In order to know how "fair" Odin is in his dealings, I need only to look at the options offered:
That's for forever. Not a "year and a day". Not for a number of visits. Not even for a specified peple. All Odin's servants (a list which arguably includes ALL WINTER FAE) will be able to freely enter and leave our Domain, whatever it is. For 3 points. And even IC we have a feeling that Odin knows about our future Kingdom. While we don't. That's not just shortchanging us, that's classical fae word dickery meant to put us in perpetual position of weakness in regards to him. For 3 points, mind you. Which is equivalent of fighting for him once. So, on his balance sheet, eternal disadvantage is equal to one fight. So, yes, of course I expect him to try and get as much from one fight as he would from free passage into our soul, forever. So, yes, I expect him to entrap us somehow. He'd be stupid not to - we are an infernal exalt; binding us to him gives him an almost impossible advantage.
No. We are negotiating with Donar Vadderung, CEO of Monoc Securities for the use of some of his employees.
Kris Kringle, Santa Claus and a Winter King, is a different legal entity.
Its explicitly stated that Mab can summon and make requests of Kringle, but not of Vadderung.
Neither Kringle nor Vadderung rule or command winter fae. We've never seen it happen in canon.
There is no evidence that Odin Allfather knows about our Kingdom.
This reads as classic "can seek sanctuary " and "can have free passage" provisions, amounting to automatic guest right. It isnt unrestricted, and does not mean that that they can wander at will through places that we control.
There's a reason its worth only 3 points, same as Molly's intervention on a battlefield ONCE.
Do I even need to discuss this? He wants a host of his own exalted (and yes, I am fairly sure he'd be able to arrange appropriate hosts loyal to him). For a steal.
Based on just these two options and their costs, Odin is absolutely planning to short change us using our relative ignorance and high levels of desperation.
No offense, but you do realize that there are other reasons for seeking Exaltations?
Like denying them to the Yama Kings who have been recorded to attempt to use Exaltations as weapons in this quest?
Isnt that literally how Mab's forces captured Usum's shard, when Emma-O's forces tried to wield it against Winter?
Arent we literally dealing with a YK attempt to recover our Exaltation?
Isnt it literally quest backstory that Winter's reaction to recovering Usum's shard was to bury it and sit on it for hundreds of years?
The fact that you think he can arrange a host for an Exaltation is kinda wild. Thats never been how Exaltations work.
Im not arguing that Odin is some altruist, or that we should give the dude a blank check, but these are arguments that ignore his backstory in the setting and his own self-interest.
To say nothing of the possibility that he could throw us up against something nasty and leave us in a lurch… could he do that?
Again, reputation is currency in this universe.
Who is going to work for you, and do business with you, if they think you are going to dump them in trouble and bail?
Remember that Nicodemus has been a bad, bad man for two thousand years.
And yet it was treachery against people who he hired that destroyed Nicodemus' reputation and his ability to operate in the supernatural world after Skin Game.
Aye, and he might well consider it an opportunity to gain more power… how subordinate is he to Mab in this role? Could Mab order him to do leave us out to dry against a dangerous foe, with the intent that we perish in battle?
Also, there wouldn't be anything stopping him reverse-engineering whatever we give him, replicating it himself, or even using it against us if it came to that?
How? Two different Yomi Hells held Usum for hundreds of years and couldnt do it.
Winter's reaction to coming into possession of an Infernal shard was to bury it in Arctis Tor, the most secure spot in Winter, away from mortals and anyone who might try to use it.
Do you have any reason to believe Odin's intentions are any different?
Mab cant give him orders. Cant compel him. Word of Jim.
We are being asked to make cars and magic weapons.
Odin was the person responsible for teaching the original Merlin magic. Magic crafting is not in his portfolio. It wasnt in the portfolio of the old Norse pantheon either; they went to the dwarves for their crafting in Norse mythology.
Bro, naagloshii has lost everytime its mentioned in the book.
Listens to the wind beat it, that warden beat it, theres literally multiple of them trapped in demon reach.
Its not a big deal. Like its a miniboss at best.
And it doesn't matter if you know the weakeness of something, if they can turn you into salsa with a strike.
Nicodemus has lost every time he showed up in the books.
So has Cowl.
It doesnt make any of them any less dangerous.
You're literally saying this after the Arawn affair where Kattrin et al tried to eat someone stronger than them because they knew his weaknesses. Where Dresden killed a Faerie Queen in Summer Knight because he knew her weakness. And destroyed the White King in Blood Rites because he figured out his weakness. And almost killed Nicodemus, not once but twice, by figuring out his weakness.
Knowing a person's weakness has repeatedly been demonstrated in this setting to be a very big lever.