| From: | Doctor Doom <JCH8169@*****.TAMU.EDU> |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Is Summoning Supportive of Spirit Slavery? Our lines are open... |
| Date: | Thu, 15 Apr 1993 02:02:21 -0500 |
Oh, no... Multiculturalism has extended to Elementals and Spirits.
All we need is just one more lunatic group indignantly railing out against
injustice, crying, "Free the oppressed (insert cause here)"
Before I begin... I would like to lodge a vehement protest regarding this
issue. I observed several race to the defense of Shaman, but precious few
put forth anything for the Hermetic tradition. Statements were made alleging
Shaman's requesting the Spirit's presence and assistance, and it was implied
that Mages force service from Elementals. True, Elementals are "bound",
to use the system's terminology, but to invoke that is to use semantics as a
basis for argument, which has often proven to be a shaky precedent indeed.
Further, permit me to dispel a misconception regarding Elemental verses
Spirit summoning. BOTH are cases involving Charisma tests. Hermetics DO NOT
utilize their Willpower to coerce or otherwise bend the Elemental in question
to the whims of their desire.
Now, as to whe'er Elementals and Spirits are, in fact, slaves.
No. The point being overlooked is, I believe, that Elementals, and Spirits,
are not being tied to a lifetime of servitude. They, upon being brought to the
Physical Plane, agree to perform a finite (and usually small) number of tasks
for the Magician. Also, Elementals are hardly waiting on the Magician hand and
foot.
As described in ShadowRun II, pg. 140
"An elemental that owes services to a mage is considered bound to that
mage, but the mage need not use all the elementals services at one time. At
the time of the summoning, the elemental is bound and effectively placed on
notice to respond to calls from the mage. The elemental then departs, through
astral space, for parts unknown. There it remains until called to serve."
Possibly at beck and call, but it has not quite adopted a servile lifestyle.
And how many cultures can one enumerate upon that a slave or serf had merely to
submit to a limited number of commands. Further, in cases where the mage deems
it necessary to keep the Elemental within his presence for a time exceeding 24
hours, that is considered to be expending one service. Therefore, in instances
where a Mage insists that the Elemental remain within his sight shall soon
discover he spent all of his Elemental's tasks.
Defining such an existence as slavery is both inappropriate and erroneous. If
anything, a good metaphor would be a vacation, as put forth by Ethan Court.
The Elemental is offered the opportunity to trek to the Physical Plane, an
undertaking which it would not be able to perform alone. The mere fact that a
Conjuring Test may result in no Elemental being summoned may indicate no one is
willing to come at that time.
Quid Pro Quo: The trip's "Sponsor" requires that he be recompensed for his
efforts, and as such, the Elemental shall agree to fulfill certain endeavors
assigned by the Sponsor.
Alternatively, were one to compare it to "fishing" for Elementals, i.e., that
one captures one--therefore, no complacency on the spirit's part is indicated--
the postulation that these are somehow weakened, or "stripped", Free Spirits is
spurious. One may exercise no influence over a Free Spirit in absence of the
knowledge of its True Name. Therefore, one must conclude that the Conjuring
test either results in the calling forth of "normal" Elementals from the Great
Beyond or actually generating them.
Further, even if it is a mundane Elemental "plucked" from some unknown location
or plane, and this applies even were one to believe in willing responses to
summoning: The tasks are usually few in number, the Elemental is free to roam
and explore to its content until its presence is requested. True, in some
cases, the Magician may insist the Elemental remain at his side; however, in
such instances, the period of service shall be rather abbreviated indeed.
After the performance of the last work for the Magician, the Elemental is once
again liberated, and accordingly return to its place of origin.
In the case of Elemental fabrication, I rather conjecture that in return for
spontaneous generation, a limited number of tasks to perform does not qualify
as an unreasonable request.
These are not slaves...they qualify not even as serfs.
And as to the Shamans asking for Spirit's presence, as Max Headroom so
insightfully observed, "Asking is only polite demanding." Be not so zealous to
judge Hermetics.
Also to Herr Highlander: Personal indignation expressed following an
accusation should not necessarily be taken as indicative of secretly harbored
guilt. Such sentiments of offense taken in regards to a potentially insulting
assertion can be quite genuine in some instances.
Colonel Count von Hohenzollern und von Doom, DMSc, DSc, PhD.
Doom Technologies & Weapon Systems -- Dark Thought Publications
>>> Working on solutions best left in the dark.
<<<
[ Doctor Doom : jch8169@********.tamu.edu ]
