Dreamspeakers (MTAs)

The Dreamspeakers are a Tradition of mages consisting of individuals who practice shamanism, communing with spirits as part of their magic and existing as intermediaries between the Mortal World and the Spirit World. It is one of the most diverse Traditions, with those representing the ancient cultures of African, Native American, Inuit, and Aboriginal Australian societies standing alongside practitioners of Shinto, independent spiritual savants, and descendants of other forgotten tribes and civilizations. Though originally shoehorned into a single group by the other, Eurocentric Traditions, the disparate cultures within the Dreamspeakers have found common ground in their respect for and dedication to the balance between physical and spiritual reality. As the Gauntlet has grown thicker and the Spirit World more dangerous, the shamans' duties have become increasingly harder. But whereas other mages tend to overlook matters of spirit and Sleepers forget them altogether, the Dreamspeakers were born to walk the middle round, to see and hear what others do not, and fill roles still very much needed in the modern world.

For detailed information on the Dreamspeakers, see Dreamspeakers Tradition Book and Tradition Book: Dreamspeakers.

Name:	Dreamspeaker
Plural:	Dreamspeakers
Pronunciation:	dreem'-speek-urs
Nicknames:
Seat:	Spirit
Faction:	Council of Nine Mystic Traditions

Paradigm

Animism

That Creation is essentially animistic is central to Dreamspeaker philosophy and magic, and in fact, tends to reflects their daily lives. As shamans, they possess the ability to freely interact with the Spirit World to one degree or another, and are often called upon to resolve conflicts between spirits or seek solutions to problems that can be felt in material and spiritual reality. Dreamspeakers realize that each reflects the other, and that by acting upon the Spirit World they can perform feats that are considered magic in the Material World. This can take the form of direct communication with spirits capable of making the desired changes, but just as often makes use of the Dreamspeakers understanding of spirit behavior and rules to know what rituals and acts upon the Material World will invoke the appropriate response from the Spirit World.

Tools and Practices

The most important part of shamanic magic is placing oneself in the correct state of mind to be able to perceive and influence the boundary separating the Spirit and Material World. Just about anything that helps a mage reach this ecstatic state of consciousness can serve as a focus, including drugs, exercise, music and dance, or simple meditation. Some Dreamspeakers believe that external tools are a crutch to be avoided or that artificially manufactured drugs and technological devices are counterproductive, but this is a matter of personal preference. When it comes to invoking spirits, anything that grants the shaman connection and power over the spirit in question can help, such as a symbol or crafted representation, names and other words of power, or rituals sacred to the spirit. Dreamspeakers are also cognizant of the fact that every tool has a spirit of its own that can be called upon to aid their magic.

History

The Dreamspeakers are a recent Tradition, being formed as a dumping ground for tribal mages by the Europeans. However, they are heirs the primal magic of ancient shaman. Their ancestors were the Apache, Cherokee, Iroquois, Zuni, Ojibwa, Hopi, Navajo, Inuit, Athapaska and Salish of the Americas, and the Fulani, Egyptians, Shona, Dogon, Ashanti, Masaii, Ibo, Zulu, Himba and San-!Kung peoples of Africa. They saw the rise of the Aztecs, Toltecs, Olmecs, Zapotecs and Mayans, of the Inca, Cagaba, Chibcha, Caribs, Musica, Quechua and Aymara. They were the primordial shamans of Siberia, China and Lappland, and the Mongols, Koreans, Hmong and Mien hill tribes of Thailand, the Ainu of Japan, followers of Wektu Telu in Indonesia and tribal Filipinos. They are the heirs to many a diverse spiritual ways from around the world.

Early History

Dark Ages

Can be associated with the Spirit-Talkers.

Renaissance

Dream-speakers, c. 1466.

The Dream-Speakers were officially formed as a Tradition in 1466 at the Grand Convocation. Naioba, an African dream priestess, and Star-of-Eagles, a Powhatan medicine man, saw the Tradition as a brotherhood of shaman. The Europeans saw it as a dumping ground for tribal magi; Native Americans from North and South America, the tribes of Africa's jungles and savannas, Australian Aborigines, Lappish and Siberian shaman, and the kahuna of the Hawai'ians, Maori and Polynesians were all lumped together in a single Tradition. Many magi, such as the Ngoma, saw this as racism and left the Convocation in disgust.

Naioba and Star-of-Eagles assumed joint leadership of the new Tradition until Naioba's assassination. However, the Tradition suffered greatly as the ages of Exploration, Colonialism and Imperialism destroyed their peoples. The Spanish conquest decimated the Aztecs and Incas, and spread smallpox amongst the Mound Builders. Likewise, the Portuguese slave trade decimated much of West Africa. In response, nearly half the Dreamspeakers left the Council of Nine, led by a delegation of Iroquois medicine men.

Victorian Era

During the Victorian era, many tribal shaman found their lands being conquered and their people exploited. Native Dreamspeakers fought alongside the Lakota Nation, the Haitians, the Congolese, the Zulu, Afghan hill tribes, Australian Aborigines, and the Rhodesians. Many joined movements such as the Ghost Dance.

There was also a growing number of European Dreamspeakers. Bolstered by the spiritualism craze and neo-Paganism, these mediums communed with ghosts, faeries and elemental spirits.

Organization

Many Dreamspeakers are nomadic, but the Tradition as a whole still maintains several Chantries where the old ways can be preserved in peace. Turtle Council House, the Dreamspeaker subrealm in Horizon, was one such place. Other prominent Dreamspeaker holdings include the Lodge of the Gray Squirrel (a Native American Chantry), Vali Shallar (a lost Mayan temple in the jungles of Peru, shared with the Akashic Brotherhood), Yambula'kitino (a lush jungle Realm used by the Baruti to teach African culture), Onikari (a Cherokee lodge near Asheville, North Carolina, watched over by Uktena Garou) and Njia Panda (a multicultural Realm created by the Keepers of the Sacred Flame to preserve their homelands).

Factions

Balamob

Descendants of the shape-shifting warrior-priests of the Mayans, the Balamob continue to practice the bloody sacrifices of their ancestors. The Balamob practice totemic magic, often adopting the the shape of jaguars, but they are also skilled at astrological divination and using hallucinogens and blood-letting to contact Xibalba (the spirit world). While some Balamob have immigrated to the United States, most in the jungles of Mexico and Guatemala to protect their people, even affiliating with Zapatista militants. They were only recently recruited by fellow Native Americans amongst the Dreamspeakers who had travelled to Mexico to study the lost magic of the Aztecs, Mayans and other Mesoamerican civilizations.

Baruti

Originating in Africa, the Baruti are wandering storytellers and performers. They memorize, preserve and teach the (often mutually contradictory) oral traditions of hundreds of different cultures, including those believed lost to history. When two Baruti meet, they often exchange tales. The Baruti also maintain old ties with the Eshu Kith. In more modern times, some Baruti have also turned to writing science fiction, horror, fantasy, comic books and even ethnographies. Their magic revolves around storytelling; legends of heroes can inspire the masses, while myths of creation tap into primal sources of power or rouse the spirits of the elements themselves.

Bata'a

Followers of Voudon, Santería, Candomblé, Obeah, Hoodoo and other Afro-Caribbean religions, the Bata'a were once an independent Craft whose numbers rivalled those of some Traditions. Their influence in Haiti and New Orleans was especially strong, though they did not differentiate members who worked True Magick from others who worked Sorcery, True Faith or had blood ties with the Eshu and Nunnehi. With no interest in the Ascension War, the Bata'a maintained their position until the 20th century, when the Technocracy increased its pogrom. With their culture and homelands under threat, the surviving Bata'a have mostly joined the Dreamspeakers, Verbena and others, seeing their Craft's death as a necessary step for their rebirth as members of the Traditions.

Contraries

The Contraries began as societies of 'sacred clowns' amongst the Indians of the Great Plains and Southwest. Following Coyote, Raven and other trickster spirits, the Contrary way is mcuh a lifestyle as it is a magical faction. Members do everything backwards, dress as members of the opposite sex, and speak the opposite of their intentions. By challenging expectations, they bring laughter into the world and teach others through their comical behavior. Other Dreamspeakers are divided in their opinion of the faction. Some admire the Contraries for their dedication, while just as many Dreamspeakers view them as misguided at best and outright lunatics at worse.

Four Winds

Members of the Four Winds Society spend most of their time exploring the spirit worlds. Members of the Four Winds often consider themselves to be more spirit than human. Dealing with alien spirits of the Deep Umbra, they place little value on material possessions, instead trading secrets for secrets. The magic that they in return is especially powerful. Eccentric even for shaman, the Four Winds become more and more like spirits over time. Most eventually adopt spiritual landscapes that suit their personality and attune themselves, effectively becoming guardian spirits. Over time they even forget their mortal lives altogether. Many venerated ancestor spirits of the Dreamspeaker Tradition came from this faction.

Ghost Wheel Society

The Ghost Wheel Society are urban techno-shaman who commune with modern elementals of plastic, glass, metal and electricity. Born out of the 19th century Ghost Dance movement, the Ghost Wheel Society believes that the old ways are dead and they must adapt to the modern world. Bohemians, entertainers and even con artists, the Ghost Wheel Society tends to operate on the wrong side of the law. Their magic tends to involve negotiating with various urban spirits, trading favors and creating high-tech Fetishes. The Ghost Wheel Society also tend to interact with ghosts more than other shaman. Most Dreamspeakers outside the faction view them as sell-outs who embraced the white man's ways.

Independents

Independents are Dreamspeakers who Awakened, often traumatically, without being trained by another Mage. Some were taught entirely by alien Totems, while others were misled by spirits that want to use them as pawns. Those not driven mad by the Awakening tend to fill eccentric niches as artists, conspiracy theorists or leaders of fringe movements in Christianity and Islam. Because they often come from cultures without a tradition of shamanism, Independents tend to improvise their magic, haphazardly using pain, drugs and music to enter trance states. What separates them from Orphans is that Independents eventually seek out other Dreamspeakers, either on their own or at the urging of their spirit mentor.

Keepers of the Sacred Fire

The largest (or at least most visible) Dreamspeaker faction, the Keepers stay in their tribal homelands and work to preserve traditional culture. They admit that the old ways change, but still see the value in their people's wisdom. Most come from indigenous or animistic cultures around the world - Native American medicine men from North and South America, Siberian shaman, African witch doctors, Caribbean Voudon and Santeros, Australian Aboriginal wise men, Polynesia kahuna or followers of Shinto and other Eastern religions. White Keepers are rare, but they do exist.

Kopa Loei

The native mages of Hawai'i, the Kopa Loei once made up the largest and most organized faction in Polynesia. Their numbers included both kahuna (priests, often specializing in a particular type of magic) and ali'i chieftans, as well as commoners skilled in navigation and travel magics. Their ties to the gods and sacred mana of their homeland was legendary, and some are said to maintain ties with the Rokea (were-sharks) or Menehune. While they have fought for native sovereignity, by the late 20th century many Kopa Loei realized that the only way to preserve their magic was to join the shamans of the Dreamspeaker Tradition. They bring with them extensive knowledge of the spirits of the South Pacific.

Red Spear Society

Founded by the Seneca shaman Walking Hawk, the Red Spear Society take their name from the Creek War. The Red Spears are aggressive warriors who believe that the spirits are angered at the modern world. Eco-terrorists and Native Rights activists, their raids seek to reclaim tribal lands, artifacts and heritage. Their magic tends to be simple and direct, revolving around universal archetypes like those popularized by Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell. They also tend to coordinate their rotes with other Red Spears, creating truly powerful effects. Naturally, the Red Spears find allies amongst the Garou and other Changing Breeds who share their goals.

Sheikha

An all female faction, the Sheikha serve as wise women to the nomadic Bedouin and Berber tribes of Arabia, Egypt and North Africa. As soothsayers, healers and exorcists, their magic helps their tribes to survive the harsh desert environments of their homelands. A Muslim sect, the Sheikha are members of the Web of Faith and still maintain contact with the Ahl-i-Batin and other Middle Eastern groups. At one point a Sheikha delegation even invited the lost Hem-ka Sobk to join the Council of Nine. In recent years, the Sheikha have become concerned with the efforts of Saudi Arabia and other governments in the region to forcibly settle their tribes.

Solitaries

Some Dreamspeakers become fed up with the problems of the modern world. These bitter shaman turn their backs on their former tribes and retreat into the wilderness to practice their magic in solitude. Here their magics tend to become slower but powerful, following the cycles of nature. Solitaries are hermits and eschew many of the trappings of humanity. Some Solitaries transform their bodies so that they can survive in the abyss of the deep seas. Others adopt animals as their new tribe, following the same Totems that guide wild beasts. Other Dreamspeakers respect Solitaries for their deep wisdom, but worry about their non-human outlooks.

Spirit Smiths

From Väinämöinen and Ilmarinen in the Finnish Kalevala epic to modern techno-shaman, there has always been a mythical link between shamans and smiths. The Spirits Smiths exemplify this link, crafting some of the most powerful and exquisite fetishes known to the Dreamspeakers. Their talents rival even those of the Changing Breeds. Members of the faction are comfortable with high-tech devices and many work on commission. Spirit Smiths greatly admire well-crafted tools, and will go out of their way not to destroy them unless they are absolutely corrupt. Most instead prefer to "liberate" such items from unfit users and instead give them to someone they view as more responsible.

• Builders

A faction within the Spirit Smiths.

Uzoma

One of the largest Dreamspeaker factions in Africa, the Uzoma are the traditional priests and diviners of the Yoruba people. Each Uzoma follows a particular Orisha as their patron. As intermediaries between humans and the spirit world, the Uzoma serve their people as soothsayers, advisors and healers. The Uzoma were invited to the Grand Convocation by Naioba, but returned to their homeland after her murder and avoided contact with non-African mages. Many forgot they were ever members. Only after the events of the Recknoning have they decided to return to the Traditions. In recent years, an increasing number of Uzoma have left Nigeria to live amongst immigrant communities in America and Europe.

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