What does Kringle know that Nicodemus doesn't?

[Con]

are. But the Master of Shadows doesn’t prefer to operate that way, no.” Nicodemus’s control over the gang of superpowered lunatics was starting to make more sense now. “Master of Shadows. That’s an old, old phrase for a spy master.” “Exactly,” Kringle said. “Nicodemus knows very nearly as much as I do. Anduriel has the potential to hear anything uttered within reach of any living being’s shadow, and sometimes to look out from it and see.”

Butcher, Jim. Skin Game (The Dresden Files, Book 15) (pp. 373-374). Little, Brown Book Group. Kindle Edition.

So what does Vadderung/Kringle know that Nicodemus doesn't?

Personally I thinks its something very specific, one thing in particular that could be a huge advantage over the Nickelheads.

[Yuillegan]

Well that could be true - he might know some secret or truth that Nicodemus couldn't know (for example, how Nicodemus meets his end. Or perhaps the really cheesy "Love always wins", in the more supernatural way).

But I think there are two more obvious possibilities. Or at least possibilities that would be in conjunction.

1. He has access to (a) certain pool(s) of information that Nicodemus does not;
2. He knew what was about to happen to Nicodemus (as in by the end of Skin Game).

All are possible. But no. 2 is the nicest fit in many ways, both from a story telling perspective (consider this conversation happens before most of the events of the book) and from a world-centred way.

Consider this - WOJ is that Vadderung is the kinda guy who knows what you will do a year before you do, and makes his moves a week before you do. His level of foresight and planning is beyond most. Only when something/someone of equal foresight, planning and skill do counter-moves do things get all Monday Night Nitro as everyone's planning cancels out. He probably was pretty certain about Mab, Hades and Marcone's game on Nicodemus. He "knew" pretty much what was about to happen to him. I think he was foreshadowing the ending. Which is not to say he doesn't have other resources that Nicodemus does not have access to, but I think that foreshadowing the ending fits best with that scene.

[Arjan]

Nicodemus is always restricted by what Anduriel does not want him to know, Kringle has no such restrictions.

[pcpoet]

Santa clause is a part of the belief system of children so Santa has knowledge of the supernatural world that can only be seen by children.   nicodamids  and the other denarians do not have that knowledge. 

[Bad Alias]

“Nicodemus [has] very nearly as much [money] as I do." If we substitute money for knowledge, we can demonstrate the principle that both could know many things the other doesn't. Kringle has more knowledge than Nicodemus, but that doesn't mean that Kringle knows everything that Nicodemus does and one or a few more things.

I think the point of the quote is to demonstrate exactly how deep Kringle's knowledge is. He's got the Santa surveillance of everyone's behavior and sleeping habits, if the song is correct, Hugin and Munin, the sacrifice of his eye and drinking from the well, and hanging himself for the rune knowledge. And all of that except the Santa stuff is what he was doing before the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda were written down. Who knows what he's been up to for the last 1,000 years or so.

Two ravens sit on his (Odin’s) shoulders and whisper all the news which they see and hear into his ear; they are called Huginn and Muninn. He sends them out in the morning to fly around the whole world, and by breakfast they are back again. Thus, he finds out many new things and this is why he is called ‘raven-god’ (hrafnaguð).

Simek, Rudolf. 1993. Dictionary of Northern Mythology. Translated by Angela Hall. p. 164.

[g33k]

... He probably was pretty certain about Mab, Hades and Marcone's game on Nicodemus. He "knew" pretty much what was about to happen to him. 

I'm guessing that Vadderung was in it with Mab/Hades/Marcone.  If I was putting down bets, I'd bet on Vadderung as the originator of the op against Nic.
Consider:
* Monoc is Marcone's chief interface into the Spooky Side.  Mr.V was certainly involved in setting up that vault, with all the supernatural depositors!  In effect, Mr.V engineered the backdoor into Hades' vault.
* Kringle is a Winter Mantle, ultimately belonging to that Court... And to Mab.  Mr.V is the clear Mab/Marcone go-between (because honestly - neither would trust the OTHER go-between:  Harry Dresden!).
* Odin is one of those big-time Old God's.  He even died for his knowledge.  The chance that Death-god Hades and Died-god Odin are unacquainted is nil.

Vadderung is the common thread of all the KNOWN conspirators.

Going even further... I am betting that Gard came to Chi-town in part to establish a link to Dresden, so Vadderung could get some direct insight into the Starborn, and direct input on how he'd take action.

I mean, the whole "Fuck Nic" plan in SG is based on them having an agent inside Nic's op.  Dresden.  And who gives Dresden the info be needs?  Mr.V.

The whole plan was Vadderung's.

[forumghost]

What does Kringle know that Nick doesn't? That's easy.

~he knows if you've been bad or good so be good for goodness sake~

[Yuillegan]

Forumghost, I think Harry would like you. Well done lol 

As for you g33k. I agree that Vadderung is both nexus and key conspirator...but I do think the plan was more Mab's than his. If only because she has a bigger axe to grind. But she is just as calculating, and a lot colder.

[Con]

Some good points. I still think there's something Kringle/Vadderung knows that could be crucial against Nicodemus and Anduriel. Although I guess there is the fact that Kringle knew that Harry had hired Goodman Grey while Nicodemus thought he had his contract. That would be the crucial knowledge needed to defeat Nicodemus.

[Bad Alias]

The chance that Death-god Hades and Died-god Odin are unacquainted is nil.

Both Hades and Odin are gods having care of the dead. As we say in Changes, Odin has armories in case of apocalypse and prisons. Hades' vault was an armory for apocalypsesque times. Also the place Hades is a prison for the condemned dead.

[CrusherJen]

Odin is one of those big-time Old God's.  He even died for his knowledge.  The chance that Death-god Hades and Died-god Odin are unacquainted is nil.

Someone had to have tipped off Hades before the heist went down. He showed no surprise that Harry was in the vault, and already knew a lot about him before they met. Sure, it could have been Mab, but I really like the idea of Odin and Hades chatting through some sort of Old Gods' Network.

[Kindler]

I think we'll find out a lot more in Body Slam, which I assume will be chock full of gods from several pantheons.

[Avernite]

I do think the plot was ultimately Mab's.
The symmetry of Nic having to lose his daughter has to appeal to a vengeful, angry, bereaved Mab who has just lost one of her daughters (and all but lost the other).
However, Mab could not have DONE it. She indeed needed Kringle/Odin/Santa/Vadderung to coordinate with the other pieces in place. And of course, she needed Harry to do the job.

But ultimately, Mab is the one who puts real resources (i.e. Harry) on the line, while the rest only put trifles in (or in Hades' case, things meant to be put out there); Marcone cares for his people, sure, but it's not like his key pawns were in play; and Odin only shared some advice.

What is an open question to me is, however, how Uriel fits in. Was he running his own plot, because he literally has power and foresight beyond any of them? We know he is a spook one level up from Anduriel (Archangel versus Angel), and Anduriel is almost on the level with Vadderung, so that seems possible.

And if he wasn't but was just part of the plot, which of the plotters knew how to get in touch with him? Would Vadderung be mortal-enough to hang with him without cosmic consequences? Or is Mab close enough to his job description to be able to deal with him?

Or is Harry, as Uriel's mortal 'pawn' a sufficient interface?

[Con]

Mac, as a rule, rarely uttered multi-syllables. Today, he said, “May your scales always return to balance.” Her mouth quirked at the corner and she said, “Flatterer.”

Butcher, Jim. Skin Game (The Dresden Files, Book 15) (pp. 370-371). Little, Brown Book Group. Kindle Edition

.

I do think the plot was ultimately Mab's.
The symmetry of Nic having to lose his daughter has to appeal to a vengeful, angry, bereaved Mab who has just lost one of her daughters (and all but lost the other).

I think Uriel was trying to save Harry's soul as much as he was Nicodemus or the Squires. It's sort of an undercurrent through out the whole book. Murphy and Butters have a deep conversation to that effect. Michael's chat with Harry is also almost entirely about it. Plus Harry becomes a Real Father by the end of it.

[Bad Alias]

Mab and Butters have a deep conversation to that effect.

I'm guessing you mean with Harry, not each other?