Hanako Games

Questions and Theories [SPOILERS]

#1 by VivienVantablack - May 29 2022

Hello! As I mentioned in the introductions topic, I am planning to write fanfiction based on the "Magical Diary" series, exploring the rules and mysteries of the Crapsaccharine World setting in more depth. As I have been replaying the games, I have devised some theories and questions I would love to discuss with fellow players, and perhaps with the creators, for that Word of God swag.

I'm wondering... - again, SPOILERS FOLLOW:

Was Luke originally a mundane child, and Logan the magical one, somehow concieved at the same time (with Logan's magic affecting Luke's development in utero)? It would explain the differences between the boys, and how Luke's spells sometimes - in his own words -"don't come out".

I could see professor Van Brun being hired by Potsdam for some inscrutable purposes (perhaps as a part of a bargain, or a longer game scheme), since the woman clearly knows very little about teaching - but what was up with Blaise's reaction to her? Is it some sort of Akabesh vs Lechuza prejudice or feud?

What is the feud between Taranis' family and Bej's? "Lenshe" sounds suspiciously close to "leshy", but perhaps I am just seeing things.

That seems straightforward enough, but am I correct in my assumption that Grabiner does not use the e/eir pronouns (just them/they) when speaking of beings of indeterminate gender because he does not even want to think about the Otherworlds?

Do the Dansons choose to stay out of the Otherworlds because they worry about William having made powerful enemies by starting that fight with Damien?

Was Potsdam's warning during the candle-making scene (directed especially at Luke) something more than just a reference to his clumsiness?

Re: Questions and Theories [SPOILERS]

#2 by Draxynnic - May 30 2022

It's been a while, but the impression I had was that Taranis was, at least partially, of Otherworld descent, and of a type that doesn't exactly have a good reputation. I also recall there being a suggestion that he was a bit manipulative, difficult to get along with, and creepy, and that was a family/species trait.

I think he's Manuel's roommate, so taking his route might offer extra insights.

The first two questions have been discussed elsewhere, and Hanako has actively avoided confirming anything to avoid potential spoilers for future instalments.

Re: Questions and Theories [SPOILERS]

#3 by VivienVantablack - Jun 3 2022

Thank you, all of that makes perfect sense. I hope we'll get to see all the different Halls (and possibly all years in at least one of them).

Re: Questions and Theories [SPOILERS]

#4 by Draxynnic - Jun 3 2022

Apparently the original plan was to get through all the Halls, but that's looking doubtful now for practicality reasons. Said original plan was for Butterfly to be next, but Hanako has expressed that Snake would probably be prioritised.

Which might be good news for learning about Taranis, since the tendency seems to be for a PC from a given Hall to interact primarily with their own Hall and their Hall's counterpart. (Although a Toad game would be even better for that, since I have a hunch that a Toad PC would be rooming with Taranis and Manuel unless e's made a deal for eir own room.)

Re: Questions and Theories [SPOILERS]

#5 by randomprojects - Sep 20 2022

Regarding Taranis, if Gary joins the Midnight Poets, he expresses alarm at Taranis's presence, and says something to the effect of "with his bloodline, is it safe for him to recite poetry?" This might indicate Lenshes having special word/sound-based magic as a lineage specialty. (Maybe something like charmspeak, to add to their reputation of being dangerous/manipulative?) Your guess of Leshy is another possibility, since the Midnight Poets meet in the greenhouse (so it makes sense for Gary to be extra alarmed by Taranis's power there). This is just speculation though, since there's very little info in-game.

I found Blaise's reaction to Van Brun really intriguing when I first played, so I hope we'll eventually get to find out more too! (Same with the plot threads with the Phifer twins... chewing on the tidbits revealed in Wolf Hall and Horse Hall drives me nuts, but in a fun way. I have the same thought about the Phifers being twins having an effect on their 'soul patterns', it's nice to see someone else thinking that too!)

As for the Dansons, the impression I got was that they've always preferred to not live in the Otherworld (it's mentioned that most mages who live full-time in the Otherworld only has one kid, if any, because more than that would require them to stay in the human realm as there are many threats to children in the Otherworld.) William also mentioned that it's far more common for his family to host guests than be guests at other people's places since he was a child, which implies the family's preference to stay out of the Otherworld existed before William had his altercation with Damien during his freshman year. It could be an additional incentive to stay out of the Otherworld, but I don't get the impression that it's a major factor. The Dansons may have some other reason for staying out of the Otherworld, but with the Danson siblings having been major supporting characters in the existing games already, I'm not sure if future games will necessarily revisit the Dansons?

Re: Questions and Theories [SPOILERS]

#6 by Draxynnic - Sep 26 2022

I think it's at least possible that we'll see one of the Dansons come up as a path in a future game, even if there's less of a spotlight on them. Similar to how Ellen is less important in Wolf Hall than she is in Horse Hall, but she's still one of the major paths.

Another consideration is that in both games thus far we've been there as an outsider - first a wildseed, and then a foreigner. If we do get a PC from within the American mage families, they might know more about the Dansons. Similar to how the Wolf PC starts with knowledge of Grabiner's secret.

Re: Questions and Theories [SPOILERS]

#7 by randomprojects - Sep 27 2022

You raise a very good point about the possibility of a PC that is part of an American mage family, who might know more about established/prominent American mage families (like the Dansons and Blaisings... it'd be kind of interesting to see the Katsuras and Cochrans from the perspective of an 'average' mage child too). It might also be an opportunity to get some more info on the Lenshes?

It's kind of fun to imagine how a PC like that would fit into the halls—I think Hanako said Snake Hall is the most likely to happen next (if there is another game at all). And of the Snake freshmen we know, I think most (or all) of them are wildseed? Which I think would be fun to have a mage-born PC to interact with them and have some potentially interesting social dynamics.

Re: Questions and Theories [SPOILERS]

#8 by hanako - Sep 27 2022

Suki is not wildseed. Raven and Barbara are, and Nancy and Musette were.

Re: Questions and Theories [SPOILERS]

#9 by randomprojects - Sep 27 2022

Thanks! I was having trouble remembering whether Suki was wildseed or not. (It'd be kind of interesting to have Nancy as a roommate, even if you can't stop her from dropping out/getting expelled.)

Re: Questions and Theories [SPOILERS]

#10 by Draxynnic - Oct 5 2022

Might actually work better if you CAN stop her from being expelled somehow. Magical Diaries traditionally concludes with an exam with two other students, but I think there are only three Snake girls remaining at the end (Suki, Raven, Barbara). So if Nancy is expelled, you'd only be able to have one ally for the test instead of two, otherwise the remaining girl would be going in alone.

(I'm also inclined to think that Suki and Raven would probably make for more entertaining roommates than Barbara - although that would raise the question of why the rooms don't get rebalanced after Nancy is gone.)

Re: Questions and Theories [SPOILERS]

#11 by randomprojects - Oct 7 2022

The thing about not being to stop Nancy from leaving is more due to out-of-game writing reasons (saves having to massively flesh out another person), so being Suki and Raven's roommate would solve that problem too—though rooms would probably get rebalanced if that's the case. I think you're right in that being to save Nancy from being expelled is the only way to have a 3-person team at the end without having one of the girls go in alone.

Re: Questions and Theories [SPOILERS]

#12 by Draxynnic - Oct 9 2022

While I don't expect we're ever likely to see the entire freshman year, there were some expansions to the cast from Horse to Wolf. Certainly, I think it'd be a bit awkward to be rooming with Nancy without having any ability to interact with her. And such interaction could involve the possibility of saving her, particularly if she didn't come back due to being unhappy with school life - I don't imagine Barbara is the most pleasant roommate. If it is possible to save Nancy, then having to do the final exam with just Barbara could then be a kind of punishment for not saving Nancy.
I do think it's more likely that it will be Suki and Raven that are the Snake PC's main crew, though. Largely because that doesn't require fleshing Nancy out, and Suki and Raven are both established characters that have been partially fleshed out in Wolf Hall but where there's still room for more.