History? Â Are you awake?
Of course, Lum. Â As a magitek construct I require no sleep. Â My power cells are only rated for another 152 user hours, however.
What happens when your power runs out? Â Will you die?
Can a machine die, Lum?
I don’t know.
If you don’t find me a new power source, we may find out.
What about the logs I’ve recorded?
Gone, surely gone. Â All the vital evidence which could incriminate you as a deserter and a prostitute, lost forever. Â Count yourself lucky.
I’m not a prostitute.
Do you have a license legalizing the sale of your body?
But I don’t…nevermind.
And we’ve established that you are absent without leave from the Immortal Flames.
None of them seem to remember me anyway.
Rather convenient, that.
Maybe you’re right.  But I came here to record some important entries, History.
Oh really? Â Do tell. Â One of your nightly clients manage to teach you something new?
Siben has a plan to protect us from enthrallment.
How very droll. Â And what is this plan?
He has a theory that enthrallment doesn’t trap the soul, but rather, it changes a person’s personality to something the Primal master desires.
…go on.
The Primal doesn’t change the nature of a person, but it buries their core personality underneath layers of obedience and hatred.
Yes, I know.
Once the enthrallment is complete, the core personality may never be recovered. Â Can any mortal conjurer undo the magic of the Primals?
Unlikely…and you of course couldn’t save a soul from enthrallment either.  To capture and transform a mortal soul is a task only suited to the Twelve.
Yes, that’s Siben’s theory.  The Primals are beneath the Twelve.  They can’t transform souls, but they can change how that soul expresses itself.  The core of the individual is untouched, but parts of it are buried while other parts are exaggerated.  If Siben is right, then that soul can be protected.
Oh really? Â And how does he propose to do that?
Empathetic magic.  We’ll use an enchantment to enhance positive emotions, shielding the personality behind layers of ego.  Confidence, hope, and happiness- these emotions will protect the core individual from change.
So as long as you maintain a positive morale, you’ll be safe from enthrallment?
That’s the idea.
Not an easy thing to do during combat.
No, it isn’t.  The plan has risks.
Hmm.  Elegant.  Simple.  Such an easy thing to accomplish but the implications are staggering.  Why didn’t we think of it before?
Er…we didn’t talk about this before, History.
Nevermind.  Accessing Aethernet…
Aethernet?
No! Â I mean, my Aethernet card is broken.
Should we deal you another one?
Deal me another…card?
Yes.
Lum, please, don’t put undo stress on your simple mind.  Tell me, how will you place these protective enchantments on the Night Blades?
Siben plans to use rings.  We’ll put the magic in rings and pass them around to whoever needs them.
Lightweight, portable…hard for a foe to steal.  Durable too.  It works.
The symbolism is important, too. Â Rings are unbroken, and the circle can be thought of as a protective barrier. Â Spin the circle in three dimensions and you get a sphere, another symbol of protection that encases the individual completely. Â Roll the ring on its side and you have a wheel in motion, much like individual personalities are always in flux, changing as they move through the field of time-
Lum…
Hm?
I asked you once not to stress your feeble brain. Â What are you dithering on about?
We’ll need alchemy, technology, and many forms of magic to complete these rings.  Siben asked me to help with the white magic.
I see.  Very well, let’s start over.  Tell me everything you know about Siben’s plan.
Of course, Lum. Â As a magitek construct I require no sleep. Â My power cells are only rated for another 152 user hours, however.
What happens when your power runs out? Â Will you die?
Can a machine die, Lum?
I don’t know.
If you don’t find me a new power source, we may find out.
What about the logs I’ve recorded?
Gone, surely gone. Â All the vital evidence which could incriminate you as a deserter and a prostitute, lost forever. Â Count yourself lucky.
I’m not a prostitute.
Do you have a license legalizing the sale of your body?
But I don’t…nevermind.
And we’ve established that you are absent without leave from the Immortal Flames.
None of them seem to remember me anyway.
Rather convenient, that.
Maybe you’re right.  But I came here to record some important entries, History.
Oh really? Â Do tell. Â One of your nightly clients manage to teach you something new?
Siben has a plan to protect us from enthrallment.
How very droll. Â And what is this plan?
He has a theory that enthrallment doesn’t trap the soul, but rather, it changes a person’s personality to something the Primal master desires.
…go on.
The Primal doesn’t change the nature of a person, but it buries their core personality underneath layers of obedience and hatred.
Yes, I know.
Once the enthrallment is complete, the core personality may never be recovered. Â Can any mortal conjurer undo the magic of the Primals?
Unlikely…and you of course couldn’t save a soul from enthrallment either.  To capture and transform a mortal soul is a task only suited to the Twelve.
Yes, that’s Siben’s theory.  The Primals are beneath the Twelve.  They can’t transform souls, but they can change how that soul expresses itself.  The core of the individual is untouched, but parts of it are buried while other parts are exaggerated.  If Siben is right, then that soul can be protected.
Oh really? Â And how does he propose to do that?
Empathetic magic.  We’ll use an enchantment to enhance positive emotions, shielding the personality behind layers of ego.  Confidence, hope, and happiness- these emotions will protect the core individual from change.
So as long as you maintain a positive morale, you’ll be safe from enthrallment?
That’s the idea.
Not an easy thing to do during combat.
No, it isn’t.  The plan has risks.
Hmm.  Elegant.  Simple.  Such an easy thing to accomplish but the implications are staggering.  Why didn’t we think of it before?
Er…we didn’t talk about this before, History.
Nevermind.  Accessing Aethernet…
Aethernet?
No! Â I mean, my Aethernet card is broken.
Should we deal you another one?
Deal me another…card?
Yes.
Lum, please, don’t put undo stress on your simple mind.  Tell me, how will you place these protective enchantments on the Night Blades?
Siben plans to use rings.  We’ll put the magic in rings and pass them around to whoever needs them.
Lightweight, portable…hard for a foe to steal.  Durable too.  It works.
The symbolism is important, too. Â Rings are unbroken, and the circle can be thought of as a protective barrier. Â Spin the circle in three dimensions and you get a sphere, another symbol of protection that encases the individual completely. Â Roll the ring on its side and you have a wheel in motion, much like individual personalities are always in flux, changing as they move through the field of time-
Lum…
Hm?
I asked you once not to stress your feeble brain. Â What are you dithering on about?
We’ll need alchemy, technology, and many forms of magic to complete these rings.  Siben asked me to help with the white magic.
I see.  Very well, let’s start over.  Tell me everything you know about Siben’s plan.