New Blackstaff discussion

[LordDresden2]

Something I just recalled that might shed light on the exact relationship of Blackstaff and Council:  in Turn Coat, after Harry learns what's going down, he travels to Edinburgh and finds Ebenezer waiting, along with a strike force of Wardens, waiting for news to come in so they can capture Donald.

Eb is no longer a Warden, but he's right there with the strike team and everybody takes that for granted as natural.  That suggests to me to that the Wardens, at least, know what the Blackstaff is and who it is and what he is allowed to do.

[Mr. Death]

Something I just recalled that might shed light on the exact relationship of Blackstaff and Council:  in Turn Coat, after Harry learns what's going down, he travels to Edinburgh and finds Ebenezer waiting, along with a strike force of Wardens, waiting for news to come in so they can capture Donald.

Eb is no longer a Warden, but he's right there with the strike team and everybody takes that for granted as natural.  That suggests to me to that the Wardens, at least, know what the Blackstaff is and who it is and what he is allowed to do.

Not necessarily -- Ebenezer doesn't have to be the Blackstaff to be one of the best combat mages around. He's a well-known heavy hitter, Blackstaff or no.

[kazimmoinuddin]

It is said Maggie was an expert of grey magics, so I wonder if she learned it from her dad. With the Blackstaff, it would be easier to experiment with safely.

[LordDresden2]

Not necessarily -- Ebenezer doesn't have to be the Blackstaff to be one of the best combat mages around. He's a well-known heavy hitter, Blackstaff or no.

No, it's not proof, but it's a strong indication.  There are probably quite a few Wizards who are known to be very good in combat, but going after a rogue Warden is the sort of thing you do 'officially'. 

There might be lots of good shots and skilled combatants in a city, but they don't usually join the SWAT team for an operation.

Going after a rogue Warden who happens to be Donald Morgan is especially touchy, both politically and practically.

[Mr. Death]

No, it's not proof, but it's a strong indication.  There are probably quite a few Wizards who are known to be very good in combat, but going after a rogue Warden is the sort of thing you do 'officially'. 

There might be lots of good shots and skilled combatants in a city, but they don't usually join the SWAT team for an operation.

Going after a rogue Warden who happens to be Donald Morgan is especially touchy, both politically and practically.

Ebenezer isn't just "very good." He's considered one of, if not the best on the planet, and one of the few men around who could take Morgan in a fight. Plus, apparently he is (spoilers from Fistful of Warlocks)

(click to show/hide)

a former Warden, apparently.

And remember, they don't really want to kill Morgan in a fight. They want to capture him alive.

So it's not like "good shots" being called for a SWAT team operation; it's more like Korben Dallas/John Matrix/John Rambo being pulled out of retirement because he's the only man alive who can do the job.

And that applies even without the Blackstaff coming into it.

[Rasins]

See, I took Eb being there with the Wardens in TC as a Senior Council Member needing to be present while dealing with an internal security issue.  His former job in the Council would have lent him even more weight in the matter.  Lastly, I kind of think that Simon Petrovitch was probably the SC's head of the Wardens.  Not in place of the Captain, but just the SC representative.  So it makes sense that Eb would be the new one.

None of which suggest that the Wardens know anything about the Blackstaff.

[Quantus]

Random WOJ on The Harry/Morgan/McCoy Power comparison
(NOTE: this is from 2009, so folks are talking about TC versions of these guys):

You cant forget that Morgan was also the Hero of the Council and a battle leader. He did almost take out the Red King after all. takeing out Morgan was a Huge victory for the WC. Taking down Captian Lucio as well would have started a Civil war which may have been the BC's pourpose

Yeah, Morgan was not about to win any popularity contests, inside the Council or out of it--but *everyone* knew that he was bad news.  He wasn't *liked* by hardly anyone, but he was *respected* by most of the Council and their allies, and *feared* by most of their enemies.

Harry just happened to be in that latter category for the longest time, as far as Morgan was concerned.  Morgan scared the bejeezus out of Harry, on several levels.  Which was why Harry's POV toward Morgan was so freaking skewed.  Harry /always/ saw him as the Javertesque-persecutor of warlocks and wayward wizards.  For everyone else, that was only a part of Morgan's identity.  Mainly, to them, he was the guy from the White Council who was most likely to kick down your door, burn your wicked minions to ash in fire and brimstone, and then divide you into several distinct nonentities with his sword.   The killing-baby-warlocks thing was just his sideline.

Harry does not have Morgan's experience or expertise in a fight.  It doesn't mean that Harry isn't also an effective and dangerous opponent, but he has a completely different approach--and he generally has a lot more to learn, still, before he is as formidable as someone like Morgan.

Granted, Ebenezar makes /Morgan/ look like Harry.  But hey.   There's always someone bigger or better than you, right?

[LordDresden2]

Ebenezer isn't just "very good." He's considered one of, if not the best on the planet, and one of the few men around who could take Morgan in a fight. Plus, apparently he is (spoilers from Fistful of Warlocks)

(click to show/hide)

a former Warden, apparently.

And remember, they don't really want to kill Morgan in a fight. They want to capture him alive.

So it's not like "good shots" being called for a SWAT team operation; it's more like Korben Dallas/John Matrix/John Rambo being pulled out of retirement because he's the only man alive who can do the job.

No, I'm afraid it doesn't.  He's no longer a Warden, and while he's possibly the most dangerous fighting Wizard, there are others in his league.  It just doesn't add up that the Council would have him there 'unofficially'.  Too risky on several levels.  You could assume it was true, but it's a stretch in credibility terms.

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[Zaphodess]

Hm, I dunno. All the other aspects of the op were directly coordinated by SC members too. And Ebenezar was the most logical choice to lead the strike team. It needn't have anything to do with the Blackstaff.

[Quantus]

No, I'm afraid it doesn't.  He's no longer a Warden, and while he's possibly the most dangerous fighting Wizard, there are others in his league.  It just doesn't add up that the Council would have him there 'unofficially'.  Too risky on several levels.  You could assume it was true, but it's a stretch in credibility terms.

Im not seeing your issue with this, what risk?  Why would it be "Unofficial"?  He was

(click to show/hide)

Luccio's predecessor as Captain of the Wardens (not know if there was another between them, fwiw)

  They clearly have no particular fear of their Senior Council Members leading military operations since a previous SC member operated his own Brute Squad.  This seems no different from a Secretary of Defense who was a former General being directly involved in military operations; that not odd, it's the actual Chain of Command.