Source The Book Voucher
In The Dresden Files, there is magic and wizards and a White Counsel. This White Counsel governs how wizards use magic. They have set laws down and the Counsel expects them to be followed. The laws were set to prevent the abuse of power and to protect both wizards and mortals from harmful magic. The Wardens, a group of individual wizards that train in fighting and are absolutely lethal, are there to keep wizards in line and to defend wizards in the war against bad magical beings.
Law #1- Thou Shalt Not Kill- It is expressly forbidden to kill humans with magic. Harry used magic to kill his uncle Justin DuMorne when Justin was trying to kill Harry. Killing with magic in self-defense is once in a while allowed without punishment but not often. For this reason, wizards often carry swords. This law only applies to humans. Beings such as vampires, ghouls, and denizens of the Nevernever do not get such protection. The penalty for ignoring this rule is death.
Law #2- Thou Shalt Not Transform Others- It forbids the shapeshifting of other beings. It’s an extremely hard spell to do and if done correctly degrades the person’s mind to that of an animal. Harry often threatens to do so but would never actually do it.
Law #3- Thou Shalt Not Invade The Mind Of Another- This law forbids the use of psychomancy. Psychomancy is the magic of the mind. Forcibly entering someone’s mind and extracting knowledge without consent is very destructive. Harry feels it’s not quite black magic but quite close.
Law #4- Thou Shalt Not Enthrall Another- This law forbids the binding of any being against its will. This is where a wizard dominates another person’s mind and personality to make the wizard’s will the victim’s will. In cases of denizens of the Nevernever, compelling their service with arrangements and trades is fine as long as no control by magic happens. To use this magic to eventually lose control completely even if done with the best of intentions.
Law #5- Thou Shalt Not Reach Beyond The Boarders Of Life- This law forbids the use of necromancy. Necromancy is magic that deals with the dead such as summoning, binding, or exploiting the unwilling dead. Though in most tellings of a ghost, they are the souls of the person who died and retain intelligence and self-awareness. In the Dresdenverse they are psychic echos of people who died violently. Because this law is there to protect humans, there was a loophole that Harry used when riding a T-rex named Sue.
Law #6- Thou Shalt Not Swim Against The Currents Of Time- This law forbids time travel. We must avoid paradoxes at all costs. Even divining the future except in the vaguest of ways is frowned upon.
Law #7- Thou Shall Not Open The Outer Gates- This law forbids the summoning or contacting of Outsiders. Outsiders would decimate the world. Outsiders are beings from beyond the gates that the Gatekeeper and the Winter Court defend against. To break the Seventh Law is to give an Outsider a foothold in this world that allows them to bypass the gate.
The penalty for breaking these laws is usually death by beheading. Trials, if you can manage to get one, usually last less than fifteen minutes. The sentences are carried out immediately.
Is there anything you want to know about the Dresdenverse? What do you know about it? Let me know in the comments below. Til next week…
