PART III - MEET THE TRAINERS - THE SHAMANS

Xin searched the courtyard for the blue and white signed tent, eventually finding it. Three green-skinned goblins, two males and a female, stood in a small group chatting in front of the door. They stood roughly Callie’s height at around one meter. Their long, pointed ears and big eyes showed the history the Gnomes and the Goblins shared, before the former moved underground while the latter settled into the forests and swamplands. As Xin approached, they gave her a suspicious gaze and tensed.

“Good day, this is where the Shamans are to meet, correct?”

One of the Goblins gave Xin a snarl, before spitting out, “Yes, Lizard.” He was immediately lightly slapped by the female Goblin for being so rude.

Xin was taken aback, before squeezing out a quick, “Thank you.”

They all stood for several minutes, the three Goblins conversing among themselves, while Xin stood awkwardly a short distance away. After what seemed like an eternity, two new people approached the tent. One was a young Elf female wearing a light blue robe and carrying a large basket. The other was a very old green-skinned Goblin wearing a well-patched gray robe. She moved slowly, with the assistance of an intricately-carved walking stick made of well-worn wood.

The three Goblin Recruits quickly stiffened to approximate attention on seeing the elder. Xin copied their movements, still feeling out of place.

The elder Goblin stopped and appraised the four recruits before she started to make a series of motions with her hands.

“Welcome to Shaman training,” the Elf said. “I am Trainer Maugra and your only job is to be silent and learn.” Xin quickly realized the Elf was interpreting Maugra’s hand motions.

“This Elf is my assistant and her name is not important,” the Elf said, a slight scowl on her face. “I am able to hear, but no longer able to speak well. She will say my words for me.”

“Trainer Maugra, thank you…” one of the Goblins started to say. Maugra raised her walking stick and smacked it across the Goblin's head, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Maugra signed some more. “I said to be silent. I have no need for your nonsense.” Slowly the Goblin rose, rubbing his head.

“After I am finished,” Maugra continued via the Elf. “My assistant will give you the other details you need. Just be aware that you know nothing and I expect you to work hard. If you don’t, I’ll be happy to smack you again.”

Maugra raised her walking stick slightly and then drove it into the ground with a resounding thump. Next to her, a magical construct seemed to rise before it coalesced into a wooden pole. Carved into it were a series of faces, images and iconography representing the various elements. It seemed to hum or pulse with power.

“This is my totem,” Maugra said. “This is the heart of power for any combat Shaman. If you learn to master your totem, you will master the battlefield. If you fail, then I will smack you until you get it right.”

The Goblin that had been hit earlier rubbed his head again and emitted a quiet whimper.

“Tonight,” Maugra said through the Elf, “after you have taken your worm, you will need to design your Totem. You will be provided with parchment and charcoal to work with. Do not draw your design before you use your worm. Bring your drawings to the first day of training. I am now done speaking.”

Maugra gave a stiff nod, before turning around and starting to walk away, her totem fading into wisps of nothing. There was a blur of magic and a ripple in the air, and Maugra was replaced by a gray-furred wolf with a vaguely ghost-like haze about it that gently sauntered off, leaving the Elf now standing alone with the rest of the recruits.

Xin stood there dumbfounded. She had never seen a Shaman change forms before. It was amazing! She knew it could happen, but her tribe’s elder Shaman had never demonstrated it, even when Xin had asked. It seemed very similar to how a Druid would change form, based on what she had seen earlier when Trainer Rowani changed from a panther and then into a hawk.

The Elf cleared her throat before speaking again. “Trainer Maugra is a very good Shaman, and an excellent trainer, but she can be very … difficult at times. My name is Trainer Cheena and as you can see, I am Maugra’s assistant, and she is my Mentor. Supposedly, I am to be the new Shaman trainer, if Maugra should ever finally decide to retire as was supposed to happen a year ago.”

She bent to retrieve the large basket, and Xin stepped forward to offer assistance.

“Thank you,” She said. “Let us all go into the tent and we can discuss all you need to know for today.”

The five walked through the tent flap, choosing seating pillows around the edges. Xin set the basket close to Cheena after she sat, before seating herself. From across the tent, the Goblins continued to suspiciously eye Xin, yet the Lizardkin could not figure out what she had done to earn such ire.

“Greetings everyone,” Cheena said. “Again, I am Cheena. Please hand me your class identification blocks.”

The four recruits did as she asked, passing over the blue-plus-white blocks for inspection. “Thank you, Cheena said. “Being a Combat Shaman is much different than a common community Shaman. While we will train the healing and curative skills you will receive, we will primarily be concentrating on your offensive magic and your ability to attack or hinder enemies with your Totem powers. I’m not necessarily in favor of this, as a well-rounded Shaman is critical. But, as you can see, I am not in charge.” The Elf added an extra scowl with that final statement.

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Cheena sighed deeply. “Let’s talk about designing your totems. These are something that is unique to you and will reflect in part your personality and core. You don’t truly need to draw it out like Maugra ordered, but do it anyway, as it will make learning to manifest it quickly and accurately much much easier, and most-importantly, will make her happy. So tonight, you wake from your initial trance, try to spend at least one hour, more if you are feeling able, just drawing out what you think your Totem may look like. Your Symbiote will help you create and remember that vision and channel the mana when you start to use the skill.”

“It felt as if Trainer Maugra’s Totem had different facets of magic to it,” Xin said. “I could feel the power seeming to pulse out of it.”

“A very good observation,” Cheena said, “There are five elements a Shaman’s power embraces. Fire, Earth, Water, Air and most importantly Life. A well-constructed totem will bind all of them, allowing you to use multiple skills at once; even multiple totems at higher tiers. This capability is what can make a combat Shaman so deadly. Your design work tonight should devote some time to considering each of those five facets of power. Your Symbiote will help guide you.”

Cheena looked into her basket again and then stopped. “I just realized we haven’t all met and I need to get some skill information from you all. Miss Lizardkin, would you care to start?”

“Of course. I am Xinchaine, Daughter of the Sunset Valley Tribe. But please, call me Xin.”

Cheena turned to one of the Goblins. “And you?”

“I am Swopik, and this is Lhawni and Chown,” he indicated, pointing first to the female and then the other male.

“Excellent,” Cheena said before returning to her task. “So the first thing I need to know is whether any of you have any off-class skills. Hands?”

Xin raised her hand, as did both Swopik and Chown.

“Swopik, what skills do you have?”

“I know the skill Taunting Roar from Warrior,” he said, “as well as Shield Block. I trained as a town militia before I was Cursed and scryed, so have some skill with sword and shield techniques.”

“And I know Magic Blast from Wizard,” Chown said. “My grandmother is a Wizard and taught me when she found out I was a part-Wizard Hybrid.”

“Most excellent.” Cheena said. “Swopik, your Warrior skills may be helpful, but do note that a Shaman is not a Guardian class. As you train, try to remember that. Your specialty will be as a ranged combatant and healing. Melee is fine in a pinch, but it’s important you change how you think. For you, Chown, your Magic Blast is very similar to the Lightning Blast skill that you will learn, so it may not be as useful to use it, I’m afraid.

“I suspected as much,” Chown said, somewhat disappointed. “I had been told that Shamans had many spells that did damage.”

“Xin, what about you?” Cheena asked.

Xin cleared her throat. “Before I found out I was a Shaman, I trained many years to be a Spearmaster in our guard, much like Swopik in his militia. As such, I have learned the skills of Multi-strike and Unerring Throw.”

“Fabulous, Xin! One can easily incorporate a spear into a Shaman’s combat style if done correctly. Usually a Shaman uses a staff, but with your off-skills, we can change that easily. After all, a spear is really just a skinny staff with a pointy end. Do not forget, though, you are no longer a Striker. Your focus is ranged combat and healing. But should you ever need to fight hand-to-hand, and certainly some day that will happen, your spear training will shine.”

“This is good,” Xin said. “I am glad to know my previous training will be useful.”

Cheena put on a thinking look. “You won’t want to use a metal spear, though, or even a metal spear tip. With your Animal Spirit form, anything you are wearing or holding must be natural material, or inside of something made of natural materials, or it drops to the ground. I believe a natural stone tip on a spear might work, but I am not sure - we will have to test it.”

“What of my steel sword knowledge?” Swopik asked. “Swords are metal. Or at least any decent sword.”

“You raise a good point, Swopik,” Cheena said. ”You should think about moving away from your sword and shield style of fighting due to the same metal issue. You could choose a staff or do like Xin and use a quality wood spear instead. Otherwise, a sword would need to be made of something natural, like rare Ironwood, which is not nearly as strong as steel.”

Swopik frowned. “It may be hard for me to learn a new fighting style.”

“You should unlock a Two-handed Combat perk as part of your new skills tonight,” Cheena said. “That will give you a solid foundation of knowledge to build on.”

“And if you wished to use spears, I would be happy to teach you a few more-advanced moves,” Xin added, trying to be helpful.

“I’ll think about it,” Swopik snarled at Xin. “It’s a disappointing limitation of this class.”

“I’m sorry,” Cheena said sympathetically. “However, the training with a compatible weapon type should come quickly, as you will have the perk.”

Swopik grunted again, obviously frustrated, but let the conversation continue.

Cheena took additional time to review when to meet for daily training as well as the instructions to wait for the Healers to assist with each recruit’s Symbiote. Conversation was light, and the Goblins seemed to open up with a little prodding from Cheena. Xin still had the feeling she had done something wrong, though, as any answers to questions she asked any of the three Goblins were simple, one-word responses.

As the Shaman recruits finished their orientation, Cheena gave each recruit a wood box with a blue and white circle painted on it. Each had a small attached key. Each recruit also received a satchel which contained sheets of parchment and charcoal sticks for drawing. They rose as a group and Cheena wished them all the best, reminding them to report directly to their bunkhouses with their cases.

Xin partially bowed to her. “Thank you again for your time.”

Cheena smiled in return. “Thank you. Have a pleasant evening.”

Xin looked down at the wooden box in her hands, the small metal key dangling from its attached string. Inside this box was the final change to her life. So much time and energy devoted to being a Spearmaster, only to be replaced in just one day by the skills of a completely different class. She shook her scaled head in disbelief, tinged with both a bit of sadness and even a bit of anger. She understood that the Army had more use for her as a Shaman, but it made so much of her life feel wasted at the same time.

For a brief moment, Xin wondered how the others, her new friends, were doing. Vanis, who was stoic and strong of leadership. He must be fine. Nothing could phase him. The Ogre, so large and frightening, but also gentle at his core. He would be confused by the Druid trainer, and maybe still unsure what a Druid even was. The beautiful Elf, Lena, well beautiful for being only female and having no scales, who washed her back and under her tail, but never said a word about how awkward the moment was. Lena would have no troubles.

And then there was Callie, the Gnome. Xin still could not figure out what to make of her. She was obviously crazy in the head, there could be no doubt of that. And her story about being from another world? There’s no way that could be real, could it? She couldn’t believe that Vanis and the others would actually believe it. But if she told Vanis the truth, that she didn’t believe Callie, she would lose her new friends. She’d have to play along for now, help how she could, and if something dangerous were to come of the Gnome’s story, she would go to the officers.

Lost in thought, Xin exited the tent and started walking back to her bunkhouse; walking back to her new home.