0305 — The Northmost Collaboration

Most of the ancient paths that wind up the mountains of the wilds lead to dead ends, terminating on cliffs or hillsides where there was once a road, or a town, or a bridge, but no longer. If you follow the most well trodden of these mountain roads, though, you will find an old drystone fortress built to watch the mountain passes, around which many exiles have constructed new homes of their own.

The central fortress structure is effectively one large watchtower with a small wall around it which served as defense, lookout post, and sleeping quarters for those stationed here long ago. Its new inhabitants are primarily transcendentalists, both those who have been exiled from Catage for sedition and those who have struck out into the wilds of their own volition. They value the sense of isolation and natural landscape around the settlement, as well as the strong winds that come through the mountains from the north. Their campsites, built of tents, yurts, and small lodges placed wherever there is space to accommodate them, spills down the mountainside from the fortress structure which serves as the social center of the settlement, where trade and leisure are conducted.

A thought that has thoroughly captured many of the transcendentalists is that it is worth considering the materiality of air and sky as things that shape the malleable land under them, rather than the oft-held opposite, which has kicked off a fad of kite-building. Kites of all sizes and descriptions are scattered throughout the settlement, and groups of hobbyists are constantly making and debating the merits of various kite-designs.

The Northmost Collaboration functions as a town by TNU’s economic standards, partially due to smuggling supply lines and partially by being bankrolled by the rich relatives of some of the transcendentalists who set out on purpose. A council of (mostly) trusted citizens provides what governance happens here, modeled partially on the anarchist’s of 0208 volunteer coordinator models and partially on the whims of the family members of the most generous donors.

The settlement is known for being the best place to buy and sell books, paper, and other academic supplies, on account of the transcendentalists interests in such matters.

The population is around 300.

Some notable denizens and locations:

An ancient wooden church in shockingly good repair due to being in the lee of a cliffside has been repurposed into a place of learning by the transcendentalists. It has a sizable library donated by some of the benefactors of the settlement as well as from various members personal collections. There are arguments over what to name the institution. Mallow (they/he) is a young transcendentalist who is trying to organize a poetry practice here.

Casamir (he/she) provided the settlement with a large and sturdy telescope that is invaluable to the settlement’s research into the heavens and provides the ability to spy on interlopers to its domain. She will not let anyone forget that she did this.

Innes (he/him) is a fire cult spy who is often here, pretending to be a trader in odd jewelry. He claims this is the ideal place to unload odd cargo he finds at other settlements due to the transcendentalist’s eccentricities (which is true), but the relative closeness to the temple at 0604 is what really makes it a good place to operate.