Some things that have always confused me...

[Zelynda]

There are several, but the main one I can think of right now is "Werewolves? No, no. I'd call it a cruel lack of physical activity."

...

WHAT? Seriously, I've never gotten this one. Is it a reference to some movie I've never seen, a pun where in some other language the word for "werewolf" and "fat" or "wimp" kinda sound like each other, a...medievalism that nobody thinks of anymore? I am...so confused. And yes, I already Googled "cruel lack of physical activity" + "werewolves" or "reigns game". Nothing.

(Also "As long as we don't kiss, I can do anything" has always kinda made me raise my eyebrows a little--but there are some cultures where certain romantic things are okay between lovers and others are only okay between husband and wife, so I figure it must be something like that.)

In general, though I like this game, I very often get the feeling I'm reading something translated from a foreign language in a place with customs I've never even heard of and am trying to figure things out by context! :P

[kittenbouquet]

Not sure about the werewolves one, I never really understood that either. But I think the idea of not kissing but doing other things is the girl saying she doesn't like the character very much, and is only interested in being queen and having an heir. That's something I've heard from time to time.

[alicia, sun's nemesis]

Not kissing but being receptive to other sex acts is a famous myth about sex workers. It's because kissing is seen as romantic. So the above poster is correct. It's not even necessarily that she's a sex worker, it's just 'lip service' to the idea that kissing is something intimate you do with someone you love and other sexual acts are mercenary. Romantic kissing is actually pretty modern, but remembering the historical setting, it's a little like that character is keeping one type of chastity to herself (and also she doesn't wish to share that intimacy with the King, so kittenbouquet's interpretation is likely correct).

The werewolf thing is also a popular legend. The idea was that if you kept a man in physical activity like a perpetual motion machine, he couldn't transform. He would get exhausted and maybe the werewolf form would leave from disuse. I don't know how old that idea is, but it's a thing.

[Zelynda]

Huh! No, I have to admit, I've never heard that one before, about the werewolves. The kissing one is pretty much exactly what I was thinking (keep one type of chastity, kissing isn't done by sex workers, the time period's customs) but the werewolves...? Huh!

Weird, I'm like, totally into all kinds of folklore and stuff and have _never_ heard anything even remotely close to that. Also, wouldn't you only have to keep the guy excercising once he actually got bitten, not just, like, in general? Or are they saying that in this kingdom, if any guy sits around too long he turns wolfy? :P

Now, my main question left is...what the hell is a HALF-bandit, and what's the other half? (snerk)