going to guess that this will be related to Selkie’s ribbon
either her wearing it for years has repressed her powers
such that she’ll never be come an echo like her mother
or them taking her ribbon away from her,
will prevent her from ever developing her powers as an echo.
essentially taking away her heritage.
so what’s the answer A or B ?
i re-read the comments again and i should have posted my first comment as a response here instead… but i think this may turn out like Girl Genius, in that she had a locket that as suppressing her mental abilities, and that after it was removed, her mind made up for lost time, BUT because she’s had actual education in the sciences, math, etc; such that she didn’t go Mad as she “broke-through” into being a full-blown Spark…
I’m guessing she shows no evidence of having said ability and I suspect her ‘normality’ may have been a deciding factor on her mom giving her to the humans. She has a chance to just “be good” and live in peace, rather then being a figure head and clan hero.
that would totally make sense and also explain why selkie´s mom took the risk and gave her to humans – she knew among her own kind she would grow up under (insanely high) expectations she would never be able to fullfil.
also, i´m psyched cause this is the first time someone mentioned selkie´s FATHER. no offence to todd, but i´m plain curious where the other half of her genes comes from 😉
“She wants to become a mad scientist and call herself Doctor Terrorhammer.”
…
“Oh, that’s much better. Forget being an Echo, she should do that instead.”
I suspect that Dr. BunnyEars has had a change of heart, “About that raining Hellfire and ‘Damn Yer Nation’ down on our enemies crap, … I don’t think I wanna play with you any more, you’re not nice to people! And also that thing about tricking the Land Lubbers to kill themselves off for us, …yeah, ain’t gonna fly.” At least that is what I suspect. (Note: I am almost always completely wrong about what someone else has in their plotted plans.)
I’m not sure where you’re getting just about any of this, especially the part about the land lubbers. But when the doctor was explaining the political situation to Todd, he seemed really sad about it, like he didn’t like what was going on from any front. I don’t think he was gleefully attacking anyone, even when in Sarnoth.
I apologize for my ignorance in advance, I should go back and reread the archives more carefully; my comment was poorly formed, I meant for it to sound like Dr. Pohl is offering intel he has gathered to Gien. Gien is some sort of Commander or General, is he not? With an ax to grind with the “air breathers”? Please correct me if I’m mistaken, but wasn’t the killing of one Sarnothi by the land lubbers the start of their whole civil war? I’m going back to reread the start of that, again.
Thing is they have been arguing about whether to reveal themselves or not for ages, thi fisherman incident was just the trigger that finally made the conflict boil up. Sar’teri (peacekeepers) wanted to accept a quiet apology and reasurrence from us gov it won’t happen again, jin’sorai (Selkie’s clan) wanted blood for blood against the fishermen which would make the whole affair go public – this led to war and at last sar’teri blew up the jin’sorai.
Nana: are we convinced her Father is alive? If my Mate was a freedom fighter, I would want to stay home with the hatchlings, kids, squiddies, whatever they call them jokingly.
It looks to me like Plo Quar didn’t want Selkie to become an echo, hence why her idea of something that would “Keep [Selkie] safe” caused “medical concerns” for the others.
and with the look that Then and Pohl shared before he spoke, means that they BOTH know what’s been done to her… Although that could be a GOOD thing in the long run… in Girl Genius, the main character Agatha Clay has been wearing a locket from about the age of 3, that messes with her mind such that she can’t concentrate very well… but once she’s had it taken off for a while as a young adult (18-19 ish?), her mind makes up for lost time, and by the time that it is replaced, mentally she’s become too powerful for it to affect her… we may be looking at something similar here as well, Plo Quar put the inhibitor on her knowing that she couldn’t/wouldn’t be there to guide Selkie during her break-through period, so she’s DELAYED her break-through as an Echo, until she’s matured (enough) to be able to handle it without going into mind-break (to use another comics term) and killing every one around in uncontrollable flares of whatever the heck they can do with the green “stuff”…
Ooh, I do believe that’s the first reference to Selkie’s father in-comic so far. Not much else to add onto that that I didn’t already put in Friday’s comics comments, but I’m really starting to wonder about him, as there’s been such an emphasis on mom, and dad hasn’t even been a thought (as far as we know)
since there is 4 major clans, kind of tend to think there is one echo for each clan normally at any one time.
I assume selkie’s mom counts as the current echo for their clan and at old age or death the position passes to her child. this could help explain why no one ever talks much about the father as the role of the echo might take precedence in normal sarnothi culture. depending on what an echo is exactly as well could explain just why she was such a one woman army during the war even.
maybe we can find out something of just what an echo really is soon. knowing that would help with sorting this out.
like can anyone take the role of echo and just some are better suited or is it really a lineage thing and it has to be a direct heir?
For those who were thinking Gien might be the bio-father, I’ll just note that we already knew his family name to be Ma’Torai, while hers is Ma’Chien.
However, I think this is also the only instance we’ve seen of a shared first syllable, other than (Clan) Jin’Sorai and (Province) Jin’Suir. So there’s some chance that it suggests a relationship — depending on where family names come from in the first place. (I’m guessing it’s just a minor coincidence; there are only so many syllables to go around.)
To be fair, it could have been the case that Selkie didn’t or wouldn’t inherit her father’s last name: Parents not actually married, different naming conventions such as being named for one’s birthplace, etc.
It could also be child (or daughters at least) keep mother’s name, and husbands have the choice to take it, sorta reversed of our mainstream culture. I don’t think that Gien is Selkie’s father, otherwise it doesn’t seem natural to say “her mother and father” – instead of “her mother and my”
going to guess that this will be related to Selkie’s ribbon
either her wearing it for years has repressed her powers
such that she’ll never be come an echo like her mother
or them taking her ribbon away from her,
will prevent her from ever developing her powers as an echo.
essentially taking away her heritage.
so what’s the answer A or B ?
I’m actually thinking it has to do with her becoming the ‘fourth’ Echo, and one of the other three has died.
i re-read the comments again and i should have posted my first comment as a response here instead… but i think this may turn out like Girl Genius, in that she had a locket that as suppressing her mental abilities, and that after it was removed, her mind made up for lost time, BUT because she’s had actual education in the sciences, math, etc; such that she didn’t go Mad as she “broke-through” into being a full-blown Spark…
I’m guessing she shows no evidence of having said ability and I suspect her ‘normality’ may have been a deciding factor on her mom giving her to the humans. She has a chance to just “be good” and live in peace, rather then being a figure head and clan hero.
that would totally make sense and also explain why selkie´s mom took the risk and gave her to humans – she knew among her own kind she would grow up under (insanely high) expectations she would never be able to fullfil.
also, i´m psyched cause this is the first time someone mentioned selkie´s FATHER. no offence to todd, but i´m plain curious where the other half of her genes comes from 😉
“She wants to become a mad scientist and call herself Doctor Terrorhammer.”
…
“Oh, that’s much better. Forget being an Echo, she should do that instead.”
YESSSSS
This needs to happen.
Haha, indeed.
I suspect that Dr. BunnyEars has had a change of heart, “About that raining Hellfire and ‘Damn Yer Nation’ down on our enemies crap, … I don’t think I wanna play with you any more, you’re not nice to people! And also that thing about tricking the Land Lubbers to kill themselves off for us, …yeah, ain’t gonna fly.” At least that is what I suspect. (Note: I am almost always completely wrong about what someone else has in their plotted plans.)
I’m not sure where you’re getting just about any of this, especially the part about the land lubbers. But when the doctor was explaining the political situation to Todd, he seemed really sad about it, like he didn’t like what was going on from any front. I don’t think he was gleefully attacking anyone, even when in Sarnoth.
I apologize for my ignorance in advance, I should go back and reread the archives more carefully; my comment was poorly formed, I meant for it to sound like Dr. Pohl is offering intel he has gathered to Gien. Gien is some sort of Commander or General, is he not? With an ax to grind with the “air breathers”? Please correct me if I’m mistaken, but wasn’t the killing of one Sarnothi by the land lubbers the start of their whole civil war? I’m going back to reread the start of that, again.
Thing is they have been arguing about whether to reveal themselves or not for ages, thi fisherman incident was just the trigger that finally made the conflict boil up. Sar’teri (peacekeepers) wanted to accept a quiet apology and reasurrence from us gov it won’t happen again, jin’sorai (Selkie’s clan) wanted blood for blood against the fishermen which would make the whole affair go public – this led to war and at last sar’teri blew up the jin’sorai.
I think she will meet her mother and father.
Nana: are we convinced her Father is alive? If my Mate was a freedom fighter, I would want to stay home with the hatchlings, kids, squiddies, whatever they call them jokingly.
Gonna guess she’s not actually gonna awaken as an Echo naturally.
I also suspect that there are ways to “force” someone to become an Echo, which probably result in… very unfortunately side-effects.
Gien, buddy, you’re doing good so far. Please don’t screw this up.
It looks to me like Plo Quar didn’t want Selkie to become an echo, hence why her idea of something that would “Keep [Selkie] safe” caused “medical concerns” for the others.
and with the look that Then and Pohl shared before he spoke, means that they BOTH know what’s been done to her… Although that could be a GOOD thing in the long run… in Girl Genius, the main character Agatha Clay has been wearing a locket from about the age of 3, that messes with her mind such that she can’t concentrate very well… but once she’s had it taken off for a while as a young adult (18-19 ish?), her mind makes up for lost time, and by the time that it is replaced, mentally she’s become too powerful for it to affect her… we may be looking at something similar here as well, Plo Quar put the inhibitor on her knowing that she couldn’t/wouldn’t be there to guide Selkie during her break-through period, so she’s DELAYED her break-through as an Echo, until she’s matured (enough) to be able to handle it without going into mind-break (to use another comics term) and killing every one around in uncontrollable flares of whatever the heck they can do with the green “stuff”…
Oh yeah, the Echo thing! Thanks there, Mikael.
Just stay handy for when I need you.
Ooh, I do believe that’s the first reference to Selkie’s father in-comic so far. Not much else to add onto that that I didn’t already put in Friday’s comics comments, but I’m really starting to wonder about him, as there’s been such an emphasis on mom, and dad hasn’t even been a thought (as far as we know)
Pinch hitting for Pedro Borbón, Manny Mota… Mota… Mota…
Fourth echo as in there were three previous echos? Or fourth echo as in there’s currently three echos?
since there is 4 major clans, kind of tend to think there is one echo for each clan normally at any one time.
I assume selkie’s mom counts as the current echo for their clan and at old age or death the position passes to her child. this could help explain why no one ever talks much about the father as the role of the echo might take precedence in normal sarnothi culture. depending on what an echo is exactly as well could explain just why she was such a one woman army during the war even.
maybe we can find out something of just what an echo really is soon. knowing that would help with sorting this out.
like can anyone take the role of echo and just some are better suited or is it really a lineage thing and it has to be a direct heir?
For those who were thinking Gien might be the bio-father, I’ll just note that we already knew his family name to be Ma’Torai, while hers is Ma’Chien.
However, I think this is also the only instance we’ve seen of a shared first syllable, other than (Clan) Jin’Sorai and (Province) Jin’Suir. So there’s some chance that it suggests a relationship — depending on where family names come from in the first place. (I’m guessing it’s just a minor coincidence; there are only so many syllables to go around.)
To be fair, it could have been the case that Selkie didn’t or wouldn’t inherit her father’s last name: Parents not actually married, different naming conventions such as being named for one’s birthplace, etc.
It could also be child (or daughters at least) keep mother’s name, and husbands have the choice to take it, sorta reversed of our mainstream culture. I don’t think that Gien is Selkie’s father, otherwise it doesn’t seem natural to say “her mother and father” – instead of “her mother and my”
I really hope that Selkie WILL develop her Echo powers. So much has been taken from her. Her family, her clan, her ethnic identity. This too?
Man. This really has to stink. DX