Girl Genius XVII: And Then He Had Pie

[Calemyr]

With all the talk about the first Heterodyne and the similarities with mongolian conquests of Europe I remembered one interesting thing about this region of Asia: overtone singing. Could this be the trademark Heterodyne style of singing (or humming)?

Well, Heterodyne refers to dual frequencies and Overtone singing is singing in dual tones. Overtone singing (according to Wikipedia) originates in Mongolia and so did the first Heterodyne. It does seem to fit together nicely, too nicely to be readily dismissed as coincidence.

We know that one of the (many) things that make Heterodynes so powerful is their dual-tone technique (Agatha's humming, for instance), which I suppose focuses the Mad Place in a way most sparks can't manage (little Agatha claims it helps her to think). A cross between meditation and the effect of music on the mind.

[Porthos]

Sneaky Gate:

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Nice to see a person who has the correct priorities in life.

Also, love the Bayeux tapestry reference.

[ChowGuy]

Well, Heterodyne refers to dual frequencies

As used in early radio (later replaced by the Superheterodyne). You know the "spark gap" days?

[With a box]

Wait, if term heterodyne and spark (gap) both came from radio tech term (witch lacked in GG world) can be other terms came from there, too?

[ChowGuy]

Wait, if term heterodyne and spark (gap) both came from radio tech term (witch lacked in GG world) can be other terms came from there, too?

You mean like the "Girl Genius Radio Theater" (Upon the Aether!)? I Dunno. Ask the professors.

But the Empire has some way of staying in touch with it's airships, and I don't think it was just the the heliotropes they use for "melting pipple down below into leeddle puddles."

[With a box]

No I means that long range wireless radio tech dosen't exsist. If there is, there is no reason king have to be in battle (he could order army in his hospitol be)

[ChowGuy]

No I means that long range wireless radio tech dosen't exsist. If there is, there is no reason king have to be in battle (he could order army in his hospitol be)

Or in his War Room at/on his Castle? But if you're reffering to the Baron, he likes to see the field, even though he can run things just fine from his hospital bed.

But what does where The Professors (Phil and Kaja) borrow terms from, have to do with what devices they put into their world?

[Corneel]

For those who might have missed the Bilingual Bonus in this little story. "Booswicht" is a word for villain in Dutch...

[wingnutx]

I'm not a big fan of this, but he certainly does post promptly.

[stsasser]

I'm not a big fan of this, but he certainly does post promptly.

The tech linking the cathedral and Martellus' fortress..and Zeetha's Queen Luheia's Mirror... is outlined.

Is De Ht'Rok'Din Early Skifanderian? Too many mysteries solved?

[eee]

I wonder what the Ht'Rok'Din's motivation is in this? What seemed to rouse him to action was the Student's comment about Agatha, and the realization that he had descendants...

[With a box]

I can't image what will happen in next page at all. maybe there will be part two of it? of it will be solved in main comic?
and there is an faster rss feed for is? mine looks slow(almost 4 hour...) updated

[gooddragon1]

What is the emperor of mankind doing without his power armor? And did he dye his hair?

[eee]

You'd think a guy with the villainous chops of the Professor would know his tropes better. Like "Don't disparage heroism and threaten the lead character while not watching your back".

This somewhat explains the Ht'Rok'Din's motivation. He wants to be Kang the Conquerer. :)

[Radar]

Small detail: each page of the filler has a different adjective describing Cheyenne Wright.
Also, we have only one page left to conclude the story.

[Porthos]

Sneaky Gate is up

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Huh. Travelling forward in time gave the Ht'Rok'Din the ambition to sire/start a dynasty. Well, not quite what I was expecting, but it works well enough for the genre of College Students Meddling In Forces They Don't Understand.

At least we get confirmation which one this is. And it ain't Knife.

[Edited in: Though, I suppose, it could have been Knife. If he was the one who then decided to drink from the dyne after this expereince. But still seems to me that it better fits this being the first Ht'Rok'Din, sketch from the Secret Blueprints be damned.]

All in all a fun little diversion, even if the ending was a tad weak. The professor saying "Of course, I'm out to enslave the world [just not today]" did help though.

[scienceguy8]

Sneaky Gate is up

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Huh. Travelling forward in time gave the Ht'rok-din the ambition to sire/start a dynasty. Well, not quite what I was expecting, but it works well enough for the genre of College Students Meddling In Forces They Don't Understand.

At least we get confirmation which one this is. And it ain't Knife.

All in all a fun little diversion, even if the ending was a tad weak. The professor saying "Of course, I'm out to enslave the world [just not today]" did help though.

Spoiler: Speculation!

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I knew I should have posted my speculation last week! This is almost what I had in mind. Although, I pegged the professor as being sincere and the Ht'Rok'Din as being smart enough to send himself back, drink heavily, and forget any of this happened in order to preserve the flow of time.

[Veridis Quo]

Sneaky Gate is up

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Huh. Travelling forward in time gave the Ht'Rok'Din the ambition to sire/start a dynasty. Well, not quite what I was expecting, but it works well enough for the genre of College Students Meddling In Forces They Don't Understand.

At least we get confirmation which one this is. And it ain't Knife.

[Edited in: Though, I suppose, it could have been Knife. If he was the one who then decided to drink from the dyne after this expereince. But still seems to me that it better fits this being the first Ht'Rok'Din, sketch from the Secret Blueprints be damned.]

All in all a fun little diversion, even if the ending was a tad weak. The professor saying "Of course, I'm out to enslave the world [just not today]" did help though.

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Stable time loop achieved. The Ht'Rok'Din realizes that he establishes a gigantic empire after seeing historical records from the future and immediately sends himself back to make sure that it happens. I was on the fence with this filler for a page or two but it turned out much better than I anticipated.

[eee]

I'm rather pleased with how this turned out. The Professor is shown to be evil but still a pretty rational guy, the Ht'Rok'Din turns out to be intelligent (THAT explains why he reacted to the news he had descendants), his coming WAS foretold, and all's well. Except I don't quite see why DuMedd and Frey have to help Winters repair the wall she blew out; but it is funny.

An excellent intermission.

I wonder what sort of disaster we're going to come back to...

[Hurkyl]

I agree; I thought this was an excellent ending.

Except I don't quite see why DuMedd and Frey have to help Winters repair the wall she blew out; but it is funny.

That one's easy: he's making them rue the day they chose to defy him.

[Porthos]

That one's easy: he's making them rue the day they chose to defy him.

That, and it looks like they are fixing the brickwork they blew up in the first page.

[memnarch]

I really liked this intermission. An excellent short story.

[The Glyphstone]

I think this is the first intermission I've really enjoyed.

[eee]

Gadzooks, the page started loading slowly on my computer, I read the top of the first speech balloon... and had absolutely no idea what was going on.

There IS a giant wagon like that in Spokane, in Riverfront Park.

[Grif]

This page is very fonny.

[Kislath]

I thought that they took themselves out of the running for the Hugo Awards??

[With a box]

I thought that they took themselves out of the running for the Hugo Awards??

It looks like they entryed with volume 13
and I think they get 3td (if they listed on count)

P.S Doctor who takes 2,4,5,6th in (Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form) but first prize is game of throne...

[The Glyphstone]

I thought that they took themselves out of the running for the Hugo Awards??

They won in 2009, 2010, and 2011, the first three years Best Graphic Story was a voteable category. After that, they stopped entering because they felt the category needed to be proven to have legitimacy and secure its permanent status, rather than a Girl Genius promotion vehicle. It became permanent in 2012, so I guess a two-year lull was enough in their eyes.

[Persephone_Kore]

To the best of my understanding: They won the award the first three years running, sat out deliberately the year after that, then somehow didn't end up on the ballot even though they hadn't meant to sit out again. This year they were in the running again but lost.

[factotum]

I LOLed at the final panel, particularly when it said that was an actual quote from his son...