The Dresden Files > DF Reference Collection
Connections pt. 2: Suspect for SF-FM-BR-LH (Cold Days Spoilers)
Cenphx:
Elegast-thats really well thought out! Here's the question nagging at me about using the RCVs-dont you think its a little anticlimatic to build up the conspiracy and the mystery of the connections between these events, then kill off the antagonists before they are revealed as being responsible? So when the curtain gets pulled back on the goings-on in these early books, its really not going to matter because the bad guys are long dead?
GrandPanjandrum:
I think everyone is missing the connection between Storm Front and Fool Moon. The latter is just an escalation of the former. They both are reflective of something that took place about a decade earlier.
Approximately 10 years prior to Storm Front:
Gregor is attempting a coven. At some point, a warden of the White Council shows up and tells him to knock it off according to Charity. This is likely Justin DuMourne or Simon Pietrovich looking for a patsy. They found one in spades and inform Mavra.
Mavra goes to Siriothrax and asks if he is interested in acquiring Excalibur for his horde. He’s interested, but puzzled as to how she could offer. Mavra states that the sword will come to him. He only has to provide the Word of Kemmerler to her once it does, for she happens to know it is part of his horde. She tells him to cooperate with Gregor. The arrogance of dragons never once suggests that he would lose against the wielder of Excalibur.
Soon after, Mavra shows up and starts mentoring Gregor in Black Magic, with the ambition of gaining the attention of the White God. Soon sacrifices are taking place to Siriothrax tempting the White God to send his Sword of the Cross (specifically Excalibur). Yet, he doesn’t come. However, when he threatens to sacrifice a virgin to the dragon (come on, she married Michael…and he’s a prude, plus her name is Charity), Siriothrax is about to take a bite, and Michael shows up with Excalibur.
This is a win/win for Mavra. If Michael falls, the dragon gets Excalibur and she gets The Word of Kemmerler. If the dragon falls, she can gain the Word of Kemmerler from the Estate sale as well as other pieces of his horde. If they are both injured sufficiently, she may walk away with both.
What Mavra doesn’t count on is a petty thief working for John Marcone watching the obituaries in the newspaper. Eduardo Anthony Mendoza (aka Bony Tony) sees a death of a single male (Siriothrax) and proceeds to secure a key of some sort to a storage locker not opened since WW2. He probably nicked it from a safe in the house. Obviously, that’s where Kemmerler had stored Kemmerler’s Word and Nazi loot. At this point, it is a retirement plan as he is planning on retiring in the next 10 years. Marcone knows nothing about this little action on the side at this point.
10 years later (Just before Storm Front)
Mavra is livid, but she methodically researches who controls crime in the area around Siriothrax’s residence and eventually learns that it is Marcone’s territory. She confronts him directly, which is likely Marcone’s introduction into the magical scene (he’s probably been wearing a huge crucifix ever since). When Marcone tells her that he has no idea what she’s talking about, he is being truthful. Mavra threatens to destroy his livelihood and take away his little kingdom. Obviously, this doesn’t sit well with Marcone. At the same time he decides to do a little research into his employees to determine who might have nicked this odd book. It doesn’t take long to learn that Bony Tony Mendoza is shopping around two Monets, a Van Gogh and some other stuff including a weird book on necromancy. As a peace offering, Marcone gets all three paintings, and Bony Tony can sell the rest for favors past.
Storm Front
Mavra starts her wave of terror to intimidate Marcone still assuming he has Kemmerler's Word (which is about the worst thing she could do). Three Eye hits the streets (which was part of the black magic she is teaching Victor Sells...the other being the blood curse, which she will present to the Red Court in good time after working out the kinks) and its basis is to cut into Marcone’s profits in the drug trade. Bianca, who controls the prostitution in the city and wants more, provides hair/blood/focus object for Tommy Thom from his constant visits to her girls. Also, we learn later that Mavra is tutoring Bianca in magic in Grave Peril. It starts well before that.
Marcone decides to explore his options, and takes Harry for a ride in his limo. He starts off by suggesting Harry take a vacation (paid) and let Marcone deal with something “on his side of the fence.” Initially, Marcone thinks this is something he can handle, and he doesn’t want Harry airing his dirty laundry in public (by exposing Nazi loot and theft). He, also, approaches Harry for the first time to be an employee. It doesn't go well for Marcone. At this point, Marcone is a piker in the magic world, and doesn’t realize just what’s out there, and what Mavra is capable of.
Marcone, eventually, sits back and lets Harry take care of business. End of threat? No way.
Fool Moon
Fool Moon is about Mavra turning up the heat on Marcone (in a way, a continuation of Storm Front with different pressures). First, she uses a talisman of the Erlking that was probably available in Siriothrax’s estate sale to create the Hexenwolf belts. These belts are presented to an FBI team (probably under a thrall). In the soulgaze between Harry and Denton there is quite a bit of attention paid to decay, black sludge, filth and dun-colored flies. Harry believes this reflects a worn down cop. He is an unreliable narrator in this case. It is the coating provided by a Black Court vampire’s thrall.
The FBI team is another patsy, just like Gregor. They are frustrated at being able to do nothing to get Marcone behind bars. The Hexenwolf belts open up another option, but they lose control in the process. Their first move is to kill Spike (a trusted Lt. of Marcone). This is just turning up the pressure. Marcone’s response is to try and add Harry to his staff again, even though he knows it would never happen. He realizes that he’s in WAY over his head, and needs someone who understands the supernatural world. One book later, Gard is at his side.
Mavra sets up an elaborate effort to scare the ever living crap out of John Marcone, and force him to turn over Kemmerler's Word (even though Bony Tony still has it). She uses the adversarial relationship with MacFinn and the FBI (under thrall) to turn up the volume to 11. Of course, it's also possible that Cowl got wind of Bony Tony trying to sell Kemmerler's Word by this time as have all the other Kemmerlerites. If he passed this onto Mavra, she would not intervene with the FBI, who obviously planned on serving Marcone up to the Loup Garou.
Whatever the details at the end of Fool Moon, the pressure is off in Grave Peril (the next book) for two reasons. One...Gard is there representing Monoc Securities. Two...Bony Tony is likely taking bids on the black market removing Marcone from the picture, and entering Cowl into the picture as Mavra's representative. However, the fact that Bony Tony uses a portable computer drive to hide the coordinates tells me that Marcone is advising him on the supernatural world.
phoenixjustice:
--- Quote from: GrandPanjandrum on December 21, 2012, 02:41:33 AM ---
theory
--- End quote ---
That is one of the best, and well thought out, theories I've heard yet! *claps* Kudos!
wizard nelson:
--- Quote ---Why it's not the Erlking
The Erkling is savage, not evil. He has no motivation what so ever to attack the White court (LH). It's improbable is infected, and Nemesis seems to be part of these plots.
--- End quote ---
well i've not read love hurts so can anyone explain how a red vamp was possessed by the belt or in the belts or whatever you mean.
but one thing apparently being overlooked here is the hexxen belts were possessed by a spirit of the hunt, though i don't agree with it being erl either this is a strong clue in his favor. he (usually) leads a bunch of hunter spirits after all...
Cenphx:
Crazy coincidence. I just read 'I was a Teenage Bigfoot' for the first time. Harry is considering a vampire as th potential bad guy. When the spell hits, it knocks out the fancy thermometer and he says that only mortal magic causes problems like that with tech. So not vamps. So even though the RCV had a spy in the police station, that wasnt who was causing the phone to short out during SF--it was a mortal magic practitioner at the police station.
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