Astral Quests [SR3], How much can you learn on an Astral Ques Options

[Euphonium]

One of the PCs (Scarlett, a fox Shaman) in my game has decided he wants to make an astral quest for knowledge.
Another PC has recently had some run-ins with a free spirit, and Scarlett is worried by it. She wants to make and astral quest to gain the knowedge "Everything about the spirit that calls itself 'Midnight' to Dara O'Hara - it's powers, intentions, origins and weaknesses"

Looking through my copy of MITS, it does say that when the PC reaches the citadel they get what they came for, but the examples seem to imply that the goal is more tightly defined, e.g. "What is the spirit's True Name?"

Is there a clearer definition of the amount/range of knowledge that can be gained from a single astral quest in a rulebook anywhere?
Does this player's intent exceed it?

Thanks in advance,

Euphonium

[Wounded Ronin]

Well, the way I always used to handle it is that I would give the player the amount of information that I thought would simultaneously keep things interesting and keep things happening but not so much that the scenario became pointless.

Remember, mystical spirits and crap like that aren't going to talk like a tired middle aged man sitting in a coffee shop with a bagel; "Hello, Hank. Did you see the weather report?" "Yeah. Chance of rain, 70%. Hey, drano is on sale next door."

You can obsfucate and reduce the amount of actual info given by having the spirits speak weirdly and state things in an Oracle of Delphi way. "ONLY A WOODEN WALL WILL STOP MIDNIGHT." How about, "ONLY WHEN THOU HAS TRANSCENDED BOTH PURITY AND EVIL WILL THE CLOYING DARKNESS OF MIDNIGHT YIELD TO THE BLOSSOMING LOTUS FLOWER OF DAWN. YOU MUST SEEK THE GOLDEN DAWN." I am reminded of the SR SNES crap that they threw at you when you tried to ask the Dog totem spirit anything he wasn't supposed to give you info about..."that is hidden in the mists", or some passive aggressive crap like that.

You could also not have words but just subject the PC to a Freudian dream sequence. Describe the crucifixion/snake biting/Roman savaging dream sequence from "Lair of the White Worm" and then let the PC puzzle over it.

[Talia Invierno]

One possibility, if you want to limit the extent of the question, is to frame it within one of the journalistic six: ONE of who, what, where, when, how, or why; and allow the PC to choose which question he chooses to quest for. The first few questions are the most specific, but may offer the least useful information. "How" and "why" are potentially the broadest, but it's entirely possible the answer may seem initially cryptic, per Wounded Ronin's delphic utterances.

Under no conditions would I allow a quest for a free spirit's true name to be linked in with more general information. The most I would give there, beyond the name itself, is the nature of the spirit -- which I think intrinsic within the concept of the true name.

[Kagetenshi]

Also, under no circumstances will a Free Spirit ever, ever be called something in the form "[name]'s Hate".

~J

[tisoz]

I think I'd just give the True name. The metaplane could give clues about the spirit. The difficulty of the quest (quest rating) will give them an idea of the spirits Force and spirit energy.

Let them assense the spirit if they want a bunch of info, or let them bind it and demand the info.

[Wounded Ronin]

[Talia Invierno]

Also a reminder that the quester has to know the spirit's native metaplane before they go questing for a true name -- because that's the only place where the information will be found.

[Herald of Verjig...]

But other planes can tell you that your princess is in another castle information is in another citadel.

[hyzmarca]

When there are only either worlds, the process of elimination of fairly simple. When there are more planes than a human being can count in a single lifetime, it becomes important to narrow it down a bit.

[Kagetenshi]

Metaplanes: are they infinite? Countably or uncountably?

~J

[Ravor]

Well if I remember correctly the answer to your question is "both and neither". 8)

[Euphonium]

She intends to learn the home metaplane by studying the aura of a person she believes to have been possesed by the spirit, so she will be looking on the correct plane.

[tisoz]