White Council

The White Council is a large worldwide organization of human wizards, and is seen as their governing body.

Description
It is controlled by the Senior Council. The goal of the White Council is to protect mankind from the abuses of magic as outlined in the Laws of Magic.

The Council began as an advisory body to the Roman Senate until the Fall of Rome, when the Original Merlin founded it in order to prevent a situation where multiple wizard kings would fight each other constantly.

A number of formal roles exist within the Council, some of which are more secretive than others. These roles were assigned as the Council grew, in order to fulfill a particular need.

Senior Council
The Senior Council is the ruling body of the White Council. In theory the Senior Council is comprised of seven of the oldest wizards in the White Council. When a member dies, the next several eldest members of the White Council are put forth as candidates and one is selected to join.

In practice this tenet is not always held to. Gregori Cristos was selected as replacement to the deceased Aleron LaFortier even though it is implied he is far from the appropriate age to be normally considered. This selection implies that political skill and personal connections among the White Council might also be an important and unwritten requirement. When Ebenezar McCoy joined the Senior Council, there were several, if not dozens, of older wizards in contention, but he was appointed anyway because all of them either had reasons they couldn't accept the position or outright declined it.

Merlin
The Merlin is the leader of the Senior Council. When members of the Senior Council are absent without declaring a proxy, the Merlin is endowed with their votes. The position is named after the wizard who founded the Council.

The current Merlin is Arthur Langtry.

Gatekeeper
The Gatekeeper is a position in the White Council. The Gatekeeper's job is to scan warriors returning through the Outer Gates for infection with Nemesis or other influences. In this position, he works closely with the Faerie. The details of the position are not widely known in the Council; most consider the Outer Gates a metaphor.

The current Gatekeeper is Rashid.

Blackstaff
The Blackstaff is an unofficial position in the White Council.

Not a ranking in the Senior Council, nor an official position within the White Council, the Blackstaff is the sole person who can violate at his own judgement any of the Laws of Magic without retribution. The Blackstaff is also the keeper and wielder of a special staff, the Blackstaff, after which the position is named.

The position is currently held by Ebenezar McCoy, who has held it since before his appointment to the Senior Council. One such example of this is how McCoy used his magic to bring a decommissioned U.S.S.R. Communications satellite down on Duke Ortega's castle in Honduras, killing not only Red Court vampires, but also mortal villagers.

The Wardens
The Council's police force for wizards and practitioners. And, during The War they have also become a military branch.

The Council at Large
A Wizard has to have a certain level of power and ability to become a member of the Council.

History
The White Council has existed in one form or another since pre-Roman times.

Its headquarters have been moved several times. Among its place of location have been Alexandria, Carthage, Rome, the Vatican in the early days of the Christian Church, Constantinople and Madrid. Since the end of the Middle Ages, for a little under five hundred years, the White Council's headquarters have been the Hidden Halls of Edinburgh; the complex is located beneath the city, with its main part occupying the space under Castle Edinburgh.

The War between White Council of wizards and the Red Court of vampires has been going on between Grave Peril and Changes.

Other details
The Old School of Wizardry originated from the Old World—Western Europe—and maintains an attitude of: "maintain secrecy and don't attract attention".

Mind Magic Defense Training: Every wizard receives training in defence against mental assaults, though scant at best. Following the Laws of Magic, the Wardens kill whoever they catch practicing mind magic. They believe that there is no such thing as an expert in mind magic: Psychomancy. The Defense Training is devised by amateurs. After Samuel Peabody had mind-controlled most of the Senior Council and many of the Wardens and other Council members, the White Council institutes better defense training.

Robes
Formal robes were flowing black with stoles of satin and silk in one of the various colors and pattern of trim that denoted status.

Publications

 * Elementary Magic — by Ebenezar McCoy
 * Die Lied der Erlking — by Wizard Peabody
 * Necronomicon: intended purpose was to make certain the ritual in question isn't going to work due to supply and demand. If too many people use a rite, such as in Necromancy, then that depletes the source of energy needed to make it work.

Summer Knight
In Summer Knight, the White Council is holding a conclave in Chicago about The War. The Merlin and others on the Council are about to bring allegations against Harry Dresden accusing him of intentionally starting the War with the Red Court and placing the responsibility of the subsequent deaths on Dresden. Ebenezar McCoy gathers his friends—Joseph Listens-to-Wind and Martha Liberty—on the Senior Council to stand up for Dresden. One of his friends is Simon Pietrovich was recently killed when his fortress, Archangel, was attacked by the Reds. Martha Liberty and Listens-to-Wind are now one vote short to block The Merlin.

During the Conclave, Ebenezar McCoy got around the Merlin and was voted into the Senior Council, replacing Simon Pietrovich. Duke Paolo Ortega wrote, wanting Dresden extradited for trial by the Red Court as a criminal. The Merlin, along with Aleron LaFortier and Ancient Mai, tried to hang the full weight of The War on Dresden's shoulders and tried to strip Dresden of his status as a Council wizard. If succesful, they could ship him to Ortega. Ebenezar got the vote restricted to the Senior Council, which was split, three to three. It came down to Rashid, the Gatekeeper, who voted to have Dresden pass a test by fulfulling the Winter Queen's request and thereby securing safe passage through the Ways through the Nevernever for the White Council in The War.

Blood Rites
In Blood Rites,

Dead Beat
In Dead Beat, Harry Dresden decides to wait to call the Council about the Heirs of Kemmler because: 1: Marvra is holding something over Murphy if Dresden Calls for help, 2: The Council doesn't like Dresden and probably wouldn't come, and 3: they're busy with The War. Corpsetaker nearly kills Dresden with some powerful Psychomancy because of the rudimentary mind defense training the Council still uses even after a century. Dresden Calls the Council for help because he's way out of his league with the necromancers and Captain Anastasia Luccio answers the phone herself. Luccio brings some Wardens to a meeting at McAnally's Pub: Donald Morgan, Carlos Ramirez, and two trainees in brown robes Yoshimo and Kowalski. Luccio enlists Dresden into the Wardens because the The War is going badly—They've just lost about three-quarters of their Wardens. She and Morgan inform Dresden about the latest battles.

Proven Guilty
In Proven Guilty, there is a small trial held to condemn and execute a warlock. The Merlin chose Chicago to send a message to Harry Dresden to toe the line. At the end, there was another warlock trial for Molly Carpenter. She was eventually freed and made Dresden's apprentice under the Doom of Damocles. At the end of Proven Guilty, the Council holds a trial for Molly Carpenter charging her with being a Warlock. She is nearly executed just because the Merlin doesn't like Dresden, until her father, Michael Carpenter enters with several Senior Council members he just saved in a battle in the War.

Small Favor
In Small Favor,

Turn Coat
In Turn Coat,

Ghost Story
In Ghost Story, with the Red Court vanquished, they have been very busy chasing down supernatural threats all over. They consider Molly Carpenter to be a criminal now that Harry Dresden is dead—the Wardens are hunting her to pass sentence on her—though Carlos Ramirez hasn't been trying that hard to find her.

Cold Days
In Cold Days, they are busy fighting the Fomor. The word is that they are operating around the coasts of Europe, especially the Mediterranean. Lara's operation shares some information with them and they too. but they are not an alliance. In the US, Carlos Ramirez had been hurt real bad the previous year, he's not back in action yet.Warden Bill Meyers in Texas is giving the Fomor hell. The Wardens in Baltimore and San Diego are holding their own.