3754
A Primer on Shamanism
Saviordude
Shamans are the spiritwalkers, the seers, the prophets and the Doyen. Standing as the mediators between the living and the dead. Highly respected, they are the orcish equivalent of the human priests and the elven druids, althought there are instances of other races taking up the path of the shaman, such as the dwarf Lex. It requires a lifelong dedication and is not something to take up at a fancy, but it is a rewarding path to the few who follow it through. :: Shamanism at it's most basic level is interacting with spirits. Of those spirits, there are many kinds. The first is the Major spirit, which is also the small class. Being embodiements of virtues and strong feelings, it is recommended that only the most experienced shamans attempt to summon these. An example is Donuur, spirit of valor and vigilance. :: The next class of spirits is the Ancestors. Being the ghost of those who have passed away, they can offer much wisdom and aid to those who summon them. And example of an Ancestor is Thyst, first grand champion and Dominus. :: The last class of spirit is the most numerous, the lesser spirits. Each of these spirits can be tagged with an element, either fire, water, earth, air, or rarely life. Their is a spirit for everything, from tools to house, from trees to organs. These are the spirits that you would be most likely to call upon if you were attempting to help someone. :: Besides spirits, a good shaman also employs the use of many tools, the most important of which is the staff. A powerful artifact, the shamans staff is enchanted with a spirit spirit or ancestor, and is obtained in the first ritual a shaman goes through. The material used in making it varies, wood for lesser spirits, stone for ancestors, and iron or gold for major spirits. Usually, once a shaman obtains a staff of a better material, they shape their old one into a totem. It is important to note that diamond is never used because gems are used to contain souls, not spirits. :: Other tools used by the shaman are Totems, used to contact spirits,  A ritual weapon which is used to perform blood sacrifices and such, and the medicine bag, which holds herbs and stones used in rituals. ::      :: Although almost every shaman can be considered equal, there are some ranks in their order, the the first of which is the Apprentice. This is what every shaman starts as, until they complete a as set of tasks, upon which they become a novice. Upon summoning four different spirits as a novice, they are promoted to Journeymanm then Doyen. The final step is becoming the high shaman. There is always one high shaman, and each doyen can have two students.