Section Two: Souls and Spirits

Souls: Souls are divided into three portions: The Naal (Mind Spirit): Focus of the Mind and Will (Inteligence and Wisdom). The Naal is known as the Mind Spirit, and it is Naal which makes up all substance of all spirits be they Nature, Elemental or Spirits of the Dead. The Naal of mortals with few exceptions, travel to the Realms of Transition after death (See Realms of Transition below) and it is there that the spirits of ancestors may be found. Speak with Dead also access the Naal of the former living. (see Necroshkja below) The Ba (Body Spirit): Focus of Reflex and the Ka (Soul Spirit): The focus of Internal Fortitude and Mana. The Ba remains with the body and can be used to animate dead. The Ba can be used in Necromancy to draw back traces of the Naal and/or Ka back into the body corrupted by an unholy Nether spirit. The Ka is the portion that travels to the Well of Souls to be reborn. It is the soul force precious to demons and that which is obtained in Soul Retrieval . The Ka can take reflections of the Naal such that the reincarnated may have latent memories of past lives. The center of the Naal is the Brain, the center of the Ka is the heart, and the Center of the Ba is the Liver. Dealing with the transition of souls from this world to the next, and putting restless angry ancestral spirits into a state of peace is part of the shamanic rituals of Psychopomp .

The Ghost Walk: These Realms of Transition are formed at the juncture of the Ethereal, Nether and Material This para-dimension contains the Nexus of Worlds, the Gates of Judgement, the Spirit Wood, the Isles of the Fortunate, the Isles of the Accursed, the Lost City of Avalon, and The Realms of Limbo. It is said to be a Twilight realm between Life and Death, between Light and Darkness, between Hope and Despair. There are many legends about these realms. A domain of spirits and souls some reborn, some lingering, a place largely of uncertainty and disquiet-but also of adventure.

Spirits:

Spirits of the Dead (Necroshkja)

Animal Spirits (Manitou)

Spirits of Nature and the Elements (Djenio)

Ethereal Spirits (Hada)

Astral Spirits (Deities and Devas)

Nether Spirits (Diabolos)

Shaman spirit spheres are Necroshkja, Manitou and Djenio

Druid Shaman spirit spheres are Manitou, Djenio and Hada

Cleric spirit spheres are either Astral and/or Nether Spirits, with some also having some powers (Necromancy) in the sphere of the Necroshkja.

Shamans have extraordinary powers in invoking the spirits of the above listed spheres, different than any other type of priest (see below).

Spirits described:

Spirits of the Dead (Necroshkja)-see shaman section below and the related topics of Soul Retrieval and Psychopomp .

Animal Spirits (Manitou)-see shaman section below

Spirits of Nature and the Elements (Djenio)-see shaman section below

Ethereal Spirits (Faeries or Hada): These are sentient embodiments of the Ether , the plane of Enchantment, Illusion, Dreams and Sorcery. They are mercurial, mischievous and occasionally of service, just like magic in general. See Sprite Lore .

Nether Spirits (Diabolos): These are the sentient embodiments of death, decay,terror,corruption and negative deeds and emotions. They dwell in the void between the Astral Firmament, the dark places in-between the stars, the Nether realms. The void is made of "dark matter" or Khos (Nether). These dark emanations are the lifeblood flowing through the evil heart of the Nether realms, the dread Lord Khosul. While all nether spirits have a connection to the Dark Lord Khosul, most do not serve the Senechals of the Omega, known commonly as "Tbe Old Ones". There are said to be 666 varieties of Nether Spirits. The term Demon or Devil is often applied to such creatures, although the distinction is a vague one in the helix and even members of the same variety very in their alignment in the axis of Law-Chaos. There are a number of Nether realms that lie within the Void. One of these is Tanar , the abyss. Tanar is the home of many demonic races, and alliances, none of the latter more feared than the alliance of demons and nether creatures known as the Iuz host .

Astral Spirits (Devas and Deities): These are the sentient embodiments of the creative and dynamic forces of the universe. Their heavenly manifestations can be seen (save for the Sun-God) in the night sky. Each star represents a deity or deva, with constellations representing the greater deities for which these lesser gods and demiurges are avatars or attributes. While these spirits are primarily eminations of Ankha, some have also become infused with the fluxes known as Próvá or Tadjuk.

Section Three: Worship, Rites and Cults

Priest/shaman spells represent powers drawn from a general invoking of the spiritual powers of their representative spheres. Shamans (and druids) act as their own mediums between the spirit and the material world, but Priests invoke their deity as medium. As most deities have limited access to the material world (they are regional confined to a continent, island, sometimes limited to a single valley or city), when outside of the effective domain of their Deity, priests will often establish pacts with a deity with powers in the area they wish to operate in. The followers of a deity are his or her eyes and ears in the material world, the more followers a deity has, the more awareness of the material world the deity has. It can combine this knowledge with its own prescient abilities so that deities are vast founts of knowledge although hardly omniscient or omnipotent (even if they like to act as if they are omniscient and omnipotent).

Shrines and Temples: All holy (or unholy) places are the nexus of a deities powers on the material. These are conduits between the Astral (or the Nether) and Material world and represent vital links between the deity and his or her followers. For shamans/druids, shrines are important areas of power for invoking or communicating with spirits, performing rites etc. On H'kartha a man-made power nexus called a ziggurat is also a factor. See Gods of Northern H'kartha for more information on ziggurats.

Worship: Most religious behavior takes the form of appeasement and propitiation. Think of religion not in terms of churches or monotheistic faiths with mass conversions of followers etc. People go to the temples of local deities of fertility, healing, prosperity, law, retribution, war etc. as need dictates. They make offerings, leave gifts, perform services. Adherents (loyal followers) of deities represent a small fraction of the population. They represent secret mysteries or cults, or simply a personal and private pact between mortal and deity. Heroes, rather than the dross of humanity. Deities select their adherents with care, not everyone who seeks the patronage of a deity obtains it. It is a form of vassalage, a patron/client relationship. Like mundane feudal oaths and bonds, duties and obligations both from patron and client. these spiritual forms of vassalage can become complex with priests and other adherents of a deity very often being bound to more than one god in sometimes complex and conflicting relationships. See Religion Proficiency

Mysteries:

Like the mysteries of the ancient Greeks, or societies like the freemasons, these are very exclusive and secretive. These are frequently associated but apart from normal temple activities. Members are sworn to secrecy about rites, and uninvited observers will be attacked without mercy. Many are so secretive that members are not allowed to let outsiders know about their membership or reveal the names of other members, on pain of a lingering death. Only occasional lapses in security have allowed the existence of many of these cults to be known or associated with certain deeds (either noble or dark). Most of these cults are known only of by vague rumor, and some remain as yet hidden from public knowledge. See See Occult and Mysticism Proficiencies."

Rites and Rituals:

These represent stronger magic than normal spells and must take place at specific places of power at specific times of High Magic. Wizards like priests and shamans also can engage in ritual magic, in fact some rituals rumors claim can be performed by fighters or rogues without magical training, of course without such training (or guidance from such an adept), a non-spellcaster is unlikely to learn of,or properly comprehend the complex formulae for such rites. A mistake in the ceremony, even the smallest mistake could have disastrous consequences. See Religion, Occult and Mysticism and Tenebrous Knowledge Proficiencies."

Crystals:

Crystals , gemstones and steel (starstone) are natural magical resonators. Such resonance is called mana. They are important to both clerical and wizard magic.

Raising the Dead and High Level Necromantic Spells:

The spells Raise the Dead and Resurrection are dangerous spells that invoke the powers of darkness. All Necromantic spells touch on the dark side of magic, but only the Necromantic spells of fifth level or above usually involve some serious risk. Even if done for good purpose, such powerful necromantic sorceries can be dangerous, it exposes the cleric who performs it to the terrible influence of Khosul. Raise dead and Resurrection being the most risky, they require invoking astral or nether deity to act as intermediary between the priest and the Dread Lord. It requires human, humanoid or demi-human sacrifice, creating dark energy that feed and propitiates Khosul, and makes evil stronger. Reincarnation on the other hand does not require such a powerful sacrifice, an animal sacrifice (pigs typically) will do. If a Raise dead or Resurrection spell fails, a Ghozhule is created, that is the body is animated by the soul of a horrible demon as well as the soul of the resurrected. The demon masks its soul from detection using the mortal soul as a casing. Eventually the mortal soul is eaten away, and the flesh of the mortal begins to show degeneration to match the corruption of the soul. This is why the dead are usually left in peace.

The Shaman

The distinguishing characteristic of shamanism is its focus on an ecstatic trance state in which the soul of the shaman is believed to leave the body and ascend to the sky (heavens) or descend into the earth (underworld). The shaman makes use of spirit helpers, with whom he or she communicates, all the while retaining control over his or her own consciousness. (Examples of possession occur, but are the exception, rather than the rule.) It is also important to note that while most shamans in traditional societies are men, either women or men may and have become shamans.

Note that forking from the Shaman's Path,there is the Way of the Warrior and the Way of the Healer, while these tend to be viewed as masculine and feminine realms respectively the association with one gender to a particular path is not clear cut. Many adventuring abilities can be considered the way of the Warrior, while the healing and divination spells are more of the Way of the Healer.)

Dreamquests:

Dreamquests are otherworldly adventures by which someone can train for new levels in the course of a single night, rather than over several weeks. A guide, typically a shaman is needed for such a sojourn.

Shamanic Ecstasy

This is a state of exaltation in which a person stands outside of or transcends his or herself. Ecstasy may range from the seizure of the body by a spirit or the seizure of a person by the divine, from the magical transformation or flight of consciousness to psychiatric remedies of distress.

Three types of Ecstasy

a. Shamanic Ecstasy

b. Prophetic Ecstasy

c. Mystical Ecstasy

Shamanic ecstasy is provoked by the ascension of the soul of the shaman into the heavens or its descent into the underworld. These states of ecstatic exaltation are usually achieved after great and strenuous training and initiation, often under distressing circumstances. The resulting contact by the shaman with the higher or lower regions and their inhabitants, and also with nature spirits enables him or her to accomplish such tasks as accompanying the soul of a deceased into its proper place in the next world, affect the well-being of the sick and to convey the story of their inner travels upon their return to the mundane awareness.

The utterances of the shaman are in contrast with those of prophetic and mystical ecstasy. The prophet literally speaks for God, while the mystic reports an overwhelming divine presence. In mysticism, the direct knowledge or experience of the divine ultimate reality, is perceptible in two ways, emotional and intuitive. While these three varieties of ecstatic experience are useful for the purposes of analysis and discussion, it is not unusual for more than one form of ecstasy to be present in an individual's experience.

The ecstatic experience of the shaman goes beyond a feeling or perception of the sacred, the demonic or of natural spirits. It involves the shaman directly and actively in transcendent realities or lower realms of being. These experiences may occur in either the dream state, the awakened state, or both. Dreams, and in particular, lucid dreams, often play a significant role in the life of a shaman or shamanic candidate.

The worlds of the Helix are worlds where civilization is in retreat, and the great urban temple cults are thus less common than before. Shamans and Druids are thus a force through much of the world. One of the most intriguing powers of the shaman is the power over spirits. Shamans may be of any race and any gender, the following passage is written in the feminine (as generic for both sexes) rather than masculine (as generic for both sexes) since the first shaman of the campaign is female.

Shaman spirit powers:

A shaman begins play with one minor spirit ally or guide of her choice at first level; it is assumed that she has already performed the rites to summon this first guide. As she rises in level, she learns the rites necessary to call additional spirits. Spirits are individuals-speaking to a spirit of the dead means the shaman is in contact with one particular deceased individual. There are dozens of spirits for each species of animal, representing every aspect of the animal's existence, and a near-infinite number of nature spirits. The number of spirits a shaman knows how to contact increases by level.

Table of Known Spirits: (non-cumulative)

Shamans Spirits

Level Minor Major Greater

1 1

2 1

3 2

4 2

5 2 1

6 3 1

7 3 2

8 4 2

9 4 3 1

10 4 3 1

11 4 3 2

12 5 3 2

13 5 4 2

14 5 4 3

15 6 4 3

16 6 5 3

17 6 5 4

18 7 5 4

19 7 6 4

20 7 6 5

Performing the ceremony to call a spirit for the first time requires a week or more of fasting, prayer, and solitude in the appropriate location-if the shaman is trying to call a wolf spirit, she must find a location frequented by wolves, and if she is trying to call a dead spirit, she should perform the ceremony at the individual's burial site. At the conclusion of this week-long ceremony, the spirit appears, and the shaman establishes contact with it. from that time forward, the shaman may attempt to contact the spirit anywhere or anytime to seek information or request a favor of the spirit.

Spirits of the Dead (Necroshkja):

These ancestral spirits are individuals who were renowned for their wisdom, skill, or courage in life. Minor spirits may be recent relatives of the shaman, while major spirits are great heroes and wise men of the tribe. A great spirit of the dead is a chieftain or other personage of legendary standing. While the spirits of the dead may seem to be frightening allies, they are actually very protective of their living proteges and bear few grudges against the living as long as they are propitiated and the shaman acts in harmony with their interests.

Spirits of the Dead know many things. Naturally, they are familiar with any details or events of their own lifetimes. They are able to partially perceive the shaman's future and can offer advice in times of tough choices. Dead spirits can also provide some measure of protection for the shaman and her allies by using their power on the shaman's behalf. Minor spirits can invoke the powers of Augury, Feign death, Prayer, or Speak with dead in behalf of the shaman; major spirits can invoke Divination, Commune, or Find the path for the shaman; and great spirits can invoke for the shaman Raise dead (with minimal risk to the shaman), Forbiddance or Astral spell.

Spells invoked by the spirits are cast at the level of the shaman, unless the spell is normally cast a level higher than the shaman has access to. If the latter is the case, then the spell is cast at the minimum required level of that particular spell. These spells are often outside of the shaman's normal spheres of access, but that is irrelevant. These spirits dwell in the Well of Souls waiting to be reborn, by helping the living they jump places in the queue, but they sorely feel insults to the dignity of the honor of their family, tribe, community and may seek to punish that when they can.

Animal Spirits (Manitou):

Minor and major spirits are embodiments of an archetype, such as the Old Wolf, the Sleeping Bear, or the Hunting Eagle. great animal spirits are the leaders of these lesser spirits and contain in themselves everything the animal stand for-the Great Bear, the Great Wolf, and so on.

Animal spirits are powerful, but they are also less inclined to offer advice of guidance to the shaman. Their interests lies in ensuring that the shaman is respectful towards their species and helps to guide others in dealing with their kin, not in aiding the shaman in his own affairs. The spirits of game animals such as moose or deer don't mind if the shaman's people or associates hunt the animal, of course the flesh of the animal of one's own spirit animal is taboo. If the hunting of the animals they protect is wanton, excessive or disrespectful, these spirits will be wrathful.

Animal spirits have knowledge of events that have affected their species in the local area and have a number of powers that they can use on the shaman's behalf. Minor animal spirits can aid the shaman by using Animal friendship, Speak with animals, or Animal summoning one, on the shaman's behalf. In addition the animal spirit can grant a limited for of Clairaudience and Clairvoyance by allowing the shaman to see through the eyes of an animal of that species, with a range of one mile. Animals of the species in question will never attack the shaman or anyone under her protection unless the shaman has angered the spirit or the animals are magically controlled, and thus not free-willed.

Major animal spirits can use Animal summoning II on the shaman's behalf, grant her the speed or movement powers of the animal (flying, swimming, or running at the animal's base speed), or transform the shaman in the shape of the animal, similar to a druid's shapechange. Great animal spirits can use Animal summoning III, Heal (the shaman or one person under her protection), or become tangible and aid the shaman in a form resembling Mordenkainen's faithful hound. Animal spirits are creatures of the Ethereal Dimension.

Spirits of Nature and the Elements (Djenio):

The most reclusive and powerful spirits are the elemental spirits of nature. These beings represent the physical world around the shaman. A stream, copse (small wood), or hilltop may be home to a minor spirit, a river, moderate forest, or canyon may be guarded by a major spirit; and a mountain, large forest, or mighty river may be the home of a great spirit. Spirits of nature frequently take on human-like features or characteristics when dealing with a shaman, so a spirit may be known as Old Mountain Hermit, River Woman, or Forest Walker, etc.

Spirits of nature are more aloof than animal spirits, but they do feel some attachment for the people or creatures who live near their domain. Nature spirits often change their moods with the seasons, so a river spirit in the spring flood may be wild and dangerous to deal with, while a forest spirit in winter may be sleeping and hard to rouse.

Spirits of nature are generally well-informed about anything that has taken place in their location and can relate this information to the shaman. Spirits of nature are also capable of using potent powers on the shaman's behalf; the principal difference between minor and major spirits is the size of the area in which they can be summoned. Great Spirits are the creatures known as Genies: Djinn, Efreet, Marid etc.,they have the largest domains.

Spirits of nature can help a shaman by invoking a number of spell-like powers of the shaman. Unlike their cousins, the types of elementals summoned by cleric spells, spirits of nature include aspects of vegetation and all the elements of their home, so a mountain spirit has influence over earth and air as well as the forests that grow on the mountain's slopes. The abilities conferred by these spirits are:

Land spirits: Entangle, Pass without trace, Dust devil, Trip, Meld into stone, Snare, Speak with plants, Commune with nature, Stonetell, Liveoak,Wall of thorns, Animate rock , and Changestaff. Land spirits may be associated with mountains, plains, forests, plateaus, canyons, mesas, or any other distinct land feature.

Air spirits: Obscurement, Call lightning, Gust of wind, Wind wall, Commune with nature, Air walk, Control winds, Weather summoning, Control weather, Uncontrolled weather, and Wind-walk. Air spirits are associated with high peaks, windswept plains or valleys, or seasonal winds such as a scirocco or the north wind of the winter.

Water spirits: Wall of fog, Fog cloud, Water breathing, Water walk, Lower water, Solid fog, Reflecting pool, Commune with nature, Part water, and Transmute dust to water. Water spirits are associated with lakes, streams, rivers, or seas.

Fire spirits: Flame blade, Heat metal, Produce flame, Commune with Nature, Flame Walk, Protection from fire, Produce Fire, Fire seeds, Fire storm. Fire spirits are the most demanding and truculent of all Nature spirits. They are found around volcanoes, in the vicinity of forest fires, lava pools, hot geyser's and natural steam vents, and thermal pools. They are partial to human, humanoid and demi-human sacrifice as offerings.

Calling spirits: Once a shaman has performed the initial ceremony that attracts a spirit and establishes a connection to the being she can summon that spirit anytime to seek the information, favors, and powers described above. The sham's location doesn't matter; a spirit can come to her anywhere, even though spirits of nature may not be able to help the shaman outside their homes.

To summon a spirit, the shaman must chant, pray , and perform a ceremonial dance for at least 1 turn. the base chance of success is 10% per character level up to a maximum of 90%. if the shaman has already summoned a spirit that day, her maximum chance of success falls by 10% per summoning attempt. So the shaman may not attempt more than one calling per level (7 calls max for seventh level). Failed attempts count in this reckoning.

If the spirit isn't angry at the shaman for some reason, it appears with a successful roll. Only shamans can see the spirit or speak to it, other character may be aware of chills, strange odors, shimmering hazes, unusual gusts of wind, and other signs. The shaman can converse with the spirit for one round per character level, asking one question per round. Asking a favor of a spirit, such as the use of a spell-like ability requires one round for minor abilities, two for major and three for abilities that can be granted only by great spirits. if the spirits agrees to help, the spell-like effect is granted to the shaman , who may "hold" this power for up to one full day until she is ready to invoke the spirit's power. A shaman can only hold one favor at a time and can't request another of any spirit until she has invoked (and thus released) the held ability.

Releasing spirits:

Since shaman's might travel across worlds or to other worlds, it is permitted to release a spirit as an ally in order to open up an alliance with another spirit without exceeding one's limit. this must be done with great tact and resourcefulness to avoid offending the spirits.

Section Six: Cosmic Conflict/Cosmic Balance:

From Primal Kaos arose four major forces. Khos, Ankha, Prova and Tadjuk. Khos is the flux of Death and Darkness, that some call Evil. Some religions connect Tadjuk (Entropy) with Khos (Evil), noting that in death there is decay and entropy.The relationship between these forces is as is the case with the whole dynamic of the cosmic struggle are confusing and interpreted many different ways by mortals. It is unclear to what extent the gods themselves are even aware of the true relationships. Ankha is the flux of light and life which some call Good. Prova is the force of preservation and Maintenance which some call Law, while Tadjuk is the force of dissolution or entropy which soem call chaos. Some believe there is a fifth force that transcends all of these known as Bhravakah, Cosmic Balance or Harmony. Others believe that Bhravakah is the only true force of the Cosmos, that it represents the primal Kaos and that all the other forces, beings and sentients of the earths, the heavens and the hells are but threads of this greater tapestry. The Helix Spiders are said to be spinners of the threads of this tapestry. Some how related to the Cosmic Balance are the Fates: Jil-al and Yaal-Jhak, who are eternally engaged in a chessmatch called the Game of Destinies.

Lord Khosul and the Seneschals of the Omega:

Lord Khosul, a being of both Khos and Tadjuk, the force of ultimate destruction, and chaos, the omega of the Helix, whose avatars are the Old Ones or Titans. The Great Old Ones also known as the Seneschals of the Omega, are: Cthulhu, Hastur, Taleth-Krun, Shub-Niggurath, Cthughakhyos, Ithaqua-Iup, Mirax-rynos, Tzathak-Pitlos, and Kyaal-Ghur. Lord Khosul is that "last amorphous blight of nethermost confusion which blasphemes and bubbles at the centre of all nether infinities—the boundless daemon-sultan Khosul, whose ten thousand deadly names no lips dare speak aloud, and who gnaws hungrily in inconceivable, unlighted chambers beyond time amidst the muffled, maddening beating of vile drums and the thin, monotonous whine of accursed flutes; to which detestable pounding and piping dance slowly, awkwardly, and absurdly the dreamselves of gigantic ultimate gods, the blind, voiceless, tenebrous, mindless malelovent heart of the Other Gods, whose soul and messenger is the crawling chaos Nyarlathotep.” [adapted from H.P. Lovecraft]