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Message no. 1
From: Jeffrey Mach <mach@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Magic, anyone?
Date: Sun, 27 Jul 1997 23:32:41 -0700
>>>>>[I'm looking to join a magical group in the Seattle area. Don't
bother to respond if you have a problem with Kaballa or wetwork is your
idea of a good time. I'm a full hermetic, but I prefer summoning and
ritual magic to spellslinging. And before you have to ask why I'm running
the shadows, I'll just say there are certain blots on my record that made
me less of an interest to the corps as an asset, and more as a "deniable
asset." But I'd rather not sell my soul, and we will have to let that be
that.]<<<<<
-- Michael <21:32:12/07-27-58 PDT>
Message no. 2
From: Jaimie Nicholson <jaimie.nicholson@********.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Magic, anyone?
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 1997 13:18:47 +1200
*****PRIVATE: Michael
>>>>>[No idea what a Kaballah is, so I guess I can't have much of a problem
with it. Wetwork... hmmm... I'm a shark shaman, but I'm the only one in the
group, and I try to restrain myself. As for soul-selling, I guess you mean
that figuratively, as in to whoever runs the group, but there doesn't seem
to be any of that here. I am employed as a security guard at SEA-TAC
airport, and the group doesn't clash with that (it hasn't yet anyway).

The only problem is that most of the guys are out of town at the moment.
Other than me there are an elf hermetic, a human Tiger shaman, and a sort
of free spirit thing. I'm a troll, BTW. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is
that testing you for membership compatibility might have to wait, if you
decide you want to join us. If you do want to meet to discuss it further,
that's fine, name a time and place.]<<<<<
-- ThunderStone <19:08:40/07-28-58>
Message no. 3
From: Jeffrey Mach <mach@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Magic, anyone?
Date: Mon, 28 Jul 1997 20:14:08 -0700
*****PRIVATE: ThunderStone
>>>>>[You guys seem to have a pretty eclectic group. Guess I might fit
in.... But if, as you say, most of the group is out of town, then I
suppose a formal introduction to the group to see if we can be compatible
can wait a while. I'm currently keeping my options open, as they say.

The soul-selling I mentioned completely figurative...although you never
know with some of these corps. A former friend or two has went that
route, and lets just say there are some corps who are nearly as suspicious
of their own magical assets as they are of the opposition: taking ritual
samples, throwing in the toilet any semblance of respect for privacy, etc.
Not to mention having to constantly toe the company line.

As for what Kaballa is (not "a" Kaballa), it is more a way of looking at
the universe than a magical system. While most hermetics unravel the
mystery of magic from the bottom up, we tend to go the other way. As one
of my instructors put it, "Our goal is, in our own limited way, to
understand the mind of God. The rest should follow easily." Having a
tradition rooted in millenia old Judeo-Christian religious mysticism rubs
some mages the wrong way, but what can I say, it works for me. While I'm
an awful evangelist, I'd be willing to discus magical theory any time you
are. Let's just say I haven't met many Shark shamans.

I've gotten offers from the Neo-Masons (too stuffy), Golden Century (too
weird), Brothers of the Mind of Christ (too celibate), and the like. But,
I'm not too interested in that sort of thing. If I really wanted to be
somebody's mindless subordinate for the next thirty years, I'd still be in
college. On the other hand, I am looking to join a group that does find a
way to support itself with a decent living. I've got bills to pay and
such.

I'd also like to hear more about the free spirit, if I could. What
exactly is she/he/it? Mild curiousity, if anything. Most such beings
tend not to be too talkative about themselves, but meeting a free spirit,
if anything, is something that makes me curious to at least meet you guys.

So, like I said, I'm currently keeping my options and eyes open. Can we
set up some sort of meet for when at least most of the group is back in
town? Oh, and by the by, when we meet, the name's pronounced:
MEE-khai-el. And, no, that isn't my real name, but who uses those anyway
these days?]<<<<<
-- Michael <20:13:57/07--28-58 PDT>
Message no. 4
From: Jaimie Nicholson <jaimie.nicholson@********.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Magic, anyone?
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997 10:53:11 +1200
*****PRIVATE: Michael
>>>>>[I don't get the ritual sample/no privacy thing too much in my line
of work, I'm not employed as a wage mage (no degree, no license), just as a
security guard. But I've seen some of that up on the magical security
floor.

Christian, huh? As a Troll shaman, I'll have to control my prejudices
regarding that particular religion.

The group doesn't make much money by being a group, we've all got our
individual ways of making ends meet, but it doesn't cost us much to run it,
either. We have a sort of a friend in high places kind of thing. I can't
really reveal much though, since you haven't even met the rest of the
group.

The free spirit... I don't know much about it personally, but it's not what
I expected. Shark tells me that spirits are part of nature, all knowing,
but this is different. It's almost like a spirit of man in a way, limited
in it's sphere of knowledge and influence. It takes the form of a rat
usually, and hangs around with a vaguely magophobic, highly paranoid decker
who calls himself Squatter (and has habits to match the name).

If it isn't your real name, why do you care how it's pronounced?
ThunderStone, BTW, is a translation, the accuracy of which I don't know, of
my name. I;ve been thinking about changing it to something sharkish, but
Great White would be pretty cheesy, as would Sea Wolf.]<<<<<
-- ThunderStone <16:33:59/07-29-58>
Message no. 5
From: Jeffrey Mach <mach@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Magic, anyone?
Date: Tue, 29 Jul 1997 23:14:48 -0700
*****PRIVATE: ThunderStone
>>>>>[Well, I guess then, I'll have to control my prejudices regarding
people who have to control their prejudices regarding my religion. Just
so I know what part I am being judged on before we meet, is it because you
are a troll, or a shaman? I will admit to being a bit wary of anybody
with a fist the size of my head, if they happen to decide I am in some way
offensive of them. But I am not one to assume a Troll, for being a Troll
is a necessarily bad person as my faith demands and life on the outside of
the majority has taught me. And for the reason that I know so little and
understand much less about shamans, I'd say the word that describes my
feelings about shamans is curiousity and not fear or hatred.

It was only three years after the appearance of your metatype that the
Church embraced _In Imago Dei_ as written by Pope John the 25th. While I
will agree that there are members of the Catholic faith that still live in
fear of what has been called "the Awakening" and what it brought with it--
I should know, being a mage caused enough stigma with certain people for
me--I am glad that my faith stayed true to its original teachings
that people be judged by what they do and what is in their heart.

I guess I would similarly have to say I am a bit wary of somone who claims
to draw their magic from the most feared predator of the seas. But that
is because I don't know you too well, do I? I have read and heard some
things about shamans in general, and shark shamans in particular, and am
interested in hearing more, because--given the...cloistered nature of my
education--some of the fiction is hard to separate from the fact. But
again, I hope to say I am a good enough person to judge you on the way you
conduct yourself and not by what you are. However, I will be the first to
admit that one does not always live up to one's own expectations. We'll
see.

On a more business related note, I guess your group's idea makes sense.
There are some groups out there that basically take your life savings for
the "honor" of being part of their group either in a lump or just trickle
it out of you in dues. Others demand you pay your way by working
exclusively for the group. Since I am right now unfer-employed, perhaps
we can use part of the meeting to discuss how the others make ends meet.
Don't suppose SEA-TAC has room for another mage without his Th.D.?

The rat free spirit sounds intriguing. When you said it was a rat, and
the sympatico I've heard exists between spirits of man and rat shamans, I
suppose it might be a free spirit of man, but I doubt it would be too
talkative about its origins.

Finally, about the name. Well, it's an affectation. It's pretty close to
the original pronunciation the name of a certain fellow, you may have
heard of a few of his associates: Gabriel, Uriel, Raphael. If you don't
get the reference, don't worry. I just tend not to be to talkative about
my past, family relations in the like. Just in case I ever do something
royally stupid and have to pay the piper, I'd rather have the buck stop
with me and not anybody else I care about. As for a more apropriate name,
ever consider Carcharias? It's from the Latin taxonimic name for the
Great White ('though it does sound a bit like a Roman governor). Ancient
languages are a bit of a hobby of mine, which is why I suggest it.

I look forward to the meeting.]<<<<<
-- Michael <21:15:45/07-29-58 PDT>
Message no. 6
From: Jaimie Nicholson <jaimie.nicholson@********.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Magic, anyone?
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 10:30:56 +1200
*****PRIVATE: Michael
>>>>>[I tend not to like christianity mostly because I'm a Troll, the
shaman issue is of a lesser extent. But there's no point in going on about
past wrongs and so on, that's the kind of drek that has us prejudging each
other already.

_Only_ 3 years? Yeah, okay, the pope admitted the human part of metahuman,
but what was that, about 15 years after the first elves and dwarves? I'm
finding it very hard not to get bitter and sarcastic about that, so I
suggest we agree to disagree about religion, and leave it at that.

As to drawing my magic from Shark, he found me, not vice versa. And if that
makes you a bit wary, then sometimes it scares the hell out of me.

I think the Rat is elemental in origin, but it sort of gives me the creeps
that they can go free. They don't seem alive when they're conjured by you
guys. The whole concept of elemental spirits gives me trouble actually.
Speaking of which, did you learn to conjure? I seem to recall vague rumors
about the church having reservations about that process.

Names... those guys are angels, aren't they? Sometimes I wish I'd had a
more rounded education. Carcharias? It might come off like I'm some sort of
wannabe intellectual. But taxonomy sounds like a good source... have to
think about it some more.

Anyway, the Rat is back, and with him and me we can probably check you out
for membership... time and place?]<<<<<
-- ThunderStone <16:20:38/07-30-58>
Message no. 7
From: Jeffrey Mach <mach@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Magic, anyone?
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 1997 18:42:17 -0700
*****PRIVATE: ThunderStone
>>>>>[Weird...an elemental that likes to look like a rat...unless it was
somebody's ally...then that makes sense. I've seen fire elementals look
like serpents, afreet, and just fireballs, so I guess they aren't too
limited in appearance. But allies take their appearance from what their
conjurer wanted them to look like, so they can look like just about
anything. If it was a mistreated ally, then it makes even more sense for
it to hang out with a mageophobic decker. I suppose it hangs around you
mages for an occasional power boost, eh? As for spirits, word is just
about anything better than a watcher can go free, and the stronger they
are, the more likely they will, either by konking you out by a tough
summoning, or else by breaking away when you are weak.

As you might have guessed by the above, I am a summoner...and yes, the
Church is rather restrictive about who it feels comfortable being a
summoner. The gist of it, as I learned it, is that spirits seem to be
intelligent, and abuse of an intelligent creature is just not good.
Basically, they want to be sure you understand that bending a being to
your will and then forcing it to commit an act of evil is even worse than
doing it yourself. That, and since playing with spirits is something the
theologians are still getting headaches over, means that they'd rather not
have just any Tom, Dick, or Harriet yanking spirits from the metaplanes on
the slightest whim. The restrictions aren't as draconian now as when the
Awakening was listed under "current events." I went through "Multa filii
Dei" and they seem to be sure enough of me that I passed. But as for your
comment about elementals seeming dead...I guess I'll have to disagree
based on what I know. And I know spirits (er, elementals) probably better
than I do people in general. Me, I don't understand how beings composed
of what is supposed to be the fabric of reality itself are limited by
vague environmental boundaries or solar cycles like--so called--nature
spirits. I am still a little annoyed with the choice of names too. What
makes a being composed of one of the four prime elements any less
"natural" than a spirit that lives in a forest. But, I digress.

You were right about the names. And well, I tried to have a rounded
education, and all it got me were big loans and a mind full of a lot of
junk among the handful of useful tidbits.

Where to meet? Hmmm...I know a good place to eat that doesn't mind a
couple elementals hanging out in astral space, nor probably an astral rat
called >>encrypted<< at >>encrypted<<, but you might find the
portions a
bit small. It's not that I mistrust you two, it's just that I don't know
you well enough to trust you, so thanks for letting me call the meet on
turf of my choosing. Can we meet there tomorrow at noon for lunch? I'd
also suggest not doing anything aggressive. The place tends to cater to
the Th.D. crowd and they don't take too kindly to people of ill intent,
but being a troll, you'll hardly be the most unusual person in the
place.]<<<<<
-- Michael <18:37:42/07-30-58 PDT>
Message no. 8
From: Jaimie Nicholson <jaimie.nicholson@********.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Magic, anyone?
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 14:28:52 +1200
*****PRIVATE: Michael
>>>>>[The meeting place sounds cool... as to the rest, we can argue that
out face to face (where I can make use of the fact that, as a Troll, I can
shout louder than most).]<<<<<
-- ThunderStone <20:27:39/07-30-58>
Message no. 9
From: Jeffrey Mach <mach@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Magic Anyone?
Date: Tue, 5 Aug 1997 20:26:39 -0700
*****PRIVATE: ThunderStone
>>>>>[So, like, I haven't heard from you in a few days. I know if I was
applying for a job, I wouldn't want to pester people to find out how I did
on the interview, but since your group is pretty small, I was wondering if
you had a chance to talk to the others (are they even back in town yet?)
and decided what you thought. I got another offer I'm considering, but
your guys' facilities are better, and if anything, you seem to be a more
interesting bunch.

What's the word?]<<<<<
-- Michael <20:21:48/08-05-58 PDT>
Message no. 10
From: Jaimie Nicholson <jaimie.nicholson@********.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Magic Anyone?
Date: Thu, 7 Aug 1997 10:45:44 +1200
*****PRIVATE: Michael
>>>>>[You're accepted, I guess. Come on down to >>address<<
anytime tomorrow,
someone should be around.]<<<<<
-- ThunderStone <16:44:43/08-06-58>

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