Answer and Note the Following Attributes…
Do you know the personality descriptions of the entity that you will contact:
1) God, hero, or archetype?
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2) What are the specific talents you seek?
3) How ancient is the entity? (Some that have lived on this plane in extreme antiquity may be too out of touch with current worldly problems.)
4) Is the figure associated with tragedy, hostility, or vengeance? (These are best avoided unless your needs are quite specific to their traits. Be wary also of tricksters, traitors, and those adept at deception.)
5) Does the entity require tribute, sacrifice, or binding promises on your part that you are not willing to give?
6) Can you expect direct intervention from this power on your behalf or advice on how you should proceed on your own to resolve your difficulties?
7) Are you attracted by what you already know about this individual? Do you feel that you would like to maintain permanent rapport, or do you wish immediate help with the task at hand?
8) What is the status of the personality, and what rules of decorum must you obey? (Kings expect royal treatment. Warriors enjoy battles and banquets. Bards expect lively conversation.)
9) Is your Otherworld friend given to melancholy or mirth? Will you be expected to be casual in your conversation or dignified and distant?
10) Is your contact known for any negative characteristic that could cause you harm? (Envy of your existence on this plane is a particularly dangerous trait. Beware of those showing a strong attachment to worldly pleasures.)
11) Should you desire the help of more than one individual, are those you will be contacting compatible?
While it may be entertaining to witness the bickering that can take place between age-old enemies, you will accomplish little by inviting adversaries to participate in the same ritual.
12) Does the help you need fall within the major talents of the party you intend to invoke?
Be as specific as possible when requesting aid. If you wish to learn a skill, focus on someone proficient at teaching that capability rather than summoning who merely possesses that talent.
A warrior can fight but may not be able to instruct you in the martial arts except by example. The difference is that of going to a kung fu school instead of attending a martial arts film festival. Inspiration is not the same as qualified tutelage.
When finding attributes, you should have no special chore in mind that requires help from the Otherworld except a desire to establish communication between you and an Otherworld entity.
What you will be doing is the equivalent of answering a personal ad, hoping to find someone compatible with your interests based on the brief description in the advertisement.
Once you have chosen a personality that you wish to contact, you should prepare yourself to meet that individual.
Try to make a good first impression. Use what you know about the individual’s likes and dislikes.
Make the entity feel at home by providing a comfortable environment and educating yourself in subjects of mutual interest.
Do not be disappointed if you find that the first contact seems shallow or that you have made a wrong choice of acquaintances. The analogy to the personal ads is intentional and accurate.
The literary sources on Otherworld characters magnify the positive and downplay the negative except for those entities universally recognized as evil or destructive.
Make your own evaluation of your compatibility with the entity. As with any stranger, your initial encounter will be superficial. Trust comes with time. Do not be surprised if all your questions are not answered during your first encounter or that you find yourself the subject of the same sort of inquiry.
Otherworld beings are as curious about the events and personalities of this world as you are of theirs.
You may actually feel as though you may be providing more information than you are receiving.
Otherworlders are neither omnipotent nor omniscient.
Whenever you are asked to provide information about yourself or the events of the mundane world, be truthful.
Your honesty may be tested by one who already knows the correct answer to the question posed to you.
Lie, and you will never be trusted again. At the very least, your requests for future aid will go unheeded.
At worst, you may find that word of your untrustworthiness has spread throughout the Otherworld, making you persona non gratia forever.
