Monarch: Who Is He?

[Goldengirl]

I've recently fought over Monarch again, and a few things caught my eye.

 

1. Monarch is described as being extremly old

2. Monarch has pale skin

3. Monarch is arrogant (refering to you as "it", his journal)

4. Monarch built an Empire before, failed

5. Monarch was thwarted by a Shaper

6. Monarch has control batons

 

Assuming Trajkov lives, we can see the following:

 

1. Trajkov is extremly old

2. Using the Geneforge, among other things, makes you pale

3. Using the Geneforge, among other things, makes you arrogant

4. Trajkov tried to build an Empire after using the Genefoge.

5. He was thwarted by the G1 Shaper

6. Trajkov could have accesed control batons on Sucia

 

What's more, Dewry explains that Trajkov indeed used the Geneforge, although he didn't get the reasons right. Dewry then goes on to say that the Shapers defeated him. Lastly, he says that the stories aren't 100% factual.

 

This has lead me to the conclusion that Trajkov escaped Sucia Isle after the purging of the Shapers. He gathered and honed his power, and the rebels then attacked. He went to Grosch, and the rest is history.

 

Thoughts?

[*i]

We've been through this discussion before. Nonetheless, it is an interesting possibility. The other credible thing discussed is that he was the player's character from GF 1.

[Suspicious Vlish]

Potential contenders could be:

 

- The PC from GF3

 

- Trajkov

 

- Goettsche

 

- Barzhal

 

- Phariton

 

There's only one slight flaw with the Trajkov theory. It's mentioned in GF1 that the Sholai are physically distinct from the 'Shaper' race. If Monarch was indeed Trajkov, everyone would be able to recognize this and acknowledge that he ISN'T a rebel or shaper.

 

As there is such confusion as to whether he is a rebel or Shaper, I'd assume that Monarch isn't a Sholai, hence isn't likely to be Trajkov.

[vld]

Wasn`t it said that Sholai won`t play any big part in future geneforge games?

[Emperor Tullegolar]

I used to think Monarch was the PC. It says Monarch wears tattered shaper robes, which is pretty much identical to the description of the PC at the end of any Geneforge game. Both Greta and Alwan seem to know him personally, and the two of them have very little on common other than their time spend with him. Also, the PC founds an empire in various Geneforge endings as well.

 

But now I know who Monarch really is. It's obvious. A crazy man taking over the world from his basement? It's Jeff Vogel!

[Sudanna]

Nalyd made a thread on this somewhere, he's sure. But the UBB search is erratic and bad, so he'll find it manually. Eventually.

[Goldengirl]

Quote:

Originally written by Suspicious Vlish:
There's only one slight flaw with the Trajkov theory. It's mentioned in GF1 that the Sholai are physically distinct from the 'Shaper' race. If Monarch was indeed Trajkov, everyone would be able to recognize this and acknowledge that he ISN'T a rebel or shaper.

I don't recall that, even though I'm not surprised, they don't get much contact. Anyways, after using the Geneforge, fleeing from Sucia, and living on Terresia a while, I'd think he'd look a little more native.

[Lord Safey]

If he is a pc he have to be from GF1 or 2 to be old enough.

[Guardian of Eternity]

This isn't quite thread necromancy, but it may be encouraging more speculation on a bad topic...

 

I really don't think it's Goettsch. Barzahl also seems unlikely to me. The commentary about the Monarch is so absolutely loaded. The silences from all the NPCs is either a huge red herring from Jeff or it really does mean something.

 

So, not Goettsch or Barzahl, simply because they don't seem important enough to become the Shaper Monarch. Just my two cents.

 

P.S. Whenever I see "the Monarch" I think of Venture Bros. It makes me smile to think of that guy ordering around creations or something.

[Emperor Tullegolar]

I don't think he can be any character that has already been named. After all, if he was, why not just call his by his name? I don't see how it adds to the plot to make it a mystery. Really, it would be better to just call him Goettch or Barzahl if it was one of those. It must be either the PC or maybe just nobody special.

[Randomizer]

Monarch changed his name to distance himself from his previous failure at Empire building. He chooses not to remember that time except as a need to revenge himself on the Shapers.

 

The Sholai appearance altered considerably from thin sailors to bulked up warriors from excessive canister use.

[Gabriel]

Maybe Shaper Monarch is Master Hodge the teacher at the shaper school in the begining of Geneforge 3.

[Aoslare]

Why is it that Geneforge absolutely breeds mispelled names? I've never seen "Garzahd" slaughtered in as many different ways as "Barzahl". It's "Hoge" and "Litalia" and "Khyryk" and "Akhari Blaze" to say nothing of the numerous drakons with less pronouncable names.

[Micawber]

Quote:

Originally written by Polydegmon:
I've never seen "Garzahd" slaughtered in as many different ways as "Barzahl".

Which is extremely odd, when you consider that they are very nearly the same name, differing only by the permutation (GB)(DL).

[Aoslare]

Actually, the vowel in the second syllable is pretty different, despite both being written with the same letter. But yeah, they are similar names.

[Emperor Tullegolar]

Are you saying that Shaper Monarch is Gharzad? Rentar would make more sense.

 

Edit: What a time to spell Garzahd wrong.

[Aeshi]

Quote:

Originally written by Suspicious Vlish:
only one slight flaw with the Trajkov theory. It's mentioned in GF1 that the Sholai are physically distinct from the 'Shaper' race. If Monarch was indeed Trajkov, everyone would be able to recognize this and acknowledge that he ISN'T a rebel or shaper.

One flaw in that.The majority of people to see Monarch end up dead a few seconds later (and the GF4 PC probably wouldn't know the difference)

[Aoslare]

The majority, but not all of them. Khyryk certainly has some quality time with him, and doesn't say anything about him looking foreign, despite spouting off about Monarch for some time.

[Suspicious Vlish]

Tarra:

Quote:

One flaw in that.

The majority of people to see Monarch end up dead a few seconds later

But there are a significant number of people who knew Monarch well (the refugees in Shaper Camp Gamma, Lilita, Kyrhk) who never thought to mention: "Oh, and by the way, Monarch sure doesn't look like a native."

 

Quote:

(and the GF4 PC probably wouldn't know the difference)

Huh?

 

The GF4 PC may not know what a Sholai looks like, yet a lack of such knowledge doesn't mean that one can't differentiate between races, and know that foreigners 'aren't part of your race'. I don't need to know the name of the Asian race to know that Asians aren't Caucasians or Africans.

[Lilith]

Quote:

Originally written by Emperor Tullegolar:
Are you saying that Shaper Monarch is Gharzad? Rentar would make more sense.

Edit: What a time to spell Garzahd wrong.

He's suggesting nothing of the sort, merely ranting about people's inability to spell, and pointing out that it's odd that "Garzahd" is misspelled so much less often than "Barzahl" when they're basically the same damn name.

[Micawber]

Quote:

Originally written by Polydegmon:
Actually, the vowel in the second syllable is pretty different, despite both being written with the same letter.

Not the way I pronounce them:

Barz - Al / Garz - Ad

I must say it never occurred to me to say Barz - Arl before now. I doubt I ever will.

Edit: Come to think of it though, my reasoning breaks down a bit when you realise that it's probably the similarity in spelling is the cause of my pronouncing the two names the same way (i.e. I knew the name Garzahd long before Barzahl)...

[Emperor Tullegolar]

Quote:

Originally written by Thuryl:
He's suggesting nothing of the sort

My humor is wasted on Thuryl.

[The Lurker]

I don't think Monarch could be Trajkov - it wouldn't make any sense. You have to kill Trajkov to get the Shaper ending in G1, and the Shaper ending is the canon ending. Also, Trajkov would never become this crazy.

 

Monarch reminded me a lot of Spharon from G3 - technically it could be him, you don't have to kill him to finish the game. Even if he isn't Spharon, they are certainly alike.

 

Monarch could also be a random mad Shaper that you never met in the previous games, because Jeff felt like messing with our minds.

 

EDIT : "ening?" Gah. Fixed typo.

[Goldengirl]

Quote:

Originally written by The Lurker:
I don't think Monarch could be Trajkov - it wouldn't make any sense. You have to kill Trajkov to get the Shaper ending in G1, and the Shaper ening is the canon ending. Also, Trajkov would never become this crazy.

Yes, however Jeff hasn't always gone with the exact ending. Not to mention that Dewry told us that Trajkov used the Geneforge. Also, do you think that having used the Geneforge, started building an empire, and having it dashed would not drive someone insane?

Quote:

Originally written by The Lurker:
Monarch could also be a random mad Shaper that you never met in the previous games, because Jeff felt like messing with our minds.

This is possible, but how many mad and extremly powerful Shapers do you think there are? Also, how many of those do you think would live to such advanced age? How many of these would have had the resources to start building an empire? Lastly, how many of these were defeated by a Shaper?