Forum:2009-07-03 (Friday)

From Girl Genius

Discussion for comic for 2009-07-03 (Friday)

Any idea who Fra Palagatti is? Could it be one of the inmates we have met? Argadi 09:33, 3 July 2009 (UTC)

'Fra' is a common religious title, being derivative from 'frater' ('brother') - Fra Pelagatti is a monk. Considering that the monasteries were the repositories of much of Europe's knowledge during the Dark Ages until the Renaissance types started actually reading-and-applying knowledge again, it's not surprising that many of the European scientists of that period were brothers, in or out of the cloister. Gregor Mendel is a perfect example. Since this is a technological device, I'll bet he's a Corbettite. The name of the device, or the principle behind the device, is a not-uncommon construction of the time and style.

As to him being an inmate we've met, no; we have had more than enough names given us. As to him being an inmate at all, unlikely. -- Corgi 10:34, 4 July 2009 (UTC)

Fra Pelagatti is (or was) a friar, not a monk. (Friars and monks get cross when you confuse them.) My guess is that the full name of the device is "Fra Palagatti's Lion" like Archimedes' Screw. --Cantabrian 12:08, 4 July 2009 (UTC)

I was a bit surprised Agatha didn't save some of the pieces of the device. Though I'm not sure we want anything that generates "short bursts of intense trans-dimensional dissonance harmonics" being functional. That sure sounds like it would get the attention of the Other, or the Geisterdamen, right quick. Nekokami 13:27, 3 July 2009 (UTC)

I vote we have an article on trans-dimensional harmonics (or at least a Mad) since they seem to be popping up everywhere, even if this one was for dissonance -- Axi 13:36, 3 July 2009 (UTC)

Made a stub article for Transdimensional harmonics. I'm guess its important to know since it keeps coming up -- Axi 20:43, 3 July 2009 (UTC)

I filled in a chunk, although I didn't bother to define 'dissonance'. It seems obvious to me that this was designed to shake the Castle to bits in a whole other dimension, semi-pun semi-intended, from what the Baron allegedly intends. The ætheric roar would shake consciousness into instability, and the dissonances would shatter coherency permanently. [muses on finding something in print about the concept of the mind/human consciousness being trans-dimensional all by itself] -- Corgi 10:34, 4 July 2009 (UTC)

I'm not surprised at Agatha's smashing the device. First of all, Agatha's got plenty of spare parts as she is inside one big clank to begin with. More importantly Lilith, one of the few entities that Agatha completely trusts, told her to get to Castle Heterodyne. And Agatha realizes that the people of Mechanicsburg depend on her as well. Therefore, anything that threatens the castle is to be neutralized or eliminated. Period. Pinky just got neutralized. The machine got eliminated. (And didn't that also remind everyone of a certain scene in Animal House?)

It wouldn't surprise me, though, to find out that Gil had something else in mind for the device besides destroying the castle, but very prudently neglected to mention it to the enemies surrounding him. We could get a good "WTF?" out of Gil once he's back on the ball, with accompanying plot complications. --Oarboar 18:25, 3 July 2009 (UTC)

I originally thought that Gil might have done something different with the device, esp since he eliminated the need of several pieces but now I'm not so sure he didn't get caught up in the sparky-ness -- Axi 18:59, 3 July 2009 (UTC)

Hmmmm ... here's a thought I had over lunch: What if Gil was reworking the device to destroy The Other instead of the castle? If it's a trans-dimensional dissonance harmonics device, wouldn't that be the opposite of the trans-dimensional harmonics that Aaronev and/or Tarvek were working on? (Forgive me, but I'm too lazy to go and look up the reference this second.) Maybe Gil really doesn't want the locket in his way. ;) --Oarboar 20:14, 3 July 2009 (UTC)

I should have waited for the page to come up. Nothing about Aaronev or Tarvek working on that. (Yet.) My bad. --Oarboar 21:04, 3 July 2009 (UTC)

I think you might have been thinking of the Summoning Engine? -- Corgi 10:34, 4 July 2009 (UTC)

[doubletakes at Axi's link and frowns thoughtfully] -- Corgi 00:33, 4 July 2009 (UTC)

Aw, it was kind of interesting that way. -- Corgi 10:34, 4 July 2009 (UTC)

I still think Gil did something different with the device, since he was pretty definite about wanting the Castle repaired rather than destroyed. But Agatha wasn't around to hear that, and even if she had no qualms whatsoever about trusting him, it would be a bad idea to assume that just because he analyzed it, he also had a chance to take it out of commission or change the function. If the new function would be really, really useful, then either it was too handy to be allowed in the plot or they'll fix it. ;) -- PK