From: Colin Watson (watson@csd.abdn.ac.uk)
Date: Thu 17 Nov 1994 - 17:06:34 EET
A couple of folk understandably suggested that the spirit is a Ghost with
the abilities thereof. But consider this: traditionally ghosts are capable
of initiating spirit combat and are able to posess bodies of the living. Why
don't the spirits of the newly-slain attack their killers to posess them? Or
is this a common practice?
Steven E Barnes wondered what would happen if a Shaman held the spirit
of newly-slain human in his fetch.
I doubt that spirits of newly-slain are Ghosts (at least, not normally) otherwise there would be a hell of a lot of 'em around causing a hell of a lot of trouble.
It could be that they become Ghosts if they hang around long enough for
their STR DEX & CON to dissolve; but most choose instead to toddle off into the
afterlife before then.
_
Sorcery spells aren't usually picked up from spirits but instead they're learned through study from books and such. How does this fit with your law of Conservation of Magic? It seems the knowledge of sorcery spells can arise spontaneously rather than there being a finite number of instances of each spell. Are Sorcery spells learned at the expense of some other magic phenomena?
___
CW.
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