Justine DuMorne is Kemmler (Theory)

[The_Sibelis]

And I also believe that there are ways to gather life-force via black magic rituals, which surely are used by wizards like Kemmler to extend their life span. So maybe a warlock using black magic can be 700-800 years old, but appear "only" 300 due to stolen life-force.

wouldn't need to. Wizards transfom their living energy fueled through their soul into magic that sustains them physically but... That effect isn't dependent upon them having more or less energy than the wizard next to them. It's a subconscious effect, the bleeding off of an active practitioners aura independent of actual power... Make it a conscious effort and you get something like the semi immortal guru mentioned. I'd bet dollar's to donuts he simply can make perfect copies of his cells via his intentions in meditations, aided by his abilities with shapeshifting. It aligns with Eastern mysticism.(no, it wouldn't make them ectoplasmic, case in point the Alpha's regeneration abilities)

[g33k]

If Justin was Kemmler and was worried about having a body with enough talent, why didn't he just take Harry's?

Dunno... maybe he just really, really hated the "Doogie Howser effect" and was waiting for Harry's body to at least hit his legal majority... Maybe even an extra decade or two to get past the hardcore hormones (Luccio remarked on finding that difficult to manage).

[vincentric]

Dunno... maybe he just really, really hated the "Doogie Howser effect" and was waiting for Harry's body to at least hit his legal majority... Maybe even an extra decade or two to get past the hardcore hormones (Luccio remarked on finding that difficult to manage).

But then he could have just not trained Harry and Elaine beyond the basics. No need to make Harry an enforcer if he's going to body switch him. Actually, just be a semi-decent parent to them so the heel turn is more effective later.

[Mira]

But then he could have just not trained Harry and Elaine beyond the basics. No need to make Harry an enforcer if he's going to body switch him. Actually, just be a semi-decent parent to them so the heel turn is more effective later.

That makes sense. 

Dunno... maybe he just really, really hated the "Doogie Howser effect" and was waiting for Harry's body to at least hit his legal majority... Maybe even an extra decade or two to get past the hardcore hormones (Luccio remarked on finding that difficult to manage).

No, it wouldn't be the Doogie Howser effect, because outside of a young body, he'd be inside Harry's head and conducting that body.  However you maybe on to something,switching bodies can cause problems as Luccio discovered, she no longer could make warden swords. Though that might be because she was dumped into a non-wizard body.  The Corpsetaker on the other hand doesn't seem to have that problem with each switch she makes.

[Con]

That makes sense.  No, it wouldn't be the Doogie Howser effect, because outside of a young body, he'd be inside Harry's head and conducting that body.  However you maybe on to something,switching bodies can cause problems as Luccio discovered, she no longer could make warden swords. Though that might be because she was dumped into a non-wizard body.  The Corpsetaker on the other hand doesn't seem to have that problem with each switch she makes.

I just did a reread of Ghost Story. Corpsetaker wanted to possess either Mortimer whose skills were already undead leaning or Molly whose White Council quality. Also in Luccio's short story Kemmler was weak enough to be held by a Venatore circle jail. I think that suggests he was between bodies of enough talent at the time.

NecroBob was also one of Kemmler's creatures.

But then he could have just not trained Harry and Elaine beyond the basics. No need to make Harry an enforcer if he's going to body switch him. Actually, just be a semi-decent parent to them so the heel turn is more effective later.

Even at his height Kemmler seemed to like able minions not dissimilar to Drakul.

Besides Harry and Elaine are Starborn. Which I think is what Justin/Kemmler wanted them for. He himself isn't one even if he were to inhabite one of them. He needed loyal Starborn servants. Something he couldn't do or be himself.

[vincentric]

I just did a reread of Ghost Story. Corpsetaker wanted to possess either Mortimer whose skills were already undead leaning or Molly whose White Council quality. Also in Luccio's short story Kemmler was weak enough to be held by a Venatore circle jail. I think that suggests he was between bodies of enough talent at the time.

NecroBob was also one of Kemmler's creatures.

Even at his height Kemmler seemed to like able minions not dissimilar to Drakul.

Besides Harry and Elaine are Starborn. Which I think is what Justin/Kemmler wanted them for. He himself isn't one even if he were to inhabite one of them. He needed loyal Starborn servants. Something he couldn't do or be himself.

.

So, he body switches Harry and has Elaine as his Starborn.

[Mira]

.

So, he body switches Harry and has Elaine as his Starborn.

  Why not the other way around? If Dr Who and the Master can change sex with a body change it should work for Kemmler as well... They'd never expect it!

[Con]

  Why not the other way around? If Dr Who and the Master can change sex with a body change it should work for Kemmler as well... They'd never expect it!

I'm sure Corpestaker possessed many men at one point or another. If she can I don't see why Kemmler wouldn't, couldn't or didn't.

[g33k]

... No, it wouldn't be the Doogie Howser effect, because outside of a young body, he'd be inside Harry's head and conducting that body...

By "the Doogie Howser effect" I mean the ancillary social-interaction stuff, where everybody presumes you are a relatively unskilled/incompetent child, and a legal minor needing parental-permission-slip to do anything "official."

The annoyance and inconvenience is something I presume body-hopping warlocks quickly discover.  Yes, they can use magic to offset some of this -- especially mind-controlling black magic -- but as Harry often points out, magic is often a less-than-ideal solution to many problems.