The Za-Lord's Guard is a small group of minor faeries—Wee Folk, sometimes called Pixies, that is dedicated to the protection of Harry Dresden, whom they've deemed the "Pizza Lord", or "Za-Lord" for short. The first time Harry learned of the name: "Za-Lord's Guard's" is in Small Favor, but the Guard actually began in Summer Knight.
Description
The Za-Lord's Guard provides information and aid to Harry on numerous occasions throughout the series.
Small Favor
- Main article: Small Favor
The name Za-Lord is short for 'Pizza Lord'. The moniker stems from the fact that Harry would often give the fae pizza in exchange for their assistance. The Guard is a comprised of small fae, Wee Folk, under the leadership of Toot-Toot, usually armed with bottle caps as armor and cocktail swords, box knives, and the like for weapons.[1]
As described by Toot-Toot, "Who do you think keeps the Dread Beast Mister from killing the brownies when they come to clean your apartment? We do! Who lays low the mice and rats and ugly spiders who might crawl into your bed and nibble your toes? We do! Fear not, Za-Lord! Neither the foulest rats nor the cleverest insects shall disturb your home while we draw breath!"[1]
Some of the Wee Folk who had been held prisoner by the "pale hunters" (in White Night) have joined the guard. Toot says that many of his people are very beholden to Harry for freeing them.[1]
Turn Coat
- Main article: Turn Coat
In Turn Coat, Harry gives Toot the task to form a militia and asks how many he can get. Toot tells Harry that for him "every sprite and pixie and dew drop faerie within a hundred miles knows that you saved our kind from the Lady of the Cold Eyes! There's not a one who didn't have a comrade or kin languishing in durance vile!"[2]
In Turn Coat, what the Za-Lord's Guard mostly means is that they hang around Harry's place hoping for extra pizza and protect it from wee threats. They give Harry their loyalty, albeit erratic, for a regular supply of pizza. Toot-Toot and his folks have done some very helpful tasks for Harry and saved him more than once. [3]
The Za-Lord's Militia is created, recruiting more fairies. Unlike the Guard, which is full-time, the Militia is only called upon sometimes. Harry also pronounces Toot-Toot "Major-General Toot-Toot Minimus commanding the Za-Lord's Elite".[2]
Changes
- Main article: Changes
In Changes, Harry says that people greatly underestimate the Little Folk. Within their limits, they are "as good or better than anything else for getting information". There are a lot of them in Chicago willing to help Harry out.[4]
Harry tells Sanya that Toot-Toot and about a hundred smaller ones, plus five times that many part-timers are small fae he can call in once in a while. They don't "serve" him, as Sanya put it. They have a business arrangement they all like. They help him and he provides regular pizza for them.[4]
The Za-Lord's Guard is recognizable by the orange plastic casings on the box-cutters they wear strapped to their backs, as a way to distinguish the Guard from the MiIlitia.[4]
In the series
Summer Knight
- Main article: Summer Knight (novel)
In Summer Knight, in their early beginnings, before they get a name, Harry had recruited Toot-Toot and his fellow faeries. Harry pays them in Pizza. Harry learns that the Winter Lady in Undertown and the Summer Lady is in some high-rise. Toot assigns Elidee to be Harry's guide to the Winter Lady through Undertown. Later, to assist him in the battle between the Summer Court and the Winter Court.[5] At the epilogue of the book, Harry is able to defeat defeat Aurora and stop her from defeating the Winter Court. [6]
Small Favor
- Main article: Small Favor
In Small Favor, Harry calls Toot-Toot ask him to find out what the Wee Folk know about the use of black magic to destroy a building. But before Toot could get the information, three gruffs with guns come after Harry, Toot-Toot yells: "Run!"[1] During the harrowing chase, Toot's guides Harry away from the Gruffs while the rest of the Za-Lord's Guard formed a perimeter of glowing balls of light that moved with Harry—a "wary ring of sentinels".[7]
Turn Coat
- Main article: Turn Coat
In Turn Coat, Toot-Toot, the Guard and the new Militia join Harry for the big showdown on Demonreach. They help in numerous ways via Harry's orders: help set off the fireworks, attack the flanks of the Grey Men, put a guard around Billy and Georgia who had been incapacitated by the White Court vampire's mojo.[8]
Changes
- Main article: Changes
In Changes, Toot-Toot and the Guard's mission is to locate Susan Rodriguez who's gone missing. He finds her being held at the FBI Headquarters. After they succeed, the Za-Lord's Guard and the Malitia descend upon a stack of pizzas like a scene out of The Birds. Hundreds of tiny fae rush in with twinkles and flashes of color and their wings beating the wind.[4]
Cold Days
- Main article: Cold Days
In Cold Days, Toot and the Guard pick up Harry at the portal from Arctis Tor in the Munstermobile.[9] The guard does battle with Captain Hook and his group Wee Folk. [10] Harry assigned the Guard to spread out to key points around Lake Michigan seeking the location of where a ritual spell might be set up so that Harry and team can stop it.[11]
Members
Ranks
- Major General[9]
- Kernel (Colonel)[9]
- Caption (Captain)[5]
- Loo Tender (Lieutenant)[5]
- Star Jump (Sergeant)[5]
- Corpse Oral (Corporal)[5]
- First Class Privy (Private, First Class)[5]
- Second Class Privy (Private, Second Class)[5]
Quotes
"It's sort of pretty. In a Jaws kind of way." ~ Billy Borden watching a group tiny fae devour a pizza—Summer Knight.[5]
"Pizza, pizza, pizza!"[5]
"Ten Huts! Ten Huts!"[5]
"Surrender, Villain! Face the justice of the Za Lord!" ~ Toot-Toot to Lacuna the first time they battle[10]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Small Favor, ch. 5
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Turn Coat, ch. 38
- ↑ Turn Coat, ch. 21
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Changes, ch. 33
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 Summer Knight, ch. 13
- ↑ Summer Knight, ch. 33
- ↑ Small Favor, ch. 7
- ↑ Turn Coat, ch. 42 & 43
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Cold Days, ch. 9
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Cold Days, ch. 12
- ↑ Cold Days, ch. 28