Dresden Files
Register
Advertisement
White Court

The Deeps is a cave on the Raith estate. They first appear in Blood Rites then again in White Night

Description[]

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Bowling for Vampires!Harry Dresden[1]

The Deeps is an old cave on the northern edge of the property of Raith estate. It has a natural chasm that no one is sure how deep it is. House Raith uses it for disposing of bodies.[2] It is also used for White Court Conclaves. 

In Blood Rites, the cave is described as bigger than most cathedrals, and sort of resembled one, the cave was of living rock, the walls shaped by water into smooth organic curves. The floor sloped up to where a an enormous throne intricately carved of white stone stood. Water fell in a fine mist. Lights played in soft colors on the walls and in the mist. To the left of the throne was jagged, broken gap and behind it was darkness. It was decorated with pillows, cushions, woven carpets and tables decked with wine and finger foods. — There was a raised stone platform in the shape of a circle about ten feet across, with a thaumaturgy triangle of equilateral shape. Thomas Raith was chained to the floor in the center of the triangle to be sacrificed for a ritual spell to kill Dresden.[3]

In White Night, Justine led Harry Dresden and Carlos Ramirez through the entrance to the Deeps: a fissure with a descent into the earth. This led to a torchlit tunnel. Both the fissure and tunnel had polished, smooth walls. There were the echoing sounds of music, voices and dancing.[4]

Dresden describes the cavern as having a huge arched ceiling that vanished into shadow overhead. The floor and walls were grey, shot through here and there with strands of green, dark red, and cobalt. Everything was smooth and rounded, no jagged edges could be seen. The lights were soft amber, orange and scarlet that seemed to be automatically moving. The furniture was arranged in three large groupings for the three White Court houses. The floor abruptly ends a yawning abyss, dropping into the bowels of the earth, perhaps into its “intestinal tract”. The floor had a series of inch-high ripples moving up toward the White King's throne. The throne's crest was decorated in Celtic-style bas-relief, probably obscene, scenes.[5]

In the series[]

Blood Rites[]

In Blood Rites, Thomas Raith has been taken captive by his father, Lord Raith, the king of the White Court. Justine, though frail manages to point out where Thomas is and Lara Raith Identifies it as the Deeps.[2] Thomas was taken there and tied to a stone table where a ritual curse is to be performed on Harry Dresden by Madge Shelly using Thomas as a sacrifice. Lord Raith intends to remove both of Margaret LeFay's sons and thereby removing her death curse from him.[3]

White Night[]

In White Night, the White Court is holding a meeting of the three Houses in the Deeps. Harry Dresden and Carlos Ramirez go there to specifically challenge Madrigal Raith and Vittorio Malvora the murders of several female practitioners in violation of the Unseelie Accords.[5] The duel proceeds with Dresden and Ramirez killing Madrigal and about to end Malvora. That is when Malvora calls out "Master!" and rift opens up letting in masses of Ice Age-looking ghouls.[1]

A huge battle battle breaks out. Dresden opens his own rift letting in his own allies (Thomas, Murphy, Marcone and his men with Hendricks) enter the fray. At some point, Dresden thinks he sees Cowl. Even with help, escape seems impossible.[6] Dresden won't leave without the human thralls and the future of the White Council depends on helping Lara Raith and House Raith escape. There is a harrowing, daring, improbable, and eye-popping effort to escape. Marcone had set charges, that blew up the cave and the ghouls. And presumably Vittorio Malvora.[7]

The whole place collapsed on itself. There's a huge hole in the ground. The manor's plumbing got torn up, and the foundation is cracked. Lara Raith's upset about the cost and there is no more easy corpse disposal that they had in that deep abyss inside the cavern. [8]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 White Night, ch. 38
  2. 2.0 2.1 Blood Rites, ch. 37
  3. 3.0 3.1 Blood Rites, ch. 40
  4. White Night, ch. 36
  5. 5.0 5.1 White Night, ch. 37
  6. White Night, ch. 39
  7. White Night, ch. 41–42
  8. White Night, ch. 43

See also[]

Advertisement