This ties into the Mavra thread post I just made but I thought there was woj or suggestion or theory that Ebenezar was taking out the thirteen Elders of the Black COurt who were doing a Dark Hollow. Which is why they were a threat to Mab. Theory is supported by local folklore and myth about something called 'the grey men' or 'the death men' or something in the region.

If Drakul really linked to the BCV via Dracula, then I wonder if one can affect the other. I had this theory concerning an altered version of the dark hollow ritual, using the BCV as a fuel source. It could make the ritual work, or some how affect Drakul.

Was that you?

damn I thought that was woj. Great theory though man.

I thought the Black Court Elders Dark Hollow was one of the reasons they were a threat to Mab and why she had a hand in stopping them. White Court having got the idea of using printing press to use mortal authorities in part from Mab and the Grimm fairytales.

I think he got a barbeque, because all his cooking turns out burnt.

What about the fact that Jim has said it mostly just stops the user from going crazy and the magic was all Ebenezar.

When Eb does his "Laying of the Cattle move" at the major battle near the end of Changes, is that a power of the blackstaff?
The Blackstaff is what keeps that kind of thing from driving him insane and turning him into a giggling villain.  Yah you don't go messing with black magic in the Dresden Files, it's very very bad for you.  At the same time, Magic is something that happens because you truly believe that when you set out to do it that you should be able to do that sort of thing.  That says a few things about Eb that really Harry hasn't run into in any other forum other than right there.  Yah Poor guy, He's got a tough job.
@4:30

Quote from: jim butcher

Does the blackstaff have any powers that relate to the dead?
Other than making people dead?  Really, that's kind of the point [Crowd Laughs]  Really but the staff itself what it really does is it keeps Eb sane while he's doing insane things.  Lucky him, he gets to deal with a hideously guilty conscious and nightmares later, but that's better than later being like *Muahahahahahahahaha*  Which is sort of the other option if your going to go around using magic like that. 

All that says that the Blackstaff isn't the power but Eb is that the Blackstaffe just "insulates the user" from going crazy from black magic.

However there is this quote.

Quote

jim butcher

The Blackstaff is not sentient per se it’s just really, really, really powerful and tapped into like some serious elemental powers in the universe.  But basically all it really is is insulation from using those powers.

Which would suggest that the Blackstaff does have power of it's own that allows for it to insulate the user.

I've always imagined their demon side to be something like a bloodline curse like the Loup Garou curse, not a natural part of the world order, but I guess I could be wrong the emotions they feed on and their antithesis are part of the natural order in a lot of animals. or at least mammals.

I could have been confusing Black Court and White Court in my mind now that you mention it.

Hmm I've always been of the opinion the Wampire's Hunger is from the Outside. It doesn't fit that they'd be from a Greek offshoot as all the Greek beings or descendants of are part of the Natural Order whether they've turned it Sidhe or a Guardians of Items of Power like Hades.

Plus it fits in with the theme that the Venatores are fighting the Outside and Elder Gods as they have a link to them already, like they're trying to fight their own dual natures.

I wonder how many potential or accused magic users are out there, deemed to be warlocks. Imagine if the council offers sometching like a pardon if they agree to aid the wardens in the conflict.

I think Hannah Ascher could kinda fit the bill at least when she was fighting for The Order of St. Giles.

In terms of a Brute Squad, I like the idea as well although I imagine it to be half a dozen wizards at most if only so every character could get decent screen time. It's hard to spread that across a dozen characters.

I've always wondered why Wizards don't team up together more, I mean it's implied with operations and battles in the war, but still you'd think with hundreds of years to form an organisation they'd have more systematic back up.