From:	Luke Kendall <luke@********.CANON.OZ.AU>
Subject:	Re: Information-gathering character
Date:	Mon, 7 Nov 1994 11:09:01 +1100

J.D. Falk writes:

> As I was reading through Grimthingy II, I began to understand the
> research and surveillance potential avaliable to conjuring mages --
> especially through judicious use of Watcher spirits.

Yep. Given the standard FASA line of mages being able to hear and
understand speech when they're astral.

I gather that the mage in Burning Bright also used a materialised
spirit to read street signs. Since (standard FASA) mages can _also_
materialise, I wonder what's different about spirits materialising.
I also wonder where the spirit learned to read!

(I gather there was also lots of spellcasting on the astral plane :-( )

I'll say it again: only people that rigorously protect locations
from astral intrusion will be safe from astral spying. Especially
if you allow a shaman to summon hearth spirits while astral. (This
_isn't_ allowed, is it? Somebody reassure me.)

So - consider the buildings in Seattle, and how many of them would
have areas that people would want to keep safe from astral beings.
And I don't just mean places like the Honeymoon suites of major
hotels.

Does anyone else think that most buildings in Seattle would be
absolutely overgrown in ivy? Changes your mental picture of the
futuristic city, eh?

luke