Ranma vs. Malevolent Architecture; could it work?

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

This strange story seed began growing in my head after I finished reading the Girl Genius webcomic, and I was wondering if it'd be at all viable. The basic scenario is that Ranma gets a notice in the mail telling him that he's inherited a house, one that belongs to some distant paternal ancestor of his. Though Genma tries to stop them, the Tendos and maybe the other Nerimites naturally insist on going and seeing the place.

Unfortunately for all concerned, the moment Ranma gets through the doors, they slam shut behind them and Genma finally reveals the reason why he's been so edgy. Basically, the Saotome family hasn't always been what you'd call normal (if you'd call them normal now), and the family estate was basically built along the same lines as Castle Heterodyne. Which, for those of you who don't follow the series, means sentient, self-aware, totally psychotic, and brimming with booby traps.

This is actually why the Saotomes are dirt poor. There's a good sized bit of land to the place and lots of money and heirlooms inside the mansion... it's just that nobody has ever lived long enough to get back out with them. The place got so dangerous that the Saotomes moved out of it, even though its obsession is to have them living inside of it (which doesn't prevent it trying to kill them- it is insane). Thusly, Ranma's goals, once the mansion starts talking to him, are to either cure it, escape it, or kill it, and he frankly doesn't particularly care which.

So, like the title says, could this story work?

[Ellen Kuhfeld]

Reminds me of Terry Pratchett's books, where one fellow at Unseen University holds the Chair in Cruel and Unusual Geography. This could turn into a crossover of the most humorous sort.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

You know, I've never really thought about it, but Cruel and Unusual Geography, especially in a Wizards school, would be about the magical principals underlying Malevolent Architecture and maybe Genius Loci- including, possibly, creation, dismantlement and evasion. Not crossover material, but definately worth a cameo/mention...

[Ellen Kuhfeld]

I'm not as sure about the Malevolent Architecture - Ponder Stibbons could easily be involved there. But Genius Loci are definitely under C&UG.

Nerima itself is Cruel and Unusual Geography. Perhaps, while they are at the Tendos, the Saotomes are still in training to take on the house, Genius Locus and all.

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

Isn't Ponder Stibbons Professor (don't remember precise title) of Inadvisably Applied Magic? Which would give him some authority over Malevolent Architecture, I grant, as his speciality is basically "anything where adding magic seems like a good idea at first, but turns out to be bad", but I think Malevolent Architecture would also apply to Cruel and Unusual Geography. A more urban format, perhaps...

How is Nerima Cruel and Unusual Geography, by the way? I thought all that was Cruel and Unusual was all the nutjobs who show up there.

I was actually thinking that The Mansion might be the reason why Genma originally decided to study under Happosai; after all,he's a disgusting pervert but he's the slippriest, hardest to kill member of the NWC, now isn't he? Would it be all that implausible for Genma to have A: underestimated just what a freak Happosai is, and B: come to the conclusion that if anyone on Earth can survive The Mansion, it's Happosai?

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

I've just been doing some thinking on the background of the Mansion, and I was wondering if anyone would give me opinions?

Firstly, I was thinking the estate dates back to feudal era or similar times, and that the Saotomes were actually a minor noble family of some sort- though they never wielded very much political power in Japan, they were content with merely ruling their lands. Of course, when the place went mad and threw them out (fortunately for them near the very end of the feudal era, so they didn't have to worry about angry rival families coming to exterminate them all), they lost everything.

Secondly, the Mansion needs an origin- after all, even in Ranma 1/2, houses don't suddenly develop homicial sadism and an array of death traps. One possibility that occurs to me is that the Saotome family includes, or at least included, some aptitude for magic. Black magic, given the nature of their sanctum sanctorum. Hmm... that might actually be why the place went wrong- something happened to the monster in the basement, so to speak. Given that Ranma 1/2 includes a valley full of polymorphic freshwater springs, a priest who conjured one such spring in Japan, a 3000 year old cat's ghost chasing after a hot human wife, giant sentient jellyfish, living clothing and an actual red thread of fate, is this origin really too impossible to use? An alternative, which I agree is too impossible to use, places the Saotome ancetors as one or more Ridiculously Human Aliens who landed (or crashed) their spaceship in Japan and interbred with the indigenous peoples. The Mansion is the (ruins? decaying hulk?) of their spaceship.

::Edit::
I was just wondering; would adding some more 'minion' like hazards to the interior of the Mansion (the equivalent of the House of the Dead's zombies, or Girl Genius's Devil Dogs) be valid, or would that be going overboard?

[Battlekrome]

the jagers in GG would be a nice addition

'guards' to the houze that would be friendly to the Heir ranma i assume... though for a twist it could be akane or only ranma in his female form

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

No Jaegers; I freely admit that Girl Genius inspired me, but the last thing I want is to be considered ripping off from them. As for loyalty to the Heir; there might be some "smart ones" scattered around who'll recognize Ranma for what he is, but even the friendliest will probably be suspicious of him until he can prove he is a Saotome and not a fraud. The dumb ones will probably be just as hostile as the death traps (if they don't belong to that category anyway; I'm a little sketchy on that particular set of details).

Why Akane? She's a Tendo, she's just Ranma's fiancee- she, Ukyo, Shampoo, even Kodachi don't get any credit for that claim. As for Ranma's curse... to be honest, I lean more towards the belief that turning into a girl would make the Mansion doubt his validity, as it knows (don't ask me how) that the latest Saotome was a boy. This might go so far as to have previously welcoming areas turn hostile if he gets wet...

[Battlekrome]

More thinking stick a quip in AN saying inspiration for the 'insert name here' from GG webcomics and have them talk like the jaegers more a homage than a rip off

or go more subtle and have them reference GG but be as they say "non-copyright infringing similar" (Johnny 5/WALL-E anyone?) "This place is much more dangerous that that other castle i used work at"

could always have the house larger on inside than outside...

as for Akane/other fiancees in some cultures engagement is basically married without being consumated could have the house once recognizing ranma as heir recognize all the fiancees as 'wives'

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

I was kind of planning on the mansion being larger inside than out. It's hard to convey a suitable sense of grandeur when one is restricted to the laws of common geometry.

Nobody have any comments on whether I should make its origin magical or alien technology then?

Ah, I see what you mean, both about the Jaeger reference and the engagements. I was actually thinking that different "brains" of the Mansion, once they find out about Ranma's fiancees, might actually advocate different girls, so he's not going to have the House backing up his choice any time soon. Though, given that this place is so dangerous for the actual Saotomes, would the "future Mrs. Ranma Saotomes" be willing (or at least allowed) to venture in?

[Battlekrome]

Nobody have any comments on whether I should make its origin magical or alien technology then?

i respond with this quote

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

thus it could be both or neither
heck a sky rock when touched by one of your ancestors gave them the brilliance to create this masterpiece of insanity
this ability is passed on down the line causing reality breaking technological skill to manifest upon being first introduced to one of the house's many labs

[SpaceKnight of Chaos]

The reality warping technological skills I'd rather avoid, like I've said I don't want this to be too close to Girl Genius. Still, nobody thinks that this idea is unworkable?

[Kilich]

I think it can work and can be fun to read.

[Ellen Kuhfeld]

as for Akane/other fiancees in some cultures engagement is basically married without being consumated could have the house once recognizing ranma as heir recognize all the fiancees as 'wives'

Now that is malevolent architecture. The fiancees are okay, but the house is still not accepting of Ranma and Genma.

Perhaps Ranma-chan could pretend to be a fiancee in that case?

[Ellen Kuhfeld]

The reality warping technological skills I'd rather avoid, like I've said I don't want this to be too close to Girl Genius. Still, nobody thinks that this idea is unworkable?

The number of cheerful suggestions you've gotten says it all. It's a popular idea.