I Don’t Think This Passes the Smell Check
I couldn’t make this up if I really tried. According to this article, bad breath or a disapproving wife is all it takes to derail your chances of gaining a spot in the Chinese space program.
My wife doesn’t even like the idea of me going out with a vendor after work for a drink, let alone into space for a week or two. And where are my breath mints? I’ll bet the Czar has absconded with them again.
The Mandarin, whose real name is 吏恆, joined the order in 1309, and introduced the Gormogons into England during the 18th Century.
The Mandarin enjoys spending time with his pet manticore, Βάρἰκος, or Barry (who can be found in the Bestiary). When not in the Castle…well, frankly, nobody is quite sure where he goes.
The Mandarin popularized the fine art of “gut booting,” by which he delivers a powerful kick to the stomach of anyone that annoys him. Although nearly universal today, the act of gut booting or threatening someone or something with a gut boot is solely due to him.