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The Dresden Files => DF Spoilers => Topic started by: Con on July 24, 2022, 05:29:49 AM
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If you were a Minor Talent in Dresden Files what would your Talent be?
Unfortunately I think mine would be Third Sight.
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If you were a Minor Talent in Dresden Files what would your Talent be?
Unfortunately I think mine would be Third Sight.
I don't think that would be considered a minor talent.
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Yeah iirc being able to use your third eye is one of the markers that you're a Wizard-level Talent
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I don't actually see any Dresdenverse talents as obviously "this would be ..." for any real-world folk.
DV is just too high-magic a setting, honestly.
Unless you meant as a wish-fulfillment query -- "if you could pick, which 'minor talent' would you like"?
For my choice, it'd probably be something for wealth-building... whatever has minimal other impacts. Because being super-wealthy is its own super-power; I could do whatever I wanted with that money.
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For my choice, it'd probably be something for wealth-building... whatever has minimal other impacts. Because being super-wealthy is its own super-power; I could do whatever I wanted with that money.
Hmm..kinda reminds me of a ppt slideshow that was making the rounds on email lists around 2009-2010 :D
But you are correct. There's very limited specialized minor talents that we see. Mostly we see people who can do anything a wizard can do, but with less power.
Anyway, the Alphas shifted into wolves, classifying a single shape-shifting trick as a minor talent. Therefore, I'd like to have the ability to shift into a hawk. Bye bye traffic, hello dropping bombs on every bastard who ever annoyed me.
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Hmm..kinda reminds me of a ppt slideshow that was making the rounds on email lists around 2009-2010 :D
But you are correct. There's very limited specialized minor talents that we see. Mostly we see people who can do anything a wizard can do, but with less power.
Anyway, the Alphas shifted into wolves, classifying a single shape-shifting trick as a minor talent. Therefore, I'd like to have the ability to shift into a hawk. Bye bye traffic, hello dropping bombs on every bastard who ever annoyed me.
On that note I am reminded of the animated cartoon "The Sword and the Stone," Merlin was having a wizard's duel with Mab, she was winning until Merlin morphed into a germ and she caught him and got sick.. ::)
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And that is why Mab hates Walt Disney.
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And that is why Mab hates Walt Disney.
No doubt! ;)
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No doubt! ;)
Walt Disney On Ice was not just the name of a skating show, after that, not with all the rumours that Walt was cryogenicslly frozen. I wonder if he is in Mab’s Ice Garden in Arctis Tor? And Disney were forced to name the show that by Mab in revenge?
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Walt Disney On Ice was not just the name of a skating show, after that, not with all the rumours that Walt was cryogenicslly frozen. I wonder if he is in Mab’s Ice Garden in Arctis Tor? And Disney were forced to name the show that by Mab in revenge?
I've actually seen Disney On Ice, twice, he wasn't there..
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Tbh I thought that Mab would be a fan of Walt, seeing as his company has convinced the last few generations that Faeries are kind, helpful, and trustworthy creatures.
It must have made life sooooo much easier for her.
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The Sword in The Stone came out in 1963, Disney died in 1966, in Winter. Disney bought the rights in 1939, but production only began in 1960.
Mab and Disney must have had a falling out between 1939 and 1960, I wonder over what? The Cold War perhaps? Kemmler? That Disney Land comes out at her sisters seat in the Never Never? Disney Land opened in 1955. Hmm. If Disney’s health was already failing, a parting shot at Mab is quite clearly the safest shot to take, especially to curry favour with Titania, for the ongoing prosperity of Disney Corp.
Mira, did you check under the ice?
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Mab was never a fan of Tinker Bell..... ::)
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Mab was never a fan of Tinker Bell..... ::)
I think you mean Lacuna, not Mab.
Okay Disney played both sides, dealing with Summer and Winter in establishing the Magic Kingdom, calling in the political favours from his previous films like Snow White, but the Magic Kingdom ended coming out in Summer, offending Mab, who retaliated. The Sword In The Stone was Disney’s Revenge.
The fact that Sarissa loved the Magic Kingdom would certainly indicate that the Summer Lady Mantle chose correctly over Molly and Justine.
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I think you mean Lacuna, not Mab.
Okay Disney played both sides, dealing with Summer and Winter in establishing the Magic Kingdom, calling in the political favours from his previous films like Snow White, but the Magic Kingdom ended coming out in Summer, offending Mab, who retaliated. The Sword In The Stone was Disney’s Revenge.
The fact that Sarissa loved the Magic Kingdom would certainly indicate that the Summer Lady Mantle chose correctly over Molly and Justine.
Oh damn, that would've been a disaster huh. From one Nemfected host to the next.
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I think you mean Lacuna, not Mab.
No, I mean Mab, Tinker Bell is not her idea of a Fae.. She also had a problem with the Blue Fairy.
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No, I mean Mab, Tinker Bell is not her idea of a Fae.. She also had a problem with the Blue Fairy.
I know the ‘Blue’ Fairy is just foul mouthed.
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I know the ‘Blue’ Fairy is just foul mouthed.
She turned Pinocchio into a real boy even after he broke his bargain.
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My luck my minor talent would be enhancing plant growth, so I have to mow the lawn more often
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My luck my minor talent would be enhancing plant growth, so I have to mow the lawn more often
But if you had that talent couldn't you also stop it? ???
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My luck my minor talent would be enhancing plant growth, so I have to mow the lawn more often
Come visit. My corn is a little late this year. :D
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Oh!
I should also drop a minor-talent character concept that I came up with for the DF RPG...
My guy is a bike-courier in some major downtown metro area. As originally envisioned, he's in San Francisco ... but any city would work, where lawyers & financiers &c need physical doc's moved on an "ASAP basis" from office to office.
His "minor talent" is that anything closed that he touches, he can fully-envision the contents. Read documents, look at plans, etc.
8)
(n.b. he has a supernaturally-comprehensive overview of all the contents (like an intellectus); but once you unseal it that's gone, and he's got to physically turn every page to find anything...)
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But if you had that talent couldn't you also stop it? ???
Murphyonic field. That's why Harry had no gas or electric in the old place.
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Oh!
I should also drop a minor-talent character concept that I came up with for the DF RPG...
My guy is a bike-courier in some major downtown metro area. As originally envisioned, he's in San Francisco ... but any city would work, where lawyers & financiers &c need physical doc's moved on an "ASAP basis" from office to office.
His "minor talent" is that anything closed that he touches, he can fully-envision the contents. Read documents, look at plans, etc.
8)
(n.b. he has a supernaturally-comprehensive overview of all the contents (like an intellectus); but once you unseal it that's gone, and he's got to physically turn every page to find anything...)
doesn't sound very minor to me. Get this guy in the right spot, and front run acquisitions and the like?
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doesn't sound very minor to me. Get this guy in the right spot, and front run acquisitions and the like?
I mean that's kinda on point for "minor talents" in the DF. Mort is a minor talent, but give him a Wizard'S ghost, and he can do anything a Wizard can.
Wizard's just like to dismiss non wizard's because they're all arrogant as fuck
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Mort is not a minor talent. His power level is that of a wizard but his powers set it almost all spiritual, comparatively little of the other elements, but still more in all those areas than a minor talent. He was able to do a relatively sophisticated tracking spell in front of Harry for example.
Mainly it’s his lack of tutelage, however I bet he is studying under a deceased wizard, perhaps even Morgan, as that is the most powerful wizard Mort met who is dead whilst they were alive.
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doesn't sound very minor to me. Get this guy in the right spot, and front run acquisitions and the like?
You can leverage it to good mundane effect, sure. But as magic goes, it's comparatively minor. LOTS of magic can be mundanely leveraged that way...
It doesn't actually *do* anything. Cannot summon the slightest breeze, light a candle, levitate a single bead, etc etc etc.
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Mort is not a minor talent. His power level is that of a wizard but his powers set it almost all spiritual...
Yeah.
I'm pretty sure there is a WoJ from a signing or 'Con event, where Jim said as much.
IIRC, the only reason(s) Mort isn't on the White Council is
(a) he intentionally "flies low" on their radar, looking like a "minor talent" & sometime con-artist so they dismiss him
(b) ectomancy "don't get no respect" in the White Council
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Ectomancy the White Council think is too close to Necromancy, but in their ignorance they do not realise that the two are diametrically opposed. Necromancy is all about forcing the dead into subservience, Ectomancy is giving the dead a voice and helping them to resolve issues with the living and within themselves. With Mort it’s not just a gift, it’s a vocation. Fitz was a minor talent in this area, Mort is a major talent.
We don’t know what Mort did during Battle Ground, he wasn’t in a position to take on the Necromancers so the was otherwise involved. He wasn’t in the pub. I like to think he was busy summoning Morgan and defending his neighbourhood against the Fomor. Morgan is Welsh, he would know about the Huntsman immediately and figure out a way to use Earth Magic to take out the entire group of 13 simultaneously, with Mort using ghosts as spotters to target them. Together they would be extremely formidable.
I could see Sir Stuart and Morgan being great friends, two old soldiers just fading away. I would like to see the ghost of Morgan brought back just to build upon Journal, but there is much you could do with the characters development after he dies, Morgan’s ghost can give exposition about Margaret, the Starborn and Harry’s loss into the adoption system
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I mean that's kinda on point for "minor talents" in the DF. Mort is a minor talent, but give him a Wizard'S ghost, and he can do anything a Wizard can.
Wizard's just like to dismiss non wizard's because they're all arrogant as fuck
Doesn't someone (Lea, perhaps?) say in his way, Mort may be more powerful than Harry?
the wizards are arrogant as heck.
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Harry would make a fairly decent Necromancer, (an oxymoron) enough Necromancers have commented such.
However Mort is far and away a better Ectomancer than Harry could be an Necromancer. He is closer to being the finished article than Harry. Harry admits that Carlos is more technically accomplished than he is in BG, Thats the difference.
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Doesn't someone (Lea, perhaps?) say in his way, Mort may be more powerful than Harry?
I'm pretty sure we have WoJ on this, and I think we may even have Harry admitting it.
the wizards are arrogant as heck
Harry also says this; and doesn't really exclude himself.
But it helps tremendously to be self-aware about it, and open to learning.
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Mort may actually be the strongest of all mortal practitioners in spirit, not just minor practioners, but all wizards including the Senior Council.
That certainly would be a reason for the White Council to belittle him, to keep him frightened and to make him waste his talent, when that talent they do not understand and fear.
I could see him being a future candidate for Soulfire, we know he was working with Harry and Mr Sunshine to allow Harry’s ghost to protect Maggie without going mad.
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Mort may actually be the strongest of all mortal practitioners in spirit, not just minor practioners, but all wizards including the Senior Council.
That certainly would be a reason for the White Council to belittle him, to keep him frightened and to make him waste his talent, when that talent they do not understand and fear.
Honestly, I don't think they (as a group) understand ectomancy, or Mort, well enough to put in that effort to "keep him down."
They've dismissed him in their own minds, so they see no need to spend the effort.
I could see him being a future candidate for Soulfire, we know he was working with Harry and Mr Sunshine to allow Harry’s ghost to protect Maggie without going mad.
That sounds interesting... and rather terrifying, actually.
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Yes I suspect a Soulfire powered Mort could make a ghost a really durable ectoplasmic body one which could survive dawn, and extreme damage.
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Yes I suspect a Soulfire powered Mort could make a ghost a really durable ectoplasmic body one which could survive dawn, and extreme damage.
I suspect that if Mort infused a summoning with Soulfire, that would suffice in and of itself -- no ectoplasm needed.
The Soulfire itself would survive Dawn... and thus so would the ghost!
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Mort plus Harry equals Einenjharen
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Yeah, it's interesting to speculate what a cool ability like Soulfire could do in the hands of someone that had a little imagination instead of a two-bit dropout sorcerer who's just like "But what if I made the fireballs I'm shooting do slightly more damage???"
Like, Luccio is a master Smith, I bet she could use Soulfire to give everyone a lightsaber instead of just Butters.
Who knows what someone like Eb or Langtry could do with it.
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For all we know Harry is using Soulfire whilst meditating, I have theorised he is moving the access to the Never Never from Leas Murder Garden to his quarters at Arctis Tor. Soulfire would help.
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Yeah, it's interesting to speculate what a cool ability like Soulfire could do in the hands of someone that had a little imagination instead of a two-bit dropout sorcerer who's just like "But what if I made the fireballs I'm shooting do slightly more damage???"
Like, Luccio is a master Smith, I bet she could use Soulfire to give everyone a lightsaber instead of just Butters.
Who knows what someone like Eb or Langtry could do with it.
Actually, Harry is exceptionally good at magical craftsmanship. Bob says most other wizards couldn't have created Little Chicago, for example. And most of Harry's substantive magical growth (tutoring Molly... being trained by Mab...) happened after he created LC!
I bet (for example) that if Luccio trusted Harry -- and Harry would put in the time -- she could tutor him to make new Warden Swords; in fact, once his mundane skills as a smith were good enough, I bet Harry's swords (even without Soulfire) would be at least as strong as Luccio's... of course, just getting the skills would probably take well over a decade of devoted work.
He's just usually too busy, with higher priorities (although that's likely just a lack of judgement).
But no... Luccio isn't likely (nor Harry) to be able to duplicate Angelic-caliber Soulfire! If she were that strong, Peabody would have fried his own brain when he tried to mentally-coerce her.
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But no... Luccio isn't likely (nor Harry) to be able to duplicate Angelic-caliber Soulfire! If she were that strong, Peabody would have fried his own brain when he tried to mentally-coerce her.
No, nor is Soulfire a gift that archangels hand out willy nilly...
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It should also be noted that most of the significant magical artefacts in the Universe gravitate to Harry, the Eye is only the most recent example.
As the Placard shows, Harry has an intrinsic understanding of how such things work and how best to deploy them, making him their best possible custodian. The same with the Castle, he understood it immediately when other practitioners didn’t, and how to improve it. He understood how Demonreach was built and it’s defences without anyone mortal to help him. He understood how the Sword of Faith works and was likely a catalyst in its Transformation.
By The Law he has all his old tools rebuilt in record time. Previously this was months if not years of effort.
Harry is an expert technomancer, a maker of magical objects, probably up there with Klaus The Toymaker, but capable of applying his talent to large structures as well as smaller tools.
Harry is both a Destroyer and a Builder.
He is I think going to make a new major magical artifact with Soulfire, before the end of the series.
It probably won’t be a hat.
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It probably won't be a hat.
You just killed my dreams and pissed on their corpse... :(
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It should also be noted that most of the significant magical artefacts in the Universe gravitate to Harry, the Eye is only the most recent example.
As the Placard shows, Harry has an intrinsic understanding of how such things work and how best to deploy them, making him their best possible custodian. The same with the Castle, he understood it immediately when other practitioners didn’t, and how to improve it. He understood how Demonreach was built and it’s defences without anyone mortal to help him. He understood how the Sword of Faith works and was likely a catalyst in its Transformation.
By The Law he has all his old tools rebuilt in record time. Previously this was months if not years of effort.
Harry is an expert technomancer, a maker of magical objects, probably up there with Klaus The Toymaker, but capable of applying his talent to large structures as well as smaller tools.
Harry is both a Destroyer and a Builder.
He is I think going to make a new major magical artifact with Soulfire, before the end of the series.
It probably won’t be a hat.
I completely agree. Especially about the swords! Ever since Luccio told Harry she can't make them any more, I am convinced she would someday teach him how.
Probably she will leave the White Council some day soon. At the latest, when it is destroyed or self-destroyed. Then she could start to teach him. Together they can found a new council with wardens who defend it's members with their new swords created by Harry.
Or Harry might be able to use his talent without Luccio's help to make himself a sword. He is a knight after all ;)
And I believe he would be able to do so, if he learns how to make normal swords first. And every castle needs a smithy, doesn't it?
@ original post 8)
If I were a minor talent, I would like some ice powers. But foresight would be cool, too. Or illusions and veils. That's what I would like.
What I think I would get:
Random mind reading and reading of emotions through other people projecting their emotions on me.
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You just killed my dreams and pissed on their corpse... :(
Hoping for the Hat of Retcon? As soon as Harry makes it, it magically propagates through time and space on Harry’s head wherever and whenever he is/was, so Harry always wore a hat, in every universe, all the time.
I think perhaps more likely a magical device which aids in point to point teleportation. Harry has had significant interest in teleportation and sees how useful it is. Being able to grab an enemy and teleport them to the lakeshore to Alfred would be of tremendous benefit. Saves all the trouble of having to lure them there. I note nobody teleports to Demonreach, even Mab, it may be because it is over a significant body of water and magic is grounded by water, a signal degradation effect which might be fatal, an added protection of Demonreach perhaps. Embarrasing if only 20% of you arrives or it is all jumbled up.
Teleportation is also forbidden to Wizards perhaps because of the reasons set out above, so no one has made a magical artifact aiding in it. So a safe, reliable teleporter artifact which is Dresdens ultimate Hail Mary, and can be used by others.
It strikes me Harry would have mastered teleportation using Little Chicago, at least within the City if he still had it. Little Chicago would be out of commission if it was still around as Ethnui altered the Cityscape too much. Maybe Lea or Mab rescued it after all and will give it him back now it’s broken and he can keep it properly secure this time. Of course he now has the Za Guard to help him collect samples and plenty of space to make a Map Room as part of the Castle. His hand is much better as well. New Little Chicago?
Harry wouldn’t make a sword.
He would make a gun capable of doing the same.
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... Harry wouldn’t make a sword.
He would make a gun capable of doing the same.
I don't think so: I believe the bullets would have to be enchanted, to do the Warden-swords' anti-enchantment trick.
I mean... obviously, the rules work however Jim decides they work. But I think we've seen that Jim has enchanted-ammo as his vision.
You could enchant a gun, but it would just be magically-better at firing whatever ammo gets loaded into it.
Enchanted gun + enchanted ammo would be pretty scary, though!
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I don't think so: I believe the bullets would have to be enchanted, to do the Warden-swords' anti-enchantment trick.
I mean... obviously, the rules work however Jim decides they work. But I think we've seen that Jim has enchanted-ammo as his vision.
You could enchant a gun, but it would just be magically-better at firing whatever ammo gets loaded into it.
Enchanted gun + enchanted ammo would be pretty scary, though!
Enchanted AK-47 with a bayonet. Problem solved. Although from Even Hand, we know that sufficiently enchanted bullets are hard and expensive to make.
@Conspiracy Theorist: thank you.. Phew.
I completely agree. Especially about the swords! Ever since Luccio told Harry she can't make them any more, I am convinced she would someday teach him how.
Probably she will leave the White Council some day soon. At the latest, when it is destroyed or self-destroyed. Then she could start to teach him. Together they can found a new council with wardens who defend it's members with their new swords created by Harry.
Or Harry might be able to use his talent without Luccio's help to make himself a sword. He is a knight after all ;)
And I believe he would be able to do so, if he learns how to make normal swords first. And every castle needs a smithy, doesn't it?
@ original post 8)
If I were a minor talent, I would like some ice powers. But foresight would be cool, too. Or illusions and veils. That's what I would like.
What I think I would get:
Random mind reading and reading of emotions through other people projecting their emotions on me.
Ice powers like always getting ice for your drink or like never missing in a Snowball fight?
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Ice powers like always getting ice for your drink or like never missing in a Snowball fight?
Ice for my drink, of course. And for the snowball fight: they wouldn't even notice I was actually in the fight, because I would be sitting with my icy cocktail just twitching my finger a little and yay snow inside their clothes down the nape and the back. Or if someone pissed me off a little deeper and on the front side... LOL
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Actually, Harry is exceptionally good at magical craftsmanship. Bob says most other wizards couldn't have created Little Chicago, for example. And most of Harry's substantive magical growth (tutoring Molly... being trained by Mab...) happened after he created LC!
I bet (for example) that if Luccio trusted Harry -- and Harry would put in the time -- she could tutor him to make new Warden Swords; in fact, once his mundane skills as a smith were good enough, I bet Harry's swords (even without Soulfire) would be at least as strong as Luccio's... of course, just getting the skills would probably take well over a decade of devoted work.
He's just usually too busy, with higher priorities (although that's likely just a lack of judgement).
But no... Luccio isn't likely (nor Harry) to be able to duplicate Angelic-caliber Soulfire! If she were that strong, Peabody would have fried his own brain when he tried to mentally-coerce her.
It doesn't really matter that Harry is talented at enchanting if he never does it.
Harry has this super cool ability that theoretically lets him do all kinds of shit and he's just like "What if my fire did more damage?" "What if my ice was harder?" "What if my illusions were slightly more realistic?"
He could be using Soulfire to do shit no other Wizard can do, but instead he just uses it as a crutch to make up for the fact that he sucks at being a Wizard because he's more interested in practicing his Parkour or building up his thews.
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Like, Luccio is a master Smith, I bet she could use Soulfire to give everyone a lightsaber instead of just Butters.
Do we know she's a smith or does she simply enchant blades? We've seen different people carrying different sorts of blades - if she were forging them all, I'd expect more uniformity, even if just for the manufacturing setup.
Harry probably does not MAKE his magic rings, he makes regular rings magic. His duster was a gift. He enchanted it. Elaine likely does not make her chain, she just plugs it in.
And Soulfire seems more material than energy field like a lightsaber. Now, can Harry use Soulfire in his shields? Maybe it would not transmit heat?
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No, nor is Soulfire a gift that archangels hand out willy nilly...
No. Have we seen anyone else using it? At all? Although.. could it be in one of the Nails? Did that propagate the lightsaber blade? Butters just pulled teh trigger, it was not in him.
Is it generally known Harry HAS Soulfire? Might mark him as someone who has friends in REALLY high places that you might try to avoid messing with.
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Harry wouldn’t make a sword.
He would make a gun capable of doing the same.
I'm wondering if you could have a gun - does a magic sword work for anyone, or does it channel their magic power? You might need to be touching the item. Otherwise I'd assume Luccio would have made a gun - she carried one in the West...
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No. Have we seen anyone else using it? At all? Although.. could it be in one of the Nails? Did that propagate the lightsaber blade? Butters just pulled teh trigger, it was not in him.
You could say it is in the Holy Swords since there supposedly an angel in the hilt of each of them.
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The circumstances were correct in the creation of the Faithsaber, Butters Faith allowed the sword to reshape itself into its new form. It should noted both Harry and the even more powerful Spear were there, acting as catalysts on Butters and the Sword.
One tends to forget how much Harry reshaped Butters to make him the Knight he is, and the Spear I think selects a probability where the wielder wins, creating the Faithsaber, or showing Harry Maggies ‘death’ was fake strengthening Harry’s will and undermining Ethnui’s. It gives a path to victory but you have to take it, free will. Perhaps that path to victory one day will be by Mab’s death, or Maggies, or Harry’s. Hard choices to be made.
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The circumstances were correct in the creation of the Faithsaber, Butters Faith allowed the sword to reshape itself into its new form. It should noted both Harry and the even more powerful Spear were there, acting as catalysts on Butters and the Sword.
One tends to forget how much Harry reshaped Butters to make him the Knight he is, and the Spear I think selects a probability where the wielder wins, creating the Faithsaber, or showing Harry Maggies ‘death’ was fake strengthening Harry’s will and undermining Ethnui’s. It gives a path to victory but you have to take it, free will. Perhaps that path to victory one day will be by Mab’s death, or Maggies, or Harry’s. Hard choices to be made.
I don't think Harry reshaped Butters, he always a man of courage. He would not change his findings on an autopsy, saying that the supernatural was involved in a death. Sorry I cannot remember if he said that the death was caused by the supernatural or that the corpse wasn't exactly human. Either way he stood by his findings even though he was considered mentally ill for saying so and even spent time in a hospital. His career suffered a huge set back because of it. Harry always respected him for that and respected his intelligence, though Thomas judged him to be a coward. In Dead Beat, he did his best to pull Cassius off of Harry when he was trying to kill him until Mouse intervened. It was that scene that was the tip off that Butters would become a Holy Knight some day. Harry actually prayed for God to send someone, and who showed up? Butters.
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Butters didn’t know he was a man of physical courage, Harry showed him he was. The Butters always had courage in his intellect, and morality. The man he is now has physical, mental and moral courage.
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In the space of one book Butters goes from zero to hero. Betraying Harry, becoming a sexual superstar, to getting a light saber. By the next book he has to carry his gonads in a wheelbarrow because they have become so big they drag the ground. He's challenging crazy wizards and standing up to dark Gods. I expect in the next book he will romance Mab and give Harry relationship advice on how to handle vampire spouses, and will be on personal terms with the White God. Maybe the White God will abdicate and Butters will become the Butter God.
I feel the need to keep this worship of the Butter God to sustainable levels through humor. Had Harry progressed this rapidly the Formor would have stayed under the lake shivering in fear and Chicago would be pristine.
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In the space of one book Butters goes from zero to hero. Betraying Harry, becoming a sexual superstar, to getting a light saber. By the next book he has to carry his gonads in a wheelbarrow because they have become so big they drag the ground. He's challenging crazy wizards and standing up to dark Gods. I expect in the next book he will romance Mab and give Harry relationship advice on how to handle vampire spouses, and will be on personal terms with the White God. Maybe the White God will abdicate and Butters will become the Butter God.
I feel the need to keep this worship of the Butter God to sustainable levels through humor. Had Harry progressed this rapidly the Formor would have stayed under the lake shivering in fear and Chicago would be pristine.
Thank you for saying it. I liked Butters much better in small doses. I didn't like his quick upgrades (especially since he'll probably be a council level wizard by the next book) and his geekdom is a bit overstated.
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Butters didn’t know he was a man of physical courage, Harry showed him he was. The Butters always had courage in his intellect, and morality. The man he is now has physical, mental and moral courage.
The physical finally caught up as well, it takes intellect and morality to have real courage.. There is a difference between being brave and merely reckless.
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In the space of one book ...
Ummm... not really? We've been seeing Butters "brave up" for several books, beginning with his attack on the un-Coin'ed Cassius, and being Harry's drummer for Sue. Harry has been cheering him along, mentoring him, lifting him up. "His nerd penis is bigger than all of yours."
But remember: that moment with Cassius is the scene where Waldo Butters was the answer to Harry's prayer that he be saved by a Knight of the Cross. He was a "Chosen One" figure from then onwards! Even if, literally, he was an ankle-biter there.
Yes, he is rather a fanservice character... began, honestly, as comic relief / nerds' nerd, but he was surprisingly popular, so Jim gave him more and more role, more and more agency.
But Changes represented more than one kind of "Change," and one of the things that has happened is that Harry's now working at the power-scales where un-boosted mortals can no longer survive (not even with a bit of Harry's attention on shielding them). If Butters is to continue, he needed a major power-boost.
in Ghost Story he has stepped up to being a really-active member of the Chicago Alliance, working the streets; and also their conduit to Bob's magic-theory & supernatural knowledge (taking over (that part of) what Harry had been doing for Chicago... if you don't have Harry, it takes a magical village! ). This is, I daresay, braver & more daring (on a daily(?) basis) than most people manage to be even once in their lifetimes (of course, most people aren't facing the kinds of threats and risks that Butters has, and don't have the opportunity for that kind of daring...) . But he's already an "action hero" in this book!
But you know what? Being a magic-geek (with Bob to mentor & to be the needed "magic battery" for Butters' toys) isn't the kind of power-boost demanded by Changes. In comics' terms, Butters is only a "street-level" hero; but Harry dying & coming back is 2-3 notches up from there.
I think his scene at the end of GS (getting CPR, where he wakes and -- on death's doorstep & in tremendous pain -- nevertheless makes a nerdy-yet-gallant compliment) is what flips the "loverboy" switch on; who wouldn't be flattered to be told they are someone's "dream," to be worth the effort to compliment... when most people would just be worried if they were even going to survive?
In Cold Days, we see "loverboy" already switched-on, from the first interaction.
Then, Skin Game. And the lightsaber... ah, the lightsaber... Butters (already menage-a-trois'ing with 2 (hot, younger) women) gets the nerds' ultimate fantasy toy; and becomes a Jedi Knight (of the Cross).
Face it: everybody's jealous that Butters gets a lightsaber... even the fans!
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The thing that I think many don't realize is what the Swords actually do.
People talk about the "superweapons" (from Hades' vault) and say they're "stronger" than the Swords. That's not (at all) the case.
If one of the Angels inside one of the Swords had stepped forth to do battle with Ethniu & the Eye, they could have put Ethniu over their knee, spanked her like a child, and given her another 3-4 millenia timeout. Or, y'know, just killed her out of hand.
But that's not their job.
The Angels in the Swords have a very specific role: they even the odds. No matter how potent the adversary, the otherwise-merely-mortal Knight of the Cross is on more or less even footing with ANY foe. The power-up from a Sword scales upward to whatever is needed, without any meaningful limit; but it's not delivering Drakul-facing power when a Knight is only facing a single junior Blampire.
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Yeah, the angels have a specific role. The angels keep Butters from killing someone, like the other Knight's or random passerby's with the most overpowered handheld weapon ever conceived ;). I still haven't gotten over the setup at the end of Skin Game where Butcher does this big buildup about sending human gunners into Michael's home to bypass the angelic protection and Butters cuts up Nic's sword and all the machine gunners just stand there and suddenly go stupid and Nic bails like Butters in Dead Beat. But if you like him, you like him. It's your book when you read it.
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You could say it is in the Holy Swords since there supposedly an angel in the hilt of each of them.
I think any angel likely resides in the Nail - supposedly there is a Nail from the Cross in each hilt. that's the real relic part
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The thing that I think many don't realize is what the Swords actually do.
People talk about the "superweapons" (from Hades' vault) and say they're "stronger" than the Swords. That's not (at all) the case.
If one of the Angels inside one of the Swords had stepped forth to do battle with Ethniu & the Eye, they could have put Ethniu over their knee, spanked her like a child, and given her another 3-4 millenia timeout. Or, y'know, just killed her out of hand.
But that's not their job.
I don't think we know enough about the Swords to say that, There are ranks even among angels, I don't think the one guarding the elevator in Colin Murphy's office building is Uriel-class. Yes, Uriel could have walked across Lake Shore Drive and said "Invasion is off. Go back home, or I will make you. " Michael? Sure, he could too, or Gabriel. If they all had that kind of power - why would there be a dozen at the Carpenters' ? One would be plenty.
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It's the difference between having "protection" like the White Council supposedly gives it's members against the rest of the Supernatural and having a 24/7 security team with an absolute mandate.
Now as to why they have so many, I think that no single angel is giving the Carpenter house their full attention but rather each is rotating in and out a part of their consciousness while multi-tasking other jobs. They'd probably arrange it this way on the off chance one of them besides Uriel would actually get to do something beyond just watching humanity stumble around in the dark.
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I bet they have so many because angels are bored af because they aren't allowed to do anything and watching over a dude they're never allowed to help is still better than that.
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I think any angel likely resides in the Nail - supposedly there is a Nail from the Cross in each hilt. that's the real relic part
And the Nail happens to be in the hilt... ::)
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I don't think we know enough about the Swords to say that, There are ranks even among angels, I don't think the one guarding the elevator in Colin Murphy's office building is Uriel-class. Yes, Uriel could have walked across Lake Shore Drive and said "Invasion is off. Go back home, or I will make you. " Michael? Sure, he could too, or Gabriel. If they all had that kind of power - why would there be a dozen at the Carpenters' ? One would be plenty.
Because at some point Uriel is aware of a threat to the Carpenters which WILL require the intervention of dozens of Angels which means:-
(1) a direct attack by Lucifer; or
(2) all the Fallen in the Denarius get simultaneously released from their coins.
Sounds like the BAT to me.
The attack in Skin Game was mortal Humans in Nickys employ, the attack by Ethnui ditto. The Angels could do little in either case, so they are there for an anticipated attack where they will be useful.
That means Michael probably has more significance to come rather than as a mentor to Harry and the Knights, and Jim has been lying to us (yet again).
Michael Carpenter becomes the White God? Or at least his living Avatar. Was Uriel lending his grace to Michael foreshadowing of this? Michael didn’t explode or go mad in containing such power.
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And the Nail happens to be in the hilt... ::)
And the Angel is constantly dancing on the nails head….
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Because at some point Uriel is aware of a threat to the Carpenters which WILL require the intervention of dozens of Angels which means ...
Hmmm.
As WAGs go, this seems remarkably likely.
Or -- free will being an imponderable, and rival Angelic-levels being hard to predict/foresee -- Uriel just sees possibilities he's taken preemptive steps to counteract/prevent.
Or -- just maybe -- Jim was sloppy. Could have been a "write this cool scene" without considering the ramifications.
... Sounds like the BAT to me ...
It rather does, yes.
When you put it like that.
... That means Michael probably has more significance to come rather than as a mentor to Harry and the Knights, and Jim has been lying to us (yet again)...
Well, Michael has been enjoying retirement with his wife & family. IIRC, Jim never actually promised that would go on into Michael's old age, uninterupted by any supernatural entanglements.
Harry's "major actions" have been once or twice a year, AFAICT. But I think Michael used to "answer the call" many times per year...