#Seattle Peace Heathens

[littlequeenies]

Helena Harland, who runs World of Demri instagram account, has a blog at substack where she is publishing interviews she does to people who knew Demri. I asked for permission to share this entry about Demri's activism in here and she kindly allowed.

From her substack blog:

"Demri possessed a radical nature alongside immense charisma. She was a nudist, openly bisexual, modeled for several adult magazines like Penthouse and Hustler, and was unabashedly sexually liberated at a time where it was seen as taboo. She did not view other people with a critical eye, but rather embraced those who most would find “off-center”. Demri’s late mother Kathleen recalled a memory of driving 20 year-old Demri home one day when she suddenly started shouting “Mom, stop! Stop!” Kathleen stopped the car and Demri jumped out to her friend who had green skin, pointed ears, and pointed elf shoes. Demri said, “This is my friend, he’s an elf. Can we give him a ride?” Kathleen, who likely passed on to Demri her attribute of non-judgment and acceptance, gave the elf a ride as he and Demri squeaked and chirped at each other in their own elf language.

Demri’s uniqueness has always intrigued me, and I often wonder what her moral and political beliefs were, as well as what she would think of today’s political issues. The 90s were marked with many social justice issues like LGBT rights— specifically the AIDS crisis. I asked Amber Ferrano, a close friend of Demri’s what she thought about the AIDS epidemic at the time, and it can be beautifully summed up by this memory:

“Demri was bi. She loved everyone and judged no one. We went to shows in gay clubs and they were awesome. I loved that they handed out free condoms even for our crowd. AIDS was horrible at the time. I remember a few times when guys in full drag (with gloves on, mind you) put their hand out to shake and pulled back saying they had AIDS, but Demri went in for a kiss and a hug. People would make negative comments saying she had AIDS or hepatitis from drugs. She didn't understand why people were so mean. If she were here today she'd be on the frontline along with Layne.”

Demri was also visited in the hospital by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a subversive LGBT activism group that satirized traditional standards and gender roles by combining drag and religious imagery to their street performances. Kathleen said that they adored Demri, and the nurses would gawk at them on their way in.

To seek some more insight on Demri’s activism history, I reached out to Vivian McPeak, the founder of the Seattle activism group called the Peace Heathens, of which Demri was a member. The Peace Heathens were known for their annual Seattle Hempfests, and many Alice in Chains fans have likely seen this video of Layne Staley making an appearance at one in 1994. It is one of the few videos we have of Layne during that year, taken shortly after the release of Jar of Flies.

H: myself, V: Vivian

H: I was wondering what the core beliefs of the Peace Heathens are and how the organization  was conceived?

V: In 1988 I had this idea to start a street-level volunteer group composed of alternative culture folks to do good things in the name of the alt-culture, community service projects and benefit shows for righteous causes that got little support from the mainstream. I called it the Seattle Peace Heathens. I created this manifesto, and Yossarrian “Rex” Kelley did a logo graphic I put at the top of it. I plastered the paper fliers all over The Ave, at places like the Allegro Cafe, Espresso Roma, and The Last Exit. I started getting lots of calls from people excited about my crazy vision quest, wanting to learn more and get involved. We started having meetings in people’s homes that eventually got too large, and we moved them to Ravenna Park, where we turned them into potluck feeds that started attracting a homeless contingent. 

Meetings started attracting as many as 70 people, mostly music culture and street culture folks - hippies, punk rockers, and an eclectic mix of just progressive, activism-type people. The thing that struck me most, though, is I would be approached by some very neat and clean folks who came on really strong, talking about how resourceful they were and how they were going to contribute all these things. I became very excited about these folks and what they might bring to the group. Then there was an entirely different contingent of absolute street people. These folks were often disheveled, unkempt; they might even have a distinct odor about them. At first, I was not sure what to think about these people, and I placed much of my focus on the other group of folks who seemed to have their shit really together.

The core values of the Seattle Peace Heathens were a commitment to service to society and others through volunteerism, basic counter-culture values of peace and love, Left politics such as social and environmental justice, and a commitment to the power of change through art (visual and music).

H: -It was said that Demri Parrott was a member of the Peace Heathens, do you have memories of her attending meetings or the Hempfests?

V: [I was closer with Layne, so I’ll tell the story of us meeting first.] I was at a hard rock club called the Prime Rib Palace in Totem Lakes, Washington and I struck up a conversation with a blonde dude with long hair and silver pants. We hit it off. He learned I was fresh from Hollywood and wanted to know all about the club scene there. He said his name was Layne, and he had a band called Sleze that was being renamed Alice in Chains. He gave me his number. He was the first person I developed a friendship after I moved to Washington State. A few years later, he invited me to his apartment in a big old brick complex above Eastlake. I met his lady Demri, a petite girl with a beautiful smile and sparkling eyes. I didn't know where to buy weed, and they told me I could get my weed from them. I am not really sure if they were dealing weed or if they were just helping me out, but they always had an eighth when I needed to buy one.

Around 1988 Layne had developed a heroin problem, and I had a cocaine one. I would pick Layne up and drive us to TUNA (Tuesday Night N.A.) at the Rendezvous on 2nd in Belltown, where a guy named Will ran the Narcotics Anonymous meetings. It was pretty much the rocker NA for the area. Unlike his rock persona, Layne was a quiet, almost shy person. He was sensitive and kind,in my experience. It was stunning watching the band climb to rock stardom. I loved their music and was impressed with the strength and power of his voice.

Demri was a bubbly, outgoing person. She volunteered for the Peace Heathens and helped at several of the benefit shows we produced at the famed OK Hotel, one of the only venues with all-age shows. She helped put up posters promoting the shows around town, and at the shows, she worked the merch table and helped us load gear in and out, even though she was a very diminutive person. She was sweet and kind and fearless. She resonated with the Peace Heathens's core belief that all of the various cultural sub-genres of the music/youth/alt-culture (punk, metal, hippie, Reggae, etc.) shared a common spirit and was essentially responding to the same mainstream desire for conformity and control. She believed in the benevolent act of helping others, which was central to the Peace Heathen identity.

I hope this provided some insight on the free spirited nature of Demri, and the ways in which she provided to her community and led with love and compassion. Big thanks to Vivian for taking the time to speak with me and tell me of all his cool stories, and to MemoriesOfDemri on instagram who pointed out the Peace Heathens sticker on Demri’s suitcase as well as provided the information regarding the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

Thank you for reading!

-Helena"

***

Thank you very much Helena for allowing us to share this story here!! Go and follow her on instagram or subscibe to her blog!

[anurean99]

Im going offline for awhile.

𖤐

Too many major cities are being massacred with invitation fliers to join the massacre. Paris, Tokyo, Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, Denver: too many of them are seeing a spike in murder trends & violent crime patterns. I am usually only invited due to small town syndication. Smaller cities & the countryside are frequently at corporate, political, or holy war with larger cities and big business.

᛭

No, that's not Vicki Shapiro's fault. If someone wants to run away to the city of New York and escape a life of kürn husking slavery, learn makeup & learn marketing, they are more than welcome too. If they want to steal a Shapiro moll's purse then crawl into bed with her husband & eventually marry a Shapiro & make a patsy of the purse snatchee: they are more than welcome to. Our being at corporate war has nothing to do with Missy Prissy Sissy over there. She may do whatever she wants, even wear makeup, even if the lipstick is in a cannibal plastic tube. Why? Because she ran away. Especially if the lipstick is in a cannibal plastic tube. Especially when they ran away in 1967 and got their first job making falsies for bouffants out of hoisery & whatever they could find.

Her parents are dead. Her farm is abandoned. May I move into it? Nobody may live there or be there until the runaway daughters of that farmer pop up. Its a beautiful randown old shack near Limon, closer to Kansas than Denver. The farm is in slave debt: it hasnt produced wheat or corn in well over a decade (or five) Its a depressing scene: which I would love to go and grow opium or cannabis on. You know, keep flying squirrels. I want an aspirin tree forest with opium flowers. I want a buffalo skin to curl up in durring winters & park style improvement: you know a pavillion with a stone fire place and a single table.

Aspen Forests with opium flowers & fields of mint are beautiful. We witchily & lovingly call those, medicine meadows.

It's more...

She is invited to the massacre. Moreso: she is invited to make the invitations to the massacre. That does require a lady. It truly is a woman's work even when and where that is being sexist and biggoted to decide what work is for the boys and which is for the girls. That might not really be her name, she might not really be a New Yorker, but she's still a LADY (and a spitfire): which means she is invited to the massacre, and invited to the winning side of it at that.

Personally I would rather...

design the fliers to massacre & do the art myself

print them myself

distribute them myself

However I am anti-social. Far too anti-social to form gangs of serial killing midget heathens. It's more: I smoked a joint with someone who wasn't exactly tall. This is why Ive invested in nuclear implosives.

I.E. I ain't going to be here. You may leave a message for me in Washington D.C. or Vancouver B.C.

The massacres in my case moreso properly belong in Emporia Kansas, Nashville & Pigeon Forge if you ask me. My grief is 100% caused by "Country Western" types.

Tell Emporia that I quit.

Im not to be slave driven nor is anyone else. That's why we won't give them gunpowder. There is not a single ethical, peaceful or practical use for sulfur when sat next to charcoal. It takes a yank with a pistol to properly slave drive. Why else would people pick coffee or cotton by hand? How many people are still cutting down sugar with a machete? I am sure Prince Henry wants to quit teaching grammar and English. Why else would he care to work? Oh, probably because Americans have a gun. It might be for the sugarcube in his tea. Im sure he would rather be openly engaing in anal intercourse with his cousins. You know, moreso than being bright, polite, and cordial to a bunch of rotten whores who use the word "ain't" ever so rudely & sarcastically. We all have seen the porn. It was a rather "happy" promotion of their sodomy, acrobatic, and athletic skills. The fact I have seen this video, does mean I deserve an A-. I should have a B+ at worst.

It was innocent and cheesy. Nobody in the video is dead in ways that where violent or suspicious. Infact: nobody in the video is dead at all. They might be in a little trouble, but dead & decapitated they are not. Our only real complaint was how unclean they might be, microbially speaking that is. They all where dirty blondes. Seriously? Those twins where truly sub-nobility? Wow. I have wonderful blackmail material on the global syndicate, maybe.

(202)660-4969

(604)373-4066

I probably won't return your call.

Calls in North America must dial +1. International calls from the U.K. & various European Nations usually not accepted.

You sort of have to be liked for me to give a shit.

I might check my messages once a month or every week & half.

Give me money on PayPal or buy me things on Amazon and eventually I will have to log in and place a call to thank you.

This does make the Devil of Llogar much moreso a lord if you ask me. Maybe we can sneak him all this illegally imported sugar and tea that hit the Ports of Portland & Seattle.

Lord Rees.

Look: if a Topeka Squa may hook & hoe or sit and sew then marry the crown as a Lady: then the Lord who pandered to she should have turnips for his wife & baby.

[thehillcastle]

I’ve spent the afternoon arting in peace 🥰🌲🎨🐺🖤✨ #ancientwoodland #witcheswoods #pnwcoast #witchery #theowlsarenotwhattheyseem #darkphotography #witchythings #witchydecor #seattle #witchessociety #heathen #lostinthewoods #witchythings #enchantedforest #folkscenery #wildwoman #severnakeforest #nightforest #forestbathing #darktones #oldways #nemophilist #firstpeoples #ancientlegend #naturalmagick — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/2XMK32e

[phynxrizng]

FACTS ON WICCA...

Source,

The Celtic Connection

Blog Training Course On Wicca Teachings of The Elect Magical Shops

The article below describes how Wicca draws from the Old Traditions of Witchcraft. While this is true, we would simply like to clarify that Witchcraft and Wicca, while simular in many respects, are not the same. One can be a Witch, without being a Wiccan, just as a person can be a Christian, without being a Baptist. Wicca is a recognized religion, while Witchcraft itself is not considered a religion. Thus, Wicca might best be described as a modern religion, based on ancient Witchcraft traditions. What Is Wicca

Contrary to what those who choose to persecute or lie about us wish to believe, Wicca is a very peaceful, harmonious and balanced way of life which promotes oneness with the divine and all which exists.

Wicca is a deep appreciation and awe in watching the sunrise or sunset, the forest in the light of a glowing moon, a meadow enchanted by the first light of day. It is the morning dew on the petals of a beautiful flower, the gentle caress of a warm summer breeze upon your skin, or the warmth of the summer sun on your face. Wicca is the fall of colorful autumn leaves, and the softness of winter snow. It is light, and shadow and all that lies in between. It is the song of the birds and other creatures of the wild. It is being in the presence of Mother Earths nature and being humbled in reverence. When we are in the temple of the Lord and Lady, we are not prone to the arrogance of human technology as they touch our souls. To be a Witch is to be a healer, a teacher, a seeker, a giver, and a protector of all things. If this path is yours, may you walk it with honor, light and integrity.

Wicca is a belief system and way of life based upon the reconstruction of pre-Christian traditions originating in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. While much of the information of how our ancestors lived, worshiped and believed has been lost due to the efforts of the medieval church to wipe our existence from history, we try to reconstruct those beliefs to the best of our ability with the information that is available.

Thanks to archaeological discoveries, we now have basis to believe that the origins of our belief system can be traced even further back to the Paleolithic peoples who worshipped a Hunter God and a Fertility Goddess. With the discovery of these cave paintings, estimated to be around 30,000 years old, depicting a man with the head of a stag, and a pregnant woman standing in a circle with eleven other people, it can reasonably be assumed that Witchcraft is one of the oldest belief systems known in the world toady. These archetypes are clearly recognized by Wiccan as our view of the Goddess and God aspect of the supreme creative force and predate Christianity by roughly 28,000 years making it a mere toddler in the spectrum of time as we know it.

Witchcraft in ancient history was known as "The Craft of the Wise" because most who followed the path were in tune with the forces of nature, had a knowledge of Herbs and medicines, gave council and were valuable parts of the village and community as Shamanic healers and leaders. They understood that mankind is not superior to nature, the earth and its creatures but instead we are simply one of the many parts, both seen and unseen that combine to make the whole. As Chief Seattle said; "We do not own the earth, we are part of it." These wise people understood that what we take or use, we must return in kind to maintain balance and equilibrium. Clearly, modern man with all his applied learning and technology has forgotten this. Subsequently, we currently face ecological disaster and eventual extinction because of our hunger for power and a few pieces of gold.

For the past several hundred years, the image of the Witch has been mistakenly associated with evil, heathenism, and unrighteousness. In my humble opinion, these misconceptions have their origin in a couple of different places.

To begin, the medieval church of the 15th through 18th centuries created these myths to convert the followers of the old nature based religions to the churches way of thinking. By making the Witch into a diabolical character and turning the old religious deities into devils and demons, the missionaries were able to attach fear to these beliefs which aided in the conversion process. Secondly, as medical science began to surface, the men who were engaged in these initial studies had a very poor understanding of female physiology, especially in the area of a women's monthly cycles. The unknowns in this area played very well with the early churches agenda lending credence to the Witch Hunters claims and authority. The fledgling medical professions also stood to benefit greatly from this because it took the power of the women healers away giving it to the male physicians transferring the respect and power to them.

Unfortunately these misinformed fears and superstitions have carried forward through the centuries and remain to this day. This is why many who follow these nature oriented beliefs have adopted the name of Wicca over its true name of Witchcraft to escape the persecution, harassment and misinformation associated with the name of Witchcraft and Witch not to mention the bad publicity the press and Hollywood has given us simply to generate a profit.

What Witchcraft is: Witchcraft is a spiritual system that fosters the free thought and will of the individual, encourages learning and an understanding of the earth and nature thereby affirming the divinity in all living things. Most importantly however, it teaches responsibility. We accept responsibility for our actions and deeds as clearly a result of the choices we make. We do not blame an exterior entity or being for our shortcomings, weaknesses or mistakes. If we mess up or do something that brings harm to another, we have no one but ourselves to blame and we must face the consequences resulting from those actions. No ifs, ands or buts and no whining...

We acknowledge the cycles of nature, the lunar phases and the seasons to celebrate our spirituality and to worship the divine. It is a belief system that allows the Witch to work with, not in supplication to deities with the intent of living in harmony and achieving balance with all things.

The spells that we do involve healing, love, harmony, wisdom and creativity. The potions that we stir might be a headache remedy, a cold tonic, or an herbal flea bath for our pets. We strive to gain knowledge of and use the natural remedies placed on this earth by the divine for our benefit instead of using synthetic drugs unless absolutely necessary.

Wiccan believe that the spirit of the One, Goddess and God exist in all things. In the trees, rain, flowers, the sea, in each other and all of natures creatures. This means that we must treat "all things" of the Earth as aspects of the divine. We attempt to honor and respect life in all its many manifestations both seen and unseen.

Wiccan learn from and revere the gift of nature from divine creation by celebrating the cycles of the sun, moon and seasons. We search within ourselves for the cycles that correspond to those of the natural world and try to live in harmony with the movement of this universal energy. Our teachers are the trees, rivers, lakes, meadows, mountains and animals as well as others who have walked this path before us. This belief creates a reverence and respect for the environment, and all life upon the Earth.

We also revere the spirits of the elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water which combine to manifest all creation. From these four elements we obtain insight to the rhythms of nature and understand they are also the rhythms of our own lives.

Because Witches have been persecuted for so many centuries, we believe in religious freedom first! We do not look at our path as the only way to achieve spirituality, but as one path among many to the same end. We are not a missionary religion out to convert new members to think the same as we do. We are willing to share our experience and knowledge with those who seek our wisdom and perspective however. We believe that anyone who is meant for this path will find it through their own search as the Goddess speaks to each of us in her time and way. Wiccan practice tolerance and acceptance toward all other religions as long as those faiths do not persecute others or violate the tenant of "Harm None."

What Witchcraft is not: More information about Witchcraft is available in the Frequently Asked Questions section, but in the interim, here are the main points.

Witchcraft or Wicca is not a cult. We do not proclaim ourselves to be spokespersons for the divine or try to get others to follow us as their leaders.

We do not worship Satan or consort with Demons. Satan is a Christian creation and they can keep him. We do not need a paranoid creation of supreme evil and eternal damnation to scare us into doing the right thing and helping others. We choose to do the right thing and love our brothers and sisters because it IS the right thing and it feels good to do it. I suppose it is a maturity thing.

We do not sacrifice animals or humans because that would violate our basic tenant of "Harm None." Anyone who does and claims to be a Wiccan or a Witch is lying.

We have no need to steal or control the life force of another to achieve mystical or supernatural powers. We draw our energy from within, our personal relationship with the divine and nature.

We do not use the forces of nature or the universe to hex or cast spells on others. Again, "Harm None" is the whole of the law.

Witches have a very strict belief in the Law of Three which states that whatever we send out into our world shall return to us three fold either good or bane. With this in mind, a "True Witch" would hesitate in doing magick to harm or manipulate another because that boomerang we throw will eventually come back to us much larger and harder then when we threw it.

This is not to say that Witches are perfect, we are human too just like everyone else and make mistakes and errors in judgment. Just as there are parents who love and nurture their children, there are parents who abuse their children. As there are many who devote their lives to giving and helping mankind, likewise there are those who devote their lives to taking advantage of and using people for their own gain. Unfortunately the same flaws in human nature applies to witches too.

Most of us continually strive to consider all potential outcomes of our thoughts and actions pausing to seriously consider the consequences before undertaking a ritual, spell or rite that could go astray. It is when we follow the path with the love of the Goddess in our hearts and adhere to the basic tenant of the Reed that our works are beneficial and we achieve harmony and balance with all things.

The heart of Wicca is not something summed up into a few short words and can often take on different meaning to each since the Lord and Lady touch us in different ways. To gain a fuller understanding of the Craft, I urge you visit the other pages on this site as well as following the links to a select group of exceptional Wiccan and Witchcraft sites. Through the wisdom and words set down through the ages, you will find that you are able to understand the basis of our beliefs and how they may apply to you. Your inner voice will also quickly let you know if the intent of what you are reading is for superficial purposes to benefit self instead of working to benefit the whole. Remember to read with your heart, for it is when you see life and the world with your heart and spirit that you truly gain an understanding of what Wicca is.

Blessed Be!

Herne

Copyright © The Celtic Connection, wicca.com. All rights reserved

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Reposted by, PHYNXRIZNG

[jamesjharper]

Here comes the most-awaited annual celebration of cannabis and legalization—Hempfest Seattle 2018. One new addition is the locker rental facility; thus enabling visitors to keep their valuable things secure in 11” wide, 13 ½” high, and 18” deep lockers.

[bethjonessweetjasmine-blog]

Here comes the most-awaited annual celebration of cannabis and legalization—Hemp fest Seattle 2018. One new addition is the locker rental facility; thus enabling visitors to keep their valuable things secure in 11” wide, 13 ½” high, and 18” deep lockers.

[srseattlestreetnews]

Seattle Street News 43, Election Aftermath

City News:

(DA Dana Oaks)

DA Dana Oaks Delivers Fair Elections To Seattle; Josephine Dzughashvili Elected Governor

Josephine Dzughashvili, Independent candidate, has been elected the next Governor of Seattle.

This was an historic election that came out of nowhere, hot on the heels of a corruption and murder scandal that forced the former governor Kenneth Brackhaven out of office.  With such a short runtime before the election, the corporations had little time to bribe their stooges into office. But it wasn’t just the short turnaround that got us free and fair elections for the first time since Megacorps gained extraterritoriality and became above any law but their own. It was also the work of a number of heroes of Seattle. First and foremost is District Attorney Dana Oaks. Dana Oaks is the youngest District Attorney in Seattle’s history and was the lone survivor of the massacre ordered by Brackhaven that killed every other person in the DA’s office. That she survived spelled Brackhaven’s end and a new beginning for Seattle. She used evidence turned over by heroic shadowrunners implicating Brackhaving as successfully forged his resignation and prosecuted him for his crimes. If that weren’t enough, a number of candidates were revealed to be clones created by corporations to act as Megacorp Trojan Horses in the election. Oaks, aided by others, found them out and disqualified them. Next, Oaks dumped NeoNET from the contract running the elections after it was revealed that NeoNET was donating huge amounts of money to one of the candidates. Finally, when corporate security was suspiciously lax in protecting metahuman voters from the Ork Underground, Oaks and her associates organized a citizen escort program that stopped new voters from being harassed.

After all of this work, for the first time we have a candidate for the people and of the people, not for the corps and of the corps. Thank you Dana Oaks.

And now we have Josephine Dzughashvili as our Governor. Governor, you have a bit job ahead of you and lots of people who will want you to fail. But we, the people, want you to succeed. We need you to succeed.

And so let me ask that your first act as Governor be to grant UCAS SINs to all the SINless. Let us all come into recognition and citizenship. Your motto was “Seattle for the Seattlites.” The SINless are Seattlites, too. Let us usher in a new age of equality, recognition, and fairness. Governor Josephine Dzughashvili, the ball is in your court. Make us proud and live up to the faith we’ve put in you.

 (Photo of the New Dragon by Reporter Thoth)

Purple Reign--(by Demmalition1)

There’s no feeling in this world quite as good as a full slab of ribs with extra sauce on Election Day. The taste of the delicate blending of spices and herb with the smooth texture of the meat ripping from the bone as you tear the sinew apart, gnashing and gnawing until you can’t eat another bite. The locals at the Big Rhino on Seneca St and 1st Ave were apprehensive of me at first. I mean, I look like the ghost of Christmas Future had one too many benders and hadn’t ate or seen sunlight in a year, a far cry from the raucous revelry that defined the gathered crowds there. The libations flew out of the tap faster than the barkeep could keep up, the rip-roaring crowds were eying to have my head before I had even sat down at the wooden communal long tables. But I’m a journalist, and money talks. Soon I was hanging out with Bot’Khams and Skraachas singing songs and folk tales with the little Orz’et I knew. I think I swore at a guy at some point and broke his nose, it all was a little hazy in there getting interviews for this of all historic elections. I learned quite a bit about the Ork Underground, the stuff that most normal people don’t know. Sure, you know of the 22 official entrances and the 35-50 square blocks of the cityscape that comprise the Underground (depending on measurement). You may even know of the roughly 100,000 residents that reside within her dark and damp womb of a civilization still trying to stumble into society. But do you know of the unofficial entrances?  Of the best way to get from Pike Place to 4th Street?  Do you know of the culture that has truly built in the dark corners of society?

After it’s official creation in the early 1900’s when the city decided to raise the street levels and how the Underground’s culture was seminally birthed in the hellfires of the Night of Rage in 2039. Born out of distrust and fear, it hasn’t fared well since then despite the great strides taken in having its own arts, shopping malls, and police force alongside those of Knight Errant who dare not venture past any official entrance like Lordstrung’s Department on 5th and Pine. After the elves left of their own accord and the dwarves evicted some time after, the trolls, orks and other HMHVV metatypes who make up this city beneath a city finally have the first official chance for their voices to be heard. The passage of Prop 23 in 2074 with the help of current candidate Josephine Dzhugashvili made the Ork Underground an official district within the city. Thus, they are now a people who will finally have a chance to steer their own future as they see fit alongside the rest of society on the surface basking in the glow of the warming sun.

This story would go on about how the election went smoothly, and how the rightful candidate eventually won in an election, which showed the righteous prospects of the democratic system that we have chosen to live under. But this is the Sixth World omae, and it’s not that simple here, is it?  As I was exiting the Seattle Utilities Building where the Big Rhino is located, I heard the loud BANG! BANG! BANG! of several grenades not too far from my present location. Gunfire had erupted in our fair city as those who could not tolerate tolerance had decided to suppress the vote. Scanning the newsfeeds, I saw several reports of runner teams being contracted out by a certain political activist to escort vulnerable Ork Underground voters to their polling stations. The only way to keep the vote in the way of Brackhaven’s legacy and his Troll Killer friends was to kill those who disagreed with them. For ruling through fear and tyranny is so much easier than earning the trust and support of those you govern. It’s easier to silence the voices of those who choose to dissent with bullets and bombs than it is through reasoned discourse. And when talking fails and one is backed into a corner against the relentless march of progress, the only answer that these monsters know is to lash out and hurt as many people as they can. Filthy beasts.

Later I would learn that those explosions came from the Pike Place Market on Pike and 1st, just a block or so away from our location. Arriving at the scene there was a pile of bodies on the ground nearby with a sign that said “EVIDENCe”. Ares drone footage recovered shortly after the incident had shown Seattle’s favorite runners MMFEC on the scene, or at least that’s the word going around these days, some of them are difficult to make out. Many of the bodies in the pile were dead... good. They have no right in attacking the truly innocent who for the first time in their lives can cast a vote for change. Locals say that the polling bus drove a short ways away next to that public health hazard known as ‘The Gum Wall’ in Post Alley to continue voting. I chose not to pursue, they had been through enough that day without one more mentally insane nutjob hounding them.

On my drive back from some investigative legwork a few hours later, a heavy rain began to blanket the city, drenching it to its bones. A cold pallor had hung over the events from earlier today with all the violence inflicted upon it during a most momentous of occasions. So what was all the tension from? Reports soon came flooding in of a second attack on a crowd of protesters on University and 4th. The 405 Hellhounds and the Halloweeners had met up and started massacring a crowd of local protestors, but they were fought off by a team of runners. Security camera footage shows expert level sniping, spirit use, combat hijacking, and AoE lightning spell use taking out all enemy combatants. It’s odd how the Hellhounds, a group out of Bellevue that is harboring Molotov in the the Cedar Rim Apartments in New Castle, would be all the way out on University St. which is at least 30-45 minutes away on a decent day without this election gridlock. They clearly weren’t fighting the Halloweeners over turf, no matter what the corporate shills might tell you on the nightly news. All signs pointed to trouble both ways. There’s clearly more to play here than at first glance, and this reporter will say that they were meant to distract and rile up emotions for what is to come later. Protesters aren’t the Blood Mountain Boys, they aren’t Renraku, and they aren’t deserving of the ire of Nightmare’s gang. So what is it?

I arrived to the scene of ganger attack, standing outside Dassurn Securities and Investments trying and see if I could glean anything from the locals or law enforcement nearby. Security cam footage was monitored at the time, and all I could get was small fragments of The Truth. Not good. Tensions were rising all over the city as the peaceful protests from earlier had turned heated despite the cool November air. I then started to make my way towards the bulk of the crowd to get more information for a better angle on the story.

The streets were stifling and the crowd was growing restless. The storm was vastly picking up in both intensity and sheer terror as there was something in the air even I could feel. Pure, unbridled hatred for everyone and everything swelled within me, as usual. But this was something else entirely, something unsettling in its tempo as if the music of a thousand choirs had started shouting to the heavens to strike down the heathens and bring about the apocalyptic end times. The crowds were bathed in the floodlights and vidscreen adverts from high above like New York’s Time Square. The air was cool with the collective breath of hundreds wafting above. The sewers beneath were steaming, adding to the ambiance of a night about to go horribly wrong. The rain-slicked pristine uniforms of Knight Errant Riot Control bathed in an unsettling glow against the crowd. The crowd itself seemingly incited by the high winds and the drenching rain, an election soon to not be forgotten no matter the outcome.

I made my way to a safe spot just outside the riotous crowd at 405 Pine St. right outside the mall. Police had erected barricades cordoning off the rioters into a large and unruly section of brutal and primitive peoples. They were no longer themselves, I could see it in their eyes as they swayed and thrashed in the dirge of human emotion coursing itself through their bodies. The bullet had hit the bone, shot through, and lodged itself in the sternum of the people. The tepid stalemate where the air seemed to hold still but for a brief moment had been shattered into a thousand pieces as an unquenchable rage had began to wash over everyone. It was going to get ugly.

Suddenly, the crowd was bathed in a sea of red and white, mimicking their rage as a flash briefing was shooting across all vidscreens in the area: MANASTORM! WARNING!  SEEK COVER IMMEDIATELY!  This was meant to help the people, not incite them to their next stage of panged frenzy and hysteria. It was as if a switch had been activated in all their brains at once, with violence erupting from every man, woman, and child there. Someone within the crowd threw thermal smoke grenades and lit the powderkeg.

The Knight Errant police force who was there to protect had given into their baser instincts as they began to move in with rubber bullets, tasers, smoke, tear gas, shields, truncheons, and boots at the ready. Like the Carthaginians encircling the Romans at the Battle of Cannae, the police locked rank and began to systematically move in and beat the ever-loving shit out of every head not behind the protection of a security officer’s helmet. I saw one man beg for mercy as a policeman hit him hard enough to knock out some teeth and the proceed to brutally stomp on his head with his heavy iron boots to the point where the man couldn’t be recognized even by his own mother. But something else, something interesting was happening in the pits of the Seattle Police Command Unit: the Hannibal of this slaughter was trying to prevent it!  I saw Lt. Salazar Monroe barking over the horn trying to calm his own men, one of whom went by the name of Falstoff. Through careful handling of the explosive situation Lt. Monroe was able to reign in his own men and stop the tasing, beating, and outright assault of the innocents currently underneath the jackboot of cruel men. A swift and brutal punishment will be incoming I hope, Lieutenant, the same as in Boston. However, as you all know by now, that wasn’t the end of the night, not by a long shot.

From the heavens above erupted a loud CRACK as lightning struck the spire of the Shiawase Corporate tower on Thomas and Westlake near the Telestrian Industries building, a branch of Shiawase’s Seattle headquarters in Tacoma. This was immediately followed by more loud cracks, each increasing in intensity as if the gods above were punishing the city by whipping it into submission. I wouldn’t blame them after all of the horrid atrocities we had visited upon ourselves. Each crack increased with intensity again and again, bathing the crowds with the glowing light of a long overdue Rapture meant to smite the damned and wash this city clean of all its SINs. The final crack is what brought about an Eldritch horror from beyond the metaplanes and is the closest anyone will ever get to an honest to God religious experience. A goddamned dragon had ripped a hole straight out of its own physical realm and entered ours. With a glistening purple, teal, and indigo hue to its scales it roared into existence, defying all before it and looking with absolute menace at the civilization below with its ants scurrying along the electric highways and streets. It had the look like royalty of old, which often used the color purple in their dyes to denote their status above all others. For that reason I’ve decided to nickname it ‘Prince.’  Prince was not alone however, as it was fighting with viscous determination from being dragged back in by other creatures of the metaplane. Vines were constantly sheared off and rethrown on in a poor attempt to lasso it in. Further, giant metallic glowing bladed legs like those of a spider were trying to stab and drag it in to be consumed by whatever abominable horror existed from the great beyond.

Prince began to glow with the fury of a thousand suns as it charged up its foreboding spinal spikes. The air around it seemed to vibrate as a terrible sound filled the air. It launched a devastating ball of lightning at the Evo Corporate store, shattering the building and causing untold damage to both property and people. However, just as suddenly as Prince had appeared, it disappeared into the night. The rage that seemed to have everyone in its firm grasp subsided substantially, but not all the way. Many were coming to grips with what they had done, and police-coordinated busses had arrived to get the civilians out of the danger zone, protocol be damned. Chatter over unofficial channels indicated that a relief effort had been set up several blocks away from the danger zone, enough distance to process everyone and the events surrounding this crisis safely.

There was still much debate over the dragon, was it actually there?  Or was it a trick of the mind of the people trying to process what was going on in one of the most intense recorded manastorms in recent memory. A certain signal floated across the Matrix, as I saw a certain someone modify the base code that was currently controlling the loudspeakers surrounding the event. Normally reserved for adverts and other corporate drek, it now was used to pipe soothing music through the speakers from a central mainframe in an attempt to calm everyone down. It succeeded, but not as much as this person may have wanted. The mall was now emptying out, with many people deeming it safe to exit and get away from others who had just moments ago rioted with reckless abandon. Amusingly, a rather funny mixture of Christmas music from the mall was being mixed in with the soothing loudspeakers, creating a rather unique harmony. This music, of course, was contrasted with the anguished wailing of the crowd which just moments ago had been violated by police brutality. Though I will say that in the end the music did its job, even if it took longer than usual to register.

Prince reappeared in all its splendorous glory a short while later, I but the onlooker. It charged up once more, horrible spines glistening behind the heavy sheath of rain, the cackle of electricity visible from far away via overhead drones. It launched again, hitting Saeder Krupp and blasting off the top 10 floors in a hail of rubble and glowing energy. An all-hands call went out on a wide-beam commlink channel from a protected source that requested any and all experienced personnel help deal with the dragon with a hefty payday in store for all involved. I had to get to Shiawase Tower to cover the events. The background count was increasing again, I think. It could just be me having to enter the lair of the beast once more.

On my way there, Prince circled above the city like a bird of prey looking for its next meal. It locked on to something, I could tell. Its gaze unmoving and its eyes unblinking it tucked in its wings and dive bombed the Mitsuhama shipping and receiving warehouse, obliterating both it and all the poor souls trapped inside. Whoever summoned this thing will pay, I’ll make sure of it. The last thing they will know is that this city does NOT forget any attacks brought upon it by atrocious people with demonstrable motives. Luckily, Prince was now being reigned in by an ent and what I can only guess is the horrible manifestation of a mind so depraved that Satan himself would shudder in fear. The all consuming rage seemed to lessen as well, all but confirming my theory that Prince is tied to the manastorm.

Arriving at the Shiawase building was quite the sight to see. Magic ebbed and flowed through the air, giving it an energy unfelt but by a select few of the population. A rhythmic humming seemed to vibrate from every raindrop and every pore of my body; very powerful magic was at hand here. Entering inside and taking the elevator to the 35th floor allowed me enough time to formulate a plan, but what does one do against a dragon?  I decided to take as many photos as I could, hoping that this could be enough to land a few people in jail. I noted a suspicious lack of security personnel inside.

While taking the stairwell the rest of the way to the 50th floor plaza where the ritual was being cast, I heard a loud cackling again, much more ominous now that I was so close to the source. Prince let loose another attack, hitting the local Horizon Matrix and radio tower in the area, sending an overload signal across the entire network; increasing both background Matrix noise as well as the background mana count significantly. Reaching the 50th floor I got a ping from a local feed from a fellow reporter showing drone cam footage of a closeup of Prince. It really was beautiful with all its colors in full regalia on display. I peeked through the 50th floor stairwell door seeing what could only be described as an all out war between the runner team known as MMFEC and several men.

What’s most interesting is that these were no ordinary men opposing these runners, and a quick matrix search for their identification confirmed my suspicions that these three men looked like departed Shiawase executive Arislen, a little TOO much like him. These men were definitely clones of the departed ex-executive. The Shiawase motto of ‘Advancing Life’ holds up well, even if they have to ruin many other lives in the process it seems. These human favoring semi-metaist magic fetishists will stop at nothing to obtain power, being both the first megacorp and the last megacorp if they had their way.

With the battle raging at the top of the Shiawase building, I helped out where I could, lending a hand to Ma1nfram3 to gain control of the Stick-n-Shock turrets inside. A second person ran past with a package in hand, running back out just as quickly like a rabbit on novacoke. During the battle, even the Shiawase building itself was rocked as Prince seemingly knew it was being attacked and swiped at the building, showering glass onto those below. I knew when to leave, and exited the building as quickly as I could. About the time I got to the 38th floor I heard a final loud CRACK and went to the large picture window to peer out across the vast Sprawl. Prince had fought back the vines and blades tying it to the other side, cutting the umbilical cord and breaking free...

Now that Prince broke free, the rage from earlier was replaced with a calming and serene presence. Like a soothing massage, a wave of good vibrations went through my and many other bodies; it was simply unexplainable. The rain died down to a gentle trickle of water droplets and the mana subsided. But it was not over dear readers, not by a long shot. From the distance a bright orange dragon, Hesteby, appeared from behind the clouds, roaring and screaming her way to our newly birthed dragon. They ferociously clashed with one another and got lost in the rain clouds, lightning providing brief silhouettes of the two combatants. I made my way to the main floor lobby to a murder of runners at the base, all of whom were wondering what was happening above.

Finally, our favorite runners MMFEC exited the stairwell, entranced with the blunt of the calming spell which radiated out earlier. None of us among the crowd besides MMFEC knew exactly what had transpired above, but we knew that whatever had occurred was going to upend everything we thought we knew about the Sixth World. I wanted to probe them for information, but the haze that clouded their minds was far too powerful to penetrate. Any inkling of The Truth that I might get out of them would be too tarnished. The cool night air dissipated all sense that something momentous had occurred, leaving only the remains of a freezing rain. I stopped by ‘The Edge’ on 9th and Denny before heading back to the local watering hole in the Metroplex and returning home soon after.

And this is where I am now, dear readers. I wish I could say that I have all the answers to just what has happened tonight. I do not. I know nothing, unfortunately, save for this: we will not cower in fear going forward, for that is not what we residents of Seattle do. We do not lay down our arms and throw up our hands when tragedy strikes during what is supposed to be a time of jubilation. We will not go quietly into the night. We will not go without a fight. We will fight on. We will mend our wounds and rebuild our structures. We will bury our dead with a solemn grace that they deserve in remembrance. Tragedy strikes, so we will strike back twice as hard under the new leadership of Dzhugashvili and then strike back twice as hard again. For we are Seattleites, all of us. From the lowest SINless to the highest executive we will band together. We are the human, the elf, the troll, the dwarf, the ork, and all other metatypes that live within our city. Yell at the face of fear, turn away the face of anger, and spit upon the face of death himself.

Do not give up, ever.

 Corp News:

Renraku Enters the Corporate Wars?

Renraku had long prided themselves on staying above the violent conflicts between other corporations. Renraku was so well thought of within corporate culture, that their corporate retreat facilities would often be chosen as the location for negotiations between corporations in conflict. This relative time of peace for Renraku was broken a few weeks ago when Renraku’s Heavy Industry was attacked. In the subsequent weeks, Renraku’s Red Samurai, in cooperation with Ares’s Knight Errant, have been busy investigating the attack and this week the results of their joint investigations have been made public. According to Renraku and Knight Errant the culprit is none other than Wuxing Incorporated.

In the immediate aftermath of the revelations, a Renraku spokesperson reacted, “We are a peaceful company, built on honor and tradition. We have done nothing but reach out to other companies to make a better future for all of us. This attack will not go unnoticed. Because we are an honorable company, we will not resort to attacking others like assassins in the night. We will face you head on, sword in hand, and you will know as you lie bloodied on the battleground that it is us you fought. It is what a man of honor would do.” Not much later Wuxing suffered violent attacks against both its Shipyards and Heavy Industry factories. Should one assume those attacks were co-ordinated by Renraku?

Of course there is one problem. Wuxing vehemently denies they were behind the Heavy Industry attacks, but the evidence does not look good for Wuxing. A Renraku executive with knowledge of the Red Samurai investigations gave this statement, “We are very concerned about our heavy industry sector, and when we were attacked we took immediate action. We made a formal and thorough investigation into the matter in collaboration with governmental officials and the help of the Ares Knight Errant. Or findings concluded Wuxing had attacked us. Our personal history with the AAA corporations back this investigation. While it is true we have reached out to Wuxing to collaborate in the past, we have never heard back from them. Nonetheless, while we were never allied with the Hong Kong base company, we have also never wished them ill will until we found them sneaking around in the night with their daggers aimed at our backs.”

Ares corroborated what Renraku reported, with an Ares Public Relations representative giving this terse response: Thank you for your interest, SEATTLE STREET NEWS! As I'm sure you know, Knight Errant is devoted to maintaining Peace and Order in the Seattle Metroplex. In the interest of this, Knight Errant was contacted by RENRAKU'S RED SAMURAI with evidence of WUXING's attacks against them. As this is an OPEN investigation, I'm afraid we cannot disclose the specific details of said evidence. The investigation's findings were bolstered by the fine work of LIEUTENANT MONROE's subordinates, who conducted all interviews with the Shadowrunnners in our custody, in accordance with the law. We are aware that WUXING has plead their innocence, as is often the case in matters such as these. Regardless of how WUXING chooses to portray themselves in the Public's eye, it should be remembered that Justice is blind. No further comment is available at this time.

Inside tipsters gave more information on the Knight Errant/Red Samurai investigative task force letd by Lt. Monroe. Monroe apparently has found initial success through the apprehension of a runner team called Griffin’s Fear, made up of Blue Papa Delta and X-Ray. It was apparently this team of runners who attacked Renraku’s Heavy Industry, and sources inside Knight Errant have leaked that Griffin’s Fear has sold out their employers and implicated Wuxing as the ones that hired them. In the immediate aftermath of Renraku’s declaration, an unnamed member of Wuxing had this response:  “The inaccuracy of your investigations only reveal the inadequacy of your corporation.” But it did not take much digging to get more detailed and more official responses from Wuxing: Normally Wuxing is happy to comply with Knight Errant investigations, however given the fact that at the time of the start of this recent investigation Wuxing did not have a Heavy Industries subsidiary it causes one to wonder whether it is incompetence or corruption that prompted such an investigation. It is sad to see such a shameful showing as Knight Errant generally does a good job at keeping the peace. That being said Wuxing had no part in any attacks on Renraku's Heavy Industry so as long as assurances can be made that any investigation will be handled unbiasly we are happy to aid in whatever way we can to discover the ones truly responsible for the attacks in question.”

Wuxing claims that because they had no Heavy Industry presence at the time of the attacks, that they could not have launched the attacks against Renraku. This is a compelling argument, however, it is possible to launch attacks in a sector one does not have a presence it…it is just more expensive to do so. In response to the leaks from the taskforce and Wuxing’s protestation of innocence, taskforce leader Lt. Monroe, replied, "Sounds like someone jumped to conclusions about who did what. Or that these contractors are covering. Either way, when I get back, I will have a very long discussion with whoever got this collar."

How will all of this shake out? It is unclear. However, Wuxing doubled down on their claims of innocence. “In response to the accusations that Renraku made regarding the attacks on their Heavy Industries subsidiary Wuxing had no part in them in any way. We don't know if these accusations are due to treachery on the part of another Corporation or if Renraku is intentionally spreading these lies to further some agenda of their own. In your accusations you mentioned honour yet your actions have shown none, Wuxing however will show you true honour in that we will refrain from retaliation this once. We recommend that in the future you work on improving your investigatory abilities to hopefully avoid any further embarrassments such as this.”

Wuxing opened up the possibility of burying the hatched, and maybe Renraku will accept? A Renraku exec responded, “As to what is next? That is solely up to Wuxing. We are, of course, always amenable to peace, but they must know that we will not lay down and take any attacks that come our way.”

What will happen in this corporate war? Is it over almost as quickly as it began? Or will it continue? Let’s hope that there won’t be anymore casualties on the streets of Seattle.

 Reflections on the Shipping Market

The article is one of a series looking at the current state of individual corporate subsidiaries in the Seattle Metroplex. This particular issue focuses on the Metroplex Shipping.

The Shipping market is not a particularly large market in Seattle with a value of 94.2¥B, yet it is one that continuously draws a lot of interest. There are five megacorporations with major shipping presence in Seattle: Wuxing (31.9%), Renraku (25.4%), Evo (16.1%), Shiawase (13.5%), Ares (12.1%). Shipping, which is crucial to any corporation’s ability to function globally, has traditionally been a small market in Seattle, yet it has generated a lot of interest. Ares, which had a shipping division, sold it to Shiawase, only to create a new shipping division not much later. Renraku is also a new megacorp in the Shipping market. However, even if a corp doesn’t have a Shipping division, everyone seems invested in Shipping one way or another.

SSN reached out to Wuxing, Renraku, Evo, Shiawase, and Ares for comment on their view of the market. Ares had little to say, though remarked “Considering the thought and care and effort that Ares puts into all of its products, preparing them for delivery around the world and handing them off to strangers is simply not an option. We all remember what happened aboard the Wuxing Cargo Container vessel not so long ago.” For Ares, its Shipping division is a way to keep control over its own destiny, and it seems to be that way for most megacorps.

The newest corp on the shipping dock, Renraku, focused on the way that their investments in shipping help Renraku remain diversified and successful between the different parts of its megacorp: “If Heavy Industry is the backbone of a corporation, shipping is the blood. It feeds production, and feeds research. Through shipping we are able to take locally produced materials and create a global market. It is how we take raw ore and minerals from the Americas and turn it into processors and Trideo machines on the opposite end of the globe.

Because of this important aspect, not only does shipping help create jobs across the globe, through making global trade easier, shipping brings people together.

On a personal level, shipping has been a large boon to us recently. While we at Renraku can not claim to be the largest in any specific sector, we can claim a diverse portfolio, coming in second in five separate sectors. Shipping has been integral in maintaining such a portfolio, and sacrificing some capital to it shipping in the short term has allowed us to maintain our diversity in the long term. It allows us to transfer goods from one sector to another in the most efficient manner, making breakthroughs in research easier.”

Wuxing, one of the oldest and most established shipping Megacorps, had another take on the matter. Most especially interesting, considering the recent accusations made by Renraku that Wuxing was responsible for the attacks against their Heavy Industry, is the shade Wuxing throws against Renraku in this statement: “We have had a long history in shipping. It’s where we started and what led to us being able to do many of the things that we do today. While other corporations shipping focused on internal matters, we have had a lengthy relationship with smaller businesses and have strong ties to the smaller corporations of the world. This is not something to be taken lightly. It requires trust and the ability to work amicably with direct competitors. Our family approach has helped us in this portion of the shipping business, and is the cornerstone of what our other businesses ventures are based on. We are currently focused on finding new and innovative ways to secure our shipments from outside forces and better ways to ship internationally in general. Our short foray into heavy industry was part of this development and we learned much to further advance our shipping industry.

We are aware that other corporations are trying to expand their shipping subsidiaries and that it is becoming a closely contested market. We were intrigued by Ares return after abandoning its previous shipping subsidiary. The most noticeable development is Renraku’s continued growth. While others have had subsidiaries and may occasionally increase their market share, Renraku has made a concerted effort that the others have not. Given Renraku’s history with collecting extensive data on its consumer base and previous track record within the Seattle metroplex, most notably of course the Renraku lockdown, we wonder what shipping with Renraku might lead to for those who choose to use their services.”

SSN was able to discuss the Shipping market with one of Seattle’s premier financial analysts, recently rescued Saeder-Krupp executive Vorack, who had the following analysis to impart:

Vorack: Time for a quick little analysis on shipping as overall it’s been rather dull. It started off with just three corps interested in it at all. Ares, Shia and Wuxing but Ares suffered a massive catastrophe and quickly sold off their entire division off to Shia, my guess is this is the start of that little alliance the two of them share though. What’s impressive about this, and I think Shia would probably be a little upset about me saying this, is I know for certain that Shia actually had teams inside Ares espionaging them at the time, so good job for Shia and being sneaky. What seems odd, is shortly after Ares sold off their sub both Wuxings and Shias own segments got attacked, and they were only the two corps left, so who would do the attacking and what did they have to gain from it?

The only thing I can think of is maybe it was Evo trying to weaken the entire segment as they were the first corp to join in and just one month after the attacks, you could say they happened to get in just in time for the Shipping Wars™. That same week Shia was attacked repetitively in all of their segments, seems like an odd coincidence considering the history behind those two megacorps. Since then, you could say its been smooth sailing... he he he. Renraku joined up and Ares decided to get back into the shipping game a couple weeks after them. I can see why everyone wants to be part of Shipping, its necessary in everyday life. I have no problem admitting that us here at SK have recently used Wuxing as our primary corp when we need to move our projects or resources.

Though after last weeks announcement from both Ares and Renraku that Wuxing was the one that attacked our Heavy Industry, maybe we will be switching to a more honorable corporation. But think of us here in Seattle, we are a very long way from SK's main hub back in Essen and without a strong link between the two, we of course would be weaker as a whole. Shipping is needed in life and I’m happy to see that the time I considered the Shipping Wars™ has seen to come to an end.

Is Vorack correct? Are the Shipping Wars over or will the problems in Heavy Industry find its way back into Shipping? It seems not if this weeks attacks on Wuxing are any indication. Even if the Megacorps have calmed down in Shipping, that doesn’t mean that everyone is safe who sails the high seas or the highways. It is important to note that it isn’t just Megacorps who have violent intentions towards Seattles shipping lanes. It was only a few months ago that a Wuxing ship was attacked—most likely by organized crime and only a few weeks ago that our highways were plagued with magic fire and gun fire. Shipping is life blood to any city, and it is also a career path for many regular people without fancy educations. Let’s keep our shippers safe.

 Features:

Once More 3--(by Breach)

Having followed Howling Coyote on his magical path to power, the world is a very different place than it was in 2000, but we haven’t run out of surprises yet. With mana levels still rising, in 2021 some critical threshold is passed, and on April 30th, one-in-ten humans (which means elves and dwarves were exempt) transformed into either an ork or a troll.

The media dubbed it “Goblinization”, and many feared a new disease outbreak was on its way - the scars of VITAS had yet to heal. Global responses varied, but by far the most common was fear, revulsion, and anger. Orks and trolls were rounded up and interned away from “normal” people (some places, not even elves and dwarves avoided this fate).

It is rumored that the death of Great Britain’s King George VII is due to his Goblinization and subsequent execution by the British military. 

The worst of these “camps” would probably be Yomi Island, in part because of its longevity - it was not until 2062 that Japan would allow its metahuman population to live among them, and the scars of Yomi can still be felt today. 

To add insult to injury, in the autumn of 2022, VITAS did return, killing another ten percent of the population - with deaths being disproportionately among humans and elves, as dwarves, orks and trolls all enjoy an increased natural immunity to the virus. The outbreak would likely have been worse, but magical treatments practiced by traditional medicine men in the poorer regions of the world proved incredibly successful in containing the worst of the disease.

In the wake of Goblinization and VITAS 2.0, world governments continue to crumble, many ceding power to private corporations in a desperate bid to remain relevant. Once public-trust functions, such as policing, increasingly get bid out to private contractors, leading to the rise of entities such as Lone Star and Knight Errant across the globe.

As governments collapse, corporate power continues to rise; ASIST has brought simsense to the world, and having bridged the gap between mind and machine, cyberware becomes increasingly common; the rich and privileged even look towards artificial prosthetics to enhance their natural abilities, not just replace lost functions.

Alongside this great technological advancement, magic becomes mainstream; on the back of the Great Dragon Schwartzkopf accepting a professorship at the University of Prague, more and more institutions around the globe start offering professional degrees in magic studies. In 2022, the term “Awakened” is first used to describe the magically active, and a field of studies follows in its wake.

But the worst was to come, because 2029 held another pivot point in our path: the first Crash.

We’ll talk about that next week.

Questions about history? Ask Breach! breach.ssn@gmail.com

 Seattle Street News is an independent activist news source released weekly on Tuesdays or Wednesdays

[Watch CorporateSINs on every Wednesday, 6pm PST or on Youtube at, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h11c7BLFQtc&list=PLHKocVDXoWBtzze1SGGUnU6KB5UFrDLFo]

[littlequeenies]

💬 Joe Johnson: “The Last Exit was the place for trippers. Really miss that scene”. The Last Exit on Brooklyn was an iconic Seattle coffeehouse in the University District. It was known for its folk performances and bohemian conversations. There are only a few photos of the interior, but it was known as a haven that brought together all types of people in the community. 💬 Ricardo Wang: “I met Demri and Layne at The Last Exit tripping their brains out. After that I would always see Demri at Peace Heathens [Seattle activist group] events and she’d be all “You look familiar, are you an Alice in Chains fan?” Each time I had to tell her that I met them while they were peaking at the Last Exit.” Sadly, The Last Exit on Brooklyn closed permanently in 2000 and appears in the historical photography book “Vanishing Seattle”.

The Seattle Peace Heathens Community Action Group in which Demri was in, was an activism group formed in 1988 Seattle, founded by Vivian McPeak. They would organise peace vigils to protest war or any other current events going on at the time. They were most known for their advocation for legalising marijuana and ended up being known for their annual Seattle Hempfests starting in 1991. They are still an active group.

Information from World of Demri instagram account.

Main photo and more information about The Last Exit from Seattle Star.

Last Exist on Wikipedia

Last Exit on Facebook

Last Exist on Seattle Wiki Fandom

Last Exit Facebook group

Seattle Peace Heathens crisis resource directory

[littlequeenies]

Behind the scenes photographing Demri. Vintage purse, cowboy boots, old suede jacket, thrift store psychedelic suitcase, ashtray, embroidered Indian Kaftan, Peace Heathens sticker, and a generously poured glass of red wine. Just two girls spending a bright, beautiful Seattle day making pictures. I was spellbound.

@kristakayphoto

[thehillcastle]

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I’ve spent the afternoon arting in peace 🥰🌲🎨🐺🖤✨ #ancientwoodland #witcheswoods #pnwcoast #witchery #theowlsarenotwhattheyseem #darkphotography #witchythings #witchydecor #seattle #witchessociety #heathen #lostinthewoods #witchythings #enchante… https://t.co/Hm13bwQhUG pic.twitter.com/icLoy8lnL4

— Jess Purser (@jess_purser) July 13, 2019