"Civilization would cheat.  They'd figure out exactly what mental state somebody had to be in to absorb extra magic like Carissa did during her date with Abrogail, and then some sixth-rank Keepers would go into that exact mental state on purpose because they could just do that, and very very quickly Civilization would have its own powerful wizards.  Or ninth-rank Keepers would talk-control Nidal's ninth-circle wizards, who would be under the mistaken impression that their magical shielding prevented them from being mind-controlled by people who knew vastly vastly more about how their own minds worked than they did."

"Seriously, Nidal is not at all the issue here, the question is whether Civilization can take Zon-Kuthon."

"Civilization would cheat.  They'd figure out exactly what mental state somebody had to be in to absorb extra magic like Carissa did during her date with Abrogail, and then some sixth-rank Keepers would go into that exact mental state on purpose because they could just do that, and very very quickly Civilization would have its own powerful wizards.  Or ninth-rank Keepers would talk-control Nidal's ninth-circle wizards, who would be under the mistaken impression that their magical shielding prevented them from being mind-controlled by people who knew vastly vastly more about how their own minds worked than they did."

"Seriously, Nidal is not at all the issue here, the question is whether Civilization without local allies can take Zon-Kuthon."