Notes on Contagion

[Griffyn612]

LAST CALL

   “It’s laced with . . . some kind of contagion
focus, I think.”
   I nodded. She was talking about magical
contagion, not the medical kind. A contagion focus
was something that formed a link between a
smaller amount of its mass after it had been
separated from the main body. A practitioner
could use it to send magic into the main body, and
by extension into all the smaller foci, even if they
weren’t in the same physical place. It was sort of
like planting a transmitter on someone’s car so
that you could send a missile at it later.
...
   “The contagion looks like a simple compulsion
meant to make the victim drink more, but it’s really
a psychic conduit.”
...
   “A psychic conduit?” Murphy asked. “What’s
that?”
   “It’s like any electrical power line,” I said. “Except
it plugs into your mind—and whoever is on the
other end gets to decide what goes in.”
...
   “So do what you do. Put the whammy on them,
and let’s track them down.”
   I grimaced and shook my head. “I don’t dare,” I
told her. “All I’ve got to track with is the beer itself.
If I try to use it in a spell, it’ll open me up to the
conduit. It’ll be as if I drank the stuff.”
...
   “That’s what the psychic conduit links them to,” I
said. “To Dionysus. To the god of revels and
ecstatic violence.”

BATTLE GROUND

   “I am the doubt that wards away sleep. I am the
flaw that corrupts, the infected wound, the false
fork in the trail. I am the gnawer, the worm in the
book, the maggot that burrows in the mind’s eye.”
   “I am He Who Walks Beside.”

PROVEN GUILTY

   “These mortal notions,” Maeve said. “Good, evil,
love. All those other things your kind natter on
about. Are they perhaps contagious?”
   I rose with her, politely. “Some would say so,” I
told her.
   She grimaced. “In the time since her death, I
have often thought to myself that Aurora was
stricken with some mortal madness. I believe the
Queen of Air and Darkness has been taken by a
similar contagion.”

COLD DAYS

   “Sir Knight, you must have seen it. You must
have seen the contagion spreading. It has been
before your eyes for years.”
   “I haven’t seen . . .” Then I paused. My head
started adding things together. “You . . . you aren’t
talking about a physical disease, are you?”
   “Of course not,” Lily said. “It is a kind of spiritual
malady. A mental plague. An infection slowly
spreading across the earth.”
   “And . . . this plague. What does it do?” I asked.
   “It changes that which ought not change,” she
said quietly. “It destroys a father’s love for his
family by twisting it into maniacal ambition. It
distorts and corrupts the good intentions of
agents of mortal law into violence and death. It
erodes the sensible fear that keeps a weakly
talented sorcerer from reaching out for more
power, no matter how terrible the cost.”

[Yuillegan]

Great pick up with Last Call. I must have missed that!

Thanks for putting this all together. I really think this helps for theory crafting.

If we assume Nemesis works the same way as the contagion in Last Call, we actually can work out what the "transmitter" is on each case. Each person infected would need to have been given a focus of some sort.

The obvious one is Morganna's Athame in Grave Peril. I could also see the jewels given to Ferrovax being one as well, which could mean he is compromised potentially. The Wolf Belts for the FBI. Victor Sells Scorpion perhaps, or perhaps a book of spells. I'd need to reread Storm Front to look for it. Aurora is a tricky one but perhaps a gift of some kind. I can see Kravos being infected perhaps via ritual or being gifted something by Cowl. Maeve was infected by Leah, perhaps through a gift. That works especially well with Faeries. Perhaps a tainted artefact for the Denarians in Blood Rites - the corrupted ones? Almost certainly something necromantic for Cowl, probably in his past. If not the other necromancers. Cat Sith could have had direct contact with He Who Walks Before or Justine (Nemesis). Where Justine picked it up is harder...but I suspect someone in the White Court. Lara or one of the lesser ones.

My oh my this feels like contact tracing. This would be so annoying to actually have to do.

Technically Mac could be infected, at least Jim hints that's possible in one of his latest interviews.

We know there is a limit to how many can be infected...I'd guess 13 makes sense.

Another way that really works for the series is via blood. Lots of those infected consume blood or practice sacrifices or are around blood being spilled.

Interestingly, I wonder if you can exorcise Nemesis? Or cut of the link to the main being?

[Griffyn612]

Suspected Infected = Suspected Vector = Suspected Source

• Victor Sells = Scorpion = Cowl or Lord Raith (he worked at Silver Co.
• Philip Denton & the Feebs = Wolf Belts = Cowl
• Leonid Kravos = Big Leather Book = Cowl
• Bianca St. Claire = ? = Cowl or Mavra (latter trained her)
• Lea = Athame = Cowl
• Ferrovax = Gem = Cowl
• Aurora = ? = Elaine
• Madge = Ritual Knife? = Lord Raith
• Cowl = ? = Kemmler (decades prior) or Lord Raith (more recently)
• Maeve = Athame = Lea
• Scarecrow = ? = Maeve
• Madrigal = ? = Cowl or Maeve
• Vitto Malvora = ? = Cowl
• Namshiel's Host = ? = ?
• Peabody = ? = Cowl
• Madeline = ? = Cowl or Maeve
• Arianna = ? = Cowl or Bianca (years earlier)
• Cat Sith = ? = Maeve
• Justine = ? = Lord Raith or Madeline or ?

[Griffyn612]

Theory on Order of Infection

• Young Lord Raith infects himself; becomes anchor for Beside
• Lord Raith infects Kemmler
• Kemmler branch begins and ends
• Lord Raith infects Margaret Lefay
• Margaret Lefay breaks free
• Lord Raith infects Justin DuMorne
• Justin DuMorne infects Elaine Mallory
• Lord Raith infects Cowl
• Cowl infects Peabody
• Cowl infects Victor Sells
• Cowl infects Denton & the Feebs
• Cowl infects Bianca
• Cowl infects Leonid Kravos
• Cowl infects Lea
• Cowl infects Ferrovax
• Elaine infects Aurora
• Lea infects Maeve
• Lord Rath infects Madge
• Maeve infects Scarecrow
• Cowl infects Madrigal Raith
• Cowl infects Vitto Malvora
• Nemesis-controlled Lord Rath infects Justine
• Cowl infects Namshiel's Host
• Cowl infects Madeline Raith
• Cowl infects Arianna Ortega
• Maeve infects Cat Sith

[Second Aristh]

I'd say that Nemfections are quite a bit simpler overall.  For instance, I don't think every big bad in each book is necessarily Nemesis.  A number of them, especially the small time ones, can be written of as manipulated by the Black Council/Circle.

I think for our purposes, we can have some assumptions on Nemesis (since by WoJ there is some upper limit for how many places it can be at once).
1.  Nemesis infected characters somehow behave differently than they should in a small way
2.  For most Significant Infections^TM, we get an "on-screen" clue for when they are turned, or we will in the future.
3.  Nemesis is strategic for how it invests itself in people.  It doesn't bother with infecting someone who is too small a player to matter (e.g. Kravos or Victor Sells or the hexenwolves).  The Circle handles those instead for whatever reason that meddling occurs.


Lea is the easiest.  She was infected in GP by Morganna's athame when she used it in the NN to summon minions to chase Harry.
Maeve is next easiest.  She was infected in SK during the battle over Chicago while Mab was distracted.  She makes the comment that Harry's godmother sends her regards. 
Cat Sith is infected by Maeve in CD when he rescues Harry from the ambush in the gardens.


Other candidates are harder to pinpoint.  Aurora was clearly infected by Nemesis, but we don't know how or when yet.  Same with Justine.

For the rampires, I don't think Ariana Ortega or her husband were infected, nor Bianca.  They act too normally for that.  The one that's acting weird was the Red King himself, manifesting in his erratic behavior during the war and his weird-for-rampires bloodlust.  The Ortegas were a countering force against Nemesis screwing with their leadership, and Bianca was manipulated by the Circle (who have allied with Nemesis, but are not themselves Nemesis; Cowl and Kumori are our representative members of this group).

I'd also put characters like Peabody into the Circle and/or their pawns group instead of Nemesis.

[Yuillegan]

Maybe not every big bad...but I'd assume a fair amount of them. Particularly the earlier case files.

Also, SA, we have confirmation I believe of Sells and Kravos being infected. I agree they seem odd choices but I suspect the reasons for them won't be revealed until we find out a bit more about Nemesis.

I suspect Ariana but not Ortega. I wouldn't be surprised if Mavra was infected. Nemesis has few limits about what it can affect other than Archangels and it seems to have a set amount of beings it can reside in at any one time. But maybe part of the game is having lots of hosts prepared. So you only have active the maximum amount but if one is found out another host is activated. Which means there are potentially many more possible candidates than actual hosts, but every possible candidate that has been given a contagion vector could well be a host.

Like Vashta Nerada. Not every shadow, but any shadow.

Of all the candidates, I think the Red King is the least likely. He seemed to just be succumbing from the Thirst too much, which apparently does happen to older vamps eventually.

Theory on Order of Infection

• Young Lord Raith infects himself; becomes anchor for Beside
• Lord Raith infects Kemmler
• Kemmler branch begins and ends
• Lord Raith infects Margaret Lefay
• Margaret Lefay breaks free
• Lord Raith infects Justin DuMorne
• Justin DuMorne infects Elaine Mallory
• Lord Raith infects Cowl
• Cowl infects Peabody
• Cowl infects Victor Sells
• Cowl infects Denton & the Feebs
• Cowl infects Bianca
• Cowl infects Leonid Kravos
• Cowl infects Lea
• Cowl infects Ferrovax
• Elaine infects Aurora
• Lea infects Maeve
• Lord Rath infects Madge
• Maeve infects Scarecrow
• Cowl infects Madrigal Raith
• Cowl infects Vitto Malvora
• Nemesis-controlled Lord Rath infects Justine
• Cowl infects Namshiel's Host
• Cowl infects Madeline Raith
• Cowl infects Arianna Ortega
• Maeve infects Cat Sith

I like the list, and the other one about the possible vectors and sources.

Considering Last Call, does there need to be a host anchor? Or could you just operate spread across the many hosts. Reminds me a bit of Agents in the Matrix or something, potentially able to take over any program. It's not every program, but potentially any of them. Obviously the exceptions are those who are awakened like the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar. Maybe star born are a bit like that.

I keep thinking I should write a comparison thread between the Matrix and the Dresden Files. There are certainly some similarities.

[morriswalters]

Without a doubt you have Lea, Maeve, Aurora and Justine and Cat Sith. Given that, why use a shotgun to stalk mice.  Anybody not a major player can be  dealt with using other tools. Peabody's inks or something like them could have been the source for the lower level players who were corrupted. This was Peabody's modus operandi.

If Papa Raith was the first, was he human at that point? Only Humans can summon Outsiders in, unless my lore fails me.  But if he is, why isn't Lara infected?  Or is she?  In which case the Archive is borked.

Lea first uses the Atheme in Grave Peril to open some kind of Portal. But Aurora is over the river and through the woods by Summer Knight, which at least suggests she was  infected first or was more susceptible. Which in turn suggests Elaine. Possibly infected by Justin.  Elaine could have been the weapon meant to control Harry, the Destroyer. The Outsiders can't control him directly but they could have used their puppet.  That would make her a honeypot like Justine. And when that failed they adapted.

[Second Aristh]

Maybe not every big bad...but I'd assume a fair amount of them. Particularly the earlier case files.

Also, SA, we have confirmation I believe of Sells and Kravos being infected. I agree they seem odd choices but I suspect the reasons for them won't be revealed until we find out a bit more about Nemesis.

I would think most villains were combinations of either BC influence or Nemesis, but they're not the same thing.  It's two groups both thinking that they're using the other one for their own gains.  Sells/Kravos/Bianca are all the initial pawns set up by the BC, not really Nemesis hosts.  Why waste a limited slot on someone like Sells if you're Nemesis when the BC will control him for you?

SA?

I suspect Ariana but not Ortega. I wouldn't be surprised if Mavra was infected. Nemesis has few limits about what it can affect other than Archangels and it seems to have a set amount of beings it can reside in at any one time. But maybe part of the game is having lots of hosts prepared. So you only have active the maximum amount but if one is found out another host is activated. Which means there are potentially many more possible candidates than actual hosts, but every possible candidate that has been given a contagion vector could well be a host.

Like Vashta Nerada. Not every shadow, but any shadow.

Of all the candidates, I think the Red King is the least likely. He seemed to just be succumbing from the Thirst too much, which apparently does happen to older vamps eventually.
I like the list, and the other one about the possible vectors and sources.

Ariana doesn't make sense to me.  She'd be a nice candidate as far as her placement in the Red Court, but she doesn't undermine anything like normal Nemesis hosts.  Her moves in Changes were all pro-Red Court when the goal of the bad guys was to weaken both nations by screwing the one that was currently on top in the war.  The Red King and Peabody did that for them.

The best connection with Ariana and the BC would be the heart curse that Sells was studying for them.  Possibly the BC/Nemesis could have thought that killing starborn Harry and Eb was worth ending their war early.

Considering Last Call, does there need to be a host anchor? Or could you just operate spread across the many hosts. Reminds me a bit of Agents in the Matrix or something, potentially able to take over any program. It's not every program, but potentially any of them. Obviously the exceptions are those who are awakened like the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar. Maybe star born are a bit like that.

I keep thinking I should write a comparison thread between the Matrix and the Dresden Files. There are certainly some similarities.

Yeah, I'm getting the Agent Smith vibe from Nemesis too.  My current framework is that Nemesis has a limited list of candidates to jump into and partially to fully control, but it can only do that to a smaller number of beings at once, say 13ish since that number is cropping up a lot more lately.

[Griffyn612]

I'm trying to figure out in my head using book evidence if the contagion *has* to be Beside. I'd prefer if it didn't.

I'd prefer if the contagion is a conduit that corrupts those it touches, changing them, but it doesn't have anything to do with Beside.

The question is, if the contagion in last call tied the beer drinkers to the essence of Dionysus, then could the nemesis contagion tie to the Lord of Slowest Terror, master of the Walkers?

It could be that the contagion is a psychic link, and the link causes behavior corruption without Beside being involved.

Beside could just be using the link to spy on some, and possess a select few that meet additional criteria.

[Griffyn612]

Theoretical breakdown between those corrupted by the outsider contagion spell versus those possessed by Beside.

(Incomplete at this time)

• Corruption does not require Beside involved, and simply occurs by interacting with power tainted with the Outsider contagion spell, which corrupts the individual by linking them to Outside/Lord of Slowest Terror.
• Corruption is unlimited.
• Possession requires willing consent, or no consent for those lacking free will and subordinate to another possessed individual.
• Possession has an upper limit.

Corrupted (as specified in CD)

• Victor Sells : Scorpion totem : Cowl
• Philip Denton : Wolf Belts : Cowl
• Leonid Kravos : Big Leather Book : Cowl
• Aurora : : Elaine?

Seemingly corrupted based on behavior

• Madrigal Raith (feeding habits)
• Vitto Malvora (aggression, outsider possession)
• Madge Shelly (aggression, loss of morals)
• Cowl (lack of empathy, use of outsiders)

Possessed by Beside

• Lord Raith : ancient times : Ruby earring from someone/some spell
• Lea : GP/DB : Athame from Cowl
• Maeve : SK/PG : Willing deal with Lea
• Scarecrow : : Commanded by Winter Lady
• Namshiel's Host : : Deal for control?
• Cat Sith : CD : Commanded by Winter Lady
• Justine : BR/TC : ? Maybe Lord Rath on Beside-pilot?

[The_Sibelis]

I'd personally link this to the summoning and mirroring conversation in PG. Based on previous theory combined with BG Nemesis I'd place a large wager that those things connected to either side of the love, faith, and hope trio are primary vectors for contagion. Molly in particular is a candidate for being infected through the use of fear against free will, and in doing so opened herself up to whatever mouse caught a wiff of outside the station. I can also make the case for Nemesis intentionally targeting young, potentially magical women with a propensity to go insane for one reason or another. Molly, Archive, Maeve, Justine. Me thinks Nemesis takes after her namesake and is inherently female.
*And... Is not black magic/contagion simply the primary conduit?

[Griffyn612]

I'd personally link this to the summoning and mirroring conversation in PG. Based on previous theory combined with BG Nemesis I'd place a large wager that those things connected to either side of the love, faith, and hope trio are primary vectors for contagion. Molly in particular is a candidate for being infected through the use of fear against free will, and in doing so opened herself up to whatever mouse caught a wiff of outside the station. I can also make the case for Nemesis intentionally targeting young, potentially magical women with a propensity to go insane for one reason or another. Molly, Archive, Maeve, Justine. Me thinks Nemesis takes after her namesake and is inherently female.
*And... Is not black magic/contagion simply the primary conduit?

I don't know about some of that, but Beside identified as male in BG as "He Who Walks Beside". We've heard him talk through three hosts, and two were female, but that seems to be more due to the power structure we've seen in the Dresden Files.

We've seen Behind briefly occupy a woman (Madge), and what was likely Before occupy a man (Vitto), and then Before later in what may have been a male body (Sharkface). So it just seemed to be that they use what they have to work with.

[Mira]

I don't know about some of that, but Beside identified as male in BG as "He Who Walks Beside". We've heard him talk through three hosts, and two were female, but that seems to be more due to the power structure we've seen in the Dresden Files.

We've seen Behind briefly occupy a woman (Madge), and what was likely Before occupy a man (Vitto), and then Before later in what may have been a male body (Sharkface). So it just seemed to be that they use what they have to work with.

And they run a very clever operation, they are very strategic about it and they think long term..  Wonder if they have a tool to see into the future?  They planted themselves in Justine, I think with possible cooperation with Lord Raith, who in turn sets her up with Thomas.. Then quietly bides it's time until the Fomor are ready to strike, then sets up the pregnancy, gives Thomas an ultimatum, that leads to the assassination attempt, which threatens to blow up the Accords but more importantly distracts and sidetracks the one being they are afraid of, Harry... Harry manages to come through and Ethniu is jailed, but that is only a temporary set back because Justine is able to still play the grieving victim and almost accomplishes the goal of sabotaging the defenses of Demonreach from inside being invited in, and letting loose on the world all matter of monsters..   

[Snark Knight]

Maybe not every big bad...but I'd assume a fair amount of them. Particularly the earlier case files.
Also, SA, we have confirmation I believe of Sells and Kravos being infected. I agree they seem odd choices but I suspect the reasons for them won't be revealed until we find out a bit more about Nemesis.

Eh ... I wouldn't take Lily's list as authoritative. She was extensively misled.

There was a WOJ that the first nemfected character appeared 'on stage' in Grave Peril, so I think Sells is in the influenced but not infected category. I'm still uncertain whether he was talking about on the literal stage with Bianca at the party scene, or just on page in a general sense.

[Griffyn612]

Eh ... I wouldn't take Lily's list as authoritative. She was extensively misled.

There was a WOJ that the first nemfected character appeared 'on stage' in Grave Peril, so I think Sells is in the influenced but not infected category. I'm still uncertain whether he was talking about on the literal stage with Bianca at the party scene, or just on page in a general sense.

See, this is where the terminology is limiting.

If there's a contagion that corrupts, and there's Beside possession, then what he said and what Lily said can both be accurate.

Sells end Denton are infected with the corrupting contagion. Someone in GP is possessed/hosting Beside/Nemesis.