The Spirit Alliance is a gathering of three traditions with a shared goal of rural community building
History[]
With the Ascension War all but over, and the need to consistently try to halt the technocracy, the Akashayana, Verbena, and Dreamspeakers can devote more of their time to smaller scale collective pursuits.
An alliance between the three has been growing, centered on the shared goal of establishing isolated rural and wilderness communities.
Working with nature conservation groups and organizations, they have begun buying up tracks of wilderness land. The Brazilian Amazon, remote areas of Montana, and sparsely populated sections of Canada. The plan is to buy this land and begin building isolated settlements, and settle them with a mixture of mages and sleepers who are interested or amenable to their paradigms and magic working.
The hope is these locations will possess their own paradigms, one aligned with mystical workings. And then sending out members of these communities to bring forth knowledge of the magic, wisdom, and life to others. So far there are two communities, with efforts for a third in Brazil
ShanLung Farm, in Saskatchewan Canada, near the town of Prince Albert. The population is currently around 50 sleepers who are mostly outspoken canadian anarchists and 9 mages evenly split between the three traditions who are ecologically concerned pacifists. A pack of local werewolves has become aware of the new settlement and are none too happy about human habitation in a place that was previously uninhabited and wild. The mages of ShanLung Farm intent to try and negotiate, and if that fails to chase them off.
The second is Freedom Estates, located near Sun Prairie, Montana. The population is smaller, at only 24 sleepers who are mostly militant pagans and three mages. Sally McDermott and Odin Seutter have loose connections to the sparse pagan population, some of which are militant. Sally and Odin have also begun stockpiling weapons and supplies, believing the US government will collapse. The third member of Freedom Estates, Theresa Yellowhorse, has a some connection to survivalists groups, and has so far managed to act to moderate the actions and statements of McDermott, Seutter and their allies, . Thankfully they have no such problems with werewolves, although the mages political beliefs and the general community of Freedom Estates is drawing attention from well armed and somewhat unstable locals who are suspicious of the gathering.
The Third group has no name or official territory. It consists of several Dreamspeakers and Verbena who work with Brazilian rubber tappers, militant groups of Amazonian natives, and sleeper allies who are wanted in connection with the murder of a group of Brazilian loggers. The group is seeking to drive government and corporate forces from the jungle. They have begun to notice a strangely similar effort by the native shifters, but for now keep a healthy distance away from them.
Unlike similar efforts, the Spirit Alliance is thinking ahead and planning for the long term. They understand the Technocracy might try to interfere in their efforts. Alongside practicing organic farming, a number of members make crafts from bee products to weaving and dying. They sell these items to special markets, and used the additional money to pay for layers, internet connections, and other modern necessities. They also hope to convince Incarna of becoming patrons of their communities.
Their current plan is to have the three communities built and populated by several hundred members both sleeper and mage. And in the subsequent decades begin establishing further such communities inside Brazil, Canada, Montana and other suitable locations. The mages involved have agreed to attempt to avoid high profile activities or drawn negative attention upon themselves.
Some mages, especially those fresh from the Ascension War or itching for its return accuse the members of the Spirit Alliance of being cowards unwilling to do their fair share. The Spirit Alliance shoot back that they are giving a refuge to mages and sleepers alike, and hopefully foster a location that can help more of the sleepers to awaken.
All of the mages involved hope that they can create an environment where even Sleepers can more easily interact with spirits by working with the local spirits and inviting the attentions of a powerful Umbral ally. In addition, once the communities succeed, the found ers plan a media campaign to highlight the success those places have had and hope to draw attention to various programs and policies that can be derived from them.
Those involved also claim that these communities will foster both tourism and workshops, and will help teach all visitors a greater respect for the Earth and for each other and a greater awareness of the spirit world. The leaders of the Spirit Alliance consider these long-term benefits to far outweigh any gain that they could possibly accomplish by being more active in the present day.
Senor members of the Akashayana and young militant or optimistic Verbena and Dreamspeakers support their efforts. However the heads of the Verbena and Dreamspeakers believe the Spirit Alliance are simply dodging their duties to the outside world.
References[]
- MTAs: Guide to the Traditions, p. 69-71