No one has done anything like this so far so here it is, a thread for everything Black Council. Theories on members, motivations, how powerful they are, etc.

To start us off, here's something from the end of Chapter Eight and the beginning of Chapter Nine of Summer Knight ( pg 107-109 paperback edition).

The underlined passage usually struck me as just more Morgan Paranoia. But then I started thinking, could this be foreshadowing for the Black Council? Are their operations already big enough in Summer Knight that Morgan can see the signs of it's existence?

Enjoy.

 

I'd have thought it obvious that the whole Red Court war was started by the Black Council, or at least they manipulated the vampires into starting it. Even before that we've got Three Eye and the hexenwulfen to play with. The whole series has been leading up to the Black Council.

On the other hand, I think Morgan is playing a bigger part in this than he seems at the minute. He wouldn't question Dresden over something like this without a good degree of suspicion, though that could be because of his believing Harry to be a warlock. I think he's been tasked with finding the traitor, and that in the next book (or is it the one after) when he goes on the run, he's dug just a little too deep for safety.

 

That's actually a good theory... I was leaning the otherway. He actually turns out to be serving the black council under protest. Thus rocking the foundations of Dresdens world.

He turns out to be the bad guy, and Dresden the good guy.

We need some of the swords of the wardens to switch sides while no more can be made.

There practically priceless...

 

I agree that Morgan's hit too close to the truth and that's why he's on the run. Knowing his lack of subtlety, he probably out-and-out accused a member of the Senior Council and was punished for that, likely facing an execution if he's found.

I think that the Merlin has been hinted at quite strongly that he's the bad guy. That said, I think Butcher's going to go the other way and Ancient Mai could be the traitor. Of course, the best, ultimate reveal would be Ebenezar McCoy as the traitor, and Harry's been working unknowingly working for the Black Council the whole time. That'd be pretty badass, and I wouldn't put it past Butcher.

Then we'd get to see angry Harry. Angry Harry who picks up Lasciel's coin and becomes Winter Knight so he can kick the shit out of his former mentor.

 

I'm of the opinion that Ancient Mai is the traitor. I definitely don't think it is McCoy, but it could happen I guess. The Merlin doesn't seem like the bad guy to me, he just seems more upset that Dresden is destroying the order that the White Council usually had, which seems opposite to the Black Council's goals.

 

In addition to traitors on the White Council, I think that there are some vampires involved. If they've been waiting to strike, building strength for a long time, I'd bet that some of the Dukes of the Red Court are some of the pawns, if not knights or rooks, of the Black Council.

I might be convinced that Mavra could be in on it, too, or could be drawn into it later.

Of course, if Ebenezar is the mastermind, then he just manipulated Harry to do as he wanted, and maybe the vamps are not really aligned, just used.

I could also see some of the Denarians as aiding the Black Council, if not big players. Nicodemus may be one of the leaders, as he could have laid these plans out centuries ago and sent out his recruitment letters.

But with all the talk of Outsiders and Harry's power to kill them, I'd have to say that some God or other is ultimately the Big Power behind the Black Council. Which means that Dresden's ultimate confrontation will be with that. Should be good, I think.

 

kmfrank... have you read Small Favor? Nicodemus is not in on the Black Council, he outright said the presence of the Black Council is interrupting his own plans. Thorned Namshiel, and either (or both) Tessa or Rosanna are members however.

 

Hmm, no I've not finished Small Favor yet. I just started the series last Sunday, so I've only had 10 days to read the series. But I'm partly through it.

Well, the point I was going for was that its possible that Denarians are on it, and maybe even Nicodemus. I guess Nick's not. Maybe Harry should ally with him in the future, that'd be badass.

Thanks for the clarification.

 

I was thinking today. They say in one of the books that Mab has gone a lil insanse. Anyone think she might be under the influence of the Black Council?

 

Could be, though why would they assault Arctis Tor if Mab was under their control? I think it's more likely that she's taken stance against them but is still being weakened by the lack of a proper Knight. Titania seems a much more likely target for the Black Council, especially with her seemingly impulsive choice to send the Brothers Gruff after Harry, which just so happened to coincide with the Denarians' attempt on the Archive.

 

IIRC it was speculated at the end of PG that Mab was working with the Black Council but they bit of more than they could chew trying to control her so they attacked her little castle to try and bring her back under control.

I just thought of this though, in Small Favor Thorned Namshiel was said to have been the Denarian who used Hellfire in the attack. Since what Titania did was actually helping the Denarians it could be stretched that she is also in on the Council. Still I don't think we really know enough to make anything more than general guesses about whats going down behind the scenes.

 

Well we've already had one insane Faerie Queen that had a Knight so that's probably not it. The Black Council, we can assume, has various monsters in it but's it probably mostly mortals. Thus we can assume that they wished for the Red Court to occupy the White Council, not destroy it. So the BC attack on Arctis Tor would have been in the same vein as Dresden's (Summer's) attack, draw back the forces of Winter so Summer may help the White Council.

 

Titania might not have much of a choice in regards to helping the Black Council, as its been stated a few times that there has to be a balance between the two courts. At the end of Small Favour we find out that Mab is plotting her revenge against all parties involved in the attack on Arctis Tor. Now that being said Titania would have to balance the scales, and would be required help the Black council in some way shape or form. So rather than being insane like Aurora was, she is being manipulated into action. Although what we know of the faerie queens I have no doubt that Titania will get even in a most spectacular way at some point.

As for the traitor on the White council well I believe that it will be revealed to be Peabody. As the records keeper to the Merlin he would have access to all kinds of information, and for a records keeper he has been mentioned a few times throughout the series. From what Jim has said during promotion for Small Favour I believe we are going to see a civil war amongst the White council in the very near future, which I’d assume will get a kick-start during Turn Coat.

As for other members of the Black Council I think that Simon Petrovich may be Cowl and that he just faked his death at Archangel. Which would have been easy enough seeing the Black Council is already using the Red Court as their pawns. I can't recall the book at the moment but it was said Morgan lost someone very important to him at Archangel so that could possibly be Kumori.

 

Interesting theory... but I'm not sure the balance of the courts was meant more for internal Winter/Summer stuff then mortal affairs involving faerie's. Add the fact that the Black Council is harmful to the courts...

Peabody as in the bald French Wizard that looked like a skull with skin draped over it? Definitly a possibility, but I believe the location of the Warden Boot Camp would have been oral only for exactly that reason.

As for the last bit... Cowl/Kumori are Future!Dresden/Molly.

 

Peabody is the White Councils secretary, so spending the time that he does with the Merlin and other memebrs of the Senoir council he would be privy to all sorts of information and plans. LaFortier is the French member of the senior council you were referring to.


As for Cowl/Kumori being future Dresden/Molly I’ don't think for a second that is the case, firstly due to their first encounter in Dead Beat, I don't see Harry underestimating himself that much. By that logic as well it also means that Future Harry is one of the main members of the Black Council. And I don't buy that for one second. Finally I don't see Harry ever becoming so jaded that he could so callously and methodically organise the murder of entire communities of innocent and defenceless practitioners as Cowl does in White Night.


As for my theory of the balance required in the Sidhe Courts, all you have to do is look at what happened in Small Favour. Titania and the summer court gave aid to the Denarians because Mab had made Harry her emissary and tasked him with the recovery of Marcone.

 

As far as we know Titania could merely have been using the excuse that Dresden was Winter's Emissary so she could send a hit squad after him, you know for killing her daughter and all.

 

Yea but the thing is is that she sent the Gruffs before Harry was the emissary. Something else is going on there.

 

But think about this. Mab has 2 favors left. Mab has used Harry before in something like this. Titana probably knows that Mab is more than likely going to get Dresden; someone who has experience with the courts, someone who has experience with denarians, and someone with the power to do what has to be done; to do the job. And if she is wrong well her daughters killer gets dead.

 

And we don't know exactly how the Emisarry system works. Is ti when the mortal is informed? Or when the queen decides?