Changes battle, we only saw the surface?

[Avernite]

I'd add that, not only did the active parties play a role - a lot of people acted by not opposing their counterparts.

Who's the natural enemy of the Winter Knight and Mab's handmaiden acting so brazenly? Summer. And they were not there.
Who's the natural enemy of the Knights of the Cross? The Denarians. And they were not there.

The Red Court was really not being particularly risky, they were insulated from anything but every other active member of the supernatural community acting or not-acting together in an effort to crush them. And even then, it was pretty damned close.

[DonBugen]

they were not even particularly secretive about the fact that they were all gathering there.  With the senior councils information gathering ability its almost a sure thing that they would find out.

What makes you say that? The council didn't know; Eb was shocked to learn it, no more than a half hour before Dresden appeared on the scene. Dresden petitioned every one he knew to find the info out, and had to get it from a literal god. The Fellowship of Saint Giles had no idea, and it seems like they're the ones who track the courts activity most closely. Everything all points to that they arranged it and organized with great secrecy and took out all potential observers.

[groinkick]

Makes me wonder if Harry's part of the "source" bloodline.  Meaning that all wizards are connected like branches on a tree, but Harry's bloodline could run all the way to the root, a more direct connection.  A curse like that on him, would do to the White Council, as it did to the Red Court.

[raidem]

Some wonder if it was Vadderung himself that was the ultimate target of the death curse.  He could be the main progenitor of a great many wizards.

[groinkick]

Some wonder if it was Vadderung himself that was the ultimate target of the death curse.  He could be the main progenitor of a great many wizards.

Possible...  Mostly because I think Vadderung is Merlin.

[wardenferry419]

Possible...  Mostly because I think Vadderung is Merlin.

Man, Vadderung is Odin, is Santa Claus, is he also Jesus and Superman too.

[raidem]

“Your actions have already done so,” I said.
The wispiest shade of a smile line touched the corners of his eyes. “Ah. You have a certain amount of perception, then.”
“I used to think so,” I said. “Then I started getting older and realized how clueless I am.”
“The beginning of wisdom, or so Socrates would have it,” Hades said. “He says so every time we have brunch.”
“Wow,” I said. “Socrates is, uh, down here?”
Hades arched an eyebrow. He lifted his free hand, palm up.
“Right,” I said. “Sorry. Um. Do you mind if I ask . . . ?”
“His fate, in the Underworld?” Hades said.
I nodded.
Hades’ mouth ticked up at one corner. “People question him.”
The dog took note that it was no longer being petted, and the nearest head lifted up to nudge itself beneath Hades’ hand again. The Lord of the Underworld absentmindedly went back to petting it, like any man might with his dog.

I like to read this with Hades really being Socrates.

[groinkick]

Man, Vadderung is Odin, is Santa Claus, is he also Jesus and Superman too.

Well I will respond to your sarcasm with words of Jim.  "Odin has many hats".

[wardenferry419]

Apologies, the sarcasm was meant with a light touch and humor.

[kbrizzle]

Hmm back to the original question. I agree, I do think there was a lot more going on in this fight than Harry realized. After the fight, Eb himself says after Harry recognizes Vadderung that he [Odin] rarely gets involved these days but when he does, something big is about to go down.

On a grander scale, this was the Home Team neutralizing the Outsiders’ opening salvo - as others have pointed out, the fight involved the coming together of many different factions against the RCV, because the Ramps had begun to ally themselves with Outsiders, allowing TWG to intervene more directly through the KoTC & Uriel.

So this fight was essentially a proxy fight between the agents of TWG & the Outsiders using agents & cats paws. Since the home team won, the Outsiders resort to plan B which we see in any cold Days (breaching the prison on Demonreach).

[Froklsnt]

Hmm back to the original question. I agree, I do think there was a lot more going on in this fight than Harry realized. After the fight, Eb himself says after Harry recognizes Vadderung that he [Odin] rarely gets involved these days but when he does, something big is about to go down.

On a grander scale, this was the Home Team neutralizing the Outsiders’ opening salvo - as others have pointed out, the fight involved the coming together of many different factions against the RCV, because the Ramps had begun to ally themselves with Outsiders, allowing TWG to intervene more directly through the KoTC & Uriel.

So this fight was essentially a proxy fight between the agents of TWG & the Outsiders using agents & cats paws. Since the home team won, the Outsiders resort to plan B which we see in any cold Days (breaching the prison on Demonreach).

I think that you've got it. But in addition to the TWG, this was also the chance for Mab and Odin to also take direct action against the Ramps / Outsiders / Blank Council. All of them grafting themselves onto Harry's cause as a convenient excuse to make a strike they desperately wanted to make anyway. And the best insight you added was that Cold Days represents plan B for this side after CI fails so spectacularly.

[wardenferry419]

If it was Plan B, it was hurried. My guess is that they wanted to take advantage of an inactive Harry Dresden/Winter Knight.

[kbrizzle]

Thanks Froklsnt! Yup, I think some of the factions who are clearly in the anti-Outsider camp like the Winter Court, Vadderung, the Grey Council had been wanting to strike at the Red court for a while (I’m sure Mab wanted to after the Ramps encroached on her territory in SK) but were probably waiting for the RCV to exhaust themselves in the fight with the White Council. TWG/ Uriel instead helped create a successful ambush that has the necessary firepower to succeed before the Ramps could take out a Starborn (the world’s most potent weapon against Outsiders).

@wardenferry

I do think it was hurried, & furthermore planned by Maeve, so somewhat sloppier than the elegance of Mab that we’re used to. Harry surviving Changes & coming out even stronger than before in CD must’ve alarmed the Black Council - they saw that Alfred was beginning to be of real help to Harry (kept them physically alive after a gun shot wound for 6 months, with help of course) so they had to neutralize him before he became fully aware of the islands capabilities & secrets - being ancient & brilliant, Nfected Maeve has concocted the plan so that keeping Harry the Starborn in check is almost a secondary benefit to the Black Council from this plan. Primary being of course, the rampant death & destruction created by the prisoners on the island, some of whom may be out & out Outsider allies.

[Con]

Consider the possibility that anyone around Harry and Eb when it went off would be caught in the shockwaves. Precision strikes have collateral why not dark magic missiles

[wardenferry419]

Maeve couldn't go at Mab directly; so, she figured creating  some chaos might do the job for her. Maeve was a very lazy planner.