Shaman

Written by EltonJ

“Know this: a shaman must never demand power; to do so would arouse the anger of the elements, and a shaman without the elements' protection is nothing. Those that follow the path of the shaman must never forget this most vital tenet. However, a shaman that works in a respectful union with the elements wields a power rivaled by few.
— Teo Hammerstorm

Mankind, and all others like Mankind, have always searched for answers to existential questions such as: why am I here? Where do I come from? and everyone's favorite, Where am I going? Shamanism is an attempt to answer those questions by applying the philosophy of animism to the inanimate as well as the animate. In the context of this fantasy world, the Shamanistic magic actually works.
The shaman however, do not worship plant life and nature as the druids do. Instead, they honor the spirits of their own ancestors and the elemental forces. The shaman are not themselves imbued with the ascendency of the spirits, rather they harness it through ceremonial totems. They carve these totems to represent the spirits and animals from which they draw power, and it is within these totems that the true potency of a shaman lies.

Background

Shamanism has existed on Lemurias since Lemuria and Atlantis had sunk into the sea. It's about the worship of nature and the elements. And has existed amongst primitive tribes in one form or another as animism. Before being accustomed to the divine or the potency of the arcane, the humans had primitive belief systems that incorporated simple nature magic, practicing crude forms of druidism and shamanism. Shamanism was practiced before the advent of polytheism. When Egypt was founded, the Egyptians practiced shamanism until they had come up with their many gods. Although the Gods were planets (Mars, Venus, and Saturn), and their stories were the foundation of human civilization -- shamanism was still important.

Culture

Shamanism is a deeply spiritual form of elemental magic that involves a connection with both the natural and the elemental spirits. Shaman do not normally enslave elementals, but honor them, asking the elements to heed their call. Consequently, the power of the shaman is borrowed, rather than taken. Shaman are not inherently imbued with magic - they harness the powers of the elements through ceremonial totems. There is a relation to the spiritual magic of shaman and the natural magic of druids, which is why the shaman were able to hear the spirits of Stonetalon Mountains. Shaman said that all things had a life, a power, a spirit. They are deeply involved with the spirits of the elements — earth, air, fire, water, and the Spirit of the Wilds — and claimed they could sense the life force in earth and even seemingly dead stone. This Spirit energy is what gave the shaman their connection to the elements, to others, and to themselves. Members of the Earthen Ring save this Spirit for apprentice's studies till they are ready.
Shaman have a bond with the things of the natural world, thus they strive always to work in harmony with them, with respect in their heart and the willingness to offer something in return. Unlike warlocks who used the fel through their spells, the shaman call for the powers of the elements and work with those who respond, knowing they are borrowed only, never bought. This is their primary agreement, and if they violate it, nothing of nature would ever respond to them again. They request only the barest needs for themselves and their people, and at times, may ask great things, but only when the cause is good and just. In the end, the elements are powerful entities who come of their own free will, and who are companions in their magic, not slaves.
Farseers are exceptionally powerful and wise shaman that play the role of advisors or take on leadership positions in their communities. They are highly esteemed and respected by their factions.

Zekahn casting an Elemental Spell by Blizzard Entertainment

Unlike the others, goblin shaman follow the motto of "Controlling the Elements for Fun and Profit". They are an extension of their society's single-minded devotion to making profit; to a goblin shaman, elementals are potential customers with whom they can negotiate and enter contracts. They tend to be a bit more forceful in their negotiations than the other shamanic races would like, though not as forceful as the taunka. Some goblin shaman mechanically modify both their totems and their elemental minions. To shaman of other races, these methods can seem unorthodox or outrageously disrespectful to the elements.
The dark shaman is a dark version of a shaman, forcing the elements into servitude by using Decay, twisting them into burned-out ash, corrupted waters, and toxic air. They also use the Void to enslave the elements.

Orcs

Orcs have less dedication to their lineage, and focus more on the raw elements for their power. This can be problematic, as many orcs are attracted to the raw power of demonic arcane magic as Warlocks. Still they are for preserving their Shamanistic roots, and preserving their aboriginal ties and culture. Thus they have constructed sweat lodges, traded the dark unions for vision quests, and the summoning rituals with prayer.

Gnolls

Gnolls knows their own lineage - some spanning more than ten generations - and has been able to recite it since they were a cub. By learning the great tales of their ancestry, the gnolls will connect to one or two of their forefathers with whom they identify. Their lives therefore, become homages to their ancestors, and all through their life, the living gnoll will seek guidance from and serve in the name of the spirit of that forbearer and the Earth Mother.

Trolls

Much like the rebirth in Orcish culture, the troll tribes has found a savior in Dorak the Leopard and the practices of shamanism. The old ways of voodoo hexes, cannibalism, and non-animal sacrifice are being replaced by a more divine set of beliefs. No longer do these trolls feast upon the corpses of their fallen as the undead do. However, they do still practice voodoo and they taught Hex to their allies. They have brought out a different elemental totem, as well as teaching Orcs and Tauren more about restoration and regeneration. They are finding, under the guidance of the older shamanistic races, more civilized ways to appease their bloodthirsty ancestry. As the Orcs found guidance towards the divine from the gnolls, so now do the trolls find their path through the orcs.

Drow Shaman by Craiyon AI.

Drow

The drow of the city of Erelhei-Cinlu recently adopted Shamanism from the proselytizing of orcs and trolls. They see shamanism as a way to honor the spirits, as well as a way to honor Anansi and Ayotunde. They also taken up a small part of ancestor worship and studied the shaman's way of the elements. In return, some of the drow had traveled to the Hidden Phoenix lands and started an elementalist school with which to teach the orcs the way of Elementalism using the Essence (arcane). The drow has built sweat lodges, and traded the path of priesthood for vision quests, and the summoning rituals with prayer.

Shamanistic Philosophy

Everything that is, is alive

All shamans gain their power from the Elemental Spirits, so most shamanic philosophy is the same no matter which race practices it. Access to the power of the shaman is borrowed, rather than taken. Unlike the rigid disciplines of the Holy Light which bends the power of the Light to its user through spells, shaman practitioners refer to the act of using their magic as calls, not spells. The power imparted by the elements to the shaman has a wide berth, and encompasses many forces. A shaman can diagnose and cure ailments, harness the power of the elements to defeat their opponents, and enhance the natural power of themselves and other. And these abilities are but a mere fraction of the ability of a shaman. By traversing the axis mundi and forming a special relationship with the spirits, shaman have gained access to divination, dream interpretation, astral projection, control over the weather, and a near innumerable list of abilities.
Shamanism is based on the premise that the visible world is pervaded by the invisible force of spirits that affect the living in a very strong and meaningful way. Shamanism can therefore be seen as the practical application of the concepts of animism through specialized knowledge and abilities. Shamanism is not, however, organized into full-time rituals or spiritual association as priests are. There exists a very distinct chasm between a Priest serving the Earthmother, and a Shaman of the Earthmother.
The shamans call upon the Elements in their magic. There are five elements, or Spirits: Earth, Air, Fire, Water and the Wilds. At their simplest, the elements may cause an earthquake, summon a storm, conjure fire or finding water. As their most complex, the elements are the very world we live in. The Spirit of the Wilds is the most complex and least understood of the elements. This element is tied to life and the living things that grow when the other four elements are in harmony. The Wilds is rarely used by shaman, and lies more in the domain of the druid. It is invoked by the shaman only during the ritual of Ancestral Spirit, a call so powerful it can rewind the mortal coil, bringing life to the dead, and binding the spirit of a being back into their corporeal shell.

Shaman Thrall by Uknown

Type

Religious