The Road So Far...

[bigdangmoose]

So with Harry and Lara having to get married and with the death of Murphy, people here have been discussing how that it will be good to see the marriage happen and how they will be able to consummate the marriage, seeing how Harry has protection from Wampires.

But, as people have been discussing all that, something has been forgotten. And has to do with being a starborn.

So, to start this all off with information we have, we need to go back to before the books pickup. We go back to Lord Raith. He, by what Jim has said, knows what being a starborn entails and missed out on it the last time around and wanted to get in on it this time. So with that knowledge, we can put together that he got players on his side to try and stack the board in his favor. He got a strong magic user who had relations with the Fae (Margaret), he brought in the Reds, tried to bring in the Blackstaff. He possibly tried to bring in more.

But his plans went wrong.

Something had Margaret wake up and leave him, his version of the plan, and Thomas. Why she did, I don't know if we will fully understand. We just know that she met a good man. But my theory is that she got into the library and found something that Raith didn't know about. Or she saw how he treated his sons and daughters and didn't want the same for her child. Or both.

So she somehow gets away, and either runs to the Nevernever to Lea and make a deal or finds Malcolm and then makes the deal with Lea, thus giving Lea power. And a connection of power for Harry.

Now things get blurry because we don't have a lot of information, but I'm speculating here that Raith lost track of Margaret for awhile, but finally tracked her down shortly after Harry was born. Maybe the deal with Lea was like the deal that Morgan had with Titania, keep her hidden until she was safe with her child. He used the curse to kill her and she threw her death curse to take away his ability to feed. But Margaret had a backup plan for the safe keeping of Harry... Morgan. She informed him of what was going on and ask him to keep an eye on him and guide him.

But unfortunately, after the death of Malcolm, he gets picked up by Justin. My theory here goes two ways. One is that since Justin had Bob, he had overheard about the death of Margaret and that Harry was a Starborn and asked Bob about it. And with information he got, he saw it as an opportunity to grab up power. The other thought is that Justin was approached by Raith to hunt down Harry because of him being a Starborn and train him as a wizard. But, because of Justin having Bob, Justin learns too much and goes off the reservation, betraying both Raith and the WCouncil. And with the information he gains from Bob, he finds Elaine who was born around the same time so could also have the potential to be a Starborn. Either way, we have Justin getting his hands on Harry to gain power for himself.

I think you guys see where this is going, but I'm going to keep going. I have some interesting ideas that I think differ from others.

We move on down the road now to when the Council finally learns of Harry. Harry made a deal with Lea, his godmother, for power to stand up to Justin. With that power, being actual power or a Dumbo's feather, he took on Justin and won, killing him. And bringing in the Council. Somehow they learned of it. Now we come to a group that didn't want him, they feared him for what he was and represented. A balance of power to the person, being, or group that held him and they didn't want that hold or to let anyone else hold it. Thus, they were going to kill him. How did they learn of him and his destiny? My guess is Morgan.

But who stepped up to stop them? Eb, the Blackstaff, the one man in the Council who could demand whatever he wanted and the Council would listen, the one man who didn't care about destiny, the one man who saw a scared boy instead of death and destruction.

And the one man who could protect Harry from Raith.

We move on through time and come to SK. Mab learns of Harry and aggressively negotiated the debt from Harry to Lea away from Lea. Thus giving Mab a direct control over a Starborn.

And as we go on, we find more that want a piece of the action. We have Marcone trying to get him under his employment. We have Maeve wanting a piece by trying to get a child with him. We have Nic throwing the coin in the yard and Harry picking it up, thus gaining an influence over him for a period of time. We have Cowl and Kumori making a quick proposal to him.

And then we have some from the upper pantheon that have taken an interest in Harry and given him help, Odin and Uriel.

So, now we see a lot of the players on the board wanting to either kill Harry, recruit him, or keep him a freelance player.

Going back to my original point now is that Lord Raith started all this, but now Lara is stepping into the spotlight in place of her father. She wants the deal with Mab to get in the big game with a controlling stake in Harry.

So that is where we stand so far. The marriage is definitely not a good thing for Harry. For who ever controls Harry, controls the tipping point in favor of who controls the gates after the BAT. That's why the power parties want a Starborn. That's why the outsiders want to kill him or recruit him, to get power to open the gates. And that's why Odin and Uriel are moving Harry's allies to different places on the board, to give him an influencing force with many powers on the table, such as Molly with Winter and Sarrisa with Summer, Marcone with the Nickelheads, the KotC are his friends, and with Murphy's death, he has an ally that's a part of the Army of Ragnarock.

[LostInTime]

We also know from WOJ that the Gatekeeper was Harry during the last Starborn cycle. And look who is in charge of the Outer Gates now.

[KurtinStGeorge]

One detail you left out is that the Council is afraid to clue Harry in, on what it means to be Starborn and also what the "Stars and Stones" is.  LTW told Harry that it was too big a call for him to make on his own.  The most he would do was promise to get back to Harry at the end of one year.  My guess is that after one year, which should at the end of the next book, LTW will give Harry an answer that he won't like very much.  Either it will be a straight up "They feel you're not ready to know this yet" or a more cryptic, "When you have (fill in the blank) then you will be ready to learn..." or it will be a partial answer that won't be very useful in the short run.

Of course, what the Senior Council doesn't know and what Harry has appeared to have forgotten is he already has a potential source of accurate information on both the Stars and Stones and what it means to be Starborn; though I suspect Harry would be reluctant to ask Bonea for fear that bringing up this kind of dangerous knowledge might be something that could warp her.  Much safer for Bonea to learn to interact with Maggie while using harmless information like pancake recipes.  Though at some point Harry will have to use his spirit daughter's knowledge for something, otherwise what was the point for Jim to have gone to the lengths he did to bring her into the story.   

[bigdangmoose]

@KurtinStGeorge

Yeah, I forgot to add that.

But I forgot to point out that none of the factions that have shown any interest in Harry, good or bad, have wanted to tell him what a Starborn is and what it means for him. The most information he got was from Eb and that was because their lives depended on it. He was promised information from Lash, before she died, and LtW, at the end of one year. But with Rivershoulders saying that he's about run his race, I don't think he's going to make it the year to tell him.

They all want Harry in the dark about what it means being Starborn. I believe it's because they believe if he finds out, he won't want to be who he is and will possibly buckle under the pressure, possibly killing himself again. I also believe that he himself wouldn't do that, but instead make sure to cut all controlling ties connected to him so he can do what he believes is right. Which probably also scares everyone that knows what he is.

[Mira]

@KurtinStGeorge

Yeah, I forgot to add that.

But I forgot to point out that none of the factions that have shown any interest in Harry, good or bad, have wanted to tell him what a Starborn is and what it means for him. The most information he got was from Eb and that was because their lives depended on it. He was promised information from Lash, before she died, and LtW, at the end of one year. But with Rivershoulders saying that he's about run his race, I don't think he's going to make it the year to tell him.

They all want Harry in the dark about what it means being Starborn. I believe it's because they believe if he finds out, he won't want to be who he is and will possibly buckle under the pressure, possibly killing himself again. I also believe that he himself wouldn't do that, but instead make sure to cut all controlling ties connected to him so he can do what he believes is right. Which probably also scares everyone that knows what he is.

Or an alternate theory as to why they don't want him to know, is the "god complex."  Easy to get having that much power out of perspective, next thing you know your star child is doing more harm than good, and by that time little can be done to stop him or her.

[bigdangmoose]

Or an alternate theory as to why they don't want him to know, is the "god complex."  Easy to get having that much power out of perspective, next thing you know your star child is doing more harm than good, and by that time little can be done to stop him or her.

I took that as buckling under the pressure, but it's good to point that as a potential issue.

[Mira]

I took that as buckling under the pressure, but it's good to point that as a potential issue.

Oh I think it is a fair point, just look at the "star born" we are aware of who know they are star born..
Either the plan was to create evil autocratic figures or their power went to their head..

[BrainFireBob]

@KurtinStGeorge

Yeah, I forgot to add that.

But I forgot to point out that none of the factions that have shown any interest in Harry, good or bad, have wanted to tell him what a Starborn is and what it means for him. The most information he got was from Eb and that was because their lives depended on it. He was promised information from Lash, before she died, and LtW, at the end of one year. But with Rivershoulders saying that he's about run his race, I don't think he's going to make it the year to tell him.

They all want Harry in the dark about what it means being Starborn. I believe it's because they believe if he finds out, he won't want to be who he is and will possibly buckle under the pressure, possibly killing himself again. I also believe that he himself wouldn't do that, but instead make sure to cut all controlling ties connected to him so he can do what he believes is right. Which probably also scares everyone that knows what he is.

Blackmail. They can't bargain if he realizes he has all the cards. So keep him ignorant, threaten him with hollow threats, anything to keep him from extorting them (their perspective).

[Mira]

Blackmail. They can't bargain if he realizes he has all the cards. So keep him ignorant, threaten him with hollow threats, anything to keep him from extorting them (their perspective).

Except what is to stop him from extorting them once he finds out?

[JTass]

Ooooh, I just thought of a nasty WAG on this topic... LTW will come back to Harry and tell him that he can't tell Harry about the Stars and Stones. Enter Nicky and/or one of the nickelheads who say that they will give him the information in exchange for a service.

[vincentric]

Ooooh, I just thought of a nasty WAG on this topic... LTW will come back to Harry and tell him that he can't tell Harry about the Stars and Stones. Enter Nicky and/or one of the nickelheads who say that they will give him the information in exchange for a service.

If he's going to give someone a service or favor, Harry would be better off just asking Mab. He might not like the price but she'll give it to him straight without any backstabs.

[morriswalters]

This started as early as Turn Coat. Rashid speaking.

“And I cannot permit you to openly challenge the White Council to battle.”

“No?” I asked, thrusting out my jaw. “Why not?”

His deep, resonant voice sounded troubled. “It is not yet your hour.”

I felt my eyebrows go up. “Not yet . . . ?”

He shook his head. “Places in time. This is not the time, or the place. What you are about to do will cost lives—among them your own. I wish you no harm, young wizard. But if you will not surrender, so be it.”

If that doesn't raise your eyebrows we follow with this.

“Can I do this?” I asked his back. “You can.” I made an exasperated sound. “How do you know?” Odin turned to look back at me with his gleaming eye, his teeth bared in a wolf’s smile, the scar on either side of his eye patch silver in the light coming through the door. “Perhaps,” he murmured, “you already have.”

Butcher, Jim. Cold Days (The Dresden Files, Book 14) (p. 217). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

It's almost like people think there is something Harry will do at a given time and that if they interfere that it will change how it will play out. One more quote from Odin.

Vadderung grinned. “I’ve never heard it phrased quite like that, but it’s accurate enough. In any event, overcoming that inertia requires tremendous energy, will, and a measure of simple luck. If one wishes to alter the course of history, it’s a far simpler matter to attempt to shape the future.”

Butcher, Jim. Cold Days (The Dresden Files, Book 14) (pp. 214-215). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Jim may have something completely different in mind, but a suspicious person could look at what Jim has written and read it as Harry is coming back after shaping the future by influencing the past  and is coming forward in cell in Demonreach. Jim  has said that he is going to fix the inconsistency's in the time travel book. Certain people know, and everyone is trying to get him to that point.  It sounds way cooler if you consume a bottle or three of wine first.

[groinkick]

Here is my guess about the Stars and Stones and why it's "too big" for Harry to know about:

A Starborn at the time of the Stars and Stones will have their powers fully unlocked.  Jim said there was around 40,000 to 50,000 born this time around, but most of them are dead.  I'm guessing that most of them being dead is more like most of them were eliminated. 

I think that different sides are vying for Harry to join them.  Because he is neither purely good (like Michael), or purely bad (like Nicodemus) none have eliminated him.  They hope they can turn him to their side at the right time.  If he were pure of heart, or evil, one side would have eliminated him.  But he's not, and so they are all hoping to turn him to their side. 

I think that pretty much no Starborn survives to the Stars and Stones, accept for Drakul.  Harry could become another Drakul, or the opposite of him, a powerful force for good.