there are two primary forms of magic: shamanistic and hermetic. hermetic mages have a more scientific approach to magic, where they use their abilities to manipulate the world around them and view it as a tool. shamans get their magic from their totems and have a more naturalistic or spiritual approach to the whole thing. it's more of a way of life for us than just a tool we use in the field.
totems are a sort of abstract concept. you could think of them as gods, but they're more like sentient pockets of energy that have distinct personalities and by following in their footsteps, we're granted the magic they have domain over. most of them are animals, some of them are idols, which are more humanoid in nature.
my totem, for example, is bear. bear is a slow moving, easy going totem that values protection and healing. when the people he protects are injured, he's a fan of vicious retaliation. generally, he's considered one of the calmer and more collected spirits though - very wise and gentle. by aiming to protect others, valuing wisdom, and healing others when they need it, i'm following bear's guidelines and benefiting from his blessings. that's how totems work.
granted some stuff went down that turned me away from bear's path for a while, but i never gave up on him and he never gave up on me.
if i ever truly turned my back on bear and acted directly opposite to his guidance, i'd turn toxic. which basically means you're the polar opposite and use the powers you've been given for bad things instead of good. a toxic bear shaman would be hell bent on destruction, be very rash and quick to anger, things like that. i've heard of some shamans losing their powers if they start to turn toxic.
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there are two primary forms of magic: shamanistic and hermetic. hermetic mages have a more scientific approach to magic, where they use their abilities to manipulate the world around them and view it as a tool. shamans get their magic from their totems and have a more naturalistic or spiritual approach to the whole thing. it's more of a way of life for us than just a tool we use in the field.
totems are a sort of abstract concept. you could think of them as gods, but they're more like sentient pockets of energy that have distinct personalities and by following in their footsteps, we're granted the magic they have domain over. most of them are animals, some of them are idols, which are more humanoid in nature.
my totem, for example, is bear. bear is a slow moving, easy going totem that values protection and healing. when the people he protects are injured, he's a fan of vicious retaliation. generally, he's considered one of the calmer and more collected spirits though - very wise and gentle. by aiming to protect others, valuing wisdom, and healing others when they need it, i'm following bear's guidelines and benefiting from his blessings. that's how totems work.
granted some stuff went down that turned me away from bear's path for a while, but i never gave up on him and he never gave up on me.
if i ever truly turned my back on bear and acted directly opposite to his guidance, i'd turn toxic. which basically means you're the polar opposite and use the powers you've been given for bad things instead of good. a toxic bear shaman would be hell bent on destruction, be very rash and quick to anger, things like that. i've heard of some shamans losing their powers if they start to turn toxic.