A History of Shamanism in Tarnzania

So today I repelled another attack of half men beasts, I assume sent from Kragrock Spire to retrieve certain books and... Illicit photosophorus crystals that I may have stolen from one of the high priestess' of She'lar the Goddess of the orgy pile. The books of course were in the library, the crystals however are in my bed side table... Regardless, in the aftermath of the battle I was repairing some of my damaged books when I came along McTwiddleshinns' book of "Forbidden Texts" While McTwiddleshinns has largely been discredited as a drunk and a fool his time among the shamans is of definite note, and he is one of the few who spent any time with the southern goblin pygmy tribes, Well, one of the few to ever  spend any time with them and not be eaten. Unfortunately when I happened across the same goblin tribes, I had to wipe them out... They were trying to eat my guides face... You just can't have that in a civilized culture. So now there really isn't anyone to check his references. Oh you bleeding hearts from the future, I can see you, Kevice how could you? Don't they have feelings? Booohooohooo, They were goblins! stack 5 of them on top of each other and they barely make one person! You know what else has feelings? Erdrich god minds from the dimensions beyond! And not a damn one of you complained when I defended us by murdering Guuurachhhh-Ifkkklyupupup and consuming his essence! Anyway, heres an excerpt from Mc Twiddleshinn's book. I hope you enjoy it you damn bleeding heart drum circle beating druid hippies.

A History of Shamanism in Tarnzania

“An excerpt from “Forbidden Texts: A Beginner’s Guide to Sorcery vol. 5” by Svarson McTwiddleshinns”,

Shamanism is type of magic that has been looked down upon by the “learned” mages of the various universities of our realm, and rather ironically so. The forces of nature are usually the first powers a fledgling mage learns to bend to his/her will, usually through basic fire conjury or illusion. But it only through understanding nature magic that a mage can become truly adept at his art, and to remain ignorant of its importance is perhaps the greatest sin a wizard can perform, with the exception of anything coming out of Kragrock these days.

It is the opinion of the author, and as such not entirely acknowledged by the colleges of Eula or Vesper, that shamanism originated in elven history, rather than among the goblins of the south. Surely the elves, with their deep connection to the elements and their oral traditions, fit the niche shamans reside in.

Based on written accounts on early tribes of elves, the shaman figure differed from the “leader” of the tribe, and could be seen as perhaps a religious person. The shaman was usually female, in keeping with the regularity of female deities. Often the keeper of stories, the shaman would be in charge of educating her people, and advising the tribal leader in matters regarding arcane, environmental, and in some cases, for war. In base elven, the word shaman means ‘one who knows the way’, in reference to the shaman often guiding the actions of the group.

With regards to matters arcane and healing, the shaman consulted the spirits of the elements to understand sickness and magic. In doing so, elves became the first pharmacologists, feeling through plants and trees the cures to dispel the ‘evil spirits’ from the infected body. Mysteries of nature, such as sudden storms or long droughts were investigated by the shamans, and revealed to be elementals. These natural guardians served the ‘Great Mother’ Chantea, and through her will set the cycle of the seasons. Through Chantea, the elves learned the ways of the seasons, which each terrible winter only heralded a soothing spring, and these early teachings shaped the way they viewed their world.

Then, a rift occurred between the elves and the descendents of the primal shamans. Naturally gifted with shamanistic abilities, these new offshoot of elves became known as shifters. Shifters have little status in elven society, in spite of their ancestry. Most elves maintain that shamans exist only to remind them of their primitive past, and many shifters have been forced into exile. These shifters have the ability to transform their bodies into various forms similar to animals, which is seen as an affront to elven sensibilities, who regard the wonders of nature as sacrosanct. Nonetheless, some elven communities still honor the old ways, and house wayward shifters in their homes. More often than not, shifters become druids or shamans, in order to understand and communicate via their supernatural connection to the natural world.

Meanwhile, below the surface of the Tarnzania, a slightly different variation of shamanism emerged. The hardy dwarves, who despite their rough countenance are actually rather contemplative, sought a way to control the ground that made up their home. The ability to scavenge the subterranean tunnels and defend against predators prompted a form of warrior shamans, who learned to tame beasts through a form of spirit transference. These bonds are also found in early elven myths, wherein shamans bound spirits of the dead to fetishes to control them. Several monasteries still stand where dwarves learn the mysteries of stone, and some say, still learn the ancient arts of stone-walking, in which a master can pass through solid stone as you and I walk to the kitchens. Stone-walking, as well as the ability to shape stone with the mind alone, are all feats discovered through the dwarf-clans’ shamans, and through their belief in Morradin, the lord of the earth.

The war-like goliaths of the mountains also learned the art of communing with the land, mostly through dwarven interference. The dwarves, in addition to teaching a common language, helped instruct the barbarians on religion as well, although it is interesting to note that the goliaths turned their eyes skyward for their respective deity in Selune, the goddess of the moon. The goliaths, already adept at finding game and water in the mountains, channeled the powers of nature into themselves, and in so doing became part-rock. The goliaths learned at great cost their mistake in tampering with forces they didn’t quite understand. However, the resilient goliath tribe came out of the cataclysm relatively unharmed, with the exception of rocky lithoderms dotting their skin, becoming living armor.

Even in the early civilizations of men, shamans were prevalent to unravel the primal mysteries of the world, usually incorrectly. Occupying the lands west of the great forests of the elves, human settlers learned the arts of medicine from the shamans of the Wispwoods. With a surprising ability to turn whatever power given into warfare, the humans were able to summon elemental creatures to combat other tribes. These battles between summoned creatures occur occasionally today, often to settle disputes among the more unruly villages on the plains. Thankfully, as the being who is reading this passage is obviously more intelligent than a common farmhand playing at magic, then he/she/it (?) would be wise enough to consult my book on the subject of summoning eldritch creatures, “Essential Elementals for the Undermage in Training: How to Bend the World Itself to Your Will”.