The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers
In defense of the WC
Mira:
--- Quote ---To be very blunt -- the Merlin is being startlingly stupid, here.
--- End quote ---
Oh I don't disagree with that at all, it is perhaps a good reason why Margaret rebelled against the Council so hard. The Council in it's principles is good, but it for the most part hasn't adjusted to the modern world. The result is a secretive and paranoid group that is deaf to any new idea or thought of change.
morriswalters:
--- Quote from: g33k on August 08, 2022, 06:20:44 AM ---To be very blunt -- the Merlin is being startlingly stupid, here.
The WC's official position is, they don't seek out young proto-Talents before they get into trouble... Let's look at the downstream consequences, hmm? What's the throughline, here?
With the impulses of young hormones, with the impulse-control of youth, with the judgment of youth, with the maturity of youth how many of these burgeoning talents -- really -- aren't going to "get into trouble?"
Particularly in the "developed" countries, where most people will deny the magic, and generally assign "crazy" and similar labels.
So then the newly-emerged talents go Warlock.
And get killed.
I mean ... just look at Molly.
She had a wonderful, loving family-upbringing.
She had about the best moral guidance that mortal parents can provide.
And, she went Warlock.
If a kid like Molly (of all people!) can't avoid it... who's likely to? Anyone? Calling it like I see it here, and it looks to me like a big NOPE. (Or rather: only with a huge, HUGE dose of dumb luck!)
===
The net result therefore looks an awful lot like the Whamp plot to "cull" Talent out of humanity. The Merlin/WC plan is actually better than the Whamp plan: the wizards are filtering for the strongest, most effective talents! (weak/ineffectual magic being unlikely to rise to the level of Warden action)
--- End quote ---
Well maybe The Merlin is stupid or maybe he is corrupt, or some combination thereof. I like corrupt but your mileage may vary.
In the real world it works exactly the way it seems to work in the Files. We don't "see" the homeless or mentally ill, until they kill someone, or they become so numerous that they are no longer hidden. Then we weep an wail and "do" absolutely nothing. Seems to describe the White Council in a nutshell. I wonder if Butcher does this consciously? He's used the trope a couple of times. And he uses it to describe Charity Carpenter and motivate her, in her interactions with Molly.
Mira:
--- Quote ---In the real world it works exactly the way it seems to work in the Files. We don't "see" the homeless or mentally ill, until they kill someone, or they become so numerous that they are no longer hidden. Then we weep an wail and "do" absolutely nothing. Seems to describe the White Council in a nutshell. I wonder if Butcher does this consciously? He's used the trope a couple of times. And he uses it to describe Charity Carpenter and motivate her, in her interactions with Molly.
--- End quote ---
Oh I believe it is deliberate, it helps to give his fantasy a bit of a different twist. There is no secret about it from the beginning the main theme has been of Harry Dresden, a wizard openly advertising the fact and practicing magic in modern Chicago. One foot in both worlds fighting both the supernatural and the problems plaguing our times.
Fcrate:
I'm wondering if Harry can start something like a magical campus in Chicago. He should easily get 18 Council level apprentices from Chicago alone. More if word spread.
The Council is elitist, and that's the problem. They don't have enough wizards to take on apprentices so they wait until they turn warlock and kill them? Seriously? Technically speaking you only need a minor talent to stop someone from going warlock. You just need to make sure they observe the laws. Doesn't take a wizard, and there is a lot more minor talents than there are prospective apprentices /warlocks. The prospectives can then take weekly or twice weekly lessons with Harry, college style.
Conspiracy Theorist:
I have posited the same.
The Paranet know what the WC have done to Harry despite what Harry did for the WC, they are not going to pass potential Wizards to the WC they are going to pass them to Harry. That’s most of North America.
Harry is also going to be a magnet for disaffected and abused apprentices from the WC from across the world, and wobetide the Wizard who so abuses his young apprentice that they reach Harry. They will be so forced to swear on their power that they will not be able to do anything.That’s a smattering of apprentices across the world.
Harry can’t do one on one teaching in these circumstances but could engage others, Elaine and Molly and Mort (for Ectomancy directly, but no reason he can’t channel say Morgan for evocation and Mort could stand to broaden his education), Butters for magical theory and comparative supernatural biology. Guest Lecturers like River Shoulders or Kringle. If he can save Chandler in Mirror Mirror, then he has another teacher who would be delighted to teach. Harry doesn’t have the WC prejudice against non-human practitioners.
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