ParanetOnline
The Dresden Files => DF Spoilers => Topic started by: Mira on February 03, 2026, 01:40:15 PM
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We don't know at this time exactly when Marcone took up Namshiel's coin, but I believe that when he decided to buy a castle and bring it to Chicago to be reconstructed over the ruins of Harry's boarding house, Namshiel directed him to which castle to buy. As in it's no coincidence that that castle just happened to have belonged to or was set up by Merlin. Harry told Bob when he expressed concern that there might have been reconstruction problems affecting what Harry was about to do as far as defenses go. Harry's answer was that Marcone was a lot of things, but he wasn't incompetent and he had Namshiel's help doing it. We saw what the castle was capable of doing defense wise in the hands and staff of a capable wizard. So my question is, why during the Battle of Chicago was the castle damaged at all? Did Marcone/Namshiel ignore the need to set up Merlin's wards? I find it hard to believe they didn't know about them. Did Marcone think they would never be needed? Did Marcone need an entity like Bob to set them up? Or as Harry chided him at the end of Battleground, that even though his coin belongs to a powerful fallen angel wizard, Marcone was still an amature?
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I think it's that the castle needs a spirit of intellect.
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I think it's that the castle needs a spirit of intellect.
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Did Merlin have one? You would still think that Namshiel could have come up with one, or foreseen the need for one. Because without the wards, the castle was simply an impressive residence.
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I think their was some functionality to the wards without a spirit of intellect.
I don't know how common spirits of intellect are. We've only heard of three on page and the goddess Athena according to WoJ. And we do know that while Evil Bob serves, he doesn't have to. He offered to betray Corpsetaker and take Harry as an apprentice.
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I think their was some functionality to the wards without a spirit of intellect.
I don't know how common spirits of intellect are. We've only heard of three on page and the goddess Athena according to WoJ. And we do know that while Evil Bob serves, he doesn't have to. He offered to betray Corpsetaker and take Harry as an apprentice.
My point is though, is apparently Marcone when he owned the castle either wasn't aware, or was unable to make use of Merlin's wards. Odd in that he was hosting a fallen angel with top wizard skills. I'd like to know how this particular castle was selected to be purchased and brought over here.
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I don't think anyone was expecting things to kick off that night.
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Ethniu attacked from inside the castle and was invited in, so that needs to be taken into account.
I think the castle needs a spirit of intellect to be fully operational and they are probably hard to come by.
I'd guess this castle was the best Marcone could get his hands on even without using a spirit of intellect.
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We are forgetting, that Harry is not actually "good" at quick-magic (he cheats via stupendous brute forcing of magic juice with his tremendous power reserves and physical stamina), and especially not large scale or complex ones, like controlling the various "systems" incorporated into Merlin's tower seems to require. So I think it is actually possible for a single wizard to operate all the defenses, if they're good at that sort of thing. I would expect that it does not even have to be a spirit of intellect specifically, that would be required to be a stand-in for such skills, either, e.g. perhaps someone/something like the gargoyles may be able to do it too, or at least specific parts of it. And potentially, he could perhaps achieve the same level of control of those systems Bob has, but he'd need a bit of prep time for a more "serious" ritual to temporarily connect to them more directly, since with the battle at the end he only had like half an hour's worth of warning?
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My point is though, is apparently Marcone when he owned the castle either wasn't aware, or was unable to make use of Merlin's wards. Odd in that he was hosting a fallen angel with top wizard skills. I'd like to know how this particular castle was selected to be purchased and brought over here.
I think that marcone knew about the wards but was not yet ready to do what Harry could. Remember that Marcone most likely doesn't have the skills to pull this off. Not the knowledge Nam has the knowledge. Not sure of their relationship and how much control Nam has over Marcone. The closest analogue I can think of is a person having an accident and having to relearn to walk. Marcone has to build up his skills and focus step by step in spite having the knowledge all ready.
Plus Marcone probably has to prioritize combat magic over the more subtle type of magic.
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I think that marcone knew about the wards but was not yet ready to do what Harry could. Remember that Marcone most likely doesn't have the skills to pull this off. Not the knowledge Nam has the knowledge. Not sure of their relationship and how much control Nam has over Marcone. The closest analogue I can think of is a person having an accident and having to relearn to walk. Marcone has to build up his skills and focus step by step in spite having the knowledge all ready.
Plus Marcone probably has to prioritize combat magic over the more subtle type of magic.
I think Marcone had the castle at least five years, which isn't a short time.