We wrap up the tour of the rest of the NAN with arguably the most interesting and, from a game perspective, playable of the Volume 2 Nations. Tsimshian is the drekhole, Athabascan is the cold one, T-PA is the even colder one, but A-M is the one with nicer weather and elves. Let’s check it out.

It’s easy to see why! It has Saskatoon! Say no more!

(I will say more because yes I am making fun of Saskatoon for no reason)

But seriously: it borders the following nations:

Salish-Shidhe Council

Athabascan Council

Sioux Nation

UCAS

Quebec

You just know that panzers are smuggling everything through this land. With 8% of its population being “pinkskin” tribes, it doesn’t have the same prejudices against non-natives as some other nations, and with 26% of its population being Elves, your Elf Mage, Elf Street Samurai, and Elven Decker will fit right in.

Let’s talk about elves for a moment

Something I missed when I discussed the Salish-Shidhe Council back in Volume 1 (perhaps distracted by how much the fragging Makah are fragging) was the origin of the name. From the 1st Edition Core Book:

The S-S Council is one of two members of NAN to have a high proportion of metahumans, as reflected by its name. “Salish” refers to the dominant Native American tribes and “Shidhe” (pronounced SHE-hee), the old Irish name for the fairy folk, signifies the metahuman participation. The other nation in this group is the Algonkian-Manitoo Council.

NAN v.2 notes that “Manitoo” is Algonkian for “elf”, but a closer translation would be “spirit” in the deific sense – Ashaa Monetoo is the Great Spirit who created the universe. Also derived from “manitou” (as it is respelled in later editions) is Lake Manitoba (and its eponymous Canadian province) and a variety of place names throughout North America.

If you are making your way through Manitowoc, WI, “Dwelling of the Great Spirit”, be sure to stop at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, home of the WWII submarine USS Cobia.

So, yet again, elves have co-opted yet another culture’s pantheon and will use it as a way to elevate themselves over the rest of metahumanity. Makes you wonder if Talislanta was onto something: