Unsolved Mysteries Version II

[ImpishMortal]

Also, the RC infection may not be so much an enchantment as an alteration in the nature of the being.  And even if it was an enchantment, it's a full-body, internalized one- breaking it with a warden's sword would be like trying to surgically destroy every virus in the body to cure a disease. 

As for the pentagram, Ms Duck has a pretty plausible explanation.  If the enchantment is violently released, slashing blindly through something like that would be somewhat suicidal.  Actually, I don't remember off the top of my head, but I don't think Luccio was even there for the climactic battle of SmF.  It was just Harry and the Knights on Demonreach, with the rest as backup.

I don't think that explanation works, according to Harry's musings about Morgan's sword in SF.
 

The sword wasn't the most dangerous thing about him, not by a long shot, but it was his symbol of authority given to him by the White Council, and if rumors were true, it was enchanted to cut through the spells of anyone resisting him.

It would stand to reason that any magical ward (even one with a Hellfire bonus!) would fall under said category and that a Warden could destroy one without harming themselves (unless it was containing something nasty ). Otherwise, the swords are completely useless.

On the topic of Susan's infection, my belief is that she was fundamentally altered into a magical being. The sword would only be useful in wounding/dismembering magical beings, unless said being was a magical construct.

[ImpishMortal]

Oh and here's an unsolved mystery to add to the list:

Who is Victor Sells?

We never really find out who he is really, other than his wife stating that he was not speaking to his family (to her knowledge), nor did he really speak about them with her. Perhaps he has an as-yet-to-be-revealed insidious background?

[derrick]

Who is Victor Sells?

A former employee of SilverCo.

Here's a train of thought to consider:
Victor worked a well-paying job at SilverCo until he was fired for reasons unknown.
Victor then took a relatively late-life interest in magic.
His next 'business' venture was making Three-Eye potions/drugs by using kinky sex rituals/rites.
Silverlight is the porn studio that was trying to put Arturo Genosio's company out of business in BR.
Silverlight is family owned and operated by the White Court.

Jim heavily uses the word silver to 'tag' or describe the White Court and it's members--from clothing to how their eyes look when they're 'vamping out'.

How much do you believe in coincidence in arcane mystery novels? 

[Contrarius]

Good catch!

[ImpishMortal]

A former employee of SilverCo.

Here's a train of thought to consider:
Victor worked a well-paying job at SilverCo until he was fired for reasons unknown.
Victor then took a relatively late-life interest in magic.
His next 'business' venture was making Three-Eye potions/drugs by using kinky sex rituals/rites.
Silverlight is the porn studio that was trying to put Arturo Genosio's company out of business in BR.
Silverlight is family owned and operated by the White Court.

Jim heavily uses the word silver to 'tag' or describe the White Court and it's members--from clothing to how their eyes look when they're 'vamping out'.

How much do you believe in coincidence in arcane mystery novels? 

Very interesting idea. Perhaps a member of the White Court has a place on the Black Council and thereby extended their influence on Sells in some way? It would only support my theory that the Black Council would have at least one member from each group with any supernatural power/influence.

[uncanny]

I don't think that explanation works, according to Harry's musings about Morgan's sword in SF.
 
It would stand to reason that any magical ward (even one with a Hellfire bonus!) would fall under said category and that a Warden could destroy one without harming themselves (unless it was containing something nasty ). Otherwise, the swords are completely useless.

On the topic of Susan's infection, my belief is that she was fundamentally altered into a magical being. The sword would only be useful in wounding/dismembering magical beings, unless said being was a magical construct.

A small question still bugs me.  Why didn't the other Wardens use their swords on Harry's crystal ward at the end of TC?

[derrick]

A small question still bugs me.  Why didn't the other Wardens use their swords on Harry's crystal ward at the end of TC?

Short answer: Boom.

“Might want to take a few steps back before you do,” I said. “If anything but the proper sequence takes it apart, it explodes. It’ll take out the cottage. And the tower. And the top of the hill. The kid and Morgan should be fine, though.”

I'd be willing to bet that using a Warden's Sword to sunder magic isn't like pointing a sonic handheld tool at something and pressing a button.  I reckon you'd need some understanding of the (possibly volatile) magics involved, or it could end up being a "thus kablowie, thus death" situation, or perhaps a "sorry, I just sundered the fundamental magics that keeping you breathing from your body" situation.

[SAZ]

Oh and here's an unsolved mystery to add to the list:

Who is Victor Sells?

Don’t know who he is, but as a character/plot device I think Victor Sells might be JB’s wink and a nod to Roger Zelazny. In RZ’s 6th book of the Amber series a fellow named Victor Melman was a low level wizard who was used as a puppet to try and kill off the book’s main character Merlin. Merlin was caught somewhat by surprise and ended up killing VM before he could get much useful information from him, thus leaving plot threads hanging and mysteries left unsolved for a while.

I see Victor Sells as a low level wizard who was a puppet, and who got killed by Harry before Harry could get much information from him. Had Harry known more about who trained VS earlier, it could have been helpful to Harry.  

[phoenixjustice]

You think it's possible that Mavra trained Victor Sells? She trained Bianca, so it wouldn't be surprising if she trained others as well.

[AlbinoRaven]

Very interesting idea. Perhaps a member of the White Court has a place on the Black Council and thereby extended their influence on Sells in some way? It would only support my theory that the Black Council would have at least one member from each group with any supernatural power/influence.

Madeline? She was an obvious jerk who really understood nothing, but if someone smart enough just told her what to do she would do it... its not like she has to know magic, pass a few books, tell him where to learn, etc. He was a weakish wizard...

         Raven 

[The Fish]

A former employee of SilverCo.

Here's a train of thought to consider:
Victor worked a well-paying job at SilverCo until he was fired for reasons unknown.
Victor then took a relatively late-life interest in magic.
His next 'business' venture was making Three-Eye potions/drugs by using kinky sex rituals/rites.
Silverlight is the porn studio that was trying to put Arturo Genosio's company out of business in BR.
Silverlight is family owned and operated by the White Court.

Jim heavily uses the word silver to 'tag' or describe the White Court and it's members--from clothing to how their eyes look when they're 'vamping out'.

How much do you believe in coincidence in arcane mystery novels? 

I think you're on to something, there. Could Sells have been working for someone in the White Court, and not necesarily just house raith?

[Thork]

Don’t know who he is, but as a character/plot device I think Victor Sells might be JB’s wink and a nod to Roger Zelazny. In RZ’s 6th book of the Amber series a fellow named Victor Melman was a low level wizard who was used as a puppet to try and kill off the book’s main character Merlin. Merlin was caught somewhat by surprise and ended up killing VM before he could get much useful information from him, thus leaving plot threads hanging and mysteries left unsolved for a while.

I see Victor Sells as a low level wizard who was a puppet, and who got killed by Harry before Harry could get much information from him. Had Harry known more about who trained VS earlier, it could have been helpful to Harry.  

The subltest possible wink/nod to Zelazny I've seen in the books so far is a character named "Sandra Marling" in Proven Guilty; there's a character named "Dra Marling" in Zelazny's Isle of the Dead. Could be coincidence, could be Butcher's subconscious, but mildly interesting either way.

[derrick]

I think you're on to something, there. Could Sells have been working for someone in the White Court, and not necesarily just house raith?

Whoever Victor was working for, they knew about the heart-ripping curse used by the Red Court as well.  I doubt that knowledge of powerful blood magic, even as weak as Victor's version was, would be given to a low-level operative to pass along to an even lower-level 'cut-off' sorcerer.  It was likely a more direct passing of information.  Mavra or a(nother) member of the Black Council would be a likely bet.

[derrick]

The subltest possible wink/nod to Zelazny I've seen in the books so far is a character named "Sandra Marling" in Proven Guilty; there's a character named "Dra Marling" in Zelazny's Isle of the Dead. Could be coincidence, could be Butcher's subconscious, but mildly interesting either way.

Sandra Marling is interesting in another way.  She was the convention chairwoman who would have hired Madrigal Raith (aka Darby Crane) well in advance to be the guest of honor at SplatterCon(!!!), which provided a convenient decoy while Molly was...inadvertently summoning phobophages.   Sandra also gave Molly the idea to use fear to beat addiction, which Molly promptly used to screw with her friend's heads.

Furthermore, Molly met Sandra while doing community service at a homeless shelter...like the one that Mavra used as a base in Blood Rites.  That one's a little tenuous, though.

[MacShidhe]

Furthermore, Molly met Sandra while doing community service at a homeless shelter...like the one that Mavra used as a base in Blood Rites.  That one's a little tenuous, though.

It's a good place for a Skavis WCV, tho