V's Gender revealed?

[spamkaze]

I believe I have finally solved the puzzle of V's actual gender.

The weight of an elf in D&D 3rd Edition falls within the following parameters:

Male: 85 + (2d6 x 1d6) lbs.
Female: 80 + (2d6 x 1d6) lbs.

In the Origin of PCs, V omits gender, but notes weight as 39kg.

39kg x 2.2lbs/kg = 85.8lbs.

The absolute minimum starting weight for a Male Elf is 87 lbs, assuming you roll all 1s (or simply select the bottom of the spectrum as your character's weight).

V must be female.

"But Rob," you may be thinking, "Who is to say that V didn't lose weight during training? Who is to say that Rich even used the tables?"

Rich doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who does anything by accident, especially when it comes to something like character stats. He -does- strike me as the type who would put in an obscure hint.

Think about it: Why would he use 39kg, when adding just 1 more kg would put the weight well into the acceptable range for a male elf, increasing the ambiguity?

Hell, why would Rich even USE metric mass in the first place, if not to obfuscate the fact that V is too light to be male? Nobody in the D&Dverse uses metric.

[Andore Mordre]

I can't be the first person to see this thread and facepalm, thinking someone saw a "he" or a "she" in the archives.

However, not a bad theory, but I think he did that on purpose to leave it even further neutral.

EDIT: Sorry, misread the theory on "too light" and "one more". Dunno, then.

Personally, based on some info in the DCF commentary, I think both V and K are guys, but I like to say "she" anyway :smallbiggrin:

[FlawedParadigm]

It's also been noted by Rich that V flat-out lied about V's age on that same application, so I see no reason to believe that the weight answer would be anything but the first number to pop into V's head.

Also, is there any way we could get V's gender threads verboten across the board until if/when Word of God kicks in on the issue? Gar.

[Mando Knight]

Who actually rolls for height/weight anyway? I sure don't, and 4E even threw that part out entirely.

[DnDgeek13]

i think that you may be over thinking this. you may be right but that one clue isn't enough to make conclusions

[spamkaze]

i think that you may be over thinking this. you may be right but that one clue isn't enough to make conclusions

Oh yes. I am totally overthinking it. I have a habit of forming long and complex theories regarding trivial matters based on scant evidence. It's either my greatest fault or my greatest virtue, depending on the situation.

And yes, V could well have lied on the application. Yes, this is one very obscure clue that can, in itself, bring us no definitive answers.

...still... it just seems too perfect. Exactly 1 more kilo and we cross the threshold into minimum male elf weight. 2 fewer kilos and V would be too light to be an elf at all.

There is a very small window (2kg) where an elf is heavy enough to be a female elf, but too light to be a male elf. It itches the back of my brain that V's weight just happens to lie within that very small zone.

That said, I'm probably just crazy.

[Carnivorous_Bea]

Most convincing argument I've seen yet.

[Arkenputtyknife]

Rich doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who does anything by accident, especially when it comes to something like character stats. He -does- strike me as the type who would put in an obscure hint.
He's also the kind of person who will put a little detail into the comic just because he knows it'll screw with the minds of people who overthink things, and then spend the rest of the week laughing his ass off.

[spamkaze]

He's also the kind of person who will put a little detail into the comic just because he knows it'll screw with the minds of people who overthink things, and then spend the rest of the week laughing his ass off.

Also very true, and if this was a trap that I have fallen into, then I am honored to be the one to spring it. ;)

[Kroy]

Sadly enough, I believe your the fourth(?) person to point this out. But really, who follows the weight guidelines?

[Bracket]

Who actually rolls for height/weight anyway? I sure don't, and 4E even threw that part out entirely.

I do occasionally.

[BoloYeung]

1 lbs = 0.453592338 kg.
1kg = 2.204622lbs
2.204622 lbs/kg * 39kg = 85.98lbs

Edit: my maths were bad ^^ nvm.

Anyway...
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0638.html

"I think HE said 'shapechange'"...

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0650.html

"you will need to tell HIM that I said it was a bad idea".

[Ridureyu]

I have the answer for you.

Vaarsuvius's gender is:
{scrubbed}

[Haven]

Sadly enough, I believe your the fourth(?) person to point this out. But really, who follows the weight guidelines?

Really? I've never seen it.

OP: Nicely done, though the title of the thread filled me with apprehension. It's the closest to convincing evidence I've heard.

[FoE]

It's a good argument. Certainly it's better than teh noobs who start a thread exclaiming "OMG Vs gender revealed, (Insert Character Name Here) referrred 2 V as he/she/it".

[Cerrakoth]

1 lbs = 0.453592338 kg.
1kg = 2.204622lbs
2.204622 lbs/kg * 39kg = 85.98lbs

Edit: my maths were bad ^^ nvm.

Anyway...
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0638.html

"I think HE said 'shapechange'"...

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0650.html

"you will need to tell HIM that I said it was a bad idea".

Rich stated that any characters in the comic giving V a gender was their own opinion and not necessarily right. Hence we have all these arguments, im sure someone else would of read what other people in the comic were calling V long before now if it was that simple... The thousands of users have not over looked something that obvious ;)

[Xondoure]

This, and gender balance make me weigh heavily on the V is a girl side of the scales. That, and the fact that I had always thought of V as female, and had never considered that V might even possibly be a guy, until i found all of the arguments on this forum.

[Morthis]

1 lbs = 0.453592338 kg.
1kg = 2.204622lbs
2.204622 lbs/kg * 39kg = 85.98lbs

Edit: my maths were bad ^^ nvm.

Anyway...
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0638.html

"I think HE said 'shapechange'"...

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0650.html

"you will need to tell HIM that I said it was a bad idea".

And that last part is exactly what people feared to see in this post. The way characters refer to V has absolutely no meaning, because they also don't know his gender. It certainly beats the hell out of referring to V as hir or shim or whatever other retarded wording people like to use (seriously, just pick one or the other and go with it).

[Erts]

Listen, V is androgynous, and will always be adrogynous.

You can't figure the gender out, because the author simply doesn't want you to!

If tommorow the Giant decided to reveal V's gender as a guy, then it would make sense.

Its the same thing with Familicide, or the Control Weather. It didn't make sense, but it is still fine.

[Faramir]

While I still think of V as male (though I alternate genders when referring to her) this is certainly one of the best arguments I've read to date.

[kpenguin]

Once, just once, I want a V gender thread that turns out to be a rick-roll.

[Adeen]

I personally think that V is a guy and Inky is a girl. Though it would be awesome in my opinion if V was a girl and Inky a guy, or they were both guys. Even though that outcome would be cool, I think the more likely answer is V is a guy, and Inky a girl.

Also, cool research OP, at least you bothered to try to find some evidence, unlike most morons who think they've figured it out.

[MoonBeam]

I have the answer for you.

Vaarsuvius's gender is:
A secret.

:smallbiggrin:

[SadisticFishing]

Awesome. 10 points.

Absolutely brilliant.

[spamkaze]

I personally think that V is a guy and Inky is a girl. Though it would be awesome in my opinion if V was a girl and Inky a guy, or they were both guys. Even though that outcome would be cool, I think the more likely answer is V is a guy, and Inky a girl.

Also, cool research OP, at least you bothered to try to find some evidence, unlike most morons who think they've figured it out.I am heretofore going to refer to V as a "she" for the reasons outlined in my post.

I realize that I may be wrong, but I think the scant evidence supports my conclusion.

[Squark]

Very well reasoned. More likely than a lot of the theories I've seen out there.

On the other hand, Rich has made mistakes before, which (now that we know the truth) indicate that his world does have some house rules.


I once made a thread that pointed out that, by strict D&D rules, Sabine was a home brewed fiend, because neither Succubi nor Erinyes can plane shift. But Sabine is in fact a Succubi, so Rich probably didn't remember this, and it has since, in my mind, become a house rule of the Oots world that Succubi can plane shift on rare occurrences.

As a side note on Sabine, why is it Haley ALWAYS rolled enough damage with the Alchemical Silver arrow to overcome her damage reduction? :smallconfused:

[Andore Mordre]

It's a good argument. Certainly it's better than teh noobs who start a thread exclaiming "OMG Vs gender revealed, (Insert Character Name Here) referrred 2 V as he/she/it".

More people than any of us can count (except spamkaze) have created accounts just to post that, resulting in mixed feelings of :smallsigh::smallbiggrin::smallfurious::smalleek: from the board every time.

[The Dark Fiddler]

Once, just once, I want a V gender thread that turns out to be a rick-roll.

Never gonna give you up... (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_moia-oVI)


1 lbs = 0.453592338 kg.
1kg = 2.204622lbs
2.204622 lbs/kg * 39kg = 85.98lbs

Edit: my maths were bad ^^ nvm.

Anyway...
http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0638.html

"I think HE said 'shapechange'"...

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0650.html

"you will need to tell HIM that I said it was a bad idea".

My name is TheDarkFiddler. You have used the same 'evidence' used by hundreds before you. Prepare to die.

Quick question, the "I am ___. You killed my father. Prepare to die." thing, that didn't start with Yok Yok, did it? If it didn't, where did it start?

EDIT:And just because I feel like being contrary:

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0385.html
"You got it sister"

[Kroy]

I have the answer for you.

Vaarsuvius's gender is:
Sneak Attack! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_moia-oVI)

Fixed it for you.:smallwink:

[Parlity]

Another slight piece of evidence, V in dragon form is pink.

[The Dark Fiddler]

Another slight piece of evidence, V in dragon form is pink.

Dragon genders aren't discriminated by gender, are they?

And besides, real men wear pink/pink is feminine. (I'm not quite sure which side you're for, but this covers both :smalltongue:.)

[Elfin]

V's magic is always pink, so it's not a surprise that pink is the color of the dragon he's shapeshifted into.

[Teatime]

Personally, based on some info in the DCF commentary, I think both V and K are guys, but I like to say "she" anyway :smallbiggrin:

...Wait, what? What is the "DCF commentary?" I may be having a total brainfart here.

[Studoku]

I like this 'proof'.

Unfortunately, I like it so much that I used it to 'prove' V's gender a while ago. The link is in my sig.

Sorry.

EDIT: My thread got purged.:smallfurious:

[Raphite1]

Nice find!

However, racial size oddities do pop up in this comic, like Celia being "inexplicably medium sized." (Quote from Roy, don't recall the precise comic at the moment.)

[Starscream]

However, racial size oddities do pop up in this comic, like Celia being "inexplicably medium sized." (Quote from Roy, don't recall the precise comic at the moment.)

That's a good point. No way the medium sized Redcloak weighs what a goblin is supposed to.

But this toes the line between "coincidence" and "easter egg" just enough that I think it's worthy of consideration.

[aje8]

Best theory on V's Gender yet.

I personally will contiue to think of V as a She for gender balance and I've just always though of it that way reasons.


Extremely Long Chain of Spoilers

Would you beleive I actually went through all of them?

[spamkaze]

Best theory on V's Gender yet.

I personally will contiue to think of V as a She for gender balance and I've just always though of it that way reasons.



Would you beleive I actually went through all of them?Yes and yes.

[grautry]

Wow.

I was expecting to come here and find yet another "OMG <xyz> called V a he/she!!!1111oneoneoeneoneone" but I'm very pleasantly surprised.

While I think that this wasn't done intentionally by Rich, it's a really good find.

Well played sir.

[Killer Angel]

Wow.

I was expecting to come here and find yet another "OMG <xyz> called V a he/she!!!1111oneoneoeneoneone" but I'm very pleasantly surprised.


Yep, me too.
At least, this theory is supported by a sort of "physical proof". (kudos to the OP)
But I know that, hidden somewhere, there is a clue that tells the opposite... :smallsmile:

[Gorgondantess]

Yep, me too.
At least, this theory is supported by a sort of "physical proof". (kudos to the OP)
But I know that, hidden somewhere, there is a clue that tells the opposite... :smallsmile:

Yeah, pretty much. Still... this has to be the most convincing argument I've ever seen.:smallsmile:

[Secris]

As with the others, I was ready to slam my head against the wall at the thought of another one of the threads, but I was happy to read an interesting theory, no matter if the OP was the first person to post it or not. Not conclusive and totally overthinking it as the OP admited, but still a different look on the whole thing.

Also, to yall doing the stacked spoiler tags, I hate you all, because I clicked them all.

[Elthanir]

Also, is there any way we could get V's gender threads verboten across the board until if/when Word of God kicks in on the issue? Gar.
Unless Rick changes his mind, Word of God is "I'm never telling you".




This, and gender balance make me weigh heavily on the V is a girl side of the scales. That, and the fact that I had always thought of V as female, and had never considered that V might even possibly be a guy, until i found all of the arguments on this forum.
See, I've always considered him male. I think a good deal of that, though, may be attributed to Roy calling 'him' "V-Man" and other such things early on, and it's kinda stuck with me.
In hindsight, it does occur to me that of everyone we know, Roy probably knows V better than anyone.
It may mean nothing, and Roy doesn't know V's gender any better than anyone else, but that's where my reasoning comes from, such as it is.

[sam79]

Roy probably knows V better than anyone.
It may mean nothing, and Roy doesn't know V's gender any better than anyone else, but that's where my reasoning comes from, such as it is.

There are some scenes in the prequel book, On the Origins of the PCs, which imply that

Roy is just as clueless as the rest of us about V's gender, and that it is Haley who knows her best.

[Meg]

That theory only adds to my "V is Female!!!!" personal conspiracy. Thanks!

[pflare]

A very interesting theory (and not another random crackpot of evidence either). I'm not convinced but still.

[derfenrirwolv]

Of course, there's the problem that V's race is listed as "high elf" which are usualy taller and possibly slightly heavier than your standard elf.

[sam79]

Of course, there's the problem that V's race is listed as "high elf" which are usualy taller and possibly slightly heavier than your standard elf.

I thought High Elf was the 'Common or Garden' Elf variety, and the other kinds (Dark, Grey, Sylvan etc ) were deviations from that basic template? Could be wrong though; most of my D+D experience was about a decade ago, using creaky ol' 2nd Edition.

[Szilard]

Once, just once, I want a V gender thread that turns out to be a rick-roll.

Apparently someone tried this. It didn't end well.

[Trai]

I'd like to think of V as female too, given that Haley being the only girl on the team isn't gender-balanced... but at the same time I'm inclined to think of V as male. Ho hum. Guess I'll stick with that...

[Andore Mordre]

...Wait, what? What is the "DCF commentary?" I may be having a total brainfart here.

In the Dungeon Crawlin' Fools book (or maybe it was a different one, I dunno), Rich said somewhere in the commentary that he didn't start the jokes about V's gender until AFTER there was discussion on the boards about it. Meanwhile, very early on in the comic, there were already some hints that V was a guy. So, based on that, it sounds like V was at least ORIGINALLY that.

Add to that the "shoulders" theory that was posted a while back, somewhere on the forums before I joined...

But that's just my sleep deprived thought. I like spamkaze's theory better.

[ericgrau]

If elven scales were off by a mere 46 grams (1.5 ounces), they could have under-reported V's weight making him seem 39 kg when she's really 40 kg. Or if V was ever so slightly outside the norm.

[Starscream]

I still like my theory that at some point in the comic Vaarsuvius put on the belt of Gender Changing and it simply hasn't affected his/her appearance very much.

And V will not reveal when this actually occurred. Now people trying to put forth a particular gender theory will not only have to argue what V's gender is, but what it used to be and at what point it switched.
{Scrubbed}

[Random832]

I believe I have finally solved the puzzle of V's actual gender.

The weight of an elf in D&D 3rd Edition falls within the following parameters:

Male: 85 + (2d6 x 1d6) lbs.
Female: 80 + (2d6 x 1d6) lbs.

In the Origin of PCs, V omits gender, but notes weight as 39kg.

39kg x 2.2lbs/kg = 85.8lbs.

The absolute minimum starting weight for a Male Elf is 87 lbs, assuming you roll all 1s (or simply select the bottom of the spectrum as your character's weight).


It's all a matter of... A: proper conversion factors...

39kg x 2.2046lbs/kg = 85.9794

That's barely more than a pound off... B: significant figures.

87lb ÷ 2.2046lbs/kg = 39.4629 = rounded, 39

"V could be Male" myth status: Plausible. :smallcool:

[FlawedParadigm]

Unless Rick changes his mind, Word of God is "I'm never telling you".

I assure you, I am aware of this. If you think about it a bit, I believe you'll understand the implication I'm making here.
Every time I see another V's gender thread, I want to vomit, scratch out my eyes, smash the fingers of the person who typed it, write Rich an e-mail begging him to remove V from the comic entirely, and conquer Rhode Island. Not quite sure why on the last, but it's an urge I feel.

[veti]

I'd like to think of V as female too, given that Haley being the only girl on the team isn't gender-balanced... but at the same time I'm inclined to think of V as male. Ho hum. Guess I'll stick with that...

I agree with the gender-balance thing, but there's another reason for going with it too. Check out the SRD class descriptions (http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/classes.htm) of the whole Order:

Fighter: male (not specified in class description, but under Feats (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#weaponFocus))
Cleric: male (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/cleric.htm)
Bard: male (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/bard.htm)
Ranger: male (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/ranger.htm)
Rogue: female (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/rogue.htm)

and (du du DAAAH)

Wizard: female (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/sorcererWizard.htm#wizard)


Edit: If sexes were assigned randomly, the odds that the five clearly-gender-identified PCs would all match their SRD descriptions are 3.125%. That is: it's almost 97% probable that at least one other party member would differ from their class description.

Therefore, we have a good reason to suspect that these descriptions are not completely unrelated to the Giant's choices. I'm not saying he followed these descriptions, but I'll bet they shared some of the common influences and heritage (such as all that artwork from early editions...).

[Keris]

I agree with that, but there's another gender-balance reason for going with it. Check out the SRD class descriptions (http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/classes.htm) of the whole Order:

While an interesting theory, that proves nothing. The gender traits would be a hangover from the PHB, which uses the gender of the sample character(s) for each class. Both Redgar and Tordek the fighters are male, as is Jozan the cleric, Gimble the bard, and Soveliss the ranger. Lidda the rogue and Mialee the wizard are both female.

Additionally, V was originally male (see Roy's "V-man" comment in comic #9), but after discovering that some readers had viewed V as female, Rich decided to make V's sex officially unknown, as it is to this day.
This is not to say that V is definitely male, Rich is free to change the details of his comic as he wishes, and he has certainly dropped enough hints along the way that either sex would not be unexpected.

[veti]

Additionally, V was originally male (see Roy's "V-man" comment in comic #9), but after discovering that some readers had viewed V as female, Rich decided to make V's sex officially unknown, as it is to this day.

Respectfully - baloney. If we're going by "how far back can I go to find a hint", I was convinced V was female before I ever got to strip 9.

What kind of male has an opinion (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0003.html) about colour matching of shoes?

[Keris]

What kind of male has an opinion (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0003.html) about colour matching of shoes?

The kind that doesn't express any sort of opinion, but humours the rogue standing next to him? Heck, it could easily have been sarcasm.

And if I could, I'd go back and find the first OotS discussion thread, where the confusion was first expressed, but I believe it was deleted. I'll still look though, it might have been saved.

EDIT: Found the thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7333). And while Rich never stated V's gender, the first sign of confusion was the "V-man" comic, at while point Rich decided to make him ambiguous.
"I have no problem with Vaarsuvius' sex being ambiguous. He/she is an elf, after all."

[Kish]

Good luck. Rich never said what gender Vaarsuvius was before he decided to make it ambiguous.

[Edhelras]

Who actually rolls for height/weight anyway? I sure don't, and 4E even threw that part out entirely.

I do.... :smallsmile:

One more reason to scrap 4ED.

[veti]

EDIT: Found the thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7333). And while Rich never stated V's gender, the first sign of confusion was the "V-man" comic, at while point Rich decided to make him ambiguous.
"I have no problem with Vaarsuvius' sex being ambiguous. He/she is an elf, after all."

Very cool find. Thank you.

What it does show, beyond any shadow of doubt, is that opinion was divided from the very first days of the strip. So that's pretty conclusive refutation for the "it-used-to-be-clear-until-Rich-obfuscated-it" theory.

[Profundus]

Who actually rolls for height/weight anyway? I sure don't, and 4E even threw that part out entirely.

Truer words are seldom spoken.

[Kroy]

Rich stated that V was originally intentioned to be male but changed it very early in the comics run. I'm trying to find the quote...

Anyway, I personally believe V to currently be female, but used to be male.

[Lira]

Rich stated that V was originally intentioned to be male but changed it very early in the comics run. I'm trying to find the quote...No. Rich has never stated that V was meant to be male (I'm not arguing that V wasn't originally intended to be male, just that Rich has never stated that). I'm fairly certain the quote you're thinking of is from the DCF commentary (where Rich avoids mentioning what gender he had in mind for V at the beginning).

[AslanCross]

In my case, I always thought of V as male. I just have trouble reconciling a "-ius" name with a female character. The name just smells like male to me.
I'm sure even if we were to wind OOTS back to the characters' teen years, V would still be androgynous. I think threads like these ultimately go against the spirit of what the author had intended.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN75im_us4k)
Some people will never give this up. But I guess that's what fanbases are for anyway.

[The Dark Fiddler]

In my case, I always thought of V as male. I just have trouble reconciling a "-ius" name with a female character. The name just smells like male to me.
I'm sure even if we were to wind OOTS back to the characters' teen years, V would still be androgynous. I think threads like these ultimately go against the spirit of what the author had intended.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN75im_us4k)
Some people will never give this up. But I guess that's what fanbases are for anyway.

I would do that, but I'm already listening to Erf Earth Angel.

Although you could have linked to one of the two (now locked) V's Gender is Rickroll threads that were made recently. See what you started kpenguin?

At least its a good song.

[Parlity]

Dragon genders aren't discriminated by gender, are they?

And besides, real men wear pink/pink is feminine. (I'm not quite sure which side you're for, but this covers both :smalltongue:.)

I don't know, it could go either way. In this thread I'm saying it's feminine :smalleek: and I reserve the right to change my opinion for each V's gender thread.


V's magic is always pink, so it's not a surprise that pink is the color of the dragon he's shapeshifted into.

I didn't spot that. It's not surprising with that in mind, that pink dragon was very pink. It could be a clue.:smallredface:

[The Dark Fiddler]

I don't know, it could go either way. In this thread I'm saying it's feminine :smalleek: and I reserve the right to change my opinion for each V's gender thread.



I didn't spot that. It's not surprising with that in mind, that pink dragon was very pink. It could be a clue.:smallredface:

When I refer to Vaarsuvius, unless it's from somebody else's point of view, such as in this story, (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=6565608#post6565608) I tend to vary the pronoun I refer to him with by sentence.

I mean, she could be doing that same thing, changing her gender each time. He could, right?

[teratorn]

The OP is at least the third person that I've seen to come out with this weight thing. The problem, as it was noted already to the first guy to find it, is that 87 lbs rounds to 39 kg (as Random832 already pointed out in this thread).

[Mando Knight]

Quick question, the "I am ___. You killed my father. Prepare to die." thing, that didn't start with Yok Yok, did it? If it didn't, where did it start?

I see you, white text!

The answer (as far as I can reckon) is Inigo Montoya (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MyNameIsInigoMontoya). If you have six fingers on your right hand, you probably killed his father. Prepare to die (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3W5GDkgf2w).

[Draxonicar]

Most convincing evidence yet!

[#Raptor]

Would you beleive I actually went through all of them?
You're not the only one. And then I got the "This video... yaddayadda... copyright... yaddayadda... not available in your country."-message. :smallannoyed:

But yeah, best theory in a long while.

[spamkaze]

The OP is at least the third person that I've seen to come out with this weight thing. The problem, as it was noted already to the first guy to find it, is that 87 lbs rounds to 39 kg (as Random832 already pointed out in this thread).

When working with absolute minima and maxima, you are not free to round any way you like.

For example, a farmer wants to have the maximum number of cows for his field, in order to avoid wasting space without violating livestock laws. He knows that X number of cows per acre maximum is the law, so he multiplies that by how many acres he has.

Say he comes up with 26.873 cows as the ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM number of cows he can have. He can't round up to 27, because that would go beyond the legal maximum (absolute maximum is absolute).

Even though the fraction is huge, he MUST round down because 26 is the largest number that lies within the acceptable bounds.

Similarly, 87 lbs comes out to 39.4ish kg, but since 87 is the absolute minimum allowed, you cannot round down to 39. 40 is the absolute lowest whole number within the specified bounds.

My math-fu is strong. ;)

[EmperorSarda]

I have an interesting theory. V. is an it (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0657.html), not for lack of gender, but an excess of gender. In which the 3rd gender impregnates (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2008/08/23/episode-1028-the-beauty-of-nature/) other species.

So thus V., having an excess of genders, is both male and female, and the 3rd makes it an it.

[Lycantrophe]

In all guest strips V is pictured as a female. I think that tells us something.. But you can never be sure. so its futile to discuss his/her gender

[Mando Knight]

In all guest strips V is pictured as a female.

I have no idea what guest strips you're reading. The ones I see don't touch on that subject at all.:smallconfused:

[The Dark Fiddler]

In all guest strips V is pictured as a female. I think that tells us something...

I doubt this claim, and will be checking after this is finished, but the only thing that tells us is that the fans that made guest strips think V's female; it is in no way official.

EDIT: I read through them all and I didn't see one where V's gender was tellable.

[teratorn]

My math-fu is strong. ;)

No it's not. :smallwink: The thing is, people don't round their weight, they truncate the value. Even if it were 39.9 most people would claim 39 kg. It's like age, you're 39 until the day you turn 40.


I have an interesting theory. V. is an it (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0657.html), not for lack of gender, but an excess of gender. In which the 3rd gender impregnates (http://www.nuklearpower.com/2008/08/23/episode-1028-the-beauty-of-nature/) other species.

So thus V., having an excess of genders, is both male and female, and the 3rd makes it an it.

I always refer to V as s/h/it to cover all bases.

[The Dark Fiddler]

No it's not. :smallwink: The thing is, people don't round their weight, they truncate the value. Even if it were 39.9 most people would claim 39 kg. It's like age, you're 39 until the day you turn 40.

Considering it's V, I'm surprised he didn't put "Weight: 39.6936658205762". I always thought she'd be as precise as possible, so its more likely that in that case, she'd round up. Although with the age, probably, unless he's completely lying about that. [/epileptic tree]



I always refer to V as s/h/it to cover all bases.

http://i627.photobucket.com/albums/tt356/duncan1089/see-what-you-did-there-scaled.jpg

[waterpenguin43]

V has children and a wife..... I find him more likely to be male.

[Hopeless]

Well if it helps every time I read V talking I hear Julian Cleary's voice so ever since V attacked Xykon I have greater respect for Julian Cleary!

No that doesn't answer the question but I can see Haley being the only one to suss that part out so it really doesn't matter to me whether this question is ever answered only that every time its even been hinted at its always been very hilarious!

Belkar picks up the polymorphed lizard and notes he can't tell what gender it is, Haley and V share a room and the others end up listening to possibly a classic Carry On sequence!

[Oberon]

Well I must admit, you've actually put some thought into your theory. I don't think Rich put that much thought into the random number for V's weight though. probably a coincidence (but you never know). I've always thought of V as a man because s/he is referred to as "V-Man" in a very early comic before the "what gender is s/he" long before issue was actually raised in the comic itself. Makes me wonder if Rich just made hir gender indeterminate somewhere in the earlier comics because readers happened to be unable to tell.


V
Sabine is in fact a Succubi


Did I miss something? Where did we get confirmation that she is a Succubus and not some other sort of fiendish sex-themed outsider?

[The Dark Fiddler]

V has children and a wife..... I find him more likely to be male.

And a spouse, not a wife. Inkyrius is just as androgynous. And V could be homosexual.

[teratorn]

Did I miss something? Where did we get confirmation that she is a Succubus and not some other sort of fiendish sex-themed outsider?

Tss, tss. Strip #637 (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0637.html), 7th panel.

[lio45]

When working with absolute minima and maxima, you are not free to round any way you like.

For example, a farmer wants to have the maximum number of cows for his field, in order to avoid wasting space without violating livestock laws. He knows that X number of cows per acre maximum is the law, so he multiplies that by how many acres he has.

Say he comes up with 26.873 cows as the ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM number of cows he can have. He can't round up to 27, because that would go beyond the legal maximum (absolute maximum is absolute).

Even though the fraction is huge, he MUST round down because 26 is the largest number that lies within the acceptable bounds.

Similarly, 87 lbs comes out to 39.4ish kg, but since 87 is the absolute minimum allowed, you cannot round down to 39. 40 is the absolute lowest whole number within the specified bounds.

My math-fu is strong. ;)

You're wrong.

A male elf weighing exactly 87 lbs (an allowed possibility) would write "39" when having to write his weight in kg to a precision of 1 kg (which is what happened here).

The fact that 87.00 lbs is the absolute minimum allowed is irrelevant to how you'll round your weight after converting it to a different unit.

In other words... 39.0 kg is not an allowed weight for a male elf. Neither is 39.000 kg, etc. while 39 kg, to that precision, is within the limits.

[lio45]

V was originally intentioned to be male

This is crystal clear.

The thing is, most comic readers have English as their native language, and therefore aren't too familiar with how closely linked word ending and word gender are in many languages (since English words have no gender).

Everyone I know among my circle of friends --all of them do speak/understand English only as a second language-- who have been reading OotS have never questioned the fact that V was male until the strip started hinting at the fact his gender was in fact supposed to be ambiguous.

I haven't been following exactly how and when he "officially" became ambiguously-gendered, but it's safe to assume that it probably happened only after a sizable group of English readers who missed the fact he had a male name started wondering about his gender on the forums. Rich then decided to grab the opportunity.

But really, he has a name that ends in -ius. That settles it. When that name was chosen, the character was male.

Inkyrius was introduced AFTER it was decided that V should be ambiguously gendered, so obviously, he had to be given a male name as well. The door would then open for the strange possibility that having a -ius name doesn't automatically mean you're male in their culture... It's a stretch, but it's arguable. The only logical move at that point...




BTW... Yes, I know others have pointed it out way before me. It's been said already by AslanCross in this very thread.

So, the actual answer is:

"Clearly male at first, then his gender became officially and deliberately indetermined, a switch which was made possible by the fact he was never actually 100% confirmed as male. So don't try to guess or argue, it's now MEANT to be impossible to know."

More formally, I consider his current gender to be the mixed quantum state a|"F"> + a|"M">.

It'll remain like that until measured by Rich.

It's pointless to discuss it.

[rewinn]

... a name that ends in -ius. That settles it. When that name was chosen, the character was male.

Eh, I think not.

"Varsuvius" is a play on the name "Vesuvius" which, as a volcano, is inherently ungendered.


Considering it's V, I'm surprised he didn't put "Weight: 39.6936658205762". I always thought she'd be as precise as possible...
Perhaps V uses the very-rare cantrip: "Disallow Fractional Weight (DFW)".

It's very helpful to junior wizards to know their precise weight (for calculating potion doses and suchlike); DFW stores excess mass in the Bag Of Holding Dimension until a full kilo is reached. While not strictly necessary to a wizard of V's level and intelligence, it would be a habit that pleases V's sense of Order.

[lio45]

Eh, I think not.

"Varsuvius" is a play on the name "Vesuvius" which, as a volcano, is inherently ungendered.

Actually, no.

A volcano is inherently gendered.

It's a male noun in both French (volcan) and Spanish (volcán) and in probably a ton of other languages which I don't speak. At least all the Latin-derived ones.

Vesuvius is a male name. Period.

I don't want to sound like an ass, but that's how things are.



Edit: See for yourself. It's male in both Latin and Italian.

http://la.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesuvius_mons
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vesuvio

[Lira]

lio45, there have been many people to claim -ius means male and only male, and there's also been a fair share who said that -ius is gender neutral. But ultimately, V's an elf in a fantasy universe, there is no Latin there! Besides, haven't you ever met a woman with a masculine name, or a man with a very feminine name? So names really don't mean anything conclusive, although you're free to decide V is gender such-and-such for whatever reasons you want.

[lio45]

lio45, there have been many people to claim -ius means male and only male, and there's also been a fair share who said that -ius is gender neutral. But ultimately, V's an elf in a fantasy universe, there is no Latin there! Besides, haven't you ever met a woman with a masculine name, or a man with a very feminine name? So names really don't mean anything conclusive, although you're free to decide V is gender such-and-such for whatever reasons you want.

I know, but... culturally, our real world still has an influence on that fantasy universe because it exists in a parallel way. For example, when Roy speaks of "feudal Japan" then retracts... (That's the first example I could think of.)

As I see it, the Stickverse is more or less like a roleplay game being played in the real world. Why else would a Stickverse character talk about "feudal Japan" then backpedal in a "oops, yes, that's a real world concept that doesn't actually apply here" kind of way?

IMO Latin "exists" in the Stickverse the same way feudal Japan "exists" in the Stickverse. (Not gonna dig up the actual comic, but it's when the Order meets Miko.)

P.S. Do you think Rich would have ever considered naming Roy's little sister Julius instead of Julia? Just curious ;) (I think your answer will make you see my point...)

Also... you're right, I won't be arguing this forever. It's clear to me, but y'all are free to decide and believe what you want. Thanks for the sound advice :)

[Lira]

I know, but... culturally, our real world still has an influence on that fantasy universe because it exists in a parallel way. For example, when Roy speaks of "feudal Japan" then retracts... (That's the first example I could think of.)

As I see it, the Stickverse is more or less like a roleplay game being played in the real world. Why else would a Stickverse character talk about "feudal Japan" then backpedal in a "oops, yes, that's a real world concept that doesn't actually apply here" kind of way?

IMO Latin "exists" in the Stickverse the same way feudal Japan "exists" in the Stickverse. (Not gonna dig up the actual comic, but it's when the Order meets Miko.)It's examples like that which show how subjective these things are :P. I always considered that conversation about feudal Japan to imply that while some things in the OOTS world may be similar to real-world places, the fact is that the real-world place doesn't exist in the OOTSverse, so the rules don't necessarily apply.
Here's (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0209.html) a link to that strip, for reference.

P.S. Do you think Rich would have ever considered naming Roy's little sister Julius instead of Julia? Just curious ;) (I think your answer will make you see my point...)Since Julius is a name that's only ever used for males (as far as I know) it would have seemed odd to use it for a girl's name. But since Vaarsuvius is a made-up name, I consider it fair game to use it for either gender.
Also... you're right, I won't be arguing this forever. It's clear to me, but y'all are free to decide and believe what you want. Thanks for the sound advice :)No problem. :)

[Jaltum]

I really doubt that Rich was thinking about V's gender and gendered endings when he named the elf, though. It just isn't something English speakers think about most of the time.

[teratorn]

P.S. Do you think Rich would have ever considered naming Roy's little sister Julius instead of Julia? Just curious ;) (I think your answer will make you see my point...)


But that's a common English name. To give you another example, Shojo is Japanese for little girl.

[Nimrod's Son]

I always considered that conversation about feudal Japan to imply that while some things in the OOTS world may be similar to real-world places, the fact is that the real-world place doesn't exist in the OOTSverse, so the rules don't necessarily apply.
Yet, curiously, Toronto (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0567.html) and Arizona (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0640.html) do exist.

[Thanatos 51-50]

Fixed it for you.:smallwink:

Spoiler-nesting is not cool. It is juvenile.
Stop it.

[Demons_eye]

Spoiler-nesting is not cool. It is juvenile.
Stop it.

Wow stick in the mud. No one forced you to read it.

On topic I think V is male, the way V talks/Acts just makes me think hes male. When he is eating in the booth and the waitress pops out he swears out of anger and that does not suit me as female. When they come up on the owl bear and he rants on about how stupid it is that also does not suit me as a female or elf manor.

[Armitage]

P.S. Do you think Rich would have ever considered naming Roy's little sister Julius instead of Julia? Just curious ;) (I think your answer will make you see my point...)
Are you aware that the rules of naming depend on the cultural background?

Example: In many cultures the name "Andrea" is decidedly female. Yet in Italy you will find many men who are called Andrea.

Vaarsuvius is not English, German or whatnot, it is Elfish (Elven?). And we don't know enough about Elfish naming conventions to decide whether that syllable is strictly used for male/female names.

And no, the fact that the name sounds vaguely Latin to us and that Rich probably was thinking of Latin when coming up with this name does not imply that we can judge it by the same rules.

When creating characters I often come up with names that sound similar to something, but mean something totally different to my characters.

[Faceist]

As I see it, the Stickverse is more or less like a roleplay game being played in the real world. Why else would a Stickverse character talk about "feudal Japan" then backpedal in a "oops, yes, that's a real world concept that doesn't actually apply here" kind of way?If that's so then why would Latin apply to the conventions of the elvish naming system any more stringently than Japan did to the culture of Azure City?

[lio45]

Yet, curiously, Toronto (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0567.html) and Arizona (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0640.html) do exist.

Thanks! Nice catch.

Just for kicks...

Johnson & Johnson (and the "Band-Aid" brand) (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0006.html) exists (Comic #0006)

TSR (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0012.html) exists (Comic #0012)

Diet Coke (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0031.html) exists (Comic #0031)

Wizards of the Coast (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0032.html) exists (Comic #0032)

Atlanta, GA and New Brunswick, NJ (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0033.html) exist (Comic #0033)

Elijah Woods (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0042.html) exists (Comic #0042)

Spanish (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0047.html) exists (Comic #0047)

Visa and Mastercard (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0049.html) exist (Comic #0048)

And I'm not even at comic fifty...

BTW, I think that since Spanish exists in the Stickverse, it's pretty safe to assume Latin does as well, no?

Another proof I like of the existence of real life as a parallel universe within the strip is the fact that when the Oracle predicts Belkar will die within a year, he adds that it's an in-comic year, not a real-life year.

[lio45]

I really doubt that Rich was thinking about V's gender and gendered endings when he named the elf, though. It just isn't something English speakers think about most of the time.

Normally, no, you're right, but when naming a character, one is likely to pay a bit more attention. Considering Latin has pretty much always been linked with "magic" in popular culture (since the early Middle Ages at least), it's a very natural choice for a wizard character.

I hold Rich in enough esteem to trust that he didn't give his character a male name at random. (You might disagree, that's OK.)


If that's so then why would Latin apply to the conventions of the elvish naming system any more stringently than Japan did to the culture of Azure City?

It doesn't apply 100% stringently. I admitted that already when I said the door was still open to give V's mate a male Latin name...

BTW, I think feudal Japan does apply quite stringently to pretty much all aspects the culture of Azure City, no?

[lio45]

But that's a common English name. To give you another example, Shojo is Japanese for little girl.

It happens to be a "common" name, but the difference between Julius and Julia is exactly identical to the difference between Vaarsuvius and Vaarsuvia. The only reason English speakers will get the first and miss the second is the fact that Julius and Julia have seen more widespread use as real names.

[lio45]

Are you aware that the rules of naming depend on the cultural background?

Example: In many cultures the name "Andrea" is decidedly female. Yet in Italy you will find many men who are called Andrea.

Agreed. But the link between Latin, high intellect/high culture, and "magic" in Western popular culture is so strong that I can't see Rich having given V a Latin name by accident. V's a wizard. It's fitting.

Thog hasn't got a Latin name... nor do the other, "normal" characters.

It's pretty obvious (to me at least) that Rich thinks before naming, and picks names that fit.

[Kish]

Vaarsuvius doesn't have a Latin name, either.

[Tyrmatt]

Exactly the kind of thing Rich would carefully hide away to reveal the gender.

The only thing I'd say that probably disqualifies it is the fact that Rich also said that you'd never need to buy one of the books to understand stuff about the comic.

But actually one of the "Just Crazy Enough to Work" TheoriesTM
I like it.

[lio45]

Vaarsuvius doesn't have a Latin name, either.

Yes he does, but since there's no way to discuss with someone who refuses to admit this, I'll have to stop right here.

I suppose you would also say that Miko/Kubota/Hinjo/Shojo do not have Japanese names, while I will say that they do.

It's a classic case of having to agree to disagree.

[Zanaril]

I suppose you would also say that Miko/Kubota/Hinjo/Shojo do not have Japanese names, while I will say that they do.
Actually, people have mentioned several times that not all of them do. The Azurites' names are a mish-mash of names from different Eastern cultures.

[Kish]

Yes he does, but since there's no way to discuss with someone who refuses to admit this, I'll have to stop right here.
...and yet somehow that wasn't the end of your post.

It would be equally productive and more amusing if you'd analyze the (nonexistent, of course) significance of Lord Shojo being named "Girl"* instead of insisting that Vaarsuvius' "Latin" name proves that s/he was originally male.

Aspects of Azure City culture (skin colors, samurai) are based on real-world Japan and other Asian cultures. Are aspects of OotS-elven cultures based on real-world Rome? No? Then it's a glaringly false analogy (as well as being, as Zanaril pointed out, factually wrong) and "Vaarsuvius' name is Latin" remains, much like "Vaarsuvius is male," supported only by proof by assertion.

*Interestingly, Rich was very dismissive of the idea that he'd chosen Shojo's name, or any of the Azure City names, for any significance beyond "sounds vaguely Asian."

[lio45]

It would be equally productive and more amusing if you'd analyze the (nonexistent, of course) significance of Lord Shojo being named "Girl"

Nothing to analyze there. It's a very plain nice classic touch of humor... that was lost on me until teratorn pointed it out. It's yet another thing that shows how Rich does think that stuff through. Shojo's name definitely wasn't picked randomly.

It still remains that

1) Stickverse culture IS based on real world culture in a general way. You can't escape this fact. Real world things DO keep showing up in the comic. See list above.

2) In real world culture, Latin IS actually somewhat associated with high intellect, high culture, "magic" and "wizards".

So I would answer to this

Are aspects of OotS-elven cultures based on real-world Rome? No?
that you took the wrong target. What's relevant isn't OotS elven culture, it's OotS wizardry/magic culture, as the interesting fact here isn't that V is an elf, it's that V is a wizard.

A Latin name would be just as "fitting" for a non-elf wizard in any loosely real-life based fantasy culture. (Which OotS is.)

Since wizardry is kinda linked to Latin in real world culture, and the Stickverse keeps showing signs of being totally coherent with real-world cultural elements, then yes, it's logical to say that there's a link between Latin and wizardry in the Stickverse.

You'd have a point if the Stickverse was a serious, separated-from-reality fantasy world. It's not. It's a comic where a NPC talks about the Toronto Raptors...

[lio45]

...and yet somehow that wasn't the end of your post.

Rich's fault ;)

I only discovered the forums last week (although I've been registered for years) because the comic was soooo not updated, I started to be restless and click on other stuff on the site.

Had I had my weekly dose of OotS, I wouldn't have come here to look for something OotS-related to do. :)

[lio45]

Actually, people have mentioned several times that not all of them do. The Azurites' names are a mish-mash of names from different Eastern cultures.

Well, I'd say the main ones are pretty much 100% Japanese...

Miko Miyazaki
Shojo
Hinjo
Kubota
Tsukiko

I agree with O-Chul and Lien. Those aren't Japanese.

Still, the very fact that we can actually point out that Tsukiko has a "Japanese" name while Lien has not shows clearly, IMHO, that the comic's reality does incorporate very tangible and distinct elements of real-world cultures... namely, Japanese names, Latin names, well-recognized brands, celebs (Elijah Woods and Patrick Swayze at least, from memory), etc.

[Armitage]

Vaarsuvius doesn't have a Latin name, either.
Yes he does, but since there's no way to discuss with someone who refuses to admit this, I'll have to stop right here.
He does?
So please give me one example of some historic figure being calld "Vaarsuvius".

There is a difference between "sounding like a Latin name" and "being Latin name".

[veti]

Vaarsuvius is not a Latin name. Not only will you never find a Roman or medieval church figure with that name, but any Latin speaker of sensitivity would take one look at it and recoil in revulsion from the inelegant double-a formation. I defy anyone to find a Latin word with a double-A in it.

Moreover, the name "Inkyrius" has a "-ky-" in the middle, which (in our world) is characteristic of Greek, not Latin. And in Greek, the "-us" ending might be masculine, feminine or neuter, depending partly on case.

So can we please stop pretending we've got a conclusive answer, just because of some half-baked linguistic "fact" that we've never even been taught formally? If you absolutely must be dogmatic about V's gender, then at least base it on something in-comic, or in-rules.

[lio45]

And maybe there hasn't been anyone named Tsukiko in the entire history of Japan.

But it doesn't change the fact that Tsukiko is quite evidently a Japanese-sounding or Japanese-inspired name.

Maybe the -ukik- part never actually occurs in actual Japanese names, or whatever. The name might cause a Japanese speaker to recoil in revulsion.

See, that kind of nitpicking doesn't change the basic facts. But since you're right, I will amend my position. Here:

There are names in that universe that draw heavily on Japanese without necessarily being actual Japanese names and there are names in that universe that draw heavily on Latin without necessarily being actual Latin names. Do you prefer it when phrased that way? Although not 100% proper Latin, it's close enough that it still remains immediately identifiable as a male name, at least according to my readership sample.

[Kish]

There are names in that universe that draw heavily on Japanese without necessarily being actual Japanese names and there are names in that universe that draw heavily on Latin without necessarily being actual Latin names. Do you prefer it when phrased that way?
Marginally. It's still proof by assertion.

There is a saying that goes, "Anecdotal evidence isn't." For the sake of argument I'll take your word that everyone in your circle of friends, however many people that may be, thinks Vaarsuvius is a Latin name and that Vaarsuvius was originally male. It doesn't matter. If it made sense to decide which gender Vaarsuvius is with a poll, it certainly wouldn't be a poll of the personal friends of one person who thinks asserting "Vaarsuvius is a Latin name" makes it so.

[Mordaedil]

And maybe there hasn't been anyone named Tsukiko in the entire history of Japan.

But it doesn't change the fact that Tsukiko is quite evidently a Japanese-sounding or Japanese-inspired name.

Maybe the -ukik- part never actually occurs in actual Japanese names, or whatever. The name might cause a Japanese speaker to recoil in revulsion.

See, that kind of nitpicking doesn't change the basic facts. But since you're right, I will amend my position. Here:

There are names in that universe that draw heavily on Japanese without necessarily being actual Japanese names and there are names in that universe that draw heavily on Latin without necessarily being actual Latin names. Do you prefer it when phrased that way? Although not 100% proper Latin, it's close enough that it still remains immediately identifiable as a male name, at least according to my readership sample.
Tsukiko is japanese by all means, but you're breaking it up wrong. It's tsu-ki-ko, not ts-ukik-o.

Furthermore to (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsukiko_Amano) the point. (http://www.behindthename.com/name/tsukiko)

[Carnivorous_Bea]

Vaarsuvius is not a Latin name. Not only will you never find a Roman or medieval church figure with that name, but any Latin speaker of sensitivity would take one look at it and recoil in revulsion from the inelegant double-a formation. I defy anyone to find a Latin word with a double-A in it.

Moreover, the name "Inkyrius" has a "-ky-" in the middle, which (in our world) is characteristic of Greek, not Latin. And in Greek, the "-us" ending might be masculine, feminine or neuter, depending partly on case.

So can we please stop pretending we've got a conclusive answer, just because of some half-baked linguistic "fact" that we've never even been taught formally? If you absolutely must be dogmatic about V's gender, then at least base it on something in-comic, or in-rules.

Exactly -- there is no "aa" in Latin. A name like "Vaarsuvius" is, strictly speaking, not a Latin name. And there is no "k" in Latin, and "y" is very, very rare (only in a few words borrowed from Greek, IIRC). So both are highly atypical for Latin names.

It's like seeing the names "Johnski" and "Smithov" and saying that they're 100% English names. Yes, they're similar to English names, but English names they're not. :smallamused:

[Shraik]

I actually think Vaarsivius name is elven, but that's just me.
V's name is influenced by greek and latin, cultures greatly known for philosophical/empircal successes. Volcano is masculine in Italian too.

[thepsyker]

Personally, I always assumed Vaarsuvius' name was a pun/reference to Mt. Vesuvius (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Vesuvius).

[Kallisti]

Much as I can believe that Rich would give us an abcure clue like that, I cannot believe that Vaarsuvius both knows his/her weight in kilograms off the top of his/her head, and would diclose that information accurately while lying about age.

[Bibliomancer]

I think that the possibility that V might lie about her age and/or weight is decidedly female from the Western point of view.

However, it is also quite likely that, like oysters (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oysters#Anatomy), elves change gender during their life cycle.

[rxmd]

I defy anyone to find a Latin word with a double-A in it.

Well, someone called Abraham would with a certain probability have been rendered Abraam in Latin; the 1518 text De initiis, sectis et laudibus philosophiae by Vives has quae omnia pariter et circumcisionem ex Abraamicae familiae instituto Aegyptii accepere. You could argue that this stretching it, as the name doesn't have Latin origins. Also it's not representative for Classical Latin, which is already hinted at by the rest of the quote above.

Classical Latin does have a distinction between a short and long "a", though.

It seems somewhat unlikely that the Giant wanted to imply anything about gender when he chose the name. I don't know whether Rich even knows Latin. It's really just another way to make names sound exotic, and even Elanicalicus knows that (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0127.html). :smalltongue:

[rewinn]

Actually, no.

A volcano is inherently gendered.

It's a male noun in both French (volcan) and Spanish (volcán) and in probably a ton of other languages which I don't speak. At least all the Latin-derived ones.

Vesuvius is a male name. Period.

No. Nouns are gendered but volcanoes themselves are not. Volcanoes have no sex and are not even alive, except possibly in Erfworld (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/erf0148.html).

More to the point, linguistic gender has nothing to do with biological sex. It is very common for people to mistake language for reality. Philosophers from Aristotle (IIRC) on have wasted a lot of thinking time on this sort of thing, but by far the best deconstruction is The Awful German Language (http://german.about.com/library/blmtwain01.htm) by Mark Twain - well worth a read.

The cross-gender use of names is not uncommon although often used for amusing effect (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M89c3hWx3RQ).

[rxmd]

No. Nouns are gendered but volcanoes themselves are not. Volcanoes have no sex and are not even alive, except possibly in Erfworld (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/erf0148.html).

More to the point, linguistic gender has nothing to do with biological sex.

Volcanoes don't have anything to do with biological sex either. You assume that people don't anthropomorphize things. However, they like to do just that. As soon as they do, the question arises again. The Latin word for the Sun sol is of the masculine grammatical gender, and while the Sun certainly doesn't have a primordial gender per se, the Roman sun god Sol does, and a Roman not familiar with the philosophical aspects of this question would probably have answered "male" to the question "what gender is the Sun". So it's quite natural for people to identify names as male or female, and even to say that volcanoes are male. We don't know whether a farmer on the slopes of Mt Vesuvius might have thought of the mountain as male semantically; since both the name itself and the word for volcano are male grammatically, he might well have.

Actually knowing the language, on the other hand, may help avoiding some pitfalls. So if you know that nauta "sailor" is of the masculine gender, that salus "salvation" is of the feminine gender, and that tempus "time" is of the neutral gender, you stop attributing too much semantics to the particular grammatical ending.

It's very simple actually. One simply has to keep in mind whether one is talking about grammar or about semantics. Calling "Vaarsuvius" male has some merit from the grammatical point of view, while from the semantic point of view it simply doesn't make too much sense because of the fictional character of the discussion.