David Hunt wrote:

Woomod wrote: Maelfaesh wrote: And why is the thinkamancer group "in charge?" Why are they seemingly able to ignore rules and agreements with impunity yet no one can seem to quite contemplate open disagreement. Its not like they have an official rulership of the MK. I'm confused why the other casters don't ever seem to want to politically gang up on them. They're just awful people.



They aren't, all the magics groups have their own assumption that they have the real truth of magic.

Remember it's hocus pocus and hippiemancy that colluded to summon parson, and Remember the entire rand system exists because the cevermancers would trivially take over if they used shmuckers.



We've just seen more of eyemancy's governing body, and they've tipped their hands more to their OP spells recently. They aren't, all the magics groups have their own assumption that they have the real truth of magic.Remember it's hocus pocus and hippiemancy that colluded to summon parson, and Remember the entire rand system exists because the cevermancers would trivially take over if they used shmuckers.We've just seen more of eyemancy's governing body, and they've tipped their hands more to their OP spells recently.



You make good points, but the thinkamancers do actually have an advantage or two that gives them power that people like the carnies and hokey pokeys don't have. That's money. When it comes down to it, every free caster in the MK has to come up with their upkeep or they're toast. The Thinkamancers are in high demand because of their ability to provide quick and allegedly secure communications. This, their highly organized structure, and perhaps effects they get out of their linking make place them effectively at the top of the pecking order in the MK.



They say they're opposed to Charlie because of how he perverts thinkamancy and that may be true, but they've got massive incentives to take him out because they can't afford for the information that he can spy on thinkagrams to get out. Their biggest source of income could dry up if that happened and they might end up scrounging for work or even marching off to the Short Pier. You make good points, but the thinkamancers do actually have an advantage or two that gives them power that people like the carnies and hokey pokeys don't have. That's money. When it comes down to it, every free caster in the MK has to come up with their upkeep or they're toast. The Thinkamancers are in high demand because of their ability to provide quick and allegedly secure communications. This, their highly organized structure, and perhaps effects they get out of their linking make place them effectively at the top of the pecking order in the MK.They say they're opposed to Charlie because of how he perverts thinkamancy and that may be true, but they've got massive incentives to take him out because they can't afford for the information that he can spy on thinkagrams to get out. Their biggest source of income could dry up if that happened and they might end up scrounging for work or even marching off to the Short Pier.

Why are Thinkamancers in charge? Or more generally, the Eyemancers? In part, because knowledge is power. The New Bargain puts some limits on their information gathering for a while, but Thinkamancy holds a special place in communications, and in the powerful linking ability.They are in demand both in the MK and outside it, making upkeep relatively easy.We got to see Bunny making contact with Charlie, and being terrified by the power of the Arkendish. I think all the master Thinkamancers got the same feeling dealing with him. While all disciplines maintain their own secrets, the Arkendish threatens everyone's security. It is just that the GMs are most aware of just how powerful Charlie really is.They themselves have great power, but have not been shown to make use of much of it directly. They keep secrets, in part so other random Thinkamancers don't exploit their full powers and upset the balance in the MK, and in Erfworld. Other Master class casters do have some pretty terrifying potential, but superior knowledge and intelligence is an advantage applicable to just about any situation, unlike most magic.Of the other disciplines, Hocus Pocus offers knowledge, but not with nearly the utility of Eyemancy, and of much less value within the MK itself. The remainder are more generally direct actors, some having value within the MK, most requiring some work outside in order to support themselves.Spookism and Stuffamancy can do real physical work, both in the MK and outside. Anyone who can make practical things of use in the MK is pretty much set to support themselves, if not make them rich and powerful. Dirtamancers are pretty strong, as there are no construction fabricators or automagic city building in the MK.Clevermancy doesn't seem like it would be in demand within the MK itself very much, but they can provide outside services and so do OK.Hippiemancy has some nice self-sustaining support abilities, plus acting as special negotiators for contracts.Naughtymancy is rather useless within the MK itself, but their abilities would be in demand outside, albeit sometimes risky. Only in rare cases would their power be of use within the MK, but at that point they could become rather important for enforcement.All casters who can make useful scrolls for sale have that option.Stagemancers are in an odd place. Hat Magic and Rhyme-O-Mancy offer services of use both inside and out of the MK, while Carnymancers are left out. But like with Hippymancy and the Date-A-Mancers, they can get by with the help of their friends in their discipline, even if their own castings can't support them.So who really matters within the MK? Power can come from many sources, with wealth being one of them, but superior knowledge can overcome that advantage. Being both self-sufficient within the MK and providing useful services to other disciplines is a source of real power within the MK, and the Thinkamancers have both.