Girl Genius XXVI: Madness is the best possible response

[Maryring]

I have expanded the parameters so I have ever so many choices now.

Regardless of what may be needed for queenhood ascension, actually calling Lu into another body is apparently a piece of cake.

[SZbNAhL]

I have expanded the parameters so I have ever so many choices now.

Regardless of what may be needed for queenhood ascension, actually calling Lu into another body is apparently a piece of cake.

Ah, that's the half-remembered page I was looking for. For some reason I thought it was in Sturmhalten.

[Grif]

I have expanded the parameters so I have ever so many choices now.

Regardless of what may be needed for queenhood ascension, actually calling Lu into another body is apparently a piece of cake.

Ah, and a binge read later, I remembered why I loved Wooster.

Rest in peace, buddy, rest in peace.

[Radar]

Ah, and a binge read later, I remembered why I loved Wooster.

Rest in peace, buddy, rest in peace.

My favorite scene with him was actually this one.

Around the same part we also have a nice example of how good a fighter Klaus Wulfenbach is (bottom row of the page with Zeetha).

[Rodin]

I have expanded the parameters so I have ever so many choices now.

Regardless of what may be needed for queenhood ascension, actually calling Lu into another body is apparently a piece of cake.

The real question is why we haven't seen any additional Lucrezias.

The only active Lucrezia that Gil is aware of is the Queen of the Dawn, which we now know to be Zola. Clankrezia is also out there guiding lesser sparks to modify her work, but is unable to create anything new herself.

My money is still on her not being able to download into a non-relative. It's possible that there a bunch of non-Spark Lucrezias running around, but from a storytelling point of view I find that unlikely. It makes it impossible to have a satisfying conclusion where the villains are defeated, because it's always possible there are hundreds of Lucrezias in hiding.

My best guess is that there are three Lucrezias that will need to be dealt with by the end of the story. Clankrezia, Zolacrezia, and Original Recipe. The last of which is presumably still trapped in some other dimension or time portal somewhere.

[Vinyadan]

Apparently, the priestesses are the ones operating the machinery, so the question is why they aren't doing it.

I think that they simply have nothing to call. As long as the original summoning of Lucrezia is around, there could just be no mind available for them to call.

[Squire Doodad]

Apparently, the priestesses are the ones operating the machinery, so the question is why they aren't doing it.

I think that they simply have nothing to call. As long as the original summoning of Lucrezia is around, there could just be no mind available for them to call.

That makes sense. You can only summon a given stored Lucrezia; while Lucrezia can pop in to replace the lost mind, the only way to get multiple Lucrezias is by way of copying it over, like with Zola's iteration.
Of course, when her own longevity isn't a pressing matter she's far too proud for that...

[Rogar Demonblud]

Ah, Happy Families...

Are a myth. We're too good at creating our own drama to have happy families.

[Douglas]

Are a myth. We're too good at creating our own drama to have happy families.

I guess my family's a myth, then.

[PraetorDragoon]

Wasn't there a whole voice harmonics requirement to make sure the Revenants obeyed?

There is also the possibility that Zola made sure there wouldn't be another summoning, as that could increase risks for her.

[geoduck]

Wasn't there a whole voice harmonics requirement to make sure the Revenants obeyed?

There is also the possibility that Zola made sure there wouldn't be another summoning, as that could increase risks for her.

When copying Agatha's voice into the Anevka-bot, yes. Whether that was/is a consideration for Lu herself is unknown.

And I wouldn't be surprised if cutting off the source of the Summoning Engine turns out to be Agatha and Co's ultimate quest, which probably leads them to the Geister homeland via Skifander.

[Vinyadan]

That makes sense. You can only summon a given stored Lucrezia; while Lucrezia can pop in to replace the lost mind, the only way to get multiple Lucrezias is by way of copying it over, like with Zola's iteration.
Of course, when her own longevity isn't a pressing matter she's far too proud for that...

I have thought about it a little more. If Lucrezia really respawns as a disembodied mind to be channelled, then she must lose all memories she developed during the calling.

[Fyraltari]

Apparently, the priestesses are the ones operating the machinery, so the question is why they aren't doing it.

I think that they simply have nothing to call. As long as the original summoning of Lucrezia is around, there could just be no mind available for them to call.

That makes sense. You can only summon a given stored Lucrezia; while Lucrezia can pop in to replace the lost mind, the only way to get multiple Lucrezias is by way of copying it over, like with Zola's iteration.
Of course, when her own longevity isn't a pressing matter she's far too proud for that...

That’s not how it works. ‘Summoning engine’ is just a fancy name for mind copying machine, it just downloads a copy of the Other’s mind into someone it doesn’t actually summon anything that’s why Lucrezia couldn’t afford to suicide Agatha, she needed to transfer knowledge of Klaus’s wasping to her other self.

[HandofShadows]

I have thought about it a little more. If Lucrezia really respawns as a disembodied mind to be channelled, then she must lose all memories she developed during the calling.

She actually says this at one point. That's why she was willing to make of copy of herself and put it into Zola.

[Rockphed]

So the new page is now 14 hours late. Anybody see word anywhere about why?

[diremage]

So the new page is now 14 hours late. Anybody see word anywhere about why?

Fafflenargs got into the mimmoths again.

[geoduck]

So the new page is now 14 hours late. Anybody see word anywhere about why?

From the GG Facebook page:

"Hey, all! Today's page will be going up Monday afternoon, rather than Monday early morning, sorry about that. I need to go back and read some things to make sure I get today's dialog right. I don't want to accidentally make some weird continuity mistake. I actually do this fairly often, but this time you're seeing it, because there's a lot to make sure of this time.

Thanks for your patience! I'll post again when it's up.

For those of you who were worried about us, thank you for caring, Next time I'll try to remember to post if I'm going to be slow!--Kaja"

[HandofShadows]

One of the problems with writing a huge story like this one. It goes on so long that you forget stuff. Nice to see they are being careful.

[Squire Doodad]

From the GG Facebook page:

"Hey, all! Today's page will be going up Monday afternoon, rather than Monday early morning, sorry about that. I need to go back and read some things to make sure I get today's dialog right. I don't want to accidentally make some weird continuity mistake. I actually do this fairly often, but this time you're seeing it, because there's a lot to make sure of this time.

Thanks for your patience! I'll post again when it's up.

For those of you who were worried about us, thank you for caring, Next time I'll try to remember to post if I'm going to be slow!--Kaja"

Okay, glad to hear it's something pretty trivial of an issue.
* starts setting up auto-refresher to see comic the moment it comes up for MAX COMICS *

[Grif]

From the page itself:

Today's page took forever to letter, because I had to do a bunch of fact-checking before I could figure out exactly what everyone needed to be saying. I can't really explain why, and I know that reading the final will make you wonder why exactly it was so much trouble, but it was. The best way to try to explain is to say that the stuff that was in the rough would have torpedoed our continuity. Anyway, here it is, still "on time" for Monday, but later than everyone is used to. Thanks for your patience!

Emphasis mine.

Colour me intrigued, but I doubt we'll ever get that answered this year.

[Ellen]

Quick review of possible continuity factors in this comic:

1) Effects of Martellus' drink.

2) Why one of our favorite jaegers took the drink.

3) Effects of whatever Violetta took.

4) Foreshadowing how Violetta may behave over the next week (comic time) and how she may be treating Martellus.

5) Slight discussion of what having his father in his head was like for Gil.

6) What Gil may have learned from his father.

7) Hints about what the Baron (and maybe Gil) know about Zeetha.

8) Judging be Zeetha's reaction, hints that she knows what that's about (meaning Gil may be her twin brother and she may have figured that out).

9) Also, we may have an Agatha clank on sight--or someone else's clank.

10) If it's someone else, Bang may be about to show up to attack the base, which could at least provide everyone with a sub to leave on if the others have been scuttled.

11) Even if it's not Bang's, they may need to be in the right place for plot.

12) Oh, and Gil's response to being possessed by Klaus needs to fit the rules they'll need for the remaining length of the series for possession and for what Gil can and can't know.

So, that's a lot of stuff to get exactly right. I can see why they took their time.

[geoduck]

9) Also, we may have an Agatha clank on sight--or someone else's clank.

That's quite definitely the message-clank Agatha sent out from Sturmhalten; when the Castle and Beast found it here in the dome, that town's name was written on a blackboard in the room.

[Douglas]

That's quite definitely the message-clank Agatha sent out from Sturmhalten; when the Castle and Beast found it here in the dome, that town's name was written on a blackboard in the room.

See here for its original appearance. Of the four messenger clanks she sent, it's the one that made it past the guards.

[diremage]

Harebrained theory of the day: Zeetha is Gil's older half-sister ("Daughter of 'Chump', a great warrior, and yes, I know what it means.") and is in fact entitled to rule BOTH Skifander and the Wulfenbach empire. In support: In the second-to-last panel when they are side-by-side their faces have almost identical linework. Zeetha's eyes are a little different but the cheek and hair structure is very similar.

This would worry the Baron because if she -knows- about her birthright and got sent to claim it, she might not take kindly to her kid brother sitting on her throne. Or alternately, even if she isn't interested but word got out, it could spark a civil succession war whether she wants one or not.

[factotum]

I think Zeetha and Gil being siblings is something that's been known (or at least speculated heavily about) for years. The general reason people think there might be an issue there is that Zeetha and Gil are likely twins, and twins are considered bad in Skifandrian society--so much so that they would usually kill one or the other. This is why the Baron left with Gil, and why he was worried that Zeetha was an assassin sent to kill Gil when he first heard about her many years ago. (I can't remember which strip that was in or I'd link it, but I definitely recall that being his worry).

[geoduck]

Harebrained theory of the day: Zeetha is Gil's older half-sister ("Daughter of 'Chump', a great warrior, and yes, I know what it means.") and is in fact entitled to rule BOTH Skifander and the Wulfenbach empire. In support: In the second-to-last panel when they are side-by-side their faces have almost identical linework. Zeetha's eyes are a little different but the cheek and hair structure is very similar.

This would worry the Baron because if she -knows- about her birthright and got sent to claim it, she might not take kindly to her kid brother sitting on her throne. Or alternately, even if she isn't interested but word got out, it could spark a civil succession war whether she wants one or not.

EDIT: I see factotum already covered most of this, but still..

Spoiler

Show

You're close to being right. Skifander is where Lucrezia sent a drugged Klaus after accepting Bill's marriage proposal. While there, he took the name "Chump", probably in reaction to the drugging. He married Queen Zantabraxus, and they had twins: Zeetha and Gil. The Skifanderians have a bias against twins, which probably meant that the infant Gil as the male twin was scheduled to be killed. Klaus took him and escaped, somehow getting the Skifanderian Mirror to work. When Zeetha turned up in Europa, Klaus was afraid she had been sent to finish the job; whether he realized who exactly Zeetha is remains unknown. Additionally, how much of this Zeetha was told before coming or has figured out since arriving is not at all clear.

[HandofShadows]

Here is the page Here Klaus warns Gil about Zeetha. It's been just about 100% confirmed that Gil and Zeetha are twins and that The Baron left Skif to keep Gil from being killed. Also of note is Klaus went out of his way NOT to kill Zeetha when they fought way back when.

Add on

Spoiler

Show

I think it's clear from their interactions that Zeetha know exactly who Gil is. She goes way out of he way to bug him just like a sister would bug a brother. And this page about her being worried that Gil might figure it out is evident. For some reason Zeetha doesn't want Gil to know they are siblings. Guess it will all come out when we get to Skif.

[Traab]

Here is the page Here Klaus warns Gil about Zeetha. It's been just about 100% confirmed that Gil and Zeetha are twins and that The Baron left Skif to keep Gil from being killed. Also of note is Klaus went out of his way NOT to kill Zeetha when they fought way back when.

Add on

Spoiler

Show

I think it's clear from their interactions that Zeetha know exactly who Gil is. She goes way out of he way to bug him just like a sister would bug a brother. And this page about her being worried that Gil might figure it out is evident. For some reason Zeetha doesn't want Gil to know they are siblings. Guess it will all come out when we get to Skif.

Chances are good that

Spoiler

Show

she has been raised with that cultural belief and is worried how HE will react to being twins. Or at least something along those lines.

[factotum]

Chances are good that

Spoiler

Show

she has been raised with that cultural belief and is worried how HE will react to being twins. Or at least something along those lines.

I doubt that:

Spoiler

Show

She's been away from Skifander and living in Europa for a good time now, it seems entirely unlikely that she wouldn't have realised the bias against twins really isn't a thing there.

[geoduck]

Spoiler

Show

Assuming that she does know (which I'm still not 100% convinced of, even though she really should have figured it out..) maybe she's worried that upon learning, Gil will demand to go to Skifander and meet his mother, whereupon he again risks getting killed.