Insect Shamans and Insect Spirits, are they asking for it? Options

[Saint Sithney]

When a spirit is summoned, there is generally resistance. The fact that a spirit can spend edge to resist summoning, implies that it is an intentional action of the spirit rather than a byproduct of pulling something from a metaplane.

But what about insect spirits? They wouldn't resist, because they are invasive. They want in on these earthly realms in a bad way.
Does this mean that an Insect Shaman can just summon to his heart's content without the bugs ever putting up a fight? At the very least, they would never use Edge to resist a summons, unless the Shaman refused to summon a Queen or something. That suggests an Insect Shaman could pull up a huge batch of high force Spirits with little trouble.

What up with this?

[phlapjack77]

interesting thought...

I would propose, maybe, that using Edge shows not only the spirit's resistance to entering this realm, but also to being controlled by the mage doing the summoning. I guess you could argue that insect spirits' and insect shamans' goals should be aligned enough that the spirit wouldn't resist being controlled, but then again, in a way you could say that about every spirit type...

The whole "using Edge to resist summoning" thing is weird and subject to a bajillion interpretations

[Lansdren]

I dont think its the summoning they resist more the control. Granted this is a very weak argument.

[Saint Sithney]

I dont think its the summoning they resist more the control. Granted this is a very weak argument.

In that case, Insect Spirits view Insect Shamans as undisputed masters/mothers/gods. Until the Queen is summoned, the Shaman enjoys all the loyalty a Queen would be afforded.

[phlapjack77]

That's exactly what SM says about it...

"Insect spirits are only bound to shamans by services until they inhabit a vessel. From then on, they instinctively show their summoner the unwavering loyalty and obedience they offer their queen or mother—at least until the queen or mother commands a shift in loyalties."

[Stahlseele]

So if the Queen were to, unlikely as it is, forget about commanding a shift of loyalty to her, the shaman could effectively have his own hive, while the queen does her thing?

[phlapjack77]

SM talks about that a little bit too:

"As soon as she emerges from her cocoon, the queen/mother becomes the focal point of the hive/nest (though it still operates functionally without her)....A queen/mother spirit is a free spirit...and is no longer bound by the shaman that called her forth—unless the insect shaman uses her spirit formula to bind her...Depending on the degree of devotion of the insect shaman to his mentor spirit, the shaman hands over power or vies with the new queen/mother spirit for the control of the hive (normally resulting in the elimination of the impudent shaman). Sometimes queen/mother and shaman enter into a spirit pact out of mutual interest in raising their power."

[James McMurray]

That's exactly what SM says about it...

"Insect spirits are only bound to shamans by services until they inhabit a vessel. From then on, they instinctively show their summoner the unwavering loyalty and obedience they offer their queen or mother—at least until the queen or mother commands a shift in loyalties."

That says they show unwavering loyalty only after they inhabit a vessel. Until then they may or may not spend edge.

I've never had a spirit spend edge to resist summoning. I can only think of a few times I might do it:

• The summoner is known to be abusive to spirits.
• The summoner has Spirit Bane for that type.
• The summoner critically glitches his summoning test and the spirit feels a chance to go free.
• The spirit's Force is incredibly high and it doesn't want to be bothered by a mere mortal at the moment.

[CanRay]

Don't forget that Insect Shamans are Batdrek crazy! A lot of them see a loyalty to the Queen Spirit, even before she's summoned, that's as strong, if not stronger due to free will, that the Insect Spirits do.

These aren't people out for power, they're doing this because their minds are twisted and warped!

Personally, I blame Talk Radio.

[Daddy's Litt...]

Some early works say the place where the bug spirits come from is very crowded so they want to cross over but the resist being controlled. Once controlled they still pressure the shaman to call a queen.

[Mr. Smileys]

The way I would say it is the initial drain you resist for summoning a spirit is not because the spirit does not want to be summoned but because of the effort required to make a gateway from the metaplanes to here for the spirit to travel through. The stronger the spirit the more power that needs to go into creating the gateway.

But if a spirit does not want to be summoned (i.e. its being called by a weak summoner) then it would also resist the summoning by using edge.

This may not really be RAW but it makes more sense this way IMO.

[Bigity]

IIRC summoning a queen spirit lets the shaman get around the limit on the number of spirits he can have hanging around.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

IIRC summoning a queen spirit lets the shaman get around the limit on the number of spirits he can have hanging around.

That is the benefit of having a Queen for the Hive. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)