The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
Wizard Academy
dspringer1:
I think the primary qualification for white council is the power. If you lack the skill, you are an apprentice. If you lack wisdom - apprentice or warlock (depending on how your lack of wisdom manifests). If you have skill, a measure of wisdom (or at least not obviously dangerous/stupid/deranged) and the power, then you are a full white council wizard.
I would personally like to see more of the middle tier people. Enough power to be dangerous, but not white council material. Alphas are in that category as is that "magic makes me fast" cult leader in Ghost story. Elaine and the ectomancer were both assumed (incorrectly) by the white council to fall within that category. They have to be more common that WC wizards, but we see fairly few of them in the series to date.
Quantus:
--- Quote from: LordDresden2 on July 30, 2017, 03:48:13 AM ---But others things might very well stop 'everyone from knowing that they are the ones to go if you have talent'.
We see the DV through Harry's eyes, and so we really don't know what the Paranet looks like to the typical minor talent or commoner. We don't know how well-known it is, we don't know how trusted they are, and we don't know if other people are actively trying to cast doubt on it or sabotage it (in fact, I suspect that this is precisely the case).
A newly emerged talent might be directed to the Paranet by the magical community, but first that new talent has to discover that:
1. There even is a magical community, and...
2. How to find them, and who to trust once you're there.
Neither of those items is trivial. A new talent who doesn't know what they're doing, or even that what they're doing is magic, is as likely to end up with a Gregor as an Elaine, or more. If they go looking for information, they might come across the Paranet, but they're also likely to come across 38 other sources as well, of varying degrees of accuracy and wildly varying safety.
Add in the fact that some supernatural predators are going to be actively watching for and trying to snare vulnerable, desperate young talents, and things begin to look kind of dire. It's a good bet that a good percentage of young new magical talents, when they start experimenting with what they can do, and looking for guidance or others like themselves, end up in the clutches of White Vampires, people like Victor Sells or Justin DuMorne, or worse.
--- End quote ---
According to Bigfoot on Campus, it has become surprisingly easy to get informed post-Paranet. Sounded like it's basically the top Google hit as soon as they go lookinng, once people have had an experience that makes them actually Believe. Beyond that, well "Who Do I trust" is an issue regardless of the circumstances or walk of Life.
LordDresden2:
--- Quote from: Quantus on August 01, 2017, 06:59:05 PM ---According to Bigfoot on Campus, it has become surprisingly easy to get informed post-Paranet. Sounded like it's basically the top Google hit as soon as they go lookinng, once people have had an experience that makes them actually Believe. Beyond that, well "Who Do I trust" is an issue regardless of the circumstances or walk of Life.
--- End quote ---
Yeah, it's always an issue, but the stakes are far higher for magic-users than most.
A young practitioner with no reliable guidance is just as likely to end up in Lara's bed or being trained by a Kemmlerite as not. The predators (of various sorts) are actively looking for just these young mages, either because they can make use of them, or because the are delicious, or both.
If such a young practitioner is really lucky, they meet up with Harry or Thomas or Elaine. But for every Harry there are several Gregors. For every Thomas there are several Madrigals and Laras. Etc. It's shaky odds.
Quantus:
--- Quote from: LordDresden2 on August 02, 2017, 04:25:16 AM ---Yeah, it's always an issue, but the stakes are far higher for magic-users than most.
A young practitioner with no reliable guidance is just as likely to end up in Lara's bed or being trained by a Kemmlerite as not. The predators (of various sorts) are actively looking for just these young mages, either because they can make use of them, or because the are delicious, or both.
If such a young practitioner is really lucky, they meet up with Harry or Thomas or Elaine. But for every Harry there are several Gregors. For every Thomas there are several Madrigals and Laras. Etc. It's shaky odds.
--- End quote ---
True, but now there's an active national organization of well-meaning kindred who are just trying to help. For every Lara or Gregor there are now thousands of Paraneters. In at least one city they even can offer daycare.
Rasins:
--- Quote from: Quantus on August 02, 2017, 12:02:51 PM ---True, but now there's an active national organization of well-meaning kindred who are just trying to help. For every Lara or Gregor there are now thousands of Paraneters. In at least one city they even can offer daycare.
--- End quote ---
You know, I could totally see a TV show about paranetters discovering talents.
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