Heidi val'Tensen wrote:
Honored Sir or Madam,
If I may be so bold, what path of Spirit-talking and Shamanism do you follow?....
I would not be so foolish as to think that you would abandon your ways, but I would ask you if you have heard of the path of the Dacoi? These Undir wise-men talk to spirits, but they do so in a way that honors the Pantheon of Mankind. I have learned in perhaps the hardest way imaginable that one must never be completely hide-bound to one's preconceptions, and I know that the Pantheon would look more favorably upon the Dacoi than upon other spirit-talkers whom do not accept the Twelve into their hearts, minds, and souls. No mortal or even immortal can pretend to know the will of the Gods, but I do know that I have spoken to the Love of Illiir herself, and she told me that the Gods love each and every child of humanity. You are such a child, and I pray that you cleave to that knowledge and their love even as you consort with spirits - that even if you must worship the Twelve differently you still keep your soul above any condemnation those spirits might attempt to heap upon it.
Dear Ser,
You may be so bold, for how else by asking questions can one learn? But I may also choose to demur in my answer and say only that I eschew some of the simplest definitions of “Paths” of shamanism. I consider myself a spirit-talker, which many believe to be a path in itself, but it is not, for all “shamans” speak with the spirits. I respect the gods of man as those who call themselves “dacoi” do, and I promise you that most spirit-callers do, for all those who deal with spirits encounter spirits in service to the gods (though that may not be obvious in meeting them). I would be most proud to me an oneiromancer someday, but do not consider myself even a neophyte in those studies yet.
For now, I find my greatest joy being found in enshrouding myself in the spirit of a raptor so that I may fly. That may make some consider me to be a “skin-dancer” as I have heard it described, but since my higher motives are elsewhere, I do not consider that to be my path.
I will explain to you a bit of the secret history of the spirit talkers, since you brought up of the Dacoi. This truth also explains much of the priests’ fears of the shaman. The Dacoi’s attempt to pay homage to the spirits through shamanism and the gods through prayer is brought about through a failure to remember their heritage as spirit-talkers. The earliest contacts between man and the gods were through the spirit-talkers, as when we explored the realm of dreams we encountered the servants of the gods and came to be aware of them. It was through shamanism that we grew close to the gods and took them as our most powerful sponsors. Not just as gods, but as sponsors, advisers, and peers, and that is the way shamans relate to the spirits. This was clear, as the Undir new Yarris long before the arrival of the Pantheon on these shores. In this way shaman who grew close to the Gods did not need to serve only one, the way priests do, but could draw from all of the gods as shaman learn to draw from numerous spirits. As we learned from the Gods, they taught us a new way, a way dependent of complete supplication and faith, and from that the first priest was made. I do not call this new way a bad way, as the gods are due their prayers and worthy of man’s faith, but it is a more supplicant position, and more limited than that experienced by spirit-talkers when dealing with the Gods. It is for this reason that priests can only serve one god now, or some amalgam of gods like the death mongers, instead of the whole pantheon.
“But wait,” you ask, “what about during the fabled imperium of man, when the Church was polytheistic and priests served all the gods?” The answer is simple. The famed priests of the pantheon, were shaman in service and cooperation with their spirit-mentors, not subservience to their individual Gods. The start of the time of darkness was when a servant of just one god, the Sword of the Heavens, in his fear and misunderstanding destroyed those who served all. During the time of darkness those that served all the gods were feared by those that served just one, viewed with jealousy, and destroyed. After all, they reasoned, why should we allow those who work with the gods to sit above those who work for the gods? And thus the position in society of the priesthood was secured when their very mentors and guardians were destroyed.
So now those powerful shaman who knew the rites and ways of the pantheon of man are gone, and the Dacoi are some pale reflection of a once great history. It is interesting to see, as the Dacoi strive to be more like priests, I have heard rumors of a group of priest going under the unlikely moniker of the “Orthodoxy” that seeks to become more like spirit-talkers in their quest to return to the pantheistic worship of the gods. I bid them good luck, as I think mankind needs to return to the ways of all the pantheon, but I think I will still endeavor to learn the secrets of the pantheon from “my end of things” so to speak.
Heidi val'Tensen wrote:
Honored Sir or Madam,
On another, more practical note, I'd like to point out to the other scholars and religious personages here that Dreamtime cannot possibly be solely a realm of the soul. I say this with certainty, because I have participated in a ritual that took me into a Dreamtime realm... and I did so whilst I had no soul, mine having been consumed by Neroth in my first Rebirth more than a year prior to that event.
Ahhh, a very cogent point! Thank you for that information, for while I have never heard of an undead entering dreamtime, this does a very good job of supporting what I have said before about the dreamtime truly being a realm of the mind, if an undead can enter it. Thank you.
sincerely,
anonymous
[[Out of character point here - This is written from the perspective of an ARG character. So currently, at least, there are no "paths" for such things as Dacoi, skin-dancers, or the like. Not even an Ehtzara! Hopefully, the forthcoming Kio/Undir book will provide some additional paths, talents, and versatility for human shamans, as the Ssethric book has for the non-humans. I would love to see it go through a review phase like the 5e book is where comments can be incorporated, so that I could help contribute.
Also, all postings are his perspective/beliefs/guesses/statements, and truth and especially accuracy aren't guaranteed.
]]
[[As a note, I edited this to say "Not
just as gods". The "just" is new and more in keeping with what I was trying to say. My apologies if this causes confusion in down thread discussion. I think it is minor enough not to, but thought I should make clear my edit here 7/12/17. Then I edited it again to add in this note.]]