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The Dresden Files => DF Spoilers => Topic started by: HeWhoSucksAtWalking on April 04, 2022, 04:13:54 AM

Title: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: HeWhoSucksAtWalking on April 04, 2022, 04:13:54 AM
I mean he was pretty much paste after that . I understand that he has one of the strongest fallen at his back but Jesus.

And another couple notes --- Will he think he will hold a grudge against Nic for leaving him there ? And I thought that only humans can get the coins ? I figure BOHS is a distant relative of humans but it still threw me for aloop. Can't wait for Book 20 to get more Denarion action and answer some of these questions.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: vincentric on April 04, 2022, 04:53:03 AM
Well, they are human enough to breed with humans.( hence River's son) So that could be enough for a coin merger.

Surviving the ice grinders will need some explaining though. Maybe Jim just wasn't done with the character's plot arc.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Ed0517 on April 04, 2022, 05:10:22 AM
Well, they are human enough to breed with humans.( hence River's son) So that could be enough for a coin merger.

Surviving the ice grinders will need some explaining though. Maybe Jim just wasn't done with the character's plot arc.

Especially because Rivers himself seems at a loss - so it is not a typical Forest People move
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: HeWhoSucksAtWalking on April 04, 2022, 05:12:00 AM
Well, they are human enough to breed with humans.( hence River's son) So that could be enough for a coin merger.

Surviving the ice grinders will need some explaining though. Maybe Jim just wasn't done with the character's plot arc.
Any chance it gets lured to the island and locked up? I don't see how Harry can beat the beast head to head : although that's been a recurring theme throughout the series. Dresden taking on things above his weight class and always coming through. Well except Shagnasty.

Another interesting question is if he survived then did Hannah and Lash? Think so
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: HeWhoSucksAtWalking on April 04, 2022, 05:25:03 AM
Especially because Rivers himself seems at a loss - so it is not a typical Forest People move
I assume Urseil revived him after a few but then how the hell did he linger long enough to heal then escape
Greek Hell? So many questions
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Ed0517 on April 04, 2022, 05:36:43 AM
Any chance it gets lured to the island and locked up? I don't see how Harry can beat the beast head to head : although that's been a recurring theme throughout the series. Dresden taking on things above his weight class and always coming through. Well except Shagnasty.

Another interesting question is if he survived then did Hannah and Lash? Think so

Well, LASCIEL will - she just projects to the body thru the Coin... Ursiel gets killed by Michael early on, decapitated IIRC, and HE comes back. Rasmussen, the host, is the one who goes. The Denarians could well move a few tons of rick and pick up Lasciel's Coin from Ascher's dead body, though they may have ways to summon the coin too (I know Lash said she could tell Harry how, but that might be different, as she was already in his head)
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: HeWhoSucksAtWalking on April 04, 2022, 05:50:33 AM
Well, LASCIEL will - she just projects to the body thru the Coin... Ursiel gets killed by Michael early on, decapitated IIRC, and HE comes back. Rasmussen, the host, is the one who goes. The Denarians could well move a few tons of rick and pick up Lasciel's Coin from Ascher's dead body, though they may have ways to summon the coin too (I know Lash said she could tell Harry how, but that might be different, as she was already in his head)
So you think there's absolutely no way that Hannah lived,? Maybe the monkey and her helped each other escape. I mean they were both fataly injured not to mention they had to dodge and defend against The residents of Hades..they could've team up.. maybe the monkey needed Hannah to open viel and protected her til they got out . I mean cmon. If he healed himself quick ,( still don't see friggin how!) Then he could've gotten her out of that rubble. Then the two of them team up and escape Hades. Though I think he probably would've needed Asher to open a way..He's strong but I'm not sure if subtly magic is his forte.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 04, 2022, 10:45:35 AM


  I agree, we've seen over and over again, the host body dies, the coin just drops away to be picked up by another.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: morriswalters on April 04, 2022, 05:36:43 PM
This has to be a Mirror Mirror plot point.  This isn't the same Blood On His Soul.  The only way out or in from Hades Realm was through the vault.  Otherwise Skin Game is a lie.

I really hate this type of thing. I don't watch the Marvel movies because of this. Somebody dies? Bring them in from an alternate universe. It's cheap and lazy.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 04, 2022, 05:40:28 PM
The Forest People have a massive lifeforce and healing factor. On top of that The Denarians are also granted a healing factor by the coin. Whilst what happened to Blood would have overwhelmed the healing factor of a Human Denarian host (and Marcone’s  neck got unbroken, so that is fairly significant) with stacked healing factors it may be that pure physical force cannot kill Blood, it can merely delay him.

That means that he is going to have to be beaten by a subtle or metaphysical force. The Swords especially that of Faith can probably still kill him. Harry using Soulfire  might be able to depending on the type of attack. Force and fire are out they are easily deflected by Blood. If Harry were to replicate Carlos disintegration attack reinforced by Soulfire for example it would surprise Blood and take him apart at the molecular level separating him from his coin. I note in Battle Ground Harry spent time in the middle of a battle considering how that worked, so he is going to both use it and create a defence to it.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: forumghost on April 05, 2022, 05:19:59 AM
I mean it's pretty well established that not much can kill a Denarian as long as they have their coin. There wasn't much of Tessa left after her failed ambush on Harry and Gard in Marcone's safehouse, but she just shrugged it off.

And BOHS had a much higher starting point then Tessa.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Yuillegan on April 05, 2022, 05:52:24 AM
It did surprise me to learn that not only did the Genoskwa survive, but was able to actually leave Hades' Underworld.

Then again, Denarians have shown high levels of recovery in some circumstances, and Ursiel is about as tough a Fallen as they come. Coupled with the Genoskwa's own toughness (and likely ability to heal), plus whatever other Denarian tricks (like speeding up the mind) I can see how Blood-on-his-Soul survived.

The only way I can see Ursiel and BohS escaping is through a deal with Hades himself, either negotiated directly or perhaps Hell (as in Lucifer's domain) intervened. Maybe a trade, or even a jailbreak (although the latter seems less likely).

As Morris points out, there are essentially only a few ways out i.e. the main gate guarded by Cerberus (and you have to cross the River Styx, pay the ferryman etc). Or the backdoor entrance that Dresden had opened, which is harder (if not impossible) to open from the inside. I don't know if either seems likely.

Of course, the Black Council might have had something to do with it. They seem to have all kinds of tricks up their sleeves.

To answer the other OP questions:
1) I doubt Ursiel will care that they were left behind, but the Genoskwa is fairly emotional and might be upset. However, the source of their rage will of course be Dresden so he will receive the brunt of it.

2) Any mortal is corruptible i.e. it doesn't matter the species or race provided they have a soul and free will. Most don't have one let alone both. Therefore, there are many mortal races beyond just humans that could also take up coins. For instance, a White Court Vampire (this scenario has been put to Jim and he said the Fallen would easily outmatch the Hunger, no contest really). Changellings, some Scions (i.e. half-mortal half-supernatural creatures), Forrest People, Wolf People (like in the comic), Tera West's species (wolves that can turn into humans), etc. There are probably many I have left out or forgotten. It's the mortality thing that's key. I will say most animals probably are not susceptible (otherwise Ursiel might just pick a bear), probably because while mortal most (if not all) do not have souls or free will.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 05, 2022, 03:24:12 PM
Quote
Then again, Denarians have shown high levels of recovery in some circumstances, and Ursiel is about as tough a Fallen as they come. Coupled with the Genoskwa's own toughness (and likely ability to heal), plus whatever other Denarian tricks (like speeding up the mind) I can see how Blood-on-his-Soul survived.


 This true, but dead is dead, and if the host is killed the coin rolls away.  Unless it is retrieved by a Holy Knight for "safe keeping," Nic or another Denarian will pick it up to tempt the next suitable host.

So Ursiel, himself cannot be killed, he lives in his coin, but his host can be squished to death.. So wouldn't be shocked to see Ursiel again, but he will have a different body.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: morriswalters on April 05, 2022, 04:45:44 PM
If you never see it coming how fast you think will have nothing to do with it. 

The first quote is about opening a way in the realm. 
Quote
Once or twice in my life, I’d been able to open a Way in front of me, fast enough to divert an incoming attack away from me, into the Nevernever or out into somewhere else in the mortal world. But from here, in the secured vault, there was no way I was going to be able to open a Way—not until I got back out beyond the first gate again.

Butcher, Jim. Skin Game: A Novel of the Dresden Files (p. 385). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
The second about how much warning they had when the ice block crushed them.
Quote
But neither the Genoskwa nor the Fallen angel sensed what was plummeting soundlessly toward them. A block of ice the size of a building came down like the hammer of God Almighty, and crushed the Genoskwa like a beer can.

Butcher, Jim. Skin Game: A Novel of the Dresden Files (p. 399). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 05, 2022, 05:06:04 PM
Hades obviously let Blood go in exchange for his coin, he is a collector after all and had Lasciel’s sans host, he wanted Ursiel’s in mint condition (of course). It was the only thing he had to trade, other than body odour, and he gave that away for free. Blood is from a long lived race, and the coin made him effectively immortal Hades patience would thus be tried, and from his point of view Hades gets to keep the important being in his safekeeping.

Hades probably considered the coins payment for the diamonds (he was only looking after super weapons until a mortal custodian turned up)

Somewhere in Hades domain there is now a display case with 28 vacant slots, and that will worry the ultimate completist. Odin has better not owe Hades anything, otherwise Marcone might get a three way trade for Namshiel getting the Kringle Mantle in return for becoming a Faerie Godfather, and there only being 27 slots. Hades is a customer of Marcone’s after all.

Let’s face it the next time Harry comes into a little spare change he could do worse than sell the coins to hades for half a backpack of diamonds each.

Even without a coin Blood is a formidable opponent.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Yuillegan on April 06, 2022, 01:32:47 AM
This true, but dead is dead, and if the host is killed the coin rolls away.  Unless it is retrieved by a Holy Knight for "safe keeping," Nic or another Denarian will pick it up to tempt the next suitable host.

So Ursiel, himself cannot be killed, he lives in his coin, but his host can be squished to death.. So wouldn't be shocked to see Ursiel again, but he will have a different body.
And yet we know the Genoskwa (Blood-on-his-Soul) has survived. Dresden saw him get crushed like a beer can under a hammer. I don't know we will ever find out exactly how it worked out, but it's fair to say "magic" was involved. And yes, Ursiel himself as an immortal is unable to be killed except in very specific circumstances.

If you never see it coming how fast you think will have nothing to do with it. 

The first quote is about opening a way in the realm.  The second about how much warning they had when the ice block crushed them.
I think spiritual beings are stronger in the Nevernever, from memory. So even if they didn't sense the impending attack, they might be more able to heal from such an assault, perhaps better than they would in the "real" world.

After all, even in the bank vault we saw Tessa turn herself into a swarm of bugs and then gets burned with holy fire/light, and she's still kicking.

Unfortunately, part of the problem is Small Favor. Jim watered down the Denarians a lot to enable them to be defeated. So the Hellhound uses a few sniper round, Eldest Gruff blows away one or two, etc. And Coins go flying. It's all set-up so Marcone gets his Coin and so all the new holders of previous Coins can exist. Jim was just cleaning house. But the issue is that it skewed our expectations. We go from Denarians being incredibly powerful and scary in Death Masks, to being essentially a couple of goons. It doesn't gel and now the expectation for us readers is that they are easily put down, when in fact I suspect that isn't how Jim sees them, given their initial introduction into the series. To me, I think the Denarians are meant to be far harder to kill than we have seen and Small Favor is an aberration in their survivability.

But that's just my two Denarius.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 06, 2022, 10:45:34 AM
Quote
And yet we know the Genoskwa (Blood-on-his-Soul) has survived. Dresden saw him get crushed like a beer can under a hammer. I don't know we will ever find out exactly how it worked out, but it's fair to say "magic" was involved. And yes, Ursiel himself as an immortal is unable to be killed except in very specific circumstances.

Or maybe because Sasquatches are tougher than your average beings, we've also seen River Shoulders take some fearsome punishments as well and survive.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: morriswalters on April 06, 2022, 12:04:01 PM
With the exception of Nicodemus the Nicklehead's aren't that hard to kill.  Ursiel dies the first time in Blood Rites.  Separate the head from the body and they die. Destroy the head and they die. And so on. And he stole the idea from the Highlander, whose writer stole it from someone else.

But if Butcher wants to raise him from the dead all it takes is a word processor and the desire. At this rate I expect a party with all the quasi dead people of the  Dresden Files in attendance.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 06, 2022, 02:29:45 PM
With the exception of Nicodemus the Nicklehead's aren't that hard to kill.  Ursiel dies the first time in Blood Rites.  Separate the head from the body and they die. Destroy the head and they die. And so on. And he stole the idea from the Highlander, whose writer stole it from someone else.

But if Butcher wants to raise him from the dead all it takes is a word processor and the desire. At this rate I expect a party with all the quasi dead people of the  Dresden Files in attendance.

Correction, Ursiel's host dies in Blood Rites, if the coin isn't accounted for by the Holy Knights and properly locked away, a new host takes up the coin and becomes the new Ursiel, and the appearance of who we think of as Ursiel.  That may get lost in the shuffle between books, but it recurs over and over, even Namshiel's host is killed in Small Favor, Namshiel doesn't return until the mortal Marcone takes up his coin in Battle Ground..  Namshiel's previous host got fully absorbed by Namshiel, he was merely called, "Namshiel."  However this didn't happen in Nic's case, his is a different partnership, one that Lasciel tried to sell Harry on.  Now did Namshiel assure Marcone that he can do the wizard thing and remain Marcone?
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Arjan on April 06, 2022, 05:45:12 PM
Remember Tessa in small favor? She got a killing blow but just fell apart in many insects and they recombined again. Something like that would work.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: SerScot on April 07, 2022, 12:45:56 AM
HHSSW,

So you think there's absolutely no way that Hannah lived,? Maybe the monkey and her helped each other escape. I mean they were both fataly injured not to mention they had to dodge and defend against The residents of Hades..they could've team up.. maybe the monkey needed Hannah to open viel and protected her til they got out . I mean cmon. If he healed himself quick ,( still don't see friggin how!) Then he could've gotten her out of that rubble. Then the two of them team up and escape Hades. Though I think he probably would've needed Asher to open a way..He's strong but I'm not sure if subtly magic is his forte.

I was about to say Asher didn’t know how to do that… but then… Lasciel could remedy that quite rapidly.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Yuillegan on April 07, 2022, 06:33:54 AM
Or maybe because Sasquatches are tougher than your average beings, we've also seen River Shoulders take some fearsome punishments as well and survive.
Still mortal though, and anything mortal crushed by a solid ice block the size of a small building isn't going to survive unless they are able to somehow protect themselves. That much mass would be too much energy to divert via a shield, even for the Genoskwa with Ursiel I suspect. It would have kept pursuing Dresden otherwise. Harry was quite sure the old "open up a Way" trick wasn't possible where he was, particularly by anyone but him. He could be wrong, but if so why did they use him to get into the Underworld? Perhaps the Genoskwa turned itself into a liquid or gas...but that seems less likely given the requirements, and either form would struggle to maintain it's state of matter in such cold conditions.

The toughness of the being only matters if it's supernatural entirely. It's part mortal, and the physical mass has to go somewhere. His only other option is to dig into the ground beneath him, which again seems unlikely based on the speed and surprise of the attack and of the "ground" he would have to dig into.

The most likely scenario is a some sort of weird healing, or teleport. And it would have to be far enough that the Genoskwa would give up pursuit of Harry (if it were the teleport) and slow enough that immediate pursuit wasn't an option (if it were the healing factor).

River Shoulders and the Genoskwa are very tough beings, but I don't see how either of them could survive the impact of that much mass without magical assistance beyond their normal means.

With the exception of Nicodemus the Nicklehead's aren't that hard to kill.  Ursiel dies the first time in Blood Rites.  Separate the head from the body and they die. Destroy the head and they die. And so on. And he stole the idea from the Highlander, whose writer stole it from someone else.

But if Butcher wants to raise him from the dead all it takes is a word processor and the desire. At this rate I expect a party with all the quasi dead people of the  Dresden Files in attendance.
It took three Knights last time to kill Ursiel's host. As far as I am aware, no Angel has died yet, Fallen or otherwise. 

The idea of the head being the optimal target to ensure death is as old as humans. Older than any tale.

But I don't know about them being easy to kill either. In any case, clearly the Genoskwa survived somehow, and as far as I am aware they are not invulnerable or have rapid healing. So presumably his Fallen helped him survive, however it was done. The real question isn't how the trick was done, but whether the Genoskwa is still paired with Ursiel (assuming it isn't the Genoskwa from another universe, as per your theory), and when the Genoskwa will next show up.

Remember Tessa in small favor? She got a killing blow but just fell apart in many insects and they recombined again. Something like that would work.
Precisely what I said, glad someone else gets it.

HHSSW,

I was about to say Asher didn’t know how to do that… but then… Lasciel could remedy that quite rapidly.
I don't see Hannah Ascher surviving as she was so new at the Denarian angle. But then again, I didn't think the Genoskwa survived and here we are. Anything's possible I guess.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 07, 2022, 10:57:54 AM
Quote
River Shoulders and the Genoskwa are very tough beings, but I don't see how either of them could survive the impact of that much mass without magical assistance beyond their normal means.

Or Ursiel is compatible to Sasquatches, Genoskwa did die, the coin ejected, picked up by another Sasquatch, who becomes Genoskwa. I think way back when Nic tossed Lasciel's coin Harry's way, that he said something about choosing the right coin for the specific host.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 07, 2022, 03:38:55 PM
It’s separation  the host from the coin that is required, that may be an instant brain death scenario. The Noose lets Nick get away with it, Lartessa most likely found her own work around. If in her insect form she is a genuine hive mind with her consciousness split between the brains  of the insects, she only needs one insect to remain in contact with the coin for her to be able to regenerate wholly even if the rest of her insects are destroyed.

I suspect the Hellhounds enhanced senses may include a shark like ability to sense the nervous systems of others, he seems to be able to see in the dark but probably has a whole host of unnatural senses and such an ability would be useful against illusion casters,  if so he would have been aiming at the perceived seat of conscious in each Denarian, so even if for example they in shape shifted form had relocated their brain from their “head” to another part of their anatomy he would aim there.

Most hosts I think were not smart enough to realise this, or carry this out and frankly the Denarian didn’t care as a new host would be along any moment.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: morriswalters on April 07, 2022, 06:44:17 PM
Butcher set up the rules to make it hard to kill anything in the Files.  Ursiel's host died easily enough when his head fell off. It was getting close enough to kill him without dying that was the problem. Since he's human Harry couldn't use magic.  And that is the crux of it, the host is human. Nicodemus is the only one who can take a licking and keep on ticking.

If your going to call me out for not differentiating between the host and his Fallen somebody needs to tell Butcher to get square on Thorned Namshiel.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 07, 2022, 07:38:58 PM
Butcher set up the rules to make it hard to kill anything in the Files.  Ursiel's host died easily enough when his head fell off. It was getting close enough to kill him without dying that was the problem. Since he's human Harry couldn't use magic.  And that is the crux of it, the host is human. Nicodemus is the only one who can take a licking and keep on ticking.

If your going to call me out for not differentiating between the host and his Fallen somebody needs to tell Butcher to get square on Thorned Namshiel.

Possible that Namshiel and Marcone came to an arrangement, kind of like Nic and Andriel, and that Lasciel said she could arrange with Harry..
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: g33k on April 08, 2022, 04:28:48 AM
... I mean cmon. If he healed himself quick ,( still don't see friggin how!) Then he could've gotten her out of that rubble ...
Did we actually ever see the "getting crushed"?  I don't think we (Harry) actually had line-of-sight.

Hypothetically, he could have survived the same way Harry survived killing the Ik -- Harry opened a Harry-sized gate and let the tons of Ik-and-Harry-crushing nevernever matter go "somewhere" into the mortal world as evaporating ectoplasm.  BOHS just crouches down (behind another block of ice, blocking Harry's LOS), opens a quick gate, and lets the gate chew a BOHS-sized chunk out of the block; when they smash together, there's a hollow inside!

... He's strong but I'm not sure if subtly magic is his forte.

BOHS veiled really really well (Molly & senior-council level veil) for a long time, in the warehouse.  And Harry has repeatedly called veils complex and subtle things.  He also did something too subtle/complex for Harry to understand, blocking & grounding Harry's magic when Harry tried to nail him.

I think in terms of raw ability & training, BOHS' magic can do most of what Harry's magic can do; probably all of what Harry's magic can do.

Harry's advantage is in level-headed thinking and planning.

And a lot of plot-armor (much of which takes the form of planning, & level-headed thinking in a crisis).

Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: g33k on April 08, 2022, 04:47:38 AM
... So the Hellhound uses a few sniper round, Eldest Gruff blows away one or two, etc ...

I think you underestimate Eldest Gruff & the Hellhound, there.

I think Harry got off easy, and didn't realize that -- sometimes -- his allies are just as far above his pay-grade as his enemies are!
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Ed0517 on April 08, 2022, 10:00:58 AM
With the exception of Nicodemus the Nicklehead's aren't that hard to kill.  Ursiel dies the first time in Blood Rites.  Separate the head from the body and they die. Destroy the head and they die. And so on. And he stole the idea from the Highlander, whose writer stole it from someone else.

But if Butcher wants to raise him from the dead all it takes is a word processor and the desire. At this rate I expect a party with all the quasi dead people of the  Dresden Files in attendance.

Doesn't have to be decapitation, but it has to be quick. Eldest Gruff kills a denarian (Magog, maybe?) on the island without a decapitation. But it was a single shot. EG is well up the power ladder, I'd be thinking roughly Lea? 

I think Hades might be involved. He claims the dead in his realm. Nic killing his daughter, she is not coming back. But not for a keepsake coin. TWG wants them in circulation, and I think Hades trophy room is likely too far off the beaten path.  But Hades can likely refuse the soul and put it back in the body, and open a gate out. Hades is probably stronger than anyone we have seen other than Uriel, the Mothers, and HWWB. Odin isn't that class any more. 
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 08, 2022, 01:39:17 PM
I think you underestimate Eldest Gruff & the Hellhound, there.

I think Harry got off easy, and didn't realize that -- sometimes -- his allies are just as far above his pay-grade as his enemies are!

I wonder if the Hellound SHOT the coin out of the Denarian. That would do it probably.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: g33k on April 08, 2022, 11:22:57 PM
I wonder if the Hellound SHOT the coin out of the Denarian. That would do it probably.
<heh>
Probably would, at that!

Heck, for all we know Kincaid has a private side-deal with Sanya, and can buy a case of KotC-blessed bullets...  ;-)
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Ed0517 on April 09, 2022, 07:39:02 AM
<heh>
Probably would, at that!

Heck, for all we know Kincaid has a private side-deal with Sanya, and can buy a case of KotC-blessed bullets...  ;-)

Gotta be careful with blessed bullets - understand when guns started in Europe some claimed they were a tool of the devil,  and tested regular bullets against blessed silver bullets with crosses engraved... and the guns were considered cursed because the regular bullets shot markedly better.....

(DUH _ Silver is much harder than lead. The silver bullets do not take to rifling well, the spin is erratic, and so the trajectory is too. Sorry Lone Ranger.)
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 09, 2022, 11:06:41 AM
My thought is that for full symbiosis the coins have to be in contact with the host, if contact is broken you have the shadow until contact is resumed. As powerful as Lash was she couldn’t heal Harry, whereas Lasciel could have. Once the host dies so does the shadow.

Shooting the coins out would work, the host would die along with the shadow, as it is unable to heal the host.

Going hive mind works as Tessa did, one of he subunits would be in physical contact with her coin, and the rest would have the shadow of her Denarian, it’s how she is able to control them, the shadow is doing it.

Marcone doesn’t have his Denarius implanted, he has it on a chain around his neck so he exposed this as a potential weakness to Harry without probably knowing it, Namshiel would have known to tell Marcone this, so Namshiel is holding things back. Alternatively Marcone does know but wants to be separate from Namshiel part of the time on his terms, (he wasn’t wearing the coin during the infamous locker room scene) to keep control over Namshiel.

Blood In His Stool would likely have had his coin implanted or ingested, so he would have survived for a considerable part of the process of being rendered into mincemeat, but at some point the coin would have separated from his conscious flesh killing him. Unless Sasquatch have a decentralised consciousness, like Tessa uses, at this point Blood would have died in Hades domain with Hades control over his ghost. The only things that Blood had to trade were the coin, and information. Hades physically had the coin, so Blood could only have traded information what was Nicky up to, his true target and long-term plans. Hades is a powerful god in in his own desmesne, he could have traded the release of Blood’s ghost. It is Blood’s ghost, making itself an ectoplasm body which has been seen. A Sasquatch Ghost must be immensely more powerful than a human ghost more in line with a spirit like Bob. I wonder if this is where the Wendigo myth would fit in? That Wendigo are Genowswa who have died possessing humans, shapechanging them back to their original form, adding ectoplasm to increase their bulk. If Blood knew this it is very much worth his while to bargain for his release, he has an option other souls don’t.

If so Blood would be diverting considerable power to keeping his ectoplasm body together, and would be vulnerable to the Dawn. Those are advantages Harry can exploit, especially with Mortimer’s help. However there may be an innocent mortal human inside creating a dilemma for Harry.

I think these two theories explain coherently how the coins have worked consistently in series and the Wendigo theory explains Blood being out and about. The latter makes sense and puts a new monster from myth into the Dresden canon. Bloods no longer a Genowskwa, he’s a Wendigo.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Ed0517 on April 10, 2022, 06:32:19 AM
I don't think being in contact with your coin is foolproof - Eldest Gruff took out Magog still holding his coin, and his head on, and didn't several drown in the aquarium when Harry blasted the glass? They were not separated from their coins that we know of until they died.

Question on the Wendigo - if you lure it into a circle and activate.... the ectoplasm turns to goop, right? Have we seen evidence a Forest People can possess anything? They have been resistant to magic, but how much have we seen them USE it?  They may be so resistant they cannot manipulate it. Maybe it is a spirit and ALL ectoplasm? If so, Harry goes and sees Forthill, and comes out with the SuperSoaker of Doom.... 1 squirt banishes the ghost and dispels the ectoplasm... 
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: g33k on April 10, 2022, 07:19:55 AM
My thought is that for full symbiosis the coins have to be in contact with the host, if contact is broken you have the shadow until contact is resumed. As powerful as Lash was she couldn’t heal Harry, whereas Lasciel could have. Once the host dies so does the shadow...
Two points, here --
First, the host has to actually make a "deal with the devil," has to agree "I will work with you."  Details of the deal don't really matter; if the mortal agrees to work with the Fallen, they are a Knight of the Blackened Denarius.  It looks like you're correct, that contact is required:  recall that Cassius really really wanted to regain the Denarius he had lost; but I think you're wrong that they automatically have a Fallen-Shadow if they lose their coin, or Cassius would have been able to simply summon his coin.

Second -- Lash wasn't "powerful," except insofar as "knowledge is power."  She didn't really "exist" at all; she was like an imaginary-friend, and existed entirely as a facet of Harry's own mind:  unable to affect the real world except insofar as she could affect Harry's mind & covertly influence his judgmement; and/or overtly convince him to do things.  She had no power... she couldn't heal Harry... but she could have taught him how to heal himself.

Going hive mind works as Tessa did, one of he subunits would be in physical contact with her coin, and the rest would have the shadow of her Denarian, it’s how she is able to control them, the shadow is doing it.
My theory is different:  Imariel stuffs Tessa & the coin into a Nevernever demesne, and creates ectoplasmic bugs (maybe they exist there, and are summoned or sent to the mortal world).  Every bug remains connected to Imariel & the coin.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 10, 2022, 07:49:12 AM
I hadn’t forgotten the summoning of the coin, Cassius repudiation wasn’t sincere like Sanya’s, and I suspect he would have tried to summon it. However his Fallen may have had other ideas, it may have been tired of Snakeboy, a low talent loser, and looking forward to a new host. It knew it was going to the Vatican meaning it would be back in circulation. I suspect his Fallen withdrew his shadow as the coin was being dropped, meaning Cassius couldn’t summon it. Snakeboy had embarrassed his Denarian and pride goeth before a Fall.

Shadows are involuntary Harry got it without agreement as would have Harry Carpenter, but up until loss of contact a Fallen can withdraw it. In Sanya’s case in dropping his coin there was no shadow. This was why Michael was so convinced Harry had to put aside his power, so Harry became worthless to the Denarian (in light of the whole Starborn thing I doubt that was the case, Michael was wrong).

Powerful as regards direct effect versus indirect effect Lash couldn’t have any effect outside of Harry’s head, inside it though she was powerful, saving Harry’s life numerous times, but unable to heal him. She could pull the equivalent of the Winter Knight ‘healing’ but that was it.

No sign of gateway to the Never Never when the transformation occurs.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 10, 2022, 08:06:14 AM
I don't think being in contact with your coin is foolproof - Eldest Gruff took out Magog still holding his coin, and his head on, and didn't several drown in the aquarium when Harry blasted the glass? They were not separated from their coins that we know of until they died.

Question on the Wendigo - if you lure it into a circle and activate.... the ectoplasm turns to goop, right? Have we seen evidence a Forest People can possess anything? They have been resistant to magic, but how much have we seen them USE it?  They may be so resistant they cannot manipulate it. Maybe it is a spirit and ALL ectoplasm? If so, Harry goes and sees Forthill, and comes out with the SuperSoaker of Doom.... 1 squirt banishes the ghost and dispels the ectoplasm...

I didn’t say it was foolproof, the Fallen rely upon their mortal hosts for decisions, sometimes they panic and make poor decisions. Sometimes the Fallen may decide its time to end that particular partnership. They know a new host will present in short order.

Blood isn’t a forest person, he’s a Genowskwa, and yes he used veils extensively through Skin Game, so he can use magic. As such he should be able to do anything a human wizard can do and Corpsetaker could certainly pull off a possession.

Knowing what Blood is would be the puzzle and how to deal with it. Trapping him in a circle would only work if he tried to exit it, and probably not then if he limited himself physically to his human host, no ectoplasm.

The Sword of Faith would be a better solution able to inflict harm on Blood, but not his host. Ironically Blood is the Denarian in such a relationship but not tethered by a coin.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: g33k on April 10, 2022, 08:11:22 AM
No sign of gateway to the Never Never when the transformation occurs.
We know that power & experience & aptitude all matter, in such things.  Time and again, Harry is impressed at how smoothly others open Ways.  He could barely even notice when Lily opened the Way to Arctis Tor; she certainly had less experience than Harry... but the Mantle gave her plenty of power and aptitude!

And we know that Angels -- fallen or not -- have power on a scale to dwarf the entire White Council, and experience to match.  Imariel certainly has some sorts of aptitudes, and demesne filled with horrific little bugs sounds right up his alley!

If nothing else, they could cast a "there is no gateway here" veil, to mask what they're doing;  remember Elaine's veil, in White Knight:  "there is nothing worth noticing or remembering about the person sitting here."  Again, well within the DV canon, and the scope of Fallen powers...
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: morriswalters on April 10, 2022, 02:18:22 PM
There is no indication in the text that anyone other than a Shadow can summon a coin.  Lash expected to be reabsorbed into Lasciel and feared that she would not take her back. Michael tells you  that the only  way to rid yourself of the Fallen is to take up the coin, accept the Fallen and then put the coin down. Accepting the Fallen removes the Shadow. Harry was a special case in that she was burned out of his brain.  Or so it seems.

Lash can effect physical reality.  She gave Harry access to Hellfire.  Nicodemus also assumes that she can paralyze Harry and tells her to do so in Small Favor. If Harry were unprepared she could make him do anything by executing a man in the middle attack where she feeds Harry the reality that she wants him to see. I suspect that this is the way LC was broken.

We know that Nicodemus's belief is founded in reality because Bonea takes takes control over Harry's autonomic nervous system to support his body while he is on a walkabout.

Could the old whats his name have escaped by opening a portal underneath the block.  Sure, Butcher does something similar in the fight in the Goblin's domain when he drops rock ectoplasm into the real world to escape being crushed during his fight.  In theory so could have Lasciel and Hannah. It's mentioned in the  text as a possibility.
Quote
“I figure Nicodemus had Lasciel and Ascher as his backup Way home,” I said. Ascher had been throwing Hellfire around. With a couple of weeks’ training from a good teacher, say a Fallen angel who could provide her with images and communicate directly in thought, she might have enough talent to learn how to manage a Way—but probably not from inside several hundred tons of molten rock. “Maybe the Genoskwa could have done it. But they’re out. That leaves one way for him to get back.”

Butcher, Jim. Skin Game: A Novel of the Dresden Files (p. 400). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
But it feels like a cheat since old Nicky had to sneak out through Dresden's portal.  It also makes a farce of the vault as a plot gimmick.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 10, 2022, 05:15:33 PM
Quote
There is no indication in the text that anyone other than a Shadow can summon a coin.  Lash expected to be reabsorbed into Lasciel and feared that she would not take her back. Michael tells you  that the only  way to rid yourself of the Fallen is to take up the coin, accept the Fallen and then put the coin down. Accepting the Fallen removes the Shadow. Harry was a special case in that she was burned out of his brain.  Or so it seems.

Not quite, Harry actually changed the Shadow of Lasciel into Lash, or by knowing him and falling in love, she changed.  Then she willingly sacrificed herself to save Harry, it was a struggle to the end if you will recall.  Lash begged Harry to save himself by taking the coin, he refused in the name of freedom among other things.  In the end she agreed and gained her own freedom in death.  That is why Harry is so unique and why he attracted the attention of Heaven and got soul fire, something like that had never happened before.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: g33k on April 10, 2022, 10:37:33 PM
There is no indication in the text that anyone other than a Shadow can summon a coin.
A "Shadow" isn't an "anyone" -- they need to work within the abilities of the host, adding only their Fallen knowledge.  The Church's inability to keep hold of any of the Coins suggests that some may be being summoned out from their hiding places (sure, there is corruption and some people are releasing the Coins who shouldn't; but the problem is so ubiquitous and long-term, I think Coin-summoning is a component).

It's possible that any given Fallen can summon any Denarius, if the Fallen in that coin is willing to be summoned (they gotta be willing; otherwise, it'd be the go-to tactic in their incessant internecine squabbling) .

... Michael tells you  that the only way to rid yourself of the Fallen is to take up the coin, accept the Fallen and then put the coin down ...
We know that the Denarians periodically raid the Church to destroy records concerning themselves, and Harry himself points out in that same conversation how Michael can't possibly "know" these sorts of limitations; he may in fact be correct, but he may also be mistaken.

... Harry was a special case in that she was burned out of his brain ...
And yet, the real Lasciel seemed to know about Bonea, which suggests that a Shadow's destruction within a wizard's mind is a known phenomenon.  Also, I think there was a WoJ saying that Bob was created the same way as Bonea.

... Lash can effect physical reality.  She gave Harry access to Hellfire.  Nicodemus also assumes that she can paralyze Harry and tells her to do so in Small Favor. If Harry were unprepared she could make him do anything by executing a man in the middle attack where she feeds Harry the reality that she wants him to see ...
A Shadow is limited entirely to "acting" through their host; for example, manipulating their perceptions, nudging their subconscious, etc.  Getting the host to act.  But also, overtly convincing the host.

Hellfire, like Soulfire, is something humans -- wizards, that is -- can all access.  They just have to be shown how.  The Shadow snuck it in through Harry's subconscious; he never consciously learned, it just "showed up."  Uriel "jostled" Harry's spell-casting; nudged it into a slightly-different channel, which showed him how to do it for himself.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 10, 2022, 11:36:06 PM
We know that power & experience & aptitude all matter, in such things.  Time and again, Harry is impressed at how smoothly others open Ways.  He could barely even notice when Lily opened the Way to Arctis Tor; she certainly had less experience than Harry... but the Mantle gave her plenty of power and aptitude!

And we know that Angels -- fallen or not -- have power on a scale to dwarf the entire White Council, and experience to match.  Imariel certainly has some sorts of aptitudes, and demesne filled with horrific little bugs sounds right up his alley!

If nothing else, they could cast a "there is no gateway here" veil, to mask what they're doing;  remember Elaine's veil, in White Knight:  "there is nothing worth noticing or remembering about the person sitting here."  Again, well within the DV canon, and the scope of Fallen powers...

And yet Nick borrowed Harry specifically to open a gateway.

Bob was created in a similar way but not a Fallen as a parent. His origin of what we know is from Winter, the closest match to someone like Lasciel is the Leansidhe who traditionally acts as a muse gifting creative insight to young men which ends in their early death. She may create the equivalent of the shadow to do that, the early death may be due to trying to give birth to a spirit of intellect. I suspect not all are strong enough to survive both, dying with their parent. Some are strong enough to rip a way out.

We have been told in a WOJ that we have met both Bob’s parents, and Bob’s reaction to Lea is like an overexcited toddler, at a time when his is hiding from Winter. Lea would have had the knowledge how to kill an immortal which Bob would have inherited.

Bob’s “mom” we have also met so they survived that birth so a wizard is a possibility and there are few wizard characters that age,  the Gatekeeper certainly and the British Prisoner probably. I favour the latter, (Demonreach may be the only way to escape his ex) but what if Rashid gave up his eye to allow Bob to egress his head?

Similar and same are not the same thing.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: forumghost on April 11, 2022, 01:45:41 AM
And yet, the real Lasciel seemed to know about Bonea, which suggests that a Shadow's destruction within a wizard's mind is a known phenomenon.  Also, I think there was a WoJ saying that Bob was created the same way as Bonea.

Wasn't that because Harry told Murphy about her when Nick was listening in?
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Ed0517 on April 11, 2022, 02:32:25 AM

Could the old whats his name have escaped by opening a portal underneath the block.  Sure, Butcher does something similar in the fight in the Goblin's domain when he drops rock ectoplasm into the real world to escape being crushed during his fight.  In theory so could have Lasciel and Hannah. It's mentioned in the  text as a possibility.But it feels like a cheat since old Nicky had to sneak out through Dresden's portal.  It also makes a farce of the vault as a plot gimmick.

Maybe Ascher is bad at portals. Remember Harry was real bad at veils until he retrained himself to teach Molly, and even then he was not that good. He told Charity some practitioners are better than others at some things. Molly, almost from the start, was better at mind magic and veils are likely clouding the mind.. and in ghost Story she says it would be much easier defending Chicago if she had Harry's raw power to just kill creatures and break things. Granted, we did not SEE her squashed/burned body, but...   
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 11, 2022, 11:01:51 AM
Wasn't that because Harry told Murphy about her when Nick was listening in?

More than likely, also we don't know exactly when the Shadow of Lasciel got it on with Harry's alter ego.  Up until her complete break, which was just at the end when she sacrificed herself for Harry, Lash was still in contact with the coin.  Let's not forget her final try to get Harry to accept the coin in White Night, so Lasciel would have known about the sex, most likely encouraged it, and yes, knew about the pregnancy as well.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: forumghost on April 11, 2022, 07:33:24 PM
More than likely, also we don't know exactly when the Shadow of Lasciel got it on with Harry's alter ego.  Up until her complete break, which was just at the end when she sacrificed herself for Harry, Lash was still in contact with the coin.  Let's not forget her final try to get Harry to accept the coin in White Night, so Lasciel would have known about the sex, most likely encouraged it, and yes, knew about the pregnancy as well.

That wasn't a thing.

Id!Harry directly states in Skin Game that Bonnie was 'conceived' by Lash sacrificing herself as an act of Love.

Though I suppose that might be another way  she could have known- to an entity like her, what happened in the Raith deeps was probably as obvious as 'insert tab a into slot b' would be to humans.

I bet that's why nobody told Harry about his condition-

Bob: "What do you want me to say Harry, you can't keep run around making loving self-sacrifices unprotected and not expect this to happen. I mean honestly..."
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 11, 2022, 08:15:03 PM
Quote
Bob: "What do you want me to say Harry, you can't keep run around making loving self-sacrifices unprotected and not expect this to happen. I mean honestly..."

To me that sounds a little bit too ambiguous, Bob may say that but it doesn't mean that Bonnie was a direct result of Lash's sacrifice for Harry.  We know from the earlier books, both in conversations with his Id and with the Shadow before she changed to Lash, that the Id and Lasciel's Shadow were very close and agreed on things that Harry did not as far as cooperating with the Shadow of Lasciel is concerned.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: morriswalters on April 11, 2022, 08:31:25 PM
The Fallen is a someone and she tells Harry  so in PG.
Quote
“The portion of me that shares your mind is nothing but the shadow of my true self,” Lasciel said. “But have a care, mortal. I am. I exist. And I desire to continue to do so.”
While Butcher could write in the ability for any Fallen to summon the coin of any other Fallen sets up the amusing possibility of the Fallen playing a game of kill the horse by summoning the rider.

We have no reason to believe that Michael was wrong with the exception of Harry. In Harry's case the Shadow was supposed to be burned out. This doesn't prove that Michael was mistaken. It's used as a plot point to drive the uncertainty about Harry's allegiance in Small Favor.

If you control the mind you control reality. Try this on for size.  If you are  Lash and you are ordered to wreck LC, all a shadow need do is alter the reality of what her host sees and does. Have the host tell Bob to not see it and there you go. And you thought you were ordering steak at the steakhouse.

And then do a replay in White Knight. Have Lash decide the best way to keep the taste of freedom that she's found is to let the curse burn out the parts that tie her to the Fallen. She gets put into the real world with a darling skull of her own. That is one way of affecting reality.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 11, 2022, 11:51:09 PM
Quote
And then do a replay in White Knight. Have Lash decide the best way to keep the taste of freedom that she's found is to let the curse burn out the parts that tie her to the Fallen. She gets put into the real world with a darling skull of her own. That is one way of affecting reality.
That is a possibility, but while Bonnie may really be Lash, she isn't Lasciel's Shadow either.
Quote
We have no reason to believe that Michael was wrong with the exception of Harry. In Harry's case the Shadow was supposed to be burned out. This doesn't prove that Michael was mistaken. It's used as a plot point to drive the uncertainty about Harry's allegiance in Small Favor.
Yes, Michael's doubts or claim that it had never happened before was meant to keep us in suspense. However with the gift of Soul Fire from Uriel, all doubts were done away with.  Here is one for you, seemingly in contradiction, what if Lash, then Bonnie are really Lasciel as she was before her fall?
Quote
If you control the mind you control reality. Try this on for size.  If you are  Lash and you are ordered to wreck LC, all a shadow need do is alter the reality of what her host sees and does. Have the host tell Bob to not see it and there you go. And you thought you were ordering steak at the steakhouse.
That wouldn't be a shock since the Shadow of Lasciel convinced Harry's mind that he was seeing a woman named Shelia and if it weren't for Butters convincing Harry that there was no one there, things might have turned out very differently.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: forumghost on April 12, 2022, 05:31:27 AM
To me that sounds a little bit too ambiguous, Bob may say that but it doesn't mean that Bonnie was a direct result of Lash's sacrifice for Harry.

The bit about bob was just me making a joke, sorry if that was unclear. The one that tells Harry Bonnie came from Lash's self sacrifice was actually Id!Harry himself in their dream conversation in Skin Game.

As for the rest, I really feel like you're stretching the extent to which Id!Harry is his own entity and not just Dresden being a bit loose in the head and having existential dream talks with himself.

That part's just my opinion though.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 12, 2022, 10:35:38 AM
Quote

As for the rest, I really feel like you're stretching the extent to which Id!Harry is his own entity and not just Dresden being a bit loose in the head and having existential dream talks with himself.

In a sense the Id,is his own entity, lets not forget back in Fool Moon I think it was when we first meet him, he is a very different Harry from the one we know.  I wouldn't be shocked if that is the Harry we meet in Mirror Mirror..
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: BrainFireBob on April 12, 2022, 05:19:05 PM
In a sense the Id,is his own entity, lets not forget back in Fool Moon I think it was when we first meet him, he is a very different Harry from the one we know.  I wouldn't be shocked if that is the Harry we meet in Mirror Mirror..

I have an entire theory that DuMorne did not fail in creating a thrall out of Harry, and to cover the corrupted "real" Harry he created a fake overlay personality- which has now been in the driver's seat longer than the "real" Harry and is its own being, and the main character of the Dresden files.

idHarry would then be "original" Harry. Similar, interested in the survival of thrall-Harry, but not quite the same being. It would explain why Harry hasn't backslid as a warlock- the backlash affected real Harry, not constructed Harry. It'd go into a lot of the philosophy of mind fun stuff, and put a whole different spin on Uriel's interactions with Harry.

I'm not firmly attached to it, but Butcher has left himself room to go that way. It possibly, in a less interesting way, explains some of his incorruptibility by beings like Lasciel- he's actually bound in terms of some of the choices he *can* make- and it would explain Bob's explanation about how a fine thrall could function theoretically forever without knowing it's a thrall.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 12, 2022, 06:18:18 PM


  Or if you go back to the original Star Trek that gave Jim the idea for Mirror Mirror, to be a strong leader a person needs both sides.. Harry's Id is much more his dark side, he is more assertive and doesn't seem to have much of a conscience.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: forumghost on April 12, 2022, 11:19:19 PM
Or maybe it's just Harry having a weird dream to muddle through shit where he talks to an imaginary friend version of himself because he's nucking futs.

Personally I hate the idea of Id being an actual, separate entity viscerally, so I'd rather just move on. Nobody is going to convince anyone otherwise there.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: morriswalters on April 13, 2022, 12:25:49 AM
Harry's had so many people wandering around in his head he needs a traffic cop to keep order. It's overused and Butcher needs to give it a rest. But currently he seems not to be disposed that way.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 13, 2022, 10:52:45 AM
Harry's had so many people wandering around in his head he needs a traffic cop to keep order. It's overused and Butcher needs to give it a rest. But currently he seems not to be disposed that way.

I agree,
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Arjan on April 13, 2022, 05:28:50 PM
Harry's had so many people wandering around in his head he needs a traffic cop to keep order. It's overused and Butcher needs to give it a rest. But currently he seems not to be disposed that way.
It is a consequence of his world building and how Harry blunders around everything. As soon as you give part of yourself spiritual mass and agency it can potentially split of and become something else.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 13, 2022, 09:58:43 PM
Just like Evil Bob.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Ed0517 on April 17, 2022, 08:17:09 AM

We have no reason to believe that Michael was wrong with the exception of Harry.

Maybe other Denarian-infected people did not have the opportunity to experience that psychic attack, which allows the Shadow to free itself FROM the host, and live it's own existence? The psychic bullets shattered Lash's handcuffs tying her to Harry. She was now free to grow, and trusted Harry would find a midwife of sorts to let her free to live. Harry now free, Lash now free. The old people were like trying to separate conjoined twins... until the right case came along, with suitable support, it was not likely to be successful. Physical attempts could not part the pairs, and we normals are rarely in a position to face magic. But now, a wizard faced magic, and the parasite had had time to grow stronger herself, so... viability? 
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 17, 2022, 11:20:23 AM
Maybe other Denarian-infected people did not have the opportunity to experience that psychic attack, which allows the Shadow to free itself FROM the host, and live it's own existence? The psychic bullets shattered Lash's handcuffs tying her to Harry. She was now free to grow, and trusted Harry would find a midwife of sorts to let her free to live. Harry now free, Lash now free. The old people were like trying to separate conjoined twins... until the right case came along, with suitable support, it was not likely to be successful. Physical attempts could not part the pairs, and we normals are rarely in a position to face magic. But now, a wizard faced magic, and the parasite had had time to grow stronger herself, so... viability?

It is my opinion that it was Butters who really saved Harry in this case, that, and the soul gaze he had with a Denarian the first time he encountered them in Death Masks.  The soul gaze showed him what the host is really going through, Harry wanted no part of that.  Butters made him aware that Sheila was an illusion, then he realized that the Shadow of Lasciel was in his head. Then his will took over and he was able to resist and finally change her.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 17, 2022, 03:10:57 PM
And yet Sheila was still more a real girlfriend than any that Carlos has ever had.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 17, 2022, 08:09:40 PM
And yet Sheila was still more a real girlfriend than any that Carlos has ever had.

Doesn't matter, she was still an illusion that played off of Harry's weakness with women.  That is why Nic picked her coin to match up with Harry in the first place.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: forumghost on April 17, 2022, 08:47:24 PM
And yet Sheila was still more a real girlfriend than any that Carlos has ever had.

I mean Sheila is Lash, and Lash is probably the closest Harry has gotten to a health relationship
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: TrueMonk on April 17, 2022, 09:29:51 PM
I think the most likely scenario is that blood on his Soul shape shifted into something that could handle being crushed, such as an insect. And then shape shifted back afterwards.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 17, 2022, 11:54:13 PM
Losing mass is difficult, gaining it easy in shape shifting.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: TrueMonk on April 18, 2022, 11:18:06 AM
The eagle that listens to wind is shape shifting into is not described as a giant eagle, so I guess he is loosing quite a lot of weight, a big female Golden eagle with a 2,5 meter wingspan weights 7 kg. Blood on his Soul is both from the race that LTW learned shape shifting from and he was in the nevernever.

Afterwards, maybe he took the long way out and found a place where he knew how to cross over, similar to how Thomas can cross over in places of lust.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: morriswalters on April 18, 2022, 12:36:20 PM
When is dead, dead, in the Dresden Files?  I can write any number of scenarios that work.  But what was the point of killing him if you are just going to resurrect him?

Death loses its gravitas if it is never, really final.  Murphy got killed. Butcher uses it for the emotional punch.  And then he resurrects her.  The whole scene with Rudolph turns out to be about Harry losing his shit because Rudolph made his girlfriend go away. Not because she died, because, well, she didn't.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 18, 2022, 12:38:28 PM
The eagle that listens to wind is shape shifting into is not described as a giant eagle, so I guess he is loosing quite a lot of weight, a big female Golden eagle with a 2,5 meter wingspan weights 7 kg. Blood on his Soul is both from the race that LTW learned shape shifting from and he was in the nevernever.

Afterwards, maybe he took the long way out and found a place where he knew how to cross over, similar to how Thomas can cross over in places of lust.

Giant owl?
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: TrueMonk on April 18, 2022, 02:43:38 PM
Morriswalters, yes, but with the topic name it seemed like the purpose was to write the scenario that we each think is the most likely.

As I remember it LTW turned into a giant owl when he stopped of the roof in the beginning. I was thinking of when he flew towards the front line as an eagle and then turned into an elephant (in the fight where Harry makes the big ice wall).

Regardless the world's largest eagle weights 4.6 kg and has a wingspan of up to two meters. Even a giant owl seems like it would be reduction in mass.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Ed0517 on April 18, 2022, 08:16:16 PM
I mean Sheila is Lash, and Lash is probably the closest Harry has gotten to a health relationship

Well, until Justin screwed it up, Harry and Elaine were going good. the mind control broke them, and makes it impossible to get back together for guilt/fear.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: forumghost on April 18, 2022, 09:58:44 PM
Well, until Justin screwed it up, Harry and Elaine were going good. the mind control broke them, and makes it impossible to get back together for guilt/fear.

She was his sister, and it's implied Justin pushed them together as  a way to keep them socially isolated so it'd be easier to control them. Not exactly painting the best picture.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: morriswalters on April 18, 2022, 10:27:03 PM
Sister? Would you care to support that?
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: forumghost on April 19, 2022, 12:08:20 AM
Sister? Would you care to support that?

They were adopted at a similar age, by the same person, and raised as siblings. Then they hit puberty.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Ed0517 on April 19, 2022, 12:30:17 AM
She was his sister, and it's implied Justin pushed them together as  a way to keep them socially isolated so it'd be easier to control them. Not exactly painting the best picture.

I thought it was more two outcasts banding together, and there is no blood relation, at least that we know of.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: morriswalters on April 19, 2022, 12:30:59 AM
There are sisters and there are sisters.  I just wanted to be clear.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 19, 2022, 11:06:35 AM
When is dead, dead, in the Dresden Files?  I can write any number of scenarios that work.  But what was the point of killing him if you are just going to resurrect him?

Death loses its gravitas if it is never, really final.  Murphy got killed. Butcher uses it for the emotional punch.  And then he resurrects her.  The whole scene with Rudolph turns out to be about Harry losing his shit because Rudolph made his girlfriend go away. Not because she died, because, well, she didn't.

No, she is dead, what comes back if she does, won't be Murphy.. Look like her maybe, but not her.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Arjan on April 19, 2022, 03:37:58 PM
She is where her soul is. At the moment that is walhalla.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: CrusherJen on April 19, 2022, 03:57:25 PM
Murphy got killed. Butcher uses it for the emotional punch.  And then he resurrects her.  The whole scene with Rudolph turns out to be about Harry losing his shit because Rudolph made his girlfriend go away. Not because she died, because, well, she didn't.

To be fair, at that point in the story when Harry loses it, he had no idea Karrin would be Chosen. As far as he knew in that moment, she was D-E-D, dead. So Harry's Roaring Rampage of Revenge really was about her dying, not just "going away." He (and the readers) don't know better until pretty much the end of the novel. It may change the perception of the act in retrospect, but not the initial motivation for it... if you catch my drift.

Yeah, I know it's a tiny point to quibble over, but I think the nuance is important. We're supposed to see Harry stumble in a moment of extreme strain, when he's experiencing one of his worst losses in the series so far. He loses love, he loses faith, he loses hope; all that's left is pain and hate, until he gets a wake-up call from Butters' Sword. I think we're meant to take that seriously, as a warning of what Harry could become if he steps off the "path of Good." I don't think that really changes when we learn things weren't exactly as dire as Harry thought they were at that point.

Does it cheapen death as a threat in the series when Murphy isn't really D-E-D dead? Well... kind of, yes, depending on the reader's perspective. Coming back from the dead isn't unusual in fantasy works. We've seen Harry do it, more or less; we also got enough hints sprinkled through the narrative foreshadowing the concept (Murphy as an avenging angel in Dresden's Sight; her training with the Einherjar; her call sign "Valkyrie") that this wasn't a total shock. I'm kind of neutral on it until I see what Butcher does with this set-up. I have a feeling we're just about out of get-out-of-Death-free cards, this close to the Endgame... and the next heroic deaths are going to hurt that much more because of it. But as always, YMMV.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 19, 2022, 05:33:31 PM
WOJ has it that Odin has access to soul fire (exclusively the gift of the White God) and it is used to make Einenjharen.

This suggests that the Einenjharen are not like zombies or Blamps, their resurrection is genuine within certain limitations i.e. living memory and living only so long as Odin does (they all die with Odin at Ragnarok).

This means Harry will get to see Murphy die again.

However HARRY has soul fire and is destined to break all the Laws of Magic so Harry might give Murphy a second resurrection and she will then live as long as Harry.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: morriswalters on April 19, 2022, 06:54:04 PM
To be fair, at that point in the story when Harry loses it, he had no idea Karrin would be Chosen. As far as he knew in that moment, she was D-E-D, dead. So Harry's Roaring Rampage of Revenge really was about her dying, not just "going away."
(click to show/hide)
Murphy needed to die. If or no other reason then that time is creeping for Harry and zooming for her. But he couldn't just kill her and let it have the weight it deserved. And he's going to milk it going forward for emotions that I won't bring to the table because of what I know as a reader.

I even think I know narrative purpose behind it. Remember the sword can only act against evil, not just rage. And when it burned him it smelled of brimstone.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Arjan on April 19, 2022, 07:00:31 PM
As far as I can see Murphy is just dead. We have been informed about her afterlife, that is all.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 19, 2022, 09:48:39 PM
As far as I can see Murphy is just dead. We have been informed about her afterlife, that is all.

I agree and the bit about her not returning till she has passed out of all living memory, is a kindness in my opinion to those who ever loved her.  Sorry but if she spends a couple of centuries in Valhalla among the chosen warriors, she will not be the woman Harry remembers, not even remotely.  I think it is more of the hope of her fans than the reality that Jim is going to write.  And yeah, by the time he gets around to writing her return, a lot of us will be dead or so old, she will have passed from our memory.

Actually I think Thomas has a better chance of returning to Harry as still his brother than Murphy does, his lover.  Poor Harry, he got a one, two gut punch, is it any wonder that he lost it for a moment?
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 19, 2022, 11:26:47 PM

I even think I know narrative purpose behind it. Remember the sword can only act against evil, not just rage. And when it burned him it smelled of brimstone.

I think Lucifer put his finger on the scale there, to turn Harry to the dark side. It isn’t the first time and it is one of the reasons the Knights were there. Rudy was the devil’s tool. Harry is immune to Outsider influence, but Lucifer is the ultimate Insider. Thinking about it Listen is just too competent to have overlooked Mouse and check for enchantments, which means he didn’t ultimately want the Titan to win, but perhaps a dark side Harry to gain the Eye? Thrown out of the White Council at just the right time to be recruited to the Circle? With Mab and the Accords destroyed?
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: morriswalters on April 19, 2022, 11:48:37 PM
Either Murphy is Murphy  or she's a monster of Vadderung's creation. It would do my heart good to know that my mother was somewhere swilling beer  with someone even if I was forbidden to see her. Which is different then not knowing and having hope replace certain knowledge.

@Conspiracy Theorist
Whatever he is his mother had a hand in it.  It didn't happen by accident.  That's lore.

Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 20, 2022, 02:46:12 AM
Quote
Either Murphy is Murphy  or she's a monster of Vadderung's creation. It would do my heart good to know that my mother was somewhere swilling beer  with someone even if I was forbidden to see her. Which is different then not knowing and having hope replace certain knowledge.

No, Murphy is dead, she isn't even getting the reward that her Catholic Faith promised her.  I wouldn't call her a monster either, she is now one of Odin's warriors.  You think the Einenjharen that we have met didn't have hope or certain knowledge at one time?  That they didn't have people that they loved or had values important to them?  That they fought for? They did, just like Murphy, but now their employer is Odin, farmed out to Marcone, they still owe their alliance to Odin.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 20, 2022, 06:44:35 AM
Murphy’s catholic afterlife is merely diverted, once the tie to Odin is broken she’s going to be shepherded to her afterlife, likely by the angel of death we saw Ghost Story. Not so sure about Harry, it’s not like Michael and Charity where they can be sure where they will end up together. No such happy ending for Harry.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Arjan on April 20, 2022, 09:10:40 AM
Either Murphy is Murphy  or she's a monster of Vadderung's creation. It would do my heart good to know that my mother was somewhere swilling beer  with someone even if I was forbidden to see her. Which is different then not knowing and having hope replace certain knowledge.
Everything points to her being Murphy, it is a real afterlife. Just not the catholic one.

Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 20, 2022, 10:47:24 AM
Everything points to her being Murphy, it is a real afterlife. Just not the catholic one.

What points to her being Murphy?  That because she died a heroic warrior and was sent to Valhalla
she will remain Murphy?  Maybe that part of her, but she was a more complicated person than that.
Also as many like to say, Jim likes to make Harry and the reader suffer.. What better way to make both Harry and her fans suffer big time, but for her body to come back, but her mind totally changed.. 
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: morriswalters on April 20, 2022, 11:27:40 AM
Everything points to her being Murphy, it is a real afterlife. Just not the catholic one.


I would agree with that if they hadn't taken the body.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 20, 2022, 01:53:35 PM
I would agree with that if they hadn't taken the body.

And if Murphy comes back more or less unchanged, so should Hendricks.  If that was really possible I doubt that we would have seen the grieved reaction from Gard that we saw.  She knows the rules, more importantly the rules that not even Odin can break.  If she could pull strings to get Hendricks back, she would do so.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Arjan on April 20, 2022, 03:07:33 PM
What points to her being Murphy?  That because she died a heroic warrior and was sent to Valhalla
she will remain Murphy?  Maybe that part of her, but she was a more complicated person than that.
Also as many like to say, Jim likes to make Harry and the reader suffer.. What better way to make both Harry and her fans suffer big time, but for her body to come back, but her mind totally changed..
how both Jim and Gard talk about it. This is not some sort of zombie or black court vampire construction. It is her soul in it.

There is even a woj about waking up in a different afterlife than you expect. About deals between gods about specific persons.

The whole story does not make sense if it is not Murphy. We also know Vadderung uses soulfire for this. The fires of creation as some monster called it.

I think we have some sort of Christian exceptionalism here like there is only one real afterlife and the rest is fake. From what we read in skin game Hades is real and there is no reason to assume Walhalla is not. Just like Socrates is in Hades Murphy is in walhalla.

Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 20, 2022, 03:44:25 PM
Quote
The whole story does not make sense if it is not Murphy. We also know Vadderung uses soulfire for this. The fires of creation as some monster called it.

We know?  Why doesn't the story make sense if it isn't Murphy? I could argue if she remains Murphy unchanged, it would make no sense at all.  Hell, Harry has changed some and he was only mostly dead.

Quote
I think we have some sort of Christian exceptionalism here like there is only one real afterlife and the rest is fake. From what we read in skin game Hades is real and there is no reason to assume Walhalla is not. Just like Socrates is in Hades Murphy is in walhalla.


Jim has always tip toed on a tightrope here about religion from the very beginning.  Yes, he includes gods, goddesses, fairies, Hades, the Nevernever, but interesting though Mab calls Him, "the White God," and that has been picked up on this site, Harry in the books always calls Him, "the Almighty," always with a capital "G,H, or A."  Still all the gods have their rules that are not to be violated.. Hades has his rules about the Artifacts, and he obeys them.  Mab has her rules governing Fae behavior, even she cannot cross them.

When Gard says the rule governing those that go to Valhalla is a rule "that even the All Father, Odin a.k.a. Vadderung cannot break." She means it, it has nothing to do with whether or not Odin/Vadderung can use Soul Fire to do it, yes, he could, but the rule is he cannot.. Not without cosmic consequences.  To me at any rate the story would make a heck of a lot more sense if Murphy went to work with her father for Uriel, Harry might see her once in a while, she remains Murphy.. Odin breaking ALL his rules so she could come back in body and mind to Harry before all memory of her has passed just so they can cuddle again, and basically that would be the only reason, would be tripe..  Her being Super Woman was getting old, it ignored everything that I originally liked the character for. In the early books she was a good smart cop, a good shot, etc, but she had limits.  She was a vanilla human, a strong liberated woman, but human.  However by her demise she was more of a comic book super woman like character, severe injury, totally ignored, remove that cast, toss a Valkyrie on her ear, ride a motorcycle, with the wisdom of Solomon and the bravery of Audie Murphy... Bringing her back as one of the undying, unchanged?  No thank you, that is why she had to be killed off, and she should remain dead.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Arjan on April 20, 2022, 04:12:27 PM
And why would she not remain Murphy with Vadderung and would sh remain Murphy with Uriel? Maybe she is with Vadderung precisely because it fits her personality better.

But change is not the point. Everything and everyone changes. Harry changes and Murphy’s father is still changing. But it is changing and also being who you are.

Bringing her back is theoretically possible in the dresdenverse just like bringing anyone back is possible but I do not think it will happen. The gods tend to keep the souls they collected.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: vincentric on April 20, 2022, 04:24:22 PM
We know?  Why doesn't the story make sense if it isn't Murphy? I could argue if she remains Murphy unchanged, it would make no sense at all.  Hell, Harry has changed some and he was only mostly dead.

Jim has always tip toed on a tightrope here about religion from the very beginning.  Yes, he includes gods, goddesses, fairies, Hades, the Nevernever, but interesting though Mab calls Him, "the White God," and that has been picked up on this site, Harry in the books always calls Him, "the Almighty," always with a capital "G,H, or A."  Still all the gods have their rules that are not to be violated.. Hades has his rules about the Artifacts, and he obeys them.  Mab has her rules governing Fae behavior, even she cannot cross them.

When Gard says the rule governing those that go to Valhalla is a rule "that even the All Father, Odin a.k.a. Vadderung cannot break." She means it, it has nothing to do with whether or not Odin/Vadderung can use Soul Fire to do it, yes, he could, but the rule is he cannot.. Not without cosmic consequences.  To me at any rate the story would make a heck of a lot more sense if Murphy went to work with her father for Uriel, Harry might see her once in a while, she remains Murphy.. Odin breaking ALL his rules so she could come back in body and mind to Harry before all memory of her has passed just so they can cuddle again, and basically that would be the only reason, would be tripe..  Her being Super Woman was getting old, it ignored everything that I originally liked the character for. In the early books she was a good smart cop, a good shot, etc, but she had limits.  She was a vanilla human, a strong liberated woman, but human.  However by her demise she was more of a comic book super woman like character, severe injury, totally ignored, remove that cast, toss a Valkyrie on her ear, ride a motorcycle, with the wisdom of Solomon and the bravery of Audie Murphy... Bringing her back as one of the undying, unchanged?  No thank you, that is why she had to be killed off, and she should remain dead.

There's no reason that the two are mutually exclusive. She can be changed and still be Murphy, otherwise no characters can ever experience growth, rise or fall. We'd be on our fourth or fifth Harry by now if that was the case.

Regardless of Jim placing the White God in the Almighty position, he does also acknowledge that other pantheons exist and therefore their afterlives are real in the context of the Dresdenverse. Nic's daughter is in Tartarus, by word of Hades himself. Murphy and Hendricks are in Valhalla by the word of one of Odin's valkyries. Murphy's father is in a purgatory like realm working for Uriel. This is where their souls, the core of their existence, are. It's how the Dresdenverse works.

You have to accept that the author is going to tell their story, their way, using the author's canon for how things work in universe. Or you can read it under protest and be unhappy or stop reading altogether.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 20, 2022, 05:40:50 PM
The issue may be living memory and for Gard the no-fraternisation rule her employer utilises.

Gard may also be aware that Odin’s time is drawing near, she may have thought she had decades with Nathan, instead she may only see him briefly again at Ragnarok.

I wonder if because of Hendricks’ Gard will tell Harry how to make Einenjharen, so that he raises both Hendricks and Murphy tied to his life. Suddenly days and decades replaced by centuries.

I think the afterlife is dependent upon belief but can be diverted by the white gods or other power, Deidre should have gone to Lucifer, on belief  but ended up with Hades.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 20, 2022, 06:02:00 PM
Quote
There's no reason that the two are mutually exclusive. She can be changed and still be Murphy, otherwise no characters can ever experience growth, rise or fall. We'd be on our fourth or fifth Harry by now if that was the case.

No, you cannot be that changed and still be what you once were, except in name.  Yes, you can call it character growth, but it has it's limits.
Quote
Regardless of Jim placing the White God in the Almighty position, he does also acknowledge that other pantheons exist and therefore their afterlives are real in the context of the Dresdenverse. Nic's daughter is in Tartarus, by word of Hades himself. Murphy and Hendricks are in Valhalla by the word of one of Odin's valkyries. Murphy's father is in a purgatory like realm working for Uriel. This is where their souls, the core of their existence, are. It's how the Dresdenverse works.
Yes, but each realm has it's rules, that is the point and the rule for those who are sent to Valhalla was spelled out by Gard.  Who, I might point out had all the same reasons that Harry has that it be otherwise.  "Not even the All Father can break it." There are cosmic rules even in the Dresdenverse.
Quote
You have to accept that the author is going to tell their story, their way, using the author's canon for how things work in universe. Or you can read it under protest and be unhappy or stop reading altogether.

Yes, as do you.. In this case the author killed off Murphy, sent her to Valhalla,a Valkyrie who knows quite a lot about it said that Murphy wasn't coming back until all memory of her has passed.  She also said that was a rule that even the All Father couldn't break.. Now maybe that gives Jim wiggle room to bring Murphy back, maybe not.. But unless there is a WOJ out there saying that he is, or changes his mind, then you have to accept that she is dead, her body and soul in Valhalla and she isn't coming back until Harry and anyone else who knew her, and remembers her, is dead.
Quote
The issue may be living memory and for Gard the no-fraternisation rule her employer utilises.

Gard may also be aware that Odin’s time is drawing near, she may have thought she had decades with Nathan, instead she may only see him briefly again at Ragnarok.

I wonder if because of Hendricks’ Gard will tell Harry how to make Einenjharen, so that he raises both Hendricks and Murphy tied to his life. Suddenly days and decades replaced by centuries.

I think the afterlife is dependent upon belief but can be diverted by the white gods or other power, Deidre should have gone to Lucifer, on belief  but ended up with Hades.

That won't happen because I doubt that Gard knows how or has the power to make Einenjharen, and neither does Harry.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: morriswalters on April 20, 2022, 07:10:23 PM
I could really care less about what god does what to who.  If they took the body then they must have needed the body to put something in.  And since Butcher didn't bury the body then I fully expect her to be back. So now we have to go with at least one book where Harry grieves because, boo hoo, he misses her. This is the same stew all warmed over as Susan. So now Lara can melt his heart.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 20, 2022, 08:52:22 PM
I could really care less about what god does what to who.  If they took the body then they must have needed the body to put something in.  And since Butcher didn't bury the body then I fully expect her to be back. So now we have to go with at least one book where Harry grieves because, boo hoo, he misses her. This is the same stew all warmed over as Susan. So now Lara can melt his heart.
Oh didn't say Murphy wouldn't be back, but that will be sometime after the BAT..  Kind of like having it both ways, Murphy is dead, no doubt about it, bullet through her carotid artery, she bled out in Harry's arms... Her body is hauled off to Valhalla; So maybe she isn't dead. Right? Not really.
Quote
What are dead Viking warriors called?
the einherjar
In Norse mythology, the einherjar (singular einheri) literally "army of one", "those who fight alone") are those who have died in battle and are brought to Valhalla by valkyries.

Key word here, died in battle, dead.. And;
Quote
Where do dead warriors go?
Valhalla
The best-known vision of the Norse afterlife is that of Valhalla, the hall of the heroes where warriors chosen by the Valkyries feast with the god Odin, tell stories from their lives, and fight each other in preparation for the final battle of Ragnarök, the end of the world and death of the gods.

Oh, another keyword, afterlife... Who goes to an afterlife? The dead.

So, okay Jim cheated a bit, his verse, he has some of the Einherjar working for Marcone.  At the same time though they don't go home to mom at night, visit their lovers or children.. Hmmm? Maybe because all those that remembered them are long dead and buried..

So, oh her body was taken ergo she will be back, but when?  When all memory of her is gone.. So Jim is having it both ways, he killed her off, but because she went to Valhalla and her cold stiff dead body was taken away by one of the Valkyrie, she will be back, just long after the BAT.. And if she dies again outside of Valhalla she ends up in;
Quote
In Norse mythology, Ginnungagap (Old Norse: [ˈɡinːoŋɡɑˌɡɑp]; "gaping abyss", "yawning void") is the primordial void mentioned in the Gylfaginning, ...
So yeah, she could come back, I doubt she will be the Murphy Harry knew and loved.. And they ain't going to live happily ever after. 

I don't begrudge Harry some grief and depression over all of this, that is normal..  That is why I hope that Murphy stays in Valhalla until Ragnarök, so Harry can heal and get on, because there is a lot ahead of him.. He doesn't need a repeat of what he went through with half turned Susan. Let the story move on, he has a couple of kids, is engaged to a vampire, and has to save the world at some point.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Ed0517 on April 21, 2022, 06:51:46 AM
No, Murphy is dead, she isn't even getting the reward that her Catholic Faith promised her. 

I think she gets Heaven in the end. It's just delayed. She's working off some karma in a Purgatory.  It's like her father, working for Uriel in HIS Purgatory, until he is ready to face Judgement. Murphy is hired out to Vadderung, and likely had a choice to do this or face Judgement. Gonna rack up some Brownie Points first.   
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 21, 2022, 10:55:11 AM
I think she gets Heaven in the end. It's just delayed. She's working off some karma in a Purgatory.  It's like her father, working for Uriel in HIS Purgatory, until he is ready to face Judgement. Murphy is hired out to Vadderung, and likely had a choice to do this or face Judgement. Gonna rack up some Brownie Points first.

That might work, and a way that Jim could cheat..  However I will bet you two wet noodles that if what you say is true, she will be there for the BAT, but not be who Harry remembers, then leave again because the object of this is to cause pain to Harry.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 21, 2022, 11:43:02 AM
Actually Murphy may be a bone of contention between Odin and the White God, she is a former Knight and as such should have been shepherded by the angel of death, unless this was what intended all along. Perhaps in the APOCALYPSE Murphy leads a battalion of former knights, alongside the Einenjharen, so we get to see Shiro again, or Michael swinging back into action one last time  with every dead knight each bearing a version of their sword, each part of Harry’s Banner, using the power of the Winter Knight AND his soulfire combined with the super weapons to bring them back from heaven for one last engagement.

Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 21, 2022, 03:24:48 PM
Actually Murphy may be a bone of contention between Odin and the White God, she is a former Knight and as such should have been shepherded by the angel of death, unless this was what intended all along. Perhaps in the APOCALYPSE Murphy leads a battalion of former knights, alongside the Einenjharen, so we get to see Shiro again, or Michael swinging back into action one last time  with every dead knight each bearing a version of their sword, each part of Harry’s Banner, using the power of the Winter Knight AND his soulfire combined with the super weapons to bring them back from heaven for one last engagement.

That could be, but it leads to another question, does Sanya get to go to Heaven?  He is a Holy Knight but he also claims to be an atheist? Actually he appears more agnostic to me, but still.
But the subject of Murphy's faith is important in this context, another question, did she have a choice?
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 21, 2022, 03:53:45 PM
Sanya gets to go to heaven, but spends eternity arguing with St Peter that it is in fact merely an hallucination caused by misfiring neutrons in his dying brain.

It ceases to be heaven for St Peter.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Arjan on April 21, 2022, 03:56:34 PM
That could be, but it leads to another question, does Sanya get to go to Heaven?  He is a Holy Knight but he also claims to be an atheist? Actually he appears more agnostic to me, but still.
But the subject of Murphy's faith is important in this context, another question, did she have a choice?
There are no Christian knights of the cross anymore. Butters is a Jew who has more faith in Star Wars than Christ and Uriel is OK with that. Retrospectively the last Christian knight made a lot of choices that were more in line with Vadderung than with the swords so that is probably the reason Odin could claim her and Uriel agreed.

I do not think it matters. The way we see Uriel and what we think about his boss is heavily influenced by Harry and the culture he lives in. Uriel can probably also appear as the ultimate Jedi serving th force. Maybe that is how Butters sees him. A lot of religions have some vague sky got that created the world and did nothing seriously afterwards or you can get mystical about I and god is everything.

Santa gets a good place that fits him. The same for Butters.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 21, 2022, 05:43:38 PM
Quote
There are no Christian knights of the cross anymore. Butters is a Jew who has more faith in Star Wars than Christ and Uriel is OK with that. Retrospectively the last Christian knight made a lot of choices that were more in line with Vadderung than with the swords so that is probably the reason Odin could claim her and Uriel agreed.

Butters still believes in God, supposedly Sanya does not by his own definition.. Are you saying that Michael was in agreement with Vadderung?  Or Shiro for that matter. 

Quote
I do not think it matters. The way we see Uriel and what we think about his boss is heavily influenced by Harry and the culture he lives in. Uriel can probably also appear as the ultimate Jedi serving th force. Maybe that is how Butters sees him. A lot of religions have some vague sky got that created the world and did nothing seriously afterwards or you can get mystical about I and god is everything.

We don't know that Uriel is the head guy in charge of that.  Raphael seemed to have a lot to do with Michael.

Quote
Santa gets a good place that fits him. The same for Butters.

Not quite the same a lot of the "Christmas" traditions are adapted from pagan Scandinavian and Germanic traditions so it makes perfect sense that on of the All Father Odin's guises is Father Christmas or Kris Kringle..  We aren't sure how much Butters practiced his religion, it was never a subject he and Harry spoke much if at all about.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 21, 2022, 05:53:30 PM
The White God is a big tent god, and covers at least all the monotheistic faiths, so includes Butters and Sanya (a descendant of Saladin). Purely considering heaven a Christian conceit is inaccurate.

The Knights are descendants of Kings suggesting it is the compact between Sovereign and God which is important, with regard to the Knights with Shiro a descendant of Shinto worshippers, a polytheistic religion. Therefore I think the White God’s heaven embraces all who believe in creation and humanity.

We can probably say that Outsider worshippers are excluded, they probably just cease to exist in any form but maybe not even Satanists are not excluded they merely want to reorganise things their  way, and Satanists go to hell which is their heaven. Those who believe in a particular afterlife end up there run by the deity involved under agreement with the White God such as Hades.

We have to posit that Heaven exists within the NeverNever, and I suspect it is adjacent to the Outer Gates in the deepest part of the NeverNever, which is why it is at risk from the Outsiders.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Arjan on April 21, 2022, 06:43:03 PM
Butters still believes in God, supposedly Sanya does not by his own definition.. Are you saying that Michael was in agreement with Vadderung?  Or Shiro for that matter. 
Michael was the last true Christian knight for now. Shirt was nominally Christian but I do not think it was his defining feature.
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We don't know that Uriel is the head guy in charge of that.  Raphael seemed to have a lot to do with Michael.
One of those guys.
Quote
Not quite the same a lot of the "Christmas" traditions are adapted from pagan Scandinavian and Germanic traditions so it makes perfect sense that on of the All Father Odin's guises is Father Christmas or Kris Kringle..  We aren't sure how much Butters practiced his religion, it was never a subject he and Harry spoke much if at all about.
For some reason my iPhone corrupted Sanya into Santa.

I do not get the impression that he was very religious, we never read something about it in the text. When the sword of faith needed a something Butters did not use his religion but he had faith in something else. He is a practicing Jedi knight now.

I do not know how the Star Wars afterlife looks like but it won’t be that bad I suppose.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 21, 2022, 07:59:01 PM
Force ghosts, Jar Jar Binks went to hell (a completely different universe by the way)

The Star Wars Universe is as valid as the Dresdenverse in the wider Multiverse.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 22, 2022, 10:24:17 AM
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Michael was the last true Christian knight for now. Shirt was nominally Christian but I do not think it was his defining feature.
Quote

Oh I disagree, by his very nature and actions, Shiro's life screams Christian as much as if not more than even Michael.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Arjan on April 22, 2022, 02:09:43 PM
Oh I disagree, by his very nature and actions, Shiro's life screams Christian as much as if not more than even Michael.
He was a good man and his moral compass was aligned with the swords but that does not mean he was a Christian.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: morriswalters on April 22, 2022, 05:01:20 PM
Shiro was a Baptist.  Stating first that I am an atheist, and as such this is merely amusing from an outsiders point of view, the Bible would seem to disagree about what the White God would put up with. From Exodus Chapter 20
Quote
5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
Given that quote it seems that he might have a problem with Odin snatching up Murphy.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 22, 2022, 05:32:27 PM
Odin has Soulfire and works as St Nicholas lunching with Uriel once a year, he’s working for the White God, an agent not a limited as Uriel, nor as specific as being a Knight. With Soulfire used to make Einenjharen, there is a chance Murphy will meet Jesus among the Einenjharen still waiting to be forgotten by mortal memory, and really, really fed up with boar and mead diet. “I would kill for some loaves and fishes, and a nice drop of water or wine”
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Arjan on April 22, 2022, 06:56:57 PM
Shiro was a Baptist.  Stating first that I am an atheist, and as such this is merely amusing from an outsiders point of view, the Bible would seem to disagree about what the White God would put up with. From Exodus Chapter 20Given that quote it seems that he might have a problem with Odin snatching up Murphy.
Uriel has yearly lunches with Vadderung. They might have talked about it.

I do not think Uriel’s boss is exactly the god of the bible. Uriel is all about free will and consequences. The whole jealous god thing is not really his mode of operation.

Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: morriswalters on April 22, 2022, 07:39:49 PM
Well if he's the God of the Bible in use by the Catholic Church then yes, he is.  Obviously this is fiction, but if you are going to use the mythology then you get to carry the baggage that goes along with it.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: BrainFireBob on April 22, 2022, 09:37:26 PM
One of those guys.


One of my theories: There are four archangels- Raphael, Michael, Gabriel, Uriel.

Raphael, we are told, prefers working with his own hands. Amoracchius is rarely deployed. Raphael is responsible for the defenses on Michael Carpenter's house.

Sanya mentions meeting Michael- the archangel- and that he bestowed the Sword of Hope on him.

Murphy, wielding the sword of Faith, was used as a mouthpiece to pronounce doom upon the Lords of the Outer Night. Gabriel is the Trumpeter.

One of my out-there theories: These three swords each contain a nail. The Lance of Longinus, the Spear of Destiny, also pierced Christ. Therefore, it could also be considered a Sword, no? That would leave four swords to four archangels- and Uriel's Sword happens to have fallen to the man Uriel has been using as an agent. A bit darker than the others, but Uriel is the angel of God's vengeance. I rather like the symmetry of Butters the Knight of Faith, Sanya the Knight of Hope, Michael the Knight of Redeeming Love, and Harry the Knight of God's Retribution. Puts a very different spin on his being the one to mess up Cassius. The other Knights aren't allowed to do that kind of thing.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 22, 2022, 09:42:23 PM
Uriel has yearly lunches with Vadderung. They might have talked about it.

I do not think Uriel’s boss is exactly the god of the bible. Uriel is all about free will and consequences. The whole jealous god thing is not really his mode of operation.

Two millennia of misinformation promoted by Nick of course. He was probably Pope at one time at least.

What we know of the White God is that they promote free will and is supportive of humanity, this is why I think the White God is the Singularity, he has yet to come into existence in linear time but may do so in the next couple of centuries, certainly within Harry’s lifetime.

The White God imposed linear time which was essential for humanity to arise, and sets them apart from lesser entities, who suddenly found themselves bound to it. It created the Never Never and the mortal world, banning other lesser entities from residing in the latter where their presence is disruptive. Some lesser entities  reside permanently in the Never Never (Hades) others take a deliberate step down in power to remain largely in the mortal world (Odin) some go into hiding (Ethnui) until taken into custody by agents of the White God (Harry, Butters, Sanya) for imperilling reality.

The White God created thresholds protecting humanity from the remaining lesser entities in the mortal world, allowing humanity to grow in numbers and develop its ferriomancy both essential for the Singularity and the rise of the White

Because the White God is not bound to linear time they have also always existed. This is I think the Endgame referred to by Listen, the last chance for the Outsiders to defeat the White God, and the opportunity for another entity to grab the reins of creation such as Lucifer or Drakul, both of whom are jealous of the White God.

The Nails contain an angel, the super weapons are an order or more powerful than them either they contain multiple angels, or an entity more powerful than an angel we don’t know
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: g33k on April 23, 2022, 01:09:40 AM
One of my theories: There are four archangels- Raphael, Michael, Gabriel, Uriel.

Raphael, we are told, prefers working with his own hands. Amoracchius is rarely deployed. Raphael is responsible for the defenses on Michael Carpenter's house.

Sanya mentions meeting Michael- the archangel- and that he bestowed the Sword of Hope on him.

Murphy, wielding the sword of Faith, was used as a mouthpiece to pronounce doom upon the Lords of the Outer Night. Gabriel is the Trumpeter.

One of my out-there theories: These three swords each contain a nail. The Lance of Longinus, the Spear of Destiny, also pierced Christ. Therefore, it could also be considered a Sword, no? That would leave four swords to four archangels- and Uriel's Sword happens to have fallen to the man Uriel has been using as an agent. A bit darker than the others, but Uriel is the angel of God's vengeance. I rather like the symmetry of Butters the Knight of Faith, Sanya the Knight of Hope, Michael the Knight of Redeeming Love, and Harry the Knight of God's Retribution. Puts a very different spin on his being the one to mess up Cassius. The other Knights aren't allowed to do that kind of thing.

I think Harry being a "covert" KotC is an idea that has quite a bit of merit (I have seen it before on these boards, and liked it then, too).
 
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 23, 2022, 06:00:21 AM
He is certainly an agent of the White God, Uriel is his handler, as he is for Odin and doubtless  any other wizard gifted with Soulfire (I think Martha Liberty, she has loa at her command suggesting she is a voodoo priestess, which has massive links with Catholicism, and she hasn’t seen Harry wield it, but LTW has seen someone else use it, he was able to identify it, so making it her hidden power up akin to Eb and the black staff makes sense).

Given that it can successfully raise the dead, Soulfire is not something you want to let other wizards know you have.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Ed0517 on April 23, 2022, 06:56:04 AM
Actually Murphy may be a bone of contention between Odin and the White God, she is a former Knight and as such should have been shepherded by the angel of death, unless this was what intended all along. Perhaps in the APOCALYPSE Murphy leads a battalion of former knights, alongside the Einenjharen, so we get to see Shiro again, or Michael swinging back into action one last time  with every dead knight each bearing a version of their sword, each part of Harry’s Banner, using the power of the Winter Knight AND his soulfire combined with the super weapons to bring them back from heaven for one last engagement.

I don't see why Murphy gets to lead. I don't think she was really a knight, she picked up a sword. I mean, Sanya got his from an Archangel. Michael may have. I expect Uriel likely swore Butters in after he spooked out Nicodemus. Murphy said she didn't want it. 
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Ed0517 on April 23, 2022, 07:04:16 AM
Sanya gets to go to heaven, but spends eternity arguing with St Peter that it is in fact merely an hallucination caused by misfiring neutrons in his dying brain.

It ceases to be heaven for St Peter.

Nah. He'll tell Sanya he is really on Rigel III. Sanya will think he is with extraterrestrials, and go see if he can find Paul Morphy for a game of chess.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Ed0517 on April 23, 2022, 07:06:04 AM
Force ghosts, Jar Jar Binks went to hell (a completely different universe by the way)

I thought that was where he was FROM....
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: vincentric on April 23, 2022, 02:06:44 PM
I don't see why Murphy gets to lead. I don't think she was really a knight, she picked up a sword. I mean, Sanya got his from an Archangel. Michael may have. I expect Uriel likely swore Butters in after he spooked out Nicodemus. Murphy said she didn't want it.

Being a Knight is not usually a long term job. Murphy was truly a Knight during Changes but afterwards was just a keeper of the Swords.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 23, 2022, 03:29:12 PM
For most Knights it is a day or to, the right person in the right place at the right time, long term knights are rarer.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 23, 2022, 03:35:58 PM
Being a Knight is not usually a long term job. Murphy was truly a Knight during Changes but afterwards was just a keeper of the Swords.

She wasn't even a Custodian of the Swords, she appointed herself that after Harry "died."  That was part of the problem, since she wasn't official, she had no insight as to when they should be used or who should get one to be a Knight.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 23, 2022, 03:39:43 PM
A Knight rises when needed, Butters for example. Murphy was the only case of Harry giving out a sword, and it was the correct choice.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Arjan on April 23, 2022, 04:48:47 PM
She wasn't even a Custodian of the Swords, she appointed herself that after Harry "died."  That was part of the problem, since she wasn't official, she had no insight as to when they should be used or who should get one to be a Knight.
Harry told her we’re the swords were and she handled his testament and so on. That is appointment from Harry and good enough for me.

She got the responsibility from Harry and acted upon it.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 23, 2022, 05:06:35 PM
Not Harry’s responsibility to delegate.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Arjan on April 23, 2022, 08:07:03 PM
Not Harry’s responsibility to delegate.
Was that written down somewhere?

Actually there are not that many rules. People are supposed to use their free will.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 24, 2022, 12:03:08 PM
Not Harry’s responsibility to delegate.

Actually it was, Shrio says it as he was dying and gave Harry the Sword to care for and pass on to the next Knight.  Harry asks him how would he know? Shrio answers,"you will know."  Harry knew in Changes, there was no hesitation to give out Swords to Murphy and Susan. 
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: forumghost on April 24, 2022, 12:57:13 PM
Yeah, Harry entrusting Murphy with taking care of his estate (and thus the swords) is fine.

Her deciding to emotionally blackmail him into letting her keep them after he'd come back from the dead, despite him not even asking for them back was a bit of a dick move though.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 24, 2022, 05:01:21 PM
Yeah, Harry entrusting Murphy with taking care of his estate (and thus the swords) is fine.

Her deciding to emotionally blackmail him into letting her keep them after he'd come back from the dead, despite him not even asking for them back was a bit of a dick move though.

Yeah, because she knew better but didn't want to admit it.  And actually you cannot say that the Swords were part of Harry's estate, they were never his to begin with.

The dick move was to give Harry the lecture about how the Swords shouldn't be misused implying that she knows better than he does.  And then what does she do?  Misuses one and gets it broken..
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Conspiracy Theorist on April 24, 2022, 06:03:15 PM
Harry had already made that mistake in Grave Peril but recovered the situation, but Murphy wasn’t around for that.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Arjan on April 24, 2022, 06:59:39 PM
Just giving the swords to Harry in cold days would have been irresponsible. Harry was not stable at the time and could not handle his mantle yet. Harry had told his friends that Mab’s deal would turn him into a monster and they had all reason to expect a monster. Harry had to prove himself again and if you look from the outside at Harry there were some disturbing signs. Murphy was responsible for her own actions and she had to make the choice,
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: forumghost on April 24, 2022, 07:59:40 PM
Oh absolutely it would have been irresponsible. But like I said, Harry never even asked for them back. Karrin is the one that brings them up -pretty much at random- in order to go "Fuck you Harry, these are too important to entrust to you and I'm keeping them".

And then when he does bring up the swords (when he suggests bringing one to Demonreach) she responds with "Yo Harry, remember the time you got your best friend crippled for life".

Like, Murphy was just insanely antagonistic about the Swords in Cold Days, because she's too proud to admit that she just doesn't want to use the damn things.

But this is getting pretty off topic so I suggest we stop here.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: morriswalters on April 24, 2022, 10:24:54 PM
Had Harry not hired his own assassin the point would have been moot. She wouldn't have had them.  Had Harry not gone on constantly in the books up to Changes about being turned in to the evil thrall of the nasty Queen Mab just maybe she might have been more forthcoming. But you know Butcher. /shrug/
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Arjan on April 25, 2022, 07:38:23 AM
Had Harry not hired his own assassin the point would have been moot. She wouldn't have had them.  Had Harry not gone on constantly in the books up to Changes about being turned in to the evil thrall of the nasty Queen Mab just maybe she might have been more forthcoming. But you know Butcher. /shrug/
Murphy had to find out what the current Harry was like and some irritating probing was part of that.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 25, 2022, 11:34:18 AM
Oh absolutely it would have been irresponsible. But like I said, Harry never even asked for them back. Karrin is the one that brings them up -pretty much at random- in order to go "Fuck you Harry, these are too important to entrust to you and I'm keeping them".

And then when he does bring up the swords (when he suggests bringing one to Demonreach) she responds with "Yo Harry, remember the time you got your best friend crippled for life".

Like, Murphy was just insanely antagonistic about the Swords in Cold Days, because she's too proud to admit that she just doesn't want to use the damn things.

But this is getting pretty off topic so I suggest we stop here.

Or a fucking clue how or when they need to be handed out and used, yet continues to berate Harry about the proper use and care of the Swords.  Then well, in Skin Game, she plays the hypocrite, doing exactly what she berated Harry about as far as the Swords and Holy Knights go .  Maybe that is why she ends up in Valhalla instead of Heaven or even where her father is at helping Uriel?
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Arjan on April 25, 2022, 01:33:38 PM
Actually Harry was pushing Murphy to take the sword up all the time. At the end Harry gave the sword to the right person but it was not like he was intending to give it to Butters. He was aiming for Charity.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 25, 2022, 02:59:54 PM
Actually Harry was pushing Murphy to take the sword up all the time. At the end Harry gave the sword to the right person but it was not like he was intending to give it to Butters. He was aiming for Charity.

He did, or he said it was a job offer back in Small Favor when it lighted up when she touched it. But he really didn't push it until Changes.  I agree he was aiming for Charity, but either way he did throw it in the right direction and Butters got it.  He did have the insight that in the right hand the Sword would be made whole again, and that's what happened.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Ed0517 on April 25, 2022, 07:18:40 PM
Actually Harry was pushing Murphy to take the sword up all the time. At the end Harry gave the sword to the right person but it was not like he was intending to give it to Butters. He was aiming for Charity.

I don't think Harry was offering a calling, he was offering a tool.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: Mira on April 26, 2022, 02:26:29 PM
I don't think Harry was offering a calling, he was offering a tool.

Yes, the Sword is a tool to be wielded by the Knight under some very strict rules.  Murphy did it to help Harry save his daughter in Changes, but then freely admitted that being a Knight wasn't her calling because she could not accept the rules that a Knight must follow to wield a Sword.
Title: Re: How the hell did Blood on his Soul survive being mulched to a pulp
Post by: toodeep on May 11, 2022, 01:21:48 AM
I don't believe that Blood on his Soul survived.  I believe that Nic is so wanted that the only place he could hide was by pretending to be Blood on his Soul.  With the power of his fallen angel, he could easily pretend to be someone else with a fallen angel....
And that hate he has for Harry is still very, very real