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

[Divayth Fyr]

Maybe this is Mechanisburg's way of keeping the Heterodynes accountable. Once a year, the Heterodyne throws themselves upon the mercy of the town.

Hated Heterodynes don't survive the Solstice.

I very much doubt this would be the case. The Castle may be turned off for the Solstice, but it would return online and a dead Heterodyne would be a great reason to make the townsfolk suffer (even more). Plus why would a tyrant Heterodyne agree to don the crown in the first place?

[Thomas Cardew]

I agree. My supsicion is this more a "Prove I'm the biggest monster". The Jeagers aren't morons. There's no way 'distracting' them would work more than once. I think this is more, the Hetrodyne reboots the Castle because it needs it, the Jaegers get a night off to party, and none of that matters. Because I'm the Heterodyne and I'm still the biggest nastiest thing around. I don't need the Castle, the Jaegers, or any of the other Monsters. You want to take a swing, do it, I'm walking home. Alone. But it's all in good fun so I'll cover 90% of your body in burns.

[BRC]

I very much doubt this would be the case. The Castle may be turned off for the Solstice, but it would return online and a dead Heterodyne would be a great reason to make the townsfolk suffer (even more). Plus why would a tyrant Heterodyne agree to don the crown in the first place?

Remember that the family isn't usually so small. If the Heterodyne dies, there will be a new Heterodyne.

Alternatively, part of it is that a heterodyne has to be REALLY bad for the townsfolk to decide it's better to kill them and face the consequences than to go another year under their rule.
As for why, well....

I agree. My supsicion is this more a "Prove I'm the biggest monster". The Jeagers aren't morons. There's no way 'distracting' them would work more than once. I think this is more, the Hetrodyne reboots the Castle because it needs it, the Jaegers get a night off to party, and none of that matters. Because I'm the Heterodyne and I'm still the biggest nastiest thing around. I don't need the Castle, the Jaegers, or any of the other Monsters. You want to take a swing, do it, I'm walking home. Alone. But it's all in good fun so I'll cover 90% of your body in burns.

I think that's part of it? But I don't like that as a full explanation by itself. Tradition aside, The Heterodyne is probably confident in their ability to survive the night, regardless of how warranted that ability is.

The Implication seems to be that the tradition is more about CHASING the Heterodyne through the town than the Heterodyne FIGHTING their way through. That doesn't quite match up with a ritual of macho posturing.


Although, the whole thing about "Taking on the Town's Guilt" probably means I'm wrong? The point is more about the Heterodyne spending one night living out the Mad Scientist's Nightmare to make up for the Town enabling the Heterodyne being a terrible person the rest of the year?

Maybe, even if it is all Play-Acting and the Heterodyne is in no real danger from the Mob, they have to shut off the castle anyway, because it doesn't mean anything if they can ask the Castle for help?


Or, heck, maybe the whole thing is just the Heterodyne equivalent of a Fire Drill. "So, assuming Mechanisburg has fallen, the Jaegers are gone, the Castle is shut off, and you are being pursued through the streets, What Do You Do To Ensure You Survive. Bonus! These same skills apply if you've conquered some OTHER town, only to misplace your army".

[Zazu Yen]

How this traditionally played out probably depended a lot on the temperament and mood of the Heterodyne that took the crown. That the Brothers turned the tradition into a tourist event seems to imply that it wasn't all fun and games. It wouldn't surprise to me to learn that the tradition started when a group of townsfolk literally attacked a drunk, unpopular, Heterodyne trying to make their way home after a particularly destructive party. Then it became a "You want to take a swing at me? Try it!" kind of tradition witch eventually evolved into a less deadly "Catch Me If You Can!" challenge. And I'm sure there were plenty of Heterodynes that used this as an opportunity to try out new (mostly non lethal) devices AND a way to test the mettle of the townsfolk and perhaps spot potential new talent.

[Shining Wrath]

I think the attitude of Mechanicsburgians is "The Heterodynes are monsters, but they are OUR monsters". And in a Europa filled with constant war, living in a city that not only has never been taken but likely never will (so long as Der Kessel has electricity available) is a real plus.

I have not seen any mention of one Heterodyne assassinating another to take the throne. It would seem in character, but, no mention that I recall. So ...
If there's a spare Heterodyne or two, and a mob kills the ruling one, the one that takes the throne may NOT be gentle.

Ergo, I doubt that any Heterodyne has ever been killed in the Solstice.

But ... how often is the ruling Heterodyne out of town, rampaging across Europa? Probably pretty often. The ritual that is performed with fill-ins may be more dangerous.

[Rogar Demonblud]

I'm pretty sure we have no idea what's really going on, because the Foglios have a track record of bamboozling us but good.

[Kantaki]

But ... how often is the ruling Heterodyne out of town, rampaging across Europa? Probably pretty often. The ritual that is performed with fill-ins may be more dangerous.

Considering it's traditional I wouldn't be surprised if the Heterodyne was home for it most times.
[Edit] The Castle said this is it's first Solstice, so it seems the Heterodyne did usually take part in the ritual, at least in the time since the Castle extended into Mechanicsburg.[/Edit]

Dangerous for potential stand-ins?
If they rope some random stranger into it definitely.
For the Professora?
Well, she is married to a local, so I would file it under "more dangerous than for the real deal, but possibly not imminently fatal".
Especially with the Castle helping her.
It doesn't want it's entertainment to end just yet after all.
At the very least she'll make it to the end of the ritual.

[Rogar Demonblud]

Honestly, she probably needs the help just because she has no idea of the layout of the town.

[HandofShadows]

I'm pretty sure we have no idea what's really going on, because the Foglios have a track record of bamboozling us but good.

Yeah, this sounds right. There is something, probably a LOT of somethings we have not seen.

[DavidSh]

Now, this reminds me of the Orkney Ba' game I've read about, where the Uppies and the Doonies try to advance a ball through the streets of Kirkwall to their respective goals. But that would require competing mobs.

[Divayth Fyr]

Remember that the family isn't usually so small. If the Heterodyne dies, there will be a new Heterodyne.

It still is killing a Heterodyne. The Castle will want blood - I believe the novels have it kill the mother of Bill and Barry for murdering her husband, and at that point he had two Heterodynes available to take the seat. The Jaegers also won't be happy. And if such a thing happened even once, I'm sure the Generals would try to have someone following the Heterodyne just in case...

[Rogar Demonblud]

Saturnus' wife/widow was not a Heterodyne, just someone the Heterodyne deemed to be suitable breeding stock. Why would the Kessel care about her?

[Zazu Yen]

It still is killing a Heterodyne. The Castle will want blood - I believe the novels have it kill the mother of Bill and Barry for murdering her husband, and at that point he had two Heterodynes available to take the seat. The Jaegers also won't be happy. And if such a thing happened even once, I'm sure the Generals would try to have someone following the Heterodyne just in case...

Indeed, if a Heterodyne was ever actually killed by this ritual once the Castle and Jaegers were created they would not just let it happen again without taking precautions. But that might be some of what we're not seeing, those mobs might be swarming with hidden Jaegers.

I'd be very interested to see Agatha perform this ritual. Either she'd lead them all on a merry chase, toying with them like a good natured cat, then give them all presents...

OR she'd refuse to run and stare them all down, then go to the madness place and have them all building a death ray to carve chunks out of the moon by morning.

[Manga Shoggoth]

I'm pretty sure we have no idea what's really going on, because the Foglios have a track record of bamboozling us but good.

Indeed - not quite knowing what is round the corner has kept me on this comic for what, 20-odd graphic novels?. I'm really enjoying this little short.

[Shining Wrath]

The castle did say "prize to the group that catches you". Catch implies grabbing and keeping, not ripping limb from limb or murdering. "Implies", of course, is not something I'd feel comfortable betting my life on, but aside from the plot armor and being married to a Jager's grandson, it appears that the townsfolk compete to catch the Heterodyne stand-in, and then a ritual is performed.

The ritual can't be too important to the safety of the town. I doubt the Professora is going to be preventing Ultimate Evil from breaking through the walls of reality or anything of that nature. It may be more humiliating than dangerous.

[Traab]

I dunno, we still had that one image of whichever heterodyne it was with a black eye after the night was past. Seems like there might be a brawl of some sort if they get caught. But yeah, at this point there are so many things that could be involved in this that im about dont trying to guess. i will wait for the denouement. (I love that word, rarely get to use it)

[Divayth Fyr]

The castle did say "prize to the group that catches you". Catch implies grabbing and keeping, not ripping limb from limb or murdering. "Implies", of course, is not something I'd feel comfortable betting my life on, but aside from the plot armor and being married to a Jager's grandson, it appears that the townsfolk compete to catch the Heterodyne stand-in, and then a ritual is performed.

While I agree, I have to note that aside from it being only an implication, I wouldn't trust the Castle to tell the whole truth. Even moreso since it doesn't know what will happen ;)

Saturnus' wife/widow was not a Heterodyne, just someone the Heterodyne deemed to be suitable breeding stock. Why would the Kessel care about her?

At that point the Castle only cared about punishing her for the killing of a Heterodyne - which is exactly the same scenario the townsfolk would be if a Heterodyne died in the Saturnalia. Someone would die for that. Knowing the Castle, probably more than one someone, and likely in a painful manner.

[Shining Wrath]

While I agree, I have to note that aside from it being only an implication, I wouldn't trust the Castle to tell the whole truth. Even moreso since it doesn't know what will happen ;)


At that point the Castle only cared about punishing her for the killing of a Heterodyne - which is exactly the same scenario the townsfolk would be if a Heterodyne died in the Saturnalia. Someone would die for that. Knowing the Castle, probably more than one someone, and likely in a painful manner.

Most Heterodynes deserved to die by conventional moral standards. The Castle has been carefully trained (programmed? raised?) to not share any of those standards of morality. For those of us whose thinking is pretty much embedded in conventional morality (which is probably a good thing), the Castle is almost an alien life form. Predicting its behavior is difficult. It wants to have fun, though, and if it were defining fun as "kill the faux Heterodyne painfully" she'd already be dead.

I wonder what would happen if she took off the crown and threw it into the crowd?

[Rockphed]

I imagine that this started by some heterodyne getting ambushed while walking home and promising their captors some reward to let them go.

[Fyraltari]

Most Heterodynes deserved to die by conventional moral standards. The Castle has been carefully trained (programmed? raised?) to not share any of those standards of morality. For those of us whose thinking is pretty much embedded in conventional morality (which is probably a good thing), the Castle is almost an alien life form. Predicting its behavior is difficult. It wants to have fun, though, and if it were defining fun as "kill the faux Heterodyne painfully" she'd already be dead.

I think I remember it was stated that the Castle's original personality was a copy of a ruling Heterodyne but I can't find a source.

[Rockphed]

I think I remember it was stated that the Castle's original personality was a copy of a ruling Heterodyne but I can't find a source.

One of the old cast pages included that tidbit. I don't think it is ever mentioned in comic.

[Kantaki]

Most Heterodynes deserved to die by conventional moral standards. The Castle has been carefully trained (programmed? raised?) to not share any of those standards of morality. For those of us whose thinking is pretty much embedded in conventional morality (which is probably a good thing), the Castle is almost an alien life form. Predicting its behavior is difficult. It wants to have fun, though, and if it were defining fun as "kill the faux Heterodyne painfully" she'd already be dead.

I wonder what would happen if she took off the crown and threw it into the crowd?

Wasn't the Castle AI an upload of some old Heterodyne? Or based on his personality at least?

[HandofShadows]

One of the old cast pages included that tidbit. I don't think it is ever mentioned in comic.

It's mentioned in the comic at one point. Even has a picture of it IIRC. It was a long time ago though.

[Rockphed]

It's mentioned in the comic at one point. Even has a picture of it IIRC. It was a long time ago though.

I stand by my assertion that it never says "the castle is an upload of Faustus Heterodyne". The closest is the first panel of this page.

[keybounce]

Take off the crown? What makes you think that a "magical" crown, given to you by a spirit entity, that you have to willingly place on your head, can be removed?

>> Whose side are you on?
> Why, mine of course!
:-)

[TeChameleon]

... huh.

Wonder if there's a worldbuilding explanation for something I just noticed on a re-read.

I just hit the point where Agatha's in England chasing down the Lantern, and noticed that the Sea Serpent that got hijacked was the HMSS Ogo-Pogo.

Ogopogo is the name given to Nessie's North American cousin, who supposedly lives in Lake Okanagan in British Columbia. The Americas were cut off in the GG universe, so you have to wonder who's doing the naming, and what they know that the rest of the world doesn't.

Also, that particular myth was called Naitaka in the era that Girl Genius is set in. It didn't get called Ogopogo until 1912 at the earliest, at least as far as I can find from a brief search. That being said, it's a relatively obscure cryptid, so I don't entirely blame the Foglios for missing that bit.

[PraetorDragoon]

Ah, I was wondering whe the more sparky minions would show up.

[Jimorian]

Only a single "Yike!" for that? She must be getting tired from all that running around.

[Radar]

Only a single "Yike!" for that? She must be getting tired from all that running around.

There is simply no time for more. A professional coward would skip any screams and run at full speed already.

[Shining Wrath]

By the look of things, Mechanicsburgians put considerable time and effort into the annual Solstice ritual - that little gadget is at least a night's work for Agatha, so days or weeks for a lesser Spark.

And that gadget is designed to "grab and hold", not "murder murderously", so another point in favor of the "contest is to capture, not to kill" thesis.