[Jack Simth]

ooc:[Precap (long post): Narp has both Narp's and D's talismans, but they aren't distinguishable by normal vision; three options for Arthur's observations, mostly already decided for option three: mind control; three as-yet undecided options for fixing Arthur's problem: get from thief (shady), ask dead Dad (lots of requirements), fix brother's mind control (possibility; still depends on brother); some background on Jack and his world.]

At that point, Narp knocks on the door, and Jack opens it for him

Jack "Hey, I finished your talisman. Here."

Jack hands Narp the thought-gaurding talisman designed for him.

Jack "Oh, and if you see D, give him this one."

Jack hands Narp another thought-gaurding talisman, not distinguishable from the first by normal vision....

Jack "As for the Northern underground, I see three possibilities. It could be that a travel agent does business there."

Narp "Travel agent?"

Jack "Sorry, a teleporational travel agent; most teleportation methods can only take someone where they have either been or can see. A travel agent is a mage of some level that has been to many different locals, and can thus teleport people to places they haven't been or seen. It's one of the things my Master back home does for money. This would explain the sudden changes in the numbers, as people keep popping in and out. Sure, the timing with your brother is suspicious, but coincidences do happen."

Jack "Another possibility would be certain types of complex spells. I read an article a while back on life detection spells where it noted that the most complex 1% of golems often registered on such spells when they were active, as do some of the most complex data processing spells when processing a lot of data at once. However, those are the cream of the crop for complexity; the golems that registered as such could usually read and write quite well (and could always be taught to do so), as well as properly interperting most vauge orders, much as a human servant might. Again, this possibility makes for quite the coincidence on timing, but coincidinces do happen."

Jack "The third possibility I can think of is a class of certain types of communication. Telepathy and some thought communication spells do that."

Narp "Didn't we conlclude that the Wizard was being mind-controlled by a telepath earlier?"

Jack "Yes, yes we did; I'd gotten so wrapped up in making the talismans that I had forgotten why I was making them. I suppose that makes it the most likely, doesn't it?"

Jack "As for your problem with the ring, I'm only familiar with guild rules from my home. However, if the rules are similar here, I can see a few possibilities. Mind you, I already have heard enough to know that not all of them are - where I come from, a dead master is sufficient grounds for finding a new one, as he isn't fulfilling his obligations as your Master."

Jack "The first possibility is the intervention of a third and fourth party. You can't steal it, but there may be the option of buying it off of the thief after the fact, or buying it off of the person who bought it from the thief. Mind you, this would be a very shady workaround, especially seeing as how it requires dealing with thieves. It would probably also require someone who isn't affiliated with the Guild."

Jack "A second option would be to look very carefully at the guild rules; does the apprentice-Master relationship end with the Master's death, or with the obtaining of a new Master? If it is with the obtaining of a new Master, I have a spell that might help; it was a prerequisite for the intermediate eternity class I took back in prep school. Unfortunately, that particular spell would require your father's Name, as well as the time, place, and manner of death his most recent death."

Narp "Most recent death?"

Jack "Yes, my basic immortality class taught how to maintain onesself to prevent death from natural causes; that method is suffecient for five or six millenia. Virtually everyone in the society I come from learns the basic class. The intermediate class taught how to maintain life after the destruction of the body; that method usually tacks another ten to fifteen millenia on how long a person can hang on before moving on by extending a spirit-recall spell to continuous use on one's self. Roughly half the population knows the intermediate method. The advanced class taught how to maintain the intermediate stage indefinately, as well as how to rebuild a body to inhabit so that you can exercise the much simpler basic methods effectively, with the clock restarted. Roughly one percent of the population knows the advanced methods. They have come in pretty handy during my apprenticeship. There have been no recorded cases of someone who knows the advanced method becoming truly dead without their consent in the million years since the method was discovered, and it was one of the members of the current council who discovered the advanced method. However, for the spirit summoning, each time a body is destroyed counts as a death. If he still counts as your master, Arthur, and if you have all the info needed, we could summon him and ask. Likewise, it won't work if he is already back by some means, or just wants to stay dead. Necromancy is frowned on for good reason, but the non-compulsory spells and techniques are considered acceptable where I come from."

Jack "A third possibility is that your brother wouldn't acutally mind giving you the ring, but he is prevented due to mind control. Alternately, he could be sufficiently grateful if the mind control gets removed to just give it to you."

ooc:[Recap (long post): Narp has both Narp's and D's talismans, but they aren't distinguishable by normal vision; three options for Arthur's observations, mostly already decided for option three: mind control; three as-yet undecided options for fixing Arthur's problem: get from thief (shady), ask dead Dad (lots of requirements), fix brother's mind control (possibility; still depends on brother); some background on Jack and his world.]

ooc:[It's a good thing I checked for other Posts before posting this....]

[ July 08, 2003, 23:51: Message edited by: Jack Simth ]