The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
Peace talks excerpt indications
Bad Alias:
--- Quote from: noblehunter on February 20, 2020, 04:40:40 PM ---If Jim really wants to drive home that the end of all things is just around the corner, both Eb and the Merlin will go down at the same time.
--- End quote ---
Throw in Rashid and it would really drive that point home.
To Kurtin's point about Eb being Harry's protector, I think Rashid has done more. Eb gets three out seven votes in Summer Knight to not turn Harry over. Rashid gets the entire Senior Council to give Harry a trial instead of turning him over. The next time we actually see the Senior Council act, it is again Rashid who prevents the Merlin from going after Harry. Michael comes through with the Council's children and brings in the votes to save Molly because Rashid delayed.
Mira:
--- Quote from: Bad Alias on February 21, 2020, 04:54:24 AM ---Throw in Rashid and it would really drive that point home.
To Kurtin's point about Eb being Harry's protector, I think Rashid has done more. Eb gets three out seven votes in Summer Knight to not turn Harry over. Rashid gets the entire Senior Council to give Harry a trial instead of turning him over. The next time we actually see the Senior Council act, it is again Rashid who prevents the Merlin from going after Harry. Michael comes through with the Council's children and brings in the votes to save Molly because Rashid delayed.
--- End quote ---
I agree about Rashid, however he does have his own agenda, remember in Summer Knight he was more like doing his own testing than protecting Harry from the Council. He told Harry he would have killed him, himself if Harry had slipped up. I think you are thinking of Proven Guilty, I don't believe Eb was at the trial itself for Molly, he came in later at the same time as Michael, however it was Rashid that delayed things that kept Molly alive and supported Harry.
noblehunter:
--- Quote from: Bad Alias on February 21, 2020, 04:54:24 AM ---Throw in Rashid and it would really drive that point home.
To Kurtin's point about Eb being Harry's protector, I think Rashid has done more. Eb gets three out seven votes in Summer Knight to not turn Harry over. Rashid gets the entire Senior Council to give Harry a trial instead of turning him over. The next time we actually see the Senior Council act, it is again Rashid who prevents the Merlin from going after Harry. Michael comes through with the Council's children and brings in the votes to save Molly because Rashid delayed.
--- End quote ---
I know it's because of dramatic reasons but the Council seems to have a severe problem with succession planning. Eb might be the easiest to replace (from a booms point of view) since any top-level talent could wield the Blackstaff, but Merlin and Gatekeeper don't seem to be so Macguffin enabled. The implication is that the strengths of the other Senior Council members don't overlap much, so there'd be a major capability loss if either of them got hit by a bus.
Mira:
--- Quote from: noblehunter on February 21, 2020, 05:13:40 PM ---I know it's because of dramatic reasons but the Council seems to have a severe problem with succession planning. Eb might be the easiest to replace (from a booms point of view) since any top-level talent could wield the Blackstaff, but Merlin and Gatekeeper don't seem to be so Macguffin enabled. The implication is that the strengths of the other Senior Council members don't overlap much, so there'd be a major capability loss if either of them got hit by a bus.
--- End quote ---
Talent wise, yes, Eb would be easy to replace as Blackstaff, many wizards on the Senior Council are as talented if not more than Eb and also equal or more in power. The factor not so easy to replace is trust and integrity, those who know what he is, trusts that he will not abuse his power. This is the guy that can kill anyone and use all kinds of black magic doing it if he wanted without suffering any stain or blow back, but he won't.. Eb knows he has the power to do it, but he also knows when he should and shouldn't do it.. That kind of restraint isn't so easy to replace.
g33k:
--- Quote from: Mira on February 20, 2020, 02:52:38 PM --- If Harry gets out of the Winter Knight's gig I can see him becoming the Blackstaff, something that would go against his grain even more than being Winter Knight ...
--- End quote ---
I expect the WK-Mantle and the Blackstaff to play together in all sorts of "interesting" new ways for poor Mr. Dresden.
I expect Jim to dig that knife in and t-w-i-s-t it.
I expect Eb to fall in battle (probably against Outsiders), at/near the end of one of the novels, and Harry to pick up the Blackstaff right there, out of necessity, to wield it and end the battle. But hey -- maybe that microfiction-tease'd fight with the Cornerhound is where Eb falls? (Eb is a heavier hitter than Harry is; MUCH heavier. I can't see Harry handling something that overpowers Ebenezer... except Outsiders.)
--- Quote from: Mira on February 20, 2020, 02:52:38 PM --- ... However I don't see him getting out of it, I think it is too important in the fight ahead ...
--- End quote ---
Agreed. I'm not clear if Mab's strategic goals for Harry involve her wielding a Starborn Wizard Knight against the Outsiders... or if she is finding a way to give the Winter Knight's mantle to a Starborn Wizard, for him to wield (more or less independent of her orders) against the Outsiders.
Possibly she sees both outcomes as acceptable.
What I think we will see is Harry will learn how to "take off" the Mantle at will; it's still there, still his; but he won't be the Mantle's, and he will have other things too. Vadderung, after all, isn't ALWAYS Kringle (and very well may have another Mantle -- or several -- he sometimes wears, as well).
From a Doylist POV, for Jim's writing, I think we're seeing a bunch of anti-Outsider stuff getting added, bit by bit, into Harry's repertoire. Soulfire is a bit of that origin-of-the-universe Creation energy; what better tool against anti-Creation Outsiders? Winter powers... and Winter is the primary anti-Outsider combat force. Warden of Demonreach. Willpower (over and over again, Harry's willpower keeps getting more and more severely tested... and strengthened), which seems to be a key element in breaking Outsider's "psychic whammy."
Come the BAT, I expect all those tools will be available to Harry. (I do include, BTW, Hellfire! Harry doesn't much care for it, or use it; but I think he still has access to it, and WILL use it in the BAT).
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