On Shamanism

[Ilikefooddude 430]

Somewhere, crammed into a corner of a yellowing library or on a bench by the Iron Uzg's outhouse, one might happen to find a book. It seems normal enough, albeit bulky, and is adorned with a simple leather covering. On its spine, the title reads, "On Shamanism, by Thurak the Farseer."



1.      Those who practise

2.     The connection

3.     Traversal

4.     Utilisation

 

Those Who Practise

A magic almost strictly wielded by those of Krug’s descent, Shamanism is to the Orcs as Muuntrivazja is to the priests of the Kha’s; narrowly practised and highly revered. Those that fully understand the ways of the magic, divided into the sects of Elementalists, Lataumans, Witchdoctors and Farseers, each have their own role in the Uruks’ society and all put the needs of their race above their own or any singular individual. Dark Shamanism, a forbidden topic, shall not be discussed in this tome, as it holds no relevance to the topic being held.

The first, and debatably most simple form of Shamanism, Elementalism, is based on making a connection to the Elemental plane and the spirits that reside there. A Shaman of this type, with the aid of his or her ‘bonded’ spirit(s), may control an element such as Earth or Fire that is present nearby in their own realm. It should be noted that this differs from Arcane Magic as it requires no connection to the void and, rather than creating matter, simply manipulates that already existing. The next form of Shamanism, the practitioners of which are dubbed ‘Lataumans’, is much more complex. By moving their consciousness into the realm of Ancestral Spirits, these shamans can contact the forms of those who were chosen as ‘honourable’ in life, and reside in a place more connected to ours than any other. The long dead such as Lur or even Krug himself (although it has only been done once) could be contacted for advice or information, and stronger Lataumans can gain blessings from these spirits; their strength or courage being ‘boosted’ for a short, albeit valuable, time, although this can’t be reproduced on others by these Shamans.

Witchdoctors, the more ritualistic group of the subtypes, choose to meddle with the Immortal Spirits- those that live in a plane dedicated to the aspects of the mortal races. Every emotion, every ideal and every thought can be categorised to a spirit, there, and the power of such spirits is used by Witchdoctors to curse and plague those who are seen as a threat to the Shamans’ beliefs. They can do this on anything living- including animals and plants, and as such these shamans are held in wary consideration by the Druids. They may also do the same with the Elementals, surprisingly- being able to call upon the lesser of such spirits to curse whomever they wish. Another important part of Witchdoctory is the production of potions, which, although similar to alchemy, instead focuses on using ingredients that represent a certain spirit to call upon its power, and requires more thought on the individual pieces than the brew as a whole.

Lastly, there are the Farseers. Sometimes called the Elders of the Uruks, these shamans spend their days traversing the Immortal Plane in search of enlightenment in cultural and historical matters. They bring their council to the Rex or their race as a whole, and act as the balancing force between the two planes. In much the same way as Witchdoctors can curse, Farseers have the ability to bless plants or animals; being able to increase favourable attributes such as strength and resilience, but also those more intangible, such as hope. It is this reason why Farseers are so widely valued, as these blessings before battles or klomps prove to be invaluable assets.

 

The Connection

For the following section, we’ll be referring to the connection of the Farseers to the Spirit Realm, as it is held as the both the most complex and developed form of the art among those who practise it; being one that these Shamans use to constantly and fully transport their consciousness to another plane. This forced passage between realms begins when a Farseer cuts off the link between his consciousness and his body, and ends when he, or in turn a Spirit controlling him, returns the stream to his mortal person. Unlike any other magic, the beginning of Shamanism actually requires the limitation of Mana being spent, rather than an increase in such. The regulation of mana use is vital in both entering and departing the spirit realm, and as such is vigorously practised by all Farseers. To let their mind wander to the place of spirits, they must almost entirely cut off the connection between their mind and their body- leaving only a trickle of mana as an anchor to return. When they wish to come back, they increase the mana flow to their mortal person, and their thoughts will begin to travel back to their body. Now, that being said, although controlling mana plays a massive part in connection to the Spirit Realms, it isn’t so that anyone that can do such may actually make this connection. When an aspiring shaman is first taken on as a student, they will be put through several trials and tests, dictated by their teacher. Although they are sometimes seen as a filter to weed out the dedicated from the short-sighted, they are indeed much more; as a pupil’s action in these tests decide whether or not the spirits themselves will allow a him or her to move their consciousness into their realm. An intangible filter of sorts is present, at which a group of minor spirits regulate the influx of those entering and leaving the Spirit Realm. Those that have been seen bearing positive attributes during these tests may be, for the first time, allowed to enter this new realm. It should be noted that the longer a Shaman has been connecting to the Spirit Realms for, the easier it will be for them to pass through the filter without the spirits scrutinising over them- and as such it’s important for these Elder Shamans to do their best to regulate their own actions as honourable or otherwise.

 

Traversal
Once a Shaman has connected to the Spirit Realm, an incomprehensible variety of circumstances may occur. For the first few times, chances are their senses will be dulled or non-existent as their mind struggles with the lack of bodily connection. Their vision may remain pitch black, and the only ‘input’ they receive may be a soft, niggling feeling of being watched. As time progresses, aspiring Shamans learn to deal with what information they’re given, and soon the senses return, albeit in situations much different from those in the mortal realm. Their vision may be hued; the world they seen filtered as if through coloured glass. Hearing may be non-existent, or they may hear cries far away as close as if whispered in their ears. The sense of touch usually comes last for those that travel the spirit realm, and it can be the most confusing of all to deal with. Sometimes, should they come across a vision of a man being slaughtered, they would feel a phantom sense of pain- like a slash across their neck as they’re decapitated. It’s important for a Shaman to differentiate these Empathetic feelings to others from their own, especially in the Spirit Realm, as it’s been known to drive some blindly mad. Now, on to what actually occurs in this realm. When a Farseer, presumably with full use of his senses first enters the Spirit Realm, they’ll find themselves, most likely, in an environment they haven’t yet seen. It might be a dense forest or a dank swamp; either way, a Shaman learns quickly to adapt when they traverse the spirit realm. With them is usually their Spirit Guide; a creature in a form important to them or their heritage which will lead them through this realm away from, or into danger, depending on the situation. A member of the Ugluk clan, for example, might have a Spirit Guide in the form of a bull, as it is Ugluk Bulls that their clan is so famous for- and the same can be said for Lur Wolves or Braduk Rhinos. So, led, or not, by their respective guides, a Shaman will eventually come across what they will refer to as a vision. It may be an event of the long past, the distant future, or the twisted present- usually representing something that has or will play a major part in the development of either the Uruks or the Shamans. These won’t be straightforward events, however; one may see only the form of a crying Uruk mother and her child, and from there they must learn to decipher its potential meaning. And it is from that that a Farseer’s real skill is discovered; the ability to learn from these small snippets of information and then advise their leaders or people for or against certain actions that could, potentially, bring massive consequences for their race.
Another form of visions, much rarer in comparison to these odd events, are those brought forth by a spirit himself. These are no tricks to be deciphered; if a spirit goes to enough effort to force a Shaman into a vision, their vision will be straightforward and commanding. Usually, these occur when the Spirit feels as if their influence in the Mortal Realm could be increased, and they are to call upon the aid of a Shaman to spread their influence. The Shaman, of course, has no real choice in the matter, but those stronger in the way of words may be able to convince a nagging Spirit to change their mind on a matter which might be otherwise impossible, or at least very consequential, to perform.

Utilisation
Last but very much not least, we come to a Shaman’s real use in Orcish culture- their ability to manipulate the Mortal Realm around them. As said earlier, each sect of Shamanism has their own way of doing this: Elementalists by meddling with nearby elemental, Lutaumans by blessing themselves, Witchdoctors by cursing others or creating tribal elixirs, and Farseer by blessing Orcs or others around them who are in need. Usually, they go about these things in similar ways. Elementalists must bind themselves to an Elemental by first impressing them by going on certain quests to draw their attention. Then, they promise the Spirit something that it seeks that they can give, and then a bond will be made. As more Elemental Spirits are bonded to, sometimes a Elementalist’s proficiency in the control of a certain element may be hindered; like if one Shaman has bonded to a spirit of water as well as fire, or earth as well as lightning. It’s up to the Shaman himself to decide what they’ll sacrifice, or if they’ll instead focus only on one element to become utmost proficient at it over all others.
Lutaumans go about creating their influence similarly. They first must call upon an Ancestral Spirit to meet with, and then they will try and gain their favour by promises of impressive feats or proof of their past honour. Once a Spirit agrees, they will temporarily bind their essence to the Shaman; giving them massively increased attributes such as strength or bravery for a short amount of time, which may just turn the tide of battle in their favour. The more they do this, the more word of their feats will spread among the Ancestral Plane and the more likely it is for these Spirits to accept their deals.
Witchdoctors go about things a bit differently than others. During their rituals, they’ll present certain objects which hold relevance to the Spirit they are trying to evoke. For example, should they be trying to create a potion which causes the drinker to have insatiable hunger, they would perhaps need something such as the stomach of a large animal, such as a bull, or they may burn and char excessive amounts of savouries in hopes of gaining the attention of the spirit of Greed and Gluttony. Should they do so, they’ll begin to call to their desired spirit in the tongue of Old Blah, asking for their aid and promising that the attributes that they represent will somehow be more prominent after the use of said potion. Should the spirit agree, the mixture will be cursed, and the Witch Doctor can use it as he will on his unfortunate victims. However, these Shamans must be careful, as it’s sometimes not apparent how a spirit has cursed the potion, and unintended effects are rampant in the brews of inexperienced Witchdoctors.
Finally, the Farseers’ blessings are actually quite similar to that of the Lataumans’, in the way that it requires sharp tongue and wit to convince the spirits to give them their boon. When a Farseer decides he wishes to bless something, he must travel to the Spirit Realm and begin calling the name of the spirit that hold the attribute he needs for the blessing. Should the spirit answer, then the Farseer must try and convince it that the blessing will, in some way, benefit the spirit. If this outright fails, and the Spirit refuses, a Farseer may do something else that no other Shaman may do; that being fight the spirit for his blessing. This is very dangerous, and is usually done only in times of desperation, as when a Shaman dies or is injured in the Spirit Realm, he dies or is injured back in the mortal realm. Once he’s either convinced the Spirit of the need of the blessing or beaten him in battle, it will then begin to take over a Shaman’s body. Back in the Mortal Realm a Farseer’s limbs may start to move under its will, and words in Old Blah will be said to give the blessing direction. A mist, usually hued the colour that best represents the spirit doing the blessing, will pour from the Shaman’s orifices and encompass the person, animal or plant he wishes to bless. When it's finished, the Shaman need only to return his connection to his body and admire his handiwork; the fabric of the mortal world being shifted in his favour, albeit in only a small front.

Edited September 3, 2015 by The Allusionist

[HedgeHug 2049]

Shagarath`Yar finishes reading the old and dusty book, putting it down onto the table next to him. He stands in the entrance of his Blargh, the tent of red fabric preventing the harsh Desert sun from burning him. "Mi muzt Blah wit dah Shamanz" He speaks determined. He turns back into his cave and grabs a small bone from one of the many sacks and jars around his home. He tosses it into the fire. "Tu dah sZpiritz."