Dark Shamanism - The Guide

[Smaw 2376]

< -The Ish'Urkal - >

Dark Shamanism

 

 

Dark Shamanism Reform:

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/150801-lore-trial-2m-from-290916-ishurkal-dark-shamans/

 

Removal of Dark Shamans:

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/151194-✓-dark-shamanism-addition-removing-ishurkal-powers/#comment-1428345

 

The Bastard of Smoke:

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/151003-✓-the-bastard-of-smoke-dark-shaman-relic/#comment-1426650

 

The Story of the Tome of Ixli:

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/156419-returning-to-the-source/

 

Music:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvTRZJ-4EyI

Since the introduction of the Ish'Urkal (which is the latest iteration of Dark Shamanism) many questions have arisen about how exactly it works, and now that we have reached the maximum number of students (9) I thought it was time to set down a foundation from which they may work. It is my intention with this post to outline my understanding of Dark Shamanism and how it operates.

 

To begin, as with any Magic, it is always important to have an understanding on how it came to be, and what the intention was behind its creation. With the Ish'Urkal, the knowledge they possess is an insidious process that cannot be written or spoken, and is instead a series of symbols that burn into the minds of those that witness them. These terrible symbols are used by Ixli, the Immortal Spirit of Hidden Knowledge, Truth and Judgement, who tortured one of his Lesser Spirits, Oolra, into learning this knowledge; for those that acquire it are plagued by an inner corruption. Essentially, Ixli himself does not understand the process, and instead forced it upon Oolra in order to avoid the suffering it would bring.

The Tome of Ixli

(Oolra, the Tome of Ixli)

 

Oolra would forever be corrupted by the unspeakable knowledge of consuming Spirits, and would be forced upon the Mortal realm, where he would represent an Ancient Tome. This representation became known as the Tome of Ixli, and it is through him that the Ish'Urkal receive their knowledge. Typically, Oolra will not communicate, and quite literally pretends to be a tome. While he is capable of communicating, and even changing his form, he chooses instead to observe in silence as those that come to possess him spiral into a state of insanity and degeneracy.

 

Oolra is currently RP'd by me when necessary, as I am the only teacher of Dark Shamanism. This was set as a standard in order to prevent Dark Shamanism from falling into the wrong hands, and indeed in order to prevent it from broadening too much; the limit being 9. Due to the nature of the Tome of Ixli as a Spirit, he may decide to return to the Spirit Realm at will, thus escaping the clutches of those that have acquired him.

 

In order to understand the process of becoming an Ish'Urkal, one must read the symbols that are represented through the Tome of Ixli. These symbols cannot be recreated or represented in any way, and the knowledge cannot be taught or expressed through any means. It is a process that binds to the Soul and begins to corrupt it, and is a process as natural as breathing for those that come to understand it. Due to this, it takes no significant effort to begin consuming a Spirit, and instead is achieved through sheer intent or will of consumption.

 

Although Oolra is actually a Spirit himself, he cannot be consumed by the Art that he teaches. However, due to his nature he can be destroyed; a feat that would be particularly difficult as he can remove himself from the Mortal Realm at will.

Consuming Spirits

 

So, how exactly does one consume a Spirit, and where may they find them?

 

Once you have had the knowledge burned into your mind, your hunger begins. You will feel compelled to start consuming Spirits, with the intent to utilise their powers for your own nefarious means. In order to achieve this, an Ish'Urkal must venture into the Spirit Realm through Meditation, and must literally hunt for the Spirits that are lingering there. Like all feats of Shamanism, their body remains tethered to the Mortal realm, and it is actually their Soul that ventures into the Spirit Realm. This process of consumption is by no means an easy one, as the soul of the Dark Shaman is apparent in the Spirit Realm; their corruption can be seen very clearly.

 

For this reason, the Spirit in question must be RP'd by an Event Team member, in order to ensure that powers are not gained too easily or unreasonably. Currently, Dark Shamans are limited in what they may consume, and so I will detail a list of what can and cannot be consumed below:

 

Consumable:

 

Lesser Immortal Spirits - All, although arguably some are tremendously less useful than others.

Lesser Elemental Spirits - Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Metal and Electrical

 

Cannot be Consumed:

 

Ancestral Spirits

Greater Immortal Spirits

Greater Elemental Spirits, and Elemental Spirits of Time, Space, Light, Darkness, etc; basically, anything outside of the basic Elements listed in Consumable.

 

Abilities

 

(An Ish'Urkal with an Army of Flesh Smithed servants)

 

 

Now, let me explain for a moment how each ability is made available, and what your restrictions will be for each Spirit you have consumed. When you “eat” a Spirit, it is subjugated within you, and can be forced to enact its power on the Mortal realm through a mix of your intent and your aggressive mana.

 

The power that a Spirit provides is relative to what it represents, and the abilities it presents to you must be taken at face value. For instance, if one were to consume a Spirit of Sleep, one may induce a state of fatigue in a person, or cause them to have nightmares. What you cannot do with this, is curse someone never to sleep. This directly conflicts with what the Spirit represents entirely, and is not something it is capable of doing. Its entire energy and existence is based around sleep, so it cannot induce a state that prevents that. For the same reason, a Spirit of Arcane cannot ward against Arcane, et cetera.

 

Due to the fact that the Ish’Urkal is forcing the Spirit to influence the world, the effect that is has often turns into a negative impact because it does not come from a state of clear intention. This can easily be explained by exploring what would happen if you consumed a Spirit of Healing. Let me provide an example:

An Ish’Urkal consumes a Spirit of Healing, and attempts to seal a large wound on one of his companions. The process would start normally, for the Shamans own mana is influencing the Spiritual impact. This allows healing to take place. However, when the Shaman loses focus, the residual effect of his corrupting nature will cause the wound to infect heavily, ultimately resulting in more damage than was inflicted in the first place.

 

This applies in all regards, across the board. If one were to use a Spirit of Air, that air would eventually turn poisonous and toxic to those in the vicinity. This is where a degree of creativity comes into play, because although this appears to be a drawback in this instance, it can actually be utilised to cause considerable harm. For reference, I will provide a list of what occurs with each Element below, and will leave Immortal Spirits open to interpretation.

 

Air: Eventually turns poisonous and toxic, or becomes an incredibly thick, choking fog.

Fire: This will heighten the naturally destructive process of fire, and will leave an black flame in its wake that will burn through almost anything; including normally fire-resistant woods.

Earth: The Earth becomes loose and precarious, and will be prone to natural disaster or incredible decay.

Water: This will begin to pollute and become sulphuric, and no longer capable of sustaining life.

Metal: Metal becomes jagged and extremely sharp, but also brittle.

Electricity: Becomes even more chaotic, and begins to spread wildly instead of toward a particular point. Glows with an intense crimson hue and paralyses those that come into contact with it.

 

(An Elemental of Chaos)

 

When it comes to Immortal Spirits, your abilities will mostly consist of Curses. These can be forced upon all living entities, and for this reason curses affect animals and plants in varying ways. The process is rather simple, and applies in the same way that a Witch Doctor works; minus the concoctions.

 

You will not need to chant for the favour of the Spirit in question, because you are forcing it to act. In order to strengthen the curse, it is important to represent the effect you wish to inflict. For instance, if you want to cause disease to the land, you must hunch yourself and appear fatigued. As you focus your intent on the ground, it will slowly begin to wither and corrupt before you. The same applies to Animals and Descendants, with a less dramatic effect. Essentially, you can cause more damage to land with curses, than you could to higher functioning, living entities.

 

Now, A Shaman has a total of 4 sloth for which to consume Spirits, as reaching the 5th one results in permanent death, unless using the Bastard of Smoke, which is linked at the start of the post.

 

An Ish’Urkals Spirits Tier sepearelty of one another, so each new Spirit requires the same period of time before it may progress into another power level. However, if a Shaman decides to fill all four slots with Earth Spirits, they will find they abilities to be drastically enhanced.

Visions & Flesh Smithing

 

(A heavily corrupted and Flesh Smithed Olog)

 

The ability to induce a vision in another of close proximity is an additional skill available to the Ish’Urkal, and is part of the dark language burned into their mind. The origins of Spiritual consumption stem from the same source of this terrible Art, yet the foundation of where these abilities arise is unknown; at least to the Ish’Urkal.

 

This allows an Ish’Urkal to force a vision upon those within close proximity to them, but they must maintain eye contact at all times as their influence will otherwise wane on the target. Other than that, this one is rather self-explanatory. This is particularly effective when used in conjuction with Flesh Smithing.

 

Perhaps the most difficult of the three to understand, Flesh Smithing is vile, a process defying all components on nature in order to create monstrosities that are warped beyond recognition. This is done rather simply at first, with the Shaman attaching limbs to the host in question. Due to the nature of the Descendants, animal limbs cannot be attached to them; save for the exception of the Kha and the Hou-Zi, who can allow for the appendages of felines and apes, respectively.  

 

Once the limbs have been attached, the Ish’Urkal must literally stretch the soul of the host in order for it to extend into the extra limbs. This bends the will of the host into servtitude to the Ish’Urkal, as they live in a continuous state of turmoil. The Shaman may decide whether to cause unrelenting pain, or relieve the host of all grievances.

 

Regardless, the extra limbs are not are powerful or useful as those that are natural, due to the warping of their souls. For this reason, makeshift wings and other such appendages will not offer the ability to fly, et cetera.

Summoning Lingerers

 

(A Lingerer roaming about in the Ancestral Realm)

 

Lingerers are essentially the earlier iteration of Dark Shamans, who escaped to the Ancestral Realm hundreds of years ago in order to escape their fate. An Ish'Urkal may communicate with these Lingerers as they have access to the realms that they... Linger... in. When there, they may attempt to make a pact with one of them, and may gain their favour. When this has been achieved, a Dark Shaman may consume a Spirit of Construction, in order to make a host form through which the Linger may materialise.

 

The use of a Lingerer is in its physical abilities, which will be rendered near useless in the Ish'Urkal, due to the degradation I shall explain below. When the Lingerer is summoned, they are brought to the realm within whatever form was made for them; be it gravel, sand, et cetera. They will also have a sword or a staff formed as well, which will be their primary weapon in combat. Due to the nature of the Lingerers, they cannot inflict any physical harm to their enemies, and instead, each successful strike will paralyse the area that has been stricken.

 

While this is taking place, the Ish'Urkal himself is paralysed completely. 

 

Degradation

 

(This isn't even my final- Oh...)

 

Now, with all of these lovely abilities listed, what are the drawbacks to using them? Simply put, withering. As you consume Spirits, your Soul begins to attach further and further to the Mortal realm, and with each successive consumption your body begins to literally deteriorate. On top of this, Spirits of Mental Instability are drawn to you like rabid Wolves, and will begin to drain your mind of any semblance of normality. Here’s a simple breakdown of how that process occurs:

 

One Spirit: Muscles begin to weaken, begin to question the reality around you.

 

Two Spirits: Muscles considerably weaken, unable to stand with a proper form,let alone involve oneself in physical combat. Mind begins to tear to a noticeable degree, and at this stage one can develop Bipolar disorders, Anxieties and general precariousness. The Shaman will also begin to experience blackouts at random, and these will become more frequent and intense as the tier progresses.

 

Three Spirits: Woah boy, get cucked. Your limbs will quite literally begin to lose their flesh as your skin starts to rot, and where flesh once lay, a withered Spectral form will replace it. Your mind will be beyond repair, torn asunder by the Spirits that ironically eat at your sanity. At this stage you will develop split personality disorders, murderous tendencies and general psychopathic behaviour. You may also be prone to extreme anxiety and caution.

Four Spirits: At this point you’re almost completely Spectral, consisting of an Ashen form that represents your twisted and contorted soul. You voice will be heard with an air of distance, despite proximity. You will be, for all intents and purposes insane. You will still be capable of basic function, but your thought processes and intentions will be warped beyond logical reasoning.

 

In an Ish'Urkal attempts to consume another Spirit, he will be torn from the Mortal realm and ultimately PK'd. 

 

Thank you for reading this guide, and if you have any questions, concerns or feel like something is missing, please comment below.

 

I will add to this as time and interest progresses.

 

[jamesb 218]

Hey Smawton. First of all, great work! This is well written and informative.

 

Two questions,

- I remember once being told that when someone is Flesh Smithed, the person who's granted the extra limb etc. becomes feral. Is this true/still in effect?

- I'm a bit confused on the drawback section. It probably makes sense to anyone familiar with Shamanism, but I, unfortunately, am not. Does "spirits consumed" refer to how many spirits a Dark Shaman has ever consumed? Or simply how many it has in its "slots" at once? If the latter, does that mean once you consume a Spirit you can "release" it and thusly lower the drawbacks?

 

EDIT: Should this be in the guide section?

[Smaw 2376]

51 minutes ago, Crazed said:

Hey Smawton. First of all, great work! This is well written and informative.

 

Two questions,

- I remember once being told that when someone is Flesh Smithed, the person who's granted the extra limb etc. becomes feral. Is this true/still in effect?

- I'm a bit confused on the drawback section. It probably makes sense to anyone familiar with Shamanism, but I, unfortunately, am not. Does "spirits consumed" refer to how many spirits a Dark Shaman has ever consumed? Or simply how many it has in its "slots" at once? If the latter, does that mean once you consume a Spirit you can "release" it and thusly lower the drawbacks?

 

EDIT: Should this be in the guide section?

 

1) Not exactly. They may develop a feral state if the Dark Shaman responsible for it decides to keep them in a constant state of pain. Otherwise, they would generally behave as normal, with some minor consequences to their mental state; due to the stretching of their soul.

 

2) Dark Shamans can not rid themselves of Spirits once they have been consumed, to clear up any confusion. Therefore, it means the number they have ever consumed.

 

3) Not sure, figured it was more fitting in the Shamanism sub-section.

 

Hopefully that clears it up a little bit. Let me know if you need further clarification.

[L0rdLawyer 2272]

More details on the process of flesh smithing?

[Smaw 2376]

8 minutes ago, L0rdB0rd said:

More details on the process of flesh smithing?

 

Coming up.

[luv 3469]

Amazing, super amazing.

[Slayy 816]

Make me dark

[Merkaken 516]

Reminds me a lot of Ikuras and Phobism lore. I like this ****. Nice guide

[Moby_Derp 163]

Great post, but I'm still gonna murder all the Dark Shomos.

[HedgeHug 2049]

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

 

If you feel this is a mistake, please contact myself or any FM and we'll restore it.