Comment by Adam

What I wonder about the girl is the logistics. How does she get food and water? What about those two when it comes out? How does she bathe, she is wearing clean clothes how does that work? How did the book get inside as it is leaning on the forcecube?

Either this is very recent or she can get stuff trough.

Reply by PaleSheep

My hypothesis is that, since force fields are evidently part of her ability, she has some sort of 'break forcefield' rune that opens a hole in it... But like Jonan trying to cut his mouth open, it's not sufficient to completely remove the miscast one. So as long as she has a supply of rune material to write on, she can get the necessities, but they have to be timed really well while the window is open.

I guess they just... Send in a bedpan or a bucket when nature calls... Then take it back out. Fun job for someone.

Reply by BaufenBeast

Seems as reasonable an explanation as any.

Reply by Shazzbaa

It's been a while so I'll remind you guys of panel 1 of this page. :")

Reply by PaleSheep

Ahh right! Okay... New theory. The forcefield has a... Time dilation effect... So she's basically preserved? Doesn't need food or water because biologically time isn't passing? (the biology major in me is hollering that since she's able to move and talk, biological functions are happening and consuming energy ergo she should need food, but *fiction = suspension of disbelief*)

Reply by Adam

I would argue that time dilation is not in effect. Otherwise she would not be able to keep up with the conversation that is happening right now.

So, yeah, I would go with the idea that she can get stuff temporarily in and out, but can't undo the cage she is in.

You know, the fact that she has been like this for years actually speaks badly for the chances of someone able to fix miscasts. Which does not tell good things about Jonan.

Reply by garbud

well you need to be able to get to the rune to fix it wouldn't you? or at least to the person its effecting

Reply by Adam

Yes, but if she can get stuff inside the cage (and she has to, she has clean clothes, she seems very well-fed, has air and even a pet in that thing despite being in it for years) then someone could also access it.

The only restriction I can think of would be that it filters out living tissue but that can be gotten around with a pair of iron or wooden rods with ink-brushes on the end.
Or that she needs to create another cage to access the one she is in. That would mean that anyone trying to fix the rune (where is it? on her head?) would also be trapped with her, a risk others might not take. But then you can still get around that by just having her fix the rune and providing/telling her how to do it.

How this works is an interesting question because it kind of contradicts itself. Either nothing can get in or out, as the priest said, and she is doomed because she can't get food, water, air, etc. She would definitely would have not lasted years. Or she can get stuff in (and considering she is not sitting in her own feces, also out) of that cage somehow, just not able to turn it off.

Reply by Shazzbaa

oh my goodness what is happening over here xD

I'll clarify that runes typically disappear after casting, which is why Sev keeps having to write new ones. When you cast a rune, the resulting spell could be short-lived or last a really long time or even be permanent, but the rune is spent in the casting!

Reply by Adam

I take it that this is the more longer-lasting one. The solution, I take it, is to have somebody that can figure out what rune she messed up and know a rune to cancel it (or at least, that's what they assume the solution to be).

I've read trough the archives twice but I forgot about the runes disappearing and being used up. I got so worked up about the priest contradicting himself (herself?) that I kind of forgot about the rules already established. I shouldn't have done that, priests contradicting themselves is a professional hazard.

Reply by Glew

You know, I dont think it is a "fact" that she HAS BEEN in there for years.
The panel 1 of the page Shazzbaa linked says - and I quote-
"She is locked inside that miscast forcefield for years."

since we don't really know the context, this could easily mean
"She has just performed the miscast right now, and now she is stuck inside for the future years."
Of course we assumed it means "She HAS BEEN locked in there for years." but that was not said explicitly. And I think that's what happened. You know it also makes sense that the hunters just showed up, I think they seek fresh miscasts (like Sev and that mindbender guy).

I could be wrong though.

Reply by rainycity1

I had assumed up until this page that she was frozen within her force field. Obviously that is not true. Interesting development...