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I found a ethical use of Mastery!


CremePudding

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So I was reading some old topics on how to stop bullying.

And I saw that there is a non-Mastery spell that force somebody to study.

After all, Mastery includes suggestions too, isn't it?

(At least that's what Year 1 students can do I think...)

 

So, wouldn't it be kinda ethical to magically put suggestion into someone's mind so that they try to be "ethical"?

(Mastery over a jail of criminals so that they reform?)

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There is a other ethical use of Mastery because Leagte told us that Healing is also Mastery!

But is it realy etical to Manipulate how one should think with Magic even if it just used to "Help" the person get bether along in the society?

Also who deffine what standarts the person sould follow? The Majority? Or the next Mastermind who force his will on the otheres?

Its a diffcult topic you touch here.

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There is a other ethical use of Mastery because Leagte told us that Healing is also Mastery!

But is it realy etical to Manipulate how one should think with Magic even if it just used to "Help" the person get bether along in the society?

Also who deffine what standarts the person sould follow? The Majority? Or the next Mastermind who force his will on the otheres?

Its a diffcult topic you touch here.

 

Just like any other tool, there would of course be moral and ethical ways to use Mastery spells. An analogy would be a knife, it can be used positively (e.g. to make items, food preparation, or in surgery) or it can be used negatively (e.g. to a harm another person). However, as Schwarzbart points out this is not a perfect analogy... Mastery is so powerful (i.e. it has the potential to completely control another person's body and mind) that even people with the best of intentions can end-up doing harm to others. While those with remarkably strong self-imposed moral and ethical constraints could theoretically learn and use Mastery while avoiding this, most people would in practice have their inhibitions eroded either due to the "expediency" of imposing their will on others or simply the love of power. IMHO, only a practically self-less saint could truly be trusted with all the powers found in Mastery.

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I see your point; it is hard not to get corrupted by Mastery. Even my characters are all enjoying the benefit of Mastery at the moment *giggle*

 

Actually, I just wanted to see how many "ethical" ways we can come up with for the forbidden arts; it can be handy building materials for adventures related to them. Same for Gates, but I have trouble understanding it. (i.e. Maybe we can find something good to fill in Eavesdropping on the Professors' Lounge!)

 

What about mild suggestion?

Instead of outright domination or something, these weaker spells are nearly identical to propaganda and stuff anywway.

Or some sort of persistent Mastery spell over a library to force people to tidy up themselves?

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I see your point; it is hard not to get corrupted by Mastery. Even my characters are all enjoying the benefit of Mastery at the moment *giggle*

 

Actually, I just wanted to see how many "ethical" ways we can come up with for the forbidden arts; it can be handy building materials for adventures related to them. Same for Gates, but I have trouble understanding it. (i.e. Maybe we can find something good to fill in Eavesdropping on the Professors' Lounge!)

As far as why Gates is generally forbidden it seems fairly straight forward, even though unlike Mastery it isn't any more corrupting than other forms of magic. The societal danger, at least in any settled area, is usually far greater than the potential benefit. The Legate has explained elsewhere that while most creatures summoned through Gates are not innately evil, However they usually are hostile because most have only animal intelligence and have just been plucked from their native surroundings and instantly transported to some unknown place with strange sights, smells, and sounds. So if the summoner would loose control of even a fairly prosaic animal like a wolf or bear it could cause significant damage or injury to third parties. So in my mind, the ban on Gates is more like a city outlawing or restricting the sale and use of fireworks. This is just my opinion, but I imagine that if a wizard lived far away from anyone else and practiced Gates magic, people might think he or she was a potential danger if they came into a settlement but not someone to hunt down if they kept to themselves.

 

As far as ethical ways, one obvious one would be the ability to study rare creatures by temporarily summoning them. In deed, if Gates wasn't in such low regard, it would seem obvious to use it in Academagia classes like Zoology and Botany, at least in later years. Also the Legate has stated that travel via teleportation would fall under Gates, however that secret appears to have been lost Eluminian magic users during the many bans on Gates magic through the centuries. So teleporting objects or consenting people long distances would also be a ethical use of Gates. Furthermore a powerful Gates spell would probably be the only way to safely get through the Maelstrom (the magical storm that separates the floating islands humans now reside upon from the rest of the world). However, since there be dragons down there, it's debatable whether or not doing such a thing is advisable.

 

What about mild suggestion?

Instead of outright domination or something, these weaker spells are nearly identical to propaganda and stuff anywway.

Or some sort of persistent Mastery spell over a library to force people to tidy up themselves?

I seriously doubt the ethicality of the former, even if it was just magically making you think about a political slogan for a few seconds. The latter is arguable, provided it is limited to a specific area and it is less a compulsion and more a persistent reminder or slight inclination to clean up after yourself.

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One might argue that all people (excluding perhaps hermits) are subject to behaviour regulations in some degree. Propaganda is just a shade in this spectrum, one might argue though that Mastery isn't 'regulation' but domination. Even if it was done to a mild degree, and for the best of reasons, mastery is still a volation of the self. If you see an add in the newspaper you can close your eyes, if your husband asks you to take out the trash - ignore it or stop hearing all together (at your own peril)... With magic? not so much.

 

From a govermental point of view though, I am sure I could make GOOD use of this spell up to the coming election.

 

Thinking of magic as a tool isn't far off really, but neither is mood altering drugs - you wouldn't start handing those out without reason either... I suppose those drugs ARE used though, so the natural conclusion would be that this kind of magic CAN be used (in the eyes of the goverment) ethicly correct. I don't have to like it though!

 

I would claim that mastery is in some cases ethicly defendable, but not ethicly right. Much like most forms of propaganda... but I'll stop my anarchistic point of view here ;)

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So in my mind, the ban on Gates is more like a city outlawing or restricting the sale and use of fireworks. This is just my opinion, but I imagine that if a wizard lived far away from anyone else and practiced Gates magic, people might think he or she was a potential danger if they came into a settlement but not someone to hunt down if they kept to themselves.

=

Furthermore a powerful Gates spell would probably be the only way to safely get through the Maelstrom (the magical storm that separates the floating islands humans now reside upon from the rest of the world). However, since there be dragons down there, it's debatable whether or not doing such a thing is advisable.

That's a very good point; I haven't thought about how Gates are more likely to be just banned for safety instead of ethic.

 

Hmmm....Powerful Gates spell getting rid of Maelstrom so Dragons come up? I smell a very nice idea for some long-running evil villain plot and adventure material!

 

=========

 

@Adrian: I kind of agree with you; there is still that glaring problem of denying freedom and choice. I wouldn't like that either. Too much of domination, and it might look just like 1984 :unsure:

 

(Tsk tsk, how about a weak pacification spell for breaking up minor brawl for court use / etc?)

 

I can see many ethical uses, but you two just completely convinced me that Mastery are way too shades-of-gray to be lawful :P

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Hmmm....Powerful Gates spell getting rid of Maelstrom so Dragons come up? I smell a very nice idea for some long-running evil villain plot and adventure material!

 

What I was envisioning was using a powerful Gates teleportation spell or perhaps setting up a persistent magical "wormhole" between the floating islands and the surface world. I would imagine, if it was at all possible, getting rid of the Maelstrom would involve some sort of extremely powerful Revision and/or Negation spells. A powerful Gates teleportation spell, however, could allow someone (or something) to by-pass it entirely.

If you are looking for plot ideas... How about a secret dragon worshiping cult is trying to find a way to contact or allow dragons into Elumia, either by attempting to rediscover the lost art of teleportation spells or finding a huge ancient magical artifact (think the Stargate of film and television)?

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Exfides;

 

Oh- to clarify here: there are few or no Dragons on Cyve, below. What happened during the Exile is that after the revolts, the Dragons lifted Elumia by magic to its present position. The Maelstrom was created either intentionally by them, or as a result of the magic that tore Elumia from Cyve. The Dragons then ruled over Elumia, entirely insulated from the armories and powerful armies of the Men of Cyve, until the coming of the New Gods.

 

Gates users have often tried to bypass the maelstrom, but this has ended in horrifying and spectacular deaths. It is sometimes said that Monteon's destruction was caused by one such attempt (but, to be fair, a *lot* of things are said about that. :) )

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Thanks for the clarification Legate. I yield to Canon lore.

 

 

Edit: Although on second thought, my idea could still be viable... If these cultists are delusional enough to want to be ruled by dragons, perhaps they erroneously believe the world below is some sort of draconic paradise. Then the danger they pose wouldn't be them succeeding, it would be the massive destruction of their almost certain failure.;)

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Gates users have often tried to bypass the maelstrom, but this has ended in horrifying and spectacular deaths.

 

If you have to go then those ways are the best without question. To have ones remains splattered out across nations is something we poor students can only dream of! :P

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