The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers

Thoughts on Simon Petrovich being Cowl

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Yuillegan:
I don't necessarily think that Simon isn't Cowl. But I am not entirely convinced he isn't Justin either.

Jim often says people who are prime candidates are dead. But he also actively lies to us, and he also says death is a spectrum not a line. Dead isn't the same as gone.

So as far as I am concerned, being dead doesn't rule ANYONE out.

I will play devil's advocate though, for the sake of argument.

Simon:
- It is true, we first see Cowl on stage (although unnamed and in the background) just before Simon is first mentioned (and is said to have been assassinated). But Cowl was around LONG before Summer Knight. That is made clear in Dead Beat - at least from how Corpsetaker and Grevane talk about it. Which doesn't disprove that he created a persona potentially but that theory could apply to Justin just as easily.
- Simon was the vamps expert, but both Justin and Margaret worked with Red and White Courts at least (if not the Black as well). The meeting Eb was invited to had Lord Raith, Ariana Ortega, Paolo Ortega (I think), and several others (I'd be willing to bet Mavra) and maybe a Denarian or two. Justin was also present.
- The comparison to Lea and Eb  and Justin is interesting (in terms of Cowl's magical right hook). Because Harry had never dueled them in earnest and seen what they could really do. My thinking is that Dresden had no other frame of reference for a Wizard duel at that point, so used what he had. Still though, I think it is a reasonable assumption that Cowl is almost Senior Council level at least, if as strong as any of them (if not stronger). Both Grevane and Corpsetaker found it unlikely Harry would have survived a duel with him. Interestingly, from what I have seen of Eb and LtW (and other Senior Council magic) I have found Cowl to be quite under-powered and tactically foolish. He got beaten by Harry and a few Wolves, despite also having Kumori (although one could argue that they were merely retreating or choosing to not have a flat-out fight). Rashid can put people to sleep effortlessly (and I suspect kill much the same), and he and the Merlin have both stopped an army of Outsiders with a single ward. LtW fought a Naagloshii and caused it to flee. Eb has caused more destruction via spellwork that just about anyone (afaik). Martha Liberty can do near perfect veils. Merlin (Langtry) controlled a Mistfiend single handed and contained and ordered a room in microseconds. LaFortier was supposedly able to cast mass illusions. Cristos took out a Rakshasa. And Simon himself has diverted the course of rivers and burned armies, not to mention apparently wiping out hundreds of vampires and vampire nobles with his Death Curse. Whilst Cowl is deadly at the time we meet him, and strangley resistant to damage, he isn't on the same scale (from what we have seen).
- I agree something is definitely fishy about Archangel. Definitely an inside job; but that's been clear from the get go. I think the suspect pool is very small. Even Peabody wouldn't have had enough information. Justin was considered a candidate (if he hadn't been dead - they believe he could have told Harry which implies they believe Justin would have had a way in). This of course doesn't address that Elaine also is just as much of a candidate as Harry for the same reasons he is. Of course, the whole thing could be a set-up.
- In the Paranet Papers, it is clear Simon chafes at the restrictions of the White Council and flouts the rules until Eb makes it clear to him that he can no longer. Simon also causes the worst damage to human politics since the original Merlin, apparently (due to his interference in Russia during the revolution). So it tracks that he is a very viable candidate. Cowl even talks about how many chafe at the restrictions of the White Council.

Kemmler:
- Although I think this is the most unlikely candidate, it is possible that Kemmler might be playing an incognito game. But one thinks the other Necromancers would recognise him and he would want to organise them.
- Your second point is basically irrefutable. He wouldn't need Bob were he Kemmler. And why would he wait until that Halloween?
- Kemmler is definitely a bigger threat than Cowl, in terms of destruction in the short-term. Long-term though...


Justin:
- You're assuming that the duel was exactly as Harry remembers (and his mind wasn't altered). We already know that some memories of that night were incomplete. The duel also could have been a farce.
- Even if Justin was defeated, doesn't mean he didn't cheat and come back like Kemmler or Corpsetaker.
- Cowl seems awfully interested in Harry. And who says isn't manipulating Harry?
- I admit, the encounter didn't seem that familiar. But that might have been the point, too.
- My guess is that Cowl never intended to perform the Darkhallow. The pace was set by others, so he had to turn to a last resort. The way he talks about it to Harry suggests that he wouldn't have done it if he didn't have to. He truly believes it is the best & only option (rather than a mad rush for power). Which is why Justin wouldn't have used Bob's knowledge. Time is pressing now, he might have run out of options.
- You wouldn't need to be a big player necessarily to steal the kids - just well connected. He had a Walker as an ally, among others. But he was also a psychomancer (if I recall correctly). So he could have done things they just didn't expect.


Alternate/TT Harry:
- Yeah, this is maybe even less likely that Kemmler.
- The height isn't mentioned. Harry always mentions people's height if it is close or greater than his.
- The Law of Conservation of History
- He should definitely have Harry's number. Current Harry would have mopped the floor with DB Harry.
- Yeah, the time stuff doesn't match up.


Which all gets to a new WAG I have. Cowl isn't just one person. Perhaps Cowl is both Justin and Simon - each wearing the hood and filling in when necessary. But who knows? I can't really pick between Simon and Justin, they are the closest and there are both excellent arguments for and against.

Snark Knight:

--- Quote from: Yuillegan on May 15, 2020, 09:43:44 AM ---- Even if Justin was defeated, doesn't mean he didn't cheat and come back like Kemmler or Corpsetaker.
...
- You wouldn't need to be a big player necessarily to steal the kids - just well connected. He had a Walker as an ally, among others. But he was also a psychomancer (if I recall correctly). So he could have done things they just didn't expect.

--- End quote ---

From what we learned in Ghost Story, fire is just as deadly to ghosts and naked souls as to humans. Dying in a fire means your spirit is detaching from your body ... into the middle of a fire. I'm pretty sure this is why a flamethrower was included in Jim's description of how the Council finally made Kemmler's death stick when they executed him with mortal weapons.

I'm also not entirely sure after the GS flashback that Harry was correct in assuming the Walker worked for Justin.

kbrizzle:
@Snark Knight
Good catch on the flamethrowers being used in 1961 at Kemmler’s last stand - it does make the Harry’s duel with Justin seem more final.
Also agree that Cowl’s quote about the wardens’ view of Harry in their first meet points more to Simon than Justin.
So do you also think Simon is the most likely candidate for Cowl?

@Yuillegan
Some interesting points for sure & I agree that when talking about powerful wizards, death doesn’t seem to be the end. Achilles absent, is Achilles still I suppose.


* My point about Simon creating the Cowl identity was that Cowl started operating out in the open after Simon’s death - before that he seemed to be even more shadowy.
* I don’t know if there is proof that Justin was that the shindig Maggie Sr & Lord Raith threw back in the 1960s, although I suspect he was in attendance as well.
Separately what connections did Justin have in the vampire courts that we know of? I mean presumably he could’ve met some vampires when he was still Simon’s apprentice, but Simon is known to be the Council’s vampire expert. Cowl had intimate knowledge of White Court politics & high enough connections in the Red Court to be coordinating major attacks with them in their war on the Council (I’ll bet he was the one calling up Outsiders in many of these attacks).
* So while Harry does say that Eb is the heavyweight champion of the Council, it is pointed out that wizards gain power with age & Eb is likely the least powerful of the SC (I’m sure it’s meant in more ways than just 1:1 combat). Harry also does say on a couple of occasions that Langtry is the most powerful wizard alive.
* I definitely think Archangel was an inside job. It’s possible that as Simon’s apprentice, Justin would’ve known how he set up his wards & would’ve been able to get through (like Elaine does to Harry in SK), although Simon setting this up is equally likely
* I don’t know if I’d call Cowl under-powered or tactically deficient. Harry knows he can’t beat him 1:1 after their first meeting in DB so he doesn’t even bother trying after. Which of Cowl’s tactics didn’t you like?About Justin as Cowl:

* I wouldn’t say Cowl is very interested in Harry. In fact we have never seen Cowl seek out Harry - their paths seem to cross every few years. In DB he does offer to take Harry as an apprentice but that’s about it (Grevane also makes this offer) - he’s actively pissed in WN that Madrigal deliberately involved Harry in the plot.
* To your point that Cowl was performing the Darkhallow as a last resort - I do think there is some truth to this, although it seems like the most insane way to resolve the situation
* Regarding Justin’s duel with Harry - it seems obvious that there was a lot more going on during the duel, but the question I haven’t been able to answer is what was the advantage to Justin in pulling this move?
As a retiree of sorts he was off most people’s radar, which is how he raises Harry & Elaine for those years, so its not like Simon where he was a SC member. It also revealed Harry’s existence to the White Council, tarnished his own reputation & removed 2 Starborn out of his control completely (unless he’s made Elaine a fine thrall I suppose).
@AClone
What Red Court nobles did Simon’s death curse take out? Ortega was operational after the events of Archangel. There is also #C: Simon set off an explosion before pulling some necromantic shenanigans

@g33k
We know Harry believes this currently about Eb being the Council’s heavyweight champion, but that could change. Rashid & Langtry would come out on top I believe.
So Cowl doesn’t exactly hit Harry as hard as he can in their first meet in DB either - it was a test to see how strong Harry was.

@Bad Alias
Interesting - I had no idea of Simon’s backstory in the Paranet Papers, but it certainly makes him a more likely candidate for Cowl

Bad Alias:
Yuillegan did a much better job detailing it than I did.

If you haven't read any of the Paranet Papers, they're well worth reading if you can get your hands on a copy. They're kind of expensive if you're not looking actually use them to play. I'd rank them as soft canon just above the comic books. The way they're structured is to be vague about whether or not the things in them are true. The premise is that they're written by Billy, Bob, Murphy, and Harry. They're a working draft of a Bram Stoker's Dracula for the 21st century and not just black court vampires. They have reports of events from paraneters from all over the Americas. Because of that, it would be a very unreliable narrator kind of situation even if it was considered fully canon by Jim.

g33k:

--- Quote from: kbrizzle on May 16, 2020, 04:20:20 AM --- ... So while Harry does say that Eb is the heavyweight champion of the Council, it is pointed out that wizards gain power with age & Eb is likely the least powerful of the SC (I’m sure it’s meant in more ways than just 1:1 combat). Harry also does say on a couple of occasions that Langtry is the most powerful wizard alive ...

@g33k
We know Harry believes this currently about Eb being the Council’s heavyweight champion, but that could change. Rashid & Langtry would come out on top I believe.
So Cowl doesn’t exactly hit Harry as hard as he can in their first meet in DB either - it was a test to see how strong Harry was ...
--- End quote ---

Well, we know Eb was the Captain of the Wardens more than a century ago, and has presumably only gotten stronger since then.  Morgan was strong enough to be frightening to almost any wizard he went after; Luccio (pre-swap) even stronger; and McCoy *MUCH* stronger than that.

Langtry & McCoy were (roughly) peers.  They fought one another in their youth (more than once, I bet).

I (strongly) suspect that Langtry isn't as heavy a hitter as McCoy, but is more versatile:  more broadly powerful, even if he doesn't punch quite as hard.  Wards, mind-magic, and I suspect at least one Elemental form.

Rashid would win vs. either of them, I think, because of his foreknowledge & probably other stuff not yet seen.

WoJ says, "Rashid is, by far, the most dangerous of the Senior Council. Which is not the same thing as most powerful."

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