Molly and the dark wizard went into a soulgaze, and there wasn’t a thing I could do about it—except keep trying to get closer. I could feel power flickering between them, though, like bursts of heat coming out of a furnace, as I got glacially nearer. It was an entirely invisible struggle, a simultaneous and mutual siege of the personality. Mind magic is dangerous, slippery stuff, and doing combat with another mind is all about imagination, focus, and sheer willpower.
Right now, Molly was thrusting an array of images and ideas at the Corpsetaker, trying to force the other to pay attention to them. Some of the thoughts would be there to undermine defenses, others to assault them, and still others trying to slip past unnoticed to wreak havoc from within. Some of the thoughts would be simple things—whispered doubts meant to shake the other’s confidence, for example. Others would be far more complex constructions, idea demons imagined ahead of time, prepared for such an occasion and unleashed upon the thoughts and memories of the foe.
The White Council hated mind magic, generally speaking. If you beat someone’s defenses, you could do a lot of things to them, and precious few of them were good. Events, however, had forced them to acknowledge the necessity of giving all of its members lessons in psychic self-defense that were more comprehensive than the simple wall technique that I’d been briefly introduced to. A couple of old-timers who knew how to play the game had begun dispensing the basics to everyone interested in learning.
As it turned out, I had a natural fortress of personality, which explained a lot—like how hard it had always been for faerie glamour to trick me for long, and why I’d been able to grind through several forms of mental assault over the years. If someone came in after me, they had a big badass castle to contend with. They could pound on it all day, as such things were measured, without breaking the defenses, and I’d been told that it would take an extended campaign to conquer my head entirely—like any decent castle, there were multiple lines and structures where new defenses could take hold. But I didn’t have much of a forward game. For me, the best offense had to be an obstinate defense.
Molly, on the other hand . . . well. Molly was sort of scary.
Her castle wasn’t huge and imposing—the damned thing was invisible. Made of mirrors, covered in fog, wrapped in darkness, and generally hard even to pin down, much less besiege; anyone who went into her head had better bring a GPS, a seeing-eye dog, and a backup set of eyeballs. Worse, her offense was like dealing with a Mongolian horde. She’d send in waves and waves of every kind of mental construction imaginable, and while you were busy looking at those, ninja thoughts would be sneaking through your subconscious, planting the psychological equivalent of explosives. We’d practiced against each other a lot—immovable object versus irresistible force. It generally ended in a draw, when Molly had to quit and nurse a headache, at which point I would join her in scarfing down aspirin. A couple of times, my thuggish constructions had stumbled over her defenses and started breaking mirrors. A couple of times, her horde had gotten lucky or particularly sneaky. We’d had the same thought-image set up to signal victory—Vader swooping down in his TIE fighter, smugly stating, “I have you now.” Once that got through, the game was over.
But outside of practice, that thought could just as easily be something more like, “Put your gun into your mouth and pull the trigger.” We both knew that. We both worked hard to improve as a result. It was a part of the training I’d taken every bit as seriously as teaching her theory or enchantments or exorcism, or any of a hundred other areas we’d covered over the past few years.
Butcher, Jim (2011-07-26). Ghost Story: A Novel of the Dresden Files (p. 423). Roc. Kindle Edition.
Sum up: Molly is an empath. Strong negative emotions hurt her. This also lets her understand animals. If someone dies near her, she feels it like it is her own death. She has been psychically damaged because of this. According to Mab, she can now barely stand to be in a crowded room.
Worse, Molly was a sensitive, a wizard whose supernatural senses were so acute that surges of powerful magic or the emotions that accompanied life-and-death situations were something that caused her psychic and physical pain.
Butcher, Jim (2011-07-26). Ghost Story: A Novel of the Dresden Files (p. 158). Roc. Kindle Edition.
Molly limped along between the two little spirits, holding hands with each of them. She was moving with her back perfectly rigid, her steps cautious, and she looked a little green around the gills. Like I said, she’s a sensitive. She must have figured out the true nature of the child ghosts immediately upon meeting them, and she clearly did not relish the idea of being in skin contact with them. It said a lot about her intestinal fortitude that she had accompanied them at all. It probably said even more about her trust in me.
Butcher, Jim (2011-07-26). Ghost Story: A Novel of the Dresden Files (p. 357). Roc. Kindle Edition.
“It was the vampire, wasn’t it,” I said. “Seeing him die.”
She blinked at me. Then at the scattered beads. “I…I didn’t just see it, Harry. I felt it. I can’t explain it any better than that. Inside my head. I felt it, the same way I felt that poor girl. But this was horrible.”
Butcher, Jim (2008-02-05). White Night (The Dresden Files, Book 9) (p. 321). Penguin Group. Kindle Edition.
“So,” he said. “What is she going to do?” “Look into its eyes,” I said. He gave me a somewhat skeptical look. “Trying to see the last thing impressed on her retinas or something? You know that’s pretty much mythical, right?” “Other impressions get left on a body,” I said. “Final thoughts, sometimes. Emotions, sensations.” I shook my head. “Technically, those kinds of impressions can get left on almost any kind of inanimate object. You’ve heard of object reading, right?” “That’s for real?” he asked. “Yeah. But it’s an easy sort of thing to contaminate, and it can be tricky as hell—and entirely apart from that, it’s extremely difficult to do.” [...] “You said it might not be pleasant for her,” Butters said. “Why?” “Because if something’s there, and she can sense it, she gets to experience it. First person. Like she’s living it herself.”
Butcher, Jim (2008-02-05). White Night (The Dresden Files, Book 9) (pp. 24-26). Penguin Group. Kindle Edition.
I stepped back into the circle, tugging Molly along with me until we were standing on the heavy bloodstain where the boy had been executed. There was a psychic remnant of the death there, a cold, quivering tension in the air, an echo of rage and fear and death. Molly shuddered as her feet came to rest atop the stained concrete. She must have felt it, too.
Butcher, Jim (2007-02-06). Proven Guilty (The Dresden Files, Book 8) (p. 369). Penguin Group. Kindle Edition.
Charity nodded, and also looked back at the kids. “My daughter. How is her training progressing?” “Well, I think,” I said. “Her talents don’t lie anywhere close to the same areas mine do. And she’s never going to be much of a combat wizard.” Charity frowned. “Why do you say that? Do you think she isn’t strong enough?” “Strength has nothing to do with it. But her greatest talents make her unsuited for it in some ways.” “I don’t understand.” “Well, she’s good with subtle things. Delicate things. Her ability at handling fine, sensitive magic is outstanding, and increasing all the time. But that same sensitivity means that she has problems handling the psychic stresses of real combat. It also makes the gross physical stuff a real challenge for her.” “Like stopping snowballs?” Charity asked. “Snowballs are good practice,” I said. “Nothing gets hurt but her pride.” Charity nodded, frowning. “But you didn’t learn with snowballs, did you.” The memory of my first shielding lesson under Justin DuMorne wasn’t a particularly sentimental one. “Baseballs.” “Merciful God,” Charity said, shaking her head. “How old were you?” “Thirteen.” I shrugged a shoulder. “Pain’s a good motivator. I learned fast.” “But you aren’t trying to teach my daughter the same way,” Charity said. “There’s no rush,” I said.
Butcher, Jim (2009-03-03). Small Favor: A Novel of the Dresden Files (pp. 3-4). Penguin Group. Kindle Edition. Edited 2012-03-18 05:27 pm (UTC)
"Every time a wizard looks another person in the eyes, he runs the risk of triggering a deeper seeing, a voyeuristic peep through the windows of someone else’s soul. You get a snapshot of the true nature of that person, and they get a peek back at you."
Butcher, Jim (2010-04-06). Changes: A Novel of the Dresden Files (p. 206). Roc. Kindle Edition.
When a practicing wizard and a being with a soul (all mortals along with White Court vampires and others) look each other in the eyes, it begins what is known as a soulgaze. It gives the other a window into their soul, which can’t be faked. It doesn’t relay specific information (you can’t use it to interrogate someone), but it does give one a vague impression on whether they’re trustworthy or not, or if they’ve been psychically harmed, etc. Just like if one were to use their Sight, the memory of the gaze doesn’t fade with time, being as sharp years later as when it happened. One circumstance in which a Soulgaze doesn’t occur, is when a doctor looked into Harry’s eyes. He didn’t so much as look into his eyes, as examine them, which is professional intent.
Molly's veils are the best. She can now veil an entire boat, over water (which disburses magically energy) and its wake. She can also veil a car while driving it, holding a conversation, and making decisions to avoid further detection.
A veil is a magical form of concealment which renders the affected either invisible or otherwise unnoticed by most of the magically unaware. Veils can range from simple feelings of aversion to looking in a direction, to a lack of conscious recognition of someone's presence, to a complete state of invisibility and denial of the existence of the physical space in which the veil stands.
Veils can be seen through with the Wizard's Sight and perhaps some varieties of sentient magical creatures.
Sometimes she uses this to play 'mixes' of music as well.
There was a flicker of strobing colors of light as Molly pitched a bit of dazzling magic at the creature. It wouldn’t hurt the thing, but the kid could make eye-searing light in every color imaginable burst from empty air, accompanied by a variety of sounds if she so chose. She called it her One-woman Rave spell, and during the last Independence Day, she had used it to throw up a fireworks display from her parents’ backyard so impressive that evidently it had caused traffic problems on the expressway.
Butcher, Jim (2010-04-06). Changes: A Novel of the Dresden Files (p. 193). Roc. Kindle Edition.
DJ Molly C lifted both of her wands and turned the battle chaos to eleven. Color and light and screaming sound erupted from those two little wands. Bands of light and darkness flowed around and over the oncoming jaguar warriors, fluttering images of bright sunshine intertwining with other images of yawning pits suddenly gaping before the feet of the attackers. Bursts of sound, shrieks and clashes and booms, and high-pitched noises like on steroids sent the hyperkeen senses of full vampires into overload, literally forcing them back onto the weapons of those coming behind them.
Butcher, Jim (2010-04-06). Changes: A Novel of the Dresden Files (p. 392). Roc. Kindle Edition
Spell | Description Hireki | Counteracts veils Rokotsu | Opens a Way into the Nevernever Neru | Puts target to sleep Ideru | Can pull souls from other people's body
A circle is drawn or inscribed on the floor or ground and then invested with a small amount of will. The circle forms a barrier that extends infinitely up and down. Magical energies cannot pass through this barrier in either direction, so a circle can be used to keep something out or to keep something in.
Foci are mainly used for evocations. They assist wizards that are unable to summon enough will to control the magic. While it is possible to use magic without a focus, it is unadvised. Foci are items designed to help focus power. They are generally used when a wizard is unable to bring up the control needed for a spell. Foci are mainly used in evocations. Described as "quick and dirty" , they are akin to a punch compared with higher levels of martial arts.The wizard channels his power through the necessary focus when using one. Probably the most common type of focus that is used is the staff. The only wizard of any ability known not to use a staff is Elaine Mallory
We know she's got a few in Changes, but also that they weren't made for combat. She had a completely different set in Ghost Story, so she can probably make them on her own.
She also enchants a tuning fork to enable her to see ghosts, so it's safe to infer she can bespell an object.
Potions are liquids and powders with magical properties. A potion consists of eight parts: a liquid base, five ingredients to engage five physical senses, one to engage the mind, and one to engage the spirit. These ingredients are different for each potion and for each person who makes them. The potion must also be infused with the wizard's will.
-Seen in Side Jobs; referenced in Ghost Story (she's good at these) --escape potion --love/lust potion (doubt that he taught her this) --Sight potion (Three-Eye) (Storm Front) --Camouflage potion (Fool Moon) --Pick-me-up potion (Fool Moon) --Anti-venom against Red Court Vampires (Death Masks) --Semi-flight potion (Changes)
A ward is a magical defense, which can be used for a variety of causes and effects. A ward is a defense set up by a magic user. There are a variety of different ones. From killing to detection to stopping hostile magic. Wards are weak without a threshold. It is possible though to make a strong ward if there is a strong enough power source like a ley line.
With hair or blood or fingernails, or even thread, Molly can track down where a person is with incredible accuracy depending on the tools she has at hand, or just really good accuracy. While Harry would link it using a pendulum or something, Molly can literally put the strand of hair in her mouth and continue the spell for long after she's discarded the hair - it's linked to her lips.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Powers
Mental Defenses/Mind Magic Consequences
Right now, Molly was thrusting an array of images and ideas at the Corpsetaker, trying to force the other to pay attention to them. Some of the thoughts would be there to undermine defenses, others to assault them, and still others trying to slip past unnoticed to wreak havoc from within. Some of the thoughts would be simple things—whispered doubts meant to shake the other’s confidence, for example. Others would be far more complex constructions, idea demons imagined ahead of time, prepared for such an occasion and unleashed upon the thoughts and memories of the foe.
The White Council hated mind magic, generally speaking. If you beat someone’s defenses, you could do a lot of things to them, and precious few of them were good. Events, however, had forced them to acknowledge the necessity of giving all of its members lessons in psychic self-defense that were more comprehensive than the simple wall technique that I’d been briefly introduced to. A couple of old-timers who knew how to play the game had begun dispensing the basics to everyone interested in learning.
As it turned out, I had a natural fortress of personality, which explained a lot—like how hard it had always been for faerie glamour to trick me for long, and why I’d been able to grind through several forms of mental assault over the years. If someone came in after me, they had a big badass castle to contend with. They could pound on it all day, as such things were measured, without breaking the defenses, and I’d been told that it would take an extended campaign to conquer my head entirely—like any decent castle, there were multiple lines and structures where new defenses could take hold. But I didn’t have much of a forward game. For me, the best offense had to be an obstinate defense.
Molly, on the other hand . . . well. Molly was sort of scary.
Her castle wasn’t huge and imposing—the damned thing was invisible. Made of mirrors, covered in fog, wrapped in darkness, and generally hard even to pin down, much less besiege; anyone who went into her head had better bring a GPS, a seeing-eye dog, and a backup set of eyeballs. Worse, her offense was like dealing with a Mongolian horde. She’d send in waves and waves of every kind of mental construction imaginable, and while you were busy looking at those, ninja thoughts would be sneaking through your subconscious, planting the psychological equivalent of explosives. We’d practiced against each other a lot—immovable object versus irresistible force. It generally ended in a draw, when Molly had to quit and nurse a headache, at which point I would join her in scarfing down aspirin. A couple of times, my thuggish constructions had stumbled over her defenses and started breaking mirrors. A couple of times, her horde had gotten lucky or particularly sneaky. We’d had the same thought-image set up to signal victory—Vader swooping down in his TIE fighter, smugly stating, “I have you now.” Once that got through, the game was over.
But outside of practice, that thought could just as easily be something more like, “Put your gun into your mouth and pull the trigger.” We both knew that. We both worked hard to improve as a result. It was a part of the training I’d taken every bit as seriously as teaching her theory or enchantments or exorcism, or any of a hundred other areas we’d covered over the past few years.
Butcher, Jim (2011-07-26). Ghost Story: A Novel of the Dresden Files (p. 423). Roc. Kindle Edition.
Sensitive
Worse, Molly was a sensitive, a wizard whose supernatural senses were so acute that surges of powerful magic or the emotions that accompanied life-and-death situations were something that caused her psychic and physical pain.
Butcher, Jim (2011-07-26). Ghost Story: A Novel of the Dresden Files (p. 158). Roc. Kindle Edition.
Molly limped along between the two little spirits, holding hands with each of them. She was moving with her back perfectly rigid, her steps cautious, and she looked a little green around the gills. Like I said, she’s a sensitive. She must have figured out the true nature of the child ghosts immediately upon meeting them, and she clearly did not relish the idea of being in skin contact with them. It said a lot about her intestinal fortitude that she had accompanied them at all. It probably said even more about her trust in me.
Butcher, Jim (2011-07-26). Ghost Story: A Novel of the Dresden Files (p. 357). Roc. Kindle Edition.
“It was the vampire, wasn’t it,” I said. “Seeing him die.”
She blinked at me. Then at the scattered beads. “I…I didn’t just see it, Harry. I felt it. I can’t explain it any better than that. Inside my head. I felt it, the same way I felt that poor girl. But this was horrible.”
Butcher, Jim (2008-02-05). White Night (The Dresden Files, Book 9) (p. 321). Penguin Group. Kindle Edition.
“So,” he said. “What is she going to do?”
“Look into its eyes,” I said.
He gave me a somewhat skeptical look. “Trying to see the last thing impressed on her retinas or something? You know that’s pretty much mythical, right?”
“Other impressions get left on a body,” I said. “Final thoughts, sometimes. Emotions, sensations.”
I shook my head. “Technically, those kinds of impressions can get left on almost any kind of inanimate object. You’ve heard of object reading, right?”
“That’s for real?” he asked.
“Yeah. But it’s an easy sort of thing to contaminate, and it can be tricky as hell—and entirely apart from that, it’s extremely difficult to do.”
[...]
“You said it might not be pleasant for her,” Butters said. “Why?”
“Because if something’s there, and she can sense it, she gets to experience it. First person. Like she’s living it herself.”
Butcher, Jim (2008-02-05). White Night (The Dresden Files, Book 9) (pp. 24-26). Penguin Group. Kindle Edition.
I stepped back into the circle, tugging Molly along with me until we were standing on the heavy bloodstain where the boy had been executed. There was a psychic remnant of the death there, a cold, quivering tension in the air, an echo of rage and fear and death. Molly shuddered as her feet came to rest atop the stained concrete. She must have felt it, too.
Butcher, Jim (2007-02-06). Proven Guilty (The Dresden Files, Book 8) (p. 369). Penguin Group. Kindle Edition.
Charity nodded, and also looked back at the kids. “My daughter. How is her training progressing?”
“Well, I think,” I said. “Her talents don’t lie anywhere close to the same areas mine do. And she’s never going to be much of a combat wizard.”
Charity frowned. “Why do you say that? Do you think she isn’t strong enough?”
“Strength has nothing to do with it. But her greatest talents make her unsuited for it in some ways.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Well, she’s good with subtle things. Delicate things. Her ability at handling fine, sensitive magic is outstanding, and increasing all the time. But that same sensitivity means that she has problems handling the psychic stresses of real combat. It also makes the gross physical stuff a real challenge for her.”
“Like stopping snowballs?” Charity asked.
“Snowballs are good practice,” I said. “Nothing gets hurt but her pride.”
Charity nodded, frowning. “But you didn’t learn with snowballs, did you.”
The memory of my first shielding lesson under Justin DuMorne wasn’t a particularly sentimental one. “Baseballs.”
“Merciful God,” Charity said, shaking her head. “How old were you?”
“Thirteen.” I shrugged a shoulder. “Pain’s a good motivator. I learned fast.”
“But you aren’t trying to teach my daughter the same way,” Charity said.
“There’s no rush,” I said.
Butcher, Jim (2009-03-03). Small Favor: A Novel of the Dresden Files (pp. 3-4). Penguin Group. Kindle Edition.
Edited 2012-03-18 05:27 pm (UTC)
Soulgaze
Butcher, Jim (2010-04-06). Changes: A Novel of the Dresden Files (p. 206). Roc. Kindle Edition.
When a practicing wizard and a being with a soul (all mortals along with White Court vampires and others) look each other in the eyes, it begins what is known as a soulgaze. It gives the other a window into their soul, which can’t be faked. It doesn’t relay specific information (you can’t use it to interrogate someone), but it does give one a vague impression on whether they’re trustworthy or not, or if they’ve been psychically harmed, etc. Just like if one were to use their Sight, the memory of the gaze doesn’t fade with time, being as sharp years later as when it happened. One circumstance in which a Soulgaze doesn’t occur, is when a doctor looked into Harry’s eyes. He didn’t so much as look into his eyes, as examine them, which is professional intent.
Veils
A veil is a magical form of concealment which renders the affected either invisible or otherwise unnoticed by most of the magically unaware. Veils can range from simple feelings of aversion to looking in a direction, to a lack of conscious recognition of someone's presence, to a complete state of invisibility and denial of the existence of the physical space in which the veil stands.
Veils can be seen through with the Wizard's Sight and perhaps some varieties of sentient magical creatures.
One Woman Rave
There was a flicker of strobing colors of light as Molly pitched a bit of dazzling magic at the creature. It wouldn’t hurt the thing, but the kid could make eye-searing light in every color imaginable burst from empty air, accompanied by a variety of sounds if she so chose. She called it her One-woman Rave spell, and during the last Independence Day, she had used it to throw up a fireworks display from her parents’ backyard so impressive that evidently it had caused traffic problems on the expressway.
Butcher, Jim (2010-04-06). Changes: A Novel of the Dresden Files (p. 193). Roc. Kindle Edition.
DJ Molly C lifted both of her wands and turned the battle chaos to eleven.
Color and light and screaming sound erupted from those two little wands. Bands of light and darkness flowed around and over the oncoming jaguar warriors, fluttering images of bright sunshine intertwining with other images of yawning pits suddenly gaping before the feet of the attackers. Bursts of sound, shrieks and clashes and booms, and high-pitched noises like on steroids sent the hyperkeen senses of full vampires into overload, literally forcing them back onto the weapons of those coming behind them.
Butcher, Jim (2010-04-06). Changes: A Novel of the Dresden Files (p. 392). Roc. Kindle Edition
Spells
Hireki | Counteracts veils
Rokotsu | Opens a Way into the Nevernever
Neru | Puts target to sleep
Ideru | Can pull souls from other people's body
Source
Assorted Skills
Circle Magic
(Seen in Changes)
Focus Items/Evocation
Foci are items designed to help focus power. They are generally used when a wizard is unable to bring up the control needed for a spell. Foci are mainly used in evocations. Described as "quick and dirty" , they are akin to a punch compared with higher levels of martial arts.The wizard channels his power through the necessary focus when using one. Probably the most common type of focus that is used is the staff. The only wizard of any ability known not to use a staff is Elaine Mallory
We know she's got a few in Changes, but also that they weren't made for combat. She had a completely different set in Ghost Story, so she can probably make them on her own.
She also enchants a tuning fork to enable her to see ghosts, so it's safe to infer she can bespell an object.
Potions
-Seen in Side Jobs; referenced in Ghost Story (she's good at these)
--escape potion
--love/lust potion (doubt that he taught her this)
--Sight potion (Three-Eye) (Storm Front)
--Camouflage potion (Fool Moon)
--Pick-me-up potion (Fool Moon)
--Anti-venom against Red Court Vampires (Death Masks)
--Semi-flight potion (Changes)
Wards
Tracking Spell