The Blackstaff picks his successor.......

[groinkick]

Do you think Eb will choose Harry?  I suspect he might choose someone else like Carlos, setting up a showdown between Harry, and Carlos. 

[KurtinStGeorge]

It might not be Ebenezer's choice.  Ordinarily, my guess is a select group within the Senior Council makes that decision, though it's possible they usually ask the current Blackstaff to make a recommendation in advance.  However, in this case I doubt either Ebenezer or the Council will make that choice. 

My guess is that Ebenezer falls in battle fright in front of Harry.  It will probably occur when Eb is confronting Harry over something or he has dropped by to warn Harry about something; probably the rest of the Senior Council getting ready to move against Harry, when they both are attacked but only Harry survives.  Harry picks up Mother Winter's walking stick and becomes the Blackstaff by default.   

[groinkick]

It might not be Ebenezer's choice.  Ordinarily, my guess is a select group within the Senior Council makes that decision, though it's possible they usually ask the current Blackstaff to make a recommendation in advance.  However, in this case I doubt either Ebenezer or the Council will make that choice. 

My guess is that Ebenezer falls in battle fright in front of Harry.  It will probably occur when Eb is confronting Harry over something or he has dropped by to warn Harry about something; probably the rest of the Senior Council getting ready to move against Harry, when they both are attacked but only Harry survives.  Harry picks up Mother Winter's walking stick and becomes the Blackstaff by default.   

"Eb took up the Blackstaff in 1884-1885 somewhere in there.  The Blackstaff chooses his successor." - Jim 2016 DF Reddit podcast Q&A

[Snark Knight]

He might have chosen Harry once. That trust is broken now.

Plus, assuming Ebenezar knows it's Mother Winter's staff, bequeathing it to someone beholden to obey an order from her to return her stolen property would be the end of the Blackstaff as an office of the council. And he believes that office needs to exist.

Furthermore, if he has any affection left for Harry, he'd know that passing the staff outside the Council would get him immediately marked for death to retrieve it.

[b4utoo]

If Ebenezer is killed dresden files would take a giant turd in story telling. Ebenezer is just to good of a character to kill off...put his butt in the hospital 1st.

[bigdangmoose]

If Ebenezer is killed dresden files would take a giant turd in story telling. Ebenezer is just to good of a character to kill off...put his butt in the hospital 1st.

Nah, he actually is a character that has to go in battle, to be killed. He is the overpowered tank that helps you feel like victory is assured. An example of this is the tiger in the TV show The Walking Dead. The tiger was badass, could take things out left and right. You felt that everything was going to be fine with it around.

But that makes for a boring story.

They killed the tiger.

Unless Eb is on the opposite side of Harry, Eb's character makes the tension of the battle not as great as it could be because you feel like his power alone could save the day. Then add in the staff and you feel like victory is assured.

So to amp up the tension, Eb should die.

But with my theory on this, Eb will die, with Harry either having already lost the WK mantle or Eb's death being the cause of the loss. Harry gets the Blackstaff, given to him by Eb because Eb knows that the council cannot have it anymore, that it truly cannot be trusted. Thus giving Harry power, separating him further from protective powers, and keeping the staff away from Mother Winter, whom Jim said would be a bad thing if Mother Winter got her walking stick back.

[Arjan]

Eb is becoming more of a problem than a help so he does not have to die. He will become even more unstable.

[bigdangmoose]

Eb is becoming more of a problem than a help so he does not have to die. He will become even more unstable.

Him, and have to be put down by Harry? Thus, by defeating him, inheriting the staff?

Question, when Jim said the Blackstaff chooses it's successor, did he mean the person or the staff?

Might change the way we look at this if it's the staff that chooses

[ZhonLord]

Question, when Jim said the Blackstaff chooses it's successor, did he mean the person or the staff?

Might change the way we look at this if it's the staff that chooses

Now that's a good question.  The blackstaff is both the role and the artifact itself.  However Jim doesn't tend to mince words, and he did specifically say "Chooses HIS successor".  So as cool as it would be if the staff did the choosing on its own I'm pretty sure it's the actual wizard in the role who picks the next wizard to fill that role.

[bigdangmoose]

Now that's a good question.  The blackstaff is both the role and the artifact itself.  However Jim doesn't tend to mince words, and he did specifically say "Chooses HIS successor".  So as cool as it would be if the staff did the choosing on its own I'm pretty sure it's the actual wizard in the role who picks the next wizard to fill that role.

Yes, but also remember that Jim lies like the fae. So while it is probably true if those are his words, it's also possible that the staff chooses.

[Snark Knight]

Nah, he actually is a character that has to go in battle, to be killed. He is the overpowered tank that helps you feel like victory is assured. ... But that makes for a boring story.

He might not even be mobile for a long time after his injuries in Battle Ground.

[groinkick]

I wonder if Eb will give it to Dresden as a way to get out of being Winter Knight....  Mother Winter wants it real bad.  Maybe he can make a trade?

[Avernite]

Now that's a good question.  The blackstaff is both the role and the artifact itself.  However Jim doesn't tend to mince words, and he did specifically say "Chooses HIS successor".  So as cool as it would be if the staff did the choosing on its own I'm pretty sure it's the actual wizard in the role who picks the next wizard to fill that role.

Well we know what Elaine said about the shape of Harry's foci. If the blackstaff has any gender... 

[b4utoo]

Anyone think of the ramifications of a winter knight getting Winters staff...i think it would have a different meaning if it was just another wizard...

[vincentric]

Well, if Mother Winter didn't immediately ask for it back, I'd assume that it would be a considerable upgrade.

It should have many times the storage capacitance of any staff Harry can make and there would be no need to worry about Harry overloading it. It could even be enough to let Harry use Demonreach's ley lines which would be a near equivalent or maybe better than a Darkhallow at least while Harry is on the island.