The Shaman's Path

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.

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.[3] (WoWRPG 170, 171)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 Tauren, so now do the Trolls find their path through the Orcs.

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 Spirits
Main article: Elemental Spirits

Main Article: Animal Totems

Main Article: Calls of the Shaman

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.