The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
Could Maggie have taken up a Coin?
Mr. Death:
Well, if you take Thomas's spiel about sex having so much energy because it creates life at face value, I don't see why that life coming into the world wouldn't have a similar effect.
Even if you're just talking about "ordinary" magic fuels, like emotion, a birth would have plenty of emotions to use.
Given one of my RPG scenarios centered on a birth helping to fuel a ritual (TL;DR, it was a chronomancy spell to send someone back to the moment the child was conceived), I can't really argue against the idea, and I like it as a flipside to the human-sacrifice type of fuel.
And I don't see why Maggie couldn't have given some of her power to Harry; my only question is whether she'd have been able to do that at the same time she was leveling her Death Curse on Lord Raith. Both of them sound like they'd be complicated spells to pull off individually in the best conditions, let alone doing both while you're giving birth and dying.
forumghost:
Not to mention that she was also setting up whatever spell she used to put a simulacrum of herself in Harry's head for when he met Thomas.
That must've been a full night for her...
Griffyn612:
--- Quote from: Mr. Death on February 09, 2018, 05:45:06 PM ---Well, if you take Thomas's spiel about sex having so much energy because it creates life at face value, I don't see why that life coming into the world wouldn't have a similar effect.
Even if you're just talking about "ordinary" magic fuels, like emotion, a birth would have plenty of emotions to use.
Given one of my RPG scenarios centered on a birth helping to fuel a ritual (TL;DR, it was a chronomancy spell to send someone back to the moment the child was conceived), I can't really argue against the idea, and I like it as a flipside to the human-sacrifice type of fuel.
And I don't see why Maggie couldn't have given some of her power to Harry; my only question is whether she'd have been able to do that at the same time she was leveling her Death Curse on Lord Raith. Both of them sound like they'd be complicated spells to pull off individually in the best conditions, let alone doing both while you're giving birth and dying.
--- End quote ---
But you'd be using the energy of birth to cast a spell. Unless we're going very literal with the idea that "there's more magic in a baby's first giggle than any firestorm a wizard can conjure up", there has to be a source for the power, right? So would it be the newborn's power? And what kind of impact would that have on them?
--- Quote from: forumghost on February 09, 2018, 08:36:52 PM ---Not to mention that she was also setting up whatever spell she used to put a simulacrum of herself in Harry's head for when he met Thomas.
That must've been a full night for her...
--- End quote ---
Well, if we're arguing that you *can* cast with the power of birth, then she could have conceivably (bah-dump-ching) used the birth to cast a link between the brothers and the pendants, and then used her death curse to neuter Raith, using the birth casting as the anchor. Assuming she died a short time after Harry's birth.
peregrine:
I always thought the message for Harry (and Thomas) was part of her Death Curse, linking the two of them to her magic to shut down Lord Raith. And while she was there, might as well leave a bit of herself behind to talk to her kids.
Another thing is that I'd look at Birth Magic like Death Magic. Death Magic uses energy from the victim (either the caster or another) for an extra boost. But where does the energy come from for Birth Magic? Either the mother or the child, which would make it much like Death Magic.
Griffyn612:
--- Quote from: peregrine on February 09, 2018, 09:41:16 PM ---I always thought the message for Harry (and Thomas) was part of her Death Curse, linking the two of them to her magic to shut down Lord Raith. And while she was there, might as well leave a bit of herself behind to talk to her kids.
--- End quote ---
That was my assumption as well, but it does seem like a lot for her to have done while in labor. I'm assuming she'd prepared the curse while on the run, knowing Raith might eventually try to kill her. And knowing Harry was on the way, she could have adjusted her prepared spell to include him.
--- Quote ---Another thing is that I'd look at Birth Magic like Death Magic. Death Magic uses energy from the victim (either the caster or another) for an extra boost. But where does the energy come from for Birth Magic? Either the mother or the child, which would make it much like Death Magic.
--- End quote ---
That was what I was getting at. But if there's literally more magic in a baby's giggle (I still think it was Harry being poetic) then it's possible there's enough energy in the event itself that nothing would have to be taken from anyone.
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