The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers

Some curious things in Summer Knight

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Yuillegan:
1. Maeve moved to Undertown around the same time Harry initiates the Vampire War in Grave Peril. The implication, if subtly, is that this is part of the general weirdness surrounding those events. Aurora moves into Chicago at the same time, on top of the Rothschild hotel. But what if it was AURORA who moved first? That would make more sense, given her involvement in upsetting the natural order and infection by Nemesis. At that stage Maeve was uninfected.

2. Also, is it not extremely odd that the current Summer Knight has been living in Chicago for a number of years? He could have lived anywhere yet he is living in Chicago. What's so special about Chicago?

3. Aurora actually calls Harry a destroyer in their very first meeting. This is no accident I realise, but a deliberate bit of world building done by Jim. A buried clue. He doesn't smash it in our faces by capitalising it, but I suspect by alerting us fans in the Morgan microfiction he intends to expand on this concept in Peace Talks. And she connects it to Lea. Are we so sure Lea is really a good guy? What's her play in all this..

4. Aurora says that the Knights carry power that has a weight only a free mortal will can possess. She also relates it to influence. Harry has always thought of the power as how close it makes him to being the Hulk, how much more juice he gets. But I wonder if the real power the Knights have is how they carry the idea they represent, and affect reality with it. What I mean is that Harry being the Winter Knight makes the idea that Winter represents stronger in the real world, therefore Winter gains greater strength overall and it's aims are closer to being realised. I know it is a bit complex, but I think it falls between the ideas of Warhammer and Mouse's abilities in Zoo Day. The ability of the Knights to affect their reality and make it more suited to their Court is there real strength. Both Winter and Summer have plenty of heavy hitters. Why have the Knight? Because of the effect on the Mortal world, making them stronger both in the Mortal World and the Nevernever.

Now of course Jim hadn't fully fleshed out his World Building at this stage, so some stuff has changed and some retconned (like how weak the Ladies were originally, as opposed to in Cold Days or how Mab and Titania got nerfed a bit since Summer Knight). But I think in general these are still relevant points for now.

Avernite:
Well we know what's special about Chicago - Harry lives there ;)

Good observations overall, but I think based on SF/CD/SG especially, you're underselling just how important an agent with Free Will is for the Courts. In essence the Courts are finely balanced to a T, and the Knights can do whatever they like and tilt those balances. Plus, they're the actor who can truly bring in outside power and add it to the Courts (all the other Fae have to strike bargains which obviously bring in a trickle of benefits).

Maybe that was a bit unclear, so put another way: the Knight is the normal go-to for the Courts to prevent crazy things like the Archive being usurped by apocalyptic maniacs. The Emissary business allows the Court a little extra leeway, but overall, the Knight's there to prevent reality falling apart behind the Fae, as the Fae battle to keep it from falling apart from Outside.

Yuillegan:
Well, apart from Harry living there and it being the centre of Jim's location. Although honestly Jim could really afford to set the story outside once in a while. It isn't that hard. Certainly for flavor, if not for credibility.

I agree with your analysis, but I think there are things beyond the Knights ability to tip the balance slightly. They are given a frikken mantle for heaven's sake! I think that says a hell of a lot. If it was JUST mortal will, why not just have the emissaries? They are useful enough in that regard. I think there are deeper and more meaningful purposes to the Knights, something to do with he differing duties to the respective Queens.

Bad Alias:

--- Quote from: Yuillegan on March 16, 2020, 05:52:10 AM ---[1]What's so special about Chicago?

...

[2]Are we so sure Lea is really a good guy? [3]What's her play in all this.

[4]Aurora says that the Knights carry power that has a weight only a free mortal will can possess. ...
--- End quote ---
[1]It's a crossroads. I think it's explained in Small Favor as they talk about the ley lines. It draws in the supernatural. It might be the reason that Harry is in Chicago in the first place. He may have been drawn there.

[2]I'm pretty sure Lea is a bad guy who benefits from her dealings with Margaret LeFay/Harry. [3]Power. (Which gets shackled with a purpose, but that's a cost of her goal).

[4]What Avernite said. While the Knight has less power than any of the Queens, the Knight has the ability to use that power in ways the that the Queens, or any other fairy, can't by virtue of being a mortal. It's power + choice. The Queens have the power and the Knight has the choice.

morriswalters:
It the location of Chicago over Chicago.  And the home of the Stone Table.

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