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What happens if two warring magicians "hire" the same demon?

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04:26 / 04.05.05

Upon re-reading some of the earlier issues of "Promethea" I was interested in the storyline where Solomon employs all of the Goetic demons in an attempt to destroy Promethea. What I couldn't help but wonder, however, is what if Promethea had employed the very same demons to destroy Solomon? Wouldn't this create a sort of "conflict of interest" for the demons in question? Of course, you could say that Solomon had been working with the demons longer and probably had more to offer them, so, with that in mind, here's a hypothetical situation:

This is a far-fetched scenario, but: Let's say we have two magicians who are at the same skill level and have been working with a particular Goetic demon for many years now, and thus both have a sort of rapport with it. Now, let's say that, for whatever reason, these two magicians get into magical warfare with each other. Let's say that, on the same day, at the same time, they both evoke this demon to destroy their enemy, and let's get even more far-fetched and say that both of these magicians offer this demon the very same thing if the demon goes through with the request.

Obviously a spirit/angel/god/demon can be at more then one place at once (for example, I'm sure that as I'm typing this there have to be at least two people evoking Pan at this moment). And of course, some of these entities assume different poses/characteristics depending on the magician they're working with and how their nervous system interprets the event. But, in the above scenario, how would the demon chose which magician to serve if both are basically the same and are offering it the same thing? Are these entities of one mind (if so, the overall mind would realize it would be folly to carry out both requests, as it would gain nothing), or, if it's different aspects of an entity acting independently under a common archetype/name, would it not be able to realize the paradox of it's situation? Or would it just play favorites (maybe tell the magicians to up the ante?)

I know, it's a silly question but I'm curious as to what you think.

Unconditional Love

05:59 / 04.05.05

personally if it was me they had summoned, sounds like it could be alot of fun, dont ya think. id take great pleasure in fucking them both up, wouldnt you?

06:43 / 04.05.05

I think in a sense this is a re-statement of the "are entities real? What, really real??" question. As someone put it to Crowley "do angels cut themselves shaving?". If you get out of seeing them as real and discreet entities with the same sort of identity as us, then it's not so much of a problem.

'Course, the real way to find out is to actually do it.

06:45 / 04.05.05

ie. Have something experiential to draw on as opposed to pure speculation based on reading comics

08:22 / 04.05.05

I'd say that the demon would destroy both of them, thus getting out of the infuriating situation of being forced to do something. It would get quite a laugh........

Putting all of that aside, it is an assumption to believe that a demon couldn't play both sides at the same time. Hell, we do it all the time.

10:37 / 04.05.05

What happens if two warring magicians "hire" the same demon?

Go out and hire Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo. Or A Fistful of Dollars. The same scenario only with a samurai and gunfighter respectively.

rising and revolving

12:19 / 04.05.05

To me, this is the same as asking "If I turn on a tap in Montreal, and my mate turns on a tap in Sydney, can we both throw buckets of water at each other?"

As Liquid said - it's only a problem if you think of Goetics being people. Sitting around twiddling their thumbs and reading the paper until someone calls them.

Here's a question. If you already know that demons can be in the same place at the same time, would this situation be any different if the magicians call the demons on different days? How about if someone sics a Goetic on me 20 years ago and I ask it for help today?

Why is this any different, if time and temporality are mere illusion to these lads?

13:11 / 04.05.05

This is a far-fetched scenario, but: Let's say we have two magicians who are at the same skill level

I think this is a bit wierd, because it's kind of an impossible question. If I had to say something I'd say that the strongest mind would win, but if they're at the same level then you know, they would have equally strong minds.

I think a rift would be created and a higher power would have to step in and decide which magician would lose.

trouser the trouserian

15:18 / 04.05.05

I think a rift would be created and a higher power would have to step in and decide which magician would lose.

You make it sound like Celebrity Deathmatch ...

16:26 / 04.05.05

If Clint Eastwood and Toshirô Mifune are involved it couldn't be anything other than Celebrity Deathmatch.

Last time I argued properly with my brother a rift formed, and a higher power called elseware intervened. So based on my experience that is always what will happen.

19:37 / 04.05.05

I'm not trying to be blunt, but I don't care how daft it sounds. Maybe it sounds stupid, but I honestly believe that that's what would happen, so I posted it.

The whole situation is an almost impossibility anyway, how many two magicians are exactly matched? Anyway, if you don't like it, post what you think'd happen yourself. I'd be happy to read a better take on it, I guess that's what the thread is about.

19:45 / 04.05.05

And just to add : the higher power doesn't have to be god or goddess almighty, it could be the demon the two of them have summoned that makes the decision. Make of that what you will.

And if Clint had a .44 Magnum on him, he'd win the Deathmatch. And don't even try and argue that one. I even googled 'Dirty Harry Magnum' to find the exact name of the gun.

19:58 / 04.05.05

I think a rift would be created and a higher power would have to step in and decide which magician would lose.

Hmm, like The Fates, perhaps?

trouser the trouserian

03:33 / 05.05.05

Would it make a difference if one of the magicians was wearing a polyester robe and the t'other was wearing spandex?

05:40 / 05.05.05

Maybe it sounds stupid, but I honestly believe that that's what would happen, so I posted it.

I think what people are trying to point out by taking the piss, is that this thread is just an exercise in imaginative thinking. The fact that it's all speculative, entirely based on wot u recon, prevents it from being either interesting or informative.

This kind of thread is one of the reasons so many 'lithers shun this forum.

12:02 / 05.05.05

I think what people are trying to point out by taking the piss, is that this thread is just an exercise in imaginative thinking.

Yeah I know, I don't even know why I posted in it. That's what I was getting at when I was saying it's an almost impossible situation : there's nothing that could be applied practically from it.

Bah, fuck it.

Sypha : why have you made this thread anyway? I just think it's a bit wierd that you're asking something as obscure as this just after you said you weren't posting in here anymore. Was this connected to a story you're writing or something? I'm a bit puzzled thinking of many other reason's as to why you'd ask something like this.