Would you like to see Highlander type immortals in the Dresdenverse?

[groinkick]

I was a fan back during the TV series.  I watch this TV Intro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgCFRwt050Y  and think damn it would be cool for these type of immortals to be in the story.  The immortals could fill similar roles to John Marcone + the added hundreds if not thousands of years of knowledge, experience, and cunning.  They would have complete free will which would only make them more dangerous in the supernatural world..  Some of them would probably also obtain Mantles... 

[wardenferry419]

I was a fan back during the TV series.  I watch this TV Intro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgCFRwt050Y  and think damn it would be cool for these type of immortals to be in the story.  The immortals could fill similar roles to John Marcone + the added hundreds if not thousands of years of knowledge, experience, and cunning.  They would have complete free will which would only make them more dangerous in the supernatural world..  Some of them would probably also obtain Mantles...

I was a fan of the TV show and the first two movies. The Queen soundtrack for the first one rocked! But, Luccio was less than impressed with their swordmanship.

[Griffyn612]

I'd prefer a supernatural background.  Maybe less "there can be only one" and something more along the lines of Anne Rice's Ramses the Damned, or someone else that finds an elixir of eternal life that grows to regret it.  Immortals growing more powerful while killing each other and absorbing each other's power is too on-the-nose for a series that already has creatures all but doing that.

[groinkick]

I'd prefer a supernatural background.  Maybe less "there can be only one" and something more along the lines of Anne Rice's Ramses the Damned, or someone else that finds an elixir of eternal life that grows to regret it.  Immortals growing more powerful while killing each other and absorbing each other's power is too on-the-nose for a series that already has creatures all but doing that.

completely agree.  I was thinking more along the lines that they are basically vanilla, except they cannot die unless they get their heads cut off.  There wouldn't be any immortals hunting each other unless they just hated the person or something.

[Griffyn612]

completely agree.  I was thinking more along the lines that they are basically vanilla, except they cannot die unless they get their heads cut off.  There wouldn't be any immortals hunting each other unless they just hated the person or something.

That's sort of along the lines of Ramses.  I'll put this into spoilers, in case anyone cares, but it's not really a spoiler for that book.

(click to show/hide)

The story is that Ramses the Great (Ramses II) crossed paths with someone that knew the recipe for an immortality elixer.  After drinking it, he couldn't die.  He lived for centuries before entombing himself to sleep, which dehydrated him and made him a mummy.  But when exposed to sunlight, he was rejuvenated and reentered the new world.

I think something like that would be interesting.  An immortal human living alongside humanity has definitely been done before (Wolverine, Cain, Randall Savage, etc) but a small group of them would be interesting.  Helix toyed with that idea before its cancellation, but never got to explore it in full.

The question is, what would they be doing?  If they had magical ability, they'd be known.  If not, then they're not that significant in the long run, save for being living Archives. 

Maybe have them be associated with a secret society trying to steer the world?  Have one or more tied to the National Archives, having presided over a library of some sort ever since Alexandria?  Have one being held somewhere against their will, an immortal captive that has been experimented on?

[khadgar4606]

we can work with group of immortals angle as any way we want but just simple and easiest angle would be pop a Illuminati clone for back up plot line where harry needs to solve a case for them while getting info about this organization with end of book  reward would be they invite harry to be one of them. Another plot idea would be use the group as teachers of Maggie Jr's school staff and kick a instruductory  adventure with xanatos gambit as beginning point.

[exartiem]

Wasn't Pontius Pilate cursed to never die?

[peregrine]

You're probably thinking of the Wandering Jew, who has been said to be many different people through the time, but not Pilate (as he wasn't a jew).

[Mr. Death]

Much as I like Highlander, I'm not sure I'd like to see them in Dresden.

Like with the X-Men, I think they kind of work better when they're in their own world, as either the only or the most prominent supernatural force.

[Rasins]

Kind of Like Casca ... the Eternal Warrior.

I really wish that Barry Sadler could have continued the series.

[raidem]

The amber family or the chaos family would work in dresden files.  Although they are nigh immortal, they can be killed.  Their main skill is traveling between worlds and their existence leaving strong shadows on these worlds.  So they'd be like natural 'starborn' characters with their actions strongly affecting the world around them.  This is why I think Harry is descended from one. His bloodline via Malcolm or both parents goes to some proximate and very important amberite/chaosian--(Mac/corwin).  This could then mean that changes blood curse was targeting the members in the houses of order and/or chaos.

[groinkick]

The question is, what would they be doing? If they had magical ability, they'd be known.  If not, then they're not that significant in the long run, save for being living Archives. 

Maybe have them be associated with a secret society trying to steer the world?  Have one or more tied to the National Archives, having presided over a library of some sort ever since Alexandria?  Have one being held somewhere against their will, an immortal captive that has been experimented on?

Well if I was writing it they would be a very secretive society.  They would work in similar fashion to the White Council.  They would be insanely wealthy with their fingers in politics, and virtually every economy around the world. 

Remember the Underworld movies where the Lycans were using bullets developed by the military that was basically sunlight in a bullet that was very effective against vampires, and the vampires took the idea and used liquid silver in their bullets?  The Immortals would work in a similar fashion.  Using mortal technology to eliminate supernatural threats.  It would basically be a bunch of Bruce Wayne's...  People without super powers  using wealth, technology, and cunning to deal with super human type threats.  They wouldn't be pure as the wind driven snow.  They would simply see the vanilla world as their territory, and supernatural being's as interlopers.

[Griffyn612]

Relevant

List of mythological immortals from Wikipedia.
 - Nicolas Flamel. He is believed to find the book of Abraham the mage, get the ever-changing text decoded and find a spell for immortality, along with his wife.
 - Ziusudra (also Zi-ud-sura and Zin-Suddu; Hellenized Xisuthros: "found long life" or "life of long days") of Shuruppak is listed in the WB-62 Sumerian king list[citation needed] recension as the last king of Sumer prior to the deluge. He is subsequently recorded as the hero of the Sumerian flood epic. He is also mentioned in other ancient literature, including The Death of Gilgamesh[citation needed] and The Poem of Early Rulers,[citation needed] and a late version of The Instructions of Shuruppak refers to Ziusudra. Akkadian Atrahasis ("extremely wise") and Utnapishtim ("he found life"), as well as biblical Noah ("rest") are similar heroes of flood legends of the Ancient Near East.[2]
 - Ashwathama the Kaurava warrior after the kurukshetra was cursed by Krishna 'to be immortal and roam the earth without love, respect and social acceptance from anyone until the end of time'.[3]
 - Sage Markandeya, who was granted immortality at the age of sixteen.[citation needed]
 - Tithonus, who in Greek mythology was granted eternal life but not eternal youth.[citation needed]
 - Achilles, Helen, Ino, Memnon, Menelaus, and Peleus, were said to have achieved physical immortality through the intervention of the gods.[4]
 - The Wandering Jew (b. 1st century BC), a Jewish shoemaker. According to legend, he taunted Jesus on his way to crucifixion. Jesus cursed him to "go on forever till I return." Thus, the Wandering Jew is to live until the second coming of Jesus.[5]
 - John the Apostle (AD 6-101), one of Jesus's followers. Some Mormons, in conjunction with their own scriptures, interpret the biblical scripture found at John 21:21-23 to mean that John will tarry or remain on the earth until the Second Coming.[6]
 - The Three Nephites (between AD 34 and 35), three men described in the Book of Mormon who are given power over death in order to fulfill their desire to minister among men until Jesus comes again.[7]
 - Sir Galahad (dates for his life fall between the 2nd century and the 6th century), one of the three Arthurian knights to find the Holy Grail. Of them, Galahad is the only one to have achieved immortality by it.[citation needed]
 - Merlin (dates for his life fall between the 2nd century and the 6th century); in some accounts, Merlin is trapped by an enchantment by Nimue, and while some end with Merlin dying, in others he remains in the trap (variously a tomb, a cave, a mist, or a tree) indefinitely.

Also, Cain.  Perhaps others as well, if anyone can think of any.

[Griffyn612]

Well if I was writing it they would be a very secretive society.  They would work in similar fashion to the White Council.  They would be insanely wealthy with their fingers in politics, and virtually every economy around the world. 

Remember the Underworld movies where the Lycans were using bullets developed by the military that was basically sunlight in a bullet that was very effective against vampires, and the vampires took the idea and used liquid silver in their bullets?  The Immortals would work in a similar fashion.  Using mortal technology to eliminate supernatural threats.  It would basically be a bunch of Bruce Wayne's...  People without super powers  using wealth, technology, and cunning to deal with super human type threats.  They wouldn't be pure as the wind driven snow.  They would simply see the vanilla world as their territory, and supernatural being's as interlopers.

But where would they fit in the Dresdenverse?  You'd think that such an organization would be discovered by the long-lived wizards and all-but-immortal monsters and gods. 

That's why I was thinking they could be tied to the Library.  Powerless magically, but powerful with knowledge.  They could know Names, and how to use them, which would keep certain Powerful creatures from interfering. 

But to run governments and control markets, they'd be butting up against the lesser groups (Wamps, Ramps, Council) pretty regularly.  And they would have had a vested interest in supporting the wizards in the war.  If they existed in the Dresdenverse, they'd need a reason to not be involved.

Lack of numbers would be one reason.  If it's only one, or a handful, then they'd be limited.  Maybe they don't work together.  Maybe they strike deals with groups, to stay out of their business in return for being left alone.

I could see where the Council would fear a wizard getting an immortality elixir, because then there'd be nothing to stop them.  So the Senior Council strikes a deal with an immortal, to keep their tricks to themselves in return for favors and secret partnerships when necessary.

[Mr. Death]

But where would they fit in the Dresdenverse?  You'd think that such an organization would be discovered by the long-lived wizards and all-but-immortal monsters and gods. 

That's why I was thinking they could be tied to the Library.  Powerless magically, but powerful with knowledge.  They could know Names, and how to use them, which would keep certain Powerful creatures from interfering. 

But to run governments and control markets, they'd be butting up against the lesser groups (Wamps, Ramps, Council) pretty regularly.  And they would have had a vested interest in supporting the wizards in the war.  If they existed in the Dresdenverse, they'd need a reason to not be involved.

Lack of numbers would be one reason.  If it's only one, or a handful, then they'd be limited.  Maybe they don't work together.  Maybe they strike deals with groups, to stay out of their business in return for being left alone.

I could see where the Council would fear a wizard getting an immortality elixir, because then there'd be nothing to stop them.  So the Senior Council strikes a deal with an immortal, to keep their tricks to themselves in return for favors and secret partnerships when necessary.

Yeah, that's the thing -- the group as groinkick is describing is already overlapping with a bunch of other groups. We've already got guys like the Venatori and the Special Collections division that fill the niche of "secretive mortals up against supernatural threats," so I don't see why a group of immortals doing that same thing would be particularly interesting.