QUOTE (Machiavelli @ Jun 13 2009, 09:58 AM)

I was wondering where exactly the difference is. Basically every spirit is free and hangs out in his metaplane until called. But what are they doing in the meantime? Aren´t they capable to meet our world until called? Is the only difference between a summoned and a free spirit, that the second one broke free from the power of his summoner?
I don't think there is a definite answer. There are cannon hints and suggestions that summoned spirits are pre-existing free entities in their own metaplane (though there are also very heavy suggestions in cannon that spirits are shaped physically and mentally by their summoner's beliefs and I don't know quite how you reconcile the two). One tantalising implication in Street Magic however, is that Free Spirits are just normal spirits but that they have a growing interest / attachment to our own world, reflected in their accumulation of karma (and subsequent spending of it). Thus as they become more immersed and integrated into our world, they grow more powerful by our standards.
The passage I found is as follows:
QUOTE (SM @ pg. 106)
Free spirits are not native to the physical plane, and must rely on legitimate resi-
dents of the physical world for karmic handouts if they want to
become firmly established. Ironically, a free spirit is in some ways
even more dependent upon metahumanity than it was when it
had a metahuman master.
You could take that to say that Free Spirits are merely spirits with more of a work visa than a temporary residence. Spirits that become Free by breaking control from their master could perhaps get their first link to our world through the Binding process. But I wouldn't rule out spirits coming here under their own power as well. And if they did so, and wished to stick around, then they would be either Free Spirits or Wild Spirits. Don't forget the Wild spirits. Wild Spirits are treated as Free spirits but explicitly do not have to have a formula (SM, pg. 110). If you want to say that having a formula is a product of having been brought to this world through summoning, then I'd be inclined to have voluntary visitors be treated as Wild Spirits. That gives them the uniqueness that you get with the Free Spirit rules, but they're still closer to Summoned spirits in some ways than they are Free spirits. At least if you choose to flavour them that way.
For the most part, I just say that spirits are a diverse lot and some are represented by Free Spirit rules and some are not. A summoned water sprite and a Free sea spirit probably have more in common with each other in my game than a Free fire spirit does with that same Free sea spirit, even though both use the Free spirit rules.