Castle Heterodyne

''This article is about the family seat and residence. For the noble lineage, see House Heterodyne. For other uses, see Heterodyne (disambiguation).''

Castle Heterodyne is the ancestral home of the Heterodyne family. Its early history is by Ardsley Wooster, including several rebuildings over the years.

Legend says the castle was first programmed with self-awareness by Faustus Heterodyne, one of Agatha's mad scientist ancestors. Its charming personality is said to be a copy of his. Since then, it has been considered to be alive. It thinks it has a sense of humor. The castle was nearly destroyed 19 years prior to the beginning of Girl Genius in a mysterious and as-yet-unexplained attack by The Other. Many people were killed in the Castle that night, including Agatha's infant brother Klaus Barry Heterodyne, her grandfather Dr. Mongfish, and the then-new seneschal (the son of Carson von Mekkhan). It was the same night that Lucrezia Mongfish went missing.

Today, the Baron sends criminals into Castle Heterodyne to assist it with repairs. This is considered the ultimate punishment detail, as the chances making it out alive again are extremely slim. Some of the current inmates in Castle Heterodyne play significant roles in Agatha's story.

Intelligence and behavior
Castle Heterodyne is, in effect, a giant clank. Its central brain is located in the Heterodyne family crypt, and has the limitation at that location of being unable to speak directly, but only through a human linked to it.

The Castle is described (by Zola) as being able to reshape itself, and this capability is later demonstrated by a part of the Castle that came to acknowledge Agatha as the new Heterodyne.

On two occasions so far, the scene cuts away to show us three lights during interactions with Agatha Heterodyne. It appears to be strongly suggested that each light comes on in turn when an important stage in confirming Agatha to be the new Heterodyne is reached, as the first time this happened was when Agatha's voice was found to be similar to that of Lucrezia Mongfish, and the second time was after a blood sample from Agatha was analyzed, confirming her to be of Heterodyne descent.

Gates

 * - there is an implication this may be the same as the Prisoner's Gate
 * Prisoner's Gate
 * Prisoner's Gate
 * Prisoner's Gate

Rooms

 * Chapel of Bones
 * Heterodyne family crypt
 * Wrong. This is a separate building, to be seen to the left of the Castle in the overall picture of Mechanicsburg. Note spires, onion domes and Crucifixes. And redness. See image file RedCatherdral.jpg
 * Wrong. This is a separate building, to be seen to the left of the Castle in the overall picture of Mechanicsburg. Note spires, onion domes and Crucifixes. And redness. See image file RedCatherdral.jpg
 * Wrong. This is a separate building, to be seen to the left of the Castle in the overall picture of Mechanicsburg. Note spires, onion domes and Crucifixes. And redness. See image file RedCatherdral.jpg
 * Wrong. This is a separate building, to be seen to the left of the Castle in the overall picture of Mechanicsburg. Note spires, onion domes and Crucifixes. And redness. See image file RedCatherdral.jpg
 * Wrong. This is a separate building, to be seen to the left of the Castle in the overall picture of Mechanicsburg. Note spires, onion domes and Crucifixes. And redness. See image file RedCatherdral.jpg
 * Wrong. This is a separate building, to be seen to the left of the Castle in the overall picture of Mechanicsburg. Note spires, onion domes and Crucifixes. And redness. See image file RedCatherdral.jpg


 * Red Playroom
 * Venthraxus Heterodyne's personal kitchen
 * Venthraxus Heterodyne's personal kitchen

Other

 * Throne of Faustus Heterodyne
 * Throne of Faustus Heterodyne
 * Throne of Faustus Heterodyne

Rules of Castle Heterodyne
As thoughtfully compiled by untold numbers of prisoners at great hazard, and explained by surviving sources:


 * Flagstones and parts of the ceiling marked in white are traps that will kill you. (Source: Zola "Heterodyne" when .)


 * Duck under any doorway taller than one meter; these will also kill you. (Zola)


 * Don't touch any metal surface; it will also kill you. (Zola)
 * Gold coins are metal too: Don't try to them up; they are pit traps. (.)


 * Don't list your number of points out loud. (Hristo Tiktoffen  Sanaa Wilhelm.)


 * Refusing to repair the Castle will get you . (Ardsley Wooster)

In our last episode...
Following Judy's instructions, Agatha travels to Mechanicsburg, speaks to the broken Castle , and the Castle. Zola "Heterodyne" also  the Castle in a quest for legitimacy, though she plans to kill the Castle rather than repair it.

It gets to be quite crowded inside the walls. Tarvek the Castle and joins Agatha's party. Gilgamesh Wulfenbach, Schmott Guy with Zeetha. Von Pinn. Various parts of the Castle are still bent on killing everyone. Outside, Klaus  units to destroy the Castle.