Magemaster Kargan wanted a hot bath more than anything else in the world. His robes were stiff with dried perspiration, and his grey hair hung in bedraggled tendrils.

The Great Spell cast on Loras so long ago remained intact, but Kargan was proud of the seven hard-won gold rings on his staff, Seeker: he had no intention of surrendering before he had tried every suitable spell at his command.

After an hour spent in casting one fruitless spell after another, he located the block on the former Questor's abilities, which he visualised as an iron clamp constraining Loras’ psyche.

However, Kargan knew that finding the mental impediment was one thing, but removing it was another. He had used all the power he had poured into Seeker, and he had been forced to use Loras as a human battery; fortunately, the former Questor had plenty to spare after decades as an enforced Secular. The Magemaster had hoped to be able to remove the block by a series of Persuasions and Easements, cajoling, enticing and commanding the barrier as if it were a living thing, but he had failed so far.

The Magemaster tried to relax for a few moments, running through the list of spells he had memorised after half a Secular lifetime in the Craft.

Sural's Freedom? No: that's just a tertiary adjunct to Barin's spell, and I've already tried that in the primary case.

Hap's Assertion? Orgel's Clarifier? No, they're Internal spells, and I doubt I could strengthen either of them to External form without months of research…