Shamanistic Magic Shamanistic magic is far, far older than Hermetic magic but, paradoxically, it is seen as less sophisticated. Hermetic mages turn up their noses at the "primitive" magic of Shamans. They are quite fond of pointing out the reliability and power of their Hermetic rituals. Why, then, does Shamanistic magic persist? It persists because it is far more powerful. Unfortunately, it is also far more dangerous and unpredictable. Hermetic magic arose out of a desire to codify and understand shamanistic magic. The effort was partially successful, creating a predictable, formulaic system that was far safer than the old ways. However, it also blocked off the higher level of power from the practitioners. There is some speculation that the mighty spells that the Hermetics used to end the World War were actually Shamanistic in nature, calling upon mighty spirits to wreak havoc. Hermetic orders deny this publically and refuse to talk about it privately, though that could be attributed to the secrecy that surrounds those forbidden spells. The basic theory of Shamanistic spells is that everything, EVERYTHING, is alive in some manner. The entire universe, to the Shamanistic view, is a living organism, made up of individual entities, or spirits. These spirits have physical manifestations, which everyone can see and touch, and metaphysical manifestations, which a Shaman can call upon. Spirits have varying degrees of power and sentience. The spirit of a pebble is not very self-aware of powerful at all. The spirit of a volcano is almost definitely intelligent and powerful. The spirit of the Sun would be a force of almost godly might. A Shaman works magic by manipulating these spirits. At the simplest level, the Shaman "nudges" the spirits, forcing his will upon them to make them behave in some minor way. The more complicated or overt the behavior, the stronger the will required. A Shaman could easily influence a coin to come up heads when tossed, for instance. Influencing the coin to roll down the street, drop down 99 flights of stairs, and then stand on its side would be a mind- shatteringly difficult task. Some students of magic refer to this as "manipulating probability." Masters of Hermetic Lore simply call it luck, usually followed by a derisive snort. The next level of Shamanistic power is more difficult, and more dangerous. The Shaman calls upon the spirits around him for aid, asking them to perform some action for them. Usually, Shamans must perform complicated rituals to attract a spirit's attention. Some, howerver, have some quality or another that makes them "attractive" to spirits. Spirits will actively seek out such people, which can be a problem, since spirits have been known to do all sorts of things, from mischievious to harmful, to get these people to pay attention to them. Once a shaman has attracted the attention of a spirit, he must usually offer some sort of recompense to the spirit. Usually the value of the offering matches the difficulty of the service, but some spirits are avaricious and others are so alien that their requests often make little sense. At this level, a shaman also learns to use his will to either ward against spirits or banish them from his presence. A Shaman usually gains a spirit guide as well, a friendly spirit who helps the Shaman progress towards enlightenment or aids his descent (see below). At the highest level, Shamans use their will to totally dominate spirits, binding them to their service. The spirits serve either autonomously or are bound into items. An item of power created this way is called a fetish. The power of a fetish is dependent on the power of the spirit entrapped within. Most spirits look poorly upon shamans who bind unwilling spirits into fetishes. Shaman Spells The spells of a Shaman differ, sometimes wildly, from Hermetic spells. In fact, they differ from Shaman to Shaman. The same spell can even be cast a different way each time it is cast by the same Shaman. In a sense, Shamans are improvisational spell-casters. Each of their spells is a delicate juggling act, balancing many factors of spirits, environment, and power. A successful Shaman is someone with incredible willpower, the ability to think on their feet, and who can instantly react to a changing situation. Each Shaman usually adopts a method or style unique to himself for his spells. This is usually an aid to his powers of concentration. A powerful, confident shaman can dispense with all of that and cast a spell with no apparent effort, but it is usually better to rely on the aids, to minimize the risk. A Shaman casting spells is always running the risk of losing control of the spirits and energies he summons. What happens when he loses control is dependent on the power of his spell and the power of the spirits involved. Some Shamans have exploded in fiery pyres or had their brains burned out by angry spirits. Some have simply disappeared. Shamans have a reputation for being healers and many do follow that path. This goes back to the days of witch doctors and tribal medicine women and is considered a very honorable profession in shamanistic circles. However, some Shamans do pursue other aims, including the quest for power, and there are spirits who will help them (see "Demons" below.) The Spirit World Shamans live in two worlds: the Physical world, which everyone can see, and the Spirit World, where they can see and interact with the spirits in everything. Shamans find it easier to interact with the Spirit world in the wilderness, far from civilization. It seems that civilization and hermetic magic has an effect on the boundary between the physical and the metaphysical, making it less permeable. A Shaman could call upon spirits in a city, but it would be difficult, and the chance of a mishap is higher. Some spirits, however, seem native to cities, and a few Shamans are learning to talk to them. The process is slow, however. When seeing the spirit world, Shamans see the truth of things, or at least they can see what unseen forces are at work. A shaman can look at someone with his physical sight and see a healthy man. In the spirit world, however, he might see spirits of disease attack the man, and know that his life would soon be in danger. A Shaman can also sometimes see the state of a man's soul, by looking at his innate spirit. It takes great skill and experience, however, to evaluate what one sees in the spirit world, for it is often veiled in metaphors and symbolism. Demons Shamans have always classified spirits in terms of "good" and "evil." Hermetics scoff at them for this, but there is some truth to the labels. Some spirits are helpful and therefore "good" while others seek to cause harm and are therefore "evil." Some spirits go even further, and are usually labeled as "demons." They are spirits of great power and intelligence, and seek ever more, usually through controlling lesser spirits and humans. They are corrupters, easily promising power and material wealth in return for service. They have been known to snatch up the souls of those foolish enough to deal with them, binding them into service. Demonology is the darkest art a Shaman can follow and most good or "white" shamans will seek to stop their evil or "black" brethren by any means. Few can make a deal with a demon and come away unscathed. Yet demons are no harder to summon than any other kind of spirit, and some make it even easier, to lure shamans to them. Hermetic mages have, to their sorrow, found ways to summon demons with their formulas and spells. They usually fare no better in their dealings with these entities. The major difference is that Hermetics see it as a dangerous, but not forbidden, art. Perhaps Shamans are the wiser of the two. Shamans vs. Hermetics The two styles of magic are studies in opposition, despite the fact that Hermetic magick grew out of the spells of Shamans. Hermetics claim that they tap the "deeper truths" about the universe. Shamans claim that Hermetics have merely been strengthning and using the spirits of the cities and civilization and thereby limiting themselves. When a Hermetic faces a Shaman in spell combat, a Shaman can have a decided advantage. Hermetic spells are almost always the same, so a Hermetic facing a Hermetic can usually tell what his rival is trying to do, and can call upon the appropriate counterspell. The Hermetic loses this advantage when facing a Shaman. If the Shaman knows something about Hermetic magic, then the Hermetic mage is really up the creek, for the Shaman could know what spells the Hermetic is casting. On the other hand, Hermetic mages are somewhat better protected against their own errors. If a Hermetic flubs a spell, he usually can survive the consequences. A Shaman faces worse. Hence, the usual Hermetic tactic when facing Shamans is to focus on defense and use enough offensive spells to goad the Shaman on. Sooner or later (hopefully before the Shaman batters down the Hermetic's shields) the Shaman will make a mistake and will fall. The countervailing Shamanistic tactic is to be extremely careful when facing a Hermetic and keep to the simplest and best known spells and spirits. On the average, the two sides have come out about even. Placement of such battles is usually a deciding factor. Hermetics have an edge in cities and especially in their sanctums. Shamans have the edge in the wilderness and on the high seas. Hybrid Mages Some mages, usually outcasts and loners, strive to combine the two styles, with mixed results. The Japanese are best known for mixing their native Shinto magics with Hermetic lore, but they keep a tight lid on their secrets, since they are tied into their military-industrial complex. Few, if any, of their mages would teach a foreigner what they know in any event. Such hybrid mages often have a difficult time. Part of this comes from the lack of direction they suffer from, as there are few teachers who can instruct them on such a path. The rest comes from the often conflicting requirements of the two styles. Some mages, however, have mastered both and have gone on to become very powerful, using Hermetic spells to protect themselves from the dangers of Shamanistic castings and binding spirits into Hermetic processes. Most who attempt this path, however, either die or go mad. It takes a very strong mind to be both creative and conforming, logical and irrational, ordered yet chaotic. Few can manage it.