Who is Cowl?

[Rehmmy]

If you don't see the body, don't assume that they're dead in my opinion.

But the WCouncil does assume Simon is dead. Which tells me that they have confirmed his death.

[Joefoe]

Just because the readers are stating that do not believe he is DEd dead unless a body shows up does not mean that the Wcouncil does. In fact their major achilles heel has been their Hubris, they think they know more then others and that has significantly weakened them.

[Rehmmy]

Not if Simon's fortress was taken out in a way that would not leave intact bodies of anyone there, which is how I would do it.

And yet there was enough bodies left to let the WCouncil know that many of the Reds nobility was killed in the attack, as was all of Simon's household. The only other attack that would describe what you're talking about would be probably much like the attack on Mab's fortress. Only pieces of bone and carcasses were left along with the heavy scent of Hellfire. I would think that anything that would leave no trace of bodies to be identified would have to be some strong magic. Magic stronger than anything the Reds could probably yeild. Any mortal weapons (grenades, missles, rockets, etc.) would leave to many fingers, teeth, or other pieces of body to be identified.

[Rehmmy]

Just out of interest, what makes you think Kumori is not as strong as Cowl ? She is visibly not as strong when fighting harry outsdie the bookstore, but that is pretty close after having done the necromancy on the gangster who was taken to hospital, so i do not think that proves anything.

Just throwing it out there. seeing what responses I get.

[neurovore]

But the WCouncil does assume Simon is dead. Which tells me that they have confirmed his death.

The only real datapoint I think we have on how good the White Council's crime-scene forensics are is that LeFortier could convincingly claim that Harry might as easily have killed Justin by burning his place down while he was asleep as in a big magical fight; I think if the Council had anything like a CSI team that argument would never have flown.

I also get the impression that body-swappers like Corpsetaker are really rare - if indeed there are any others like Corpsetaker - and that the Council has therefore not had to develop techniques for confirming death that assume body-swapping as a possibility.

[neurovore]

And yet there was enough bodies left to let the WCouncil know that many of the Reds nobility was killed in the attack, as was all of Simon's household.

Easy to imagine how that could work out.

Pitched battle over a sizable battlefield, like a larger-scale version of the ghouls attacking the Warden camp in WN.  The Reds over on one side, hit by a pile of ranged spells, lose their nobility leaving readily identifiable bodies.  Simon's fortress, over the other side, blows up or collapses in on itself.  Human remains inside it buried under hundreds of tons of rubble. 

I do not believe that, with as much effort as the war is taking at that point, the Council could spare the wizards to go through the rubble looking for bodies. 

[cephis]

The WC doesn't see their inability to deal with tech as a problem.  One of their biggest problems in my opinion
Arthur C. Clarke said "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
another thought for my

[Rehmmy]

I do not believe that, with as much effort as the war is taking at that point, the Council could spare the wizards to go through the rubble looking for bodies. 

I was under the impression that at the time of the Archangel battle; the attack on Archangel itself was the first major offensive by either side. The war had been going on for only a few months, a year at most. At the time of the attack I would think the Council could spare a few wizards, especially those good with earth or telekenitic magic to help move most of the debris. I still think the idea the Council would not search for the body  one of its strongest most trusted wizards.

[neurovore]

I was under the impression that at the time of the Archangel battle; the attack on Archangel itself was the first major offensive by either side. The war had been going on for only a few months, a year at most.

Yes, but look at what Harry says at the end of GP to Susan again.  Once the War has started, the Reds are making small raids all over the place pretty fast.  That and the number of assassination attempts Harry alone gets between GP and SK suggests to me that the White Council are under constant small-scale pressure, that there's an attack on random wizard X by a Red team at least every few days in that timespan.  Note also that the Council's practical response, at the bit of the Senior Council meeting after Harry's big dramatic section where he's basically sitting there being stunned and a grey-haired female Warden (not named, but really I think it has to be Luccio) gets up and starts talking about evacuations plans and so forth, which says to me the Wardens are retty busy taking care of the day-by-day attrition.

[Mister]

 a grey-haired female Warden (not named, but really I think it has to be Luccio)

I'm sure it was Luccio, and she will be ever so thrilled if she learns that he referred to her as 'an old battleax'.