Shamanic Order

The Tasiv "religion" is not so much of a religion as just a set of beliefs. That is, their religion does not attempt to explain why things are the way they are or how they got to be that way, but settles simply on the way things are and what they perceive to be happening behind the scenes.

Overview
The Tasiv are spiritual animists, who view all events and happenings within the world as being controlled by unseen hands of thousands of spirits. These spirits range in power from being the mover of a small desert scavenger to being the very master of life and death. There is some debate among scholars and thinkers as to whether or not these spirits are "gods" that should be worshiped as such, or merely "guardians" which fulfill their function as they must. Regardless of which view an individual Tasiv holds, there is no doubt in any Tasiv mind that these spirits must be appeased to reap whatever rewards they have to offer.

Tasiv believe quite strongly in the spirit, which they believe is physically connected to their antennae. This has led to the speculation that creatures born without antennae are spiritless. Most Tasiv fear losing their antennae for this reason, thinking that the spirit would have nothing to hold on to if the antennae were gone, and they would lose their spirit. To their perspective, this appears to be true, because Tasiv who lose their antennae typically die within a matter of days afterwards. Tasiv hatchlings that have defective antennae are never permitted to live, as this is perceived as being a serious spiritual handicap.

Spirits
There are seventeen primary deities or spirits that rule over all the others, in Tasiv lore. Each spirit has its own icon and is seen to be provisional over a particular area of life. 1. Name/sex: Erithna (sometimes called The Wanderer), female

Icon: A female Tasiv, said to be wearing a travelers garb and carrying a staff

Overview: The primary Tasiv goddess, said to be the mother of all Tasiv. Mistress of fertility and hatchlings. Devotion to Erithna is expected and required by all Tasiv, including a short morning ritual to show devotion. Erithna is said to have started every one of the tribal villages, first settling there and then moving on to star another village somewhere else. She set the number of mates a female should have to three, although the practice of having three mates simultanously has disappeared over time.

2. Name/sex: Kah'binc, female

Icon: A female Tasivid always carrying a container of beffti. In more modern statues, she is pictured with a jug of water.

Overview: Mistress of food and water. Also called, the Provider, responsible for feeding all Tasiv. It is said that back before the Tasiv had food to eat, she was the one who dug all the caves in Tasiv and made Beffti out of rocks and tears. Prayers to Kah'binc are most often made by the workers who are given the task of raising food.

3. Name/sex: Thaltn, male

Icon: Tall, strong male, often said to have four arms. Always carries two shields. Master of Defense.

Overview: Master of Defense. Also called, the Defender, if a Tasiv is to mount a successful defense, Thaltn's name must be invoked. Thaltn's legacy was borne when he tribe was attacked by surprise by a rival. Thaltn walked out into the battle field alone and slew the entire attacking tribe of two hundred alone in defense of his village.

4. Name/sex: Re'hou, male

Icon: A very old male Tasiv, wearing a pouch of some kind, and carrying a Yennoa.

Overview: Master of Shamanic Power. The Spiritual Guide of the Shamans. Said to be able to control the weather, also said to infuse a Shaman with his power. The first Tasiv to use a Yennoa. In truth, Re'hou was a powerful Shaman, very strong in the Force. He found that certain stones on the planet could be used to amplify his power. So he made a Yennoa, but when he used it, his powers were amplified to the point of killing him. Re'hou is believed to still dwell the world in spirit form, and many Shamans vow having had visitations from a ghostly form of Re'hou. Re'hou must be appeased before any Tasiv can gain his Shamanic powers.

5. Name/sex: Stahili, female

Icon: A young female, holding an armband symbolizing mating. Overview: Lesser Mistress of Fertility. The god of the fertility. After a gaint war called the "Du'hient" ravaged the surface of the planet, killing off many of the gods, and destorying many tribes, Stahili was the one started re-establishing the population. Even though Erithna is seen as being the mistress of fertility, Stahili shares that title with her, although her

6. Name/sex: Bentik, Male

Icon: Male with the head of a Ganas Overview: The spirit of war, able to chose the victor in every fight. He once wrested a Ganas to the ground with his bear hands. After ripping the head off of the Ganas, he demanded that he be made immortal. The spirits granted him his demand, but cursed him by switching his head with the head of the Ganas.

7. Name/sex: Falhan, female

Icon: A female often surrounded by a sandstorm, sometimes just a sand storm

Overview: The spirit of the desert, also called, the Merciful, ruler of every thing in the desert. She was called Friend of the Desert before, because wherever she walked, the desert would grow quiet and peaceful. It is believed that Falhan is the most benevolent of the spirits, but when angered her anger is fiercer. Appeals for mercy almost always made to her.

8. Name/sex: Snav'ji, female

Icon: A tall, sinister looking female, often carrying chains in her left hand

Overview: The spirit of slavery, thought to be the Tasiv who had started slavery. There is not much spoken about her, except that she supposedly wanders the desert at night, enslaving anyone she finds.

9. Name/sex: Matih, male

Icon: A short male carrying two long knives

Overview: the spirit of murder and death. Said to be charming and light-hearted, often luring people to their death. brother of Mallaconi, son of Erithna. He is said to have invented death when he killed his friend while they were arguing. Became an assassin type icon.

10.Name/sex: Scaptili

Icon: A female often described as alluring, dressed as a diplomat

Overview: spirit of the diplomats, able to alter diplomatic relations. It is said that it was her diplomatic powers that brought the end to the Du'hient. It is also said that she was a selfless person, always working to fix the problems of others. When she died, her spirit was infused into all the Tasiv people, giving them their selfless attitude.

11. Name/sex: Unnah, female

Icon: a female who wears armor (which is a cultural taboo) made of bones

Overview: The spirit of chaos, said to be very evil, delighting in pain and torture of good. She is said to a manifestation that was created by the evil side of the Tasiv mind. She rules a mythological tribe called Matigifis, who are said to be entirely females. It is said every time a Tasiv disobeys a Matriarch's command, Unnah grows stronger.

12. Name/sex: Venlya

Icon: A tall, strong female holding a Tsi in one hand and an Inis in the other.

Overview: The spirit of justice or judgment. She was the Matriarch for a tribe called the Nisk'hal(Almost like a Tasiv version of Camelot), said to be completely fair and merciful in her decisions and rulings. Because of her wisdom in ruling, the spirits granted her immortality.

13. Name/sex: Xya, female

Icon: average female except she has no eyes

Overview: The spirit of finding or seeking. She is said to have always found what she looked for. She possessed a second sight which she could use to see many things, including where things are located, and pictures of the future. She was the founder of the Tieac sect, using her skills to train other females in the ways of Second Sight. She uses her Third Sight to watch over the Tieac from beyond the grave.

14. Name/sex: Mallaconi, female

icon: complete opposite of Matih: tall, female

Overview: Spirit of life and recovery. Matih's sister and his polar opposite, completely dour and solemn. Legends say that Mallanconi and Matih are constantly fighting about someone, whether that person should live or die.

15. Name/Sex: Guansib, female

Icon: a one armed Tasiv, generally pictured leaning on a staff although sometimes pictured sitting on a throne.

Overview: Spirit of the underworld, called the "Gatekeeper", she is responsible for how someone's  after life is. This is the goddess that most Tasiv spend their time trying to appease. Supposedly, she is very hard to please, and tends to expect much more out of males, who must be completely obedient to gain her favor.

16. Name/sex: Varlon, female

Icon: a half Tasiv half Matiksas plant, or a Tasiv holding a Matiksas, or just the plant

Overview: Spirit of growth, plants, and Matiksas especially. Said to be a spirit who inhabits every plant on Tasivid. this goddess is especially important to the Shaman who (when they can get it) use the Matiksas plant for many different uses. It is said that Varlon can shift between being a Tasiv and being a plant.

17. Name/sex: Ajien'rami, male

Icon: a tall male carrying an odd weapon similar to a scythe

Overview: god of the sky, said to be responsible for the violent storms that occur in the upper atmosphere. He had a violent temper, and the storms were manifestations of this anger. It was said that he rode in a chariot in the sky pulled by two mythological reptilian creatures called Suraik.

Shamanic Order
The Shamans are definitely an oddity among the Tasiv, being opposite in so many ways from conventional society. The Order is comprised entirely of males, and females cannot join. Despite a few attempts of Empress Tilysav to change this, this tradition has persevered throughout the ages.

Their numbers are quite small and have always been that way, ranging from 300-1000, and they cultivate an aura of mystique that stretches through all of the Tasiv.

The Shamanic Order is a quasi-religious, quasi-political, quasi-governmental institution that was the first planet wide governing body to exist on Tasivid. Long before the Council of Tribes existed, the Shamans were meeting together in secret, and the first generation of High Shamans were established. Even though the various tribes would fight each other, the understanding was formed that when Shamans arrived inside the protective caves of the Shamanic Order, all such loyalties were null and void until they once again left. Thus every Shaman held and still holds a dual allegiance: first to the Shamanic Order, and next to his tribe.

Despite this, however, Shamans know no boundaries in war time: if necessary, they will slay other Shamans without remorse or stigmatism.

The Matriarchs are well aware of the Shamanic Order and the Grand Circle, and they tolerate it somewhat unwillingly, afraid to face the consequences of attempting to remove this sub-culture from the midst of the larger society.

For their part, the Shamanic Order has long had its own agendas and goals, which it keeps well hidden from the Matriarchs. Despite this secrecy and the tension it creates, there was never any conflicts between the Shamans and the Matriarchs in the past, as both sides respected the unspoken rules that dictated behavior between the two groups.

Organization
The Shamanic Order has a hierarchy of its own, concerning its members. They makes use of the circle much in their symbolism, and their organization structure reflects this.

The organization consists of a series of Circles, or Rings, of Shamans, each of varying degrees of adeptness and seniority. Rings are a very loose coalition of Shamans, which often meet on a very limited basis. While a Ring might be comprised of Shamans from different Tribes and geographical regions, when that Ring is assigned any task from a higher power, a Ring will work very intimately with itself.

The Rings and Circles are described below along with their typical assignments.

High Ring or Grand Circle
The highest level of authority within the Order is the Grand Circle (High Ring being more of an informal term). This Circle consists of one High Shaman from every tribe.

Any decisions that are made that effect the whole of the Order come from this level of authority. The current Grand Circle members by Tribe are:

1. Otivaserntic: Deceased 2. Hittixic'Gaoti: Miniv'Kesh 3. Mihndraic: Vyllvak (High Speaker) 4. Veminic'Trovin: Deceased 5. Crin'Dros: Deceased 6. Hraenykk: Eryj'Coval 7. N'jahert: Unne 8. Kelntrik: Xei'Ien

The High Speaker is the leader and arbiter of the Grand Circle, although he does not act so much as a dictator as a moderator.

Inner Circle
Beneath the Grand Circle is the Inner Circle, a tight knit, but less formal, establishment that is the fulcrum for the will of the Grand Circle: what the Grand Circle wills, the Inner Circle will translate into action. The Inner Circle is comprised of around 20-30 prominent Shamans from every tribe. Back before the majority of the Tribes were destroyed or conquered, the Inner Circle was much larger, but the reduction of the number of tribes have left the Inner Circle much smaller.

Membership into the Inner Circle is by "deadman's boots" only. It is, in fact, the only position in the Shamanic Order that is automatically held as long as the Shaman lives. Even a Grand Shaman can be ousted from his position by a challenger, but once in the Inner Circle, no Shaman can be displaced. While it is possible to challenge an Inner Circle member, called a Cuirek'Diras ("strong hands"), most Shamans would not dare to. The Cuirek'Diras are feared as the most powerful Shamans in the Order, even beyond the Grand Shamans. While no one doubts the power of the Grand Shamans, the fact is that the Grand Shamans are all well advanced in age, and much more placid than younger members of the Order.

Outer Circle
The Outer Circle is where a good majority of the Shamans are. These Shamans are essentially just regular members, they stand ready to do the will of the Order, but are not necessarily involved in any leadership functions. While a member of the Outer Circle, a Shaman will simply reside with his Tribe and wait for any instructions from his superiors. They also will attend the regular Order meetings.

Crescent
The Crescent, sometimes called the Fringe, is a temporary organizational structure that is formed whenever the Grand Circle ordains for something to be done. Crescents are essentially teams of however many Shamans are required for the task, who's sole function is to complete the task that is set for it.

Individual Hierarchy
The Grand Shaman High Speaker is the highest station in the Order. While not necessarily a leader, per se, the High Shaman has the authority to command the Order however he likes.

Grand Shaman are the next step down in the Hierarchy. Sometimes collectively called the Wise, they are often advanced in age, although age is not a requirement. As members of the Grand Circle, they are part of the body of decision makers. They also take on an almost fatherly figure to younger Shamans, often dispensing their wisdom and experience when needed.

Below the Grand Shamans are the Cuirek'Diras, the most personally powerful and fearsome Shamans. These Shamans are often masters of their particular field of interest, such as combat, or whatever knowledge they have acquired. Sometimes aloof, they are the few males in Tasiv society that even a Matriarch would think twice about barking orders to.

Great Shaman is a title reserved for a Shaman who has distinguished himself in some fashion to either the Inner Circle or the Grand Circle. They are members of the Outer Circle mostly, but will often take leadership positions as required and are often the leaders of Crescents.

Wanderers are Shamans who have been privileged (or cursed, depending on the perspective) with leaving Tasivid behind and wandering about in the galaxy. Often times their task is simply to provide information about the galaxy abroad, but other tasks sometimes apply as well.

Shamans are the basic and most plentiful member type of the Shamanic Order. Despite the impression that might be gained from their "lowly" stature in the hierarchy of the Order, Shamans are well esteemed by all the superior ranks and are well trained for their service.

Tieac are the female members of the Shamanic Order, fulfilling a very special role of augers and seers, something that they seem to be especially gifted at. It is important to note that they are members mostly in a symbolic sense: the Tieac are not privy to much of the information that is exchanged amongst the Shamans, nor do they participate to the level of other shamans. They, too, are treated with a good deal of respect by all the members of the Order.

Tirnij is the title given to those Tasiv who are in the process of trying to become a Shaman, but have not yet completed all their trials. The term is a mildly insulting one, suggesting weakness and immaturity, but most Tasiv undergoing the test bare it willingly in hopes of achieving the sought after title of Shaman.

Birth of Shaman
Typically any young male Tasiv may declare that he wishes to pursue the objective of joining the Order. This is supposed to happen before the Tasiv reaches Veltmere, although this is not always the case. Any Tasiv is allowed to undergo the trials, but youngsters stand a much better chance of succeeding than older Tasiv.

The Tribe and/or village is very supportive of a youngster undergoing the trials with few exceptions, and as soon as he has declared his intent, he will be apprenticed to a Shaman of his tribe or village. This apprenticeship will last until he reaches the age of Veltmere, at which time he will have a time limit of five years to complete the Trial of Seventeen Stones. Thus, the younger a Tasiv starts, the more training time he will have before that time limit begins. Any Tasiv that wishes to become a Shaman after Veltmere is immediately placed under that time limit. As soon as that time limit is active, the Tasiv is considered a Tirnij, and he has five years to prove himself a Shaman.

During this five year set of Trials, the Tirnij has full access to the knowledge of everyone in the Order. The entire Order views it as their collective responsibility to train him, even though they do not necessarily see him as being one of their own yet. They will not, however, help him on any of the actual trials. Often this is a time of great loneliness for a Tasiv male, as he is estranged from conventional Tasiv society during the process and is not yet accepted into the Order's own sub-society.

If after five years the Tirnij has not completed the trials or has failed any of them, he must reintegrate himself into one of the other Castes, typically as a slave.

The Trials that must be completed are different for each Tirnij, as decided by the Inner Circle members. The Trials are usually catered to what needs the Inner Circle perceives the Order as having, but there are also a core of traditional trials that every Tirnij must complete. These include:


 * Acquiring a Matiksas plant


 * Surviving in the Burning Wastes desert for a month


 * Carving a Tsi and a Yennoa


 * Winning combat duels

There are many other trials that are often used, but not always. Such as:


 * Finding and training a wild Ocrik or Dexun


 * Assembling a Windstorm Fighter (from components)


 * Learning to use a variety of high tech devices


 * Venturing into the spirit world and learning secrets there


 * Traveling to various places to deliver or obtain something


 * Conducting diplomatic business for the Order

All seventeen trials are laid out at the beginning of the trial period, and normally they can be completed in any order. There have been occasions when the Inner Circle has deemed that a Tirnij must complete the trials in a certain order for their own reasons.

For each of the trials received, the Shaman receives a small green crystal called a "Maka'tnil", or "Stone of Divine Focus". These crystals are what give a Shaman his power, and will eventually be a part of a his Staff. They are also his proof at having completed a task, so to lose one is to fail at a task.

Once the Tirnij has completed all seventeen trials, there is a ceremony in which the Grand Circle will recognize the Tirnij as a Shaman and he will be declared a member of the Shamanic Order. This is also when he receives his tattoos to that effect, and his Yennoa is fused with the Maka'tnil, essentially making it a functional tool. After this, the Shaman will receive an additional year or two of intensive training from trainers within the Order before he is returned to his Tribe, to continue service to both his tribe and now the Order.

Shaman, Jedi, and the Force
Shaman are essentially Force users, although they do not consider it the "Force", nor do they use it in the same fashion of the Jedi. They, in fact, are quite passionate haters of all "Force users", viewing them as heretics possessed by evil spirits.

Tasiv are by nature quite disconnected from the Force, making it quite different for them to use it in traditional manners. The development of the Yennoa staff counteracts this, focusing their mental powers like a shaft of light through a convex lens. Through this way, they can achieve access to the Force in ways that Jedi normally cannot.

The Tasiv use the Force in a much more spiritual way than a physical. Often they perceive glimpses of the future, communicate with spirits of the deceased, and other similar skills. While they can use the Force as a powerful physical manipulator, this typically requires more concentration and preparation than a more potent Force user, and thus is not really ideal for an offensive combat situation. Because of this connection, however, Tasiv have a very high defense to Force-based attacks, and most Force users find the Tasiv mind completely unreadable, due to the alien-ness of their mind as well as this defense.

Much of a Shamans power does not come from the Force, however, but comes rather from the Hive of telepathic energy created by the collective Tasiv mind. By using this connection, a skill Shaman can actually search among the shared memories and knowledge of all Tasiv, and could possibly find the answer to whatever problem is in front of him. This grants them especially great powers when dealing with other Tasiv.