Elemental abuse or misuse

From: Bernuetz, Oliver: WPG <bernuetz.oliver_at_ic.gc.ca>
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 1996 18:16:36 -0400


There's been some concern about elementals being misused as super power sources and some good suggestions as how to avoid this (my apologies for not quoting or attributing directly-you know who you are). I like the suggestion that elementals hate being controlled and that elemental cultists would avoid abusing elementals-as was stated they are fellow cultists.  Other possibilities to avoid this problem are:
  1. They haven't thought of it or didn't do it. You may laugh but the Greeks invented the steam engine a long time ago and da Vinci thought up a lot of nifty ideas without ever putting any of them into use. Don't assume because something can be done that it will be done. Not every society is so bullish on change and heedless of consequences as ours is, in fact it's probably the one true distinguishing feature of 20th century society. Someone thinks of something and immediately we do it-atomic bombs, genetic manipulation, poison gas-let's do it! We're good on action, weak on consequences. Human society has always been basically conservative until very recently. The Egyptians changed very little over the course of 4000 years and not a lot (relatively speaking of course) changed between say the Classical Greeks and 1800 or so. At least not compared to the changes say from 1900 until today. (It's at this point that I duck behind my flame proof computer monitor for cover). I can hardly believe the changes that have occurred since I was born in 1963 for crying out loud.
  2. They're too stupid to leave untended. You might tell Gusty to turn the blades of your windmill and come back ten minutes later to find it's ripped the vanes off. Ships, waterwheels and windmill vanes can move or turn too fast.
  3. Duration. Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the elemental have to return to its binding object after 15 minutes when the command spell runs out? Not a very reliable power source. Great for emergencies but unless you've got a lot of Command whatever spells you're not going to get a lot of use out of your elemental.

Oliver D. Bernuetz
bernuetz.oliver_at_ic.gc.ca


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