ParanetOnline

The Dresden Files => DF Spoilers => Topic started by: sonwarrior on July 26, 2017, 04:04:52 AM

Title: Summoning Question
Post by: sonwarrior on July 26, 2017, 04:04:52 AM
If I recall correctly, we have not seen in-story any instance of a mortal being summoned. However, the first and last lines of SF basically say that Harry can be summoned. WOJ has also implied that this is an indicator of the power level Harry will reach by the time we're done with him.

So will Harry become non-mortal or is this an instance of Jim using the early books to nail down how things work?
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: LordDresden2 on July 26, 2017, 05:09:45 AM
If I recall correctly, we have not seen in-story any instance of a mortal being summoned. However, the first and last lines of SF basically say that Harry can be summoned. WOJ has also implied that this is an indicator of the power level Harry will reach by the time we're done with him.

So will Harry become non-mortal or is this an instance of Jim using the early books to nail down how things work?

I'm not sure a free-willed being can be 'summoned', as such.  If you could summon a mortal, most mortals would take a long time to get there, given traffic, since most mortals don't have the ability to teleport in.

Also, even if you could summon a mortal, and had his full name, it would only work for a little while before it lost its power,  because of free will again.
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: sonwarrior on July 26, 2017, 05:28:45 AM
That is what I was thinking. I'm confused about when Harry says, "My name is Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden. Conjure by it at your own risk." (SF pg 2). Since the series is written as a reflection of post BAT Dresden we're supposed to envision Harry as a super powerful being giving an ultimatum you wouldn't want to take. However, with the difficulties you mentioned above, this would be a useless ultimatum if he were merely human. So what Butcher do to remain true to Harry's character while still bestowing Harry with the requisite dehumanizing abilities/mantles.
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Zaphodess on July 26, 2017, 08:20:20 AM
Summoning is not the only way to use someone's true name. The word being used is "conjure".
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Mira on July 26, 2017, 11:37:59 AM


  I always took "conjure" to mean to use his name for magical purposes or against him as opposed to summoned.  Harry has said that names are powerful and was very careful in how he said his name.  I always took that last line as Harry's way of saying, "I dare you.."  Remember in his head when he battled the Outsider in Cold Days he used his full name..
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Snark Knight on July 26, 2017, 01:05:55 PM
Since the series is written as a reflection of post BAT Dresden we're supposed to envision Harry as a super powerful being giving an ultimatum you wouldn't want to take.

Well, the case files are supposed to have been written fairly late in his career.

It's not guaranteed even Harry will actually survive the BAT, though.
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Mr. Death on July 26, 2017, 01:37:54 PM
A true name is a link you can use in the spell; it's like having a tooth, or a clip of hair in that way. If Sells had had Harry's True Name in Storm Front, he could've used that in the spell against Harry instead of his hair.

Same with how Harry uses Elaine's True Name to open up a communication with her in White Night.
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Quantus on July 26, 2017, 02:20:36 PM
A true name is a link you can use in the spell; it's like having a tooth, or a clip of hair in that way. If Sells had had Harry's True Name in Storm Front, he could've used that in the spell against Harry instead of his hair.

Same with how Harry uses Elaine's True Name to open up a communication with her in White Night.
Both true, though I get the sense that using just a Name for general thaumaturgy is more difficult than a physical item, though it might be along the same lines of circles with imagined detail (as Harry tends to use) vs the more elaborate "full ritual" style he does occasionally (and amateurs do more often).  We know the "type" if link makes a difference on how much energy can be pushed through it.  Blood carries the most, but it cannot dry out.  Hair works if the ragged edge matches up to something still on your head.  Stubble from a shaved beard works but is too small to carry much energy. 
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Mr. Death on July 26, 2017, 03:01:28 PM
It is more difficult in the sense that you have to pronounce the full name exactly correct, and for humans at least, their true names change with time and growth.

The True Name of a college kid might not be the True Name of that same person once they get married and have a kid.

The danger of a true name seems, to me, to be that it replaces a physical link and there's no way to "track" it. If you clipped Harry's hair, he can use his own spell to track down the lost locks. But if you know Harry's True Name, you could know it in secret and he'd have no way of tracking down who has it.
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Quantus on July 26, 2017, 03:17:57 PM
It is more difficult in the sense that you have to pronounce the full name exactly correct, and for humans at least, their true names change with time and growth.

The True Name of a college kid might not be the True Name of that same person once they get married and have a kid.

The danger of a true name seems, to me, to be that it replaces a physical link and there's no way to "track" it. If you clipped Harry's hair, he can use his own spell to track down the lost locks. But if you know Harry's True Name, you could know it in secret and he'd have no way of tracking down who has it.
I figure it's not just the pronunciation, but that it's also one more detail you have to be Perfectly holding in your mind, in addition to all the other things (formulae etc that he says is the base of all casting).  I see it as similar to doing Fire magic with or without a rod, though it may well be no more complicated than leveraging your subconscious to do some of the heavy lifting. 
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: LordDresden2 on July 27, 2017, 03:28:26 AM
I'm not sure a free-willed being can be 'summoned', as such.  If you could summon a mortal, most mortals would take a long time to get there, given traffic, since most mortals don't have the ability to teleport in.

Also, even if you could summon a mortal, and had his full name, it would only work for a little while before it lost its power,  because of free will again.

An addendum to my quoted post:  I'm not sure how that would play out with 'special cases'.  For ex, Molly.  We're not exactly sure what she is, currently.  She's the Winter Lady, but is she also still human?  If she's still human, what is the status of her free will?

I think you might could Summon Molly, free will or not, because in her case what you'd be Summoning would not be Molly so much as the Winter Lady Mantle, which carries Molly with it.  Likewise, you might in theory be able to summon Harry's mantle and have it carry Harry along.

But...I would also hazard that if Harry and Molly retain mortal free will, they might could fight your summons.  If you do your summoning ritual just exactly right, Mab or Titania or the Mothers probably have to come.  But Molly I think it might be a contest of will, and even more with Harry, since his mantle is closer yet to mortal and made for mortals.
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Serack on July 27, 2017, 10:12:51 AM
Harry is going to be summoned to the Mirror Mirror universe by his evil doppelganger. 
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Quantus on July 27, 2017, 12:42:07 PM
An addendum to my quoted post:  I'm not sure how that would play out with 'special cases'.  For ex, Molly.  We're not exactly sure what she is, currently.  She's the Winter Lady, but is she also still human?  If she's still human, what is the status of her free will?

I think you might could Summon Molly, free will or not, because in her case what you'd be Summoning would not be Molly so much as the Winter Lady Mantle, which carries Molly with it.  Likewise, you might in theory be able to summon Harry's mantle and have it carry Harry along.

But...I would also hazard that if Harry and Molly retain mortal free will, they might could fight your summons.  If you do your summoning ritual just exactly right, Mab or Titania or the Mothers probably have to come.  But Molly I think it might be a contest of will, and even more with Harry, since his mantle is closer yet to mortal and made for mortals.
The short answer is that she's not Human anymore, she's now both Fae and a mantled Immortal (cell phones and all).  But, and this is apparently key, she did not instantly loose her Soul, which is what grants Free Will.  She will "inevitably" loose it, but it's more a progression than a light-switch. 

One theory I really liked to explain it was that as an immortal she lost the ability to naturally regenerate her own soul like normal, so she's stuck in an attrition game but can regain soul from loved ones (via hugs and emotional contact, etc).


Regarding summoning, it's described as a sort of imposed OCD on the target.  If you are a mortal summoning a Mortal, does that qualify as a violation of the Laws, being an imposed mental compulsion?



Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: khadgar4606 on July 27, 2017, 12:48:06 PM
Harry is going to be summoned to the Mirror Mirror universe by his evil doppelganger.
Okay you have the name right but the psyche might be diffrent
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Serack on July 27, 2017, 02:42:40 PM
Regarding summoning, it's described as a sort of imposed OCD on the target.  If you are a mortal summoning a Mortal, does that qualify as a violation of the Laws, being an imposed mental compulsion?

This.  This is the underlying question I'm concerned with. 
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Quantus on July 27, 2017, 03:34:19 PM
This.  This is the underlying question I'm concerned with.

||Spitt-balling||

#1 - It's described as a sort of OCD compulsion, but it's also established that sending a proxy is sufficient, so it's not absolute.
#2 - Some mental contact is not considered a violation, such as the WN contact with Elaine, the Military Coordination Spell Langtry used in TC, and arguably even the speaking stones with Eb in Changes.


So where does a Summoning become Subconsciously Communicating an Invitation?  The only thing I can think of would be the potential fallout of ignoring said Summons.  A mortal summoned by Name would eventually get a new Name (the worst the fallout the faster it would happen, even) but that's not permanent but it's a lot of Damage. 

Also worth noting: Harry is a special case, per WOJ (When asked about the Dangers of announcing his Name in CD?).  If the distinction has to do with your Subconscious, perhaps he's a Special Case because he can theoretically Consciously speak to his own Subconscious and bypass some of the mechanism? 


Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Rasins on July 27, 2017, 07:29:24 PM
If you'll recall, when Harry summoned Toot-toot in SF, Morgan accused him of violating the law.

Harry loop-holed out of it because Toot wasn't mortal, but he did say that he'd slipped the barest amount of compulsion into the spell.

If used on a mortal, and NOT putting a compulsion into the spell, it could just be a physic invite.  If there is compulsion, that implies that it was an UNWELCOME or Uninvited use of mind magic and that would be a violation.
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Mr. Death on July 27, 2017, 08:01:51 PM
I imagine there's a difference between compelling someone to show up and just physically bringing them there.
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: khadgar4606 on July 28, 2017, 07:56:18 AM
toot toot is kinda special case since he knows there is payment on request he kinda keeps one magical eye open for dresdens call. so he is kinda easier to summon for the ones know the ritual harry uses ( place pizza on target and call toot three times).

the real summoning would be murphy summoning molly via small lesson from dresden with her own power
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Zaphodess on July 28, 2017, 08:04:26 AM
Harry is going to be summoned to the Mirror Mirror universe by his evil doppelganger.
Maybe the Summoning won't be done by his name but by blood. -Harry is different from Harry, they don't have the same Name any more. It's the nature of mortal Names to change over time. So -Harry can't know it. But they do share the same blood.

Or -Harry just tries out a couple of variants of his name in the hope that one will find another Harry that is still alive.
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: jonas on July 28, 2017, 08:32:47 AM
Maybe the Summoning won't be done by his name but by blood. -Harry is different from Harry, they don't have the same Name any more. It's the nature of mortal Names to change over time. So -Harry can't know it. But they do share the same blood.

Or -Harry just tries out a couple of variants of his name in the hope that one will find another Harry that is still alive.
I imagine the whole reason !Harry can summon Harry is he does know his full name. He just has to slightly modify the idea behind it, maybe the precise inflections, with the intention to summon a slightly off version of yourself. Harry does precisely the same thing to Elaines name in WN btw so it's not entirely unprecedented. Little Wag: I think this is why !Harry is going to get much more than he bargained for, he's imagining a Harry already deceased(Harrys cup broke the lid but it's still full, if you know what I mean). Which is a fallacy of perception towards life and death on !Harry's part I think.
*Harry being good at deducing names may be another OG Merlin link, He had to have some way to get all those things there after all.

@Quantus, #2Don't we have a woj about if what happened in TC violated any any laws with the Merlins coordination effort and the answer was "we'll find out"?
#1I think that might depend on the directness of the link.. thinking of a woj(this one i'm rather certain exists) about if someone tried to control Mab with just that one name, Not having enough leverage. What Harry does to Toot is using his precise unbroken name, same as he latter does calling EK. EK had to know it was a trap, he just couldn't not show up to such a direct link to him. Notice most of the summonings that seem backed by 'choice of answering' are also using incomplete or common names for those things, or just plain asking as Harry seems to in DB of Lea.

What I wonder is if you call on something can more show up? Say, you call Odin, bad idea all around I know, can Kringle also make his power known? Technically different beings, summoning one doesn't necessarily summon the other does it? Now say instead you got ahold of Odin's original name, and summoned him by it, since he is both Odin and Kringle can he manifest power from either of them? Is it always a package deal that arrives? does using the source being differ from using a minor, but complete in and of itself, mask? ???
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Quantus on July 28, 2017, 12:09:25 PM
If you'll recall, when Harry summoned Toot-toot in SF, Morgan accused him of violating the law.

Harry loop-holed out of it because Toot wasn't mortal, but he did say that he'd slipped the barest amount of compulsion into the spell.
Hmm, he cited both the non-mortal fact and that Toot retained a choice in taking the bargain.

Quote
"Evening, Morgan. You know as well as I do that those laws apply to mortals. Not faeries. Especially for something as trivial as I just did. And I didn't break the Fourth Law. He had the choice whether to take my deal or not."

Morgan's sour, leathery face turned a bit more sour, the lines at the corners of his mouth stretching and becoming deeper. "That's a technicality, Dresden. A pair of them."

@Quantus, #2Don't we have a woj about if what happened in TC violated any any laws with the Merlins coordination effort and the answer was "we'll find out"?
Hmmm, Maaaybe?  Doesnt sound familiar offhand and Im not seeing it in the index, but that's not definitive. 
Quote
#1I think that might depend on the directness of the link.. thinking of a woj(this one i'm rather certain exists) about if someone tried to control Mab with just that one name, Not having enough leverage. What Harry does to Toot is using his precise unbroken name, same as he latter does calling EK. EK had to know it was a trap, he just couldn't not show up to such a direct link to him. Notice most of the summonings that seem backed by 'choice of answering' are also using incomplete or common names for those things, or just plain asking as Harry seems to in DB of Lea.
Agreed.  Several times it's less of an actual Summoning and more of just using the True Name to send a magic call.  One qualitative difference is that when he calls Toot there is not closed circle yet, and Toot is responsible for getting there under his own Power.  By contrast with what Im calling a true summoning, the Circle is a Key part and provides the actual Transportation; There's no other way Mab could have reached the DR summit in CD otherwise. 

I think Peabody's book is evidence that summoning such creatures is not itself against the Law, it was too public and too easily recognized.   For that matter Harry summoned demons and Loa for info often enough, there was just no thralling subjegation, always contained bargaining. 

Quote
What I wonder is if you call on something can more show up? Say, you call Odin, bad idea all around I know, can Kringle also make his power known? Technically different beings, summoning one doesn't necessarily summon the other does it? Now say instead you got ahold of Odin's original name, and summoned him by it, since he is both Odin and Kringle can he manifest power from either of them? Is it always a package deal that arrives? does using the source being differ from using a minor, but complete in and of itself, mask? ???
Im guessing that's case-by-case.  Mab/Harry needed Vadderung's insight, but Kringle was the easier to reach; but the flip side is a Fae invite might not even reach into an all Steel office(...hey, is that the whole point?  A little peace and quiet from his Santa side?).  By contrast he used several Names to summon Mother Winter, but she seemed to live a little more of an amalgamated existence than the Mask collection of Vadderung. 
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Rasins on July 28, 2017, 04:04:53 PM
I think Peabody's book is evidence that summoning such creatures is not itself against the Law, it was too public and too easily recognized.   For that matter Harry summoned demons and Loa for info often enough, there was just no thralling subjegation, always contained bargaining.
I've been wondering about this.  Harry Summoned and "trapped" the Erlking in DB.

But when Harry summoned Chauncy and the LOA, when the conversation was done, the one summoned just left.  Not through the Circle, but back the way they came.  Harry didn't mention anything about releasing them or sending them back, so why couldn't the EK just leave back the way he came. 
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Mr. Death on July 28, 2017, 04:30:27 PM
I've been wondering about this.  Harry Summoned and "trapped" the Erlking in DB.

But when Harry summoned Chauncy and the LOA, when the conversation was done, the one summoned just left.  Not through the Circle, but back the way they came.  Harry didn't mention anything about releasing them or sending them back, so why couldn't the EK just leave back the way he came.
They were just different spells. Summoning Chauncy and the Loa were probably simpler circles -- just Harry's standard summoning circle, meant to call them and to keep them within the circle, but not binding them in place. He went the extra mile with the Erlking's circle to constrain and bind him in place.
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: LordDresden2 on July 30, 2017, 03:19:05 AM
The short answer is that she's not Human anymore, she's now both Fae and a mantled Immortal (cell phones and all).

Has JB confirmed that?

Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Quantus on July 31, 2017, 03:22:44 PM
Has JB confirmed that?
Id like to say yes with certainty, but people often interpret statements that I see as clear and unambiguous in decidedly unexpected ways, so here's the main WOJ Im looking at.  He states outright that it's an automatic transition to Fae, though he gets more ambiguous when specifically talking about the Soul.  In CD we see that she no longer has a Murphionic field despite all her magic.  In Cold Case we see firsthand how see is now Bound by all the normal Fae restrictions on Lying, Bargaining, etc. 


Combine these three things and it adds up to her entirely being an Immortal (unless we think her Mantle is somehow not working fully yet and she might still be killed by mundane circumstances) and entirely a Fae (as any Changeing would be post-Choice).  Past that all we know is that she will loose her soul, automatically someday, at least to the functional threshold by which it makes no difference (ie the philosophic question of whether Mab retains any fragments), but that she hasnt lost it all yet. 

Quote
http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,36681.0.html (http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,36681.0.html)
The other question I had is, **unintelligible**…when a human takes on the mantle of a Fae, do they automatically become Fae? Do they lose their soul?

Ok, do they automatically become Fae, do they lose their soul? The answer to that question is “sort of”. Um, it’s automatic, but not necessarily instant. Mab herself was human once, and she eventually became the, uh, the fun-loving Mab that we all know. So, a lot of it has to do with who you are when you go into it, because most of the Fae were human once. A lot were born as half-bloods and decided to become Fae and sort of automatically got their **unintelligible**. But a lot of the other Fae who were there, including the Erl and several others, who were at one point humans….So, a lot of this is going to depend on who they  might end up being, a lot of it depends on who they are going into it and what kind of will they have to maintain who they are. That’s going to be a big deal. I’m really looking forward to writing the next books so I can see what happens with Molly, ‘cause I’m really not sure yet, I have a vague idea of what’s gonna happen, because basically she just got handed the largest, unruliest crowd of little brothers and sisters to deal with ever.

**Audience laughter**

But on the other hand, she’s kinda cool with that. She’s used to that role. So anyway, we’ll have to see what happens to her, but, uh, there’s a lot of choice involved **unintelligible** as far as soul goes. Everybody always talks about souls as if it’s something you can have a receipt for, that if you lose it, then it’s just gone, and I don’t think souls work that way, I think that there’s too much attached to them, I think that there are too many things that consist of what your soul is, so I don’t think this is kinda trying to figure “did you lose your soul?”, because I think you can lose your soul without bothering to stop by any kind of supernatural beings whatsoever. You know, if you watch the news, you’ll see people who do that all the time. But yeah, as far as The Dresden Files goes, as far as eternal damnation, etc., goes, no I don’t think that’s as much an issue for Molly as yet, it could sometime though. Whether Mab has some kind of spark of a soul left or not, that’s one of those questions that would be very difficult to answer, and I’m probably not smart enough to answer it. Probably, when you’ve gone so far down the road, just pure power is madness, it’s hard to hang on to your soul. And it depends on how people who have been handed all this extra stuff deal with it, and what that’s going to do for them in the long run. And it’s one of those long run kind of things, meaning you’re going to be stuck like that for 2,000 years, you don’t really have to go bad tomorrow, you have plenty of time yet to start growing mold on your conscience.

**Audience laughter**
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: exartiem on August 01, 2017, 10:45:11 PM
The number of things you can do to someone with their True Name is pretty horrific.  You can use it to subvert their free will, compel them to commit certain acts.  You can paralyze them, blind them, curse them or outright kill them. 

Ferro used just a portion of Harry's name and had a frightening effect on him.

I think you can summon a mortal.  You had just better be stronger than them.
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: jonas on August 02, 2017, 03:58:04 AM
I have a HUGE problem with this quantus, how does Odin do it with Kringle yet stay 'more' mortal than the others?
Discounting EK entirely you could say the Winter 'king' is similar to the knight in that it's only a part of a greater whole, but then exactly what is Kringle connected to and why?(i'd be partial to 'ole Saint Nick being a rep for Lucifer lol, but not as an idea I see meritable connections towards)

This is exactly what bothers me about Molly and the WL mantle, she at some point made a subconscious matrix style choice that allowed a supernatural entity, for lack of a better description, to possess her and immediately drive out her soul? Something feels just so off about that, in lack of complexity of action if nothing else. Seems to me the Fairy mantles themselves are something that would be pain in TWG's teams side.
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: LordDresden2 on August 02, 2017, 04:14:42 AM
Id like to say yes with certainty, but people often interpret statements that I see as clear and unambiguous in decidedly unexpected ways, so here's the main WOJ Im looking at.  He states outright that it's an automatic transition to Fae,

That's the part I consider ambiguous at best.

Quote
though he gets more ambiguous when specifically talking about the Soul.  In CD we see that she no longer has a Murphionic field despite all her magic.  In Cold Case we see firsthand how see is now Bound by all the normal Fae restrictions on Lying, Bargaining, etc. 


Combine these three things and it adds up to her entirely being an Immortal (unless we think her Mantle is somehow not working fully yet and she might still be killed by mundane circumstances) and entirely a Fae (as any Changeing would be post-Choice). 

Immortal no doubt.  I'm sure she'd be as hard to kill as Maeve or Titania.  (Though I'm also sure that there are ways to do it.  We know it can happen on Earth on Halloween Night, and we know that the Queens can set up special circumstances where it can happen.  If there are 2 ways, I'd bet that there are others, even if nobody knows them outside the royals.)

It's the idea that Molly is now a Sidhe that I consider questionable.  We know that half-Sidhe can become full Sidhe by choice, but as far as we know Molly isn't half-Sidhe.  If she is, Charity has some 'splainin to do.

I don't doubt the Mantle can force her to follow the Sidhe codes, more or less.  Harry's mantle can force him to follow Winter Law or lose its power, too.  That doesn't make him Sidhe.

I don't consider her use of the cell phone conclusive.  Indicative, yes, but it's always dangerous to generalize from a single sample.

Quote

Past that all we know is that she will loose her soul, automatically someday, at least to the functional threshold by which it makes no difference (ie the philosophic question of whether Mab retains any fragments), but that she hasnt lost it all yet.

Hmmm...I wonder if even that's a certainty.  I'd like Uriel's input on the certainty of it.  It may be a case of 99.9% likely, but not 100%, like Harrr or Tam Lin and the WK mantle.
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Quantus on August 02, 2017, 12:12:34 PM
That's the part I consider ambiguous at best.

Immortal no doubt.  I'm sure she'd be as hard to kill as Maeve or Titania.  (Though I'm also sure that there are ways to do it.  We know it can happen on Earth on Halloween Night, and we know that the Queens can set up special circumstances where it can happen.  If there are 2 ways, I'd bet that there are others, even if nobody knows them outside the royals.)

It's the idea that Molly is now a Sidhe that I consider questionable.  We know that half-Sidhe can become full Sidhe by choice, but as far as we know Molly isn't half-Sidhe.  If she is, Charity has some 'splainin to do.

I don't doubt the Mantle can force her to follow the Sidhe codes, more or less.  Harry's mantle can force him to follow Winter Law or lose its power, too.  That doesn't make him Sidhe.

I don't consider her use of the cell phone conclusive.  Indicative, yes, but it's always dangerous to generalize from a single sample.

Hmmm...I wonder if even that's a certainty.  I'd like Uriel's input on the certainty of it.  It may be a case of 99.9% likely, but not 100%, like Harrr or Tam Lin and the WK mantle.
It turns out Changlings do not have to be first-generation, which is the best explanation for Molly that Ive been able to come up with (otherwise her soul was put in jeopardy without her consent, which is repeatedly said to be Against The Rules). WOJ is that the heritage can be further back, but the more diluted it is, the more "environmental" exposure needs to happen before the magic heritage awakens.  This is the only way I can explain Molly getting drafted the way she was, and her training with Lea would account for it.  It would also explain the repeated mention of how the Carpenter women won the genetic lottery (they're part sidhe!)

Quote
Question among my @HarriedWizard RPG group for @longshotauthor : would changelings be sterile? and if not how would the genetics work?
@DeusSolis @HarriedWizard No, not at all.  And cautiously.
@DeusSolis @HarriedWizard :D Consider it a dormant gene group that could potentially be activated by environmental exposure.
@longshotauthor @HarriedWizard So a half-elf changeling could have kids that when exposed 2 faerydom, child could exhibit faery qualities?
@DeusSolis @HarriedWizard Yeah, though they'd need more exposure the wider the generation gap was. It would be impractical at some point.


We saved the big topic that came out of things, last time Fae reproduction and society came up.  There's probably a lot of crossover with this thread's topic:
http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,48514.0.html (http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,48514.0.html)
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Rasins on August 02, 2017, 07:55:47 PM
Okay, I was there, and actually I asked that question of Jim, and here's what I took away from that.

Becoming the Winter Lady does not push her soul out.  It does not limit her ability to exchange pieces with others directly.

What it does is gives her POWER.

The old adage that power corrupts ...

She still has her soul.  Now if she keeps it is up to her and her use of the power she is given.  The temptation to do whatever she likes is even stronger not that she has power.

That is why Jim equivocates over Mab's soul.  He doesn't know if she's gone so far down the left hand path that she no longer has a soul.
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: jonas on August 02, 2017, 11:28:55 PM
That's a bit clearer and more in line with what I expected sans confusing discussions on it.
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Zaphodess on August 03, 2017, 11:40:25 AM
Okay, I was there, and actually I asked that question of Jim, and here's what I took away from that.

Becoming the Winter Lady does not push her soul out.  It does not limit her ability to exchange pieces with others directly.

What it does is gives her POWER.

The old adage that power corrupts ...

She still has her soul.  Now if she keeps it is up to her and her use of the power she is given.  The temptation to do whatever she likes is even stronger not that she has power.

That is why Jim equivocates over Mab's soul.  He doesn't know if she's gone so far down the left hand path that she no longer has a soul.
Thanx for asking and sharing  :)

I have trouble getting my head around the concept that going down the left hand path causes the loss of someone's soul. Having a soul doesn't mean having a good soul. It jars with my RL - not beliefs, cause I'm an atheist - concepts I've been taught in religious education.

But if that's the way it works in the DV, ok. Unusual imo, but actually not that difficult to follow. There are a couple of implications/theoretical possibilities imo:
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Rasins on August 03, 2017, 07:36:23 PM
Zaphodess,

I understand what you are saying.  And the Phrase "lose your soul" is really a bad use of language.  If you'll buy into the concept of Dark = bad and Light = good, then you aren't losing your soul, you are darkening it.  Or lightening it as the case may be.

And according to Jim, the pursuit of power is something that lends itself to darkening of one's soul.
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Quantus on August 03, 2017, 07:46:35 PM
Zaphodess,

I understand what you are saying.  And the Phrase "lose your soul" is really a bad use of language.  If you'll buy into the concept of Dark = bad and Light = good, then you aren't losing your soul, you are darkening it.  Or lightening it as the case may be.

And according to Jim, the pursuit of power is something that lends itself to darkening of one's soul.
Darkening = "Staining", perhaps?
Title: Re: Summoning Question
Post by: Rasins on August 03, 2017, 08:05:12 PM
Darkening = "Staining", perhaps?

It's the CONCEPT ... the Concept, not the word ... LOL