[CanRay]

Come to that, is Howling Coyote confirmed as deceased?  And what's happened with the search for the site of the Great Ghost Dance, that some very powerful people didn't want to succeed?

Well, there's dead, and then there's dead.

Dying being a part of being a Shaman, it's not necessarily a thing that keeps you down and out...

[Crimsondude]

Anyone claiming to be an "old" Dancer is suspect of having been one at all.

[Stahlseele]

Also, Man-of-Many-Names once made a comment that a lot of old Dancers choose to go out a particular way. Can't place the reference.

You do know that the Dance was a Blood Magic Ritual of never before and after seen potence?
Who/What do you think actually fueled the Dance? Correct, the Dancers. Most of them, anyway . . Not all, mind you . .

[CanRay]

"Death is light as a feather, duty is heavier than mountains."

[Longshot23]

Also, Man-of-Many-Names once made a comment that a lot of old Dancers choose to go out a particular way. Can't place the reference.

You do know that the Dance was a Blood Magic Ritual of never before and after seen potence?
Who/What do you think actually fueled the Dance? Correct, the Dancers. Most of them, anyway . . Not all, mind you . .

I remember a bit of contention between posters about the GGD versus Azzie blood magic - someone was saying they were the same thing, and others majorly objecting to equating them. As far as I know, popular opinion in the NAN - sort of national mythologies, like - holds that the Dancers were volunteers, and thus free of any blood magic stigma.

[Crimsondude]

I imagine popular opinion in Aztlan is pretty similar: Noble sacrifices or sacrifices of the damned, so fuck 'em anyway.

[Nath]

I remember a bit of contention between posters about the GGD versus Azzie blood magic - someone was saying they were the same thing, and others majorly objecting to equating them. As far as I know, popular opinion in the NAN - sort of national mythologies, like - holds that the Dancers were volunteers, and thus free of any blood magic stigma.

Regarding blood magic, in my opinion, the entire history of the American continent in Shadowrun has to be viewed through the prism of Earthdawn sourcebook Dragons: the Great Ghost Dance, but also Moutainshadow/Dunkelzahn move from Barsaive to Denver area, the sacrificial traditions in Northwest tribes (the Potlach) and Mesoamerican civilizations and their links to Tamanous and the Smoking Mirror faction within Aztechnology, the establishment of the Amazonian nation, the war between Amazonia and Aztlan. It's even possible some of the Blood Wood elves chose to establish their new nation around Crater Lake because they expected the site to be aspected toward Blood Magic.

Dragons, page 44
Feathered dragons are most often found quite far from Barsaive, in the warm, tropical lands across the great ocean, near Araucania, where they are called Quetzal by the native Name-givers. [...]
Feather dragons are the only dragons to make any significant use of blood magic, specifically the more powerful and dangerous forms of blood magic that you know as death magic. They understand the fire that flows in the veins of dragonkind and, to a lesser degree, within all creatures. In their own lands, feathered dragons have used blood magic to heal the damage done to the land by the Scourge, repairing scars and making the jungles fertile once again.. The elves of the Blood Wood could take some lessons from the feathered dragons in using blood magic to enhance growth without twisting the land and its creatures beyond recognition.
There is a definite split among the feathered dragons concerning the different uses of blood magic. Some feathered dragons are strongly opposed to death magic: that is, blood magic used solely for power. These dragons consider death magic inherently wrong, and suggest that is partakes the power of the Horrors, and can only prolong the presence of those Horrors remaining since the Scourge. While they understand and appreciate the value of life magic, used to aid and restore life, these dragons see the two forms of blood magic as inextricably linked, and fear that use of one ype leads to use of the other. The second group of feathered dragons believe all forms of blood magic, whether life magic or death magic, are, like all magic, merely power: tool beyond good and evil, to be used for whatever ends they see fit. It saddens me that there are some among my kind who have failed to learn the lessons of the past. Perhaps most frightening about the feathered dragons' use of blood magic is their propagation of its use to other Name-givers. There are some feathered dragons who teach and encourage the use of blood magic, specifically death magic, among the Young Races that live near them. I do not understand the purpose of this practice, and I fear its ultimate consequences. Fortunately, this practice is not widespread, and most feathered dragons oppose passing such potentially dangerous knowledge on to others.
What began as a philosophical argument has grown over the years to become a a serious rift among feathered dragons (good enough reason to leave blood magic alone, in my view). I have heard tales from the hot lands of the south of feathered dragons fighting and even killing each other over the matter of blood magic. Some suggest there may be a Horror at work, corrupting some feathered dragons through the use of death magic. I cannot say, but I hope that reason prevails and the feathered dragons are able to settle their differences according to our tradition rather than repeating the mistakes of the past.

[Longshot23]

I remember a bit of contention between posters about the GGD versus Azzie blood magic - someone was saying they were the same thing, and others majorly objecting to equating them. As far as I know, popular opinion in the NAN - sort of national mythologies, like - holds that the Dancers were volunteers, and thus free of any blood magic stigma.

Regarding blood magic, in my opinion, the entire history of the American continent in Shadowrun has to be viewed through the prism of Earthdawn sourcebook Dragons: the Great Ghost Dance, but also Moutainshadow/Dunkelzahn move from Barsaive to Denver area, the sacrificial traditions in Northwest tribes (the Potlach) and Mesoamerican civilizations and their links to Tamanous and the Smoking Mirror faction within Aztechnology, the establishment of the Amazonian nation, the war between Amazonia and Aztlan. It's even possible some of the Blood Wood elves chose to establish their new nation around Crater Lake because they expected the site to be aspected toward Blood Magic.

Dragons, page 44
Feathered dragons are most often found quite far from Barsaive, in the warm, tropical lands across the great ocean, near Araucania, where they are called Quetzal by the native Name-givers. [...]
Feather dragons are the only dragons to make any significant use of blood magic, specifically the more powerful and dangerous forms of blood magic that you know as death magic. They understand the fire that flows in the veins of dragonkind and, to a lesser degree, within all creatures. In their own lands, feathered dragons have used blood magic to heal the damage done to the land by the Scourge, repairing scars and making the jungles fertile once again.. The elves of the Blood Wood could take some lessons from the feathered dragons in using blood magic to enhance growth without twisting the land and its creatures beyond recognition.
There is a definite split among the feathered dragons concerning the different uses of blood magic. Some feathered dragons are strongly opposed to death magic: that is, blood magic used solely for power. These dragons consider death magic inherently wrong, and suggest that is partakes the power of the Horrors, and can only prolong the presence of those Horrors remaining since the Scourge. While they understand and appreciate the value of life magic, used to aid and restore life, these dragons see the two forms of blood magic as inextricably linked, and fear that use of one ype leads to use of the other. The second group of feathered dragons believe all forms of blood magic, whether life magic or death magic, are, like all magic, merely power: tool beyond good and evil, to be used for whatever ends they see fit. It saddens me that there are some among my kind who have failed to learn the lessons of the past. Perhaps most frightening about the feathered dragons' use of blood magic is their propagation of its use to other Name-givers. There are some feathered dragons who teach and encourage the use of blood magic, specifically death magic, among the Young Races that live near them. I do not understand the purpose of this practice, and I fear its ultimate consequences. Fortunately, this practice is not widespread, and most feathered dragons oppose passing such potentially dangerous knowledge on to others.
What began as a philosophical argument has grown over the years to become a a serious rift among feathered dragons (good enough reason to leave blood magic alone, in my view). I have heard tales from the hot lands of the south of feathered dragons fighting and even killing each other over the matter of blood magic. Some suggest there may be a Horror at work, corrupting some feathered dragons through the use of death magic. I cannot say, but I hope that reason prevails and the feathered dragons are able to settle their differences according to our tradition rather than repeating the mistakes of the past.

I don't know - given the translation of the Sperethiel name for Crater Lake ('skull of the dragon') blood magic aspecting at that site seems unlikely.  I'm not saying you're wrong, Nath - probably there's a general lack of information.

It does seem a bit odd to me that, as far as is known, no elves went for re-establishing themselves where Wyrm/Blood Wood was, roughly in the northern Ukraine. I might have to look up the explanation of the Path of the Wheel in Earthdawn.

[Nath]

It does seem a bit odd to me that, as far as is known, no elves went for re-establishing themselves where Wyrm/Blood Wood was, roughly in the northern Ukraine.

Interestingly enough, "wormwood" is another name of Artemisia vulgaris. Artemisia vulgaris is also called Чорнобиль in Ukrainian ("black grass" IIRC). And Чорнобиль is also the name of a city in Northern Ukraine. Standard English spelling for that place's name is Chernobyl.

[Stahlseele]

Well, that, at least, explains why nobody bothered with trying to re-establish that . .
Now for the blood wood?

[CanRay]

Well, that, at least, explains why nobody bothered with trying to re-establish that . .

It get worse than that, Stahl.  Read up on your Book of Revelation.  Yeah, lots of connections have been made since day one of the meltdown.

[Longshot23]

Damn, I forgot about Chernobyl.  Grade-A reason for not setting up shop in the area.  That must have pissed off Alachia no end.

[The_Gun_Nut]

Slightly miffed is likely all it got out of her.  Her #1 love is and always has been herself and then power.  If it gets her more power, she's all for it.

Frighteningly enough, she's a high Circle Troubadour (charismatic entertainer-loremaster-diplomancer).  On the ED powerscale she's likely 15th Circle, which is as high as you can get.  At that level, she can talk a few dragons out of their hoard.  She can even talk Horrors into going home without a fight ("No, really, your home is much nicer than here."  "Ok, sounds good!").

[Stahlseele]

She was queen of England and Eva Braun i think . .

[Longshot23]

As far as is known - entirely OOC - Alachia is currently going by Sósan Naerain (formerly of Tir Tairngire) and Sheila Blatavaska (currently in charge of the Atlantean Foundation).