Lore/Role Play Question on a Dwarf Spirit Shaman

[Flights of Fantasy]

On another server I played on, there was a player that played as a dwarf spirit shaman and his RP was that he made pacts with the spirits of his now deceased clansman/ancestors. I always found it interesting and tempted to try it out myself, but is this feasible as far as lore goes? The class does say pacts can be made with the incorporeal undead, but wouldn't that mean all the spirits you're dealing with have essentially done something "wrong" to keep their spirits on the prime plane instead of moving onto their respect heaven/hell?

Thank you.

[Tantive]

I know only to link you to this biography of Tarina Mazir. Spirits are found in a broader sense as far as I know. I couldn't tell you which lorebooks to peruse through however.

[7threalm]

Stonesoul Ancestors play an important part in dwarven cultures, and ancestor worship is common among many clans. Those clans who venerate their ancestors with special fervour are often blessed by the birth of stonesoul children. Wise beyond their years and spiritually tied to one of their ancestors, these children are often extremely skilled in specific areas and receive insight from their predecessors in the form of uncontrollable visions. Many stonesoul children go on to become great priests, but there are others who never fully adapt to the voices in their heads and leave home in search of a ‘cure’ for their affliction.

Adventuring: Stonesoul dwarves may adventure for a number of reasons. Primary among these is an attunement to an ancestor who was himself an adventurer. Stonesouls also join adventuring bands to seek information about their own past or to rediscover ancient items of dwarven heritage from lost ruins. Still others attempt to fl ee their clan in order to avoid the role fate has ordained for them, shirking their responsibilities and using the knowledge of the ancestors for their own benefit. A small percentage leave their homes because they fear losing control to the spirit of their ancestor and hope that they can somehow purge themselves of the ancient influence by journeying far from home. Adventuring companies are usually glad to have the expertise of a stonesoul but may fi nd the dwarf’s visions to be a bit of a problem.
Role-playing: The attitude of stonesouls varies widely from dwarf to dwarf. Some view their connection to the past as a gift akin to a divine blessing. Others see their visions as an unwanted handicap and a disruption to their own plans and desires. A few become unhinged by their exposure to the whispery voices of their ancestors and are forced to trade their sanity for glimpses of the ancient past or insights into a future problem. In all cases, though, dwarves born with a stonesoul cannot change the vision seizures which rock them from time to time any more than they can change the fact they are dwarves. This knowledge leads many to be cautious in their actions, knowing they can be incapacitated without warning by messages from the past.

Bonuses: A stonesoul receives a +2 insight bonus to all skill checks for any two skills, chosen at the time the character is created.

Penalties: The stonesoul hears the voices of his ancestors in his head at odd times and is periodically afflicted by visions of ancient dwarven history. Stressful situations exacerbate this problem, and every time a stonesoul enters combat he must spend his first partial action fighting off the visions assailing him.

[Flights of Fantasy]

Very nice find. I'm enjoying my current character at the moment, but I'm definitely going to save this bit of info. for later. Thanks 7threalm.