The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
Summoning Question
Snark Knight:
--- Quote from: sonwarrior on July 26, 2017, 05:28:45 AM ---Since the series is written as a reflection of post BAT Dresden we're supposed to envision Harry as a super powerful being giving an ultimatum you wouldn't want to take.
--- End quote ---
Well, the case files are supposed to have been written fairly late in his career.
It's not guaranteed even Harry will actually survive the BAT, though.
Mr. Death:
A true name is a link you can use in the spell; it's like having a tooth, or a clip of hair in that way. If Sells had had Harry's True Name in Storm Front, he could've used that in the spell against Harry instead of his hair.
Same with how Harry uses Elaine's True Name to open up a communication with her in White Night.
Quantus:
--- Quote from: Mr. Death on July 26, 2017, 01:37:54 PM ---A true name is a link you can use in the spell; it's like having a tooth, or a clip of hair in that way. If Sells had had Harry's True Name in Storm Front, he could've used that in the spell against Harry instead of his hair.
Same with how Harry uses Elaine's True Name to open up a communication with her in White Night.
--- End quote ---
Both true, though I get the sense that using just a Name for general thaumaturgy is more difficult than a physical item, though it might be along the same lines of circles with imagined detail (as Harry tends to use) vs the more elaborate "full ritual" style he does occasionally (and amateurs do more often). We know the "type" if link makes a difference on how much energy can be pushed through it. Blood carries the most, but it cannot dry out. Hair works if the ragged edge matches up to something still on your head. Stubble from a shaved beard works but is too small to carry much energy.
Mr. Death:
It is more difficult in the sense that you have to pronounce the full name exactly correct, and for humans at least, their true names change with time and growth.
The True Name of a college kid might not be the True Name of that same person once they get married and have a kid.
The danger of a true name seems, to me, to be that it replaces a physical link and there's no way to "track" it. If you clipped Harry's hair, he can use his own spell to track down the lost locks. But if you know Harry's True Name, you could know it in secret and he'd have no way of tracking down who has it.
Quantus:
--- Quote from: Mr. Death on July 26, 2017, 03:01:28 PM ---It is more difficult in the sense that you have to pronounce the full name exactly correct, and for humans at least, their true names change with time and growth.
The True Name of a college kid might not be the True Name of that same person once they get married and have a kid.
The danger of a true name seems, to me, to be that it replaces a physical link and there's no way to "track" it. If you clipped Harry's hair, he can use his own spell to track down the lost locks. But if you know Harry's True Name, you could know it in secret and he'd have no way of tracking down who has it.
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I figure it's not just the pronunciation, but that it's also one more detail you have to be Perfectly holding in your mind, in addition to all the other things (formulae etc that he says is the base of all casting). I see it as similar to doing Fire magic with or without a rod, though it may well be no more complicated than leveraging your subconscious to do some of the heavy lifting.
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