Shaman Lore

[Burkester 1247]

Written by/with: _Kraal_, BoogerBuster, HellFiazz, Mogroka, ect.

 

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What is a Shaman?

 

Originally, Shamans were characterizations for orcs who had a thinner stature when compared to their brethren. They were thought to be more apt at intellectual arts rather than brutal, physical combat.

It is, in fact, from that characterization that Shamans might have been born. A Shaman, within itself, is an envoy of the spiritual and ancestral planes. They practice rituals to visit and speak to spirits, and some of the most experienced Shamans can even travel to the planes of Apohet themselves. The Shamans have been around since the early days of Aegis, and their activity has wavered throughout the centuries.

 

There are other types of Shamans, including those who hold the ancient histories of the clan, lore, and look after the cubs. These shamans, sometimes called Clanmothers, are not what we are referring to.

 

The Daemon Apohet

 

Apohet is the Daemon of Pride and the creator of the Spirit Realm. In the ancient history, he crafted the Spirit realm and the spirits after seeing the glory and strength of Krug as he battled against Iblees.

Whereas most Aengudaemons receive power from the reverence of mortals, Apohet receives his power from the bounty and existence of his spirit realm. The more spirits there are and the more powerful they get, the stronger Apohet becomes.

 

His involvement as the creator of that realm and its inhabitants is unknown by any mortals, however. To the Shamans of the Orcs, the Spirit realm is a plane completely separate from the Seven Skies, and they do not even know who Apohet is.

 

Spirits

 

There are three types of spirits that a Shaman may interact with. These are:

 

Elemental: These spirits interact with the physical plane the most, containing spirits such as Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind.

Immortal: These spirits represent the cultural aspects of the orcs, and may also manipulate certain aspects of the world. These contain spirits such as Spirit of the Hunt and the Spirit of Fertility.

Ancestral: These are the literal ancestors of the orcish race, including Krug, his children, and the children after them.

 

To prevent confusion, the Elemental and Immortal spirits are usually referred to plainly as “Spirits”, while the Ancestral spirits are usually referred to as “Ancestors” or “Ancestrals”.

 

Different types of Shamans use these spirits in different ways, which you can read more about under the specific Shaman sub-types. Below, you will find more information on all the types of spirits.

 

Greater and Lesser Spirits

 

Not only are there three different types of spirits, but there are thousands upon thousands of spirits overall. There are an infinite number of spirits of Water, spirits of the Hunt, spirits of Lust, and so on. However, the most powerful spirit of a specific type (like Water or the Hunt) is called the Greater spirit. Every other spirit -- the ones that are not the most powerful spirit of their kind -- are called Lesser spirits.

 

A Greater spirit, as the most powerful spirit of its kind, rules over all other spirits of its kind (almost like a King ruling over citizens of a kingdom). When a Shaman wants to convene with the spirits, the Greater spirit will usually send one of its Lessers to deal with the situation.

The Lesser spirits themselves are always fighting with each other for dominance, but the shift between Lesser spirit and Greater spirit is one that seldom happens. It is very hard for a lesser spirit to gain enough power to challenge the most powerful spirit and take its place.

 

Spirits and the True Blah

 

The True Blah (also known as the Old Blah) was the original language used by the Orcs during ancient times. It differs greatly from the Blah that Orcs speak now, and few of these Orcs today even know of its existence.

Because the Greater spirits were created back in these ancient times, all spirits speak the True Blah fluently. This means that if a Shaman wants to communicate and understand a spirit of any kind, they must learn the True Blah.

A Shaman can do this through long meditation and experience, speaking with several spirits and deciphering their meaning, or studying tomes or books left behind by the ancestors.

 

Spirit Names

 

Whenever a spirit is created, it is given a name by the Daemon Apohet, called the true name, or Gijak’Bugd in the true blah (“Blood Call”). This true name separates that spirit from all others, gives it personality, individuality, and the will to function by itself. Without its name, a spirit would be nothing but a hollow shell.

Because of this, spirits are highly protective over who knows their true name. Generally, a spirit will tell no one its true name, not even those of its own kind. They will often create a fake name, or a Lodar’Bugd in the true blah (“Drum Call”). This is what others address them as, and this protects their true name from being misused.

If someone, like a shaman, were to learn the true name of a spirit, the shaman would have overwhelming power of that spirit. The spirit would be forced to follow their will, no matter if they consented or not. However, if a spirit is tricked into revealing its true name, it will call out to the other spirits of its kind, that will immediately fight against the corruption of the shaman misusing the power.

 

With this said, the Greater spirits (like Votar of the Hunt or Bregthar of the Earth) are actually known by their fake names. If those Greater spirits were to reveal their true names, a shaman with that knowledge could theoretically control all spirits of that type.

 

Elemental Spirits

 

The Elementals interact directly with the physical, mortal plane. They live in the Elemental Plane, and here, they view our world as the pure elements it is made up of.

The most common (and primary) elements are Water, Fire, Earth, and Wind. Other elements, like Space and Time, are more complex to understand, and are ultimately more powerful than those before them. The elemental spirits are separated into four different categories: Primary, Secondary, Advanced, and Master spirits.

 

Primary: Earth, Air, Fire, Water

Secondary: Light, Dark, Storm, Metal

Advanced: Life, Death, Order, Chaos

Master: Space, Time

 

The elements mentioned above are the ones understood and recognized by the Shamanic culture, but it is entirely possible that there are dozens (if not hundreds) of other elements that haven’t been discovered.

 

Immortal Spirits

 

The Immortal spirits encompass an entirely different aspect of orcish culture, rather covering the ancient, historical prayers and beliefs that orcs have had since the days of Krug. Whether it be the fabled spirit of the Hunt or the infamous spirit of Fear, there are many aspects of emotions and concepts that have been paired with a spirit.

 

These spirits originally came into existence as the offspring of the elemental spirits. The elementals believed the immortals to be inferior, and did not wish to associate with them. It was then, at the request of the elementals, that Apohet created the Immortal plane of the spirit realm.

 

Ancestral Spirits

 

It is said that when the most honorable of Orcs die, they pass through the Spirit Realm of Apohet, and are put through a mystic trial to see if they are worthy to reside within it. For those that succeed, they live on forever alongside their Orcish brothers, looking down at their Descendants.

These Ancestors include Krug, Lur, Dom. Azog, and most of the other orcish descendants that came after them.

 

The Spirit Realm

 

Located within an alcove of the Seven Skies, the Spirit Realm (or Frum’Stroh in the True Blah) is the realm created by the Daemon Apohet where spirits of all kinds live. It is split into three parts: the Elemental Plane (Voga’Stroh, from “Vogaumtar” meaning “Mystic”), the Immortal Plane (Narma’Stroh, from “Nar” meaning “No” and “Matuurz” meaning “Mortal”), and the Ancestral Plane (Stargush’Stroh).

Between all of these planes is an ethereal barrier, one which can only be bridged by Apohet himelf. This prevents Immortal spirits from warring with Immortals and Ancestors, and so on.

 

The Elemental Plane

 

The first plane created within the Spirit Realm, the Elemental plane (Voga’Stroh) is a celestial land crafted especially by the hand of Apohet himself. Because the elementals can morph the realm to their liking, it has changed drastically since its creation in early Aegis. One moment, the Earth elementals may be erecting a mountainous temple for them to reside in -- the next, they are living within mounds of the ground. This makes it hard for a Shaman to try to map out the spirit realm, and because of this, many of them have to feel their way around every time they visit.

 

The Immortal Plane

 

The second plane created within the Spirit Realm, the Immortal plane (Narma’Stroh) was created after the elementals requested seclusion. Once they had a plane completely to themselves, the Immortals immediately began warring and fighting. With each Immortal representing a heavy aspect of emotion, culture, or society, it was in their nature to bicker with each other. Nowadays, the Immortal plane is a flurry of warring spirits, hardly ever a restful place for a shaman to visit.

 

The Ancestral Plane

 

The last plane created within the Spirit Realm, the Ancestral Plane (Stargush’Stroh) was created after Krug proved his prowess of mastering and bending the will of the spirits. Here, the most honorable of orcish descendants prosper, living without the drama of war or bloodshed. It is said that sometimes, the greatest klomps in the Ancestral Plane can cause thunderstorms on the mortal world.

 

Shaman Types

 

Elementalist: Summons spirits from the Elemental plane to bless the physical world, and to use their power in devastating combat.

Farseer: Crafts blessings and buffs from the Immortal spirits which allow them to become stronger, cure ailments, and more.

Lutauman: Invokes the power of the Ancestors to increase their power in combat, and communes with these spirits to satisfy their view of Orcish culture.

Witchdoctor: Mixes and boils the force of all types of spirits, creating hexes, special potions, brews, and curses.

 

 

Farseer: By Mogrocka, added onto by Kraal

 

 

Farseers are spiritual seers of nations and clans. Farseers are gifted warriors that can travel into the plane of spirits and speak with spirits invisible to the eyes of normal orcs. Farseers are troubled by visions of the future and use their insight to guide their people through troubled times. Although Farseers may seem wise and peaceful at first, they are formidable foes; when angered, their wrath is fierce.

 

Spirits

 

There are two types of Spirits Greater and Minor, The Greater Spirits are the ones created by Krug, the old father they were created by him feeling or practicing something, for example when Krug made fire he created the fire spirit when he felt anger he created the spirit of anger, minor spirits fall under the greater spirits as they are created from other orcs so when a orc feels anger for example one is created and they serve and fall under the domain of the greater spirits of their aspect. Spirits are not good nor evil they are what they choose to be at that time although  spirits will never act out of just good well there is always something that they require or want to gain.

 

Greater Spirits become strong or weak by the actions of Orcs, when Orcs praises a spirit or calls for the spirit or sacrifices for a spirit it gains power, if a spirit loses all mention by Orcs it whittles down and shrinks in power but does not die, as Greater spirits are Immortal for example the greatest of all spirits is Votar, the Spirit of the Hunt as Orcs mention him always for example when Orcs cry Glougaz Votar that means For The Hunt.

 

Aspects

 

All the Spirits started with only one aspect for example Enrohk has three aspects he started with Bloodlust and the rest he gained, by either consuming other spirits completely or by defeating another spirit that has more than one aspect. When a Greater Spirit is consumed it does not die, it just joins in a forced union with the other spirit meaning it can regain its freedom somehow. Spirits weaken when they gain many aspects because even though he has one aspect that is powerful he may weaken because the others are not, also one spirit will never be allowed to gain to many as other spirits will combine efforts to release aspects from that spirit, there is a delicate balance.

 

Greater Spirits in the Spirit World rule vast domains and have countless of minor spirits under their control, they wage war, make peace and plot against and with each other.

 

A example of how Greater spirits interact with the Orcs before the great revival of the Orcish race by Rex Mogroka. Mogroka was contacted by Enrohk a weak spirit at that time with only bloodlust, and the former Orcish government suppressed bloodlust and tried to control it it is said Enrohk gave Mogroka powers and with Mogroka’s ascent to power bloodlust was made free and Enrohk gained power.

 

(Spirits and Elements are the same Orcs just classify spirits with element aspects as elements but in truth they are one of the same.)

 

Votar - Spirit of the Hunt.

Enrohk - Spirit of Bloodlust, Bloodshed, and War.

Tesader Spirit of Shadows

Fuxahr Spirit of Strength and Power

Ebumohr Spirit of Despair

Pefiemor Death

Iarohm Pain

Betailohn Festival and Drunkenness

Udrubal Plague and Disease

Aronebhal Learning, and Intelligence

Fabohro  Pity

Ciuscu Life

Agomoch Anger and Wrath

Bruigig Earth

Scathach Fire and formerly of war lost the aspect of war to Enrohk

Bazur Wind

Burghed Water

Xomkug Darkness and Smoke

Morbash Kloomping  

Xorag Fertility

Bilge Decay and Laziness

Bugrol  Dreams and Sleep

Igurg Smithing and Iron

Hebub Envy and Jealousy

Mor Tricks and Thievery

Durgat Destruction

Ghorza Travel

Durz Speed and Agility

Bor Discipline and Justice

Lash Strife and conflict

Garakh Ugliness

Umog Magic and Spirituality

Atub Self Sacrifice and selflessness

Borgakh Hard work and Labor

Bagrak Building

Dura Love - Weakest of Spirits

Nargol Courage and Steadfastness  

Durz Competition

Rolfish Assassins and Poison

Durgat Birth and offspring (- Blawharag depict it as a feorc with 600 boobs - Mogroka lol on Lotc never would happen :P)

Ugor Lust

Badbog Gluttony and Greed.

Bubyaghy Building, sturdiness and invention - Patron of Goblins

Shagar Pride

Hurus Patience and planning

Uxomoch Command and Leadership

Suvirum Diligence

Eurin Rain and Farming

Sapuodahl Fear, intimidation and sadness

Ublulhar Hope and new beginnings

Uxazozur Doubt

Pauxahru Arrogance and Stupidity  

Heechoi Slavery

Eseozohn Revenge and Vengeance

Zarkai Savagery

 

And many many more (Can be created when needed basically Spirits can be countless as they are whatever Krug felt, or touched or did)

 

 

What do Farseers do

 

Farseers are like the old men of a clan, or nation they are the wise men, spiritual healers, lorekeepers(Story tellers), they also can see in the future predict things for example a farseer can have a dream about a great defeat or a great victory or a famine. They also act as the guide for orcs between them and Spirits. Farseers can walk on the spirit planes explore it and interact with spirits there its very dangerous if a orc dies there then he is dead in his real world, how to do so is hidden it is contained within the Or’Gok scrolls. ‘’Basicly a shaman sits down and meditates and then travels to the spirit realm with his spirit the secret on how to do so and the words said are within the Or’Gok scrolls that Mogroka’Gorkil has. Farseers also act as Healers, not in the magic sense though more of the herbal and using natural medicine that they make from their surrounding environment.

 

Far Seers are very important to Orcish Culture as they are there keepers, and wisdom tellers when someone is in doubt they go to the farseers for guidance or if they are cursed by the spirits and so on. They also can act as warriors, they can wield the power of spirits fueling themselves with power or other orcs enhancing their abilities.

 

Details

 

What can Farseers do with magic, Farseers unlike elementalist can not cast magic in the same way. So they can not shoot a fireball or waterball or any of that sorta thing.

 

Lets take the example of Mogroka Gorkil, what can he do as offensive magic, one thing only cast lighting which is called Krug’s Wrath but he only came to do that for being a well advanced Farseer, in the current magic system tier 5 Mogroka would be more than that to even be able to cast lighting as he has spent over (2 years in life) as a shaman he can do that even Mogroka his powers can be spent casting it after three casts.

 

Farseer is more about blessings, or gifts of the spirits its more about empowering oneself or others with the spirits powers. For example blessing others with Enrohks Claw makes them more bloodthirsty and more fierce.

 

Other blessings may enhance physical powers, for example strength or giving him the power to withstand tiredness.

 

Or some can be used on natural remedies, lets say Mogroka makes a medicine for  stomach pain, it works just fine but it takes longer for the treatment to work, but he can use the a blessing from the spirits to make the medicine work faster and be more effective.

 

Farseer, is more of a future teller, he can walk the planes of spirits by going into a deep meditation and interact with them.

 

This is more of a rp purpose and does not contain magic really nor can it affect players badly in anyway.  

 

For example a farseer, can go into a plane of spirits and find out that Enrohk is mad at the orcs and he needs to be appeased so the farseer goes back to his plane and tells the orcs of that, making a rp event for the the race. He might say for example we require to hunt and kill four Creatures, and sacrifice them to Enrohk.

 

Or maybe the hunt spirit, wants to grant the orcs a blessing but requires something done, like hunting a great beast and then the orcs gets blessed, the blessing is nothing really its just a roleplay, event and the blessing may say oh the orcs for a week we'll have a plentiful hunt.

 

Farseers, also can summon rain, but not one farseer can do that it must be at least four, and the ceremony can be a long one, and rain might not occur depending if they pleased the rain spirit enough or not. ‘’Of course this is just another purely rp focused event more so than magic that can benefit them.’’

 

Far seers main source of knowledge comes from entering the spiritual world, also called the spiritual dimension. They can also learn the ability to heal from their journeys to the spiritual world. In this world they may also acquire spirit guides who make sure the far seer is guided safely in their travels in the spiritual world. Note that it is possible for the far seer to have more than one spiritual guide. Being the spiritual world also cleanses negative energies that confuse or pollute the Orc.

 

When I say ‘’Healing’’ it is not the normal type of healing that other magic user have that heal wounds and so on. When a Farseer heals it means that he interacts with the malevolent spirit that has cursed or interacts with the patient.

 

These ailments may be either purely physical afflictions or purely mental afflictions. Things like diseases are physical afflictions and are cured by gifting, flattering, threatening, or beating the spirit that is ailing the patient. The far seer may have to do more than one of these to cure the patient, and even in some cases all of them. If all else fails, or if the far seer is confident enough, they can resort to pure violence and attempt to defeat the spirit in battle. The spirit recognizes defeat by being shown a token extracted from it, though the far seer may attempt to fool the spirit by showing it a fraudulent token, making the spirit believe it has been bested. If the spirit notices the token is fraudulent it may be impressed that the far seer tried to fool it, or it may choose to just ignore the token and continue ailing the patient. When the spirit is sufficiently impressed with the far seer, it will retreat curing the patient of the ailments that it was causing. Mental ailments are things like persistent terror caused by traumatic experiences. These are handled the same way that physical ailment spirits are.

 

So basicly a Farseer, for example can beat the Orc that is affected to try to cure him. Lets a Orc has a cough the Farseer might try to stuff the Orcs mouth with things, to not allow him to breath or they may punch him the throat. Well that cure him maybe or maybe not its more of providing fun rp its not much as magically curing a person.

 

Farseers, are a pencil of their community, for example leading ceremonies of burning of dead orcs, to try to make their travel to the Ancestors realm easier. Or by being advisors to leaders, or to normal people, by seeing peoples future or fortunes, by warning there people of incoming doom or something more pleasant.  

 

Beliefs of Farseers.

 

Spirits exist and they play important roles both in individual lives and in Orc society.

The Farseer can communicate with the spirit world.

Spirits can be benevolent or malevolent.

The Farseer can treat sickness caused by malevolent spirits.

The Farseer can employ trance inducing techniques to incite visionary ecstasy and go on vision quests.

The Farseers spirit can leave the body to enter the supernatural world to search for answers.

The Farseer evokes animal images as spirit guides, omens, and message-bearers.

The Farseer can tell the future, scry, throw bones/runes, haruspex and perform other varied forms of divination

 

Far seers work on the premise that the visible world is pervaded by forces that are invisible. The far seers believe that these invisible forces are spirits which affect the lives of the living. Though the causes of disease lie in the spiritual realm, the far seer may also employ methods in the physical realm to heal. Though the common way to heal is through the far seer "entering the body" of the patient to confront the ailing spirit head on. Healing the patient if the far seer succeeds in banishing it.

 

Most far seers have expert knowledge of medicinal plants from their native area, and thus can provide a herbal treatment if needed, which is often. In many places, after obtaining permission from the spirits of the area, the far seer can learn directly from the plants. Harnessing their effects and healing properties.

 

 

Practice

 

Generally, the farseer enters the spirit world by effecting a transition of consciousness, entering into an ecstatic trance, either autohypnotically or through the use of entheogens. The methods employed are diverse, and are often used together.

 

Farseers tend to connect to the Spirit realm through multiple methods. One method would be sacrificing. Sacrificing an animal to a spirit then speaking a specific chant in old blah (ie, Vras ubat buruk ug buth arub atg ruiuk). The farseer would then go about smoking a special herb which is known vaguely amongst Shamans, this smoke/drug is made up of three components, softened sandstone, jabbernak dung, with a hint of cactus green. The three as mixed together which makes a substance which gives the consumer a strong high.

 

The farseer(s) will gather close to their sacrifice, chanting while the herb is inhaled. This process would take a few moemnts, the farseers chanting until their eyes darken. Their sould would then be lifted and transported to the spirit realm.

 

Chants

 

Farseers use chants to please the spirits or get them into a trance, all chants use the old blah not the current blah, so the Farseer needs to learn the Old blah.

 

Paraphernalia

 

Farseers may have various kinds of paraphernalia

 

Drum – The drum is used by Farseers. The beating of the drum allows the Farseer to achieve an altered state of consciousness or to travel on a journey between the physical and spiritual worlds. Farseer drums are generally constructed of an animal-skin stretched over a bent wooden hoop, with a handle across the hoop.

Feathers –  Feathers are often used in ceremonies and in individual healing rituals.

Rattle –  Also used in ceremonies in traditional ways in their blessings and ceremonies.

Pipe – Used for smoking various tobaccos and psychoactive herbs

Sword/Staff – A holy sword/Staff will always be used in the practice to protect the Farseer from wandering "evil" spirits as he travels to the spirit world.

Shake – The Farseer begins his practice by rattling, which turns into a shake. It is the process of communicating with his shamanistic spirits to guide him to the spirit world.

Mortar and Pestle – Used to smash herbs

 

So all in all Farseers, do not really wield a lot of magic, they have some but its not offensive magic. There more of storytellers, deviationists, advisors, and spiritual leaders, more like Priests.

 

 

(Some well say well Mog why don't farseers, really have magic that's offensive, because in all honestly I never really liked that type of magic really I never liked any magic, that can harm someone, I liked how the druids had it and disliked how the mages where. Even the empowering oneself and others, that's maybe a belief thing maybe it doesn't really happen, I just left it there so when the MA Plugin comes out you can have something, we discussed turning into spiritual wolfs etc but I did not include that here, this is more what it is now rather when the MA plugin comes out.)

 

(Also if I forgot something Ned Lud is around he can fix and edit anything here, any questions ask Austin and he can tell me and il tell him to answer.)

 

(So truly Farseers, do not need any magic at all, they are the same as Red Indian shamans, its more of belief to me, any magical powers that are wanted to be added here, can be added by two people Ned Lud and Austin as I see it they are the only two that know about Farseers, of-course I mean that for the MA Plugin if it ever happens.)

 

 

 

Witch Doctor: By VonAulus

Witchdoctors use the raw power of the spirits to make hexes, curses and potions. They are the more common healers in the orcish culture, using their concoctions to cure diseases and other ailments. They gather odd ingredients and charms from places all around the land of Anthos, using them in their highly barbaric rituals to tap into the Immortal spirits.

 

Spirits

 

Witchdoctors utilize the spirits in a chaotic fashion. They operate by channeling the raw will of the spirits, and they are unique in that they don't necessarily align with a single spirit type, rather with the general ritualistic fashion of channeling any given spirit -- whether it be elemental, Immortal or otherwise. Through their rituals they can channel blessings, hexes, or even create magical potions by channeling the spirit's raw will.

 

Unlike his Elementalist or Farseer brothers, the Witchdoctor will use his rituals to send a message to all realms of the spiritual plane, calling only for a spirit to answer and channel their will into the ritual. Some spirits (like a spirit of Fire, for instance), might be attracted by the Fire Flower, or the Blazing Fern when a Witchdoctor throws it into the ritual. Other spirits, like the Immortal Spirit of Lust, might be attracted by a rose and the feather of a dove.

 

Note that the Elemental and Immortal spirits may be summoned in very similar ways. An apprentice Witchdoctor who chants in the wrong way at the slightest, or uses the smallest inkling of wrong ingredient might get an entirely different spirit than intended.

Below, the spirits have been given preference to what they like to be summoned with, and their usual raw power.

 

Elementals:

A witchdoctor does not rely on any one spirit, but try to attract a type of spirit. As they grow in experience, they have more of a chance of getting the intended spirits power. Ritual and luck have a large impact on the outcome of the spell or concotion.

 

Fire: Attracted by bright, spicy herbs such as the Fire Flower or Blazing Fern, as well as simple charms such as ancient ashes, Nethermane hides, or light amounts of oil.

Preferred Ritual: Primal, guttural chants and barbaric dances involving several people.

Raw Power: Destruction, pain, and revenge.

 

Water: Attracted by cool, settled herbs such as sweet assortments of berries or a sliver of seaweed, as well as simple charms such as the scales of a large fish, the carapace of a giant crab, or sand taken from the lowest part of a body of water.

Preferred Ritual: Slow, easy chants, and a calming demeanor to the overall ritual itself.

Raw Power: Health, life, and well-being.

 

Earth: Attracted by hard, bitter herbs such as Earthroot or Cactus green, as well as simple charms such as the skin of a flesh worm, the moss from an embedded rock, or a thistle from a spined feasel.

Preferred Ritual: Long, drawn out rituals with constant rhythmic chanting, sometimes accompanied with drum beats.

Raw Power: Stillness and endurance.

 

Wind: Attracted by light, sour herbs such as daisies or the leaves from an oak tree, as well as simple charms such as a hawk’s feather, bottled odors, or sometimes nothing at all.

Preferred Ritual: Emotionless, always-changing chants. One moment may be deep, groaning calls while the next may be happy, honorable singing.

Raw Power: Euphoria, speed, and luck.

 

Immortal Spirits:

The Hunt: Attracted by only the most ornate of animal parts. The Immortal of the Hunt has been summoned with the pincer of a Skaddernack, the heart of a feral wolf, and the toe of a troll in the past -- such is the quality needed to call the will of this Greater spirit.

Preferred Ritual: Countless repetition of ancient Orc hunting songs, the sacrifice of livestock, and the uttering of “Glazug Votar” during peak moments in the ritual.

Raw Power:

 

War, Bloodlust or Bloodshed: Attracted by bright, vibrant herbs much like the ones used to summon the Fire spirit -- these may include the Fire Flower and Blazing Fern, as well as other herbs like the Gijaklul. Charms such as the head of a famed warrior, a drop of sacrificial blood, or shavings of rust from an ancient war axe have also been used.

Preferred Ritual: This ritual much resembles that of the Fire ritual, although the sacrifice of a live prisoner or slave will increase your chances of calling the spirit greatly.

Honor: Attracting the spirit of honor has been done rarely, for they watch their callers with sharp eyes. If the Witchdoctor is dishonorable, their ritual may even backfire on them. No charms or ingredients are needed, although the ritual may be very complex.

Preferred Ritual: In the past, the few lucky Witchdoctors that were able to summon the Immortal of Honor involved the ancient hand-me-downs of their clans, such as tribal heirlooms, ornate weapons, and the ashes of the firstborn in their clan. One must show strength and restraint at the same time, making the task of calling quite difficult.

 

Fertility or Lust: Attracted with herbs such as a rose in full bloom, or sometimes even with a Fire Flower. The feather of a dove, tooth of a cub, and a single stolen hair from the Clanmother have all been used as charms of calling.

Preferred Ritual: Long, harmonic melodies have been sung to evoke the Immortal of Fertility, rarely involving any actual chanting at all. It is quite similar to the Water ritual.

 

Anger or Revenge: Attracted by the same herbs and charms as the Fire spirit, although some Witchdoctors will mix the concoction much more violently.

Preferred Ritual: Again, quite similar to the Fire spirit, but with a much darker, sinister undertone. The Immortal of Anger will most certainly answer the call when a Whitewash is sacrificed.

[Possibly adding Ancestral spirits here.]

An apprentice Witchdoctor would have a very hard time summoning some of the Greater Immortal spirits, because of the rarity of the charms and the advanced needs of the ritual.

 

Rituals

The Witchdoctor can start a ritual in several ways. Here are the different ways that a witchdoctor can convey the will of the spirits:

 

Tonics, Potions and Elixirs: When a witchdoctor needs a handy-dandy bottle of spirit jam on the go, they can always come to a tonic, potion or elixir. These are literally bottled up spirit power, which is stored when the witchdoctor siphons the power of the summoned spirit into the jar or bottle. They are identical to a blessing or hex, but differ in the fact that they can be drunk and can be saved to use at any time.

A tonic is the term for a concoction that will heal you, while an elixir and potion can mean anything from something that will make you sneeze to something that will make you bleed from your eyeballs.

 

Blessings: Unlike their Farseer brothers, who use blessings during battle to improve the strength of their allies, a witchdoctor uses the power of the spirits to heal wounds and cure ailments. Whether it be a broken arm or Bo’dank, the witchdoctor can fix it.

Usually, they use a voodoo doll to pinpoint the location where the sick or wounded has a problem, then they undergo the ritual to fix it.

 

Curses and Hexes: Sometimes, the witchdoctor will convey the spirits will in a darker way. By involving the use of a voodoo doll, this shaman can curse them with the power of the spirit.

A curse made from a fire spirit might cause the victim to experience a burning sensation around their body, while a curse from the War spirit might make the victim blunder and stagger with their weapon.

 

The only problem is, being that they are channeling the raw will, they have minimal control over the outcome of the spells. A blessing will always be a blessing, a hex always a hex, so on and so forth -- but in the case of most Witchdoctors, that blessing, hex, tonic or potion could literally be anything.

It could be a successful blessing that mends the target’s wounds, or it could be something relatively useless, like a hex that causes someone to sneeze periodically for a day or two. It all depends on which given spirit ended up chiming in, and what they decided was the best course of action for the particular subject. Since there are so many different spirits and each with their own opinion on the matter at hand, it is next to impossible to predict what the outcome will be for someone just beginning in the arts.

 

As the witchdoctor grows in experience, however, and begins to understand what spirits are attracted to what types of rituals and charms, they will better be able to make the correct potions, hexes, tonics, and blessings that the situation calls for.

 

Combat

The witchdoctor himself can not directly use his powers in a hand to hand combat role because it requires ritual chanting and is very specific for certain circumstances. It would be near impossible to brew an elixir in the middle of the siege on an enemy castle. What a witchdoctor can contribute is morale by making the other orcs think they have been blessed by certain spirits. Whether any actual connection was made, it matters not. They make sure that all the orcs are cured of combat affecting illness and all ill will from spirits have been cleared from soldiers.

 

They can also heal wounds using pre-made potions and basic combat medicine. They may pretreat bandages with healing salves and ointments to help with healing. An advanced witchdoctor may create potions to cause damage to enemy forces when chucked at them. Whether is just be smelly chemical reactions or fire exploding from the bottle, damage may or may not be caused. If one was brewed wrong, the opponents may end up smelling like flowers instead of the death by explosion. As with most other things involving witchdoctor magic, things are unpredictable.

 

 

 

Lutauman: By: Suika

Definitions:

 

Ancestral Spirit:

A dead person; a spirit that has severed connection with it’s mortal body and transcended to the ancestral plane.

 

Ancestral Plane:

A place wherein ancestral spirits reside. Not to be confused with the Immortal Spirit plane which is a completely different place for a different type of spirit.

Lutauman:

A person who is able to contact ancestral spirits (dead people).

Blessing:

A spirit may bestow a blessing upon a Lutauman. The most common blessing is that of strength, which allows a Lutauman to be temporarily stronger than normal. Blessings can bestow strength, agility, dexterity, etcetera.

 

What does a Lutauman do?

 

A Lutauman can contact ancestral spirits (dead people)

 

How does a Lutauman do that?

 

A Lutauman can contact ancestral spirits by doing ritualistic and/or traditional practices and movements such as burning incense, cactus green, or other plants and objects. The reason for burning is that it helps disconnect the Lutauman’s mind from the world around him and allows him to easier propel his mind into the ancestral plan. The use of objects that were familiar to the ancestral spirit before it was an ancestral spirit can be helpful. Some Lutauman find that going to the place of the mortal death of the spirit, or to the body’s grave can also assist. It varies for each spirit.

 

The Lutauman expends mana to project his mind unto the ancestral plane. If the Lutauman is bound by rope or any other type of restricting binding, he will not be able to expend this mana. Great focus on releasing one’s conscious from the mortal plane is necessary.

 

What might a Lutauman find in the ancestral plane?

 

The ancestral plane is not a plane in which one is either inside of completely, or not in at all. It is rather a plane that one propels his consciousness deeper and deeper, while still maintaining somewhat of a connection to the mortal plane. However, the consciousness is bound to the mortal plane, so staying in the ancestral plane for excessive periods of time is difficult and thus requires excessive  levels of mana to be expended. At lower levels of Lutaumanship, a novice might not even be aware that his or her mind had transcended into the ancestral plane, but he or she may be aware, if a spirit was contacted,  of extra and foreign information received. The Lutauman might also notice that mana was used.

 

The Lutauman may be able to contact spirits while in the ancestral plane, but only if the spirit chooses to be contacted. The spirits are a fickle bunch. They may not choose to be contacted at first, but then be contacted later; they may also choose to be contacted at first but then not be contacted later.

 

The clarity of information received from a spirit is on a spectrum. The more recent a spirit transcended into the ancestral plane (if its body died recently), the easier and more clear the information a spirit may choose to divulge is. If the spirit’s body died a long time ago, it may be increasingly difficult to contact the spirit, and may take more amounts of mana to propel the Lutauman’s mind deeper into the ancestral plane to find it. Furthermore, due to being so deep in the ancestral plane, messages may be foggier, sound muffled, and be, in general, esoteric and hard to understand. The spirit may no longer communicate in ways that are understandable.

 

Blessings:

 

A Lutauman may ask a spirit for a blessing in times of combat. NoviceLutauman generally have little to no chance of receiving a blessing, unless the spirit greatly desires such blessing to occur and the novice has a good sized mana pool to spend. Blessings bestowed upon the Lutauman have, in the past, aided Lutauman in combat, but such blessings only last for a limited amount of time. A Lutauman may choose to keep his blessing for as long as his mana will permit. Upon his blessing ending, he is as weak as any other, perhaps weaker due to his mana drainage and toll on his mind.

 

While a spirit is being contacted and mana is being expended, the air around the Lutauman may slightly deaden and chill. Depending on the spirit being contacted, the air may even take on a strange taste. As a blessing is bestowed, the Lutauman may faintly show, for example, a red aura, signifying the bestowal of strength. As the blessing is received, the air may heat up if the blessing is of strength.

 

History:

 

According to what is known, the Orcs claim this magic to be a part of Orc Shamanism. The Orcish ancestral spirits have thus defended this tradition by notifying Orc Lutauman of the existence of non-orc Lutauman so that the non-orc Lutauman could be either accepted into Orc society or destroyed, more commonly destroyed than accepted. Lutauman that were not above novice level, however, were usually left undetected/considered not important enough to seek out.

 

 

 

Elementalist: By Kraal

What is an elementalist?

 

 An elementalist is a Shaman in which makes pacts/bonds with elemental spirits in agreement to borrow their powers in certain scenarios. This pact would consist of a deal the elementalist has to do for the spirit (ie, bathing every morning for the water spirit), in return the spirit will grant you its name which can be used by the Shaman to call upon the spirit and use its powers.

 Though an elementalist must be cautious who he tells the spirit’s name to, dark shamans can use the name and force the spirit against its will to do the Dark Shaman’s desires. The spirit’s name must stay private to the Shaman to prevent these incidents.

 

What elements are there?

 

 There are billions of elements, whatever Krug touched is an element (ie, touched fire). The most known elements are fire, water, wind, and earth. More complex elements would be storm and metal. Greater elements are illegal to RP, but they are life, death, time, space, light, and dark. None of these elemnts can be conjured, unlike void magic, elementalism is purely altering said element, you can neither add or subtract that of a substance, only alter what is present.

 

Elementalists and the elemental plane,

 

 Elementalists have to lose consciousness to be able to contact the elemental plane. There are multiple ways to do this, example, smoking a large abundance of cactus green to get a dense high. The elementalist, if successful, would connect to this plane, and he will be able to wander through it.

 On his adventures he’d meet many elemental spirits (there can be multiple spirits of one element). The elementalist would have the choice to communicate with elemental spirits, and he would have the ability to question them for their name.

 Most spirits are picky with who they choose, they are more secretive to give away their name from past experiences with dark shamans. Spirits have their own personality, though they’d try and make a pact with the shaman if persuaded by his presentation.

 

Elementalists and altering elements,

 

 As most Orcs know, elementalists have the power to alter elements at their (supposed) will. Though an elementalist has to call his spirit to his presence, which he does through chanting the spirit’s name. Over an allotted time the spirit would respond to his caller’s call, coming to his presence as he alters his labeled element for said task.

 

 Most elementalists though are also very discreet when to call on their spirit, speaking the spirits name is always a risk. The name of the spirit in the wrong hands can lead to the spirit being forced against his will whenever one speaks its name.

 

History,

 

 After Krug, the father of Orcs came into existence, his touch, sight, smell, and hearing would all come to the creation of the modern world. For this, elements were created, billions upon billions being seen every day. Krug’s first generation of children were the first to discover the realm.

 Dom, Krug’s daughter began connecting to the spirit realm, finding mind blowing discoveries as she was guided by the spirits further down the path of shamanism. Since her lifetime, shamanism has been the core of Orcish culture.

 

 Years passed, another generation of shamans coming, Lex’Lur being born. An elementalist, he discovered forty-two elements which haven’t been discovered since Dom’s time. Lex would constantly, on a daily basis come in contact with the spirit realm. His teachings were passed onto many students. Though after the old Dwarf’s disappearance, his knowledge began to wither away as generations passed.

 The elements became more limited as teachers of teachers would begin to learn less knowledge. The elements were lost, six known ones remaining in the minds of the remaining children of Krug. Most elementalists have been taught of more than six, though none have came into contact with one.

[Burkester 1247]

Dark Shamanism

 

The First Generation

 

Dark Shamans, like any other Shaman, date back to when Shamanism was first created. The Daemon Aopohet created the spirit realm, creating the two spirits of time and space. The realm grew and the elemental spirits and immortal spirits were created. Krug, the first shaman had a daughter, Dom. After Krug’s death Dom was deemed the greatest shaman. Back in Aegis, a pack of shamans created the clan Dom. A member of the clan, Or’Ta, found out he can trick spirits into giving off their name, or he can make unfair and very clever pacts with them that’ll force them under his will. With their name or pact, he can forcefully summon them and use their power.

The Doms were quick to utilize Or’Ta’s method. Every Shaman of the clan was forcing spirits against their will. The news spread widely across the spirit realms, the Dom clan was hated by the spirits. The spirits told other shamans of the Doms’ actions. The news then spread across the clans quickly. The Lur clan spat on the Doms’ name, they openly hunted the Dark Shamans down to the last Orc, nearly killing every Dom in an attempted genocide.

 

The Second Generation

 

What the Lurs forgot was to destroy the Dom’s books, tomes, and knowledge passed down. Dark Shamanism was at the peak of extinction, less and less Dark Shamans lived to fully learn the Dom’s methods of Dark Shamanism. Few Doms remained, though, a Dom which survived the late days of Aegis did remain. Grak’Dom, a Dom born while the Lurs hunted down his kin. His mother and father both in hiding, which died of natural causes in the future. What Grak’s father, Raz’Dom taught him was how to deceive lesser spirits, and how to trick them into giving over their name. Raz told his son more about the Doms, and where their study grounds were.

Before Raz died, Grak travelled to the Orcish desert to search for the Doms’ training grounds. He searched for a few weeks, food and water were scarce. He finally came across a small cave, it looked so as if he saw Shamanistic carvings on the walls, and steps that lead deeper into the cave. He delved into the cave, where he found an underground oasis. The Oasis had a hole in the ceiling, which shone a bright light across the small oasis. To the back of the cave he could see a bookshelf, tons of old books scattered on the ground. The pages weren’t preserved well, he only could salvage a few books.

The Orc made out of the cave with a bag of books which had various scriptures on dark Shamanism, written by the three Or brothers, Or’ta, Or’Drak, and Or’Jum. Grak didn’t bother to read the books, or to even skim through them. He left the cave far behind as he went home to his mother and father.

Years upon years did Grak practice the dark shamanism, various trials did he do to perfect the Dom’s created art. After mastering the lost art in Anthos, he decided to take in three pupils, which he trained to antagonize the Lurs and those clans that were against the Doms. His pupils served well, and they had a slow start in the art as he did.

After Grak’Dom’s inevitable death, his knowledge was lost, his pupils not finishing their trials. Dark Shamanism was at a loss. Only the dark Shamans which terrorize the Orcish nation remain.

 

Forms Of Dark Shamanism

 

Tricking/Deceiving

 

The biggest part of Dark Shamanism is tricking and forcing spirits against their will. Tricking the spirit into what exactly? Dark Shamans usually say a riddle, or a twist sentence to attempt into tricking the spirit into giving off its true name. Once the Dark Shaman has the spirit’s name, he can call on the spirit whenever, forcing it to do what the Dark Shaman wants it to do. Forcing or tricking a spirit gets complicated depending on the spirit. If it is a lesser spirit they are much easier to trick compared to a greater spirit. Spirits that are often under the forceful influence of the Dark Shaman will tell other spirits, which could relay back to another Shaman.  

There are different ways of tricking spirits. For Elementalists, usually the Dark Shaman will make riddle or a joke to confuse the spirit into willingly giving off its name. For lautamans,witch doctors, and farseers, the dark shaman usually makes a clever pact with them, they may twist the words, which can mean one thing or another, an example of this would be, “I will give you power in exchange for you bestowing your power upon me at my own will.” If the spirit agrees, the Dark Shaman now has the spirits power and can use it at his own will (there are millions of other pacts that could confuse a spirit, though it’s up to the dark shaman to figure them out).

 

Flesh Smithing

 

Another aspect of Dark Shamanism is flesh smithing. Flesh smithing is the Dark Shaman art of mutating bodies and/or modifying bodies. The Doms realized that the average body is actually a conglomerate of the elements. Flesh smithers began capturing Orcs and running Shamanistic experiments on the captives. The process undertook a lot of time and energy, requiring a vast amount of trial and error. The art requires silence, so this can’t be done on the battlefield or the middle of a fight, it must be done in a contained, silent area. The flesh smiths finally perfected what they wanted, all their patients in the end had a bigger body mass, extra limbs, bone claws, etc. The knowledge of flesh smithing was lost along with Grak’s death. Though the spirit Ixil has the knowledge of it, which he could grant to someone for a cost of sanity.

 

Identifying Dark Shamans

 

Physical

 

In the early stages when the Dark Shaman has just started tricking and forcing spirits, nothing physical would be shown. Later on, the more the Dark Shaman practices his art, he will start to develop purple nails, his/her irises and whites will begin to turn pure black, and their gums will turn black.

 

Spiritual

 

In the early stages of Dark Shamanism not many spirits would know about the Dark Shaman. Though the more the Dark Shaman practices his art, more spirits will know and most likely inform other shamans about the Dark Shaman.

 

Highlighted Points!

 

- Flesh smithing is quite hard to self-teach, one would need to consult with the spirit Ixli to gain the knowledge of flesh smithing. Though a flesh smith has the ability to teach another.

 

- Dark Shamans do not learn a Shamanistic subtype any faster than a normal Shaman, they just don’t make pacts with spirits, and instead they trick/force them.

 

- Dark Shamans do not summon spirits any faster than a normal Shaman with equal skill as them.

 

- A Flesh Smith can’t mutate/modify his own body himself.

 

- Fleshsmithing must be RP’d with trial and error.

[Dreek 1633]

Moved to the Great Library. It shall be sorted into appropriate category shortly.