This guide has been designed for people who would be otherwise put off joining Shaman because of all the information to read. The purpose of the other information pages is to bring new players up to (almost) the same level of understanding of the game as existing players. Sometimes, however, people just want to be able to play and pick up things as they go, maybe returning to the detailed info pages later when they have more inclination to do so. This guide is designed to explain the basics of the game as simply as possible to get new members to the stage where they can play the game. For a full understanding of Shaman, newbies should consult the other info pages. staff Georgia, Equilibrium and Merlin are the equal owners, administrators and highest level of authority on Shaman. Alora is a moderator. However, all four of these people are, first and foremost, players; like everyone else, they are bound by the rules of the game and cannot simply just do as they please. You have as many rights as they do. If you need to contact any of the moderators/owner, ask on the Chat board or email them at theirname@shamanrpg.com. Chatango Names Georgia: thetamar Equilibrium: darthequilibrium Merlin: magicalmerlin Alora: aloraundomiel Click here to read the rules of the game, here to get email support or here to ask a question on the chat board. shaman "Shaman" is the name of the planet/world in which the game is set. The world of Shaman was created by the deity Aura as an intended sanctuary in 1919 from planet Earth, but exists in another dimension to Earth. It is quite similar to Earth in that the grass is still green, sky is still blue etc, but because it was created by magic it doesn't necessarily follow the laws of physics/nature. Because of this, freezing tundras and burning deserts can exist side-by-side in perfect harmony. All fairies from Earth can enter Shaman simply by wishing themselves there, but it's significantly harder to leave once you're here. Usually the only way to get back to Earth is to ask a deity to create a rip in the fabric of space and time to send you back through. Fairies don't have to be from Earth, however; they can come from any dimension/world. Other creatures can also come to Shaman and be turned into fairies upon entry. Because of the magical protection surrounding Shaman, all fairies enter at level one, usually with no powers at all. Click here for more information on the world of Shaman. fairies Fairies are a separate species to humans, but coexist with them on secret on Earth. At the beginning of time, all fairies were created from stardust, which is also the origin of magic. There are two sub-species of fairies: ordinary and original. The original fairies are the deities/gods (see "Religion & the Gods" section) and are very small in number. All fairies are essentially the same, but there are some small biological differences between ordinary and original fairies: original fairies have no wings but have the capacity to control divinity (pure magic), whereas all ordinary fairies develop wings from level 2 onwards and none of them can control divinity. Half-bloods (the children of an original and an ordinary fairy) have the biology of an ordinary fairy. All fairies are inherently magical and all have a close connection with nature. Otherwise they are very similar to humans. With the exception of wings and other physical traits which can be gained, they look the same as humans. You can only join Shaman as an ordinary fairy. magic Magic comes in many different forms. Specific permanent magical powers can be gained in numerous ways, but primarily through trading a coin. These include things like immorality, fire manipulation, telepathy etc. Levels increase a fairy's command of their magical powers and also provides additional powers, primarily in terms of transmogrification. Level rules are fairly loose so you can choose how your fairy develops through levels. There are 7 ordinary levels and then 3 extra levels in eight different level "branches": abeo (transmogrification), bestia (animal), vis (nature), animus (soul), medicus (time lord), orbis (otherworlds), somnium (dreams) and sentio (perception). Once a fairy reaches level VII, they will be sent on a quest to find their ren object. Once their ren object has been found, they will learn which level branch they will follow. You cannot choose your level branch but you can express a preference which will be noted. Fairies can rise through the levels by gaining points. Doubloons can be traded for shop items, which are a kind of temporary magic. For example, purchasing a telepotion will give you a one-off teleportation in or out of somewhere. Divinity is magic in its purest form and is more or less omnipotence, although what it can be used for depends on the skill of the fairy using it. It can only be harnessed by an original fairy. If an ordinary fairy has divinity, they cannot control it. Ancient magic refers to a magic nobody really understands which predates all other forms of magic. No fairy has or can use ancient magic. Sometimes creatures or people (who aren't fairies, but a separate species altogether) with ancient magic may appear in the game with quests or contests. Click here for more information on magic and levels. religion & the gods All fairy religions are optional; fairies can be atheists, agnostic, Christian, Muslim etc if they wish. There are numerous fairy religions, but the basic ones are polytheistic and monotheistic. The polytheistic religion believes that all the deities together created the world, whereas the monotheistic religions believe that a single specific deity is the key creator. Most monotheists believe Aura is the creator god. The original fairies (the first twenty or so fairies in existence, all of whom are immortal and possess divinity) are considered to be the gods. Collectively they form an intergalactic government known as the Council of Originals, which has sworn to protect fairykind and lays down laws for all the gods to obey. The leader of the Council of Originals is Tsi. Other known living gods are: Aura, Mallos, Gwythr, Lorraine, Allianah, Zed and Khasekhemwy. Known deceased gods are: Caspian and Thoth (not to be confused with the demigod Thoth, who was named after the former). Sometimes deities inhabit Shaman. The permanent deity of Shaman is Aura, but Gwythr and Mallos also reside here. Tsi, Zed, Lorraine, Allianah, Caspian and Khasekhemwy have all been to Shaman but no longer exist here, with the exception of Caspian, who died here. The gods live amongst ordinary people. As a race, the deities are largely selfish, arrogant and fairly inefficient, but they do have their individual redeeming qualities. It is generally believed that the gods' perception of the world and their passage through time is different to ordinary fairies'. Most of them do have some morals but not all of them are inclined to help ordinary people. There are no "good" and "evil" deities; all of them have both good and evil inside them, just like normal people, and their actions are mostly influenced by their own attitudes and beliefs. Click here for more information on religion and culture. civilisation Shaman is a world on the brink of civilisation, which means that it is pretty backward compared to Earth. Electricity and other modern power sources don't really exist here, but magic can be used as a substitute and technology is frequently brought in from other worlds. Many people are not literate. There is a central government (known as "the Core") of Shaman which is run primarily by the royal family of Shaman, headed by the crowned King or Queen. The current king is Arthur. The government are the ones who make the laws for the land and the rest of society is structured beneath them. Most people live in family groups within their own individual territories, but empires and ambition also exist. By and large, the people of Shaman are fairly peaceful. Most wars and battles occur between fairies and other magical creatures, or when the gods come to Shaman to mess things up. Click here for more information on how territories and civilisation work on Shaman. gameplay Within the game, there are many different roles a character can take on because of all the different elements of society.
history Shaman is currently in its eighth version. Here's a brief overview of the plots and histories of Shaman over each version.
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