Girl Genius XXVIII: Dancink! Ve is here for de dancink!

[wingnutx]

That first panel is a great shot of Agatha in the madness place.

[Rockphed]

A spark.

How many pies were thrown before he figured out what went into a 'calming pie'?

I wonder if one was this pie.

[Ellen]

True, they're not savages--but am I the only one thinking something really interesting happened in 1652?

[Rogar Demonblud]

In this world? 1652, 1653, 1654, 1655...

[factotum]

True, they're not savages--but am I the only one thinking something really interesting happened in 1652?

Not really sure why a tailor being founded in that year should imply anything special about it? We're talking a country that's been ruled by the near equivalent of a Goddess for thousands of years, their attitudes toward weird things and monsters being a bit unusual isn't surprising.

[PraetorDragoon]

Not savages? I have seen what you do to your fish, Rakethorn. You don't get that claim.

[Rogar Demonblud]

More seriously, the firm's name is 'Morbius', so I'm guessing there's a Marvel reference in there.

[factotum]

More seriously, the firm's name is 'Morbius', so I'm guessing there's a Marvel reference in there.

Given where we are it's possibly more likely that's a reference to the 1976 Dr. Who serial "The Brain of Morbius".

[Thomas Cardew]

Not really sure why a tailor being founded in that year should imply anything special about it? We're talking a country that's been ruled by the near equivalent of a Goddess for thousands of years, their attitudes toward weird things and monsters being a bit unusual isn't surprising.

Because it likely implies a spike in the interest for fashionable attire for Constructs, Monsters, Sports, Chimarae, and other 'hard-to-fit' gentlemen. Perhaps there was an unusually large number of British Gentlemen transformed into Monsters or other Abominations of Science for the First Anglo-Dutch war begun in 1652. Or maybe Albia went through her ' turn everyone who annoys me into a toad monster' phase during that period.

[Radar]

Because it likely implies a spike in the interest for fashionable attire for Constructs, Monsters, Sports, Chimarae, and other 'hard-to-fit' gentlemen. Perhaps there was an unusually large number of British Gentlemen transformed into Monsters or other Abominations of Science for the First Anglo-Dutch war begun in 1652. Or maybe Albia went through her ' turn everyone who annoys me into a toad monster' phase during that period.

Not very hard evidence. Pretty much any long-time business boasts about its age and there is most often nothing significant about the date a given company started. And frankly, I doubt there was ever o shortage of unspeakable abominations of science in the GGverse.

[Thomas Cardew]

Not very hard evidence. Pretty much any long-time business boasts about its age and there is most often nothing significant about the date a given company started. And frankly, I doubt there was ever o shortage of unspeakable abominations of science in the GGverse.

I don't think it's evidence of any kind. Someone asked why it would imply. It's the sort of background detail that could be nothing or could be a plot hook for future stories, particularly if the date keeps coming up. Or it's just a fun sort of tiny detail people use to build out elaborate head-canon with that the authors find amusing. But probably nothing. And while I doubt there was a ever shortage of unspeakable abominations of science, I very strongly believe there have been multiple shortages of Well-Dressed abominations of science. Hence the need for bespoke tailors.

[FLHerne]

I find Rakethorn indistinguishable from Wooster again in this strip and the last. Same appearance, same behaviour, same speech patterns -- if you showed me this strip before Rakethorn showed up I'd be certain it was Wooster, and before the latter died I'd have no idea which.

The swap makes no sense to me.

[wingnutx]

Rakethorn is just Sparky Wooster.

[Rogar Demonblud]

I find Rakethorn indistinguishable from Wooster again in this strip and the last. Same appearance, same behaviour, same speech patterns -- if you showed me this strip before Rakethorn showed up I'd be certain it was Wooster, and before the latter died I'd have no idea which.

The swap makes no sense to me.

They re-established stakes by killing Wooster and downsized Agatha's posse by one, since we all know Rakethorn's not coming along one way or another (who was running the book on that pool again?).

[Fyraltari]

I find Rakethorn indistinguishable from Wooster again in this strip and the last. Same appearance, same behaviour, same speech patterns -- if you showed me this strip before Rakethorn showed up I'd be certain it was Wooster, and before the latter died I'd have no idea which.

The swap makes no sense to me.

The main difference is that Rakethorn has no loyalty to Gil or Agatha and her crew. Just like how Martellus is a (less and less) antagonistic Tarvek. Still I find that Rakethorn's death leaves a bad tatse in my mouth.

They re-established stakes by killing Wooster and downsized Agatha's posse by one, since we all know Rakethorn's not coming along one way or another (who was running the book on that pool again?).

Van.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Um, first off Rakethorn is still alive and appearing in this very strip. Second, Van is running book on the Dating Game Mechanicsburg Edition. We had a pool going on how Rakethorn was going to exit; if memory serves, my quatloos were on Gil doing something unpleasant.

[xroads]

Just like how Martellus is a (less and less) antagonistic Tarvek.
Van.

Less antagonistic? How do you figure? If anything I'd call him more antagonistic than Tarvek. What with his plotting to either manipulate or kill Agatha's crew.

[Kantaki]

Less antagonistic? How do you figure? If anything I'd call him more antagonistic than Tarvek. What with his plotting to either manipulate or kill Agatha's crew.

No, he is a antagonist, but (according to Fyraltari) is getting less as the story progresses.

Personally I don't see it. Tweedle just isn't stupid enough to be overly hostile towards Team Agatha, at least as long he doesn't have a massive advantage.

[Shining Wrath]

No, he is a antagonist, but (according to Fyraltari) is getting less as the story progresses.

Personally I don't see it. Tweedle just isn't stupid enough to be overly hostile towards Team Agatha, at least as long he doesn't have a massive advantage.

I think he intends to attempt to kill Tarvek, but knows he has to be very careful as either Gil or Agatha would simply end him if they caught him at it.

[Ellen]

Not really sure why a tailor being founded in that year should imply anything special about it? We're talking a country that's been ruled by the near equivalent of a Goddess for thousands of years, their attitudes toward weird things and monsters being a bit unusual isn't surprising.

True, but we're also talking about a business that opened up specializing in expensive clothes for monsters (and other hard to fit gentlemen) that year and that is still going strong centuries later. Our we looking at upwardly mobile constructs? A sparky accident in the House of Lords? Mass immigration from another dimension? Or did being eight feet tall with lobster claws become the hot, new look?

[Radar]

True, but we're also talking about a business that opened up specializing in expensive clothes for monsters (and other hard to fit gentlemen) that year and that is still going strong centuries later. Our we looking at upwardly mobile constructs? A sparky accident in the House of Lords? Mass immigration from another dimension? Or did being eight feet tall with lobster claws become the hot, new look?

Well, this is based on the assumption that this tailor is one of a kind business, which we simply do not know. Even if for some reason it is indeed the case, the founders of this enterprise might have simply spotted a previously overlooked hole in the market. Also: just because they were founded in 1652 does not mean they were serving as wide a clientele as now right from the beginning. It could have been a later decision to branch out.

If I were to make a bet though, it was a visit from those people living in gigantic whales that made people think about cloths for non-humans and it just escalated from there.

[Mechalich]

I think he intends to attempt to kill Tarvek, but knows he has to be very careful as either Gil or Agatha would simply end him if they caught him at it.

I mean, he tried to have Tarvek killed by sending his hounds after him during the transit to England. That was what, a week ago in-universe?

Tweedle absolutely wants to rule Europa. He has a massively domineering personality and he's spent his whole life being groomed to rule something, and as I believe it was Dimo noted, he's actually suited to the extremely rough-and-tumble world of Europan politics. At the same time, he's also smart enough to know that he can't rule Europa if the Other turns all its inhabitants into mind slaves and that at the moment he doesn't have the ability to prevent that on his own. If the Other and all her minions suddenly vanished he'd declare war on Gil the next day (which was basically what he was trying to do prior to the timeskip).

At present Europa has three or possibly four big factions: the remaining loyalist of the Wulfenbach Empire, the servants of the Other (this may be two factions, it depends on exactly what Zola's situation is), and the adherents to the crown of the Storm King. Martellus is trying to gain complete control over that faction, but so long as Tarvek lives, that's never going to happen. Well, unless Tarvek formally renounces the title or something, which represents an interesting third path because Tarvek clearly doesn't want to be the Storm King.

[Agi Hammerthief]

... Martellus is trying to gain complete control over that faction, but so long as Tarvek lives, that's never going to happen. Well, unless Tarvek formally renounces the title or something, which represents an interesting third path because Tarvek clearly doesn't want to be the Storm King.

just takes someone leaking the information that Tarvek was technically dead in the „get on the slab“ episode in the castle.

[Fyraltari]

just takes someone leaking the information that Tarvek was technically dead in the „get on the slab“ episode in the castle.

I'm not sure who knows about that or, more importantly, how that could ever be proven.

[Radar]

I'm not sure who knows about that or, more importantly, how that could ever be proven.

Good question, but at the end of the day, if there are at least some clues, it will simply be a matter of getting support from the nobles. Such accusations might be a simple excuse to pick a king they are more willing to follow.

[HandofShadows]

just takes someone leaking the information that Tarvek was technically dead in the „get on the slab“ episode in the castle.

Only 5 people know who know that Tarvek "died" (and are not in the Time Stop) are Tarvek, Agatha, Gil, Higgs and Violetta. Don't think any of them are talking.

[Shining Wrath]

The "Get on the slab" episode might be viewed as a person's heart stops during surgery but the medical team gets it going again. Also, anyone who has ever had heart surgery while on a heart-lung machine here in the real world has no heartbeat and could be construed as dead for the duration.

I'm pretty sure what the 50 families are concerned about is keeping someone's head alive in a jar more than "heart stopped during medical procedure".

Anyway ...

Tarvek will become Storm King to keep Martellus from becoming Storm King, because while Tweedle has a personality suited to winning at power politics, he also has a personality suited to treating those he rules like expendable pieces of equipment. Furthermore, Agatha might find herself needing to marry someone who is a social equal to The Heterodyne - and there's a really short list of candidates for that position. Beating both Martellus AND Gil for Agatha's hand would matter a lot to Tarvek. Yes, Martellus still has delusions of recreating the story of the original storm king despite having seen up close and personal just how badly that ended the first time around.

[PraetorDragoon]

Good question, but at the end of the day, if there are at least some clues, it will simply be a matter of getting support from the nobles. Such accusations might be a simple excuse to pick a king they are more willing to follow.

Knowing Traevek, such rumours would likely orginate from him in some elaborate scheming move.

[SZbNAhL]

Tarvek wants to keep his loved ones safe and marry Agatha, in that order. Both of these goals are expediated by becoming the Storm King. Furthermore, even if Tarvek fully renounced his claim, forged love letters to delegitimise his mother's lineage and changed his surname to Sunnypeasant, Martellus would probably still want to kill him, because he knows better than to leave a rival family member alive, no matter how small the apparent threat from them is (especially since tricking people into underestimating him is now known to have been Tarvek's MO for the last 20 years).

From where I see it, Tarvek's options are:
1) Kill or otherwise remove Martellus, making him the storm king by default.
1.5) Help Gil become supreme ruler of Europa, removing the role of Storm King. Makes it harder to marry Agatha as a social issue (at odds with goal 2), plus as much as he likes Gil, I doubt he'd want to give him absolute power. That never ends well.
2) Try to coexist with King Martellus, constantly risking the lives of him and his loved ones (at odds with goal 1).
3) Fake his own death well enough to fool the Smoke Knights. Unless he takes Agatha with him, this is at odds with goal 2.

[JavaScribe]

It's kind of a miracle that their world has lasted this long without being destroyed by things mankind was not meant to mess with.