Shamans are mages who use animism magic.
Shamans also employ the spirits of animals as their familiars. They feed the spirit some of their life force in return for its guidance and protection. Using this, a shaman projects his soul from his body and can venture far in the twinkling of an eye. In addition to his journeys to earthly locations, he routinely ventures into Limbo. Shamans can also control animals using dark magic. One famous shaman called Lucius Grim crossed over to the domain of the Dark several times, until his soul was finally devoured by a daemon. His body continued to breathe for many years afterwards, but it was just an empty vessel.
Not all shamans are malevolent. Using their animal spirits, some practice healing while others attempt to control the weather, bringing rainfall to alleviate droughts.