Verrix ⚡ & Sipher 💀 Q&A: Answers!

Your answers to your burning questions about holy paladin / area hardass Verrix and furry ne'er-do-well Sipher are here!! Enjoy...

Let's start off with a series of questions from @Paranoid Drone:

1. "For some reason, I'm getting a distinct "exes who hate each other" vibe from Verrix and Sipher's interactions. Do they have some sort of past history as friends/lovers/etc.? Or is Verrix just REALLY offended by Sipher's...waves hands everything?"

A: There's definitely layers of history!! What exactly is contained might have to develop over time, but their mutual obsessive hatred for each other goes well beyond two people who have never met. Sipher was once a normal, uncorrupted adventurer, before his corruption at the hands of the tentacle sorcerer. Maybe in that previous life, he knew Verrix... in some form or another!

 2. "You said in the previous fantasy Q&A that Verrix walks around with an erection as a show of self-control. Is that a personal choice on his part, or is it mandated by the rules he works under as a knight?"

A: It's an expectation placed upon him by his role, to present himself as powerful and controlled as possible. I also think it comes from the divine powers he's been given - cause it seems beyond the abilities of mortal men.

3. "Does Sipher have sex with people he's not out to kill, or does he only sleep with his targets? Asking for a friend. (It's me. I'm the friend.)"

A: Sipher will sleep with anyone and anything if it gets him closer to whatever it is that he's after! Sex is just another tool in his arsenal, and he wields it well. He doesn't often have sex for pleasure anymore, I'm not sure if he's capable of experiencing pleasure in the same uncorrupted way as us normies, but on occasion he still might. Whether his partner survives to tell the tale is up in the air...

4. "Do Verrix and Sipher have any links to the other named characters you've created so far?"

A: Not yet! So far, they are only linked to each other (through mutual hatred!). But, we're soon going to meet Verrix's brother-in-arms in the church knighthood, which will give him a companion in the lineup.

5. "Just how widespread is the skimpy, dicks-out style among the general populace? Would a random innkeeper or barman also be naked? Do people masturbate or have sex in the street? Are there any places where nudity ISN'T considered appropriate? (Probably not...)  "

A: I think it's very widespread. In this universe, attitudes about sexuality are a lot more relaxed than what we're used to (it helps to imagine this fantasy setting as adults-only and all-male, lol). So I think anybody and everybody can, if they want, be as revealing as they want with their attire, and activities, as long as it doesnt hurt/impede/annoy others and other common sense exceptions. The barkeeper at Sipher's tavern he lurks in probably wears barely more than some leather boots and a harness and bracers - the better to attract new business with!

Next from @Jay Turner:

"Did Sipher's exorcism at the... dick? hands? of Verrix meaningfully change what he is able to do?"

A: Normally, the answer would be yes - Verrix's exorcisms are almost always successful at purging the corruption from his vict-- uhh, evildoer undergoing cleansing. But Sipher's a tricky nut to crack. Only a day after his exorcism, he vanished from his holding cell in the cathedral basement, leaving nothing more than a wisp of black smoke. As weeks passed, rumors began to flow in that he still stalked the alleys of the city, nefarious as ever. Maybe his inability to convert his greatest foe to the light is part of the reason why Verrix hates him so much!

A juicy question from @Griffin Barrows:

"What's the most Verrix has been tempted to be a 'bad boy'?"

A: Verrix is a holy knight, who carries the blessings of the god of the church and conducts himself as an exemplar! He is above petty temptations, sir! That said.... the truth is a little murkier. Verrix, while representing the church which is aligned with protecting humanity against the chaos demons, isn't exactly the nicest guy. Dour, quick-tempered, and humorless, I don't think he's the type to be winning over the hearts and minds of the populace. And when it comes to battle tactics, he has a brutal aggression on (and off) the battlefield that frightens his enemies. This aggression extends to the zeal with which he undertakes his duties exorcising demons and other captured evildoers. So while I don't see him ever being tempted to break his vows to the church, I think the way he conducts himself even in service of those vows can sometimes be pretty rough.

A flavorful question from @Kibble the Satyr:

"What are each of their favorite drinks?"

A: A great question! One might think Verrix wouldn't drink at all, but the truth is that he'll hoist a mug of ale along with the other soldiers in the cathedral barracks, who are always honored to have such a high-ranking guy join them. So I'd say his favorite drink would be a simple ale, brewed by monks and shipped to the cathedral in kegs that sit in the barracks. Sipher on the other hand is a thrillseeker by nature, and his favorite drink is one that would leave most men with brain damage, or dead. Start with a base of extra-strong dark liquor, add imp blood for bitterness, viper venom for heat, and a dash of powdered nightshade for tartness. Needs a good name, got any ideas?

Next from @Andrew:

"If Verrix can exorcise with his dick, can Sipher corrupt with his? Is there a Corrupted Reed on the horizon?"

A: The dick-based conversions do work both ways, yes!! After Reed retreated back into the shadows of his forest, the memory of those burning eyes stayed in his mind... as well as Sipher's dark beard, hairy muscles, and tight grip around his chest. I think Reed enjoyed the experience more than he was expecting to. Will he become a willing convert to Sipher's alignment? Not sure yet - maybe somebody else in the Life alignment will have a say.

And one from @rebel:

"Maybe a bit off topic but- is this fantasy world at all connected to the other universes you created? Like is this a version of DnD that Eddie would play? If so what kind of character would he build in this world?"

A: That's such a great question and one that had never occurred to me! I would love to think so, maybe minus some of the more over-the-top sexualized elements that I feel stretch believability for somebody to play irl. If Eddie rolled a character in this universe, I think he'd be attracted to the Life alignment, and either Ice or Thunder as a sub-element. I see him wanting to play some sort of water mage/healer hybrid character the most. Seamus (not that he would play D&D, too nerdy for him, even though he is jealous of the fun that Eddie seems to have playing it with his friends) would def be a fighter-druid.

final question from a comment I got a long time ago and I'm sorry I can't remember who it was:

"Is everybody in this universe a huge shooter?"

A: The answer is a firm YES! Whether with distance or volume or both, everybody in this universe is blessed with prodigious semen output. All the named characters, at the very least.