[Krsqk]

Arthur "I tend to agree with the telepathy argument for the life detection responses. I suppose it would be possible for those sorts of coincidences, but I don't know how there would have suddenly been seventy of those complex golems or spells running around on my way here."

Arthur "As for the Guild rules, they are unfortunately clear and direct about both the terms of apprenticeship and necromancy. 11.1) Once application for apprenticeship, the apprentice is bound to secure all three signet rings. Until he does so, he is forbidden to seek or receive training from anyone, with limited exceptions upon gaining each of the first two rings. 11.2) The rings must be willingly surrendered by their owner. A third party may not be involved in the transaction. 11.3) Apprenticeship may only be terminated by the express desire of the master, or the master's death. The second condition is subject to rule 1) above. 27.3) Necromancy in any form is strictly prohibited by the Guild, and will be punished with death and/or banishment. There is actually precedent in the Guild case law which deals with this exact situation. In fact, it was Rellath himself who was the test case. Fortunately for him, pressure from the Guild as a whole (not the Guild board) caused the third ring holder to surrender it. Unfortunately for me, he had to wait about three thousand years before enough pressure mounted, and I'm only halfway there."

Arthur "As for the possibility that John would actually surrender it to me willing after/because of being freed from mind control, there is a chance of it. My only questions then are, who is preventing him from delivering it to me and what is his interest? If I/we can find satisfactory answers to those questions, I'll buy the possibility."

Arthur "Just so you know, I am opposed to taking any shortcuts or using any underhanded schemes to work this out. Just about any plan could be reverse-engineered, and there is no statue of limitations on violation Guild rules. The only way to have immunity is to rank either Grand Master Wizard or Grand High Master Wizard, and I'm about seventeen thousand years short of eligibility for that. I'll take shortcuts in just about anything else, but this has plenty of time to come back and bite me."

[ July 09, 2003, 04:44: Message edited by: Krsqk ]