The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
Nightmares
Mira:
--- Quote ---Not if the inheritance of magic is more environmental than genetic.
--- End quote ---
That doesn't work in the case of Molly verses her siblings because I doubt that Charity used any magic after she married Micheal. Environmental would imply that Charity continued to use magic up until and after Molly's birth, she didn't.
--- Quote ---This is a case where the environmental influence overwhelms the genetic one.
The occasional patrilineal inheritance, eg Eb -> Maggie Sr, is presumably one where the prenatal environment was less important since Eb is an extremely strong talent so it would take much more to drop it "below threshold".
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Again, that doesn't work. I won't go into Margaret since we have little to no information as to what her childhood was like until her talent awoke. However we do have Harry as an example, Margaret died when he was born, Malcolm had no magical talent, earned a living using illusion and slight of hand to entertain. He dies, Harry spends time in an orphanage and foster homes, no magical talent exposure until his talent awakens on it's own, no environmental factors. There is also the example of Thomas, his mother maintained her talent during his first six or eight years until she left him for Malcolm.. Lord Raith has some talent as well I think or under some powerful influence aside from his Hunger, yet Thomas has very minor talent, actually almost none.
vultur:
--- Quote from: Mira on September 12, 2020, 05:06:36 AM ---That doesn't work in the case of Molly verses her siblings because I doubt that Charity used any magic after she married Micheal. Environmental would imply that Charity continued to use magic up until and after Molly's birth, she didn't.
--- End quote ---
I don't think that is compatible with the WOJ I linked/quoted above, though. That really does make it sound like time since Charity stopped using magic is the critical difference between Molly and the others.
--- Quote ---He dies, Harry spends time in an orphanage and foster homes, no magical talent exposure until his talent awakens on it's own, no environmental factors.
--- End quote ---
I'm talking about prenatal environment - whether one's mother had the biological effects of magic going on (at the time of the pregnancy).
Per WOJ Charity will have lost the extended lifespan... but presumably the improved healing and stuff don't go away instantly. It probably takes a couple of years to fade.
Sure magic doesn't manifest immediately at birth, but I think that's just a maturity thing.
--- Quote --- yet Thomas has very minor talent, actually almost none.
--- End quote ---
There's a WoJ that White Court don't get as strong magically as regular human wizards, so I think there is some interference from the vampire/Hunger side.
Also, I think you're understating what Thomas has. "Almost none" doesn't seem accurate; from what he says in Backup he hasn't put all that much time and effort into developing it. He seems to imply that training/time/effort is the major difference (comparing it to a six-month course vs a graduate degree).
I'm sure his talent is less strong than Harry's (very exceptional) one, probably not full Council level even if he really developed it, but it's way more than what a normal human has.
Mira:
--- Quote ---I don't think that is compatible with the WOJ I linked/quoted above, though. That really does make it sound like time since Charity stopped using magic is the critical difference between Molly and the others.
--- End quote ---
But if she stopped when she married or just before during courtship, I see no difference.
--- Quote ---I'm talking about prenatal environment - whether one's mother had the biological effects of magic going on (at the time of the pregnancy).
--- End quote ---
Then Thomas should have as much as or even more talent than Harry, and he doesn't. I also doubt that Charity was practicing any magic while she was pregnant with Molly.
--- Quote ---Per WOJ Charity will have lost the extended lifespan... but presumably the improved healing and stuff don't go away instantly. It probably takes a couple of years to fade.
--- End quote ---
However that doesn't explain Molly having talent and not the others. I think they all have it, but not being as rebellious as Molly or buying perhaps more into their mother's doctrine since she married, they have chosen not to use it. Perhaps if it isn't used when it manifests itself, it goes away? We will have to wait and see as little Harry gets a bit older.
--- Quote ---lso, I think you're understating what Thomas has. "Almost none" doesn't seem accurate; from what he says in Backup he hasn't put all that much time and effort into developing it. He seems to imply that training/time/effort is the major difference (comparing it to a six-month course vs a graduate degree).
--- End quote ---
It's been a while since I read Backup, but if I remember correctly Thomas said that all humans are capable of doing some elementary magic if they are taught how, he was doing a tracking spell. Not unlike Butters who was able to make a magic circle under Harry's instruction.
--- Quote ---I'm sure his talent is less strong than Harry's (very exceptional) one, probably not full Council level even if he really developed it, but it's way more than what a normal human has.
--- End quote ---
That is debatable, Thomas has the same genetic background as Harry, Margaret and Eb, so he should potentially be as talented and as strong as Harry. Now you could be right that the Hunger blocks some of that, but that doesn't make a whole lot of sense either.
vultur:
--- Quote from: Mira on September 12, 2020, 03:03:30 PM ---However that doesn't explain Molly having talent and not the others.
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Sure it could... if it takes say 3 years to fade after you stop using magic, and Michael/Charity were dating for a year and engaged for a year...
Anyway what else could that WoJ mean?
--- Quote ---Not unlike Butters who was able to make a magic circle under Harry's instruction.
--- End quote ---
I think any mortal can do that, it doesn't require either talent or skill in manipulating magic energy.
Harry says learning magic without the Sight is like someone who's blind learning to paint. A quick explanation wouldn't cut it.
--- Quote --- Now you could be right that the Hunger blocks some of that, but that doesn't make a whole lot of sense either.
--- End quote ---
That seems to be the implication of the WoJ that White Court magic doesn't get as strong as human, but they can do some impressive things by mixing magic with their Hunger.
I don't see why it shouldn't make sense - the Hunger is a spiritual symbiote or parasite basically, why shouldn't it affect how a potential Whampire's magical potential develops?
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