The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
Some curious things in Summer Knight
morriswalters:
IMO everything that happens in the run up to Cold Days involving the Fae Courts is part of the attack on Mab and the attempt to breach the Gates. Aurora is part of that. Remember what Mother Summer tells you about Titania's purpose. With Summer weakened and the Courts out of balance the brakes would be off. But it would be a distraction, giving events a chance to play out. The vampire wars, and the ascendance of Cowl.
The narrative reason that the events happen in Chicago is that Harry is there. He is the Nexus, not the place. This is pounded out in the text over and over. Everything that happens has to be looked at through that particular lens. The reason that Demonreach exists there is part of that. It almost certainly has to be. Merlin had to foresee this in whatever fashion. And as such it had to guide his choice.
Arjan:
We have seen it taking direct control of Cat Sith in cold days.
Mira:
--- Quote from: Arjan on March 22, 2020, 05:17:29 PM ---We have seen it taking direct control of Cat Sith in cold days.
--- End quote ---
Indeed, the question is at what point did he become infected? It has been a while but didn't Mab assign him to assist Harry? I seem to remember something to that effect. Anyway Harry didn't immediately perceive that Cat Sith was infected. The reason for that could be until he met with Titania that he then became more vigilant.. So was it that, or did Maeve or someone else infect Cat Sith mid-book?
Bad Alias:
Nemfection may vary from mild to severe and build over time. We've seen with Lea that it can be overcome. We've seen with Cat Sith that it can be fought. We've also seen with Cat Sith that if it is fought, and the fight is lost, it's obvious that the victim isn't in control. From this, I conclude that it is exceedingly likely that Nemesis can only push the host so far from their natures, desires, or whatever it is that would make them want to fight.
@Yuillegan: We have a theory expressed in text that the Ladies are in Chicago because of the events of Grave Peril generally. It was my mistaken recollection that it was more precisely because of the weakening of the barrier.
--- Quote ---"The Cold Lady came to Undertown. Her court is in Undertown."
"What?" I sputtered. "Since when?"
Toot whirled around in impatient loops in the air. "Since the last autumn!"
I scratched at my hair. It made sense, I supposed. Last autumn, a vengeful vampire and her allies had stirred up all srts of supernatural mischief, creating turbulence in the border between the real world and the Nevernever, the world of spirit. Shortly after, the war between the wizards and the vampires had begun.
Those events had probably attracted the attention of all sorts of things.
--- End quote ---
There's also a mention in one of the books about the supernatural being drawn to places like Chicago. I think the explanation had to do with ley lines, but I'm not sure.
With major events happening early on drawing in important supernatural parties, certain fixed features of Chicago (ley line, Ways, and mortal nexus, Demonreach, and probably more), and Harry's ability to make thinks spin out of control and be/end up in the center of things, it's not surprising that more and more activity happens in Chicago. These things snowball.
I do like the theory that Harry isn't immune to whatever draws all these things to Chicago in the first place. I mean, what are the chances anyone ends up in Van Buren, Missouri, or anything important happens there?
Also, we have the problem of perspective. We only see what Harry sees in the worst week of his year, whatever happens in short stories, and whatever happens to get mentioned in that worst week.
All that said, I totally agree that Jim has the opportunity to broaden the geographic scope of the story. I'm not sure if the story would benefit or suffer from that. I imagine it takes a lot of research to get the scenery right, and it's easy to make mistakes. I know when authors get things I know well wrong, it pulls me out of the story.
Yuillegan:
--- Quote from: Arjan on March 22, 2020, 05:17:29 PM ---We have seen it taking direct control of Cat Sith in cold days.
--- End quote ---
Yep...what's your point?
Mira - Harry believes that Cat Sith was taken and infected when covering the exit for Harry, during the meeting with Maeve and Lily. Sharkface was watching and captured him, and infected him. It's a plausible theory because Sharkface had just shown up and Cat Sith only goes missing right after the meeting at the Botanic Gardens. Harry could be wrong of course...but it has the credibility of simplicity. Maeve wouldn't have done it openly and risk blowing her cover with Lily and her entourage, and she was busy at that point. No one else was yet infected that we know of (so an unknown is less likely than a known party).
Morris - I think a theory along those lines has been mentioned before, and it is an interesting one. Cold Days is a serious book after all. But to me it feels more like each step aids the previous step but each step is also important in its own right, but considering to the Outsiders time would be something of a strange concept, whether events were building towards something or every event is meant to succeed is debatable. Outsiders live Outside (as in outside the universe, perhaps outside Creation altogether - definitely that is hinted at). They would only be aware of 4D space-time as it relates to them upon entering the horizon of Reality. Cause and effect, living forever or not, would be somewhat moot points. The circle of eternity closed from the outside would look much stranger than from within. For example, it could be that while 10,000 years pass on Earth but Outside the universe that event also appears to be happening as the same attack in Cold Days and the inevitable Grand Finale in the BAT. Time is relative in the universe, and it is a very mortal and human thing to experience it linearly.
And I hope you are right, that Merlin and Angels and all the rest planned out Chicago as the site of everything based on this one Wizard called Dresden. But I just would like Jim to address it. Because as you point out, Demonreach is in Chicago. I don't know if it has occured to anyone, but Merlin was a British Wizard. Why on earth would he build it in America (which during his time was not even necessarily known to exist)?! The sheer convenience of Chicago in some ways is more unbelievable than the rest of the world combined! Don't get me wrong, I love the setting. But it is starting to break my immersion.
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