The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers

Phages

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Yuillegan:
Why do the White Court Vampires get called phages? Indeed certain faeries even get called phages. Phage means "to devour" which makes sense for the creatures, given the context.

So are the vampires like Bacteriophages, a horrible viral life-form that exists to eat other bacteria? Would they essentially be a necessary evil, existing to eat mortals but also protect them from other predators, or perhaps make us stronger?

g33k:
I think that pushing the biological simile too far is an error; supernatural "phages" aren't beneficial!

Recall that before Harry had them pinned down as specifically Mab's Fetches in Proven Guilty, Harry (& Bob) were using the more generic term "Phobophage," and apparently there are very very many different kinds.

Madrigal Raith became a Malvora-style Phobophage.

None of these were in any way "beneficial" to the mortals!

Yuillegan:
I did indeed recall the Fetches but I couldn't remember the proper name, it was bugging me but I didn't have the time to track it down.

I wonder if there is a link between phages, such as all cats being feline, or whether it is broader term like predator.

Well, I suppose I was going for a bigger picture thing. Mab is Earth's guardian against Outsiders...but she is still Mab. Still very bad, but also very very necessary.

I always think back to Lara Raith saying she couldn't abide poachers when talking about the Fomor. Perhaps the Vampires protect us from the real monsters...I mean both Lara and Thomas kind of do anyway (being Venators...one wonders how and why they would even be recruited as Venators).

Con:
I mean the claim could be argued that the White Court are the supernatural equivalent of wolves or bears introduced to heavy prey environments, for a better natural ecosystems. The fact that they refer to humans as kine and doe means they certainly view themselves as the superior hunter race.

About the Phages. Titania's message to White Council in Summer Knight refers to the Red Court as Phages as well.

Bad Alias:
In Thomas's description of the Oblivion War he mentions humans in some parts of the world wouldn't have survived the obliviated demons without the help of old gods. Some of those old gods were pretty terrible themselves. There is merit in the idea that an intelligent predator like the wamps protect mortals from something that doesn't eat people and would just like to kill all of them. It would also make sense if the wamps did a lot to keep people healthy. We have seen them try to manipulate societies sexual mores through control of pornography. We've also seen the ramps try to induce true love in Love Hurts.

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