Ogrim's Basic Shamenism [Shamen Cave]

[Gauls]

3rd Cycle, The Month of Imperos, in the Season of Autumn,
Era II of the Celestine Mandate, Era XIV Post Fractum

Ogrim was being led deep into the Shamen Caves of Ire where he is seeking the "strength within". This would take Ogrim on the path of shamenism that few orcs have the patience or desire to learn. Though many orcs come to the shamen for a simple boost in power to meet a specific goal, Ogrim was seeking a little more. Something that he will only be able to learn as an apprentice to one of the seven shamen of the city.

The shamen are in direct conflict with the Shon Zi but are backed by the Horde Master. Each of them are assigned to the seven hosted clans of orckon that make up the ranks of the Horde. For this privilege, the shamen bless and bestow the warriors with powers that aid them in battle. Actaully learning the skill himself would place Ogrim in a unique position within his clan and amongst some of the few orcs with magic capability in the city.

Ogrim had followed the figure into the cave and after a while they were turning the corner into a cavern that emitted a greenish glow. The wall of the cavern had crystals that Ogrim probably ha never seen before. It was these crystals that let out the green glow. The floor of the cavern had soil and small plants grew in various patches in rows that looked deliberately planted. A small figure looked hunched over in a corner to the right of where the pair stood in the entrance of the cavern.

"Go, state your name and purpose to him." the figure said then turned and went back into the tunnel leaving Ogrim standing there alone.

[Ogrim]

In silent wonder the uruk was lead deeper into the shaman caves. Never before had he seen anywhere what could be found in the subterranean environment under Orckon, he was privileged to even enter the caverns let alone be granted an audience with one of the ancient repositories of shamanistic knowledge.

Standing over the bent shape, Ogrim rumbled deeply. ”I am Ogrim. I bring death to my enemies.”

Waiting for any sign of a reaction, Ogrim watched the figure with his remaining eye. ”Can such a small creature wield such power?” he thought to himself. While he had some knowledge of the arcane, Ogrim wondered how such a small mortal could contain the power they were rumored to possess.

[Gauls]

"Ah Ogrim, nice strong urak name... hek, hek, hek." the figure murmured with its back to Ogrim. "I am one shamen of Orckon. Agar my name."

The figure began to raise up from his couched position and in the greenish light could be seen a pile of bloody flesh and what appeared to be teeth.

: Pointing to the mess upon the floor :

"Seen you coming I did. Felt your purpose. Agar agreed to allow da guards to let you in."

The figure turned toward Ogrim giving him his first look at the shamen. He was a male orc but had very feminine features about him. His face was smeared with blood on one side and his garb was a collection of mismatched clothes that looked like they were taken from several victims on a battlefield. They were bloody, cut, and tattered. The cape that was tied over the orc's shoulders appeared to be made of skin, not animal but human. The skin cape looked tattooed with runes. It is not known if the tattoos were added before or after the skin was taken off the victim.

: Points a long bent finger at Ogrim :

"Your heart seems true but wud you know about da old religion? Do you know any of the spirit beasts we praise here?"

[Ogrim]

Ogrim remained silent as the old crone shuffled and cackled around. When directed to look at the gore spattered on the floor, it took Ogrim moments to realize this was a scrying ritual. He had seen many such practices when he was trapped in Herozzal, under the boot heel of a Vysstichi matriarch, though few were as bloody.

Studying the shaman, Ogrim could see that he was far from being a typical orc. The usual brutish appearance of the male kind had been replaced with an androgynous, almost feminine appearance, offset by the blood smeared across one side of Agar’s faces, this was a startling look and held your attention. As such, every question or phrase that issued from the shaman had a hypnotic quality that Ogrim could not escape and his answers were forthright and swift.

”We of the old ways worship many animals. Da main beasts we venerate are dese; badger, lynx, wolf, bear, hawk, otter and boar.” Ogrim ventured further in his answer, to demonstrate that while he couldn’t even be considered a novice of the shamanistic arts, he had superior knowledge to the average uruk. ”We believe each animal we worship lends an aspect of dere essence to us, strength of the bear, sight of the hawk. And dese powers help us slay our enemies.”

[Gauls]

"Ahhhh, hek, hek, hek." the shamen clamored, "Looks as if one of Agar's followers has been busy spreadin' da religion 'round town. Dat is good. Now maybe ju have easy time discoverin' your spirit beast."

: Points to a stone sitting near the center of the cavern :

"Please, have seat."

The shamen waits for Ogrim to take a seat then moves into a crouching position next to the stone he sits upon.

"Da old Gods were taken from da urak and din replaced wit' some new false Gods as you know. Dey even took da great spires of da city and named them after the false Gods. Dis shud have made any urak sick but din dey banished da shamen from da spires too an' if it not for da Gothmog Ushtar, we wud have been run out of da city!"

: Spits on the ground next to Ogrim :

"Those damn sorcerers, da Shon Zi, dey now live in our former houses and now dey protect da false Gods and spread der words to all urak in da city."

: The Shamen begins to look agitated :

"Stupid! Idiots! None of dim know da true power of Kaluuk and Orok! Urak now forgetting who brought them into this life and gave them all the power dey enjoy over oder races."

: Looks to Ogrim :

"Tell Agar wud you know of Kaluuk and Orok? If you don't know do not be ashamed to speak up! Agar teach you!"

[Ogrim]

Ogrim sat obediently on the stone as was indicated. The shaman crouched surprisingly spryly next to him and began to lament the lack of faith amongst the general orc population.

Ogrim agreed. Though he had spent many an era in the shara lands and had formed just as many partnerships with the soft skin kind, he knew that their ways were not orc ways. That the adoption of their pantheon, however the Shon Ri tried to twist it to suit there needs, was basely wrong.

”Kaluuk is da mother and Orok is da Father. Orok rape Kaluuk and give birth to da orc’s. Shara try to say dat Orok is Jalat and dat Kaluut is Diana but dat all dung."

"I don’t know Kaluuk, but Orok is da deity I pray to. His hammer judge’s orc’s when they perish and present themselves before him. Dat is what I know.”

[Gauls]

"Excellent, you know of da true Gods an' their power to rule da uraks!"

The shamen raised up and began looking around the cavern. It was not obvious what the orc was looking for but while he was looking, he continued to speak.

"If it is to deliver pain to your enemies then Agar can teach you. However, if you choose dis path of learning, you will be bound to Agar for through Agar da power of da spirit beasts will be available to you!"

It was now clear that the shamen was not going to train Ogrim for free. Gaining this power of shamenistic magic would be in some way binding Ogrim to the shamen and whatever cause he persues. Nothing in Orckon is free and everything has a catch.

"Do you wish to bind yourself to Agar and discover your spirit beast's power?"

[Ogrim]

Ogrim was surprised at the almost childish way Agar clucked around in the green, glowing cavern as we watched the little orc. Perhaps the shaman’s powers altered his mannerisms, touched him in a way that the greenskin could not fathom, or perhaps it was that disciples were few and far between and he was genuinely happy that he had a student that showed authentic, keen interest in the old ways.

Ogrim grunted his understanding at the stipulations that Agar laid before him; that the uruk would be in thrall to the shaman for the length of his training and beyond. It was not a decision made lightly however. Ogrim had been a free creature for a long time, and rare was the occurrence that could shackle him to a person or place for any amount of time. This was a sacrifice he was willing to, indeed gladly make if it increased his prowess in orc society and ultimately, increased the power of the orc nation.

”I understand and I accept dat I will be your servant from now until you decide to release me from whatever bond we have, or whatever debt I owe you and da gods, Agar.”

[Gauls]

"Ah, great!"

At about the same time Ogrim finished speaking, Agar spotted what he was looking for, a large stick about the size of a walking cane. Agar turned to Ogrim holding the stick at the same time he had answered him.

Ogrim was now bound to the shamen to learn from him and discover his spirit beast. Now that the deal was made, Ogrim could only look on as the shamen begins to tremble. His eyes roll back in his head as his shape appears to deform and grow in size. His face becomes elongated and his mouth and nose region begin to protrude from his face. The muscles in his shoulders, arms, and hips are getting larger and larger. Black hair begins to squeeze out of the orc's pours over his arms, back, and legs. The monstrosity tears off his cloak throwing it to the ground.

Now grasping the stick in a very large clawed hand, the creature is now recognizable as something like a cross between orc and bear. Not much of the orc is visible anymore and this new creature that has replaced him definitely has a dire look about it perhaps giving Ogrim a sense that he'd better arm himself as the beast that now towers above him approaches.

[Ogrim]

With a mixture of wonder and trepidation, Ogrim watched as the once small orc shaman quickly transformed into a massive, highly agitated bear-creature. Unconsciously taking several steps back, Ogrim found his retreat blocked by the wall of the cavern as the creature advanced menacingly.

”What da feth!”, were the only words the orc could muster as he drew his sword form it’s scabbard and struck and defensive posture. The tip of the katana’s tip bobbed at around the same level as the creature’s chest. Ogrim knew if this was to be a fight, he would need to end it quickly as he had no chance to match it in a drawn out engagement.

[Gauls]

The creature moved in and raised the stick that it had ready to strike at Ogrim. It was only about 10 feet away and the shadow of the beast overcast Ogrim. Looking at the shadow coming over him however, Ogrim only saw the shadow of an orc, not that of the large creature approaching him.

The slippery wall of the cavern behind him and a doorway about 50 feet to Ogrim's left were the only things Ogrim had time to notice. There was a vertical notch in the wall about 15 feet to Ogrim's right but it was filled with the huge green glowing crystals growing up out of the floor of the cavern.

There came a loud roar from the beast as the stick came flying down in an overhead strike toward Ogrim's left shoulder and neck region.

[Ogrim]

Though he recognized the shadow and the difference from the beast that cast it, Ogrim did not register the fact and any attached relevance. As the creature neared and initiated it’s strike, Ogrim feinted towards the left to make the creature readjust the arc of its blow. The uruk then tried to move just as swiftly to his right and raise his own sword to meet and deflect the stick so that it crashed downward, onto the stony floor. Ogrim was under no illusion that he could completely halt the motion of the attack, but he was confident he could deflect it away from his head and towards the ground.

Provided his defensive maneuver was adequate, Ogrim would then attempt to slice the blade upward, towards the groin of the bear-creature while continuing his circling movement to the right. It was his hope that a laceration to the groin would prove debilitating enough to slow the beast so that he could make his escape. Ogrim could reflect on the bewildering situation provided he survived the event.

[Gauls]

: Whooosh :

Ogrim succeeded in dodging the stick as he shifted right making the stick just miss his left side. The creature was not trying any fancy movements of its own and so even with Ogrim's limited skill wielding his katana, he had no problem executing the swipe toward the groin of the beast. Just as the blade touched the creature, everything went quiet. The soft green glow of the cavern was all that came over Ogrim instead of the eirie shadow of a beast. Looking around, the beast was nowhere to be found. Now, all that stood before Ogrim was the small skinny frame of the shamen orc. The edge of Ogrim's blade was still frozen where he stopped it after making his upward swipe. The tip of the katana was now less than 2 inches from the shamen's nose. The shamen though has still yet to move.

All was quiet for a few moments more as the orcs stood facing one another, one still in post swing pose and the other simply standing like a pole with his eyes closed grasping his stick. The shamen began to hum to himself.

"Yes, Agar sees it. It is very clear. It will compliment you nicely." the shamen said softly as he finally opened his eyes and looked directly into Ogrim's good eye. "Your spirit beast has revealed itself. It is almost a perfect match for you Agar think."

The shamen stepped back from Ogrim's blade then made his way back over to the stone that Ogrim had once sat upon picking up his robe that he had tossed off along the way. He stood next to the stone and crouched down beside it.

"Please, have a seat. Agar tell you what happened."

The orc's demeanor after what Ogrim just experienced was as if nothing had happened. Besides there being a scrawny half naked orc sitting on the floor, there was no sign of anything else that had happened.

[Ogrim]

The moment was surreal to say the least. Ogrim was stunned at the turn of events. Though not initiated in the arcane tradition, the uruk was aware that magic happenings generally did not occur so suddenly and without warning. Still, the events that had transpired so rapidly had left him, shaken, for lack of a better word. Shamanistic power was raw, and terrifying.

Without an uttered word, the one eyed orc followed the shaman’s instructions and sat on the stone as indicated. In the stillness of the cavern, Ogrim could hear the blood pounding in his ears. His heart was racing and his tongue was dry. Adrenaline coursed through his system and a slight tremor passed through him while he waited for an explanation as to what had just occurred.

Ogrim was still perturbed with regards to his own reaction. He prided himself on being able to act above the situation, no matter how dire, though this had affected him deeply. With curious a mixture of suspicion and excitement, he waited for what knowledge Agar was to impart.

[Gauls]

The shamen settled down and began to explain to Ogrim what he had just witnessed. It was one thing to hear a teacher say something in a class but to actually see it happen and attack you was quite another thing.

Foundations

"Orok and Kaluuk hab given da urak da powers to call upon da spirit beasts dey entrusted to protect us. Agar showed you how real da power is. Agar's spirit bear could hab taken your head off but after many eras, Agar learn to control da spirit an' it listen to Agar. Agar can call upon da spirit anytime Agar need Orok's help. Just like you, your enemies will never know which enemy is more deadly to dim, da spirit beast or you, until it is too late. Wit little training, an urak not sure if da spirit beast is his friend or enemy either. You must communicate wit your spirit beast an' as you grow in skill, it will listen to you enough dat you can control it. Take no heed of dis an' da spirit beast can take da urak dat not learned to control it."

The Spirit Beasts

With such a dire warning, it is any wonder why an orc would even want to learn shamen magic but in fact, many orcs see dying at the hands of a beast of Orok as a good death. It is only those that really commit to learning the higher levels of this skill that are able to wield their spirit beast in the manner Ogrim is contemplating.

"Agar watched urak and spoke to da spirits dat were trying to take shape within you." the shamen continued to explain. Agar paused a moment then added, "As Agar said, all urak hab da power within to call upon der beast but unless da urak communicate back when da spirit talk to you, da physical manifestation cannot occur."

The shamen rose up and circled Ogrim sitting upon the stone. "Agar saw da spirits within you and one after another faded as the dominate one took over your actions."

: Tapping Ogrim on the shoulder with his stick as he counts off :

"First, der was da Lynx spirit- shy and stealthy, not one to take on a large foe. Dis spirit's first instinct would be to slip out the door the first chance it got... him faded as soon as you drew your sword.

Second, der was da Badger - tenacious and tough, not one to back away from a foe. Dis spirit's first instinct would be to draw a line and fight... him faded as soon as you stepped backward when attacked.

Third, der was da Wolf - confident (especially in numbers), protector of da clan, and prone to bloodlust. Not one to stop attacking just because the immediate threat was gone. Dis spirit's first instinct would be to protect his space and attack wit confidence... dat you did and Agar thought dis spirit beast would choose you until dat moment when you faltered and thoughts of escape ran through your mind.

Four, der was da Hawk - excellent vision not just in a physical sense but also in mental vision, expert in ambush. Not one to attack just because da opportunity is der. Dis spirit's first instinct would be to see beyond what was obvious and contemplate da unseen... him faded as soon as you made the strike with your sword.

Five, der was da Otter - solitary, relishes wit enjoyment da result of whatever action he takes, and quick to act. Dis spirit's first instinct would be to strike with such speed then rely on dat speed to evade taunting his enemy until da next quick strike... him faded as soon as da fear gripped your senses.

Der was da Bear - strong, relies upon own brute force, and motherly. Not one to attack its fellow clansmen, this spirit's first instinct would be to go forward, toward an enemy with all the strength it can muster to overwhelm all... him faded when faced wit Agar's spirit bear and sensing your weakness in strength and will.

Finally, da dominant spirit prevailed and chose you."

Agar rounded the stone once more then stood before Ogrim. "It was so very clear. Da Boar - tusks that symbolize leadership, takes action when darkness of da situation prevails. Not one ta attack outright, dis spirit's first instinct would be to fall back to gather its courage din lash out wit such force (especially when cornered)... da spirit boar chose you once your back hit da wall."

Agar pointed to the spot where Ogrim stood facing the spirit bear. "Can you see why da spirit boar chose you based upon your actions? You ready to start learning to communicate wit da YOUR spirit boar?