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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Brian Moore <mooreb@*****.FAC.COM>
Subject: Re: Spirits reading... and speaking
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 1998 12:14:40 -0500
Sascha Pabst <Sascha.Pabst@**********.UNI-OLDENBURG.DE> said:
> I just wondered: Can spirits/elementals read?
> ...

In the SR novel _Burning Bright_, an ally spirit accompanies his
master and reads street signs in order to help him navigate through
Chicago. That's one clear case where spirits can read. The ally
claims that it was created to be like its master (based on the ally
formula used), so that might explain why it can do that.

In general, I'd say any spirit that can learn skills can learn
how to read. I think that limits it to allies and free spirits.
Watchers probably can't read because they are too tuned to Astral
space. Perhaps elementals who are permanently bound to a location
(via karma) could learn to read if taught.

Here's another question along the same line. What language(s)
do spirits/elementals speak? If an elemental is conjured by a
japanese mage (who only speaks japanese), and it is later controlled
by a Seattle shadowrunner (who speaks city speak and English), can
the elemental understand orders from the shadowrunner?

--
Brian Moore, mooreb@***.com | I wrote up a nice script to truncate all News&
First Albany Corp. Sysadmin | Mail sigs that are greater than 4 lines long.
standard disclaimers apply | It is still in beta testing due to an off-by-
Message no. 2
From: Jeremiah Stevens <jeremiah@********.EDU>
Subject: Re: Spirits reading... and speaking
Date: Wed, 25 Feb 1998 12:28:13 -0500
> Here's another question along the same line. What language(s)
> do spirits/elementals speak? If an elemental is conjured by a
> japanese mage (who only speaks japanese), and it is later controlled
> by a Seattle shadowrunner (who speaks city speak and English), can
> the elemental understand orders from the shadowrunner?

I would say that the link between the elemental and master would be more
astral than physical, and therefore the commands would be expressed in
terms of emotions. E.G. the master desires the elemental to help him learn
a spell or to guard body while in astral, and the elemental does it. The
mage need not physically tell the elemental to do so. Thus, language would
be of little import.

Further Reading

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Disclaimer

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Thwap!