This idea borrowed from the Nethack Geek code (which itself is taken from the original "geek code").
P.S. Additional suggestions/alterations welcome.
Version information:
This is version 1.2. More information to be added as ideas come in, more books are published.
Acknowledgments:
LogicMouseLives for the suggestion to add ranges, and for the "shipping" contribution.
Priscellie for the suggestion to add time on McAnally's mailing list.
General thanks to Jim Butcher, and his crew for making the Forums so accessible!!
Index:
0. Overview
1. Preliminaries
2. General Info
3. Specific Issues
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0. Overview
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This project is an attempt to consolidate the numerous theories and positions available on the Dresden Files forums. By creating a 1-2 line signature, a poster would be able to give an overview his/her stance on a various number of Dresdenverse issues. Basically, you can rate yourself in a number of categories, with the examples given to show what the range looks like.
Generally, a '+' means you feel strongly about that issue, and '-' means you're against that issue. '!' means something like "militantly against" and '?' is used to signify confusion about a certain issue.
Abbreviations:
BC: Black Council
BK: Books
CL: Cowl
FR(M): Years lurking on the forum, McAnnally's mailing list
JB: Jim Butcher
MC: Mac
RP: DV RPG
SH: Shipping
SW: Three Swords
TH: Theories
v: Version
WG: White God
YR: Years reading DF
Examples:
DV Knnn V1.0 YR5 FR(M)2(3) BK+++(--) RP++ TH- WG++++ CL+ ?SW BC-- MC+ SH(Murphy++ Lara+)
DV Hart v1.0 YR4 FR0.5 BK+++++ ?RP TH++++(+++) WG+++++ !CL !SW !BC MC-- SH(Marva++ Thomas+ Eb-----)
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1. Preliminaries
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DV: This is just to show that it's not a *geek* code.
<insert username here>
v: Version number. Currently 1.2
YR: Number of years you've been reading Dresden Files.
FR(M): Number of years you've since you've started lurking on the forum. Tack on the number of years you've been on McAnally's mailing list in parenthesis if applicable.
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2. General Info
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BK: How many times have you read the books?
BK++++: I have an mp3 player by my bed that plays the audio books in a continuous loop while I sleep. The books are imprinted in my mind, and I can recite them by heart, backwards or forwards.
BK+++: I have read each chapter at least five times in order categorical, just to make sure no nuance escapes my eye. I can quote entire passages by heart.
BK++: I have re-read entire books more than once in an effort to glean extra information in hindsight.
BK+: I have read all the book at least once. I've re-read some of my favorite scenes.
BK: I read the books once. I remember the key plot lines.
BK-: I haven't actually read all the books fully, mainly the action sequences.
BK--: I have only read the book covers. Looks cool.
!BK: I refuse to read the books as they contain devil worshiping.
?BK: There was a novelization of the SciFi tv show?
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RP: The DVRPG
RP++++++: I am Fred Hicks.
RP+++++: My name appears in the credits of the RPG. Bask in the glory of my geek cred.
RP++++: I am currently running a DVRPG campaign. My players are in for a big surprise when they realize how screwed they are.
RP+++: I am currently a player in an ongoing campaign. We're kicking names and taking ass.
RP++: I own both books, and have experimented with creating characters and cities. I look forward to actually playing the game.
RP+: I own at least one of the RPG books. I've read them in order to gain further insight into the Dresdenverse. I may play around with creating a character or two.
RP: I do not own the RPG , but I have read some of the articles online. I hope to get the books in the future.
RP-: I am not planning to get the RPG. My enjoyment comes from reading the books, and discussing the theories with my friends.
RP--: Even though the books were written with Jim's blessing, I worry that reading them may taint my understanding of the Dresden Files. I will never read them.
RP---: I dislike all Role Playing games. I refuse to waste time contemplating them.
RP----: Role Playing games are the work of the Devil. Anyone who plays them will suffer an eternity of Hell! Paradoxically, I find the Dresden Files to be fun to read, as I actually took the time to figure out my DV geek code.
!RP: The books are an anathema to the Venators. They must be destroyed!
?RP: Is this the rules to the Aracnos game?
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JB: Your association with Jim Butcher?
JB++++++ You are Jim Butcher.
JB+++++ You are a Beta reader.
JB++++ You have had numerous personal conversations with Jim. Jim knows who you are.
JB+++ You've literally crossed swords with Jim.
JB++ You've actually seen Jim Butcher at conventions.
JB+ Jim has responded to a post of yours on a forum or Twitter. He's a facebook friend of one of your friends.
JB You have never met Jim but hope to, someday (soon?)
JB- You've never met JB, and don't expect to.
JB-- You'd rather not meet Jim Butcher as he might let something slip that would ruin your enjoyment of the next book.
JB--- You're trying to avoid Jim. You fear the power of his eyebrow.
JB---- You are Future Jim Butcher. If you ever meet each other face to face, the universe will cease to exist.
!JB Jim Butcher doesn't really exist. The books are actually
written by the WC/Harry Dresden.
?JB Is he related to the famous Shannon Butcher?
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TH: How paranoid are you when building theories?
TH+++++: Harry is not only a biased, non-omnipotent narrator, he's actively lying to us in an effort to present his own viewpoint. The Red Court was actually a misunderstood a daylight-challenged species, with serious dietary concerns. Harry is vilifying them to further his agenda.
TH++++: Mab and Lash have already shown how they can easily affect Harry's mind. Anything after the beginning of SK might be either a figment of Harry's imagination or planted there for a faerie/hell - specific purpose.
TH+++: Everyone lies. Even if a Faerie says something, I assume they've twisted their words to further their agenda. Jake may have been lying about the nature of Heaven/Hell in order to recruit Harry to his side - No different from Nic (think of the difference between Aurora's and Maeve's recruiting techniques in SK).
TH++: People generally have motive to lie. Mortals are not perfect, certainly not Harry. I generally suspect any fact, unless it can be
corroborated by a second source, or by unconnected evidence. Just because Harry smelled Brimstone at Arctis Tor, doesn't mean someone actually used Hellfire. The smell could have been generated to mask something else.
TH+: The "bad" guys might be lying on occasion. Good guys generally do not distort truth. Chauncy might have been lying about Harry's mother. Ebenezar was not.
TH: I generally believe anything Harry or one of the other characters says is "real". While I am aware that they may sometimes be lying, I assume this is only reserved for special cases. Nicodemus was honestly surprised at the Shedd.
TH-: The DF characters don't lie. They may however be mistaken. Kincaid is as "human" as Harry is.
TH--: Everything said by any character must be true. You really *can* go blind.
TH---: When Harry says: "All hail to the King" it means that Elvis must be alive.
!TH: I refuse to have any theories. It ruins my enjoyment of seeing what comes next.
?TH:
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3. Specific Issues:
-------------------------------------
WG: How powerful is the White God:?
WG+++: The White God is Mister.
WG++: The White God is the the supreme being.
WG+: The White God is the creator of the world and a qualitative level above the other netherworld "gods" in terms of power. There are however other beings (outsiders?) on his level.
WG: The White God is no more than the most powerful of the gods in the Dresdenverse (currently). His power stems directly from the belief of his millions of followers. Angels support free will because that is what people believe the white god does.
WG-: The White is not as powerful as he would like us to believe (on the order of Mab, Dragons). The whole "free will" story is a cover and an excuse not to intervene directly. Otherwise people would realize how weak he really is.
WG--: Archangels exist, but God does not. When Mab refers to the "White God", she is not referring to a single entity, but combined power of the Archangels.
WG--: The white God does not exist. All of the Harry Dresden's encounters with Jake are hallucinations created by Mab.
!WG: There is no God but Jim Butcher, and Priscellie is his prophet(ess)
?WG:
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CL: Cowl and the Darkhallow
CL+++: Cowl is no mere mortal. He is some sort of scion (maybe Drakul himself). He has completed other rituals similar to the Darkhallow before to increase his power, and is currently planning for the next one.
CL++: Cowl is the most powerful mortal wizard around (maybe Kemmler). The Darkhallow was only one of Cowl's plans. While Harry stopped this one, it's only a minor setback. He's got other plans in place.
CL: Cowl is a powerful wizard. His main plan was to complete the Darkhallow and become a god. All his maneuverings (e.g. in GP) was to distract the other powers so he could complete his plan. Harry ruined it, and he's been trying to compensate ever since.
CL-: There is more than one person calling themselves "Cowl". The original actually died during the Darkhallow, the one Harry meets in
WK is someone else.
CL--: Cowl was never trying to actually complete the Darkhallow. His only purpose was to pull Grevane, Corpsetaker, and possibly others (that he killed offscreen without Harry noticing) into the open so that he could kill them. Then, he let Harry "kill" him.
CL---: Cowl is really future Harry. That's why he had to let "young Harry" "thwart" him. he was never trying to do the Darkhallow.
!CL: Cowl doesn't exist. He's part of Lash's/Mab's effort to control Harry. Think "Fight Club".
?CL: Cowl is a Slytherin prefect.
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SW: What will be the fate of the three swords:
SW+++++: Harry will stick the nails into himself (maybe as a rite of ascension?)
SW++++: Harry will stick the nails from the swords into his staff. NAILFIRE.
SW+++: Harry will combine the three swords into one uber-sword, and really kickass.
SW++: Harry will get all three swords, and grow a third arm so he can carry them all himself.
SW+: Sanya will die. Harry will get custody of all three swords. He will give them to the future champions of the light (Marcone, Murphy, and Molly).
SW: Thomas will get the Sword of Love. Murphy will pick up the sword of faith.
SW-: One of the swords will be unmade. Harry will wield one of the remaining swords. Nicodemus will wield the other.
SW--: All the swords will be destroyed by bad guys. Darkness falls.
!SW: The swords are really alien artifacts. Not divine at all.
?SW: When did Harry get a sword?
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BC: How organized is the Black Council?
BC+++: The Black Council is everywhere. They are responsible for all the evil in the world, including taxes, oil spills, internet spam, and acne. Everyone except Harry and a few others is a card-carrying member of the Black Council.
BC++: The Black Council is **way** more organized and powerful than we give it credit. Titania is a member. Mab was a member (but she's trying to leave?). Shagnasty is a low-level minion of one of the members. It also includes former gods, etc. Maybe even a few (un-fallen) angels.
BC+: The Black Council is more organized than Harry thinks it is. There is at least one more traitor in the leadership of the White Council, and serious members in the Courts. At least one more free-holding power is a member.
BC: The Black Council is exactly what Harry thinks it is - a group of mortals and others who have engineered all the plots in the books for their own agenda. Peabody used to be the only high-level traitor in senior council. Now it's Christos.
BC-: The Black Council is less organized than Harry thinks it is. Peabody was the only traitor. Christos is a self-promoting dupe. While most of the plots in the series can be attributed to the Black Council, some of them are not their fault.
BC--: The is no real unified Black Council as Harry believes there is. It's basically a few different power groups each working for their
own agenda (sometimes at cross purposes with each other). Peabody worked for one such group. The Reds tried to plant further evidence of a traitor to confuse the wizards during the war.
!BC: <Merlin's voice> There is no Black Council. Peabody was a misguided individual.
?BC: I thought the Black Council was destroyed when Stoker published Dracula.
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MC: Mac's identity.
MC+++++: Mac is God. Nough Said.
MC++++: Mac is a Dragon-level/Archangel/Odin power in his own right. He is granted neutral status by the accords because everyone is afraid of angering him.
MC+++: Mac is minor god in terms of power. He gained his power from a rite of ascention many years ago that involved getting a whole bunch of people stinking drunk (Bacchus?).
MC++: Mac is scion. A union of a minor beer/drinking related diety (Dionysus?) and a mortal.
MC+: Mac is the original Merlin, who retired many years ago.
MC: Mac is former warden who renouced his powers (to give up a coin?).
MC-: Mac is mortal who was cursed to roam the Earth until he serves up the perfect beer.
MC--: Mac is a pure mortal. He belongs to the Venators or some other secret society.
MC---: Mac is a pure mortal. He currently works for the US government (FBI psychic division?), reporting on the local magic community.
MC----: Mac is an ex-military, clued in mortal. He retired to Chicago a few years ago, and is beholden to nobody.
!MC: Mac is not a real person, but the physical manifestion of the living entity known as "the City of Chicago".
?MC: Harry never goes to MacDonalds. Hail to the King!
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Shipping is done on a per person basis:
SH [Tessa+, Marva+++, Bob--, Ancient Mai+, Thomas+++++]
SH+++++: <BLEEEEEEEEEEEEEP>
SH++++: XXXX was meant for Harry. I will personally hunt down anyone else who stands in their way.
SH+++: XXXX is the only one I could really see Harry settling down with.
SH++: Harry should explore a relationship with XXXX. I think they would click.
SH+: It would be interesting if Harry got together with XXXX, however briefly.
SH: I have no strong opinion about this ship (Equivalent to not having the person in the list)
SH-: XXXX would be wrong for Harry.
SH--: Harry should not be with XXXX. It would lead to bad things.
SH---: I can't stand the notion of Harry and XXXX. Might as well turn him into a newt.
SH----: AGGGGHHHHH!!! Brillo pads to my brain!!
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Any other suggestions?
