Shamanism (skill)

Navigating the world of spirits is a daunting endeavor, one that may only be entrusted to those who have earned their place among soothsayers and prophets. The skill of Shamanism involves intense study of the unseen, and ways to discern their motives through portents and communication alike. A fully trained Shaman maintains a direct link to the plane of primal life, Dendara, and by swearing allegiance through blood oaths, gains a measure of control over the spirits themselves.

A Shaman is armed with a number of rituals, from simple bonecasting to track their foe's actions, to adorning protective masks of bone, to casting ill fate upon their victim through ominous premonitions and even omens of death. Alongside this, a Shaman learns of the various crafted fetishes they may string upon their staff, and how each fetish is more than a mere symbol. In the face of an empowered fetish, one's actions can rapidly alter their future and ensnare them in a painful and often inescapable trap.

Finally, the spirits themselves may come to the aid of a Shaman who beckons them, and fight alongside them as a testament to the primal, morphing bond they once shared. While independent of the Shaman's strikes, such a familiar can take on many shapes, ranging from a simple raven to a terrifying wyvern.

Abilities

Skill	Rank	Percent	Description
Bonecasting	Inept	0%	Glance upon the life of your target.
Harrowing	Inept	49%	Lend your foe a vision of sheer terror.
Protection	Novice	0%	Deflect attacks using your quarterstaff.
Exorcise	Novice	50%	Banish unnatural spirits from the land.
Spiritmask	Adept	0%	Carve a spiritual mask from bone.
Warding	Adept	33%	Strengthen your guard with spiritual force.
Divination	Adept	75%	Divine meaning to gain foresight.
Spiritsight	Gifted	25%	Recognize the ailments that affect your foe.
Oaths	Gifted	50%	Invoke sworn oaths with the spirits of Dendara.
Premonition	Expert	50%	Instill a fearful premonition into one's psyche.
Songlines	Fabled	0%	Memorize and recite songs of travel.
Lifevision	Fabled	50%	The ability to see the life force of others.
Voyage	Mythical	33%	Allow another to experience your songs.
Divulgence	Mythical	50%	Whisper a curse that will crush their sanity.
Omen	Transcendent	0%	Tamper with the threads of fate themselves.

Familiars

Skill	Rank	Percent	Description
Cougar	Apprentice	0%	A vicious cougar to shred your enemies.
Familiar	Apprentice	0%	Call upon nature to provide a spiritual familiar.
Invigorate	Apprentice	50%	Sacrifice your own health to heal your familiar.
Raven	Capable	50%	Disturb your foes with the cry of the raven.
Serpent	Skilled	50%	Poison your foes with a vicious serpent.
Tethering	Skilled	75%	Instantly return your familiar to your presence.
Glance	Gifted	0%	Extend your vision through your familiar.
Voice	Gifted	0%	Project your voice through your familiar.
Spider	Expert	0%	Summon a massive spider to entangle your foes.
Spiritbond	Virtuoso	0%	Order your familiar to guard you from harm.
Bear	Virtuoso	33%	The mighty bear will cripple your foe's limbs.
Wyvern	Fabled	33%	A mythical beast, incinerating any in its path.
Morph	Mythical	0%	Instantly transform the manifestation of your familiar.

Fetishes

Skill	Rank	Percent	Description
Fetishes	Capable	99%	Carve symbolic fetishes to invoke eldritch magic.
Horn	Capable	0%	Invigorate your mind as energy surges through you.
Attunement	Capable	0%	Link the power of your fetishes to a victim.
Stringing	Capable	0%	Quickly string crafted fetishes to your staff.
Ice	Adept	33%	As their vitality fades, their spirit suffers.
Tooth	Skilled	0%	Draw upon nature's might even when your body is broken.
Bone	Skilled	25%	Dark spirits punish those who cower behind barriers.
Claw	Gifted	75%	A bleeding victim proves unable to reject nature.
Eye	Expert	25%	A fetish made to draw power from their curiosity.
Bark	Expert	75%	A mystical fetish to imbue the flesh.
Stone	Virtuoso	66%	Occlude escape when one is bound.
Shell	Fabled	66%	Befuddle the harmony of body and mind.
Feather	Mythical	66%	Touch your opponent with the essence of the wild storm.

Bonecasting
Syntax:	SHAMAN BONECASTING <target>
Description:	The seers within the depths of Dendara speak highly of this art, passing it down from one generation to the next as a means of tracking elusive quarry that would otherwise evade their senses. Using a bone from the corpses you carry upon you, you may question the bones as to the location of your target whether they be friend or foe. If they are within the area with you, you will be able to discern their current state of health.

Harrowing
Syntax:	SHAMAN HARROW <target>
Description:	While many of the spirits of Dendara can be beings of great benevolence, it is common to encounter the gnarled spirits that care little for the mortal realms. In binding them to your will, you may turn their very visage against your foes. Even some of the greatest beasts cannot help but to be filled with fear by the creatures that await them for all eternity. It will force the target to immediately flee from the room, and afflict them with fear.

Protection
Syntax:	SHAMAN PROTECTION
Description:	Runes are a common sight in Dendara; strewn amongst the destroyed shrines and broken cairns, but there are many that are still scratched into the trees and stone as a means of warding or protection against evil. One such rune, spoken as 'cethor', can be utilized by a shaman to protect himself. By calling upon your latent energy, you may channel the protective spell through your quarterstaff and scribe it into the air before you. Your resistance to cutting and blunt damage will increase as long as you continue to wield your quarterstaff. If you cease to wield your quarterstaff, the defense shall stay upon you but no longer offer its protective boon.

Exorcise
Syntax:	SHAMAN EXORCISE <target>
Description:	The baleful creatures of Chaos stand outside the Rhythm of Dendara, skirting the edge of corruption and seething darkness. Cast dopplegangers back to the abyss from whence they came by banishing them from the realm of mortals.

Spiritmask
Syntax:	SHAMAN SPIRITMASK <element>
Description:	By harvesting bone, horn, and other objects from your fallen prey, you may honor them in death by using their leering visage as a spiritmask. Using colourful inks, the shaman of Dendara create wonderous displays to the fallen beasts and gain resistances to the elements as they utter a binding prayer over the mask. While anyone may wear the mask, the powerful magics within will only reflect upon the shaman who created it. Inks: Fire: 1 red ink, 1 yellow ink. Magic: 1 red ink, 1 green ink. Cold: 1 blue ink. Electric: 1 yellow ink. Poison: 1 green ink. Psychic: 1 purple ink. Asphyxiation: 1 gold ink.

Warding
Syntax:	SHAMAN WARDING [OFF]
Description:	Spirits of the natural world can be encouraged to take on various forms for the whim of the summoner. Utilizing a lesser spirit of lightning as a ward, you may command it take on the form of an orb that will encircle the limb you are currently parrying. It will drain your mana for as long as it is active. If an enemy moves to strike that limb, the spirit will electrocute the attacker and have a chance of delivering a masked mental affliction. The afflictions mirroring, mental disruption, and premonition are excluded from warding. Look at HELP TYPES for more information on what is a mental affliction.

Divination
Syntax:	SHAMAN SLAUGHTER <corpse>
Description:	SHAMAN DIVINE <bowl> Through the voices of Dendara, you may divine meaning from the entrails of a slain animal and see briefly into one of many possibilities that could arise in the future. In order to perform this feat, first you must obtain a bowl, a dagger, and the corpse of an animal. Once you have all three, slaughter the animal to the Dendaric spirits and then divine a future from the bowl, allowing the spirits to whisper to your mind. You may only perform divination once every so often, for your mind's eye will need time to rest.

Spiritsight
Syntax:	SHAMAN SPIRITSIGHT <ON/OFF>
Description:	By altering your senses to discern subtle fluctuations in vital energies, you may allow yourself to gather more detailed information on other people. While spiritsight is active, any loki effects that strike your target will report their afflictions to you, while keeping your victim unaware. In addition to this, any loki venom that you poison others with will no longer deliver effects that the target already has.

Oaths
Syntax:	OATHS
Description:	OATH <oath> ACTIVATE OATH <oath> DISABLE OATH DISABLE ALL One of the ways a Shaman may unlock their potential is by binding their service to the many totemic spirits of Dendara. By taking individual oaths with the spirits within, you will gather numerous boons, ranging from protection from the elements, to immunity from certain mental afflictions, to the ability to resist forced action. There are seven oaths that you may swear, and once unlocked, each oath will remain with you permanently. You may activate or disable them at will - though each active oath presents a cumulative mana and willpower drain. Available oaths are: [Oath of the Forestwalker]: Grants forestwalking and health regeneration in overgrowth/forest rooms. [Oath of the Elder Shaman]: Grants foresight to the Shaman, giving them a 8% chance to resist mental afflictions. This is halved if you have dementia. [Oath of Nature's Blade]: Enhances Primality, causing boost to have a 33% chance to not consume energy. [Oath of Tranquility]: Enhances healing, causing overgrowth/forest rooms to periodically heal an affliction providing you don't have paralysis. [Oath of the Primeval]: Enhances your spirit animal, causing them to strike more quickly. [Oath of the Rhythm]: Instills serene balance in the Shaman, preventing force abilities and effects. [Oath of the Durdalis]: Allows you to completely negate an elemental attack on a cooldown.

Premonition
Syntax:	SHAMAN PREMONITION <target>
Description:	While a Shaman is incapable of true clairvoyance, their ability to alter destiny in the most subtle of fashions can prove to be a powerful tool. With this simple hex, a Shaman may place a premonition deep within the psyche of their victim, foretelling future maledictions and inhibiting their victim's ability to shake off their effects. While affected by a premonition, a victim will find themselves unable to cure any infestation of spiritual parasites or the effects of blighted spines. The premonition itself may only be removed by leaving the presence of the Shaman, or focusing one's mind while unaffected by any other mental affliction.

Songlines
Syntax:	SHAMAN SONGLINE ERECT
Description:	SHAMAN SONGLINE DESTROY SHAMAN SONGLINE LIST SHAMAN SONGLINE TRAVEL <area> Upon your journey throughout the land, you will come across many places of wonder and joy, hardship and sorrow. Remember your tales of the past in short verse and whispered song by erecting small totems of these journeys. It is often said that in the depths of Dendara, the whispered song of ages long past still drifts upon the winds and can be heard as an echo of the ages. You may create up to three totems along your travels, binding thought and memory to the aged wood. Only one totem may stand within an area.

Lifevision
Syntax:	LIFEVISION
Description:	Your keen senses allow you to see all living things within your sight, regardless if they are hidden or not. It will additionally provide some measure of protection against illusions, allowing you to occasionally tell if they are fake.

Voyage
Syntax:	SHAMAN VOYAGE <target> <area>
Description:	One need not bear all hardships or joys alone as you travel the world throughout your life. While songlines may only be crafted and bound by the singer, you may compel one to experience your travels by reciting to them your song of journey. Let them experience your journey through whispered song and voice.

Divulgence
Syntax:	SHAMAN DIVULGENCE <target> [phobia]
Description:	Providing your foe has at least three mental afflictions, you can whisper a word of terror to them, inflicting their mind with a phobia and draining it of some mana. You can inflict the following phobias: Fear, agoraphobia, claustrophobia, vertigo, loneliness, shyness, paranoia, or superstition. Additionally, the equilibrium cost for this skill is reduced for each mental affliction the target has. However, it will not obtain any further benefit after the fifth mental affliction. Look at HELP TYPES for more information on what is regarded as a mental affliction

Omen
Syntax:	SHAMAN OMEN <target> [IN <6-12>]
Description:	Through primal magic of bone and blood, a Shaman may enact a binding hex upon their foe providing they have three fetishes stringed upon their quarterstaff. After the period of time specified by the caster (or six seconds if none is supplied), an omen of malevolence shall descend upon them, dealing unblockable damage and stunning them. Certain afflictions received from a Shaman will multiply the damage and stun from omen when it is initially cast, each of them greatly increasing its power, allowing it to reach a near lethal state when all of them are present. The following are the afflictions that will increase its potency: Paranoia, Infested, Blighted, and Stormtouched.

Cougar
Syntax:	FAMILIAR SUMMON COUGAR
Description:	The cougar spirit will deal cutting-based damage when ordered to attack your enemies. Occasionally, one of its swipes will cause one of impairment, blurry vision, or clumsiness and will be masked from their view.

Familiar
Syntax:	FAMILIAR SUMMON <type>
Description:	FAMILIAR DISMISS FAMILIAR RECALL Additional syntax: FAMILIAR HIDE and FAMILIAR REVEAL Call upon nature to provide a spiritual familiar in your battles against those who would trample upon life. If you happen to lose sight of it, you may recall it back to your side. Additionally, you may ask your familiar to hide from sight, if such a thing would prove useful to you. Refer to HELP LOYALS for more information on leading your familiar, such as ordering it to attack and other useful commands.

Invigorate
Syntax:	FAMILIAR INVIGORATE
Description:	At a nominal cost to your own health, you may regenerate your familiar's physical form, repairing any damage they may have taken in battle.

Raven
Syntax:	FAMILIAR SUMMON RAVEN
Description:	The raven spirit will dive into action, either generating one primal energy for the Shaman or dealing psychic-based damage to them as it swoops past.

Serpent
Syntax:	FAMILIAR SUMMON SERPENT
Description:	The form of a serpent will allow your familiar to either crush or bite your victim. If it coils around your enemy and crushes them, it will caused asphyixation-based damage to them and inflict amnesia. If it bites them, it will deal poison damage and deliver the loki venom.

Tethering
Syntax:	FAMILIAR TETHER <ON/OFF>
Description:	Tether your familiar to this realm, making it immune to the effects of orb sigils at the cost of a small willpower drain to yourself. Furthermore, if the familiar is attacked when not within your presence, it will instantly return to your side.

Glance
Syntax:	FAMILIAR GLANCE
Description:	You may quickly glance through the eyes of your familiar, allowing you discern all in their location at no cost.

Voice
Syntax:	FAMILIAR VOICE <message>
Description:	With a simple link from your mind to your familiar, you may project your voice through their form, regardless of your respective locations.

Spider
Syntax:	FAMILIAR SUMMON SPIDER
Description:	By taking the form of a spider, your familiar will pierce your enemy with venomous fangs, causing periodic poison damage and causing one of allergies, vomiting, or disfigurement which will be masked. After a set number of attacks, it will spot an opportunity to cover your unlucky foe in sticky webs instead, entangling them.

Spiritbond
Syntax:	FAMILIAR SPIRITBOND <ON/OFF>
Description:	Mitigate a portion of the damage you receive and transfer it to your familiar. This defence will cost willpower to maintain in the long term.

Bear
Syntax:	FAMILIAR SUMMON BEAR
Description:	The bear spirit will lumber forth and maul a limb of your target, breaking it and causing blunt- based damage.

Wyvern
Syntax:	FAMILIAR SUMMON WYVERN
Description:	The wyvern spirit is perhaps the most fierce of all the familiars. Its attacks have a chance to stun the opponent and set them ablaze, or simply deal extra fire-based damage.

Morph
Syntax:	FAMILIAR MORPH <form>
Description:	This command will allow your familiar to quickly change forms, allowing you to alter its physical body without dismissing it outright. There is a small equilibrium cost associated with this ability.

Fetishes
Syntax:	Sytnax: FETISH CREATE <fetish>
Description:	FETISH LIST You are now capable of creating mystic fetishes to invoke ancient magics upon your foe. Once created, you must string the fetishes upon your quarterstaff and attune your target to unlock their potential. See AB SHAMANISM STRINGING and AB SHAMANISM ATTUNEMENT for more details. Fetishes are powerful tools that are activated by the specified target meeting a specific criteria, known as a trigger condition. When the condition is met, the fetish will become active, and will enact a persistent effect. When the same criteria is met a second time or the threshold no longer applies, the fetish will be rendered inactive. Careful consideration of fetish effects is important, as you are only capable of using three fetishes at a given time. The creation of fetishes differs according to what fetish you are attempting to create. Some fetishes require you to be standing in a certain environment type, others will require a raw material for you to refine. The list is as follows: Bark: Ancient forest environment Shell: Beach environment Stone: Hills or mountains environment Feather: An eagle feather OR the corpse of an eagle Horn: A piece of stag's horn OR the corpse of a stag Ice: An elemental ice commodity Bone: Bone powder OR an animal corpse Tooth: A crocodile's tooth OR an animal corpse Claw: A lion's claw OR an animal corpse Eye: An animal corpse

Horn
Syntax:	Activator: Self. Trigger condition:
Description:	The horn fetish is activated by passing the threshold of 3 natural energy - this can be done by gaining energy, or by depleting it past that mark. Target: Self. Activation effect: A portion of the energy around you will be converted into mental fortitude, restoring a small amount of mana and willpower to the user.

Attunement
Syntax:	FETISH ATTUNE <target> and FETISH UNATTUNE
Description:	To most observers, the rattling of fetishes proves to be little more than noise. By attuning a target to the effects of your magic, you may draw out the true power of your fetishes - allowing their energies to affect your foe.

Stringing
Syntax:	FETISH STRING <fetish> [<fetish>] [<fetish>]
Description:	FETISH REMOVE ALL With nimble fingers, you may string up to three fetishes on your quarterstaff at once. You can only string fetishes that you have personally created, and only one of a type of fetish can be on your quarterstaff at once.

Ice
Syntax:	Activator: Self. Trigger condition:
Description:	The ice fetish is activated by the Shaman dropping below 50% of their maximum health. This can be done both by being damaged or by causing self harm. Healing back up last 50% of your health will cause the effect to linger for a short period and then eventually fade. Target: Attuned target. Activation effect: The magics of the ice fetish will chill the very soul of your target - giving them the spiritbane affliction for as long as the fetish is active, and preventing natural passive health regeneration. Certain Primality attacks made against the target will heal you for a portion of the damage dealt, but will never heal you past 50% of your max health.

Tooth
Syntax:	Activator: Self. Trigger condition:
Description:	The tooth fetish is activated by the Shaman being affected by at least two broken limbs. This will only fire if the Shaman reached two broken limbs through gaining the afflictions, not by curing additional broken limbs. Target: Self. Activation effect: While active, the tooth fetish will empower the Shaman's connection to nature, allowing them to use any Primality abilities without the requirement of working arms.

Bone
Syntax:	Activator: Attuned target. Trigger condition:
Description:	The bone fetish is activated by an attuned target using a shield tattoo or any other means of forming a temporary barrier. This does not apply to the prismatic barrier generated by using a lyre or other such means. Target: Attuned target. Activation effect: The next time your opponent attempts to form a shield, the fetish will lash out and destroy it, delivering a masked mental affliction from the antipsychotic tree in the process. The fetish will then go inactive once more. You can view HELP CURE ORDER for more information on afflictions in the antipsychotic cure tree.

Claw
Syntax:	Activator: Attuned target. Trigger condition:
Description:	The claw fetish is activated by an attuned foe who is greatly bleeding - achieving at least 200 bleeding will activate the effect. This effect can only be triggered once each time the opponent passes 200 bleeding, not if they continue to bleed. Target: Attuned target. Activation effect: While active, thorns from the Vinelash ability will hold with greater force - preventing them from being removed from your victim by any means.

Eye
Syntax:	Activator: Attuned target. Trigger condition:
Description:	The eye fetish is activated whenever the attuned target uses the Diagnose ability to check their afflictions. You can view AB SURVIVAL DIAGNOSE for more information. Target: Self. Activation effect: Generate 1 primal energy when the fetish activates for use in Primality.

Bark
Syntax:	Activator: Self. Trigger condition:
Description:	The bark fetish is activated by the Shaman receiving a cumulative amount of damage - roughly about 2000 damage. Once you past the threshold a second time, the fetish will deactivate. Target: Self. Activation effect: The protective magics of the bark fetish will envelop you in a shell, deflecting a portion of all damage received.

Stone
Syntax:	Activator: Attuned target. Trigger condition:
Description:	The stone fetish has its activation state toggled by an attuned target completing a writhe action. Target: Attuned target. Activation effect: While active, the stone fetish will occasionally prevent your victim from leaving the room - knocking them prone and off balance in the process.

Shell
Syntax:	Activator: Attuned target. Trigger condition:
Description:	The shell fetish is activated by an attuned target attempting to focus their mind to cure mental maladies. The condition will only be achieved if the opponent is both capable of focusing and consumes the proper balance. Target: Attuned target. Activation effect: While the shell fetish is active, your victim will find that the magics empowering their tree tattoo have been rendered inactive.

Feather
Syntax:	Activator: Attuned target. Trigger condition:
Description:	The activation state of the feather fetish is activated by an attuned target attempting to cure two afflictions from the same curing tree in a row through the use of curative pills. You can review HELP CURE ORDER to learn more about the various curative trees. Target: Attuned target. Activation effect: The might of the storm will be imposed upon your attuned target - after three seconds, they will be afflicted with the stormtouched affliction which nullifies the usefulness of their electrical resistance.