The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
Any news on Peace Talks
g33k:
--- Quote from: morriswalters on December 09, 2019, 06:48:40 PM --- ... Have a Jew carry a weapon forged with the nails of Jesus's crucifix, which is somewhat dubious ...
--- End quote ---
huh?
Shiro was Buddhist, not even one of the People of the Book. Sanya calls himself an atheist, but admits to -- maybe -- being agnostic (when pressed).
I mean, Jesus was a Jew! Matthew 1:1 also cites him as from the line of Kings, the Davidic house (regarding the importance of which, note how Jim is going to great lengths to demonstrate how important a Kingly lineage is).
A whole bunch of "Christian" words -- like "Messiah" and "Hallelujah" -- are Hebrew. All those -el names, Raphael, Uriel, Michael... they come from Hebrew, where "-el" means "of God."
During Jesus' lifetime (and his direct disciples) "Christianity" was a sect of Judaism; specifically, the sect that believed the prophesied Messiah had in fact arrived.
There's STILL groups like "Messianic Jews" (some of whom are mere revanchist Christians (trying to proselytize the unconverted Jews), but some are genuine practicing Jews who believe the Messiah has come and given them a New Testament).
Are you going back to that whole "Jews killed Jesus, and therefore are Eeeevil!" rationalization?
Snark Knight:
--- Quote from: morriswalters on December 09, 2019, 06:48:40 PM ---To make Butter's a Knight Jim had...
Create the most overpowered weapon in the books.
--- End quote ---
I don't think it really is, though. We've already seen Michael use Amoracchius to cut through steel like it was paper a couple times in Death Masks - stabbing a squire through a security door in the airport, and cutting through the roof of the train to go after Deirdre. The Swords are already effectively lightsabers when they're on mission. All that was new in SG was that it doesn't actually matter whether the steel blade is there or not, but it's not like anyone thought it was the physical blade leaving red-hot holes where it goes through sheet metal.
And the narration couldn't have been clearer about the Swords being relatively minor in comparison to the artifacts from Hades' vault. It remains to be seen how accurate Harry is about them being weapons, but there doesn't seem to be much doubt about the spearhead / knife.
morriswalters:
--- Quote ---Are you going back to that whole "Jews killed Jesus, and therefore are Eeeevil!" rationalization?
--- End quote ---
Being an atheist your point is lost on me.
In none of the fights involving the swords did one sword cut through another leaving behind white hot metal. I'm thinking of the fight on the train.
--- Quote ---Nicodemus attacked in the moment Michael's attention was elsewhere. The Denarian's weapon blurred, and Michael barely managed to get Amoracchius into a parry. He was thrown off balance and to one knee for a fatal second, but Sanya roared and attacked, whipping his saber through whistling arcs, and driving Nicodemus back. The Russian drove the Denarian toward the far side of the car.
--- End quote ---
And here comes Butter's, snickity, snick. Nic is done.
Snark Knight:
--- Quote from: morriswalters on December 10, 2019, 02:21:33 AM ---In none of the fights involving the swords did one sword cut through another leaving behind white hot metal. I'm thinking of the fight on the train. And here comes Butter's, snickity, snick. Nic is done.
--- End quote ---
The swords' power has always been variable according to the circumstances, though. As I said, they have cut metal other than opposing blades in ways a physical blade obviously can't on a couple other occasions, and their mystical power varies in some combination of response to both the bearer and the current adversary. Fidelacchius gives Harry a fighting chance wrestling with Nicodemus, but it lights up like a freaking meteor for Karrin against Deirdre.
And I think Fidelacchius starting to act like a lightsaber all the time when it was thrown to Butters may have just possibly been influenced by the fact that the one throwing it had the very probable spear of destiny - which is legendarily supposed to confer victory on the side that carries it - stuffed up his sleeve at the moment.
Yuillegan:
--- Quote from: Snark Knight on December 10, 2019, 03:23:38 AM ---The swords' power has always been variable according to the circumstances, though. As I said, they have cut metal other than opposing blades in ways a physical blade obviously can't on a couple other occasions, and their mystical power varies in some combination of response to both the bearer and the current adversary. Fidelacchius gives Harry a fighting chance wrestling with Nicodemus, but it lights up like a freaking meteor for Karrin against Deirdre.
And I think Fidelacchius starting to act like a lightsaber all the time when it was thrown to Butters may have just possibly been influenced by the fact that the one throwing it had the very probable spear of destiny - which is legendarily supposed to confer victory on the side that carries it - stuffed up his sleeve at the moment.
--- End quote ---
This^^
The swords, like Mouse, like pretty much any really significant power - are incredible and unstoppable in the right circumstances. Mouse powered up by the Carpenter house is much stronger than when powered up by Dresden's poor threshold ("from the Thing to the Hulk" WOJ). The Archangels and the Mothers and the Walkers are incredibly powerful, but only in very specific situations. Choice seems to unlock the power, but so does destiny (which one could argue is the result of a line of choices - no wonder you can't fight fate). Harry was never a Knight of the Cross, and so could never wield a blade like one. Although I do admit, Jim does seem to vary the powers of the Swords a lot. Early Michael was way less powerful than later Michael, despite the damaged leg. Karen makes them all look pitiful, and despite Shiro supposedly being a Sword-Saint we never saw him unleash the way Karen did. Sanya is as true KotC but has he ever been as strong as the others? A good argument might be that Jim needed to super-charge them for the writing later in the series as events demanded. Also perhaps one could argue as the stakes get higher, so does the power of the swords increase (we are getting close to the end of the world).
But mostly it seems situational, and not always obvious. Sanya does more than merely kill armies of baddies - he provides Hope when all hope is lost. He carried the burden of being the sole KotC when none were available. And he did not fail or falter or shirk his duties. That isn't nothing. In some ways, it is greater than any one act of combat we have seen so far. Like in Lord of the Rings, it is the little things that make the difference.
The fact that Harry carried the Spear of Destiny (or Longinus) is definitely worth remembering. The power to warp reality and probability so that all conflicts go your way? Greater than any of those swords or any spell that we have seen. Perhaps it supercharged Butter's sword, perhaps not (which is likely considering it functionally worked the same in the short story). But the fact that Harry carried it with him in hopeless odds, and won, should not be overlooked.
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