The Dresden Files

From Stormravengaming

Current revision as of 02:04, 19 April 2007

This article contains information about a currently running television series. Information may change rapidly as more episodes are released.

The Dresden Files is a modern-day fantasy/mystery TV show based on the series of books under the same name, written by Jim Butcher. The stories are centered on Harry Dresden, a professional wizard and mystic detective in Chicago, Illinois. Dresden attracts cases that the police cannot solve through conventional means, usually because they involve some manner of supernatural influence. While supernatural creatures and phenomena are real, most of the world doesn't believe in them, leaving the police unable to solve or even comprehend the mysteries Dresden undertakes.

Conventions of magic

Magic is distinguished into several varieties related to source and purpose, but overarching is the distinction between white and black magic. Black magic is addictive, opening the door to temptation by one's darker desires. Practitioners of magic are monitored by the High Council to deter the use of black magic.

Voodoo is a form of thaumaturgy, death magic that works from afar (unlike many forms of magic) and causes the target to suffer.

Ley lines crisscross the earth, natural conduits for magical energy.

Characters

Central Characters

• Ancient Mai – Very powerful wizardress and head of the High Council in Chicago. Possibly a dragon; certainly a supernatural creature. Strident dislike for Harry Dresden.
• Harry Dresden (b. ca. 1971) – Professional wizard and mystical private investigator in Chicago. Shorts out electronics by coming too near them. Never went to college.
• Hrothbert of Bainbridge – Ghost casually known as Bob. Bound to his only remains – his skull, inscribed with arcane symbols – for practicing thaumaturgy, bringing his lover Winefride back to life. In the possession of Harry Dresden; formerly belonging to Harry's uncle, Justin Morningway. Centuries old; very knowledgeable in magic and mysticism. Capable of shapechanging at will to mimic others' forms. Mostly self-interested, but cares about Harry, at least when it's important.
• Detective Sid Kirmani – Police detective working under Lieutenant Murphy.
• Morgan – The High Council's vice chief enforcer in Chicago. Dislikes and mistrusts Harry Dresden.
• Lieutenant Constanza "Connie" Murphy – Police detective at police district 27. Divorced; daughter of Joe Murphy; mother of Anna Murphy; friend of Harry Dresden.

Peripheral Characters

• Dante Aureus – College student. Raychelle Banton's boyfriend. Snared by Caleb in the hand of glory, but resisted. Hired by the High Council.
• Attila Baraczka – Newspaper reporter.
• J. T. Bergen – Las Vegas casino owner and tycoon.
• Bianca – Vampire of the Red Court. Operates a club. Friend (and potential romantic interest) of Harry Dresden.
• Heather Brant – Office worker. Werewolf. Friend and former roommate of Mina Watkins.
• Butters – County coroner.
• Martha Candice – Mother of Billie Candice.
• Monica Cutler – Wife of Victor Cutler; mother of Grace Cutler. Non-magical.
• Jake Darius – Vampire of the Red Court. Third eye dealer. Former associate of Bianca, now operating in the Gulf Coast region.
• Liz Fontaine – Private investigator who served time for fraud charges. Straight since 2002; clean and sober since 2003. Took over Jim Brennan's agency after his death.
• Nancy Franks – Sharon Morill's partner in insurance fraud, posing as wife of Kelton Franks; possibly Morill's lover. Not her real name. Currently incarcerated.
• J. Ryan Halpenny – Newspaper reporter.
• Romina Hanley – Former gang member, now working at D'Onofrio's Restaurant.
• Charles Harding – Owner of an antiquities and curio shop in Chicago. Father of Lisa Harding.
• Caryn Harris – Matthew Jacobs' girlfriend. Fell in love with Jacobs while he was still a hellion, inspiring his restoration to humanity and his escape from Sirota.
• D.W. Herrick – Reporter. Writing a book about Darin Munzer about his police history until Munzer was arrested for murder.
• Matthew Jacobs – Thief turned hellion by Sirota. Returned to humanity and escaped Sirota after falling in love with Caryn Harris. Harris's boyfriend.
• Felicity Jones – Wife of Ronald Jones.
• Ronald Jones – Director of human resources for Hardy Meat Packers. Actually an incubus in disguise. Driven back to his home plane by Harry Dresden.
• Laura – Diner waitress. Harry's former girlfriend.
• Marie – Works in the Chicago police records department. Single, talkative, aggressively seeking a romantic relationship.
• Sharon Morill – Morgue worker, assistant to the coroner. Thaumaturgist. Partner with Nancy Franks in insurance fraud scheme; possibly her lover.
• Darin Munzer – Police detective, prominent member of the gang task force. Killed reformed gang members who'd gotten a second chance at life, to steal their second chances for himself. Currently in custody.
• Anna Murphy – 9-year-old daughter of Connie Murphy. Spends most of her time with her father.
• Joe Murphy – Constanza Murphy's father. "Old school" cop. Reputedly living in Florida with a hooker.
• Natalie – Vampire of the Red Court. Former novice of Bianca. Tried to frame and kill Bianca to gain use of her club as a third eye dealing den. Currently in High Council custody.
• Anya Purtovski – Nurse at Overland Fertility Clinic since 2005, secretly working for the incubus Ronald Jones. Captured by Liz Fontaine.
• Special Agent Kelly Raskin – Former FBI agent from Memphis, Tennessee. Former werewolf, cured by the bloodline purge arcana. Lover of Zachary Bushnell. Currently held in a mental hospital.
• Lucas Sabin – Prison inmate. Professor of ancient Egyptian history; knowledgeable in Egyptian magic. Killed a boy by mummifying him alive. Former cellmate of Gus Boone.
• Cheryl Sharpe – Adoptive mother of Scott Sharpe; divorced. Adopted Scott illegally, unknowingly in a deal with the Raven Clan.
• Scott Sharpe – Student at JFK Junior High School in Chicago. Has the gift of magic, as yet unmanifested. Protected by the Raven Clan. Adopted son of Cheryl Sharpe.
• Sirota – Demon, seducer of humans. Turns humans into hellions and leashes them with chains of sin. Operates Club C7.
• Susan – Investigative reporter. Friend "with privileges" of Harry Dresden. Aware of the existence of magic.

Deceased Characters

• Amber – Warden of the High Council in Chicago.
• Arvin – Vampire of the Black Court. Third eye addict. Worked for Natalie. Killed by Bianca.
• Raychelle Banton (b. ca. 1987) – College student at the University of Chicago, from Oakland, California. Girlfriend of Dante Aureus. Killed by Brady Whitfield under the influence of Caleb, via the hand of glory.
• Gus Boone – Ex-convict, thug. Used an Egyptian artifact and ritual to gain the power to transfer his mind into another's body, killing his current body in the process. Killed by Harry Dresden.
• Jim Brennan – Private investigator and instructor to other PIs. Killed by Anya Purtovski.
• Special Agent Zachary Bushnell – FBI agent from the Memphis, Tennessee office. Werewolf. Lover of Kelly Raskin. Killed by Raskin when she mistook him, in wolf form, for Heather Brant.
• Caleb – Dead thief whose hand was used to make a hand of glory. Used the power of the hand and the spirit energy of its wielders to return to corporeal form. Killed by Harry Dresden.
• Billie Candice – Former gang member. Daughter of Martha Candice. Killed by Darin Munzer.
• Clive – Retired contract killer for the High Council, specializing in hunting vampires. Killed by Arvin on contract for Natalie.
• Grace Cutler – College student. Daughter of Victor and Monica Cutler; friend of Jennifer Randall. Killed by a spike demon during a botched summoning.
• Victor Cutler – Dentist. Husband of Monica Cutler; father of Grace Cutler. Born in Oak View, Michigan. Took up thaumaturgy after his daughter's death. Killed by the same demon that killed his daughter.
• Mr. Dresden – Professional stage magician who performed in various cities under the name "The Astounding Dresden." No actual magical power. Husband of the late Margaret LeFay; Harry Dresden's father. Murdered in San Francisco, California, in 1982 by Justin Morningway. Morningway used black magic to make it look like a heart attack.
• Kelton Franks – Not his original name; also known as Paul Woods. Killed and raised, repeatedly, by Sharon Morill and her partner. Killed (and left dead) by Morill.
• Lisa Harding (ca. 1989 - ca. 2006) – Daughter of Charles Harding. Killed by Gus Boone during an armed robbery.
• Carson Harris – College student at the University of Chicago. Son of the lieutenant governor. Killed during a robbery using the hand of glory, when a wall it had made immaterial suddenly closed on him.
• Margaret LeFay – Harry Dresden's mother. Murdered circa 1974, when Harry was only three.
• Lydia – Warden of the High Council, killed in the line of duty. Soto's sister.
• Melissa – Contact of Harry Dresden with access to High Council records. Killed by a skinwalker hunting Scott Sharpe.
• Edward Miller – Billionaire stockbroker. Body-hijacked in 2006 by Gus Boone; killed in 2007 when Boone jumped from Miller into another host.
• Justin Morningway – Wizard; treacherous member of the High Council. Harry Dresden's uncle; brother of Dresden's mother, Margaret LeFay; from the magical side of the family. Killed in 2002 by Dresden, using black magic, in self defense. Briefly raised to life by Bob in 2007, but then almost immediately killed by him again.
• Justin Morningway's simulacrum – Magical duplicate of Justin Morningway, created as a safety measure in the event of his death, with the sole purpose of bringing Morningway back to life. Died to take Morningway's body's place after Bob raised him from the dead; stayed dead even after Bob killed Morningway again.
• Dr. Richard Overland – Founder of Overland Fertility Clinic. Killed by Anya Purtovski.
• Donald Primko – Hellion recruited by Sirota. Killed by Matthew Jacobs.
• Jennifer Randall – College student at Northwestern University. Girlfriend of Thomas Thomson. Killed by Victor Cutler, using thaumaturgy.
• Connor "Sticky" Reyes – Former gang member. Turned his life around after nearly drowning in Washington state. Killed by Darin Munzer.
• Soto – Warden of the High Council. Killed by a defensive spell cast by Ancient Mai during an attack by a dragon. Lydia's brother.
• Tara – Sweet, funny girl who had a night's fling with Harry Dresden to gain access to his home. Hired by Justin Morningway's simulacrum to steal Bob's skull. Killed by the simulacrum.
• Thomas Edward Thomson – Member of an organized crime syndicate. Also known as Tommy Tom. Boyfriend of Jennifer Randall. Killed by Victor Cutler, using thaumaturgy.
• Whitney Timmons – Scott Sharpe's school teacher at JFK Junior High School. Killed by a skinwalker hunting Scott.
• Wallace – Warden of the High Council. Killed by a dragon disguised as Lt. Murphy.
• Jerry Wallace – Reformed gang member. Killed by Darin Munzer.
• Mina Watkins (b. ca. 1983; d. February 12, 2007) – Office worker turned werewolf. Killed by Zachary Bushnell.
• Brady Whitfield – College student at the University of Chicago. Wealthy family, owners of the Whitfield Shopping Mall. Killed by the hand of glory.
• Winefride – Sorceress. Bob's lover when he was still alive.

Organizations

• The Black Court – Association of feral vampires. Rivals of the Red Court.
• The High Council – Authority over affairs of magic and wizardry. Wages war against dark magic.
• Psi Phi Xi – Fraternity at the University of Chicago.
• The Raven Clan – Family of supernatural creatures, Ravens. Mercenaries. Stubborn, clever and ruthless, but as creatures of habit, predictable. Protecting Scott Sharpe for the High Council.
• The Red Court – Association of civilized vampires. Has a truce with the High Council. Rivals of the Black Court.

Companies

• Club C7 – Night club operated by Sirota.
• D'Onofrio's Restaurant – Casual dining restaurant with art deco style.
• Hardy Meat Packers
• Kirby's – Bar in South Bend, Indiana.
• Overland Fertility Clinic – Founded by Dr. Richard Overland.
• Whitfield Shopping Mall
• Wildfire Grill – Restaurant in Chicago.

Creatures

• Chthonian dracoform – A kind of dragon. Breathes green fire; can shapeshift at will.
• Hellion – Any of a number of creatures whose powers or lineage originate from Hell.
• Incubus – Demonic creature, always male, that can exercise complete mental domination over women through their sexual desires.
• Raven – Morally neutral creature, humanoid with avian features related to their namesake. Able to shapechange into ravens or crows.
• Skinwalker – Powerful creature with the ability to skin people from afar and to take over their identities by occupying the empty skins.
• Spike demon – Very powerful, fire-breathing entity.
• Vampire – Usually belong to either the Red or Black Court. Don't burn or ash when killed.
• Werewolf

Locations

• 137 North Bolgia Place – Matthew Jacobs' home before he turned human and went into hiding.
• 1060 West Addison – Residence of Ronald and Felicity Jones.
• 5321 Henders Way – Old Methodist church on Chicago's north side. Has been shut down for years. Used as a nest by the Raven Clan.
• 5809 McKinley Avenue – Whitney Timmons' house in Chicago, and the site of her murder.
• Arvin's apartment – Arvin's home. Messy and filthy.
• Bianca's loft – Bianca's home above her club. Stylish.
• Clive's warehouse
• Cutler family home – Residence of Monica Cutler; former home of Victor and Jennifer Cutler.
• Jennifer Randall's apartment – Large, stylish apartment leased and paid for by Thomas Thomson.
• JFK Junior High School – Scott Sharpe's school.
• Joseph Miller's Estate – Mansion and grounds. Former residence of Edward Miller.
• Menard Correctional Facility – Medium-security prison. Currently holds Lucas Sabin; formerly held Gus Boone.
• Morningway Estate – Morningway family residence, located in Chicago and now belonging to Harry Dresden, who currently believes it is safer not to live there.
• Raychelle Banton's apartment
• St. Margaret's of the Roses – Catholic church upon sanctified ground.
• Whitfield family home – Wealthy estate.

Equipment

• Bob's First Grimoire – Text written by Bob the Skull, containing details on creation of a doom box among other perilous and unsavory magics. Destroyed by Harry Dresden after he killed its owner, his uncle, Justin Morningway.
• Chain of sin – Binds a hellion to the will of the chain's owner. Must be broken to release the hellion.
• Doom box – Magical artifact that captures and amplifies magical energy. When opened, it explodes, killing the opener.
• Hand of glory – The hand of a thief, preserved in wax and prepared as a candle. Allows the wielder to walk through walls. Contains the spirit of the original thief, who drains the wielders of energy and health, gains powerful influence over them, and can develop the ability to assume corporeal form.
• Incubatic portal – Circle of metal, carved and inscribed with spirals and glyphs, that acts as a gateway between this world and the spirit world of incubi.
• The Lock of Anubis – Egyptian stone tablet inscribed with heiroglyphs and the outline of a left hand. Combined with a ritual, the Lock enables a person to tranfer his mind into a new host body. Touching the Lock again, though, is fatal to the transferred spirit.
• Shield bracelet – Protective charm passed down to Harry Dresden from his mother. A magical circle inscribed on each of several copper medallions absorbs and deflects energy. Known to stop bullets.
• Third eye – Drug in the form of blue liquid. Mind-altering rage enhancer made for and by the undead. Addictive and deadly.

Spells

• Bloodline purge arcana – Cures a person of lycanthrope. The afflicted person must kill nine other lycanthropes from the same bloodline as his own.
• Parano solution – Allows the caster to follow the trail of another person. Requires any sort of lens and a foul-smelling concoction composed primarily of ant vomit. Footsteps and wheel marks glow when viewed through the lens.