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Message: <blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 2292914" data-attributes="member: 1210">The Conference of Spellcasters (part 3)“The thing I don’t think you’re thinking about,” Horbin reiterates, “is this: if constructs, simulacra and such are not free-thinking beings, if they don’t have rights- who is responsible for their actions?  Do we hold their creator responsible?”  He turns to Marius the Chronomancer.  “Do you want to be responsible for your simulacra?  Do you all want to be responsible for any actions golems you make might take?”“Who else might be held so responsible?” counters the Delphin.  “After all, if someone builds a clay golem, who do you complain to if it misbehaves?”“You certainly can’t complain to the golem,” comments Alita, Lillamere’s mother and genius behind the creation of the warforged.  “Most constructs are mindless.””We aren’t talking about them,” the simulacrum of Marius declares, “we’re talking about free-willed entities that are more powerful than their creator.  We feel; why should we not have rights?  We have hopes, we have aspirations, we dream.  Why do you persecute us?  Yes, you create us; but you create children, too, yet you let them go their own way.”“Just because you can sit with us does not give you any right to speak,” snaps Marius the Chronomancer.Before the faux Marius can reply, Lillamere interjects, “I believe that very question is what is under discussion, actually.”  Marius the Chronomancer glares back at him.  Baron Lillamere looks back from beneath lidded eyes with equanimity.  “We are discussing whether they will be given rights.”  He sounds dubious.“I will repeat,” the simulacrum states direly, “that without our support your agreement will fail.”Orbius sighs.  “Threats will not get anyone anything.  We must come to agreement.”“We will not agree to the dismissal of our rights,” the false Marius repeats again. The conference discusses the subject for some time.  One of the key points is that most constructs and spells don’t think.  There are exceptions, but they are few.  Alita brings up the warforged as one example, and speaks eloquently against treating them the same as living beings.  ”Their entire purpose is to save lives,” she points out.  “We of the Delphinate spent immense resources on developing the warforged.  We poured time, money and life energy itself into the research and rituals that were required to forge them.  We did it to save lives- so that we would have soldiers and spellcasters that we could use without risking the life of a living creature.  To accept that they have equal rights with living creatures is to declare that work pointless and wasteful.“You might as well suggest giving equal rights to wagons.”“I’m not a wagon,” states Veil.  “You guys are talking about more than just the simulacrum here- keep in mind that you’re talking about principles.”But the Delphin speaks clearly in agreement with Alita in principal.  Marius vehemently urges everyone to vote against the simulacrum (for clearly that is what the vote is, in his mind).  In the end, only Prayzose, Lester and the simulacrum itself vote to give constructs rights.  Though the discussion is highly contentious, the vote is almost unanimously against them.Inoke tenses, stuck in a moment of indecision.  The simulacrum is extremely dangerous, he thinks.  It has already said that its camp will try to prevent the conference from coming to an effective agreement.  I should kill it, now, before it has a chance to get away and get its partners to cause trouble.Before he decides to strike, however, the simulacrum speaks up.  “You fools,” it says, shaking its head.  “I tell you, this will not stand.”  It sighs.  “But I will see what else might be achieved at this conference and do what I can while I am here.  I will maintain the truce until after I have left.  Will you do the same?”“We will,” the Delphin pledges.  His voice holds a stern warning.Slowly, Inoke relaxes. “But you no longer get a vote,” Marius sneers.***The Delphin brings up the topic of Mordenkainen’s disjunction, which leads to the topic of a variety of spells being banned or limited.  “I mostly think it would be a foolish waste for one of us to be hit with a disjunction,” he says.  “I am fairly certain that all of us have unique and probably irreplaceable items on us, items that deserve to be passed on and studied through posterity.”Instructor Ngise of the Black Academy speaks up fiercely, declaring that “No magic should be banned!  No avenue of experimentation should be denied!”Ferranifer, Mistress of the Black Academy and old enemy of many of our heroes from their penetration of the infamous Tomb of Horrors, lays a gentle hand on Ngise’s still-living arm (one of them is a husk of blackened, withered undead flesh) and says softly, “Perhaps if they would be willing to ban sun magic in return- such as sunburst, sunray, and so forth?”  Ngise scowls.A rollicking debate forms.  It soon becomes clear that they are not going to agree to ban anything, and when the vote comes, a narrow majority- eleven of them- vote to ban certain spells; nine vote against, and Seethe abstains.  The vote fails to carry (as they have previous agreed that they need a 2/3 majority to pass the vote).***Divine intervention is next on the agenda.  The Delphin speaks passionately about records of civilizations that have been destroyed by the direct intervention of deities.  Prayzose counters with a strong, forthright argument of his own.  “This is a trap for me.  I am worshipped as a god; does that mean that I can’t act on my own home plane now?  I don’t think I can agree with this, and I urge you all to think about the consequences of enacting a vote on such a topic.  I am not the only person worshipped as a god on Cydra.”  His meaning is clear: he is speaking of ‘God-King’ Malford. This vote, too, fails to pass; again, a narrow majority votes for it.  The vote is 12-9.***The issue of conflict mediation comes next.  Prayzose tries to bring up conduct regarding innocent bystanders in this context, but the discussion bogs down when no one can agree on a definition of innocent bystanders.  Both the Delphin and Emperor Prayzose are saddened by this; they agree that the protection of the innocent is an important thing.  Alas, it has proven different for such a powerful and diverse group to agree on much of anything.  “We should at least agree to some sort of meeting to resolve conflicts amongst ourselves,” insists Ferranifer.  ”I agree,” nods the Delphin.  “I am sure that none of us relish the thought of direct conflict with one another.”  There is a general murmur of agreement.  ”But... we aren’t going to be a permanent body, are we?” Orbius asks.  “I don’t have time for such things.  I’m very busy, and I know Lester is too...”“No, I don’t think there’s a need for a permanent body or anything- maybe just a panel that can be called on in case of need, which we’ll periodically swap out.”They discuss it for a while, and eventually decide to make a 5 member panel, chosen randomly by lot, in case of need.  This time the vote carries, 14-7.  When the lots are drawn, the mediation panel (should its use be required) consists of Lester, Ferranifer, Ngise, the Delphin and Alita.  Lester gripes about being on it, but Orbius assures him it is the price of responsibility.  ***Next Marius urges the conference to ban tampering with the timeline.  “There is nothing more dangerous,” he warns sternly.  His simulacrum stares stonily at him.  “Nothing,” Marius the Chronomancer repeats.  “You could easily destroy yourself, or change your life into something terribly unlike you are used to.”Nobody else seems to know anything to speak of about the topic other than Marius (although Lester, Orbius and Horbin were once caught in a time trap by him), but they agree almost unanimously with Marius.  Again, Ngise holds out for banning nothing, raving extensively about slippery slopes, and “what’s next, banning fireball and charm person?”Interestingly, Churr, Alathria and Vendura all vote against banning tampering with the timeline.  The Delphin, face concealed by the mask of the Delphin, silently takes note.***One final item is discussed.  “Are we going to reconvene?” asks Horbin.There is silence.  “A lot of things have been raised here that we might, in all fairness, want to think over and talk about again.  And there are bound to be other concerns we have that come up.”“And from time to time, the conflict resolution committee must realign,” adds Lester.The group grows more thoughtful over this than over any other single piece of discussion so far.  The implications of this are... fascinating, thinks Dzaram the Lich.  Especially given the moral stature of Emperor Prayzose, organizing this conference was a masterful stroke on the part of the Delphin.  Now he has an effective way to avoid a direct conflict with Prayzose- something I had foreseen more and more as a real possibility.  And I now have my hands tied as well, for even I would not want to face this group, even with Nydroth, Delilah and the Orichalcum Devourer beside me.In the end, they vote to reconvene in six months.  That’s practically tomorrow, thinks Lillamere.***“Well, that’s it, then,” says Orbius cheerfully.“It doesn’t seem like we accomplished much,” says Horbin mournfully.”I disagree,” Emperor and High Priest Prayzose replies.  “We started talking.  And we agreed to continue talking, and to meet again.  I think that, in itself, is quite an accomplishment.”“’S true,” Arion mumbles drunkenly.  He wipes a sleeve across his chin.  “Jus’ talkin’ is a great deal more than we had before.”  The conferees are outside, watching a brilliant orange sunset stripe and ripple against purple across the clouds.  The evening air smells like rain.    “Not bad for a day’s work,” remarks Horbin the MFKG Holy.Next Time: A long time ago, Lester and some of his pals went to an island 60,000 miles away called the Isle of Vuivui and ate a Chaos fruit.  Since hearing about this, Veil has wanted to go there.  Next time- she finally gets her wish, but it isn’t quite what she expects!</blockquote>

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