Jim Q and A in VA 6-9-18

[Fcrate]

   I didn't think he was,  he may have learned some magic but more along the lines that almost everyone can so some magic, i.e. Butters and Thomas, but that doesn't make them wizards, not even close...

I was replying to Arjan, actually. Sorry for confusing you.
Maybe not like Butters. Thomas is a better example though, give or take a few centuries to make his talent into something useful.

[Mira]

I was replying to Arjan, actually. Sorry for confusing you.
Maybe not like Butters. Thomas is a better example though, give or take a few centuries to make his talent into something useful.

I was aware of who you were replying to, I was just presenting evidence to back your post..   I sighted Butters because with a little help from Harry he was able to protect himself with a magic circle...  So no, I wasn't confused...

[Arjan]

I was aware of who you were replying to, I was just presenting evidence to back your post..   I sighted Butters because with a little help from Harry he was able to protect himself with a magic circle...  So no, I wasn't confused...

Cassius did much more than that, he was not called snake boy for nothing. But wether his training came from the council or from a fallen does not matter that much, he had a lot of training. More important is the versitility of his talent and the strength of it. It is probably debatable and we do not have all the information but I take the death curse as an indication that he was at least close to it.

We have seen a lot of Harry and senior council but a lot of wizards are not as strong as Harry is, there must be weaker wizards running around as well.

[Mira]

Cassius did much more than that, he was not called snake boy for nothing. But wether his training came from the council or from a fallen does not matter that much, he had a lot of training. More important is the versitility of his talent and the strength of it. It is probably debatable and we do not have all the information but I take the death curse as an indication that he was at least close to it.

We have seen a lot of Harry and senior council but a lot of wizards are not as strong as Harry is, there must be weaker wizards running around as well.

I think sorcerer is more accurate...  As we saw in Storm Front, they can pull off a lot of magical stuff, but that doesn't make them wizards...

[Snark Knight]

I think sorcerer is more accurate...  As we saw in Storm Front, they can pull off a lot of magical stuff, but that doesn't make them wizards...

Cassius was probably at the upper ranges of sorceror talent, thanks largely to Saluriel's help and an extended lifetime to practice. But Victor Sells was a marked step up from Cassius, a full Council-level warlock who did spells in at least five different areas (the three-eye drug, calling and commanding the toad guy, the scorpion constructs, remote projection to speak and observe through shadows, and the heart-ripper curse itself). Harry figured at one point in the narration that they were probably pretty closely matched in strength, but his big advantage was that Sells' tutor hadn't trained him as thoroughly as Justin and Ebenezar taught Harry.

[groinkick]

   I didn't think he was,  he may have learned some magic but more along the lines that almost everyone can so some magic, i.e. Butters and Thomas, but that doesn't make them wizards, not even close...

Wasn't he supposed to have lived a long time?  pretty sure only wizards get extended life, not people who have a little talent.

[TheCuriousFan]

Wasn't he supposed to have lived a long time?  pretty sure only wizards get extended life, not people who have a little talent.

He was a Denarian.

[groinkick]

He was a Denarian.

Oh whoops, I forgot 

[Dashkull]

Cassius falls under the category of weakly powered caster whose long life span gave him enough time to develop a talent with some teeth. Other than the death curse the only spell I remember him casting without the coin was creating the snake construct that Mouse fought. He was able to do that with no focus items or preparation very quickly, which speaks to at least a moderate talent.

With Salurial, he did plenty. In fact, didnt Harry suspect that he was largely to blame for actually casting the entropy/Barrabus curse that forces him in doors with Susan?

Point being, he had plenty of knowledge on how magic worked (from a very ancient teacher) but very little power to actually get things done. I think we are all more concerned with his death curse than Jim cares about writing it in.

[raidem]

I wonder if -Harry has to deal with Cassius death curse.  Maybe bringing Harry to Mirror Mirror will in some way bring the death curse to that reality if it -Harry wasn't already exposed to it.

[groinkick]

I wonder if -Harry has to deal with Cassius death curse.  Maybe bringing Harry to Mirror Mirror will in some way bring the death curse to that reality if it -Harry wasn't already exposed to it.

Don't see why.  There is supposedly a vast multiverse.  If -Harry was affected then it means it would have been infinitely diluted among the other Harry's making it meaningless.

[Mira]

Wasn't he supposed to have lived a long time?  pretty sure only wizards get extended life, not people who have a little talent.

He lived a long time because of the coin, once he gave up his coin to Michael he reverted to his real age. 

[toodeep]

Perhaps we are looking at the words from the wrong angle.  What if die alone meant that as long as Harry is alive, he will subconsciously push away everyone.  The death curse could have been a psychic assault meant to slightly reprogram Harry into being a loner.

I know this isn't how the curse was meant, but what if it could work as something of a blessing as well?  After all, if Harry has to "die alone" then the curse may actually work to protect him when he is surrounded by friends in a deadly situation right?  Because if he died there he wouldn't "die alone."  I wonder if that could be the "other half."

[raidem]

It is a good point.  I like it.  I like it lots.  Using a death curse in your favor.  Maybe that is what Cowl tries to do in dealing with the death curses used against him.

[Kindler]

I know this isn't how the curse was meant, but what if it could work as something of a blessing as well?  After all, if Harry has to "die alone" then the curse may actually work to protect him when he is surrounded by friends in a deadly situation right?  Because if he died there he wouldn't "die alone."  I wonder if that could be the "other half."

Interesting. I like fun prophecy interpretations, and death curses might be considered self-propelled-and-fulfilling prophecies, after a fashion.