Overview

For hundreds of years, the Shamani were considered a myth. Tales of animals with humanoid characteristics had been told for years, particularly as life lessons for younger children amongst the Humans and Elves. As both races expanded their territories, they eventually came into contact with a primitive race of animal people.

Later it was understood that the Shamani were less primitive than previously thought, they are just a race that prefers to live simply and in harmony with their surroundings. Unlike the grand, thought out structures of the Elves, the Shamani generally live in simpler dwellings or out in the open air. Many tribes of Shamani are also nomadic, and thus their structures are designed to be lightweight and portable.

Shamani live in tune with nature and are highly spiritual, and generally get along well with members of other races.

History

Very little is known about Shamani history, even among the Shamani themselves. Very few written records are kept, and the majority of their traditions and history are passed down orally from the tribal Elders. Most tribes have a different origin myth than the others, which is possible but doubted by most scholars.

What the scholars of other races generally accept is that at some point the Shamani race evolved and started several tribes across the world. Most Shamani live in forests, but there are a number of tribes that live in other areas (including aquatic Shamani in tribes undersea). Given their lifestyle, complex tools and inventions are rarely used or developed, so it is likely that Shamani culture has changed very little since its inception.

The Elves have had the best relationship with Shamani as well as having initially peaceful contacts. Both races have an affinity for nature and have relatively peaceful dispositions. While the Elves do perceive the Shamani to be slightly primitive, and the Shamani find them to be haughty and arrogant, the two groups live in harmony, trade often and frequently assist each other in conflicts (particularly against the blight).

Human encounters, on the other hand, were initially fairly violent due to misunderstandings. Language barriers led those early contact humans to think that the Shamani were strange monsters and conflict was inevitable. Eventually the two races were able to reconcile and they currently share a relatively amiable relationship. The human countries (particularly Torodan and Dikyos) avoid expansion into territories occupied by Shamani, even those contained within territory they claim. The Heartwood Forest, for instance, lies completely within the bounds of Torodan but the people of Torodan rarely venture into the forest. Relationships with the humans are slightly strained, however, due to the Humans' consumption of natural resources and destruction of nature. Although they are somewhat respectful of Shamani "territory", they still continue some harvesting of resources within Shamani areas - but they do avoid the clear-cutting and other natural devastation of other areas.

Many Shamani (although by no means the majority) have adapted to more "modern" life and have settled in Elven and Human territories. A few have even earned some amount of rank within those societies. Shamani can be found in most of the larger cities in Torodan and Ipana, and small settlements of Shamani can be found near many of the smaller frontier towns. Among the Elves, it is not uncommon to see a small Shamani village either adjacent to or contained within a larger Elven settlement. While the Shamani are rarely considered part of the town in either case, they usually are still accepted by the townsfolk and operate together with the town in most situations.

Society and Culture

Religion dictates much of a Shamani's life, as does reverence for wisdom (typically earned through age). Most Shamani tribes are ruled by a loose council of Elders, although this usually has minimal direct influence on the day-to-day life of a Shamani. Their tribal culture usually means that every member has a role within society and there is little conflict or need for "leadership". The Elder Council (not always named as such) usually interprets omens, call the Shamani to war, and perform many of the religious ceremonies. There is no set rule for joining the council, rather Elder Shamani tend to just be incorporated into the council when they are deemed ready. This is generally done informally, with little ceremony, and often times a gradual process rather than a sudden join.

Many tribes are nomadic, and very few of them engage in any serious amount of farming. Production and crafting is performed by artisans although many tribes don't practice crafts (such as smithing) that require heavy equipment due to it's difficulty in transporting it. Tribes move when the Elders decide the signs are right for it, with input by the tribe's hunters and gatherers. The Elders, like the rest of the species, are careful not to disrupt the natural ecosystem and therefore choose to move on before their impact on the environment becomes severe.

On the whole, Shamani are a very religious race. Very few are truly Agnostic although it is not uncommon for one to worship so many totems or spirits that they don't have a "primary" god. Most Shamani will call upon the spirits for a variety of reasons as part of every day life. They do not generally worship the Gods in the same way as the other races, and will rarely call upon Gods such as Eraen directly. Instead, they worship collections of spirits and totem animals that comprise what the other races think of as the gods. A Shamani praying for insight will rarely seek assistance from Orn, but they will instead pray to the Great Owl. Similiarly, when asked about religion, most Shamani primarily worship the White Doe rather than Eraen. In actuality, it is rare for a Shamani to worship a single god or spirit, instead calling upon the most appropriate animal (or other) spirit for assistance, but most have one that they affiliate with more than the others (typically the White Doe). (Note that while Shamani Characters have to declare a single Religion as normal, when Cleric Prayers are used they may call upon the god's animal spirit rather than the actual name of the God, and open worship of other spirits does not generate as much ill-will from their primary deity due to the different style of Shamani religious practices.)

In addition to worshipping animal spirits, Shamani believe strongly in spirits and believe that their ancestors stay after death as spirits to guide them. Ancestor spirits are regularly thought to inhabit animals, totems, natural formations, and various plants (especially large trees) in addition to just being "present" in the air around them. Most Shamani call upon the ancestors for guidance and to view their actions. Not only do Shamani spirits live on after death but they also believe that the spirits of everything continue to exist, thus they show extreme reluctance to kill and do so only for a purpose. When animals are killed for food or resources, reverence is made to the dead animal (usually a short service or ceremony is performed upon completion of the kill) and reverence is shown to the animal as thanks for its part in helping the tribe. Effort is made to not waste the sacrifice of the animal, so very little is wasted. While not herbivores, most Shamani do not eat a great deal of meat, although their systems do require a certain amount of protein so true vegetarianism is rare. Plant spirits are also worshipped, particularly larger trees, so Shamani tend to use parts of plants and avoid killing the entire thing (they may harvest a few branches for wood or harvest a fallen log, for example, but will avoid chopping down an entire tree). Structures tend to be simple wood-framed structures with cloth or leather "walls", using the hides of animals hunted for meat.

Due to their affinity with nature, they also prefer more natural remedies and many Shamani are skilled herbalists and crafters of simpler items like bows. Shamani are frequently sought after for naturopathic information and resources when more conventional means fail, and in towns they often do a brisk business in herbology.

Shamani are also frequently used by the Human and Elven forces along the Blight, where the Shamani serve as scouts, outriders and occasional assassins. Their natural aptitude in the forests makes them ideal for recon missions, and they can frequently sneak up on leaders of the enemy forces and kill them before they even realize they were there. This tactic is especially effective against the mongrels, where stopping the leader often stops or disorients the horde. Mongrels and Undead are typically the only species that the Shamani don't get along with, mostly due to their tendencies toward wanton destruction. Most see the Blight as an abomination and do anything they can to support the Elves in curbing the Blight's expansion.

Physiology

Shamani have, by far, the most unique physiology of any Race. On a purely genetic level, the Shamani have little in common with even each other. On the whole, the race is capable of surprisingly quick mutation/adaptation. Their breeding is also questionable, as while Shamani do usually form into mated pairs, monogamy isn't always a requirement. Therefore, while their culture doesn't see anything unusual about a pair of fox Shamani producing a raccoon Shamani offspring, many human scholars question whether that was the result of Eraen's influence or the raccoon Shamani in the next village's. Oddly, while a Shamani is capable of breeding with virtually any creature and producing a viable offspring (including a human), and while the race itself appears to be a humanoid/animal hybrid from the start, hybrids are virtually nonexistent (for instance, if an owl Shamani and a lizard Shamani produce an offspring, it will almost always be either an owl or a lizard, not a half-owl, half lizard creature).

All Shamani appear to be a hybrid of humanoid and animal, and generally have many of the characteristics of that animal (increased sense of smell is common, as are deficiencies such as color blindness). Most known animals have had at least some representation, although common animals seem to have correspondingly high Shamani counterparts. Feral predatory animals, such as bears, foxes and wolves seem to be more common than either domesticated animals or herbivores such as deer or rabbits, and mammals in general seem to be more common than birds, insects or lizards. Often times Shamani also have secondary organs or alternatives, such as cow Shamani who have additional stomachs.

The rapid adaptation and unusual biology of the Shamani system also makes them highly resistant to poison and other toxins. Shamani seem to be selectively able to ignore poisons or other chemicals entering their system, which gives them an advantage when fighting against races like the Dark Elves whom routinely employ them.

Government

Shamani operate under a very loose tribal system, with a council of Elders who guide Shamani in most tribal matters. The Elders have minimal actual "authority" in the leadership sense, but most Shamani recognize their experience and wisdom and therefore follow their direction most of the time. Between tribes there is no recognized system of government, although in issues that impact multiple tribes their Elders will usually gather together to work out a plan.

The Elders themselves guide through a combination of experience, wisdom, prayer and seeking the guidance of spirits and totems around them. Many engage in practices such as vision quests when a particularly difficult issue is set before them, and they interpret all kinds of signs and portents to determine a course of action. While the humans typically see this as hogwash that works coincidentally at best, it should be noted that the Shamani have had few of the major problems, wars and other complications of the other races.

Many day-to-day issues are also dealt with by the hunters and gatherers of the tribe - when they start to deplete the game or plants in an area the entire tribe moves on. Tribes that live closer to cities are more inclined to trade for food and raw materials and will stay in an area longer before moving on. Some tribes have even progressed to the point where they keep livestock in portable pens.

Outsiders are generally welcome into a Shamani tribe as long as they share the Shamani's respect for nature and participate in tribal activities. This is uncommon, but this is more due to other races' not wanting to follow the Shamani ways than because of Shamani intolerance. More commonly, an outsider (often a human or elf) will travel alongside the tribe but not as part of it.

Roleplaying, Costuming and Make-up

Shamani tend to be very ritualistic in nature and worship a collection of spirits and totems. They also have a reverence for nature and deep sense of spirituality. Most Shamani will avoid killing except when necessary, and when it is necessary they will attempt to make peace with the creature that was killed. The main exceptions to this are mongrels (who are seen as despoilers) and undead, demons and other extraplanar creatures that are seen as unnatural abominations to be destroyed. Even normal Shamani will have a collection of rituals for different things, from hunting to eating to funeral rites.

Although by no means unintelligent, many Shamani lack a "civilized" touch and are generally out of their league in the subtle manipulations of politics. Shamani culture is very open, respectful and honest so Shamani often get misled or taken advantage of by more unscrupulous people.

Shamani are excellent artisans, although they tend to express it in practical things that suit their nomadic lifestyles. Larger machinery, complicated equipment and larger structures are not often created, which adds to the reputation for being primitive. Although they don't create as many different things as the craftsmen in other cultures, what they do create is generally of higher than normal quality. They do very little work with metal (mostly owing to the fact that forges and other metalworking equipment is bulky and difficult to transport) but they are capable of making weapons of wood, stone and glass that rival the metalcrafted equipment of other races.

Shamani clothing, like the race, is simple and purposeful. They tend towards natural fibers or leather clothing, and although most have a reverence for animals they see nothing wrong with wearing animal skin - in fact they see it as both doing honor to the departed animal (as they continue to live on as part of the Shamani) and respectful since the death of the animal has more meaning the more of it is used. Because of their lifestyle they prefer clothing that allows freedom of movement and can help them to blend into their surroundings, so things tend to be in natural colors or muted colors if dyed. Metal armor and equipment is fairly uncommon, and even jewelry and other adornments tend to be wood, hemp or ivory. Shamani have minimal concern for gold and silver directly, although they recognize its value as a tradable commodity, and a Shamani is more likely to adorn jewelry with a pretty stone or rock than silver or gold. They prize natural beauty far more than things that are considered "valuable" by other races. In cases where metal is used, it is usually simple and well made rather than ornate.

Shamani makeup is more complicated than most other races. Shamani have animal features which must be represented by makeup and/or prosthetics. Although most are mammalian, other animal types (especially birds and reptiles) exist as well and can be used. Insect Shamani are fairly uncommon but exist.

Depending on the animal chosen, a variety of different makeup and prosthetics can be used to give you the "right" look. Costuming and makeup stores can be a valuable asset in this, as can other players. The most difficult part of the makeup process is adapting the animal's face to your own, which is why most people play more mammalian races. Getting the nose right usually does a lot for the overall look, and many people use a small amount of black makeup on the bottom of the nose to help frame it.

Using the right kind of makeup is key, as your makeup needs to be selected both for speed of application (no one wants to spend hours in front of the mirror for a game) and also durability (you don't want to have your work ruined from sweat, sunlight, or the occasional accidental packet to the face). Makeup sealers are very useful for this purpose as it will help give a layer of protection. Certain prosthetics such as ears and noses make a costume really come to life and are fairly simple to apply. Professional grade prosthetics are generally more expensive but also are more resilient and over the long run you'll usually save money by investing in quality pieces rather than constantly replacing cheaper ones.

The internet has a number of resources for makeup as well, and messageboards for gamers commonly have forums for costuming and makeup discussions. Due to the sheer number of possibilities for Shamani players there's no way to list everything, but depending on your specific character you should be able to find good ideas all around. If makeup isn't something you're normally good at, find friends to help!