[✓] The Shamanic Codex

[HedgeHug 2049]

 

A note upfront:

 

Hello there! Yes, it is I, Hedgehug. I'm not dead, not yet. Over the course of the last month or so me and others have occupied ourselves with the task of clarifying shamanism as a whole to both the LT, MT and community. The following product is given: 74 pages of written shaman lore, divided by some google documents and this general codex. Upon acceptance this very thread will serve as a guideline for future shamans. The holy ooc book for shamanism within LotC.

 

Please treat this work, that has taken a large quantity of time and effort, with the respect it deserves. As well as its authors. I shall personally open up a second thread that will serve as a shaman q&a where questions regarding shamanism, spirituality and this newly made codex will be answered by both me and the shaman playerbase.

 

Edit registor:

15-7-2017 ~ Removed google doc links, replaced with referal link to newly made forum post + added farssing in the codex instead of a seperate doc.

7-9-2017 ~ Removed the odd links and added actual link lines referring to other threads

 

With pride I present to you:

 

The Shamanic Codex

The capabilities and limitations of Shamans and the Spirits

 

 

Executive compiler: Hedgehug

Contributors (according to relevancy): Smawton, Divinejustice, Pandasan, KBR, Lhindir, Ilikefooddude, Catarrh

 

Table of contents

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1. Introduction

2. The Spirit Realms & The Spirits

   1. Spiritual Psychology

   2. Spiritual Influence

3. Blackspeech

4. Totems

5. Subtypes

   1. Elementalism

   2. Lutaumancy

   3. Farseer

   4. Witch Doctor

   5. Spirit Smithing

6. Other Shamanic Abilities

   1. Voodoo Dolls

   2. Muyakelg

 

 

Introduction

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Schematic representation of what shamanism entails:

http://imgur.com/QufWmgq

 

To begin, it is important to note that all Shamans utilise the energies of the Spirits in order to influence the world, and work directly with them in order to allow the Spirits to enforce their will. A Shaman allows the Spirit to use his or her mana pool, and from this the extent of the Spirit’s influence is put into constraint; as the mana pool of any Mortal has a limitation.

 

The way in which the Shaman interacts with the Spirits, and how he or she uses his or her powers varies from person to person. For this reason, sub-types of Shamanism were made where Shaman focus on a specific way in which to reach out to the Spirits.

 

Spirits vary from each other in their power by how prevalent the thing they reign over is. For instance, the Spirits of Time and Space are the most powerful Spirits in existence, because Time and Space extends to the furthest reaches of the Universe, and the way in which they can use time and space also allows them to gain a significant advantage.

 

 

 

 

The Spirit Realms & The Spirits

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A listing of all current existing spirits:

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/153791-the-spirits-grand-list/ 

 

Typically, Spirits are split into three categories because their powers are so drastic as to warrant differing realms within which to contain them. All Spirits exist in these Spiritual Planes, created by the Daemon, Apohet. These are as follows:

 

The Elemental Realm - Housing all Elemental Spirits; these are the most powerful of all Spirits. These spirits represent material elements of various kinds, and only touch on that what is material in the Mortal Realm.

 

The Immortal Realm - This realm houses the Spirits that reign over concepts, ideas, emotions and more specific things spread across the Universe. For instance, a house may be made of stone, and as such tied to the Elemental of Stone, yet an Immortal Spirits will exist to reign over the concept of what a house is, and can influence it in such a way as to improve or weaken the structure.

 

The Ancestral Realm || Stargush’Stroh - This is where those devoted to the Spirits go when they have died on the Mortal Realm. Therein exist two types of Ancestors; Lesser and Greater. In order to become a Greater Ancestral, a player must have achieved an exceptional feat within their lifetime. For more information heed to the following post:

 

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/152380-the-stargûshstroh-apohets-realm-of-ancestors 

 

The Mortal Realm - While this is not a Spiritual realm, everything that exists across the Universe contains smaller portions of Spiritual energy, entities that are referred to as stagnant Spirits. These smaller Spirits are directly tied to the Spiritual Realms, and are how a more

powerful Spirit in the Spirit Realms may influence the Mortal realm.

 

They use the mana of the Shaman in question in order to infuse their own energy into the Stagnant Spirit, awakening it for the Shaman to them control or otherwise allow to take action of its own will.

 

All Immortal Spirits can materialise within the Mortal Realm when they have accumulated enough power and influence, but if they were to die it would be a permanent death. For this reason, Greater Immortals do not usually summon themselves into the Mortal Realm and instead allow their Lesser Immortals, their servants, to act on their behalf:

ET Only:

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/147946-the-avatars-of-the-spirits 

 

Spiritual Psychology

As formations of a Daemon, the overarching design behind each Spirit is their desire and need for worship and control, because being revered, and having the thing they represent be more prevalent across the Universe allows them to grow more powerful and gain further control in the Spirit Realm.

 

Each Spirit tries to overpower one another, which is a scenario we saw very clearly with the Orgonic Plague. Despite the Orcs assisting in the summoning of Orgon, the Spirit decided to attack them when he considered himself powerful enough to do so, as plaguing the Orcs would have empowered him further than allowing them to live healthily on a landmass that could no further be corrupted.

 

Spiritual Influence

Regardless of the shamans specific subtype and business, they all share one key ability: that of communion with the spirits. A shaman can go to the Spirit's realm and converge with it in the old tongue. Here the Shaman can bargain and trade. The boons that can be granted by the Spirits have long been unclear and without boundary. It is therefore that the following is stated:

 

In the event of a shaman contacting a spirit in order to converge, bargain, or trade for material boons, immaterial boons, or knowledge, a dedicated ET, MT, LM, or approved Shaman player must represent the spirit. As for the obtainable: this is strictly limited to what is directly affiliated to the spirit in question. The tradeoffs are mostly unfair, as they must be both within the spirits better interest as follow their instinct to obtain power and significance.

 

Old Blah/Blackspeech

---

 

Additionally, in order to call upon and communicate with the Spirits, Shamans must learn the Ancient Tongue which is passed down from teacher to teacher; which must be a lore-approved item given to the prospective teacher when their application is accepted. This item is a so called codex or tome and contains the teacher's established knowledge on the language.

 

 

 

Totems

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Totems are akin to shrines to specific Spirits that have been blessed by the shaman. By ‘upgrading’ a shrine to a totem it makes for a stronger tether to the spirit it is dedicated to. This makes for easier contacting of the spirit. However, the totem also makes it so that contacting other spirits within its vicinity is more complicated to do. More details below:

 

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/145253-totems/

 

 

 

 

Subtypes

 

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Elementalism

 

Arguably the oldest of all Shaman sub-types, it is also one of the more basic in concept; yet takes incredible patience and endurance to achieve in reality. An Elementalist cannot conjure an Element, and must instead work with existing material.

 

Currently, Elementalists may only use the following Elements:

 

Electricity and Metal require more complex understandings, and I suggest making these available when a Shaman has mastered an Element at T3.

 

When a Shaman makes a pact with a Lesser Spirit of an Element, they may begin to influence the world around them in one of two ways.The first is more fast-paced, and typically these stages of progression correlate almost entirely with those of Evocation, and the progression of tier allows an Elementalism to control more of the Element they are using.

 

The difference with Shamanism lies in a slower approach, in which an Elementalist may continuously re-visit a region in order to influence it further over time; in this instance, it is determined by the region owner or moderator what may be achieved, as theoretically an Earth Elementalism may open up a ravine after many rituals.

 

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/134759-elementalist-clarifications-and-spirits/ 

 

To begin a pact with a Spirit, an elementalist must abandon their mortal,physical self and ascend into the Elemental Realm. At first, this travel is taken through intense psychedelics, or a copious amount of drugs, often damaging the elementalist’s mind and causing them to have horrific visions that corrupt and sway their mind. Due to the powerful nature of their magics, spirits of mental instability seek to attack them as they try to connect to the Realm.

 

Once there, the shaman again is bombarded by the nexus of the Elemental Realm, a nexus  of twisting and ever-changing elements crafted by Elemental spirits. Lightning flickers throughout the sky, fire dances about the air like dragons, and mountains rise and fall to the whim of the beings within it. To a new shaman, the experience would be mind-shattering, and usually the teacher accompanies them. Once here, they must venture around the nexus, following paths and calling out to the seek out the elemental spirit of choice.

 

When the Spirit itself can be roleplayed by the following: The Teacher, the MT, or an ET knowledgeable in the Spirits. Once arriving upon the spirit, the pact is given by the spirit which essentially boils down to a quest relating to the element of choice. A fire elemental may ask for lava placed upon the highest part of a mountain, climbed by hand and still hot as daybreak approaches, or the death of a dragon or some fiery beast. A storm elemental may want the shaman to climb to the highest peaks and shock themselves in a test of durability and strength. The quests to the discretion of those giving the test, and they do not need to be feasible. A shaman may fail their test, and potentially seek out another spirit. If not completed in 2 irl weeks, it is assumed that the pact has failed, and that the shaman may seek out another pact for a simpler test.

 

Once the pact has been made, the work of an elementalist is not finished. Far from. Once a month, the pact must be renewed through a similar quest. Though not as great as the original pact, a shaman must go out and commit works in the name of the spirit they worship. This may be converting others to the faith, erecting shrines and totems, or performing great sacrifices akin to the original pact. These acts are preserved through screenshots or OOC confirmation by those present, before being sent to the teacher,MT, or ET. If a shaman does not commit these tasks for a whole month, their tier, regardless of placement goes down by one.

 

 

EVENT TEAM NOTES

If any Event Team is bored/seeking new roleplay or things to interact within the realm of spirits, I would suggest a Spirit War or struggle of power. Within

both the Elemental and Immortal realms,  spirits wage war on each other-- for power is all they seek. Some may seek alliances and work together, while others may exist as puppetmasters to push greater means. The politics of the Spiritual Realms work nearly identical to those of the Mortal Realm.  These battles are heard and felt by all shamans, and can involve orcs via the manifestation of these battles upon the Mortal Realm, or by shamans and various groups worshiping spirits to empower them. It is quite obvious that this grants ET a lot of space to work on events and ideas; however, there things to take account for.

 

Battles upon elemental spirits are often the most common, as their various forms act as anathema to each other (water to fire, air to earth, etc), and so elementalists may find themselves at war battling each other.

 

If a Spirit Manifests in the Mortal Realm and is killed, they are dead for good.

 

Do not touch any of the Greater Elemental, Immortal, or even Ancestral Spirits without MT supervision.

 

Avoid giving Spiritual Items/Tools, for the various forms of shamanism do this.

 

DivineJustice’s little blurb about Elementalist Changes:

“With great power comes great responsibility”. Previous elementalists got the perks of a magic stronger than evocation at the cost of literally nothing. The pact was almost immediately, and the work done for it was banged out in a matter of days.  I loathed  the fact that an elementalist basically served  as an rp combat magic with little purpose behind it save for squishing people with the elements.  Moreover, elementalists hold  in little in means of roleplay save for the combat they serve in, so I hope with these interactions, elementalists have a greater purpose within the shamanistic community.

 

I will explain how the Shamans may utilise Elementalism using the… household appliance scaling system.

 

Tier 1 - Minor Influence - Cannot control Shape

 

Fire - May influence a Flame no larger than that produced by a torch.

Earth - May influence crumbled earth (gravel, sand, et cetera) to the extent of that which could be contained within a bucket.

Water - May influence pure water to the extent of that which could be contained within a bucket.

Air - May influence standard Air to the extent of that which could be contained within a… bucket.

 

Tier 2 - Considerable Influence - Can Alter Shape Slightly

 

Fire - May influence a Flame no larger than that of a camp fire.

Earth - May influence both crumbled and solid material to the extent of that which could be contained within a bath.

Water - May influence both normal water and swampy/murky water to the extent of that which could be contained within a bath.

Air - May influence both normal air and smoke to the extent of that which could be contained within a… bath.

 

Tier 3 - Basic Mastery of the Element - Can Alter Shape Completely

 

This Tier follows the same retrains to size as Tier 2, but with complete mastery over the shape and direction it takes.

 

Metal - Can influence Metal to move but cannot alter the shape; limited to that which could be contained in a bucket.

Electricity - Can influence Electricity and Static Energy to move but cannot alter the shape or direction in which shoots along its journey; limited to that which could be contained within a… bucket.

 

Tier 4 - Complete Mastery of the Basic Elements

 

Fire - May now influence flames to the extent of a funeral pyre, and can shape it or snuff it out entirely.

Earth - May now influence Earth to the extent of being able to shape completely; to the extent of that which could be contained within a van.

Water - May influence Water to such extremes that they may now influence Ice and Steam, as well as all forms; swamp, bog, beer, et cetera; to the extent of that which could be contained within a van.

Air - May influence Air to such extremes that they may now influence temperature, as well as poisonous air, smoke and may carry air into regions where it does otherwise not exist.

Metal - May slightly influence the shape of Metal; to the extent of that which can be contained within a bath.

Electricity - May influence Electricity and Static Energy to the degree of being able to completely direct it and keep it on course; to the extent of that which could be contained within a… bath.

 

Tier 5 - Complete Mastery of All Elements and their States

 

All may be shaped, directed and altered completely at this stage; to the extent of that which may be contained within a living room.  Creation of Elemental Muyakelgs are also possible at this stage.

 

Red Lines

• A connection is VITAL to be role-played before manipulating any element of choice.

• A T5 Elementalist in 2 varieties of Elements may manipulate them at the same time, but will be done at the rate of a T3 Shaman for both elements by either combining the elements or using them separately.

• A Shaman must role-play any interference of concentration as well as fatigue from connecting to the Spirit Realm.

• The Elementalist will find that the opposite Elements becomes harder to control, as the Elemental Spirit is displeased with the shaman for choosing it’s rival.

(Fire-Water, Earth-Air, Metal-Water, Lightning-Earth)

• Elementalism is purely altering said element, you can neither add or subtract that of a substance, only alter what is present.

 

 

Lutaumancy

 

Clarification of Lutaumancy for each existing spirit

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/163363-✓-an-addition-to-the-shaman-codex-limitations-and-capabilities/

 

The Lutaumen are shamans capable of communing with the long past ancestors of the Uruk race. They do this by connecting to the ancestral realm, using the ancestor on which they focus on as a tether. Objects in the Mortal Realm may contribute if they bear significance to the ancestral spirit in question.

 

This communion is what makes most of their roleplay: contacting ancestors of either the long past, or even closer past. They have the ability of taking up to two other individuals with them on these so called ‘spirit walks’ to the Stargush’Stroh.

 

Aside from communion they are, similar to Elementalists, able to summon the power of Greater Ancestral spirits within themselves. These powers often granted by Spirits that the Lutauman has bonded with, similar to Elementalism.

 

Tier 1 - Minor Influence -

The Lutauman learns the old tongue and the basic principle of entering and exiting the Stargush’Stroh. Here they can encounter ancestral spirits but remain unable to directly contact a specific one. Even with a tether in the mortal realm.

 

Tier 2 - Considerable Influence -

The Lutauman enters and exits the Stargush’Stroh with less and less trouble and can stay longer in said realm. Upon attempting to contact a specific ancestor they shall see improvement to locating and contacting them. The usage of a tether greatly improves this.

 

Tier 3 - Basic Mastery of the Ancestral Communion -

The Lutauman has mastered the art of Communion with ancestors and can travel to any ancestor at will with little effort. The usage of tethers is still preferred but no longer a necessity. Two other individuals may be brought into the spirit realm. It is at around this tier that the Lutauman is taught how to summon the powers of an ancestor within them and may experiment with self-blessing.

 

Tier 4 - Basic Mastery of Self-Blessing -

The Lutauman Masters the summoning of blessings upon themselves. The bonds between Shaman and spirit improve leading to the experimentation of stronger blessings such as Power (Rax) or maybe even the Kurak blessing.

 

Tier 5 - Complete Mastery of Ancestral Communion & Self-Blessing -

The Lutauman has mastered and perfected the arts of Ancestral Communion and Self-Blessing. They can call upon the strength of a large variety of Greater Ancestrals. On top of this they can, with relative ease, take up to five other individuals with them on spirit walks to the Stargush’Stroh.

 

Additionally, the Lutauman may create a Muyakelg with the help of a T5 Witch Doctor.

 

Regarding ghosts and other ghostly / spectral creatures the Lutauman has the following ability:

 

As is established: Kor, spirit of the dead is a Greater Immortal spirit with the slight bonus that he is capable of traveling between the Stargush’Stroh and the Immortal Realm. He is perceived the ‘Gatekeeper’ of the Stargush’Stroh. Therefore the Lutauman, upon encountering the creature in question, can summon within him: Kor. This is done in a similar fashion as obtaining a self-blessing from a Greater Ancestral. Upon successfully summoning Kor the Shaman can then begin to ‘consume’ the Ghost until it is fully purged. The soul then travels back with Kor and is left in the Soulstream. This event may be considered a suggested PK for ghosts and similar spectral creatures.

Red Lines

• A tier 5 lutauman can take up to 5 others at maximum with them to the stargush’stroh.

• The self-blessings, though made to empower the shaman, do have their limits. Namely the Strength and Kurak blessings are to be undergamed at all times to prevent powergaming. The power does not reach above that of a matured olog, the kurak blessing, including it’s drawback of potential friendly-fire, is limited to the physical power of an actual lur-wolf.

• A shaman cannot spend too long a time in the stargush’stroh. Length is dependant on tier. Tier 1 would make for about a half hour visit where a tier 5 can reach up to about 24 hours (as in-realm time).

• If the body of a spirit-walking shaman or traveler is killed during their walk, the shaman and or travelers spirit shall remain locked in the stargush’stroh. Though not enforced, this would make for a convincing PK. Should the player not wish to PK after this, it can be assumed that Kor bails them out and sends their spirits back to the soulstream after they’ve spoken to him. (which can actually be roleplayed out should one wish so). This could, if roleplayed properly, end up in a bargain. One with a cost.

 

 

Farseer

 

 Clarification of Farseeing for each existing spirit

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/163363-✓-an-addition-to-the-shaman-codex-limitations-and-capabilities/

 

 

Overview

 

Farseers are spiritual seers of nations and clans. Farseers are gifted individuals that can travel into the plane of spirits and speak with spirits invisible to the eyes of normal descendants. 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.

 

 

Immortal Spirits

 

Immortal Spirits began long ago as the creations of Elementals; Deemed to watch over specific aspects or domains of the world, and empowered only by the increase of worship or said domain; Such as how the Spirit of the Hunt is empowered for every kill a Predatory being makes.

 

Cast into their own planes, and considered lesser, by the Elementals, Immortal Spirits seek constantly to gain power, ruling over vast domains featuring prominent features of their Aspects, such as the Spirit of the Sea having a vast watery section of the Realm, with Lesser Spirits of these constantly moving about their planes, all the while plotting and seeking to gain their own powers as well, with the eventual hopes to become Greater themselves.

 

All the Greater Immortal Spirits began possessing only a single aspect, for example Enrohk has three aspects- Bloodlust, Savagery, and War; Enrohk started as the Greater Spirit of Bloodlust and the rest he gained, by either consuming other spirits entirely or by subjugating another spirit that has more than one aspect. When a Greater Spirit is consumed it does not die, the spirit is forced to join in a Union with the other Spirit, much like the union a Spirit is forced into when consumed by a Dark Shaman, meaning it can regain its freedom through the defeat of its overlord; However, due to the nature of Spirits seeking more power, a Spirits freeing one another would be unheard of. Greater Spirits weaken when they gain many aspects because even though they hold many aspects that are powerful, they may weaken because the others are on the same level: In this, one Spirit will never be allowed to gain to many, as other spirits will combine efforts to release and spread aspects from that spirit elsewhere, as there is a delicate balance. Due to the weakness of Spirits holding many aspects, Lesser Spirits are formed to hold superior strength in these fields - Such as Orgon.

 

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

 

An example of how Greater spirits interact with Descendants, mainly Orcs, is seen before the great revival of the Orcish race by Rex Mogroka. Mogroka was contacted by Enrohk, at the time a weak spirit that only held domain over bloodlust. The former Orcish government suppressed bloodlust and tried to control it. It is said that Enrohk gave Mogroka powers, a mighty blessing to enrage the Berserker-Shaman fit for the Champion of Enrohk, and with Mogroka’s ascent to power bloodlust was made free and with it, Enrohk gained power.

 

 

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. For ease, 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.

 

 

Spirit-Walking

 

A journey by ritualistic actions and behaviours hidden and protected by Farseers throughout the ages, experienced Farseers hold the innate ability to travel in a manner in which their Soul breaks from their physical form, able to travel directly to the Immortal and Elemental planes; However, this ritual is different from that to travel to Kor’s dominion and speak to the Ancestrals.

 

Whilst the origins of the rituals are as mysterious as the Spirits themselves, Farseers have a strong tradition of secrecy in their teachings, acting as elders in their communities and passing down their trade by word of mouth, with the only known writings to be the Or’Gok Scrolls, lost with Mogroka’Gorkil.

 

While in these planes, the Farseer is most vulnerable, his mortal self idle in his own realm, whilst his soul traverses the realm of the Spirits, in which fatal wounds in either would result in death. Due to this, Spirit Guides are often employed, being that of Lesser Spirits that have a direct pact with a Farseer, much like Elementalists have with their elemental lessers, or that of other Farseers who have incredible knowledge on the domains; However, pacted Lesser Spirits are only able to guide the Farseer through the domain of his own aspect, the guides most commonly seeking something in return for their assistance and appearing like that of their domain, most commonly in an animal-like form.

 

Ultimately, the purpose of Spirit Walking is that of conversing directly with the Spirits themselves. Due to this, and the dangers of traveling about the Elemental or Immortal planes without a guide, inexperienced Farseers find themselves unable to find and converse with the most powerful of the Spirits, the Greaters, by disheartening, getting lost, or threat of death by Lesser Spirits protecting the domain.

 

 

Far Sight

 

Granting these wise Shamans their names, the purpose of a Farseer, while to act as a mediator between the Mortal Realm and Spirit Realms, is primarily their gift to receive visions of the future itself, the wisest of Farseers commonly coming together to discuss and plan the best course of action to heed warning or take action to fulfil or prevent these prophecies.

 

Far Sight, while being the most basic level of Farseeing, is the most difficult to master, with visions often including vague messages and half-truths that are unclear to even the most experienced Shamans. Far Sight is used mainly for providing hints and information in eventlines, though a Farseer with permission from MT could use it to ‘read’ the future of other characters.  

 

Visions

 

Once a Farseer reaches T3, they are able to strike someone with visions, allowing them to infect someone’s mind with any sort of imagery the shaman wishes to evoke. This begins with first an emote of focus, and then an emote of striking the targets mind before the vision commences. Akin to illusory magic, eye contact must be made. However, once a farseer reaches T5, they are granted the ability of long-range visions, however require things such as blood and hair to maintain the connection akin to a Soul Puppeteer or Witchdoctor

 

Blessings

 

Taking upon the successes of rituals leading to Spirit Walking, Farseers can seek blessings of the Spirits in a multitude of ways; With the most successful blessings being that of Spirits the Farseer has actually spoken to, or their lessers, to get a full grasp of rituals and tasks needed to prove oneself worthy.

 

An example being that a Farseer attempting to bless a hunt would require previous successful hunts and ritualistic sacrifices to be made by the Farseer in order to allow such blessings to persist.

 

While the blessings of a Farseer occur most often in that of Immortal Spirits, the most experienced Farseers have been rumored to not only converse with Elementals to gain knowledge, but to be blessed by them, receiving imbuements to Artifacts or totems that allow the Farseer to Champion the elemental, unlike that of an elementalists bond with such.

 

These blessings are extremely rare, often leading to that of great fame for the Farseer, with the most notable being that of the Farseer Mogroka’Gorkil and his ability to call down Lightning from the sky in the name of Neizdark. Other capabilities include that of an imbued weapon by the the Elemental of Fire, Skathach, allowing the weapon to shimmer in flames that burn until sheathed. While these powerful blessings may border on Elementalism, it is notable that Farseers do not have the bond as they do, and such, the blessing only being granted when the Farseer has the favor of the Spirit, as well as the energy to do such.

 

Ritual-Blessings

 

Farseers seeking the blessings of certain Spirits may require more suitable preparations, often requiring more than a single Farseer. While these blessings persist over a period of time, or a large area, they are mostly RP-only by nature. Some of these rituals include things such as Rain Dances, or things as complicated as attempts to draw out and combat spirits tainting body, mind, or land.

 

Rain Dances are conducted by three of more Farseers in order to attempt to seek the blessings of both Arwa and Urin, often used in times of drought or famine in order to prevent further spread of such. This ritual normally lasts over a period of an entire day (30 minutes), and includes chanting and calling to the Spirits, as well as the use of different Farseer tools.

 

Land Healing Rituals are the most complex ritual a Farseer can undergo. These rituals require three Farseers, with at least one of them having journeyed through the domain of Akezo, the Spirit of Health, Vitality, and Healing. This ritual requires multiple complex steps in order to draw out the corrupting Spirit. Beginning with a form of sacrifice, involving chanting to Akezo in the form of mending that which is broken, often a totem or trinket to represent the Spirit from which the Shamans are seeking aid. Following this, totems and incense must be burned around the area in order to draw the corrupted Spirit out with the assistance of the blessing. Following this, the Spirit will either flee or attempt to fight the Farseer, most commonly ending with the Farseers having to quite-literally beat the Spirit out of the lands. (ET required; Event-based Blight Healing)

 

Rituals involving healing of the Mind and Body often act much as those of healing the land; However, due to the scale and weakness of the corrupting Spirits, only a single, experienced Farseer is required; However, while the corruption is removed, it often comes at the price of physical pain brought to release such. This is not always the case, as certain Farseers can, with the favor of the Spirit, convince it to leave by its own will, often by sacrifice, deals, or worship of the Spirit, much like that seen in the early stages of Orgon Worship.

 

 

Tools of a Farseer

 

Blessings granted onto that of a material object are common, yet highly protected. While not like that of so-called “Spirit Smithing”, blessed objects include that of ritualistic purpose, such as drums and weapons of sacrifice.

 

Drum – The drum is often used by Farseers as the beating of the drum assists the Farseer to achieve an altered state of consciousness, aiding them in their travel to pass on their 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 –  Rattles are used in ceremonies in traditional ways, often included to help invoke a specific Spirit in the Farseers ceremonies. These rattles are typically made with things representing the Spirit in question.

Smoking Pipe – Used for smoking various tobaccos and psychoactive herbs.

 

Below I will detail a couple of these examples, along with their standard tier progression system:

 

 

Tier 1 - Small Scale, Slow Acting Influence

 

Healing Corruption - To the extent of healing 5 blocks of corruption, which will take an entire IRL day to effect the land entirely;requires ward.

Bestowing Strength - May impart strength in someone to give them slightly above average ability, but will not last any longer than 15 IRL minutes.

 

Tier 2 - Larger Scale, Slow Acting Influence

 

Healing Corruption - To the extent of healing 10 blocks of corruption, which will take half an IRL day to effect the land entirely; requires ward.

Bestowing Strength - May impart strength in someone to give them significantly above average strength, but will not last any longer than 20 IRL minutes.

 

 

Tier 3 - Larger Scale, Faster Acting Influence

 

Healing Corruption - To the extent of healing 15 blocks of corruption, which will take 2 IRL hours in order to effect the land entirely; requires ward.

Bestowing Strength - May impart strength in someone to give them super-human qualities, which will not last any longer than 45 IRL minutes.

 

Tier 4 - Large Scale, Fast Acting Influence

 

Healing Corruption - To the extent of healing 25 blocks of corruption, which will take 30 minutes in order to effect the land entirely; requires ward.

Bestowing Strength - May impart strength in someone to give them super-human qualities, which will not last any longer than an hour IRL.

 

Tier 5 - Mastery of Healing and Booning

 

Healing Corruption - To the extent of healing 40 blocks of corruption, which can be done instantly without the use of a ward; however there will be a cooldown period of one IRL day.

Warded - To the extent of healing 40 blocks of corruption, which will take 30 IRL minutes and can be done twice a day in different regions.

 

 

Red Lines

 

• Blessing are only applied on three people, until an increase to 5 once reaching T5.

• Repeated blessing of one’s self causes degradation of the mind. More powerful spirits such as elemental spirits may goad farseers into spreading their aspect.

• Wodanaz, Spirit of Purity, one of farseer’s most useful spirits only works against dark shaman and general undead till T4, able to deal significant damage to aberrant/unholy beings.

• A farseer must make offerings and tidings to the spirits they request power from as an elementalist would.

• When imbuing a weapon with memories, a player’s own death cannot be viewed, for if one were to witness such, they would only see darkness.

• Moreover, the blessing does not act as a camera. It is only able to take bits and pieces

 

 

Witch Doctor

 

 Clarification of Witchdoctory for each existing spirit

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/163363-✓-an-addition-to-the-shaman-codex-limitations-and-capabilities/

 

 

 

The Witch Doctor, essentially the Antithesis of the Farseer, focuses his or her intent on causing misery and damage through the Curses of the more corruptive of the Spirits. Witch Doctors may use Immortal and Elemental Spirits..

 

In order for the Witch Doctor to call upon the Spirits, they must perform a ritual to express the domain the Spirits represent. For instance, if a Witch Doctor wanted to call upon the Spirit of Disease, he would hunch over and dance (or other such movements/postures which may please a disease spirit) in such a way as to look tired, while chanting in a weakened voice. He would also incorporate items or ingredients which a disease spirit would find attractive, such as rotten flesh or a jar of vomit.

 

For example, we'll say a witch doctor wishes to brew a bottled fire hex. This would be a potion imbued with the power of a fire spirit, and intended to place a curse upon the imbiber. In order to create this concoction, the shaman would first need to gather the appropriate ingredients. As the witch doctor is attempting to gain the attention of a fire spirit, he needs to make use of ingredients which are reminiscent of fire. Usually, red flowers are a good start. Maybe he could grind up some smoldering coals. In witch doctory, it's less about whatever alchemical properties the ingredient may or may not possess (as witch doctory is NOT alchemy), and more about the symbolic nature of the ingredients. The shaman would begin mixing the ingredients in boiling water, whilst chanting in such a way as to attract a fire spirit. The chant is in Old Blah or True Blah as some prefer to say, and must (in both word and tone) reflect the nature of fire. The chant I would use in such a situation typically goes along the lines of "Ilszgûlu ghaashob, dushnûl ghaashugob!" meaning, "Spirits of fire, cast pain of burning!" Maybe I'd throw in a few more words regarding fire, but the point is the same. Furthermore, the tone would need to be correct. In the case of a fire hex, a harsh, guttural, perhaps even angry tone would be recommended.

 

The same curse could be cast directly on a target (which may include any living organism) without the use of a potion through means of a ritual. In this case, the witch doctor would also gather items to represent fire. He may even choose to perform the ritual near a fire or surrounded by fire. As in the brewing process, the shaman must chant in such a way which would be pleasing to a fire spirit (or whatever kind of spirit he wishes to attract for whichever ritual). His movements play an even larger role in this sort of ritual, since he is not required to stir a pot. For a fire ritual, barbaric, chaotic dancing is usually preferred, often around a bonfire. Not all rituals call for dancing necessarily, of course. Some spirits, such as certain earth spirits, may prefer stability or even a stone-like stillness. Should the ritual attract the desired type of spirit, the curse will take effect on the intended target, causing said target (in the case of a fire ritual) to feel as though he is on fire.  Witchdoctors do possess the ability to bless as well, the downside to this is that any positive effect or influence must be countered by an (often funny/ridiculous) counter. For example if one's legs are numbed by injury they can be healed and the person can feel again, the ironic backlash being that the legs then appear immovable. These side-effects will be balanced out and will be better controlled throughout the tiers. Small edit because Hedge does not let me do anything (smh): These applies for all blessings of a Witch Doctor. There will still be unintended ironic side effects or no blessings at all and completely a curse. Of course, all blessings must be in form of a potion/elixir/hex.

 

 

It is important to note at this point that a Hex of fire cannot be used to directly set someone alight, but instead causes a psychological state in which they believe (and feel) they are on fire, without having the actual, physical repercussions; this applies to all Elemental Spirits.

 

In terms of the Immortal Spirits, it can be a more direct result, and Witch Doctors can cause curses at higher tiers without the use of bottled curses.

 

Tier 1 - Small Scale Hexes

 

Able to produce Hexes that can cause small scale damage to regions, such as corrupting a 5 block radius, which will take the same duration as a Farseer; an entire IRL day to set in. This time too applies when used on Mortals, and will last for one IRL day; The player being cursed may choose to extend this for as long as they wish, which applies to all tiers.

 

Tier 2 - Larger Scale Hexes

 

Able to produce Hexes that can cause larger scale damage to region, such as taining a 10 block radius at half a day’s duration. When using a Hex to curse a mortal, it will last one full IRL day.

 

Tier 3 - Direct Cursing

 

Aside from the more powerful Hexes and their corruption being set to 15 blocks at two IRL hours; (when the Hex is used to curse a mortal, this will last for one day IRL. The Witch Doctors at this tier can also more directly curse individuals which will last one full IRL day.  

 

Tier 4 Potent Curses

 

At this stage, Hexes can influence 25 blocks at 30 minutes; when a Hex is used on a Mortal, it will last for one and a half IRL days. Curses will be more potent and will last no longer than an hour IRL.

 

Tier 5 - Strongest Version of Hexing and Cursing, as well as the Creation of Muyakelg

 

At this level, Hexes and Curses are at the heights of what can be accomplished, with hexing being more potent and instantaneous, following the same progression of the Farseer at this stage. Hexing a Mortal will cause the curse to last for two IRL days, or even longer with the OOC consent of another player (maximum of 7 IRL days)

 

Since all witch doctors face a chance at spell failure, all witch doctors are to roll to determine success. The window of success varies depending on the tier of the witch doctor in question. A /roll 6 is recommended, and is typically what witch doctors are taught to use. At T1 (apprentice level) a witch doctor must roll a perfect 6 for success, and even then the curse will be weak. 1-5 are failures for a T1. A T2 (Journeyman level) must roll a 5 or a 6 for success. Anything less is a failure. At T3, the witch doctor is considered a full-fledged, independent shaman. A T3 is still, however, not a master, and must roll a 4, 5, or 6 for success. A T4 (Elder shaman) must roll a 3 or higher; 1 or 2 are failures. Finally, a T5 (Master of the magic) must roll a 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 to succeed. A roll of 1 is the only failure for a master witch doctor.

 

Additionally, the Witch Doctor may create a Muyakelg with the help of a T5 Lutauman.

 

Red Lines

• Curses have their respective times connected to the tier of the shaman. Should a Tier 5 shaman wish to curse another for LONGER than this given time: OOC consent of the victim player is required. As well as MT permission or supervision.

• Curses are mostly mental and not physical. An elemental curse of fire cannot set one aflame. Though it can bring about the mental pain of a burning body upon the victim.

• There is a strict prohibition on LOVE and LUST curses. As is seen in the spirit-to-spirit clarification document. This all in connection to the non-rape ruling on the lotc server.

• A curse is the temporary corruption of the soul and can be healed by magics that affect such.

• Usage of hexes, bottled curses, is permitted once the creation of such is to be roleplayed out. Seeing the creation roleplay itself is quite significant to the shaman, it is recommended to involve others in such during dancing and chanting - create rp for not yourself, but others too. (hedgehugs note)

• To make a Muyakelg you must be taught how to.

  

 

Spirit Smithing

 

 

 Clarification of Spirit Smithing for each existing spirit

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/163363-✓-an-addition-to-the-shaman-codex-limitations-and-capabilities/

 

 

No further amend is to be given to Spirit Smithing || Ilzgul Udalgum

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/150019-ilzgûl-udalgum-~-the-spirit-connection-reworking-propositionnew-sub-type-proposal/

 

Red Lines

• Each and every item a smith with an MA wishes to create must go through proper authentication/verification via either a designated MT or LT. The following players will also suffice as viable sources of confirmation: Hedgehug, Smawton, Divinejustice, MobyHug.

• Can never be more powerful that the Blessings or Curses the other sub-types can provide.

• The Mortal Stone can be destroyed.

• The Stone has a cooldown of an hour for any activation.

• Activations can only be used once in combat, regardless of duration.

• Can only be activated with Old Blah speech.

• Once used, must be recharged by Smith.

 

 

Other shamanic Abilities

---

 

Voodoo Dolls

 

The creation of Voodoo dolls for the use of long range cursing is considered a more taboo quirk that the Witch Doctor has. The creation involves obtaining dna that’s linked to the soul of the victim. Suggested are things as blood, urine, or even tears. Hair and nails can be considered, but will make for a weaker connection.

 

After the creation, through ritual, the doll shall act as a tether. The spirit that’s summoned when cursing this doll shall then use this as a tether to direct the curse to the victim. However, the strength of the curse depends on two factors:

 

• The quality of the doll

• The quality of the connection

The quality of the doll matters in regards to how strong a tether it can be. A well-made representation of the victim paired with plenty of knowledge on his/her looks, voice and further appearance matters greatly in the strength of the doll. As mentioned earlier the strength of the different obtainable pieces of DNA matter.

 

The quality of the connection is influenced by the bond the shaman has with the victim. If this is a strong one the curse is more potent. If the victim is a random, however, it can be safely said the curse shall be considerably less potent and shall not last long.

 

Soul Puppetry vs. Shamanic Dolls

There seems to be quite the controversy that Shamans also have a similar ability that SP’s have. The following explanation is given:

 

Where soul puppeteering requires a voidal connection from doll to victim, the shamanic doll merely acts as a tether for the spirit. Instead of a direct curse that lasts for as long the anchor is connected to the victim, the shamanic doll allows for the summoned spiritual energy to corrupt the victim's soul as a Witchdoctors curse does - and shall remain for a slightly lesser time than an equal yet direct curse from the same Witchdoctor.

 

Therefore a curse inflicted by a Soul Puppeteer can be revoked by use of Fi, whereas a shamanic curse shall have to be purged by soul-cleansing magics such as Xanism.

 

The main difference to a shamanic curse and a Soul Puppeter type curses are not only the methods they can be done but soul puppetry can be quite limited by comparison.  

A shaman has a possibility to have lasting curses on an individual without them knowing whereas a SP'er has a direct influence on the person making them aware they are being cursed.

Curses from a WD might be similar to a Sp'er but they won't have a lasting effect.

 

Another notable difference is the degree of cursing. Both magics have their unique curses but it would seem that those of the SP can be quite more effective or rather more ‘extravagant’ whereas the WD is limited to the spirits and their effective curses.

 

An example:

• An SP may curse a victim in a manner where they shall completely turn into cake and can be consumed until they are no more and thusly die.

• A WD may curse a victim in a manner where they shall consume cake until their stomach rips and they die. (Spirit: Glutroz)

 

 

Muyakelg

 

Lore:

https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/164401-additionamendmentmuyakelgs/

 

[Pandasan 74]

Great lore! I love it +1

[HedgeHug 2049]

Just now, Pandasan said:

Great lore! I love it +1

and thank you for contributing my friend!

[Jentos 9425]

good job! I like. Much cool. Jentoslav agree.

[dm420 186]

dark shamanism?

[HedgeHug 2049]

Just now, Ballad2k said:

dark shamanism?

being rewritten into an entire new version and shall be posted seperately from this codex.

[Tentoa 3161]

*Sibala screams externally.* +1

[Moby_Derp 163]

Has my work not been properly noted? Tsk tsk, I challenge you to a duel for my name on the contribution list.

*Throws Glove*

[GodEmperorFlam 3447]

Thank you for submitting your piece! It is now under review and a verdict will be given in roughly a week.

[GodEmperorFlam 3447]

This lore is pending. Divine will inform those who helped with this the issues that were raised. Also, everything on google docs needs to be brought onto the forums, as those are subject to change whenever as opposed to having a solid copy on the forums.

[HedgeHug 2049]

@The Pink Lion This document is hereby updated

[GodEmperorFlam 3447]

This Lore has been accepted. Moved to Implemented Lore, it will be sorted to it's appropriate category soon.

[SpodoKaiba 612]

This lore has been implemented into the wiki and reviewed by the LT. You can find it here: https://wikia.lordofthecraft.net/index.php?title=Shamanism 

[ScreamingDingo 20568]

This lore has been suspended/shelved. Contact an ST Manager or the ST Administrator for any questions or concerns.