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Gender Identityby Paul Benson| Apr 6, 2016 Hey, remember that short story that I was writing about Derrick the paladin? He’s one of our recurring characters, who will not so coincidentally be making an appearance in the strip again in the not too distant future. The short story is a window into his upbringing and how he got to where he is today, as the leader of an adventuring company in Thudd. Now that we’re back with the Heroines strip, I figured we should pick up again with the short story. You can click here to find the first installment and here to read the second, or just go ahead and begin with the third. But if you’re new to the strip and the short story, you might be a tad confused if this is your jumping off point. On the other hand, I support individual expression. So read it how you want, I don’t judge.
3. Even if he was the second heir to the Van Houten estate, Derrick was an heir. As such, he could never pursue a normal life. He would not be spending his days as the village cobbler, or blacksmith. Those were far too mundane professions for someone from a noble house. It was considered perfectly acceptable for a second(or third or fourth) heir to become a scholar. A prestigious posting at a university, often guaranteed by a “small” endowment from the sponsoring family, could bring renown to the family name and no small salary to the scholar himself. If only Derrick had done better in school. He had been far too busy participating in the intramural dueling club and the jousting society to pay much attention to his studies. Plus his burgeoning teenage hormones frequently led him to spend far too much time in the pursuit of the opposite sex. Though to be fair, he didn’t have to pursue much...Derrick was a handsome, strapping young man in his school days. Then there was the priesthood, another popular career choice for young nobles. There was great power and influence to be had in religion. The church offered salvation to the masses, in return for a tithe. Kings may control their kingdoms, but the priesthood held the keys to the gates of the afterlife. And if the nobility wanted in, they’d have to pay up, same as everyone else. This wasn’t a good fit either. No matter how well it paid(and it did pay very well), Derrick had no desire to preside over a congregation, or to rise in the ranks and hold sway over whole provinces or even the entirety of Thudd. So what was Derrick to do? He supposed he could find a noblewoman and woo her, in the hopes of marrying into her house. But that was easier said than done…it had to be a noblewoman who was the sole heir to her house, and (because Derrick was vain) it also had to be someone who was young and attractive. A tall order, and no one immediately sprung to mind.
by Jo Roberts | Apr 6, 2016 Want to complain to me about my art in person? Great here's where you can do so: RuPaul's Drag Con May 7th & 8th
Pride-Con July 29th & 30th |
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