The Dresden Files is a series of fantasy/mystery novels written by Jim Butcher. As well as several organizations, the Dresden Files universe contains a number of miscellaneous groups.
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At the end of Proven Guilty, Ebenezar McCoy and Harry Dresden suspect the existence of a hitherto unknown group of black wizards, and other beings, which Harry dubs the Black Council. Evidence of this group includes the surprisingly strong offensive power of the vampire courts during the war, the betrayal of secret Warden safeholds, the actions of the faerie courts, the number of black wizards and magical foes that Harry has faced in previous books, and the summoning of Outsider demons, which can be done only through mortal magic. The identities of this group's members are unknown, although McCoy and Dresden suspect that at least one member of the White Council—and likely the Senior Council—is in league with this group. They believed the traitor is one of four people, Morgan, Injun Joe, Ancient Mai, or the Merlin, as they were the only Council members to be aware of the location of the Warden boot camp which was leaked to the Red Court. As Ebenezar vouched for Injun Joe and Harry vouched for Morgan it would seem that either Ancient Mai or the Merlin himself is the traitor. (note: this theory conveniently leaves out Warden Luccio, who also knew the location.)
In Turn Coat the secretary of the White Council, Samuel Peabody, is exposed as a traitor. A group of Senior Council members containing Injun Joe, Ancient Mai and Ebenezar McCoy is also attacked by two members of the Black Council, Peabody and an unknown other - possibly clearing Ancient Mai. It is unclear what this does to the status of the traitor, but suggests that Peabody might also have had access to the information through the means he used to manipulate the Senior Council, or Warden Luccio (who was put under Peabody's influence through magical means). Alternatively the traitor could be the Merlin, or the new member of the Senior Council, Gregori Cristos.
One definite member of the Black Council (initially encountered by Harry in Dead Beat), is the necromancer calling himself Cowl. He appears to have once been affiliated with Kemmler, one of history's most powerful and terrifying necromancers. In White Night, he is affiliated with an organization calling itself the Circle, which may be the Black Council's own name for itself. In White Night, Warden Carlos Ramirez mentions he referred to the group as the Black Hats, though he believes Harry's name is better. Events in Small Favor seems to indicate that at least one holder of a Blackened Denarius, Thorned Namshiel, is among the Black Council, though his status is now unclear. It is also suspected that either Tessa (Imariel) or Rosanna, possibly both, are members of the Black Council.
Through all the events, it appears that the Black Council also wishes to destroy Queen Mab, or views her destruction as the means to a yet greater end. They have given gifts to unsettle the balance in the Faerie courts as well as performed outright attacks upon Mab's home of Arctis Tor. Why they attack the Unseelie Court is unclear. Given that hellfire was used in the attack upon Arctis Tor, it seems likely that at least one of the Denarians was involved.
Also known as the Knights of the Sword, the Knights are men and women chosen to wield one of three holy swords that God sent to Earth. Much like the legendary Excalibur (it has been implied that the sword Amoracchius is the real Excalibur), the swords serve the righteous for a just cause. Each is reputed to bear a nail from Christ's crucifixion inside the hilt. They cannot be touched by "unclean" beings, although this protection can be disabled if the bearer attempts to use them in a dishonorable or evil way; the only known way to destroy a Sword is to use it to kill a truly innocent being, or alternatively, in an act that goes against its nature (Faith, Hope, and Love).
The three swords, whose Latin names represent the three prominent Christian virtues, are:
The Knights are endowed with the power of Faith. Their swords act as foci for their faith, and seem able to harm any supernatural being, including those whose respective mythological vein runs parallel to Christian mythos. The Swords are shown to inflict pain on faeries, though this may be a vulnerability to cold steel more than anything else. The Knights are also frequent beneficiaries of seemingly coincidental events that either aid their cause or lead them to places where their assistance is required (such as Father Forthill's coincidental appearances at the Carpenter household in Grave Peril when someone is needed to look after Michael's children in his absence). Very little information is given on the Knights, though Shiro was revealed to be a descendant of Shō Tai, the last king of Okinawa. The only Knight to be featured prominently in the series is Michael. It is revealed in Small Favor that both Michael and Sanya are also descendants of kings much like Shiro was, Michael a descendant of Charlemagne and Sanya counting Saladin amongst his ancestors. This has led Harry to believe that the swords should be given to someone who has descended from royalty, as kings were thought to be spiritual and physical protectors of their people. However, Harry has stated that this is only a theory.
The original founding purpose of the Knights was to battle the Order of the Blackened Denarius (see below) and redeem those humans corrupted into serving the Fallen.
The archangels who gift the swords also watch over the wielders, and as a result, the Knights of the Cross can bring almost unstoppable power to bear if their guardian spirits choose to manifest (as happens in Changes).
A relatively new player on the supernatural scene, the Fellowship of St. Giles (named for the patron saint of cripples) is largely made up of people who have been infected by Red Court vampires, but have yet to drink the lifeblood of another human to complete their transformation. The Fellowship helps its members control their urges, support each other, and fight the vampires who infected them. They are allied with the White Council in the war against the Red Court, but have little communication with them. Despite their recent emergence on the playing field, a member of the Blackened Denarius recognized Susan as a member because of her markings.
They have mystic tattoos placed all over their bodies that both grant them more restraint and act as a warning when they expend too much strength and are in danger of losing control. Normally the tattoos are not visible, but as the person uses the abilities their partial transformation gives them they begin to change. They initially are black and seem to swirl on the skin. As the Fellowship member reaches the danger zone, the tattoos turn red.
Being a half-vampire grants great potential strength, speed, and the ability to recover from incredible injury if they drink blood. Drawing on these powers creates massive amounts of bloodlust which is increasingly difficult to control.
Due to the events in Changes, the Fellowship is essentially defunct. The half-vampires have been cured (those not slain by Red Court treachery), and the Red Court has been destroyed.
The Alphas are a group of college werewolves that act as Harry's apprentices and backup in the series. As classic werewolves they were taught a wolf transformation spell by a wolfwere (a wolf that can become human, Tera), as well as how to behave in their transformed state. They are initially slightly nerdy students led by the werewolf Billy. While physically weaker than many of their adversaries they make up for this with the use of teamwork and guerrilla tactics, such as ambushes and hit and run operations.
In the beginning of the series, the Alphas fought and travelled in large numbers. However, due to graduations of the students and other life happenings, most have moved on. By the time of "Harry's day off" the Alphas are down to four members and lose one more in the events of Turn Coat. However, they are increasingly competent at their tasks, gaining enough of Harry's respect to become among the truly 'clued in'. Will has demonstrated that they can use their shapechanging ability to quickly heal wounds, although it causes great hunger to do so.
The surviving members of the Alphas are Will (the leader), Georgia (Will's wife), Andi (the cute redhead) and Marci (returned in Side Jobs).
An ancient order of humans dedicated to fighting the darker aspects of the supernatural. What they lack in magical or supernatural powers, they make up for in political influence, knowledge, and conventional firepower. Very little is known about the Venatori; Harry describes them as being "like the Masons, but with flame throwers." While they have some armed assets, they excel at using their influence in society to hinder the movement of supernatural predators such as vampires. The Venatori have been credited with freezing bank accounts, cutting supply lines, exposing mortal collaborators, and even going so far as assassinating or kidnapping agents of the Vampire Courts. They are allied with the White Council in the war against the Red Court. The order's name, Venatori Umbrorum, is Latin, and it reads "The Hunters of Shadows". The group acts as unwitting cover for an even more secretive group referred to simply as the "Venators" (Hunters) who specifically exist to stamp out knowledge of demonic gods, a task they call the Oblivion War. Thomas Raith, Harry Dresden's vampiric half-brother, belongs to this group.
During the events of White Night, Harry becomes involved with a group of lower level magic users calling themselves the Ordo Lebes, or Order of the Large Cooking Pot (although this probably meant cauldron). They are a group that has banded together to gain a measure of protection from supernatural threats. After the novel's events, Harry and Elaine Mallory, with the help of the Ordo, set up the Paranet, a method for low level magic users to stay connected on the national scale.
Ghost Story reveals that the Paranet has exploded in size since the death of Harry Dresden. Under the guidance of Karrin Murphy and Elaine, the Paranet is attempting to safeguard people with magical abilities from the aggressive incursions of the Fomor. Membership is up to thirty thousand people, and Harry's home in Chicago has become a virtual fortress to protect magically capable people as part of the greater Chicago Alliance.
There have been several hints at Archangels in the series. The Archangel Michael is said to have given Esperacchius to Sanya, a Knight of the Cross. The Archangel Rafael (or one of his lieutenants) is said to have given power to a saferoom in the Carpenter household.
The Archangel Uriel is commented on by Queen Mab toward the end of Small Favor; she calls him "The Watchman", and refers to three other Archangels as "the Prince of the Host", "the Trumpeter", and "the Binder of Demons", presumedly Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael respectively. Uriel is described as 'Heaven's spook' by Harry. Harry also appears to be in debt to Uriel and might owe him a favor. In Small Favor, Harry is given the power of Soulfire, the magical opposite of Hellfire, by Uriel (intimated as a reward for doing good, and to replace his lost Hellfire). In the novelette "The Warrior" Harry meets Uriel again and Uriel explains how Harry and Michael are still doing good and fighting for it, despite the fact that Michael does not wield the sword anymore. Uriel also points out that he is not supposed to be explaining these things to Harry.
Uriel makes another appearance in Changes when Harry in a desperate struggle to escape from his paralysis summons him and attempts to convince him to heal him. Uriel is unable to act stating he had already done all he could although he gives Harry confirmation that his daughter is actually his and is not a deception by Susan or some other entity. Uriel in this conversation reveals that he is familiar with Odin (also known as Vadderung) whom Harry had met and informed him of the Red Court's plans and the location where his daughter would be held at. Uriel leaves telling Harry "Whatever you do, do it for Love. If you keep to that, your path will never wander so far from the light that you can never return."
One of the Archangels makes a personal appearance during the climax of Changes, appearing around Karrin Murphy as she wields the Sword of Faith, and it condemns the Red Court in the name of God before shielding her in the battle that arises. She promptly proceeds to kill one of the eldest of the Red Court and kick ass for Heaven.
During Ghost Story, Harry meets up with angels acting in several capacities, including sentries, guardians for the Carpenter household, an Angel of Death (they escort worthy souls to the Afterlife who might be attacked on the way there), and Uriel again. It is pointed out that Angels ARE their name after Harry gravely insults Uriel by cutting short his name in conversation...and that Uriel probably has the power to take out the entire Solar System if he desires.
There are several different types of demons in the Dresden universe.
Not much has been revealed about the inner workings of these demons, except that there is a caste system, with lower demons at the bottom and older, more powerful beings at the top (sometimes referred to as gods). They must be summoned by a wizard or sorcerer using their true name to appear in this world, with two obligations to fulfill once done so: first, to attempt to escape whatever confinement may hold them, and second, to kill whoever summoned them. In appearance and ability they all resemble monsters, have some magical ability and are very strong. Like all creatures from the Nevernever they must create a body made of ectoplasm to exist in this world. If this body is destroyed, the demon is not killed but returned to the Nevernever. It is hypothesized by Bob the Skull that Fidelacchius, Esperacchius, or Amoracchius might be able to actually kill the demon through its mortal shell, though this is as of yet unconfirmed. Despite their strengths and the intentions of the wizards summoning them, these demons are said to be uninterested in affecting the mortal realm on their own, if they even notice it at all, although the demon Chauncy's behavior in Fool Moon seems to belie this claim somewhat.
Scions, like changelings, are the result of a demon (or other non-fae being of the Nevernever) and a mortal creature having a child. These children tend to look inhuman, often disfigured or insane; even those who appear to be normal humans have an "inner" demonic form that can be seen by a wizard's Sight. As only two human scions have been directly depicted in the series, it is unknown exactly what if any superhuman abilities they possess, though those scions that have been featured or mentioned are among some of the more dangerous characters.
The Fallen are angels that have been cast into exile, presumably during Lucifer's fall. Unlike the Nevernever demons, they are very interested in affecting the lives of mortals, but are placed under strict limitations, capable of only tempting or possessing a willing human. The reason for this is not known, though one theory is "God said so". The Fallen most able to act in the mortal world are the Denarians. In Small Favor it is hinted that Satan himself stepped in to help the Denarians, donating what Harry calls a "truly frightening amount of power" for their plans.
The Denarians are unions of a human host and one of the Fallen. There are thirty such Fallen, each bound to a tarnished silver Roman denarius which bears its respective Fallen's sigil; the thirty denarii represent the thirty pieces of silver paid to Judas Iscariot, and may possibly be those very coins. Once a human has physically touched one of the Blackened Denarii, the Fallen bound to it is free to communicate with its new host, able to bestow knowledge, physical prowess, and magical ability, for as long as the host maintains possession of the coin.
If the coin is merely touched briefly and not actually picked up, a shadow copy of the Fallen is put into the hosts mind to tempt it to pick up the coin completely and finish the bonding. It is not nearly as powerful as the original, but even this mental copy is capable of extreme power, such as casting life-like illusions (for the possessee only). It also possesses all the knowledge of the original - a heavy temptation in itself. Once the coin is taken up, though, the shadow is no longer needed and vanishes.
The amount of influence a Fallen chooses to exert over its host appears to vary—in the case of Ursiel, the Fallen had completely taken over the host body, and kept the host's soul tortured and trapped. In the case of Nicodemus and his Fallen, Anduriel, the two work in what appears to be a mutually beneficial partnership. It appears that the Fallen who dominate their host's soul are less powerful than those that work with their hosts. This is most likely due to the issue of free will, since the ones that deprive their hosts of it are unable to draw on as much power.
In all cases, however, the free consent of the bearer is necessary to permit Fallen influence. Harry himself resisted the shadow of a fallen angel (Lasciel) for several years, drawing sparingly on its power only to ensure their mutual survival or when no other choice presented itself. This extended stay led the shadow to gain a measure of free will of its own, eventually sacrificing itself so Harry could survive a debilitating psychic attack.
If the Fallen has not completely overtaken its host, it appears that the host is able to consciously free himself or herself from the influence of the Fallen, simply by abdicating the power it provides and surrendering the Denarius. In the case of Quintus Cassius, a Denarian bonded with Saluriel, Cassius surrendered the coin to Knights of the Cross to avoid execution. Sanya admits to having once been a member of the Order, but he surrendered his Denarius freely prior to becoming a Knight of the Cross.
The Knights of the Cross were founded specifically to save people from the Fallen, and will almost always become involved (often by seeming random chance) in any situation that requires confronting one or more of the Denarians.
If the host of the Fallen is a wizard or magic-user of some sort, as most of those shown have been (although it is not clear if it happened before or after they became hosts), one way to be free of the Fallen is for the host to put aside magic forever and give up the coin.
Several of the coins are currently in the possession of the Knights of the Cross, the Church, and/or the Venatori Umbrorum. These coins are kept in heavily warded boxes in secret locations. However, Nicodemus and others have proven themselves adept at retrieving the coins, whether by assault or treachery, making the Knights' task a never ending one.
Beginning in Proven Guilty, when evidence suggested that Hellfire had been used to assault the Winter Fay's fortress of Arctis Tor, suspicion began to rise that the Denarians were in league with the "Black Council". In Small Favor, it is revealed that Nicodemus, the Denarian's de facto leader, was unaware of this, and that the Knight or Knights who have been aiding the Black Council are doing so without his approval (he personally considers the Council a threat to his own plans and in fact may be fighting against them). Currently, the most likely suspect for the Black Council's mole within the Knights of the Blackened Denarius is Nicodemus's wife, Tessa, who may have stolen eleven of the thirty coins for herself when and fled, abandoning Nicodemus and his followers. Nicodemus himself is aware of this treachery, but was attacked and possibly killed by Harry before he could act on the knowledge. Jim Butcher has said that Nicodemus is alive, and he is now afraid of Harry.
Little of the Outsiders or "Walkers" has been revealed. They may be the most powerful of the Demons, or stranger and even more powerful entities akin to Lovecraftian Great Old Ones. It takes wizards centuries to develop defenses against them and magic apparently has little effect upon them. They can be defeated by, among others, the powers of the Knights of the Cross (Michael faced and beat several of them near the end of Proven Guilty); Harry Dresden himself also faced and defeated a particularly infamous Outsider known as "He Who Walks Behind" at the age of sixteen, as part of the final confrontation with his mentor Justin DuMorne. However, according to Bob, Outsiders cannot actually be killed, only damaged sufficiently as to require long years to recover; this was confirmed in Blood Rites when He Who Walks Behind was summoned by a mortal magician and recognized Harry before escaping from the disrupted summoning ritual, promising to wreak vengeance. As Harry claims only a sketchy memory of the fight and sustained many scars both physical and metaphysical from the struggle, this impending confrontation may be the most dangerous of Harry's life. The fallen angel, Lasciel, has told Harry that he may possess a special power due to the timing of his birth, that could potentially give him the power to actually kill Outsiders, a deed believed to be impossible at this point.
Wizards are terrified of the Outsiders and of their power; however, as only mortal magic can summon an Outsider (neither vampires nor faeries can do it), the temptation to gain power can be irresistible, and the Seventh Law against Outsider summoning is unique among the Laws in that a single Senior Council member is assigned to enforce it full-time. (Though the Blackstaff of the Council, as part of his general exemption, may summon an Outsider it is yet unknown whether one has ever done so.) Their internal organization is only sketchily understood, but they appear to have a caste system which includes empires and knights.
It is also known that Outsiders can possess the mind of a White Court vampire. Before his death, Vittorio Malvora had performed massive amounts of magic and put several people into submission. Lasciel also told Harry that Vittorio had been possessed with an Outsider, hence gaining the ability to do this. It is also hinted at in Blood Rites that Lord Raith might have some protection granted by the Outsiders to protect him from mortal magic.
As with the Outsiders, little is known of dragons. The only dragon to have appeared (in shapeshifted human form) so far in the Dresdenverse was met by Harry at Bianca's masquerade, in Grave Peril. It is unknown if they are beings of the Nevernever, combinations of spirit/mortal nature like vampires, or some other order of being altogether. What is known is extrapolated from things said and hinted at during the encounter in Grave Peril with the being called Ferrovax, self-identified as the eldest and strongest of his kind.
As noted, Ferrovax could shapeshift into human form, and possibly other forms; Ferrovax stated that dragons "are what [they] wish to be." The true appearance of a dragon is (according to Ferrovax) terrifying enough to drive a beholder to madness; even in shapeshifted form, Ferrovax showed his true nature by his "smoking" an unlit cigarette. Ferrovax also demonstrated immense magical power when he casually blew Dresden off his feet using only half of Dresden's Name, and then nearly crushed him with a glance. He is either immortal or long-lived enough to make no difference (his costume at the masquerade, a Roman centurion, appeared to be a legitimate relic of Imperial Roman times). However, the scope of his claims may merit at least a degree of skepticism; Michael Carpenter has fought and slain at least one other dragon, Siriothrax, suggesting either that not all dragons are as powerful as Ferrovax, or that the abilities of a Knight of the Cross are truly formidable.
Vampire court. This group has been mentioned in passing, so next to nothing is known. In Death Masks while driving to McAnnally's to decide the time, location, and weapons for the duel, Harry asks Shiro if he ever dueled vampires. Shiro says, "Hai,. Jade Court. Black Court." When Harry asks for more information Shiro says, "Southeast Asia, China, Japan. Very secretive. But they respect the Accords." As of yet this is all that has been said about the Jade Court.
Signatories to the Unseelie Accords, the Fomor are first introduced in the short story "Even Hand" with the appearance of Mag , a cantrev lord who assaults Marcone's office. They also appear in "Aftermath" kidnapping many low-level practitioners in Chicago and many major cities less than 24 hours after the end of "Changes". The Formor (according to Gard) are water-dwellers, cousins to the Jotun, seers, sorcerers and shape changers. They are described as humanoid, tall (around seven feet) and froglike with pale skin and bulging eyes. The Formor capable of using magic have less of a "murphyonic field" than Dresden and are not impeded by running water like mortal wizards. They have specialised weapons that shoot out acid filled spines adapted and used in different ways similar to grenades, guns and mines (enchanted seashells serving as firebombs, for instance). When Marci is hit with a spike in "Aftermath" it dissolves a large hole into her shoulder. They are also supernaturally strong, resilient, and can both communicate and echolocate much as dolphins and bats do.
In Ghost Story, it is revealed that the Fomor are now making a play to be major magical powers, kidnapping mortals to transform into minions and aiming to take over the abandoned territories of the Red Court, or those powers leaving old territories to claim Red Court lands. Their minions are called 'Turtlenecks' because of their standard apparel, and Harry is told that they are old, old enemies of the Fey, a mixture of ancient gods, fallen fey, and rival spirits.
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