NOVPUB
Chapter 279: 279
A question. Did you guys notice the difference between these two power system and other power system showed so far?.
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The king sighed deeply, before asking "what about the shamanic route, has the fifth stage being found yet"
Ezinne looked troubled as she said "Progress has been made but it’s requirement is something very troublesome as it requires going to the underworld"
The shamanic route emerged as a result of the limitations imposed by the physical route’s age requirement. While younger and middle-aged individuals could easily undertake the physical journey, the elders found it increasingly difficult to do so. Feeling sidelined and determined to contribute, the elders embarked on their own research, eventually giving birth to the shamanic route.
The first stage in the shamanic route is called "Whisperer of Bones." In this initial stage, the shaman begins their journey by focusing on the bones of animals, unlike the physical route where practitioners must bond with a living animal. The shaman’s path does not require a living bond but instead involves connecting with the remnants of the deceased. Animal souls, being too weak to traverse to the underworld, often linger around their physical remains after death, their essence gradually dispersing. The shaman must locate the bones of their chosen animal before the soul has completely dissipated.
Once the bones are found, the shaman engages in deep meditation, especially with the bones of their chosen animal, attuning themselves to the spiritual energies of death and the afterlife. This meditative practice allows the shaman to connect with the lingering spirits and hear their whispers. Additionally, this meditation is accompanied by the worship of Keles, the goddess of death, who governs over the souls and their transition.
The shaman’s meditative state enables them to visit sacred sites, such as ancestral shrines or burial grounds. Here, they perform rituals to briefly communicate with the spirits of the dead, often involving offerings, chants, and the use of sacred herbs or incense. Initially, communication with the spirits was difficult and sporadic, but as time passed, it became a crucial aspect of the shamanic path, especially as the souls in the underworld began regaining consciousness.
The second stage, known as "Spirit of Swift Death," involves honing the ability to track and interact with spirits, particularly those associated with death. This skill includes entering trance-like states, where the shaman can follow spiritual trails or use divination tools, such as bones or shells, to sense the presence of nearby spirits. They learn to invoke the spirits of predatory animals, calling upon these entities during rituals or to imbue themselves with the animals’ strength and swiftness. These practices often require specific offerings and chants to honor and summon the predatory spirits.
The third stage, known as "Sacred Spirit of Death," marks a significant progression in the shaman’s journey. It begins with a binding contract between the shaman and one of the children of the Merchant of Death. This entity, unique in its ability to traverse the underworld and return, becomes essential as the shaman prepares to summon ancestral spirits. The summoning process involves complex rituals, which require the creation of sacred circles and the use of spirit-drawing sigils to bridge the gap between the living and the dead.
Ezinne, a notable shaman, observed that summoning ancestral spirits had become remarkably easier earlier this year. Previously, the process was arduous, with only a fragment of the ancestral spirit managing to break through, often needing to borrow a physical body to manifest. Unbeknownst to Ezinne and her fellow shamans, the reason behind this newfound ease was the absence of Keles, the goddess of death, from their world. Her absence had inadvertently loosened the barriers between the worlds of the living and the dead, allowing spirits to cross over with greater freedom.
As the shaman completes this stage, they not only gain the ability to summon and communicate with ancestral spirits but also gain the ability to awaken and use dead corpses.
The fourth stage, known as "Divine Spirit of Nature," involves a shift from death to the natural world. At this stage, the shaman focuses on controlling the elements, practicing in environments where these elements are abundant. For example, they might practice water manipulation near rivers or lakes, or earth manipulation in forests or mountains. This training often involves invoking elemental spirits and earning their favor.
The shaman performs rituals to earn their favor, such as offering sacrifices, creating intricate elemental sigils, or conducting dances and chants that mimic the movements of the elements themselves. Success in these rituals allows the shaman to command the elements, summoning storms, causing earthquakes, or directing rivers to alter their course.
When it came to the fifth stage, Ezinne hesitated as she looked at the statue of Keles in her home. "The fifth stage route that I managed to work out is that its requirements differ depending on the path chosen by the shaman."
For a shaman attuned to nature, the domain might be a vast, enchanted forest where the flora and fauna are under the shaman’s control, capable of healing, protection, or destruction. This comes with a risk, as the shaman might become so attuned to the forest that they find it difficult to leave. At worst, the shaman might end up merging with the surrounding nature.
For a shaman of the elements, the domain might be a small storm-wracked island or a volcanic landscape where the shaman can wield elemental forces with unparalleled power. However, this path also comes with risks. The elements are wild and unpredictable, and a shaman who wields such power risks losing control. Storms might rage out of control, and volcanoes could erupt unexpectedly. The elemental spirits, powerful and often capricious, might challenge the shaman’s authority. If not properly appeased, these spirits could turn against the shaman, causing the elements to rebel.
For a shaman of death, which is my path, the shaman must make a personal visit to the underworld. Once in the underworld, the shaman must seek out a specific ancestral soul, often one with whom they share a deep connection or one that holds significant power. This ancestral soul is usually a revered ancestor or a powerful spirit that has maintained its identity and influence in the afterlife.
The shaman’s task is to help this ancestral soul claim a piece of land in the underworld, turning it into a domain. This involves battling other spirits for control, negotiating with underworld entities, or performing rituals to sanctify the land. The domain becomes a place where the ancestral soul can reside with a degree of peace and power, and where the shaman can draw upon the energies of the underworld. With a domain in the underworld, the shaman gains unprecedented control over death and the spirits of the dead. They can summon spirits more easily and command legions of the dead.
This path also comes with its own risks. If the shaman fails to return, they risk becoming trapped in the underworld permanently, their spirit unable to reunite with their body. This would result in the shaman’s physical death and the loss of their power.
The underworld also hosts other powerful spirits and entities constantly vying for control. The shaman’s domain could be targeted by these entities once they learn of its benefits. If the shaman’s connection to their domain is weakened, they could lose it entirely, along with the powers it grants.
Both the king and princess looked disturbed hearing about the risks each route takes. Nwadiebube took a deep breath. "I will inform the others of your progress. It will be up to them if they are willing to take the risk and become trailblazers for our people."
"The work assigned to the other shamans—how is it going?" Nwadiebube once again asked Ezinne.
Sighing and giving the king a complicated look, Ezinne said, "They are finding the task impossible. Some shamans now harbor resentment toward you, as the task you assigned is something usually required of the divine. They see it as blasphemy that you ordered them to do so."
Nwadiebube showed no reaction to the fact that he was resented. All he said was, "I see. You can tell them to stop. There is no need to continue." Ezinne glanced at the king, wanting to say something, and then looked at the princess, who stood proudly with the king. She nodded as she responded, "Understood, Your Grace."
A look away from the eastern continent to the domains of the gods showed each god now had a weary, tired, and disturbed expression on their faces.
It had been a year since Ikenga and Keles were gone, and it was only a year later that the other gods began noticing the effects of the absence of their siblings.
It was exactly as the mortals say: you never know the worth of something until you lose it or it is gone. The first effect the other gods began noticing stemmed from the fact that they were all siblings and were deeply connected with each other, especially with Mahu, who had a special bond with Ikenga.
The connection and absence of the siblings made the gods feel like there was an empty hole that was impossible to fill no matter what was done, and a feeling of incompleteness weighed more acutely than ever before. 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝒑𝙪𝒃.𝒄𝒐𝙢
