt. Buxanshal becomes the focal point of a major operation. Suicide, who had earlier been held prisoner at Kurz’s jungle encampment, takes an active combat role in the raid on the mountain alongside Mitsuko Yamato and the remaining Children of Amargosa, under strategic oversight from Vice Admiral Vice Admiral Eileen Burke aboard the Valles Marineris.
The climactic battle uncovers a fission warhead rigged to destroy the site. Connor Duffy provides technical guidance from orbit, helping disarm the device. The detonator explodes during a confrontation, killing Kurz and ending his insurgency. The mountain itself survives intact.
Mt. Buxanshal is also personally significant to Suicide, as her wife Priya was cremated there following her death in a café bombing.
Appearances: Royal Orders, Suicide Gambit