Girl Genius XXXII: The scientific method at work!

[St Fan]

I might be reading too much from the cat's full-fanged smile, but I can't shake off the feeling that Krosp is very much enjoying himself...

[geoduck]

The Wulfenbach spark is also unusual, in that it seems to bestow an incredibly high resilience to mania. To the point where Klaus seems to be outright immune, but he's also possibly got 'creation of mad science' going for him. It's possible that Gil also has some level of resistance to the spark heirachy, I'd argue out of the three he's probably the least sparky but certainly isn't subservient to Tarvek.

Klaus also made all sorts of mental and physical improvements to Gil when the latter was a child.

[wingnutx]

I might be reading too much from the cat's full-fanged smile, but I can't shake off the feeling that Krosp is very much enjoying himself...

He is enjoying this very, very much.

[Manga Shoggoth]

The comic does actually go in to the "where does Agatha stand" question here and the following few pages.

Note that I don't think Violetta knew about Tarvek being the Storm King at the time, since the argument she applies for Gil as "new ruler of the Empire" equally applies to "Storm King".

[Shining Wrath]

The comic does actually go in to the "where does Agatha stand" question here and the following few pages.

Note that I don't think Violetta knew about Tarvek being the Storm King at the time, since the argument she applies for Gil as "new ruler of the Empire" equally applies to "Storm King".

I read that as Violetta's entire argument rests on disparity in power, not status. "With that much of a power imbalance, is he asking - or ordering?" "... you'll both be starting from scratch".

She refers to Tarvek as rebuilding the Storm King's Empire. She knows he has a claim. She's concerned about power, with Mechanicsburg as a "rogue state".

Now, fast forward to today. Agatha doesn't have a state, but she's presumably about to have it back again after the Dreen kill the Time Monster. And then she'll be the most powerful Spark besides Albia and Monahan, ruler of the unconquerable Mechanicsburg, while Gil's Empire has largely crumbled. At this point we're talking Agatha having the power balance on her side.

In fact, as The Heterodyne with the Empire in tatters and Martellus' claim disputed, she might be the most prestigious noble in Europa, with the Master of Paris being in the running.

[Rockphed]

New thread title: Girl Genius XXXIII: Oooh, Tricky. She's an Autumn.

Let us just say that title-able quotes are fairly constantly produced by this comic.

[Manga Shoggoth]

Now, fast forward to today. Agatha doesn't have a state, but she's presumably about to have it back again after the Dreen kill the Time Monster. And then she'll be the most powerful Spark besides Albia and Monahan, ruler of the unconquerable Mechanicsburg, while Gil's Empire has largely crumbled. At this point we're talking Agatha having the power balance on her side.

In fact, as The Heterodyne with the Empire in tatters and Martellus' claim disputed, she might be the most prestigious noble in Europa, with the Master of Paris being in the running.

Even back then, "Storm King" would still have been on a par with Gil's position. But agreed, now it's a completely different ballpark, as you describe above.

I just wanted to point out that the positions had been considered in comic, and certianly at the time the Heterodyne would not have been considered an equal to either the Ruler of the Empire or the Storm King.

Interestingly, that same logic would put a wedge between Tweedle and Agatha, but I don't think Tweedle's up for that (Agatha, of course, isn't interested at all, naturally...)

New thread title: Girl Genius XXXIII: Oooh, Tricky. She's an Autumn.

Let us just say that title-able quotes are fairly constantly produced by this comic.

Noted, and may I congratulate you on the oldest quote for thread title thus far.

[Shining Wrath]

Krosp raises an excellent point indeed - what will the mental state of the denizens of Mechanicsburg be when the time stop, stops?
Captain Vole was nuts, but that was likely a by-product of how he was extracted.

And we know the Castle has some ability to communicate even within the Time Stop, being a sort-of Queen in its own right. So it probably won't be nuts.

Still, giving the Castle tempting targets is not a good plan under any circumstances.

[Traab]

What confuses me is the storm kings domain. Isnt that basically replacing the barons rule with the storm kings? Like, is it the same, is there significant overlap, is it random? Isnt martellus basically going "Ok gil, thanks for holding the fort. get lost, this is my kingdom now."?

[geoduck]

What confuses me is the storm kings domain. Isnt that basically replacing the barons rule with the storm kings? Like, is it the same, is there significant overlap, is it random? Isnt martellus basically going "Ok gil, thanks for holding the fort. get lost, this is my kingdom now."?

It's impossible to say, since the comic has never come close to giving borders for the two empires.

[Deliverance]

EVERY dish includes fish heads?

Given Krosp is the host, I can't decide whether,

1. He is being generous. He likes fish heads, so who wouldn't?
2. He is being being diplomatic, reminding Martellus that Mechanicsburg's works by its own rules, because, who wouldn't?
3. He is being mean to Martellus, because, who wouldn't?

Or all of the above.

[WanderingMist]

Krosp raises an excellent point indeed - what will the mental state of the denizens of Mechanicsburg be when the time stop, stops?
Captain Vole was nuts, but that was likely a by-product of how he was extracted.

And we know the Castle has some ability to communicate even within the Time Stop, being a sort-of Queen in its own right. So it probably won't be nuts.

Still, giving the Castle tempting targets is not a good plan under any circumstances.

It will be

"What's going on? Oh, Agatha's here. Nothing to worry about, guess we'll carry on."

[Grim Portent]

What confuses me is the storm kings domain. Isnt that basically replacing the barons rule with the storm kings? Like, is it the same, is there significant overlap, is it random? Isnt martellus basically going "Ok gil, thanks for holding the fort. get lost, this is my kingdom now."?

Simplest assumption is that neither domain is contiguous, but both claim the same de jure lands. Or rather, the Storm King conspiracy wants to outright replace the Empire as it was under Klaus, but with a Storm King and all the aristocracy being in charge rather than a Baron running a pseudo meritocracy that the nobles percieve as tyranny.

The Empire covered most of Europa, with the only major free states we know of being England, Mechanicsburg and Paris, and was originally centered in Hungary IIRC, but moved the capital to Castle Wulfenbach, which was of course a dirigible. The old Storm King's lands probably covered a similar area, centered somewhere in France or Germany, and also excluded England, Mechanicsburg and Paris.

Martellus's kingdom presumably consists primarily of members of the fifty families who hadn't rejoined the Empire after it's collapse two years ago, and who support his claim to the Storm King title, as well as the lands held by churches whose Popes have sworn allegiance to him. How much land this actually is is never stated. Where his nominal capital is hasn't been stated.

Gil's Empire will consist of any lands that stayed loyal during the collapse after the battle of Mechanicsburg two years ago, and anyone that has been convinced to rejoin since then. Numbers are again never outright stated, but we also know from Seffie that some of the fifty families were moving to support Gil during the two year time skip.

[Gez]

EVERY dish includes fish heads?

Given Krosp is the host, I can't decide whether,

1. He is being generous. He likes fish heads, so who wouldn't?
2. He is being being diplomatic, reminding Martellus that Mechanicsburg's works by its own rules, because, who wouldn't?
3. He is being mean to Martellus, because, who wouldn't?

Or all of the above.

All of the above, at the very least both 1 and 3 are a given.

The Empire covered most of Europa, with the only major free states we know of being England, Mechanicsburg and Paris, and was originally centered in Hungary IIRC, but moved the capital to Castle Wulfenbach, which was of course a dirigible. The old Storm King's lands probably covered a similar area, centered somewhere in France or Germany, and also excluded England, Mechanicsburg and Paris.

The Storm King's name has been given as "Andronicus Valois", that makes him presumably part of this universe's House Valois, a branch of the Capetians. Now I'm going to assume that the GG House Valois, like the real House Valois, got its name from its lordship over the Valois county, and so if they can't have Paris as their capital because it's an independent city state, then presumably the capital would be Crépy-en-Valois, which in the real world is a small town not far from Paris.

Now of course it's also possible that in the GG universe, it's another area entirely. Valois basically just means "of the vale" and there are vales everywhere.

[Ailurus]

Thread title: I did mention she still hates you, right?

[Radar]

Thread title: I did mention she still hates you, right?

Aside from that, Krosp actually gave Martellus some earnest and solid advice. He might have a little bit of respect for him after he learned that Martellus actually cares about his own creations and those that were at least in his care (the bears)?

[Rodin]

Krosp needs to go find a Spark, get them to make him a mic, then go back to Martellus and drop it. Fantastic speech that seems to have struck a chord with Martellus. His best redeeming feature has been how he cares for his men (like when he eulogizes his own zombified men even as he fights them).

[Shining Wrath]

Martellus, earlier, showed regret over the losses at the Western Gate - mere ground soldiers, but he cared a little.

We may be seeing an effort to take the edges off Martellus, from a scenery-chewing villain to someone that Agatha can work with.

[Hyoi]

Gil, Tarvek, Moloch, Othar, Von Pinn, the Jaegers, the Geisters, Seffie, Bang(!), Vole(!!!)?

I'm not sure this story can handle any more ruthlessly lethal adversaries converting into basically affable allies.

[BRC]

Eh, at this point Martellus has been an ally more frequently than he's been an antagonist. He's ALREADY there. He's a huge jerkwad, but he, along with every other not-unreasonably-mad leader in Europa, is firmly on their side and opposed to The Other.


This might be a setup to him stepping down so the whole Storm King thing can be wrapped up without his death.

[Shining Wrath]

Eh, at this point Martellus has been an ally more frequently than he's been an antagonist. He's ALREADY there. He's a huge jerkwad, but he, along with every other not-unreasonably-mad leader in Europa, is firmly on their side and opposed to The Other.


This might be a setup to him stepping down so the whole Storm King thing can be wrapped up without his death.

Alternatively, this could be a setup to Martellus' heroic death being something that hits the reader hard. Let's face it, dude is brave. He went toe-to-toe with his old Andronicus, who was a pretty scary undead monstrosity with high-end weapons. It's possible that Krosp's speech is setting him up to die saving the world, or Europa, or maybe just his Knights of the Hunt. Not a suicide mission (probably) but a "I will take this thing on because no one else can".

Also, we're getting a contrast between Martellus and Vapnoople, from the perspective of someone who knows them both. Krosp is saying "Wait, you're not like Dr. Dim!".

[Doctor West]

Gil, Tarvek, Moloch, Othar, Von Pinn, the Jaegers, the Geisters, Seffie, Bang(!), Vole(!!!)?

I'm not sure this story can handle any more ruthlessly lethal adversaries converting into basically affable allies.

What the folks above said, but also objectively evil and awful people becoming Agatha's oddly loveable allies has been a long standing feature of this comic. Whether due to common goals, or loyalty to the House of Heterodyne, or simply threatening them into submission.

I mean, the castle prisoners for example. Or, of course, the castle ITSELF.

[PraetorDragoon]

I like the Krosp-Martellus interactions.

[Manga Shoggoth]

Alternatively, this could be a setup to Martellus' heroic death being something that hits the reader hard. Let's face it, dude is brave. He went toe-to-toe with his old Andronicus, who was a pretty scary undead monstrosity with high-end weapons. It's possible that Krosp's speech is setting him up to die saving the world, or Europa, or maybe just his Knights of the Hunt. Not a suicide mission (probably) but a "I will take this thing on because no one else can".

Also, we're getting a contrast between Martellus and Vapnoople, from the perspective of someone who knows them both. Krosp is saying "Wait, you're not like Dr. Dim!".

I think it has already been hinted at - back when Martellus said to Agatha that he would give up the whole Storm King business and everything if it meant stopping The Other.

[Shining Wrath]

I think it has already been hinted at - back when Martellus said to Agatha that he would give up the whole Storm King business and everything if it meant stopping The Other.

There was also his line to his uncle after he emerged from the Time Stop - "I can kill members of my family all day long and know I'm making the world a better place ...". He's ruthlessly ambitious and sociopathic, but not without some sense that the world matters outside of him. Sociopathy without narcissism can perhaps be managed.

[Mechalich]

There was also his line to his uncle after he emerged from the Time Stop - "I can kill members of my family all day long and know I'm making the world a better place ...". He's ruthlessly ambitious and sociopathic, but not without some sense that the world matters outside of him. Sociopathy without narcissism can perhaps be managed.

Or possibly channeled. Martellus seems to genuinely enjoy making big fuzzy monsters and going on big old-fashioned hunts with them. If he can just be convinced to give up ambitions of conquest he might have a grand old time as a 'Master of the Wyld Hunt' sort of figure smashing and blasting across Europa smiting and feasting, and it's not like Europa is liable to run out of 'things needing some well-justified smiting' anytime soon (and if it somehow did, Martellus could run off with the Dreen and hunt across the boundaries of time and space itself).

[Devlerbat]

I think turning evil people into allies is the theme of Agatha's character journey. Mechanicsburg is a city of monsters. Many of the people Agatha rules over, and has sworn to protect, are monsters. Converting both literally and metaphorical monsters into allies is part of the role of the Heterodyne.

[Manga Shoggoth]

Thread title: I did mention she still hates you, right?

Noted - I did put it in the spreadsheet yesterday, but had so many things going on that I missed out the ack in my previous posts...

[Shining Wrath]

Martellus' cat (I forget the name) is more feline than Krosp. Less human, perhaps just less practice, or more spoiled?
And once again, whose side is Seffie on? I assume her brother's, but maybe not always.

[Agi Hammerthief]

Martellus' cat (I forget the name) is more feline than Krosp. Less human, perhaps just less practice, or more spoiled?
And once again, whose side is Seffie on? I assume her brother's, but maybe not always.

on his side, but not to the extent of helping him make stupid mistakes.