I think Eb only told Harry half the truth

[groinkick]

Eb told Harry that by being a Starborn he can punch an Outsider in the face, and it would actually hurt.  I think this was literaly, and figuratively.  His spells can hurt them, but also when he started physically attacking Behind, it seems stunned, and caught off guard.

I think that was only half the truth though.  Mab, and Titania are afraid of Dresden.  The last time a Starborn was running around both Queen's died.  A Starborn was brought in to help the Fomor (I think to hurt Mab, or distract her), AND Drakul, a Starborn is on par with Mab...

I think what this could mean is that it's not just Outsiders that Starborns can hurt, but other immortal type being like Mab.  There is a catch though.  Harry was able to hurt an Outsider in PT, but said it only seemed to be for a fraction of a second.  He has the ability, but not the raw power.  That could change though.  A powerful Being could grant him power for a favor, or he could do ritual magic like shadow man to turbo charge a spell, or he could tap into a certain ley line under a certain Island.  Drakul obviously is already jacked up on power and that's why he can hurt Mab..  Not because of raw power but because of his Starborn status it allows him to bypass much of her defenses.

That's what this fuss is about Dresden.  Wizards aren't allowed to get involved with politics because Merlin learned the hard way that too much power corrupts (per woj).  Imagine the potential for an impulsive, hot head like Dresden with his back against the wall....  He could have traded to save Maggie to kill a demigod or something.  Or create a following.  Why not join with someone who can slay an immortal? 

This is what I think is going on.  Dresden has the ability, just not the raw power.  However if he learned the truth he could figure out how to obtain that power.  This is also why Justin, Chauncy, Mab, and others have wanted to control Dresden.  They both want and fear what he can do.

[Mira]

  I'm willing to bet that Eb hasn't even told Harry that much.  Maybe I am dreaming it, but I seem
to remember in Peace Talks Eb telling Harry they mostly want him to figure it out for himself. 

[Bad Alias]

The last time a Starborn was running around both Queen's died.
...
Wizards aren't allowed to get involved with politics because Merlin learned the hard way that too much power corrupts (per woj).

I don't think that's quite what either WoJ said.

[didymos]

I don't think that's quite what either WoJ said.

You're right.

The thing about starborn had to do with the Winter Lady:

Uh, the Ladies, Queens and Mothers, their mantles change very, very, very rarely in general. I mean, Mab’s been there for better than 1,000 years. And Maeve’s been there….there was a Winter Lady before Maeve, uh, in Mab’s time. And she didn’t fare so well the last time a Starborn was running around.

The Merlin thing was this:

The original Merlin learned a lesson about wizards involving themselves in politics.  They already have too much power to use wisely, from his point of view.

[Yuillegan]

The thing about starborn had to do with the Winter Lady:

The Merlin thing was this:

They should get you to help clean up the WOJ section, and add in some of the newer stuff. Griffyn612, this guy could help.

Eb told Harry that by being a Starborn he can punch an Outsider in the face, and it would actually hurt.  I think this was literaly, and figuratively.  His spells can hurt them, but also when he started physically attacking Behind, it seems stunned, and caught off guard.

I think that was only half the truth though.  Mab, and Titania are afraid of Dresden.  The last time a Starborn was running around both Queen's died.  A Starborn was brought in to help the Fomor (I think to hurt Mab, or distract her), AND Drakul, a Starborn is on par with Mab...

I think what this could mean is that it's not just Outsiders that Starborns can hurt, but other immortal type being like Mab.  There is a catch though.  Harry was able to hurt an Outsider in PT, but said it only seemed to be for a fraction of a second.  He has the ability, but not the raw power.  That could change though.  A powerful Being could grant him power for a favor, or he could do ritual magic like shadow man to turbo charge a spell, or he could tap into a certain ley line under a certain Island.  Drakul obviously is already jacked up on power and that's why he can hurt Mab..  Not because of raw power but because of his Starborn status it allows him to bypass much of her defenses.

That's what this fuss is about Dresden.  Wizards aren't allowed to get involved with politics because Merlin learned the hard way that too much power corrupts (per woj).  Imagine the potential for an impulsive, hot head like Dresden with his back against the wall....  He could have traded to save Maggie to kill a demigod or something.  Or create a following.  Why not join with someone who can slay an immortal? 

This is what I think is going on.  Dresden has the ability, just not the raw power.  However if he learned the truth he could figure out how to obtain that power.  This is also why Justin, Chauncy, Mab, and others have wanted to control Dresden.  They both want and fear what he can do.

Intriguing idea. Especially if you consider the theory that the Outsiders are not so different from the other immortals. I mean, why not right? The power is clearly to do with Will. Harry's Will is both stronger and seems to operate slightly differently (perhaps on a special frequency) than most regular beings of Creation. It means, among other things, he can contest Wills with any being he likes and have a chance (maybe not much of one but still) of winning. He can resist them. If he broke Mother Winter's bonds he could probably contest Uriel - which isn't to say he could win but it might mean that they can't just make him lose. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that it comes down to him choosing to lose. He can't beat them exactly (at least for now), but they can't beat him either (at least not fully).

It's all to do with this intention stuff. It's no accident that Ebenezar is talking about intention and magic when he brings up the starborn stuff. The whole being able to "punch them and they'll feel it" could only work because his intention somehow is strong enough to go through their avatar to wherever the being's source is. The intention with punching them is to hurt/injure/disable and maybe kill them - and it's not so much the physical act as the thought behind that act. That's also what Jim has been going on about with the Swords. It's the hand, and the mind that guides the Swords, that is important. The blade can't do anything on it's own. Murphy even proved it when she wielded the power of Fidelacchius without actually using the blade. However, I suspect the fact that the act is physical is also important as repeatedly we are shown that it's the mortal world has more weight than the supernatural. Arguably Harry's been most effective using physical forces that already existed to hurt Outsiders than magic. The gas station with He Who Walks Behind, the bullet with He Who Walks Before (admittedly charged with Soulfire - but that has the unique property of making things more 'real').

We learned in Peace Talks that it's a light that gives starborn their power. I'd bet that it's Lucifer's light (him being the Lightbringer and all). It isn't clear why but it seems to be connected to the Fall. Lucifer being an Archangel and perhaps having fought the Outsiders, perhaps Harry is using some of that Archangel power. Undoubtedly there is a cost though. Ebenezar described Harry as operating at a frequency that is the mirror opposite and cancellation to that of the Outsiders. Logically, it would make sense that if the Outsiders represent disorder then Dresden (and whatever the source of the light is) represents order, or at least a specific variant of it.

For some reason, as yet unknown, the Outsiders cannot take away a starborn's Free Will. But it makes it sound like they can take away the Free Will of regular mortals just fine. Up until now I had assumed that was true for all mortals, based on what just about everyone had said. Perhaps that's what makes the Outsiders more dangerous than regular monsters. Perhaps Eb was wrong though, although I doubt it. The line feels more like an explanation to the reader as much as to Harry.