The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers

The Sword Of Faith How Many Angels Can Dance On The Point Of A Sword

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Conspiracy Theorist:
We get some nice exposition and theorising in book on the Sword of Faith, but there are a couple of points which may have been deliberately overlooked.

The renewed Sword is more in the spirit world, it can’t harm mortals, but is even more damaging to Monsters, at least the evil ones. It was speculated  that it would harm genuinely evil mortals like Nicky, he reaction to Butters was extreme. But what if it wasn’t Nicky’s reaction but Anduriel’s? The previous effect of a Sword stroke on a Denarian was to injure or kill the mortal and release the coin. Could the renewed sword of faith injure or kill the Fallen Angel instead?

There has been speculation that if applied to Thomas it might kill his hunger but not Thomas, but in his weakened condition it would probably kill him anyway to remove the hunger. What would the Angel do in those circumstances? Thomas has as part of being imprisoned suffered the hurt he has inflicted on others, and genuinely does not want to do what he has had to do as a Whampire. He is not evil, but in this case killing the hunger will kill Thomas. Perhaps the Angel does something different, and changes the hunger, or does nothing at all. The wielders intention affects the operation of the swords (free will), and the knowledge of this by the wielder means they are a more flexible tool than they were previously.

This isn’t the only such issue raised in Peace Talks, the summoning of Molly and her Crossing the magic circle raises similar issues of separation of flesh and spirit, she could do so but what was left wouldn’t be Molly any more. The sword could probably cut away the Mantle, but what would be left wouldn’t be Molly. What would the Angel do? Probably nothing as it would harm an innocent mortal to affect the Mantle.

How would the Sword work on Goodman Gray?, he is a monster, and admits it, but does good deeds for a peppercorn as his ‘rent’. Would it harm him, do nothing at all or change him? He is half mortal. We know he is wary of the Carpenters Guardian Angels. Could it sever the evil Naagloshii part of his heritage, leaving him a mortal human?

How would it work on Fix a mortal changeling? His Mantle is not inherently evil, nor is  his Fae heritage. probably nothing at all.

Harry was able to put his hand in the blade indicating that the Winter Mantle is not inherently evil, and affected by the sword, but would a blow to the head from the sword sever Harry from the Mantle?

We have seen something similar in Changes with the half Ramps, some had their vampire half excised and survived as being relatively newly turned. The unravelling from the Mothers would have achieved the same end, so there is in series precedent for some of the above speculation.

Oh, and Butters had better get a gun.

Bad Alias:
Killing the Fallen would be huge.

Is Fix a changeling or did he choose becoming a mortal by accepting the Summer Knight Mantle? I think there's a WoJ about how Lily wasn't a changeling when she became Summer Knight.

Conspiracy Theorist:
WOJ (Pre Split) was that Butters will have a big moment in PT. unless his domestic arrangements count,  we have yet to see it and it will be in BG.

We have seen some exposition on the Faithsabre in PT, and I think it leads up to Butters big moment in that the swords are powered by angels, they are insanely powerful within their limitations. We also saw Butters using the Faithsabre in combat like a lightsaber, it’s lack of weight making him much faster than a conventional swordsman like Sasha.

I think Butters big moment is that from Star Wars were an energy blast is deflected back at the person firing it by a lightsaber. I think a large part of Ethnui’s defeat will be Butters deflecting the blast from the Eye of Baylor back at Ethnui with the Faithsabre seriously damaging her, allowing Harry to get close, draw blood, and knock her back to the lakeshore with his staff’s superpunch and do a summoning.

That would be so cool, especially if Butters gets to do it before the assembled forces. The Sword should be able to do this from what we have seen.

Yuillegan:
I don't think it could kill a Fallen, unless the Fallen was made mortal. That's sort of the point of being an Immortal. It isn't the purpose of the Knights to kill the Fallen. It is their purpose to save mankind from them, including those who pick up the Denarians. It does mean they have to kill them occasionally when faced with death themselves or greater evil (which isn't to say they didn't have a choice not to kill...) but the Knights are not meant to be murderers. They are defenders.

I am sure that as a rule, if the being is mortal enough it won't kill them. If the being is supernatural but not immortal, it will. For the crossbreeds that are not immortal, but not necessarily mortal (like Goodman Grey) I am sure it's a case by case thing. The whole whole thing about how absolute something is....

Conspiracy Theorist:
The Faithsabre can probably weaken and injure an immortal, at most cause them to temporarily dissipate until they can pull themselves together.

I think Yuillegan you are absolutely right and I think ultimately Michael will convince Nic/Anduriel to reverse their Fall and put down the coin. I think that is the ultimate expression of all their arcs, and why Michael survived being a Knight of the Sword, his purpose isn’t done yet, and he is still doing the White Gods work, remember on occasions Michael has been a conduit for the White Gods power as far back as Grave Peril without the Sword.

Angel v Fallen Angel would more likely injure the solar system more than the angels. It may be able to sever the host from the coin. But against Ethnui and the Eye of Balor? Definitely it should be able to weaken her and deflect back the energy of the Eye, the latter useful as Harry is worried about being able to get close enough with the Athame to draw blood

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