Girl Genius XXIV: Ask Vit a Bit More Terror

[Shining Wrath]

I'm pretty sure Tarvek was born with that dial on '13'. It'd take differential calculus equations to express where he's at now.

You have to be as a Sturmvorous. You'll get assassinated in the womb otherwise.

He uses the Sturmvorous dial, where a setting of '1' corresponds to "I just saw you try to kill me" and goes up from there. His "11" is roughly equivalent to Agatha's 12341458158092138401985091850918243509182509285309 18350981350981329581230958102938985301923859012835 0912835098123508.

[keybounce]

Do you really doubt that the Foglios would pass up any opportunity to add extra drama and extend the story by another 80 pages? Clearly, everything Agatha needs will be conveniently missing and/or destroyed. This is the story that never ends.

Now, now, this story has an actual ending, much like OOTS does. There's an overall plot, predetermined pacing order (which locations to go to, what has to happen in each, etc), and while the details may finagle a little (move 8 pages from the end of one book to the beginning of the next), it does have a wrap up.

Adding 80 pages? Sure, that's half a book.

Adding 380 pages and a full book? Without advancing the plot? That critique belongs in a different castle comic forum.

[Rockphed]

Now, now, this story has an actual ending, much like OOTS does. There's an overall plot, predetermined pacing order (which locations to go to, what has to happen in each, etc), and while the details may finagle a little (move 8 pages from the end of one book to the beginning of the next), it does have a wrap up.

Adding 80 pages? Sure, that's half a book.

Adding 380 pages and a full book? Without advancing the plot? That critique belongs in a different castle comic forum.

Are we picking on Erfworld now? Because it sounds like we are picking on Erfworld. Or the "everybody gets sick" arc from the castle.

[eee]

This is interesting. I can't find an Internet definition of exactly what a Scoundrel's Tea is.

[Shining Wrath]

This is interesting. I can't find an Internet definition of exactly what a Scoundrel's Tea is.

It seems to be tea without etiquette rules.

[Ellen]

What? You don't trust the character who was introduced and instructed specifically to seduce Agatha? Good heavens!

Oh, he's up to no good. But, there's distrusting him as being loyal to Albia first and not really caring about Agatha and there's distrusting him the way we distrust Tweedle or wondering if he's working for the Other or himself or if he's responsible for the dead bodies or maybe something I haven't even thought of.

Put another way: Is up to no good? Or is he up to some pure evil? Or even just low good content evil?

[Gez]

This is interesting. I can't find an Internet definition of exactly what a Scoundrel's Tea is.

There are a few divergences between our world and the Girl Genius setting. Scoundrel's Tea appears to be one of these.

[Shining Wrath]

Oh, he's up to no good. But, there's distrusting him as being loyal to Albia first and not really caring about Agatha and there's distrusting him the way we distrust Tweedle or wondering if he's working for the Other or himself or if he's responsible for the dead bodies or maybe something I haven't even thought of.

Put another way: Is up to no good? Or is he up to some pure evil? Or even just low good content evil?

To be fair, there are other legitimate viewpoints besides Agatha's. It is not fair to call everyone who opposes her "evil". I think it's fair to call The Other evil, but people The Other has deceived (i.e., the Geisterdamen) may not be evil, just wrong. Albia may put the security of England ahead of all other considerations; as Queen, she should, even if that's at cross-purposes to Agatha. The Jagers are fanatically loyal to Agatha, but that doesn't make them Good by most alignment tests.

So I think what we're wondering about Rakethorn is what sort of anti-Agatha is he?

1. He enjoys seducing pretty girls and getting paid by the Queen to do so is just icing on the cake
2. He serves the Queen loyally with his particular set of skills
3. He's serving some other master than Albia
4. He's actually an evil mastermind with his own agenda

(1) through (3) the question of "How evil is Rakethorn" is dependent upon the question of "How evil is the person he serves?". I have my doubts about Albia being benign; and as noted above, even if she is just protecting England to the best of her ability in a dangerous world, well, I've read The Prince and understand just how far one can travel down that path.

It would be an interesting plot twist if Rakethorn actually served Grandma Sturmvorous. No evidence supports that, of course, just spitballing about #3.

[Rogar Demonblud]

I suspect if he serves someone besides Albia, it will be the same conspiracy as Lady Steelgarter. We've already had the multiple conspiracy pile-up storyline.

[The Glyphstone]

Which makes me wonder if either Albia is less infallible than she presents herself, or if she's playing the same game as the Master of Paris and letting conspiracies run to dissuade genuine threats against her rule. The Foglios made a big deal of emphasizing that going against her wishes is 'literally unthinkable', and we later saw with Vapnoople that it apparent involves mind-reading at the minimum (no evidence yet of outright mind control). Something in England she doesn't know about seems highly unlikely.

[Shining Wrath]

Which makes me wonder if either Albia is less infallible than she presents herself, or if she's playing the same game as the Master of Paris and letting conspiracies run to dissuade genuine threats against her rule. The Foglios made a big deal of emphasizing that going against her wishes is 'literally unthinkable', and we later saw with Vapnoople that it apparent involves mind-reading at the minimum (no evidence yet of outright mind control). Something in England she doesn't know about seems highly unlikely.

There's two ways to deal with Albia's mind reading - a Professor Snape level of self-control, or never be interesting enough that she turns her mind-reading power in your direction. Rakethorn might be practicing the second form of deception.

Being the playboy Spark who isn't very smart might make Albia ignore him; at her age, it's possible that she finds hypersexual people tiresome. She is presumably not a virgin queen a la Elizabeth I, so imagine how many times she's had sex over hundreds of years. Also, I think that her natural size is now thirty or forty feet tall, and coming down to mortal size requires some effort. Our Albia may have reached the point where sex is a tiresome bother, in which case reading the mind of a "playboy" would be tedium.

[Fyraltari]

I suspect if he serves someone besides Albia, it will be the same conspiracy as Lady Steelgarter. We've already had the multiple conspiracy pile-up storyline.

Isn't that the entire comic?

There's two ways to deal with Albia's mind reading - a Professor Snape level of self-control, or never be interesting enough that she turns her mind-reading power in your direction. Rakethorn might be practicing the second form of deception.

Being the playboy Spark who isn't very smart might make Albia ignore him; at her age, it's possible that she finds hypersexual people tiresome. She is presumably not a virgin queen a la Elizabeth I, so imagine how many times she's had sex over hundreds of years. Also, I think that her natural size is now thirty or forty feet tall, and coming down to mortal size requires some effort. Our Albia may have reached the point where sex is a tiresome bother, in which case reading the mind of a "playboy" would be tedium.

And you are basing that on ?

[BRC]

Don't we know Rakethorn's Agenda? Albia sent him to seduce Agatha (In more ways than one), and get her to stay in England as a member of Albia's "Garden". Did I miss something for why we're speculating he's part of some anti-Albia conspiracy.

[PraetorDragoon]

Don't we know Rakethorn's Agenda? Albia sent him to seduce Agatha (In more ways than one), and get her to stay in England as a member of Albia's "Garden". Did I miss something for why we're speculating he's part of some anti-Albia conspiracy.

Our suspicion dials got turned up to 13.

[eee]

Wait. Higgs was in the first panel, and then he disappeared? Does anyone recognize the guy in the doorway who Higgs seems to find rather interesting?

There are a few divergences between our world and the Girl Genius setting. Scoundrel's Tea appears to be one of these.

Actually I found internet references to Scoundrel's Tea. But no explanation as to what it is.

[HandofShadows]

Being the playboy Spark who isn't very smart might make Albia ignore him; at her age, it's possible that she finds hypersexual people tiresome. She is presumably not a virgin queen a la Elizabeth I, so imagine how many times she's had sex over hundreds of years. Also, I think that her natural size is now thirty or forty feet tall, and coming down to mortal size requires some effort. Our Albia may have reached the point where sex is a tiresome bother, in which case reading the mind of a "playboy" would be tedium.

They mention on This Page about Royal Princess's so Albia must have had kids some time.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Or she adopted. But just because she is interested in sex sometimes doesn't mean that this is one of those times.

[keybounce]

Are we picking on Erfworld now? Because it sounds like we are picking on Erfworld. Or the "everybody gets sick" arc from the castle.

Of course we're picking on ErfWorld. A once-great comic that has lost it's way.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Great? Not really. Good and entertaining, yes, but it was never great.

[Kantaki]

New comic

This will end with fire.
Fire and loads of dead bodies.
But as long as everybody keeps their hats everything will turn out fine.

[Traab]

But violetta left the room still alive. And is likely tracking madame 4 arms. This could get complicated. Violetta is trying to be discreet, zeetha and the jaegers are... whats the opposite of discreet? Yeah, this could cause issues.

[factotum]

But violetta left the room still alive.

It doesn't actually say that? One of the options Zeetha offered was that Violetta was being carried by the other participant in the fight, which still leaves the window open for "killed and body dumped elsewhere". My own suspicion is that Lady Steelgarter didn't look in any state to be carrying bodies for long distances, but the possibility can't be discounted.

[Shining Wrath]

Isn't that the entire comic?

And you are basing that on ?

Describe for me other mechanisms of not having your mind read by someone who can do so at will. I'll entertain them. Starting with "Sparky device that shields your mind and supplies innocent thoughts for her to read", which would be a stretch, but GG allows for "magic".

It doesn't actually say that? One of the options Zeetha offered was that Violetta was being carried by the other participant in the fight, which still leaves the window open for "killed and body dumped elsewhere". My own suspicion is that Lady Steelgarter didn't look in any state to be carrying bodies for long distances, but the possibility can't be discounted.

Vi left with Steelgarter. She didn't arrive at Eyeball's door with Steelgarter. If Steelgarter carried her, then she must have dumped her someplace, in one of the secret tunnels, and quickly - carrying a body through the halls might attract suspicion. I think it's more likely that Steelgarter thought she had killed Vi, but Vi followed her. The boyz don't seem to think that Vi was dead, and I do believe Jagers know dead when they smell it.

[geoduck]

Vi left with Steelgarter. She didn't arrive at Eyeball's door with Steelgarter.

She didn't arrive openly. Since she's a Smoke Knight, she could have been standing right there listening to the whole conversation.

As for today's comic, geez Phil, what are you doing to poor Maxim's face?

[eee]

It's worth noting that all four of these characters worked together and got to know each other pretty well during the 2.5 years Agatha was in transit. Naturally they're a team.

It doesn't actually say that? One of the options Zeetha offered was that Violetta was being carried by the other participant in the fight, which still leaves the window open for "killed and body dumped elsewhere". My own suspicion is that Lady Steelgarter didn't look in any state to be carrying bodies for long distances, but the possibility can't be discounted.

Wild speculation: It would appear Lady Steelgarter's four armed (if not fore-warned) nature is confusing the Jagers and Zeetha as to how many combatants there were in the fight. But what if it's not? What if there was a third participant who joined the fight, either invisibly or later on? And that's why Violetta is still alive even though Lady S thinks she's dead, and why she can't be found. Because the third participant - who might have been a lady, too - saved her, picked her up, and took her with her.

We'll see.

[CawCawMarmalade]

Lets say 1½? :P

And its not certain organic samples can be used. Actually its likely they cant. Or else a few hair should have been both enough, and easy to get.

Nah, hair is replaced quickly, and Lady Steelgarter is safe to assume that Zeetha cut her hair at some point after leaving Skifander. Most other tissues are replaced at a rate that would make it impossible to be used, true.

But there are some that should work: Tooth enamel, brain matter, and certain tendons.

[Fyraltari]

There's two ways to deal with Albia's mind reading - a Professor Snape level of self-control, or never be interesting enough that she turns her mind-reading power in your direction. Rakethorn might be practicing the second form of deception.

Being the playboy Spark who isn't very smart might make Albia ignore him; at her age, it's possible that she finds hypersexual people tiresome. She is presumably not a virgin queen a la Elizabeth I, so imagine how many times she's had sex over hundreds of years. Also, I think that her natural size is now thirty or forty feet tall, and coming down to mortal size requires some effort. Our Albia may have reached the point where sex is a tiresome bother, in which case reading the mind of a "playboy" would be tedium.

Describe for me other mechanisms of not having your mind read by someone who can do so at will. I'll entertain them. Starting with "Sparky device that shields your mind and supplies innocent thoughts for her to read", which would be a stretch, but GG allows for "magic".

You are assuming she does it at will and it's not an additional passive sense she can't shut off anymore than than I shut my hearing off. You are assuming she can deciphers actual thoughts* rather than estimate intellectual capabilities. You are also assuming it is in fact possible to resist it by self control when it may not. She may be able to perceives someone's general character like Om in Small Gods or she may not. All we know right now is that she can "see" minds which is pretty unclear.

*Which is a pretty tall order, I don't know about you but my stream of consciousness tends to jump between subjects, memories, intentions, feelings, half-formed sentences, etc. I'd be surprised if anyone monitoring my thoughts at a random time would get anything useful.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Welp, that's it for this dome.

[Shining Wrath]

You are assuming she does it at will and it's not an additional passive sense she can't shut off anymore than than I shut my hearing off. You are assuming she can deciphers actual thoughts* rather than estimate intellectual capabilities. You are also assuming it is in fact possible to resist it by self control when it may not. She may be able to perceives someone's general character like Om in Small Gods or she may not. All we know right now is that she can "see" minds which is pretty unclear.

*Which is a pretty tall order, I don't know about you but my stream of consciousness tends to jump between subjects, memories, intentions, feelings, half-formed sentences, etc. I'd be surprised if anyone monitoring my thoughts at a random time would get anything useful.

Review the Vapnoople sequence starting here. She certainly seems to be making an effort to see his mind (it's not a passive always on sense), she can tell his mind has been disassembled, and she "detects no malice in him whatsoever", which may not count as reading his thoughts but for purposes of knowing Rakethorn was up to no good would be effective. She can also see that Gil is speaking truthfully. Note: Gil. As in one of the most powerful Sparks alive, and she knows it, and yet is confident she can trust what he's saying.

For purposes of Rakethorn getting away with plotting against Albia, she can detect malice, she can detect lies; he's either got some way of fooling her abilities, or he's managed to avoid her notice. Or, of course, he's not trying to betray her at all and need not fear these abilities.

[Manga Shoggoth]

As for today's comic, geez Phil, what are you doing to poor Maxim's face?

Oh, come on! This is England! He's got a cold!

EDIT: Oops! That's Dimo...