Master List of Unanswered Questions

[zylaa]

There's a lot of them. Out of curiosity, I decided to find out just how much. =D If someone's done this before, I apologize.

I'm sure this list will get edited quite a lot. These go in chronological order, and I've tried to limit it to questions that will actually get answered (So no "Who sells time shares on labyrinths?"). Also, I'm not including the latest chapter, since hopefully some of the questions in there will be answered by the end. Without further ado:

Chapter 1
-- What's the point of the tictocs?

Chapter 2
-- Why was Surma bedridden after Antimony was born?

Chapter 3
-- How did Reynardine know that Surma was dead just by figuring out that Antimony was her daughter?
-- Why is the court so deserted/huge?
-- How'd Eglamore get to be friends with Sivo?

Chapter 4
-- What is the significance of the "Dulce et decorum est" inscription? Does it mark Mort's tomb?

Chapter 5
-- And what is Zimmy?
-- How did Zimmy know that Reynardine was more than a toy?

Chapter 6
-- What's the point of the room with the cherries? -- Answered p. 609
-- Who is the gardener? -- Answered p. 608.
-- Where's Anthony gone?

Chapter 8
-- Why did the Tictocs save Antimony?
-- Mort is "new and inexperienced." Who was Mort? And why is he the only ghost we see around?
-- Why is Jeanne beyond the psychopomps' reach?
-- How could Jeanne cross the river?
-- And why did she slash Antimony?
-- What is Gunnerkrigg Court, anyway?

Chapter 9
-- Why is Robot's arm planted in an artificial habitat room?-- Answered p. 609

Chapter 11
-- Why does Annie's scar show up near Zimmy?
-- Why does rain help her?

Chapter 12
-- Why are they studying so many CPUs? Is Rey right about "trouble in the ranks"?
-- What's the extra part on Robot's CPU? Do all robots have it?

Chapter 13
-- Why does Annie wear that makeup all the time?

Chapter 14
-- How does Coyote know about the Eglamore/Surma/Anthony love triangle?
-- Why can't Annie trust the Court people?
-- Why did Ysengrin drop the seeds?
-- Why is Ysengrin drawing "closer to the brink of insanity?"
-- Why does Anthony stay away for two years?

Chapter 15
-- Why is court education for the forest people lacking in basic vocabulary and heavy on science?
-- Why did Ysengrin bury the bird and blame the court?

Chapter 16
-- Why does Surma say she would be of no use to the guides anymore?
-- "The world continues to spin, pup. The boy and his family will ensure it." ??

Chapter 17
-- Why does Jones speak as though she aligns herself with neither the court nor the forest?
-- Eglamore/Jones?

Chapter 18
-- Jones: Android, just an emotionless person, or what? -- partly answered p. 592.
-- "She died and we did nothing." So what happened to Jeanne? -- answered ch. 25
-- So what happened to Surma and Eggers?

Chapter 19
-- What is the power station for?
-- Why does the station mess with Zimmy's head?
-- Why does a fake Kat show up?
-- Why was Jack in Zimmy's crazy mental world (or whatever it is)?
-- Why did Gamma say that only Annie came through if Jack was in that world too?

Chapter 20
-- What did the court do so nothing could cross? -- answered p. 656
-- Why does Ysengrin hate humans?
-- Why did Reynardine try to kill Annie?
-- Who was the guy Reynardine killed?
-- "Man's endeavor to become God?" (Coyote channels the author's skill at answers that raise a heck of a lot more questions)
-- What is Coyote's great secret?
-- How many of Ysengrin's actions are known to Coyote or part of Coyote's own plans?

Chapter 21
-- Why did Diego make all the robots obsessed with the Jeanne painting? -- answered p. 652
-- Why did none of the psychopomps come for Surma?


Chapter 22
-- Why couldn't Surma stand Jones?
-- Where is Brinnie now?
-- Why were Anja and Surma put in, then switched from Chester?
-- What's the tree dog?
-- What is the connection between the Rogat Orjak and the dragonslayers?

Chapter 23
-- What was the seed bismuth?
-- Why did humans come to Gillitie forest?
-- So what happened between Sir Young and Diego and Jeanne?
-- Why would a lot of information about the court founding be deliberately hidden?
-- Jones: not a robot. What then?
-- Why is Jack now obsessed with Zimmy and/or crazy?

Chapter 24
-- What's up with the spider and spiderwebs on Jack's etheric face?

Chapter 25
--Are the tic-tocs really older than the Court? What kind of "divine being" created them?
--Who was the "traitor" that Jeanne loved?
--Who was the member of the Court that refused to participate in the sacrifice?
--What exactly did Diego's device do to Jeanne, and how does it protect the Court?
--What changes will Robot bring about in the robot society?



Discuss. Also feel free to correct me if I've gotten anything wrong.

[deerinheadlights]

Good list! I can't think of anything to add.

[Mezzaphor]

-- Why does Annie wear that makeup all the time?

It may just be that Annie is copying her mom, or doing it because her mom told her to do so.

But my favorite theory is that the eye-shadow is actually some kind of protection against supernatural evil. "Surma" is another name for the eye-shadow kohl, which in some cultures was used on infants for protection from the Evil Eye. And Annie wasn't wearing her eye-shadow when Rey tried to possess her, nor when she met Jeanne.

-- Why is Ysengrin drawing "closer to the brink of insanity?"

Based on the context, I think it's implied that the insanity is a side effect of the powers that Coyote gave to Ysengrin. But it's open to interpretation.

-- Brienne. Who/what is she?

Brinnie is the valkyrie Brynhildr, sent to Earth as punishment for disobeying Odin (the "old man" she mentioned).

[zylaa]

Jul 2, 2009 2:23:17 GMT Mezzaphor said:

-- Why does Annie wear that makeup all the time?

It may just be that Annie is copying her mom, or doing it because her mom told her to do so.

But my favorite theory is that the eye-shadow is actually some kind of protection against supernatural evil. "Surma" is another name for the eye-shadow kohl, which in some cultures was used on infants for protection from the Evil Eye. And Annie wasn't wearing her eye-shadow when Rey tried to possess her, nor when she met Jeanne.


Based on the context, I think it's implied that the insanity is a side effect of the powers that Coyote gave to Ysengrin. But it's open to interpretation.

-- Brienne. Who/what is she?

Brinnie is the valkyrie Brynhildr, sent to Earth as punishment for disobeying Odin (the "old man" she mentioned).

Hmmm, warding eye shadow? I'd never considered that before! Cool idea.

I considered that too, but the fact that Jones said closer to the brink of insanity makes me think that he was already veering there before the powers.

And thank you!

[fidodo]

For chapter 22, what happened in Chester house that made people scared?
www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=545

[popo]

I think it was more just the fact that they were in chester house that freaked people out, not anything specific they did

[Casey]

Chapter 19
-- Why does Zimmy doubt that it's night for a sec?

She doesn't. She's just confused why there are other students out at night when they're not supposed to be. Her saying "I thought it wuz night!" is offered as an explanation of why she is surprised that they are there. Sort of like seeing a light on in the Watergate offices and saying "Hey, I thought that building was closed"... bah you kids are too young to know what Watergate is.

One thing that Zimmy WAS confused about, the page before, was that she thought all the kids on the roof were nobodies from her visions. It wasn't until Gamma tried to "gop" Matt in panel 4 that Gamma realized they were real people, which she then telepathically said "They're real!" to Zimmy, who then turns around and says "They're what?!" out loud. When things get bad for Zimmy, she can't tell the difference between who is real and who is not, as she explained later in the chapter. It is only through inference that we figure out, on second reading for me, that Gamma was trying to 'dismiss' Matt, mistaking him for one of Zimmy's visions/creations.

[Uglyhead]

I still remember, and still wonder about, those weird little glowy painting/portal dealies back in chapter 2.

www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=23

[Casey]

Jul 2, 2009 4:33:59 GMT Uglyhead said:

I still remember, and still wonder about, those weird little glowy painting/portal dealies back in chapter 2.

www.gunnerkrigg.com/archive_page.php?comicID=23

I wasn't able to find it in the wikia pages, but, somewhere in one of the Questions to Tom thread, he said that those were a plot device that he subsequently decided not to, or was unable to, use in the comic. Sort of like the firepot in the back of Neriak. And if anyone gets that reference, I deeply bow to your awesomeness.

[zylaa]

Jul 2, 2009 3:48:15 GMT popo said:

I think it was more just the fact that they were in chester house that freaked people out, not anything specific they did

That's what I thought too.

Casey-- Ohhh, makes sense. Thanks! And I still hadn't gotten that Gamma was trying to dismiss Matt.

[Tom Siddell]

That list seems about right for what I inended. Do you mind if I edit your post to remove stuff that won't be answered, or has already been shown? For example, Zimmy's science project will never be revealed. That's the joke.

[todd]

Jul 2, 2009 7:47:16 GMT Tom Siddell said:

For example, Zimmy's science project will never be revealed. That's the joke.

I don't think that any revelation of what Zimmy's science project was could live up to our expectations; it sounds like the kind of thing that works better as an eternal mystery.

Though some revelations do fulfill our expectations (such as the revelation at the end of Chapter Sixteen of what Surma said to Annie before she went off to help Martin - of course, the way it's drawn in the last panel helped).

[Per]

Jul 2, 2009 2:23:17 GMT Mezzaphor said:

And Annie wasn't wearing her eye-shadow when Rey tried to possess her, nor when she met Jeanne.

Nor when she was sucked into evil Birmingham. She should have learned by now that if her makeup gets smudged, she should hit the deck.

[zylaa]

Jul 2, 2009 7:47:16 GMT Tom Siddell said:

That list seems about right for what I inended. Do you mind if I edit your post to remove stuff that won't be answered, or has already been shown? For example, Zimmy's science project will never be revealed. That's the joke.

Of course I don't mind! And yeah, I thought it might be, but thought it was worth putting in anyway.

[Per]

Depending on the purpose of the list you may not want to edit anything out entirely, but maybe move them to a special category. Or else people will be reporting them as missing forever.

[Tom Siddell]

Note: I took out "Who is Annie's father" because it has been said a few times that it's Anthony Carver.

[the bandit]

Jul 2, 2009 16:15:44 GMT Per said:

Depending on the purpose of the list you may not want to edit anything out entirely, but maybe move them to a special category. Or else people will be reporting them as missing forever.

You could consider using scratch-outs to update the list as these questions are answered in future chapters. For example,
Chapter 2
-- Why was Surma bedridden after Antimony was born? (answer in ch. 42)

[Ulysses]

I second the strike-out idea.

Why is this post so pointless? (Answered in my brain)

[zylaa]

Jul 2, 2009 18:19:58 GMT Tom Siddell said:

Note: I took out "Who is Annie's father" because it has been said a few times that it's Anthony Carver.

I am a suspicious person who doubts the obvious and repeatedly stated. I shall no longer question that, then.

The strikeout idea sounds good! Personally I'd like to keep it as strikeouts only from this point on, since putting in all the previously answered questions would take quite some time.

[todd]

Jul 2, 2009 18:19:58 GMT Tom Siddell said:

Note: I took out "Who is Annie's father" because it has been said a few times that it's Anthony Carver.

That won't make any difference to the people who want to believe that someone else was Annie's father; they'll simply point out that in the original "Star Wars" movie, it was said that Darth Vader killed Luke's father.

[fjodor]

In addition to the question "where did Anthony go?": why did he go there and stay away for two years?

Also: how come Eggers can jump so high?

And why are there several 'large animal holding cells'? Why do they lock up animals at the Court?

In answer to this question: "Why could Annie see psychopomps?"
Because she possesses the talents of a medium, I guess.

[zylaa]

Jul 3, 2009 20:40:08 GMT fjodor said:

In addition to the question "where did Anthony go?": why did he go there and stay away for two years?

Also: how come Eggers can jump so high?

And why are there several 'large animal holding cells'? Why do they lock up animals at the Court?

In answer to this question: "Why could Annie see psychopomps?"
Because she possesses the talents of a medium, I guess.

All added, thanks. I hadn't even wondered about the presence of animal holding cells before... maybe the court holds some animals from the forest for some reason?

And I thought it was implied that seeing psychopomps without any medium training was rare? I'm not sure where it said that, though.

[Dentrala]

You need to add, "How is it that a guy who doesn't even consider this his job manage to keep a whole community of over-analyzers in the perfect balance of hints, suspense and mystery?"

[Casey]

I think the lines between Master List of Unanswered Questions and General Questions to Tom are starting to blur, with unfortunate consequences to both.

I would like to recommend that you keep this list to just questions that we can realistically hope to have answered through additional expository and plot development. I don't think that, for example, why the Court has animal holding cells, would necessary fall into those parameters.

[zylaa]

Jul 6, 2009 2:10:29 GMT Casey said:

I think the lines between Master List of Unanswered Questions and General Questions to Tom are starting to blur, with unfortunate consequences to both.

I would like to recommend that you keep this list to just questions that we can realistically hope to have answered through additional expository and plot development. I don't think that, for example, why the Court has animal holding cells, would necessary fall into those parameters.

I'll take out the animal holding cells one, then, but everything else we can realistically expect to see.

Also, after a talk with a friend fan added:
"Why were Anja and Surma put into, then switched from Chester?"
"Who is the gardener?" (Seems simple enough, yes, but Tom didn't answer when someone asked in the Questions to Tom thread.

[Per]

Jul 6, 2009 15:00:23 GMT zylaa said:

I'll take out the animal holding cells one, then

Now that will turn out to be one of the central mystaries!

[The Stranger]

A few more:
340 - Mallt-y-Nos tells Surma that Annie mediating is "inevitable" - Why is that?
359 - Moddey Dhoo might have implied there was an afterlife. Page 534 supports this with beings that seem to have come from a nether realm/world. Is there one? If so, did Annie have to go there when she guided her mother? If so, is that why she hates the psychopomps and why nothing scares Annie?
369 - Why didn't Surma tell Annie about being the medium at Gunnerkrigg Court?
375 - Why does Jones speak as though she aligns herself with neither the court nor the forest?
395 - How did Annie know Mort was eavesdropping?
416 - How could Anja tell by Annie's enrollment alone that Surma was dead?
532 - Why didn't any of the psychopomps come for Surma?
532 - Why and how could Annie guide her mother?
583 - What is the seed bismuth?

As for "Why does Annie get so angry at the notion that Mort was giving her a couple's gift?" I think I know the answer to that one: Annie is very reluctant and careful about letting people into her life; the idea that Mort snuck her a couple's gift (with all of its implications) without her knowing/permission crossed that line much, much, much too far.

[Per]

Jul 9, 2009 10:19:09 GMT The Stranger said:

340 - Mallt-y-Nos tells Surma that Annie mediating is "inevitable" - Why is that?

Probably they just knew that she had the ability, that she wasn't likely to go through her life happily ignoring it, and that the younger she was, the less freaked out she might be to dive into it.

Jul 9, 2009 10:19:09 GMT The Stranger said:

395 - How did Annie know Mort was eavesdropping?

I think the joke is that Mort is wondering how she could know while looking like a glaring pink out-of-place lampshade.

[fidodo]

Jul 9, 2009 10:19:09 GMT The Stranger said:

416 - How could Anja tell by Annie's enrollment alone that Surma was dead?

Anja was her best friend, she probably got the news elsewhere. Seeing the slip probably brought back those emotions. Anyways, it's not really a plot point question.

532 - Why and how could Annie guide her mother?

I would think that would fall under her mediation abilities.

[Mishmash]

fidodo, don't forget that Reynardine too could tell Surma was dead just by seeing Annie at the court. I think there is a reason that Annie being at the court = Surma being dead.