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Banishment of a Worm ______________________________________________________________ In regards to the dire news of use of foul Necromancy, Kul’Raguk is hereby banished from the Ashen Realm of Nor’asath The Uruk known as Kul’Raguk is hereby guilty of using Dark Magic and acting in the service of the deceiver. I need not remind any of descendant blood that the deceiver is the enemy to all that breath and has brought dishonor to the spirits. By the Authority of The Primarch, Kul’Raguk is to be executed for his offense to Kor and his betrayal of a descendant kind. Netseth Loa’chil Primarch of Nor’asath, Prince of the Mali’ker

Haruspices The Martial Shamans Origin “...TO KRUG, SHE GIFTED HIM A BONE KNIFE MADE FROM A MILLENNIUM OLD DRÛTH SKHELL TO CARVE TOTEMS WITH, SO THAT HIS STORIES WOULD COME TO LIVE WHEN REMINISCED BY THE FIRE…” Within the ancient orcish lands of Mor’Ghuun, shamanism was in its infancy. The early children of Krug did not understand the Elemental and Immortal Spirits, nor had the power to walk their planes. In the war against Iblees, many of the orcish people were lost to the undead, empty souls wrenched from the Soul Stream to fight against the living. War horns blared distant, sonorous booms into the fields of battle. The armies of the Four Brothers clashed with Iblees’ undead legions. With each fallen descendant, a novel undead soldier shambled forth in their place, using their weapons to carve their past kinsmen asunder. Yet the Urukin held steadfast against the Fallen One’s onslaught - so too, did the other descendants stand strong in the face of the undead. For decades the battles raged on, and when the dust had settled, and the soulless battalions were driven off, all that remained were the tarnished breastplates and weapons once wielded by warriors of legend. But these were not simple weapons, nor were their blunt edges devoid of use. Once Apohet saw the might of Krug, he created the Spiritual Realms; Immortal, Elemental, and Ancestral. The weaker spirits gushed into the Mortal realm to embody aspects of the world, in hopes of pursuing greater powers within the Spiritual Realm. Dlimbok the Wise, the most intelligent of Krug’s four early children, was the lead strategist in the war against the undying. He watched as his people were slaughtered in battle, and their lives lost. It brought him an indescribable anguish, and a rage that nearly matched his father’s. In this age, there was no Ancestral Realm, no grave tenders, and no records to preserve those who had fallen. To mourn for the lives of his fallen, he took forth the storied knife of Krug, and drew forth a tale that no orc would forget. He collected their weapons, armor and tomes and restored them to their original form, drawing their energies into him. He offered himself up, etching his skin, flesh and bone with the dagger gifted by the Daemon Ydea. The orc had hoped his offering would please the spirits, but instead they granted him a power even greater. His flesh became tapestry. In rending the flesh, his blood, bone, and body became an ink that preserved what was made dead. A finger, a hand, an arm. Dlimblok carved away and with it, those who had been lost became as clear as the night sky. The ink stoked the minds of the orcish people. They could see their battles, their losses, their mistakes, and their culture deep within the magic of Dlimbok’s storied flesh. Much of recorded history had been cast into the horrid fires of Iblees, and with it had gone the proficiency of veterans long dead, but this newly-restored knowledge would help to reshape the ragtag bands of amateur fighters into elite squadrons of feared combatants. Under the same banner, and led into battle by Azgal the Titan, the orcish war machine began once more churning and pushing back against the forces of Iblees, now able to outmaneuver and preserve the lives of the living. They matched the once seemingly endless ranks of undead in fierce combat - and as they spread their knowledge to the other descendant races, Iblees’ lines and formations grew thin across the many fronts. And so, with its aid in Iblees’ defeat, the orcish people learned and grew reverent of this primitive form of shamanism, and many of the former soldiers learned among the greenskins sought out Dlimbok, so that he could teach them in his ways. Explanation Dlimbok was a great orator and strategist, and taught his future students how to use this art in providing knowledge to his people, allowing them to gain insight via the spirits and how to extract insight from the world around them. When the great orc had died, his body was blessed, torn, and scattered across the world as a testament to the profoundness of stories and their tellers. He would become an eternal tale, one that orcs could draw upon at any time to preserve their history. Haruspicy is a non-combative magic dedicated to story-telling and preservation of stories. Haruspex draw upon the torn body of Dlimbok. Rather than connecting to the spiritual realm akin to other types of shamanism, haruspicy calls upon an extremely powerful Ancestral, one who’s blessed body remains within the mortal realm akin to the Muyakelgs of the past. These spells do not grant the user any abilities featured in shamanism, nor allow the user to speak Old Tongue without having knowledge of it. To become a haruspex, one must have studied and devoted themselves to the spirits for at least one IRL month, as Dlimbok would be unlikely to lend his power to one that he believes would be unworthy of it. This feat does not teach any form of shamanism or any aspects about it, though many of the more devout followers of the spirits may know of it and spread the knowledge, orally or through books they may have written on the matter. These could help a prospective haruspex begin on their journey, after which they would continue to forge their own path toward mastery of the feat. Someone experienced in the cultural practices of haruspicy could write a book describing and depicting the processes of these feats and work as a means of spreading the practice. To draw upon Dlimbok’s power, one must create a Threshing Inkwell. This device, powered through various different offerings acts as a catalyst that interacts with the many scattered pieces of Dlimbok. A haruspex calls upon the power of the ancestor Dlimbok for their powers. While his powers extend so far as to allow the user’s memories or stories to come to life, it comes with the caveat that these memories are just as susceptible to degradation as any other memory before they are recorded - that is, haruspicy does not provide perfect memory, and memories from longer ago may therefore be inconsistent with the actual events. Threshing Inkwell The Threshing inkwell is simply a place of offering that threshes all of Dlimbok’s scattered pieces from around the world, and draws power from them. Traditionally, they may be placed in homes or places of gathering, where they are readily available for use. To function, they require an idol, some sort of ceremonial arrangement specific to the haruspex, and a bowl to collect the spiritual ink. To charge the bowl with spiritual ink, the user makes an offering, whether blood, gift, but the most potent-- literature and other storied artifacts. Any thoughtful prose suffices, with the varied offerings empowering the ink in different ways. In the case of physical offerings, these can be burned or otherwise destroyed in proximity of the Threshing Inkwell, which will fill with ink on its own. The Threshing Inkwell only produces ink and exists as a way for the haruspex to channel their powers towards Dlimbok. Destroying the inkwell would simply cause the ink stored within to spill and revert to regular, black ink. Mechanically, the Threshing Inkwells are a communal structure which simply hold a large, but still limited amount of ink charges (up to 60 maximum). Exceeding 55 charges causes the inkwell to begin overflowing. There is no limit on the number of extant threshing inkwells, beyond the fact that any haruspex may only create and ‘own’ one at any given time, despite their communal nature. Upon being created, the inkwell should be reported to any ST members (though they need not be signed, and can be used even if an ST member isn’t immediately available). Any RP to refill the inkwell should be screenshotted and saved. As ink drips down the inkwell’s sides, it has a tendency to transform into small animated figures, perhaps simply out of boredom on Dlimbok’s side. Nevertheless, these figures scurry about the area for a short while before disappearing entirely. The amount of ink that drips from the inkwell is insignificantly small - it does not reduce the amount of ink in any way, and simply exists for roleplay taste. Ink Tiers Tier 1 - 1 Charge - Gifts and Basic Offerings (Prayer, Meditation, etc) Forming a black and basic ink, this form of ink serves as a general base or go-to option when other materials aren’t available. It is also often mixed or added as a filler to other inks. Tier 2 - 5 Charges - Blood and Bone (Descendant/Animal Sacrifices) All viscera, whether animal or Descendant can serve as a more powerful offering to the Threshing Inkwell. Once the ceremony is complete, the bowl fills with a pungent, dark red ink. It smells somewhat like blood, although much more aromatic. At this level, the imagery is extremely striking, though still appears as paints and colors that dance and move. Tier 3 - 15 Charges - Literature, Books, Artifacts Important literature, large books, and powerful artifacts can be offered to the Threshing Inkwell. The ink shifts colors between many deep and bright colors, but will serve to paint in the haruspex’s desired color. At this level, the paint may draw upon the user’s senses, though only briefly and in the more striking parts of the work. Ink Red Lines - Only descendant or normal animal viscera will serve as a tier two offering. - A haruspex cannot use their own blood to fill the Threshing Inkwell. - Stronger inks (Tiers 3+) or more particular effects require a MArt and more significant offerings. - Offerings to the Threshing Inkwell are destroyed in the process of offering Spells Pages Alive [Non-Combat; 2 charges] Description: The caster is able to utilise their Threshing Inkwell’s ink to write onto a book or other such item with a small surface area, no bigger than that of a banner. This ink comes to life when the page is turned, causing it to play out the scene imagined when the ink was first put down, as opposed to having the reader read it. This can also be used to make two-page spreads, though the ink never comes off of the surface of the page itself. Mechanics: To enact this spell, the haruspex first creates the type of ink they wish to use for the pages. Once the haruspex has chosen said ink, they draw symbols, characters, or etchings in whatever language or artstyle they’re most familiar with in the palm of their hand, or another tool like a quill or paintbrush. Once they do so, the ink resonates with their hand, and the whispers of storytellers are faintly present. Then, the haruspex simply touches the material, and the ink transfers. A haruspex may follow this process to fill books without needing to restart the entire process, but requires additional ink for every page. The process is done in four emotes, but can be shortened to two with tools like quills, paintbrushes, and so on. 1) The haruspex readies the ink, meditating on the story or picture they wish to tell. 2) The haruspex draws on their hand, or simply soaks it within the ink. 3) The haruspex touches the paper, smearing the ink on to canvas. 4) The ink transfers from their hand onto the paper, shifting and twisting into the desired image. Pages Alive - Redlines: - Characters in the story who are not known to the haruspex simply appear as faceless visages with no discernible features (horns, tusks, hair etc.) and cannot be used to discern any information about them whatsoever. - A haruspex is only able to put their own memories into the book/banner, and these memories cannot be used to teach magics or other complex skills that need to be taught in person. - A written book or banner is no stronger or weaker than the original product, and the memories written to it are not updated in any way unless updated by another haruspex. - If the surface on which the ink lies is cut in half, or similarly seriously damaged, the ink simply acts as normal ink and dries up. WRITING: 1 EMOTE MEDITATION, 1 EMOTE WRITING EXAMPLE WRITING: [Emote 1] Tulgarok opens his book, as often he had before. He dips his quill into his Threshing Inkwell, as images of what he is to write begin already to form in his mind. Taking a deep breath in, then out, he imagines the way these thoughts will flow on the page. [Emote 2] The orc now puts quill to paper, and begins scribbling down crude forms of people, among other integral parts of his story. Even as he writes, the ink begins to swirl and move just as he had envisioned it. A Storied Artifact [Non-Combat; 20 charges] Description: The caster is able to impart spiritual ink on an object, allowing them to portray a tale stored within the weapon - this may be done through fire, water, paper, or for more experienced practitioners, the events may be played through the very mind of another. To tell the story, the haruspex must spill their blood onto the object, and onto the canvas (or person) they wish to tell the story. In meditating, they connect to the scarred body of Dlimbok, and utilize the power within Ydea’s dagger to bury a powerful memory within an artifact. Once the haruspex grows more proficient (2 weeks IRL), they are also able to preserve stories within the object of its wielder through ritual. The haruspex must have the memories so vivid that they are able to describe and feel the sensations the memory’s owner experienced. By engaging the senses with stimuli relevant to the story (the smell of burning flesh, the sounds of war drums), the user is able to fully immerse himself, the tether between Dlimbok and the haruspex strengthens. The more objects and information they have relating to the event and its characters, the more vivid and detailed the story becomes. Mechanics: Essentially allows for a storytelling aid, where whatever selected medium comes to life to show the story stored in the item. In the case of the initial writing of the item, only the memory holder’s items may be used, under the idea that the item itself has ‘memories’ of its own.When the story is replayed in someone’s mind, they must be in physical contact with the item. The memories within Ydea’s artifacts are just that, memories. Prone to incorrect detail, or pieces missing, a memory only holds small pieces of reality. Often intense experiences and emotions cloud the transferring of the memory, and the haruspex’s own mind may warp the overall message(i.e an arachnophobe depicting a spider as three times its actual size). These memories are not permanent, and just as quickly, if not more prone to error or forgetfulness. A user may remind themselves of the vision by looking through the artifact, but overuse (more than 3 times per IRL week), leads to severe headaches, memory loss, and mood swings. The items themselves, upon creation, are signed by ST. In the description of said item, beyond any text describing the item’s appearance, it must include the ingame username (or other form of contact, eg. discord tag) of its creator, whose responsibility it is to record the stories within however they see fit. A Storied Artifact - Redlines - The object must be signed or have some roleplay significance. A normal sword or object is too nondescript to base memories off of. - The haruspex must already have extensive knowledge about the wielder, usually by having known them personally for at least an IRP year (one IRL week), or being told of them by someone who has known them personally for at least two IRP years (two IRL weeks). - Characters in the story who are not known to the haruspex (including if someone who does know of them is being shown the vision) simply appear as faceless visages with no discernible features (horns, tusks, hair etc.) and cannot be used to discern any information about them whatsoever. - A haruspex is only able to put the memories of the owner into their own tools. Memories cannot be put into items that belong to other people, and these memories cannot be used to teach magics or other complex skills that need to be taught in person. - A written weapon is no stronger or weaker than the original product, and the memories written to it are not updated in any way unless further updated by another haruspex. - If the written weapon is seriously damaged (i.e, the head of an axe is separated from its handle) it becomes unreadable, though if repaired further memories may be written to it. - A vision cannot be forced on another player. Their characters must fully consent to seeing the vision before they are able to see it. - Only one scene/vision may be recorded in any one item, as any given item may become ‘saturated’ with the haruspex’s ink. - Constantly living the memories of others has a severe impact on mental wellbeing, causing headaches and even memory loss. - The memories themselves are just memories. There is no way to permanently retain this information, and it would be lost within 2 IRL weeks. READING: 1 EMOTE MEDITATION, 1 EMOTE SLIGHT MOVEMENT The scene that plays out is then emoted by the haruspex EXAMPLE READING: [Emote 1] Tulgarok seats himself in front of a nearby campfire, a dulled war axe in his lap. He closes his eyes, and emits a low drone from deep in his throat as he lays his hands over its handle. His fingers press into each of its grooves as the weapon’s story makes itself clear to him. [Emote 2] Now the aged orc lifts his hand over the weapon. He slices into his palm with a bone dagger, before tightening his grip such as to make blood drip from it onto the weapon, then into the centre of the fire. He takes another deep breath, and begins to speak as the flames come to life. [Storytelling/Emote 3] “It waz during our latest war with da pinkzkinz…” The fire splits, showing two clear sides. Each lick of flame lashes out toward the opposite side, as if it were one soldier mocking another with a war chant… (etc.) WRITING: 1 EMOTE MEDITATION, 1 EMOTE RECALLING, 1 EMOTE WRITING EXAMPLE WRITING: [Emote 1] Tulgarok seats himself before the Threshing Inkwell, dipping his fingers briefly into its bowl of ink, and a short spear in his lap. His eyes shut, and as they do, Grommok, his apprentice, lights a number of items aflame - wood and pig’s flesh - and slops a handful of thick mud right below Tulgarok’s nose. All scents from the hunt before. [Emote 2] Grommok soon leans into Tulgarok’s ear, describing to him the events of the hunt. How they’d tracked the beast for days, and finally cornered it in some deep cave. The animal’s bellows, as it realised it had been beaten and stood upon its hind legs and swiped at its hunters… (etc.) [Emote 3] Tulgarok breathes deeply, as he finally lifts his hand from the bowl of ink and begins scrawling symbols on the blade and shaft of the spear, eyes darting from side to side beneath their lids as the story unfolds in his mind. The ink quickly squirms on the weapon’s long handle, before seeping into it, leaving only a faded, dark trace that it had ever been there. Finally, Tulgarok rises from the ground, spear in hand. His job was finished. Cave Painting [Non-Combat; Charges vary] Description: Haruspex are able to paint with spiritual ink, invoking life into a stony canvas. Through this, they are able to paint their tales and those of written items onto walls so that others might see them. The figures painted move, twist and dance as if they lived. Each character within the painting requires 10 ink charges, while larger set pieces (large boulders, buildings, etc) and environments (grass, lakes, etc) take 5. Mechanics: As shown below, the player is able to build a mural roughly describing the story (though this is not necessarily required). More importantly, the player is then able to author a book describing the events taking place in the mural, which RPly would be in constant motion (though this is obviously impossible in minecraft). To create these paintings, the haruspex would begin a similar process to Pages Alive. Readying the ink, through the tool used would be the haruspex’s hand, clay, a chisel, or some other etching instrument. Once the tool was soaked in the ink, the haruspex’s mind would begin to clear, and they’d draw upon the power of the Threshing Inkwell, invoking the ink to mold into and twist what the haruspex had worked with into story. Cave Paintings - Redlines: - Haruspex pieces are displayed within minecraft as murals (whether through clay, banners, roleplay materials, blocks, ink, etc), and the story/moving figures are described within the book. - Characters in the story who are not known to the haruspex (including if someone who does know of them is observing the mural) simply appear as faceless visages with no discernible features (horns, tusks, hair etc.) and cannot be used to discern any information about them whatsoever. - The scenes cannot be used to teach magics or other complex skills that need to be taught in person. - A written wall is no stronger or weaker than the original product, and the memories written to it are not updated in any way unless further updated by another haruspex. - The person whose memories are being written on the wall needs no prior connection with the building etc of said wall. - If the wall is significantly damaged (i.e, up to one third of it is broken by an explosion or construction work), the ink simply acts as normal ink and dries up. WRITING: 1 EMOTE MEDITATION, 1 EMOTE RECALLING, 1 EMOTE WRITING [Emote 1] Tulgarok stands before a large, flat sandstone wall - a clean canvas upon which to make art. His eyes shut, as he dips each of his hands into a bowl of ink. Already, somewhere behind his eyes dance the silhouettes of soldiers, fire and great cities. Silhouettes that will soon dance on the walls of his home city instead. [Emote 2] Charred wood is strewn about the place, and several orc kubs are told to jingle chainmail, bang sticks against helmets and snap twigs loudly. All this aids in Tulgarok’s mental recreation of the raid, how his ears rang with the terrified screams of women and children as they evacuated, leaving their homes behind. [Emote 3] Pleased enough with his mental recreation of the raid, the orc begins slapping his palms against the stone wall, dragging them to make crude shapes which soon swirl and correct themselves into what he had envisioned minutes before. As he steps back from his masterpiece, the ink begins to churn into the image of an orc impaling some human halfway down the haft of his own spear. General Redlines - A haruspex needs to be able to interact with spirits and thus other non-spiritual magics interfere with this practice, this also includes creatures that are unable to cast deific magics. - A haruspex cannot identify anyone in their visions unless they have extensive knowledge about the person within the story already, or have interacted with their tools or weapons via ritual. - “Extensive knowledge” implies knowing the person personally for at least one full IRP year (one IRL week), or being told about them in detail by someone who has known them personally for at least two full IRP years (two IRL weeks). - Memories written to objects or murals cannot be used to learn magic, or other such supernatural tasks. - Dlimbok is dead and his body is physically scattered across the world. His pieces could be hypothetically found through ET or dredged forth in a MArt, but he is otherwise uncontactable, being very much dead. - A haruspex’s memory is not perfect. Details can be misremembered, especially in older memories. This feat is primarily for storytelling, not perfect renditions of past events. - Either memories or stories/fictional events may be recorded in any given medium, though fictional events cannot be recorded for malicious or seriously deceptive reasons(i.e a fake war with real memorized characters), as these would go against Dlimbok’s personal views on honour, and he would simply not allow his power to be utilised. - Real world stories and memories would possess more sensory detail (although not entirely accurate) while fictional stories would have more visual creativity and detail. - Overuse of haruspicy leads to issues like headaches, memory loss, and mood swings. Tier Progression Tier 1: The haruspex reaches this tier immediately upon learning the feat. Haruspices are able to transform a little of their ink through prayer and meditation. They also have access to the Pages Alive spell. Tier 2: Two weeks after learning the feat, and through regular practice, the haruspex is now able to better transform the lifeblood of sacrifices into more powerful ink, and gain access to the Storied Artifact spell. Tier 3: At this tier, six weeks into their journey, the haruspex is able to take their final step into the art, gaining access to the Cave Painting spell and being able to sacrifice more powerful artifacts and literature into even larger amounts of ink. Greater tiers may be achieved through MArts or Events by staff, though the capabilities of the artifact or action (holograms, living stories, ancient messages from the past, etc) should be discussed with lore holders, older haruspex, or ST. Ultimately, the decision falls to the staff on a case-by-case basis. OOC: This is a feat accessible to anyone with knowledge of the spirits and a desire to learn the histories of weapons and wounds alike. In doing so, I hope haruspex gives more flavor to post combat, in being able to regale tales of battle, as well as making RP items more valuable and useful to the people who have them, rather than sitting on the shelf till the next map. I realise that some objects cannot be 'written' as such - that is, their stories can't be described as their owners may not use the server anymore, which is the sole caveat of the feat itself. Maybe it gives them a reason to come back, or gives characters more of a reason to create powerful stories. Thanks for reading! Inspired by: https://www.lordofthecraft.net/forums/topic/151780-%E2%9C%93-origins-of-the-orcs-and-morghuun-the-land-of-warfare/?tab=comments#comment-1433374

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 Introduction The Spirit Realms & The Spirits Spiritual Psychology Spiritual Influence Blackspeech Totems Subtypes Elementalism Lutaumancy Farseer Witch Doctor Spirit Smithing Other Shamanic Abilities Voodoo Dolls Muyakelg Introduction 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 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 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 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/

http://community.wizards.com/sites/mtgcommunity/files/styles/large/public/thief.png?itok=b_2ywxLu The divine scoundrels are the agents of an unnamed Aenguldaemon. Through the use of sacred rituals a scoundrel can bond with another deity magic user and siphon their power. Throught the bond the scoundrel can harness the other deities boons. Original Connection to the Aenguldaemon The ritual involves being brought to specific locations within the realm, that is blessed by the unnamed Aenguldaemon. These areas typically are made ornately, adorned with many jewels and gold. These areas can be made through the magic of the deity, or already exist within the world.. It is limited to one per continent. These areas are able to be accessed by any one that holds the power of the Aenguldaemon. It is unable to be blocked off through means other than the Aenguldaemon. http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20121220114251/elderscrolls/images/4/49/Elder_Knowledge_-_Dwarven_Machine.jpg For the ritual that involves binding someone to the Aenguldaemon is quite simple. It is simply being brought to the location by a practitioner of the art. The capsule located within the middle of the chamber opens, for the person to lay inside of it. The capsule would then activate if the Aenguldaemon deems them worthy of receiving the blessing. A strange energy would flow towards the person, lighting all gems within the room until it eventually surrounds the capsule. The person would slowly pick up a glow, eventually leading to their eyes. Their eyes would appear to glow a silver hue. This silver glow also happens whenever they are performing a stolen magic. The person would then be knocked out cold due to the raw surge of energy that they had received, unconscious for a full elven day. If they are killed during this time period the blessing is wiped. To bind another deity user they are also encased in the capsule almost in the exact same ritual that was used to connect the scoundrel to the unamed Aenguldeamon. The Aenguldaemon is tasked with creating the power tap for the scoundrel(purple tube in diagram), the tap allows for a constant flow of energy. Then the scoundrel must tether the tap to himself or a trinket to the tap so that the energy can flow from the cleric to the scoundrel. The amount of power that can be funneled from the Tap is determined by the Tiers of both the deity users(Better details in the graph below.) . Once the scoundrels tether has been established as a price for the deity setting up the tap the deity takes a small share of the power to use for its own purposes. The scoundrels tether also has a visible component as it takes the form of a tattoo, the tattoo takes the shape of a glyph that is a symbol of the deity. After the process the deity practitioner will feel weaker than they normally would be because a percentage of their power is being siphoned, this is more than reason enough for the practitioner to seek out the scoundrel to restore themselves to full strength. ms-paint diagram, made by yours truly The tether is temporary and will dissipate after a certain amount of time. The scoundrel has two options when deciding to bind the deity users cleric. Either bind the tether to himself or to a trinket each have their strengths and weaknesses. Binding the tether to yourself If the tether is bound to the scoundrel it suffers no penalties to its Total tier. The downsides of having it bound to yourself is the Deity will be alerted the moment after the ceremony is complete with the scoundrels name and aliases and a description of what you look like however your location is unknown to the deity. Binding the tether to a trinket If the tether is bound to a trinket it suffers a penalty of ½ the Total tier rounded up. The trinket makes up for the lack of power by allowing the scoundrel to anonymous to the deity. The deattunement process is a simplistic ritual that allows for deity practitioners to stop the scoundrel from siphoning their magic. By marking the scoundrel in the same place the deity user was marked this stops the connection of the scoundrel to the practitioner entirely. However if the scoundrel decided to bind the connection to a trinket the practitioner must simple destroy the object that the scoundrel has bound it to, the object is most commonly found on the scoundrels person. The scoundrel could be deattuned through less favorable techniques such as the practitioner getting deattuned himself or even the (Permanent)death of the practitioner the scoundrel had connected to. The unnamed Aenguldaemon provides the means for its practitioners to siphon the power of other deities agents. However the unnamed deity has a price for its services taking a share of the power siphoned as it allows its agents to use the lion's share of the energy. The reasoning for the deity to have agents of its own is simply to harvest energy from the other Aenguldaemons. Why the deity needs said energy is unknown, but every day it grows slightly more powerful as its harvesters grow more numerous. Throught events more information about the deity's might become clearer such as its reasoning for stockpiling energy. The scoundrels intuition is heightened after taking part in the ritual allowing him instinctively understand things from extrapolating information from everything available . The scoundrels intuition is that gut feeling that lets him know to turn left to get out of the maze instead of right or even guessing the amount of jelly beans in a jar with surprising accuracy. The Scoundrels Intuition is what allows a scoundrel to somewhat effectively use the boons of a deity without actually having learned it from the official channels. As time goes on the scoundrels instincts evolve giving the scoundrel a much better grasp of the magic that he has siphoned. After mastering their intuition they have a great enough understanding of how to use the boon as a practitioner of the deity. Tier 1 The practitioner has just been gifted his Scoundrels Intuition and has just begun to understand the complexities of his gift. The effectiveness of the deity's magic is severely limited as the has just barely developed his intuition. Tier 3 The scoundrel has become adept with using the magic of other deities. His newfound power allows him to be half as competent as the person he is siphoning from. Tier 5 The practitioner has just reached the pinnacle of the magic being able to match a master of another deities magic with his own stolen version of it. He suffers no penalties to using another deities magic Strengths -The ability to use deity boons after siphoning from the connection -The scoundrel has a heightened intuition Weaknesses -The deity of the magic will be told of the siphoning, depending on if the scoundrel uses a trinket or not name and face will be given to the deity. - The user takes on the weaknesses of the magic. -The tether withers after certain amount of time -The practitioner can lose a specific siphoned magic by the users of the other magic. -Their ability is only as strong as the ability of the person that they stole it from. -The connection is lost if the character PK’s or loses his own connection -They lack the ability to connect to the void efficiently (Since it is deity magic voidal connections are frowned upon) Due to the temporary nature of this magic it has made it slightly more difficult to make a concrete way to make this MAT friendly. The scoundrel that has tethered someone will write an app very similar to a student app and then the victim will sign off that it did happen and then will oocly learn the magic so they don't end up powergaming the magic Honorable mentions: Javawizard for theory crafting Shamejax for helping write and consolidating the idea Hesh For being resident lore badass