So, let's look at those Renoir Family Umbrellas

[OrionsDagger]

So we got some art for the upcoming origin story for Parasoul. We can clearly see that Krieg is nowhere to be seen, but Umbrella is holding Hungern, King Franz is holding a currently unnamed umbrella that seems to correspond to the horseman Conquest, and Todd, who was originally paired with King Franz in concept art, is apparently at Queen Nancy's side.

Thoughts?

 

[BallotBoxer]

Since this is seven years ago, Umbrella should be 3 or 4 years old. Maybe they didn't want to redraw her as a toddler?

Looks like the "up in the air" umbrella living weapon change from the canon info thread (data interviews with creator Alex Ahad) finally happend:

- The Renoirs wield umbrella living weapons based on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Parasoul wields the war umbrella, Kreig. Umbrella wields the famine umbrella, Hungern. Concepts in the sketchbook showed King Franz with the death umbrella, Todd, but this is up in the air and may change into the conquest umbrella in the end.
- It is not know whether King Franz is still alive or not - either he's dead or he's gone and will come back later, "whichever is cooler"

I'm hyped to learn more about the Skullgirl process. Apparently the transformation can take years. Take this discussion of Umbrella's affinity for Skullgirl power (associates it with her mother) scene from Parasoul's story mode:

Double: As you suspected, as your mother carried your sister as she also carried the Skull Heart.
Double: Darling Umbrella is already attuned to the Skull Heart's power, thus she will forge a stronger and more terrifying bond than even that of your mother.
Parasoul: So... it's true. But I won't allow that to happen!​

So, turning into a Skullgirl can take at least three years to happen. Four years after Skullgirl Selene was destroyed, Umbrella was born. Either before or during the pregnancy, the Queen made the wish for peace and thus began her slow transformation into a Skullgirl. Is this what Double means? When you make a wish, the Skull Heart becomes a part of the wisher?

I wonder what form Double will take in this 7-years-ago scenario. Probably the nun, as she tells Parasoul at the Grand Cathedral:

Double: My, my... such anger. Your mother used to pray for peace here every day. How disappointed she would be!
​

So it appears one get's the Skull Heart by either defeating the Skullgirl or waiting around for Double to bring it to you as a gift. It seems the latter has been the common choice: Selene Contiello, Nancy Renoir, and Marie Korbel all were given the Skull Heart directly by Double.

​

 

[BallotBoxer]

More from Twitter:
https://twitter.com/sgmobile/status/1017936801108021248
Mom and Dad are fighting again! In 2.5, experience the climactic moments of The Great War through the eyes of the Renior family. Don’t expect a happy ending!
(should be "Grand" War, not "Great" War, Twitter person!)

In the area of desolation that will be known as No Man's Land, the Grand War (which had been going on for about a decade) abruptly ends with the appearance of the Skullgirl. The three-way battle (Canopy Kingdom vs. Chess Kingdom vs. Gigan Nation) suddenly turns into a hellish war between the living and the dead (the Skullgirl and a mountain of reanimated corpses).

Another tidbit from the canon info thread to give insight on King Renoir's character:

- Rule under King Renoir was much harsher than under Princess Parasoul. Political freedoms were restricted, and you could expect jack-booted government thugs to do unscrupulous, unethical things without question. Weapons R&D was extremely high priority. Alex agrees that it is "kinda Nazi-ish". This kind of thing has diminished after the King's disappearance/death, and although still highly nationalistic, the Canopy Kingdom is significantly more free under Parasoul.

 

[Cellsai]

Thanks for cross posting this stuff from Twitter!
This Origin is looking to be amazing! This is exactly what I was hoping from SGM!

 

[Kokonut]

Another tidbit from the canon info thread to give insight on King Renoir's character:

That's really interesting. It was always somewhat disconcerting for me that despite being the 'good guys', the outward design for the Black Egrets are obviously modeled after Nazi Germany's armed forces. Especially since acording to SGM we're all Black Egrets as well.

Nice to know that they are meant to reflect a totalitarian and unethical governmental system, and not romanticizing the actual Nazis.

 

[Gylfie]

But in Skullgirls, everyone hates parasites and their hosts. Every time Parasoul beats Filia, she says threat neutralized, and then I start imagining the Holocaust, only it’s with the military going from door to door killing parasite hosts and names like Adolph Renoir and Parasoul Hitler start popping into my mind.

 

[MaverickSigma]

But in Skullgirls, everyone hates parasites and their hosts. Every time Parasoul beats Filia, she says threat neutralized, and then I start imagining the Holocaust, only it’s with the military going from door to door killing parasite hosts and names like Adolph Renoir and Parasoul Hitler start popping into my mind.

Yeah, thanks for that, Eliza/Sekhmet.