Orc Quest; or, A Critical Examination of Agency Through in Interactive Fiction (Warcraft)

I was going to write the info post on exile, but decided it would be more relevant to do one on shamanism instead, which hopefully will be of use in the next chapter to know what you might be expecting.

This post will contain some notes on what shamanism is, how it works, and how you can become more powerful using it. I'm pretty sure some people think of it as just another flavour of magic with no mechanical differences, but it's really not and that has narrative implications.

Questions on this welcome so I can add points to it. Be aware canon conflicts sometimes and I'm worldbuilding a lot of this.

Also remember that even if you don't have anything especially insightful to say its useful for you to comment because it'll bump the thread.

Here is an excellent story featuring a shaman who forms a connection with two elements. I don't entirely agree with some interpretations of the lore within, but it's generally a good story from a good author, and contains a good interpretation of the stuff in game.

Origins of Elements and Elementals

A shaman's power is derived from their connection with the Elements of Azeroth (and other planets). These elements are Fire, Earth, Air and Water. In the primordial age the first forms of life were the elementals, specifically those of Fire, Air, Earth and Water. Elementals feed off the spiritual energy of the world, but Azeroth contains a Titan world-soul which consumes most of the spiritual energy of the world. This causes scarcity and conflict between the elementals and their opposite natures. Comparably, on Draenor where there was a reasonable amount of spiritual energy the Elements existed in harmony.

Two parties subsequently arrived on Azeroth. Firstly, the Old Gods which sought to corrupt Azeroth's world-soul fought and enslaved the four elemental factions, while subsequently the Titans arrived, imprisoned the Old Gods and sealed the warring elementals within the Elemental Plane.

The elements, arranged in hierarchies, armies and civilisations, continue to war against each other and try to expand their influence on Azeroth, with one method of achieving this being through Shaman to whom they lend their power.

Present constitution of the elemental factions

Elementals, individual manifestations of the various natural forces are now contained in the various elemental factions and mainly stay in the four conceptual zones, the Firelands, Deepholm, Skywall and the Abyssal Maw, though some are anchored on Azeroth, summoned or emerge organically. Usually Elementals sleep in their relevant locations such as an Earth Elemental in a boulder or a Water Elemental in a pond. Larger locations like a mountain might have their own Elemental, or they might have several Elementals for different bits of the Mountain. The most powerful Elementals can manifest 'publically' and wander about on their own, though their power wanes the further they go from their key location. Generally individual elementals appear from discrete sources, like an Earth Elemental coming from a boulder. However, in some mixed environments you'll find elementals of mixed sources, such as Fire+Earth=Lava.

Shaman

Shaman are spiritually sensitive individuals who attune themselves with particular Elementals, either generally or with one Elemental in particular. Generally Shaman in good standing will be able to rely on 'The Elements' generally to help them out in small ways in return for the Shaman mediating disagreements and preventing things like environmental abuse or exploitation. For example, unlike a Druid a Shaman wouldn't be inherently opposed to cutting trees down, mining or other disturbances of the natural order. This is because Shaman mediate and balance elements which are inherently chaotic and fractious things and war constantly, and therefore accept destruction as a natural part of life.

Shaman who connect with the elements generally can rely on a fairly constant array of powers wherever they go because they're in good standing with the elements, have a good reputation and so on. Comparably, some Shaman contract with a specific Elemental (usually one of each Fire, Water, Earth and Air), which has various advantages and disadvantages. Firstly these shaman are usually young and weak, meaning the more powerful elementals won't be interested in talking to them. These single contract shaman use their connection with their Elementals to strengthen the Elemental, claiming unclaimed spots and generally increasing both parties power. For example, a young shaman might contract with a minor Elemental of a pond or small spring of water, and then subsequently though their adventurers would help that Elemental claim other bodies of water unoccupied by Elementals, or simply defeat these Elementals, growing in power.

When forming a connection with the Elements a Shaman often creates a totem. This might be simply them carrying a pebble around, or it might be an elaborate staff with a crystal in it, or a cape made of feathers. These totems help the shaman connect with the elements, and in the case of 'Single-Contract Shaman' the totem allows their contracted Elemental to exert influence far from their host place.

Quest interactions with Elementals

You sword has a minor fire elemental, an effectively non-sentient one such as from a bonfire, bound within in. In parts of Warcraft this form of elemental binding is fairly common, the Warrior class has a quest to get a special axe with a powerful air Elemental bound inside it. The Burning Blade are experts in this form of elemental binding and have other forms of shamanism that I've yet to consider particularly closely like Fireseeing, a form of divination.

You rolled high affinities to all elements apart from air which was exceptionally low. As such you could form a connection with most elements quite easily and would be able to sense them. Traditionally this would require at least a few months of guided meditation, but you can also use artificial methods like making a Sapta, a spiritual hallucinogen to make yourself more sensitive to the elements temporarily. Saptas are made using reagents tied to their respective elements so for fire you might use charcoal or for earth some hooves. You can then use that Sapta in a place where an Elemental might reside and you'd be better able to sense them. A larger elemental would be able to manifest and show itself without any help from you and would be able to talk to anyone, Saptas are primarily for minor elementals when the shaman needs that boost to see.

From your reading of the Flamebender's Tome you've learned that you have to defeat an Elemental and take part of it to make into a totem. You can choose what to make the totem into, you could for example add it to your sword to make the sword even more powerful, or you could turn it into a belt buckle. The theme of the activity and item will determine its effects. Then you'll have another action available to deepen your connection to that element and the Elemental within the totem. You can offer a contract to Elementals you meet, but be aware some won't be interested and might squash you like the fleshy mortal you are.

Cultural variations of Shamanic practices

Some cultures practice shamanism in different ways because in real life and therefore when worldbuilding Warcraft you've got to accept that cultural and religious issues are complex rather than everyone using the same spells etc. The Trolls interpret Elementals as Loa, just as they do any powerful spirit, while the Tauren worship the elements alongside their Light worship and Druidism. The Druids of the Flame became druids, but of the elements, which is presumably somewhere between Druidism and Shamanism as shown in game.

One example I've thought up recently was the idea of institutionalised Elementals. In game some societies do this, young shaman in Durotar area sent to a big rock where a friendly Elemental lives and because they're polite the Elemental grants them some of its power, and it in turn becomes slightly more powerful with each Shaman it helps. Similarly you could take the minor Elemental of a small fire, then use that fire to light many other constantly burning fires such as those of a communal firepit, baker's oven, brazier or smith's furnace. If you did this throughout a city or multiple cities the Elemental would become sufficiently powerful to exert significant influence because all fires there belong to it and therefore it's constantly fed with power and respect, so through this sort of Olympic Torch idea you could create 'Ignis of the Many Fires' or similar.

Shaman also aren't the only ones to use elemental power. Arcanists like Mages use Arcane magic, a combination of all elements, to bind and order raw elemental power, while various parties use Decay, a pseudo-element, to subjugate or exploit elementals. Some parties like particular variations of Shaman like Spiritwalkers also use Spirit, another pseudo-element to mediate between elements and better communicate, while Monks use Spirit to do monk things like illuminating manuscripts and living a monastic life, no not really they use it to punch stuff. Some cultures use only a specific element like the Kul Tiran Tidesages who are something in-between mages and shaman, or the general Geomancy, a crude form of shamanism used by many less developed races like Kobolds.

The Shaman Police

Mortal interference in elemental affairs can cause great destruction. The most notable examples of this is when the Dark Iron dwarves summoned Ragnaros the Firelord, an act which shattered a mountain range, or when Gul'dan assaulted the Elementals of Draenor, causing widespread ecological damage.

These acts are policed by the Earthen Ring, a formerly Tauren group which now includes Orcs and Troll shaman and polices and mediates the elementals and shaman of Azeroth. If there's a group going about messing with the elements they'll try to stop that group, or if there's one powerful group of elementals which threaten the balance between the factions the Earthen Ring would balance against that faction, like they did against the Dark Irons.

If you go messing about with the Elements you'll be opposed by the Shaman Police who's solution is sometimes debate and sometimes killing. However, like all organisations made up of individuals, the policies of the Shaman police can be changed depending on the views of their members. The Earthen Ring don't really have a policy on certain things like the Kul Tiran Tidesages.

Turn 5 Results

Your last weeks in Sen'jin village pass quite quickly with you mainly spending your time wrapping things up before you leave for Razor Hill. You might return in the future, but for now your journey leads onward, northward and homeward. You're heading back to Orgrimmar and your father and the thought of it brings mixed feelings.

On one hand you look forward to once again seeing your father and Clan, once against hearing their voices and interacting with all the members of your childhood extended family and other relations, but on the other hand you suspect your father had you sent away because he was ashamed of your weakness and the fear that this weakness might be reflected on him. You've not grown substantially bigger, indeed your growth plateaued a couple of years ago at the same height of a human and you suspect your father will have little reason to accept your return as you are now.

Dark thoughts occupy your last weeks at Sen'jin, thoughts of your father's burning eyes as he sends you away, as his acolytes fight over the confiscated Flamebender's Tome and you lose its knowledge, your sword also taken from you and wandering in the streets of Orgrimmar as a clanless exile.

These are somewhat selfish thoughts, but you also consider your own ambitions. You'd been aware while growing up that most of your clan weren't particularly interested in the Horde and tended toward studies into demonic magic or martial glory. You'd wanted to change that, and more specifically you'd wanted to succeed your father and deliver a potent force of demonslayers to better protect Azeroth.

All this would be lost if you were exiled, and while you suspect the magical books you're planning to give to your father would prevent you from being exiled completely, it wouldn't be enough to maintain your position. Though you're a decent swordsman, and a learning scholar, your father prizes magic above martial prowess and you spend a lot of time considering your return and how best to present yourself.

But before doing so you've got a few final matters to wrap up. The village is safe and the hunters have brought in plenty of food meaning you won't have to worry about preparing your own supplies on the way and you begin to pack your belongings.

The debt of honour you owe Vark is one issue you decide you need to resolve. While you might erase or pay it with a similar act benefiting him you don't anticipate such an event occurring before you leave the village and the idea of leaving the debt unpaid weighs on you. Considering the issue you remember a solution, the swearing of Blood-brotherhood. Between warriors you'd consider each other to be family, offer hospitality, support and protection when either party might be in need, and generally assist the other in other matters. Several of the orcish heroes of the past had sworn such bonds such as Durotan of the Frostwolves and Orgrim Doomhammer of the Blackrock clan. The swearing of his bond itself gives some prestige, especially if sworn between orcs of different clans and you recall that Eitrigg of the Blackrock swore blood-brotherhood with a human, though you don't recall the specifics of the tale.

"Glady… brother." Vark replies when you propose the pact, clasping a massive hand around your arm and placing the other on your shoulder.

The Warsong don't practice many ceremonies and afterward you merely announce the swearing publically, after which the Warsong orcs within the warband currently stationed at Sen'jin allow you to sit and eat with them, grumblings silenced when Vark refers to you as his brother.

Gain blood-brotherhood with Vark the Breaker.

You'll be back in Orgrimmar in a month or so and knowing this you decide to leave Sen'jin early to spend more time in Razor Hill, a larger settlement and one more likely to favour your aims. You have to deliver your orders after all and you've already delayed doing so for several months.

+1 action next turn.

You're left with a lot of Kul Tiran material you'll have to do something with. You decide to take the clearly magical books you took from the watchtowers and give them to your father to examine, as well as the smaller pieces of paper including what you think are personal letters, hoping the later might yield some important information, or at least give you insight into the Kul Tiran mindset. The rest you give to Vark. He's heading back home to his own family at some point and accepts the duty of carrying the rest of the material with him. He doesn't speak the human language either and you know him to be ambitious. You hope he'll give you some credit for the activities which gathered the material and you know him to be honourable.

Gain magic books and Kul Tiran letters
Lose non-magic books and larger scrolls

Socialising
Vark = 23
Others = 62

You spend some of the rest of your time socialising with the other outsiders of the village. Among the orcs your new blood-brotherhood guarantees acceptance, though some still glare at you when you join their fires, conversation still drying up when you approach orcs other than the Warsong.

The Warsong riders among the warband have recently come from Ashenvale and you listen to their stories of fighting elves. There seems to be little political disagreement among them regarding the prosecution of the war, though Vark's postion that trade-through-war is preferable to direct extraction of the resources remains a point of contention among the group. The big orc's new fame as 'Vark the Breaker', as well as his martial prowess has gained him accolades among his clan and you suspect he'll rise rapidly through the ranks.

You also learn more about the Warsong traditions. They hail from the plains of Nagrand just as the Burning Blade did and the clans had a friendly sort of rivalry though recently the balance of power had certainly swung in favour of the Warsong due to their assimilation of several smaller clans and freedom from captivity during the ear of Internment. They speak much of their wolves and one evening due to your new status as an honorary Warsong they allow you to ride on one of the great beasts. You certainly won't be charging into battle any time soon but you do learn the basics.

Gain 50% toward Basic Riding, with proficiency focusing on Orcish Wargs currently.

Many of the Warsong are much darker skinned than other orcs. You don't voice this observation, but you know its due to them being the first clan to drink the fel-blood of the pitlord Manneroth, as well as drinking it again during the Third War. It's a complicated topic to the Warsong for though it gave them significant martial power, with all the orcs of that clan being larger and stronger than those of other tribes, it also turned them to savagery and is largely responsible for the current war with the Night Elves of Ashenvale.

You certainly don't plan to drink such a potion yourself, but you do wonder about the Fel. Your father is a warlock after all and the Warlocks of the Old Horde had used demonic magics to artificially accelerate the growth of the Horde's children before Blackhand led them through the Dark Portal to invade Azeroth, Blackhands sons being the first to take this 'gift'. You're curious about how this gift was given, and whether you might use it somehow. Would your father know? Would he be able to infuse you in this manner? Would that make you worthy in his eyes? Certainly the Fel was known to cause greater anger in a warrior, but perhaps it could be applied over time or more carefully? You'd been one of the few warriors in the Valley of Trials to master the Orcish bloodrage that affected all of your people, could you master the fel in the same way?

Angrais = 79
Rexxar = 24

You also spend time with Angrais and her father. In the latter's case not that much time if you're being honest as the Beastmaster is occupied with other matters, but you speak with Angrais more than you have in the last few months. From her words she's been concentrating on strengthening her connection with the four elements. Fires dance strangely in her presence and her hair and clothes are constantly fluttering in a breeze unfelt by any others.

You discuss your goals together, each enquiring what the other plans to do and you learn Angrais will travel with her father south into the wilds, both to learn more of the Mok'Nathal and also to check on a clan of ogres Rexxar apparently subjugated several years ago. Angrais has been present for several of the Troll elders' divinations and wishes to learn more about parties who attempt to disrupt the elements such as warlocks or necromancers in order to better protect the elements from them.

You also discuss shamanism and mention the research into Sapta you've conducted.

"It's as I told you before." she sighs as she listens, "To be a shaman you must respect the elements, never demand, never place yourself above them, be patient, be wise. I've heard of these potions, the trolls sometimes use them, but only in need, a true shaman is always accompanied by the elements, visible or not and you need to learn this if you want to form your own connection to the world. Everything that is, is alive… Whether you can see it or not."

You go away from the conversation in deep thought, returning to your Tome. Did Angrais refer to her own philosophy or the traditions of the Mok'Nathal? You know there's different traditions of shamanism but you wonder which is the correct tradition.

Lastly you speak with the trolls some more, especially the new arrivals both among the warband and in Vok'fon's force. Toward Vok'fon himself you form not a friendship but at least a mutual respect, though the larger part of your attention goes toward another individual.

Rokhan = 90

Rokhan's exact position is unknown to you due to your relative ignorance of Trollish customs, but you know he's among Vol'jin's principal advisors and well respected among the trolls and orcs both. He knows Rexxar well and once when he comes to speak with the half-ogre you strike up a conversation with him. Just as Rexxar had been interested in your battles against the Kul Tirans so too is Rokhan, who relates his own story of being transfigured into a wyvern at one point to strike at the Kul Tiran fleet which now lies wrecked along Durotar's coast.

Rokhan asks to see the documents you took from the Kul Tirans and luckily seems to speak and read a moderate amount of their language. He can't read all the text, but he's perfectly willing to briefly go over the documents before his duties require him elsewhere and you spend an afternoon going through the piles of paper.

Can Rokhan speak human? = 71
Willingness = 81
Magic books = 11
Books = 27
Major scrolls = 64
Minor scrolls = 30

Many of the texts are either completely unknown to the troll, or too complex for his brief viewing of them to discover anything of significance, though he does identify several of the larger scrolls and loose papers as minor histories of the kingdoms of Lorderon, with one mentioning the Troll Wars of the Amani. Rokhan requests several of the scrolls specifically dealing with trollish matters and you're not inclined to refuse him.

Gain minor knowledge of what the scrolls contain. You give a small number of loose papers dealing with trolls such as intelligence reports regarding the Amani to Rokhan.

Your final two activities before you leave relate to shamanism. Firstly, the gathering of all the materials appropriate for the creation of a Sapta, the potion which will enhance your sensitivity to Azeroth's elemental forces. While the initial search for ingredients and reagents goes less well that you'd like, you already have many of the items from the loot of Baneshadow's cave so filling out the collection isn't particularly difficult. You add a small pouch of gunpowder, some stones from the beach and a scorpion's powdered carapace to the existing reagents you possess, equipping you well to create saptas of Fire and Earth.

Acquire 2 Saptas (in ingredient form). Gain 5% progression to next Scholarship level.

Secondly, you investigate one of the topics you'd previously encountered in your perusal of the Flamebender's Tome.

Flameseer research (Basic Scholarship +1)
Literature review = 21
Flameseers = 90
General divination = 32
Other cultures = 61
Reagents = 75
Any success? = 66 (55 + Basic Scholarship + Fire affinity)

Your initial review of the Flamebender's Tome to research the divinators called 'Flameseers' goes rather poorly. Yet again the poor organisation of the Tome impedes your efforts and you find many of the references alongside text in one of the languages you can't read. What you do find however is very useful and gives you a pretty solid understanding of who, what and how the Burning Blade Flameseer's go about their tasks. Essentially a Flameseer uses ash, charcoal and fires to see through flame, both into other flames to spy on the enemy, or to interrogate Fire elementals on activities in other places. Answers can be demanded from lesser elementals, while higher quality intelligence requires offerings to more powerful elementals. The Tome describes a chant and lists the words, though again in the language you don't know, however you try it out anyway, taking the gunpowder from your reagent collection, a 'mark of the enemy' as described by the Tome's discussion on reagents, and throw it into the fire while concentrating on the Kul Tirans as the book directs. You hadn't expected much but to your surprise the fire surges upward and for a brief moment you get a glimpse of another place, a room with men standing with their backs to you at a higher angle but before you can see much the fire dies completely.

The fire in your chest though, the fire of triumph flares. You'd been successful, even briefly, even artificially in advancing your shamanistic abilities and the thought of it brings a grin to your face. You'd spent years with the Sight, getting flashes in battle and then much deeper feelings which directed you to safety during fights, but now you'd found something else.

Considering the experience you think you'd probably been looking through a fireplace, perhaps in Tiraegarde Keep itself, though the sight was brief you know this ability could develop into a powerful tool. You go through the book again the next day, looking into the other cultures of Draenor to see if there's anything relevant, as well as looking for references to divination in general. You're fairly successful in this, though you'll need a lot more research given the plethora of leads you uncover regarding this subtle art.

Basic Scholarship -> Scholarship due to successful project.
You've spent weeks examining the Flamebender's Tome, categorising Kul Tiran material and conducting research projects into specific issues and feel better prepared to confront more complex tasks. You're still largely self-educated, perhaps a more deliberate education would be valuable? +2 to scholarship rolls, knowledge of orcish and trollish traditions and history, basic knowledge of human history.



AN: Remember to comment and stuff, your reactions determine the character's actions and reactions.