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[Lore Trial - 2M from 29/09/16 ] Ish'Urkal - Dark Shamans


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Ish'Urkal

Dark Shamanism

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Overview

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Eons before the discovery of Axios, smaller settlers had made their way to the isles in the past, each with hope and wonderment at what newfound land would provide.

An Ancient group of Orcs, unwavering in their worship of Ghorza, the Spirit of Travel, set out to sea in hopes of discovery and treasures.

They spent many a stalwart year upon the crashing waves, until the sight of Axios presented itself on the horizon. In the distance, the Island of Asul lay, with a vibrant glimmer of dense Jungle.

As the decades passed and the Orcs settled into the seclusion of the Jungle, they lost touch of their worship of Ghorza, and quickly degenerated into a band of savages, fighting continuously over leadership.

That was, until a “Spirit” materalised within the foliage, presenting itself to them as their saviour. It set to work, rekindling their interest in the Spirits; albeit with an alternate method of worship.

 

This false Spirit taught the Ancient Orcs that embracing the Spirits was a literal affair, and instructed these new Shamans on how to consume the stagnant Spirits found across the realm.

The Spirit snickered in the looming shadows of the Jungle, watching over the Orcs as they consumed Spirit after Spirit, weakening the energies of the land. When the “Spirit” was satisfied, it abandoned them in their dire straits.

But this being was not the only entity to watch the Ancient Orcs, and soon, Ixli presented himself to them with a revelation. All of the Spirits they had “embraced” had dormant power, abilities that the Orcs could utilise.

He bestowed the knowledge of his process onto them, and with ability to consume Spirits, and also wield their power, the Ish'Urkal were born.


The Ish'Urkal are a modernisation of the blasphemic Dark Shamans that had plagued the descendants since late Aegis. Unlike their older, dead counterparts, the Ish'Urkal are, in and of themselves, Dark Beings, instead of simply channeling a twisted form of a regular Shaman’s power.

 

 

Physical and Spiritual Changes

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Simply said, though not quite so simply done, a Narfura’Dush can consume Minor Spirits in much the same way the more powerful spirits can themselves. As a Minor Spirit is consumed, a Ish'Urkal gains power over whichever aspect it represented- but this, as all such power does, comes at a tantalising cost.

The more spirits a Ish'Urkal consumes, the less mortal they become.

 

One shouldn’t confuse this with Immortality, of course. The most powerful Ish'Urkal- those who’ve consumed a total of Four minor spirits- hang on the edge of the two realms of Mortal and Spiritual nature, their very souls aching to be settled into one or the other. At the very base, those new to the corrupted artform sacrifice their primal ties to the mortal realm with each spirit their consume. The first taste of this power creates an unwholesome fissure in the essence of their souls, which begins its dark fluctuation between the two realms.

 

Upon the initial consumption, a mortal who has stooped to such means as the Ish'Urkal will be plagued by a taint that spreads through them, physically and spiritually. Unlike the Shamans, who are spared from the debilitation of most magi’, the Ish'Urkal begin physical degradation the moment their souls fissure. The blindness which wracks the vision of Planewalkers accompanies the degradation of muscle, arriving rather unwelcomed upon the first spirit a Ish'Urkal' consumes- the more connected a Ish'Urkal is to the Spirit Realms- that being, the more spirits they have consumed-, the more intense this will be. In much the same way, these beings are prone to blackouts as their consciousness flicks willy-nilly between the Mortal and Spiritual realms. More often than not this occurs during sleep or times of quiet, but Ish'Urkals who have drained three or four minor spirits find these can even occur during battle, and as such may choose to shy away from direct confrontation, or at least employ a henching man for their dirty work.

Up until the fifth spirit consumed, a Ish'Urkal will always be able to interact with the mortal realm. Unfortunately, the strength of their physical influence drains despite this. It’s unnoticeable at the first levels- They grow weaker, and, indeed, less capable of combat , however they are still there. As a Ish'Urkal feeds on their third and fourth spirits, though, they find themselves… Flaking. The skin of their extremities- hands, feet, ears, and affected first. It starts as a skin condition upon the consumption of a second tier Ish'Urkal, but grows, and, frighteningly, worsens. As their balance- their connection to the mortal realm- falters, the elements composing their very form separate and drift apart. A third tier Dark Shaman finds his very skin brushing away each time it’s touched; like a beachside sandcastle under a twilight breeze, the flesh of their extremities simply drifting from the bone, until that last mortal coil crumbles from them, too.

 

Disturbingly, however, the form of the Ish'Urkal will remain. A shadow, more comparable to the substance of a spectre than anything else, takes their place. Lifting becomes impossible, and their presence is no more than that of a light breeze upon autumn leaves. Later, entire limbs succumb to this effect; Teir four Ish'Urkal are little more than tattered torsos and heads with shadowy limbs, who slink around in faux blindness. The soul of a Ish'Urkal finds it much harder to connect to materials of the mortal realm as it becomes further connected to the realm of the spirits- This is the cause of their elemental degradation, and why a Dark Shaman of this type finds it impossible to alter themselves through fleshsmithing and why any magics they practise save those to do with the Spirits slowly slip from their grasp. There is, however, a way for a Ish'Urkal to find some sort of physical form. If they have consumed an elemental spirit with physically durable properties (earth, metal, water), they may craft makeshift limbs out of these elements. Though this prevents them from using their magic in any other means at that moment, they are permitted a body, giving them the choice between the use of spiritual magics or the use of a makeshift body.

 

Physical/Spiritual Changes

*Once a Ish'Urkal consumes a minor spirit, his soul would begin to be dragged between the realm of Spirit and Mortal.

*The more spirits a Ish'Urkal Consumes, the less connected they are to the mortal realm.

*If an Ish'Urkal has consumed a spirit, they may consume another spirit of the same type without it adding to their spirit count. In other words, it simply increases their power in that specific element/field. For example, an Ish'Urkal may consume an Earth Spirit, then desire more power over Earth. They may then consume a second one, adding to their control over Earth. The power gained is limited to being only a bit more powerful than a Master Shaman is in that element/field.

*This causes the physical degradation in early levels- First Tier to Second Tier Ish'Urkalhave similar physical ailments as Necromances, save the rotting.

*Once the third spirit has been consumed, elemental decay sets in. Extremities such as hands, feet, and later limbs will slowly flake away into a sandy like deposit- What remains is similar to the substance of a Phantom, in a blobby, indistinct shape.

*Limbs come off at the Fourth Tier, and they’re left mostly as a torso and degrading skull.

*The Phantom limbs cannot lift weapons or heavy objects, and barely support the form of the Ish'Urkal. They often stumble about instead of walk.

*If given solid limbs by the manipulation of elements, they may not utilise spirit-related magics at the same time. Simply put, they must choose between a more physical form or the ability to use spirits or spirit-related magics.

*A total of four minor spirits may be consumed- At the fifth, the Ish'Urkal would lose all connection to the mortal realm.

*Ish'Urkal are plagued by blackouts. Oocly they may choose when they’d like for them to occur, but it’s more of a precaution to stop Dark Shamans becoming the warriors the Dark Shamans never should have been.

*A first tier Ish'Urkal finds any other magic he practises drastically weakened- Abilities they may have had for years slip from their grasp, reduced to novices overnight. Upon the third spirit consumed, no other magic is possible for a Ish'Urkal.

 

 

Abilities

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Naturally, the power accompanying all of these side effects is, to some, worth it. With the Spiritual Power over the Stagnant Spirits inhabiting the mortal realm being inherent in these beings, abilities thought impossible before are now open to experimentation.

Basics

A Ish'Urkal’s magic behaves in much the same way that a regular shaman’s does, when talking solely about how it’s used. Consumption of a minor Elemental spirit allows control over the stagnant spirits of that particular element, and curses and blessings are both possible through consuming immortal spirits. Ancestral Spirits are much trickier, since their souls are still those of mortals, and as a result a Ish'Urkal can only make pacts with them, which almost exclusively occur with Amiz Fauth’ul. However, both aesthetically and in some particular nuances, the magic differs.

 

Elemental Magic.

~Elements controlled by a Ish'Urkal quickly become tainted. It’s a passive process, spread by the longer that they exert their control over a particular stagnant spirit.

*Earth becomes dry and cracked; devoid of all moisture and life. Rocks only hold their shape for as long as a Ish'Urkal control them, and crumble into pebbles upon release.

*Water becomes stale and undrinkable. A black, inky substance- a residue from the Ish'Urkal ’s tainted will- remains afterwards.  

*Fire dies down, concentrating into hot, brooding clumps of black flames. Very atmospheric.

*Air becomes thick and heavy, like a mist. It stings the skin like a sulphurous cloud, and is tinged an unhealthy looking green.

*Metal becomes warped and dangerously sharp. It has edges on its edges, but is usually formed into unergonomic shapes.

*Lightning leaves a dangerous static about the area. Anything metal will spark and shock upon touch. This lasts for an Elven day.

~This taint cannot spread. As a product of connection, it can only occur if a Ish'Urkal makes a connection to the specific stagnant spirit of the element used.

~The spread of taint during connection is shown by the discolouration of the element. It usually becomes hued the colour of the shaman’s aura.

 

Curses and Blessings

~Curses are more potent than regular witchdoctor, but they can only be done by a spirit that a Ish'Urkal has consumed.

~Blessings and curses can often be one in the same. Potency is increased, side effects are more prominent.

~Both still only last an Elven week at the most.

~The more blessings/curses from a specific spirit active at one time, the less powerful they are.

~Blessings become painful, despite whatever they’re attempting to remedy- The changes can also be forced on someone.

 

Visions

~Due to the strong connection to the spiritual planes a Ish'Urkal receives visions just as a Farseer would.

~The Visions come upon them suddenly, without requiring them to enter the spirit realms.

~Usually, they are twisted, dark, and torturous, however they receive all the same visions which a regular Farseer would as well as these.

~They are also capable of creating visions which will be given to other Shamans. They may be messages or warnings, or tricks to lure the Shamans into a trap.

~The creation of visions doesn’t require the Ish'Urkal to consume any spirits, but it does drain them at the same rate as a blessing or a curse would.

 

 

Ancestral Magic

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Ish'Urkal, regardless of whatever they once were, are now fugitives of both the Spiritual and Mortal Realms. As an obvious consequence, finding friends in both of these places tends to come as a bit of a challenge. Ish'Urkals are capable of consuming Spirits, but not the souls of the departed- although gaining the power of an Elemental or an Immortal is feasible, doing so with an Ancestral is above even these dark beings.

Lingerers, known to the denizens of the Ancestral Plane dispassionately as Amiz’Fauth’ul, are the devious souls of long-dead Dark Shamans. During the time of the clan war, scores of these Shamans departed the mortal world to escape butchering and instead became reclusive in the depths of the realm of the dead. They hold ill-intent for both the mortals and ancestrals and, more than anything else, seek to cause turmoil and fear to those that had forced them to spend their eternity hiding. But in their wickedness is held a great ally to the Ish'Urkal, who find themselves pitched against the same enemies as these Lingerers.

 

But the power that the Amiz’Fauth’ul grant is not that of regular ancestrals. Lutaumans, the Shamans who spend their years contacting the souls of the dead in the Ancestral Plane, use the given power of Ancestrals to imbue themselves with blessings of strength, speed and will. This, however, would be of little use to the Ish'Urkals, who’s muscles degrade from their unnatural connection to the spirit realms. Instead, the Amiz’ become their sworn swords- to be summoned in a time of need to slaughter any enemies that the Shaman could not take themselves.

The creation of a bond to a Lingerer doesn’t, in and of itself, require the consumption of a spirit, however summoning them does. The Amiz’ needs a form in this mortal plane, and the one they cast aside to enter the Ancestral Plane has long since become rotten and withered. So one must be created.

By the consumption of a minor spirit of construction, the Ish'Urkal may temporarily bend any materials nearby to form a body for a Lingerer. Gravel, sand, dirt, rocks; even such things as mechanics, though never anything with life, will be swept up at the Ish'Urkal’s command as it begins to take the form of the Amiz’. Depending on the being bonded to their shape and temperament differs greatly, and in accordance to such any summoning of them must be in the same shape. This, of course, is all limited to the materials surrounding the Ish'Urkal at the time. Should a Ish'Urkal find himself doing battle in a desert, he would find himself with a much less useful servant than in a place where stronger or more devastating materials are abundant. The only thing that is constant, apart from the Lingerer’s shape, is their weapon. Whatever shape these may take is again defined by the Amiz themselves, however none are capable of killing. Instead, these weapons- be they swords, axes, hammers, or even shields, will act to numb any flesh they come into contact with. Should a fighter, for example, take a blow from a Lingerer’s sword to their upper arm, they would lose all control of the limb for a short time, and it would hang uselessly by their side until either this time has passed or the Lingerer has been dispelled. The weapon will be similar in appearance to the limbs of a Ish'Urkal who’s undergone elemental degradation, however it cannot break or leave the Amiz’ grasp, and will hold up against even the finest of mortal steel.

On the topic of dispelling, it is true that the Lingerers are temporary. Great fighters though they are, their usefulness is limited first by the materials present when they’re summoned and secondly by the strength of the Ish'Urkal. They cannot be harmed or dispelled in battle- Any sword strokes or hammer blows will pass through the softer materials or smash against the stronger ones, and any damage done will simply act to have the damaged pieces incorporated into the Amiz’ form, but once a Ish'Urkal can hold their form no longer they will immediately crumble back into the individual pieces which once made up such a fearsome adversary.

 

Another downside is the concentration required to hold the Lingerer together in the mortal plane. Although they’re capable of pulling off blessings and controlling the elements of the world while not being completely drained, this particular act requires much more skill. While a Lingerer is summoned the Ish'Urkal will be incapable of moving. He’ll be paralyzed, in fact, until the moment he dispels his Lingerer, and even after such the drain of the summoning will mean movement and, of course, self defence, will be greatly hindered. The most useful way to use a lingerer then is, of course, beside an ally, or successfully enough to incapacitate his attackers before his hope crumbles back to dirt, gravel, or sand, and dooms him to an unfortunate confrontation.

 

Ancestral Magic

*Mortal souls cannot be consumed, so a Ish'Urkal must instead make a pact with a Lingerer.

*Lingerers can be summoned into the mortal realm for a short amount of time, however this requires the consumption of a minor spirit of construction.

*Materials nearby will be shaped into the form of the Lingerer, who will fight or serve the Ish'Urkal as he wishes.

*The body is limited to the materials nearby. The only thing which comes with them will be their weapon, which stuns and numbs any flesh it comes into contact with.

*A summoned Lingerer cannot be killed. They can only be overcome when dispelled by the Shaman, which could occur when he wills it, when he runs out of energy, or when he’s killed.

*The summoning is temporary, and the whole time that the Lingerer is summoned the Ish'Urkal is incapable of moving.

*After the being is dispelled the Ish'Urkal will be greatly weakened, and fighting back will be limited to running or dying.

 

 

Spirits of Mental Instability

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Unlike their deranged predecessors the Ish'Urkal hold no mental ills- There’s no pact with Ixli, and no protesting spirits plaguing their thoughts. The only dilemma they must tackle is in morality, which has never concerned such beings in the past. They can, however, choose to overcome a Spirit of Mental Instability. Should they do this- and this would count to one of their four Spirits- an effect different to that of their other bonds takes place. In much the same way as a victim of these Spirits radiates their specific ailment- Depression, for example- So too may the Ish'Urkal . It’s more for aesthetic than anything else, but long exposure to such effects can, naturally, lead to its spread. It should be noted that a Ish'Urkal cannot actually afflict someone with a mental illness- their ability extends only to the passive. It may be turned on and off as easily as a light by the Ish'Urkal, but many- those who have little respect for the art of appearances- choose to focus their attention on more combat orientated boons.

 

 

Flesh Smithing

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Flesh smithing is an ancient and vile misfeasance on the body and the spirit. One of the first of the malevolent secrets that Ixli granted to the original Dark Shamans, it has brought corruptions of nature into the world ever since.

In essence, flesh smithing allows an individual to redesign the physiology of another. A flesh smith can attach a limb of their own twisted creation to a host body, and in the cases of particularly skilled practitioners, even organs such as additional eyes and ears can be embedded in the body. To what ends this is done for varies from flesh smith to flesh smith, but in all cases it is an abhorrent act.

 

The process of Flesh Smithing is a rather complex one, but a well versed anatomical artisan can come to create impossible-looking abominations in time. First, the flesh smith finds their victim, or in some bizarre cases a volunteer. Regardless of their initial willingness, the subject must be restrained, as any large movements that are likely to happen can disrupt the process and result in the subject’s premature death.

In the case of a limb, flesh smith must then create the limb they are to attach, which is done very similarly to the making of a Muyakelg. The bones, which must be of the same race as the subject, that will make up the bone structure of the limb must be found, and blessed by a day long ritual, coated in a mixture of fine gold dust, dried blood powder and incense oil, and then buried for the night. In the morning they are excavated, and then blessed once more. After that the bones are sewn together with leather made from mortal skin, which again must be of the same race as the subject. The manner in which they are sewn together is up to the discretion of the flesh smith, who may wish to make anything from another arm to a tentacle-like appendage. The limb is then sewn to the subject's body.

 

Ironically, the physical flesh smithing of complex organs like eyes is more simple. Because of their complexity the flesh smith cannot possibly hope to replicate them, and so they must be retrieved from a mortal of the same race and preserved. Consequently the flesh smith only needs to bless, coat, and bury the organ rather than designing and making leather to sew it. A shallow cavity must be carved out for the organ which is then placed in it.

The subject themselves must then be made ready, which is done by a rather odd technique. Connected, as they are, to both realms, the Ish'Urkal is capable of a low level amount of consciousness in both at the same time. The flesh smith, once the prior steps of preparing the location and stitching on the addition have been completed, must move their consciousness between the two realms. As they do so, the victim’s soul must be guided to the spirit realm. This is done by regular Shamans easily enough- With a bit of a spiritual tug from the Farseer, Elementalist or some such, an acquaintance may be dragged along on a pleasant and rather exciting Spirit Walk. Unfortunately, with the Ish'Urkal being somewhat disinclined to making things more pleasant for anyone, it’s not quite so nice. The Shaman brings the spirit into limbo- half in the spirit realm, half in the mortal- and then releases them.

 

Though it may sound dangerous, nine times out of ten the spirit will simply drift back to the body it usually resides in; like a stray dog dumped halfway across town, the spirit will slink happily back towards its home and scratch at the proverbial dog flap of the mortal coil. Once it has returned, however, the spirit is still somewhat unsure of its disposition. It is now that the Ish'Urkal strikes. With a harsh tug, the Dark Shaman drags the soul back into its body - Alterations and all. The soul is therefore, in a way, extended to permanently incorporate the new limb, changing the incorporeal “blueprint” that the wilven monks resurrect a mortal from. As with a muyakelg, skinless muscle and sinew will come into being to envelop and attach to the bone structure the flesh smith has created (or nerves and muscle to the organ itself in the case of things like eyes and ears), so that the limb functions as the Ish'Urkal originally desired, albeit a lot less effectively than a natural one would as the machinations of the flesh smith can never be completely perfect. Another result of this is the subject is left in nigh-constant pain, but both the functionality and the pain can be improved by healing by a cleric, monk, Druid or shaman, or any other kind of healer of a magical nature, or by the choice of the Ish'Urkal. At this point, the flesh smithing process is complete, and the subject must be left in a completely undisturbed state for several hours before they awake if they are to do so at all.

However, the stress on the soul has some rather dire side effects. Such strain is not natural and any mortal cannot withstand it, and so the stretch of the soul to extra limbs causes an overall weakness in the host. It can lead to mental distortions, too, and makes each flesh-smithed person especially attractive to the leaching creatures that are Spirits of Mental Instability.

 

Flesh Smithing

*Requires (At the least) a second tier Ish'Urkal who has consumed a minor spirit.

*Fleshsmithed creatures may use magic if they were originally able to do so.

*Limbs and generally fleshy parts must be of the same type of creature as the owner of the body (i.e. an orcish arm being attached a halfling will do, but a dog's leg won't).

*This doesn’t apply for exceptionally simple things like the outer ear, the outer nose, nails, teeth and tusks, and so on and so forth.

*Requires ooc, but not in character, permission. Should there be no consent, the soul will drift off instead of returning to the body, and they’ll die (No PK).

*The addition can be either numbed or in constant pain- The Ish'Urkal has the choice over this.

*Clerical or Alchemical healing to restore the old limb is impossible. However, they can both aid in reducing the pain, repairing numbed nerves and making the limb more practical.

*If it’s an arm or a leg, note that it wouldn’t function perfectly. For the most experienced, a  slight limp would be present, and for the least well versed it would be no better than a wooden attachment.

*No fine motor skills with grasping appendages, though swinging a mace or hammer is easy enough.

*Eyes and ears can function up to a point. They will always only be able to perceive poorly, with eyes having at best very blurred vision and ears at maximum having very muffled hearing. Furthermore, eyes cannot function at all if the vision they provide is in directions that are too different from the norm. Ergo eyes in the back of one’s head are strictly for appearances only

*Ish'Urkals can’t perform flesh smithing on themselves or other Ish'Urkals.

*The victim will always become subservient to the Ish'Urkal, with no exceptions. Additionally, they have a high chance of attracting a spirit of mental instability to themselves.

 

Credits:
- Fooddude: Ideas and writing

- BGBuster: Ideas and writing

- Hellfiaz: Ideas and conversation

- Mephistophelian: Ideas and writing
- Smawton: Reviving the lore and messing it up the first time I posted it ;)

 

Spoiler

Here is Smaw's ideal student. Look carefully; feast your eyes. This very picture has caused me much grief due to reformatting of this lore piece...


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I really like this new aesthetic. +1

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Same thing that is already up, some minor changes shouldn't require a week long loremag. 

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******* beautiful, all this lore is making me happy. I LUV it.

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I still remember the old times when it became a plague and an event provider to elves and etcetera, but always avoided the orcs.

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Meh, this could be used. Just don't give it to the elves. 

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With Smaw's image in mind of an apprentice, I TOTALLY think I am applicable :>
Nice lore my friend; I hate complementing anything that pertains to you though

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What are the actual differences in this one? What has been changed? Looking through briefly, I can't really seem to tell.

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5 hours ago, Gladuos said:

What are the actual differences in this one? What has been changed? Looking through briefly, I can't really seem to tell.

It was shelved for so long because of the name, believe it or not. We changed the functions of how you slowly die and what the origins of this alternative are, but it's otherwise the same; it was just never officially presented.

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  • This Lore has been added to this week's Loremag and shall be reviewed by the LT.

Expect a response within about a week.

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