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Romps and Reconstruction in Loka: Steam, Magic, and Mysteries in the Frozen Wasteland.

The “White Circle”, or in the traditional tribal language, Vishadavrtta are a loosely structured organization opposed to the spread of Lokan urbanization and technology into tribal and wilderness areas. Membership is drawn mainly from traditional Pasu tribal society, though some sympathizers and back-to-nature enthusiasts from the cities are involved, including a few humans.

A noticeable characteristic of the Circle is their use of what they purport to be “group” magic. Long held to be impossible by the Cela, they regularly conduct large-scale rituals with claimed scaleups in magical effect, even including “non-magical” people in these. There is considerable conflict between the Circle and the Cela, with one accusing the other of magical elitism and collaboration in a technological dystopia, and conversely, of nihilism and fraud.

Leadership seems to be rather diffuse, with groups in several areas acting independently, and not even necessarily consistently. Agitators in several northern cities covertly distribute pamphlets and other propaganda, railing against the excesses of the corporations, especially Naraka, and other alleged environmental abuses.

The Circle have come to particular prominence recently with the building of the Trans-Lokan Railroad?. As soon as construction started, Vishadavrttans began a series of actions against these efforts, including physical and magical attacks, as well as an intensified series of civic protests. With the long-delayed final section of the Acre-Serendipity track finally nearing completion, these have escalated further, with several companies of the Army deployed in the area to protect the railroad, and to find those engaged in hostile activity.

Categories: Organizations