Girl Genius XXXII: The scientific method at work!

[DavidSh]

I would place the arrival of the Heterodyne somewhere in the Migration Period, somewhere between the time of Atilla the Hun, and the arrival of the Magyars.

Lucrezia's severe winnowing of the Queens I would very tentatively place at the time of the Bronze Age Collapse. That would give well over a thousand years for memories of a local Mechanicsburg Queen to fade into legends of a battle goddess.

[Shining Wrath]

I would place the arrival of the Heterodyne somewhere in the Migration Period, somewhere between the time of Atilla the Hun, and the arrival of the Magyars.

Lucrezia's severe winnowing of the Queens I would very tentatively place at the time of the Bronze Age Collapse. That would give well over a thousand years for memories of a local Mechanicsburg Queen to fade into legends of a battle goddess.

I do not dispute that there may have been a Mechanicsburg queen at some point, in fact it seems likely.
My point is that the Mechanicsburg Flame and the waters of the Dyne currently power the Castle in a manner very like unto how Albia's Flame seems to power her.
I think if Agatha wants to ascend using the flame in Mechanicsburg she's going to have to fight the Castle, inside the Castle, with the Castle knowing it "dies" if she wins.

[Mobius Twist]

I think if Agatha wants to ascend using the flame in Mechanicsburg she's going to have to fight the Castle, inside the Castle, with the Castle knowing it "dies" if she wins.

That would certainly make for exciting storytelling, if a bittersweet ending. However, I think it would hardly be necessary. The spring at its source continually generates the power that the castle draws from the water, leaving it normal H2O after that point. There's been no word about the Mechanicsburg flame, nor any kind of wane/wax cycle in the castle's power (and not just because of the last 18 years of brokenness). We've seen the positively giant energy storage devices the castle typically uses to keep operating. We know that lightning strikes are naturally-occurring supplement to the energy supply (that Agatha fixed).

In short, a quick bath in the source, followed by whatever tempering process the flame does, isn't likely to permanently cut off the supply of the Dyne's special water (since that seems nigh-infinite) if Agatha really goes for the Aventurer-Queen format in her "Conan the King" later years.

[tonberrian]

Mahou Shoujo Girl Genius!

[Radar]

Mahou Shoujo Girl Genius!

In the name of the Mechanichsburg, I will punish you!

That being said, turns out that Monahan was basically trying to quickly and effortlessly get rid of a debt she has. And she is quite right that an unpaid debt can hang above someone.

[Shining Wrath]

In the name of the Mechanichsburg, I will punish you!

That being said, turns out that Monahan was basically trying to quickly and effortlessly get rid of a debt she has. And she is quite right that an unpaid debt can hang above someone.

One of the all time great video examples of roll a Nat 20 on an intimidate check.

I want to consider the verb "must" in "A queen MUST pay her debts". Is this a social norm, nobelesse oblige, or is there something about Queen Magic that compels settling a debt?

[Radar]

One of the all time great video examples of roll a Nat 20 on an intimidate check.

I want to consider the verb "must" in "A queen MUST pay her debts". Is this a social norm, nobelesse oblige, or is there something about Queen Magic that compels settling a debt?

First or the the second IMO. Everyone knows that for example Albia has power beyond understanding, so when she is dealing with other people, there is an very strong power imbalance. Since (at least by common perception) she cannot be coerced or threatened, there has to be something substantial that makes any deal actually binding for her - hence the honor and being very insistent on returning favors.

[Shining Wrath]

First or the the second IMO. Everyone knows that for example Albia has power beyond understanding, so when she is dealing with other people, there is an very strong power imbalance. Since (at least by common perception) she cannot be coerced or threatened, there has to be something substantial that makes any deal actually binding for her - hence the honor and being very insistent on returning favors.

Ah, if she can't be trusted she cannot ever strike a bargain. That makes sense.

It's an interesting aspect of contract law in the real world - a contract requires the existence of some mechanism to compel compliance on all parties to the contract. Usually in the modern world the government fulfills that role, but in a world with absolute monarchs entering into a contract with such a monarch was a chancy thing, and wars were fought when monarchs decide to "nope" out of their agreements.

[Traab]

It might be a psychological thing. A big part of the spark and queendom is the mental effect it has on you. The sense of superiority over others especially. As a queen, its entirely possible that the idea of owing someone a favor is actually PAINFUL for a queen to deal with as its an acknowledgement that they needed someone else's help. By giving her something in return its no longer a favor but an exchange of goods and services and not a trigger for the queen to suffer through. It might also be dangerous, as we see a lot of what queens can do is literally reality manipulation through their minds, so something that effects their concentration like that nagging pain of owing a favor could cause side effects as attention wanders.

[Manga Shoggoth]

"Help when we bring down the Other."

It's even payment terms that she might enjoy...

[tyckspoon]

Mahou Shoujo Girl Genius!

This seems like something Violetta and Zeetha would be down for aside from the 'entering into the service of crazy rat lady Queen' part.

[Shining Wrath]

This seems like something Violetta and Zeetha would be down for aside from the 'entering into the service of crazy rat lady Queen' part.

So when Agatha ascends we can expect ....

[Laurentio III]

One question: is Crazy Rat Queen trying to pay her own debt (which I don't remember about, but seems it's going to be explained briefly) or she is going to pay Albia's debt?
Because in the second scenario, this would lead to Albia owning a debt with Crazy Rat Queen.

[geoduck]

One question: is Crazy Rat Queen trying to pay her own debt (which I don't remember about, but seems it's going to be explained briefly) or she is going to pay Albia's debt?
Because in the second scenario, this would lead to Albia owning a debt with Crazy Rat Queen.

Probably referring to Agatha and her bots clearing the island's queen-water flow of contamination.

[Rodin]

Agatha also helped against Clankrezia, delivering the knockout blow into her eye socket.

Monahan is trying to pull a fast one by clearing the debt early. She owes just as much as Albia does.

[Thomas Cardew]

So when Agatha ascends we can expect ....

Gil and Tarvek to get wings? YES

[Shining Wrath]

Gil and Tarvek to get wings? YES

Old joke: erotic is using a peacock feather for foreplay, kinky is using the entire bird.

[Manga Shoggoth]

Old joke: erotic is using a peacock feather for foreplay, kinky is using the entire bird.

So, no candlelit meal beforehand, then?

[Laurentio III]

So, no candlelit meal beforehand, then?

Most peacock are afraid of flames.

[Manga Shoggoth]

Most peacock are afraid of flames.

Oh, so we're in one-night stand terratory - no old flames...

[Shining Wrath]

Cue the Robin Williams cover of "Fire" in a Elmer Fudd voice.

[Rockphed]

Cue the Robin Williams cover of "Fire" in a Elmer Fudd voice.

Is this a thing that exists? Please tell me this is something that exists! I don't want to have to invent a time machine just to get this to exist in our world (or invent a highway system that actually travels to different worlds, but I digress).

[Divayth Fyr]

Is this a thing that exists? Please tell me this is something that exists! I don't want to have to invent a time machine just to get this to exist in our world (or invent a highway system that actually travels to different worlds, but I digress).

[eee]

Monahan DOES have something that Agatha wants, or at least should have; memories of Lucrezia before she became the Other, and maybe information on how that took place. There's still a gap there that we and Agatha don't understand, and I think it's a missing piece of the puzzle.

[Grim Portent]

I do wonder what the Wasp Eaters sound like. We've seen them given screech, dook and honk as sound effects, and it's making me think of geese more than anything.

Obviously they're meant to be based on weasels/ferrets, but I don't feel they would sound much like them.

[Shining Wrath]

I think Monahan is about to try to claim the Wasp Eater in exchange for something?

And her information about Albia was pretty much already known. I think she's letting herself off easy; prerogatives of royalty.

[Grim Portent]

I think Monahan is about to try to claim the Wasp Eater in exchange for something?

And her information about Albia was pretty much already known. I think she's letting herself off easy; prerogatives of royalty.

I assume she's going to 'improve' the wasp-eater to finish paying off her debt.

[Agi Hammerthief]

I assume she's going to 'improve' the wasp-eater to finish paying off her debt.

flying, breeding wasp eater sounds pretty useful.

[Shining Wrath]

flying, breeding wasp eater sounds pretty useful.

It does, so long as it doesn't become an invasive species and destroy all pollinators in Europa.

[Divayth Fyr]

flying, breeding wasp eater sounds pretty useful.

Considering the rats, probably flying, venomous and potentially size-changing.