WAG: Nicodemus is lurking

[ellarite]

Hear me out.

It's interesting that Nicodemus and the Denarian Bunch has fought tooth and nail to acquire various religious artifacts.  The same items that Harry plans to use at the end of Peace Talks to fight against Ethniu.

I imagine 2 possibilities:

1.  Nicky and crew foresaw Ethnius eventual arrival and wanted to stop it...OR
2.  Nicky is in league with the titan but failed so badly that the her only choice was to appear early before the Accord Members could officially band together under a new treaty.

What struck me is that the Knights are in play and Butters light saber can cut metal and kill monsters without harming humans.  Which titan just happen to be covered in rare metal alloy?  You got 2 guesses...

[Conspiracy Theorist]

You have it the wrong way round the Faithsaber (and the other swords) will cut through the alloy and Ethnui.

Nicky is unlikely to be involved, he really doesn’t like sharing control and is a planner not an opportunist.

[vultur]

I agree Fidelacchius is being set up to be used against the Titanic Bronze. Etri says it can't be harmed/overcome by physical force, so Harry's Athame/Spearhead and Butters' Fidelacchius might be the only weapons able to directly harm Ethniu. Maybe Eb could do something?

PT implies the Svartalves have weird weapons, but Etri seems to think they won't be enough.

Yeah, I don't think Nic is going to be involved. He's not an Accords member anymore, and I think he has enough concern for his own skin to stay out of it (if he got instantly vaporized along with the Noose by the Eye of Balor, could the Noose save him?)

Also, Nic only shows up in books divisible by 5.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

That means he should be back after the wrestling book, which will be a grail quest (Harry is a completist)

I think all the swords can cut through Titanic Bronze, and the Athame, maybe Gungnir but Odin is otherwise engaged protecting the Never Never, the Swartalves may have Mjolnir, but that would require Thor unless they Dr Donald Blake’d Hendricks ( I wonder if he has his doctorate yet?). Note the new beard. No other weapons present capable. Marcone doubtless has more bullets, but they may not physically go through the Bronze either, more likely he will take out King Corb in the same way he took out Mag, let other Accords members wear him down and then a hero killer bullet through the heart and probably a second to the head. Even Hand is I think quite important from the point of view of Battle Field

The swords of the older wardens can cut through enchantments, but only Carlos would have one amongst the wardens present, and I think they would have problems physically with Titanic Bronze.

[morriswalters]

Whatever else the spear may or may not do, it was used to lance the Christ in the side to hasten his death, which I suggest how it will be used in this case.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

It could draw blood from part of the White God, and Ethnui’s blood is what Harry needs to make a summoning and send Ethnui below. Ethnui is immortal, she might be hurt by these weapons but she can’t be killed, and she needs to be taken off the board permanently, so its either the Athame, summoning and Crystallisation or Harry writes an invitation to his next birthday party on Demonreach on the Placard , and hopes Ethnui politely waits until then and turns up so he can kill her, but that would be a breach of Guest Right.

[morriswalters]

It will puncture the bronze of her skin to get the blood to use the crystal. The lance was used for the coup de grace in crucifixions meant to end the torture.  In her case you only need the blood of a Titan. I would expect the sign might be a shield used to weaken the Titan so the lance can be used.  But who knows what Jim really has in mind?

[Conspiracy Theorist]

I think the Placard is a communications device, like what the Merlin did in Turncoat, but one that can easily cover 8 million people.

“Stay away from the Lake and stay in your homes, all CPD officers to muster at in full gear  at ........, there is a major terrorist incident occurring in Chicago”

Harry think about the small people, and the Placard is what he can do to protect them

[vultur]

That means he should be back after the wrestling book

Probably.... BG #17, Mirror Mirror #18, wrestling #19, Denarians again #20.

Unless the splitting of PT/BG has changed the plan. But even if so, BG is basically the stuff that was meant to happen in the second part of PT when it was all book #16, so still no Nicodemus IMO.

I think all the swords can cut through Titanic Bronze,

Come to think of it, you're probably right. I was thinking that while the Swords remove supernatural advantages, the actual metal armor (even without its magical properties) might still block the sword on a purely physical level.

But the fact that Sanya "coincidentally" showed up means he Should be here, so it's likely.

And I think Michael cuts through a steel door in SmF. So "on mission" maybe the Swords can do more than just remove supernatural advantages. (In that scene Amoracchius also casts a light that destroys the Hobs...)

Marcone doubtless has more bullets, but they may not physically go through the Bronze either,

Yeah, I really don't think so. I really doubt Gard's runes are good enough to break through god/titan level protections; Even Hand implies it might not have worked against Mag's shield without wearing down his energy reserves first.

Even physically... well, bronze isn't that great of a protection against bullets or militaries would still use metal armor, but Titanic Bronze might be super-good on the material-properties level even if its magical abilities are countered. Etri sounds like he's saying the alloy itself is special.

Even Hand is I think quite important

I agree - for the fights against the Fomor army, but not so much Ethniu herself.

[BrainFireBob]

Probably.... BG #17, Mirror Mirror #18, wrestling #19, Denarians again #20.

Unless the splitting of PT/BG has changed the plan. But even if so, BG is basically the stuff that was meant to happen in the second part of PT when it was all book #16, so still no Nicodemus IMO.

Come to think of it, you're probably right. I was thinking that while the Swords remove supernatural advantages, the actual metal armor (even without its magical properties) might still block the sword on a purely physical level.

But the fact that Sanya "coincidentally" showed up means he Should be here, so it's likely.

And I think Michael cuts through a steel door in SmF. So "on mission" maybe the Swords can do more than just remove supernatural advantages. (In that scene Amoracchius also casts a light that destroys the Hobs...)

Yeah, I really don't think so. I really doubt Gard's runes are good enough to break through god/titan level protections; Even Hand implies it might not have worked against Mag's shield without wearing down his energy reserves first.

Even physically... well, bronze isn't that great of a protection against bullets or militaries would still use metal armor, but Titanic Bronze might be super-good on the material-properties level even if its magical abilities are countered. Etri sounds like he's saying the alloy itself is special.

I agree - for the fights against the Fomor army, but not so much Ethniu herself.

More a matter of bronze being too heavy.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

We have to presume Corb is more powerful than Mag, so if the bullet is to work then there will be wearing down of Corb, beforehand.

[vultur]

The placard might also have more of a "judgment/trial" association and be used to imprison Ethniu in the way Harry used various symbolic items to strengthen the summoning circle for the Erlking in DB, except with way more power involved.

Or it might be something to do with True Names, like Harry will write Ethniu's true name on it.

It will puncture the bronze of her skin to get the blood to use the crystal.

Yes, I agree.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Harry doesn’t need the Placard for the ritual, it surprised Alfred, who is immensely single minded. You need blood or a true name ideally for a ritual against an entity, Harry is out for blood, I know a lot of fans put power in Harry naming things, but none of those are true names, Harry is just being annoying, it’s a gift.

Harry has another purpose in mind for the Placard, perhaps he intends to use it like Wile E. Coyote 

[morriswalters]

Or maybe it's a case of it's better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it.

[vultur]

Harry doesn’t need the Placard for the ritual, it surprised Alfred, who is immensely single minded.

It seemed like Alfred's response was more like "are you sure you want to handle both of those things?"

You need blood or a true name ideally for a ritual against an entity, Harry is out for blood, I know a lot of fans put power in Harry naming things, but none of those are true names, Harry is just being annoying, it’s a gift.

For something this powerful, Harry might need both blood and a True Name.

There does seem to be some metaphysical significance to Harry giving names in some cases -- Lash and Bob for example. But I wasn't talking about Harry giving Ethniu a new name, but using the Placard to "amplify" the effect of her True Name (likely learned from Bob or the Archive, if it's not "Ethniu") in the binding.