My latest favourite alt is a vegan, who refuses to eat meat, eggs, cheese, anything that ever touched anything that came, directly or indirectly, from any lifeform with a nervous system.

Just getting food is an adventure in itself.

There are RP reasons why she's a vegan, and of course I got curious.

How many other people have dietary restrictions on their characters? Where do your characters therefore usually shop for food? Lastly, for anyone who comes along and sees that Mhaldorian Bob has posted that his or her character eats only meat, and thinks, hey, there's a lot of meat served in Caer Witrin! Yes, please feel free to post that you know city/village/denizen A has something Mhaldorian Bob (or any relevant character) should try.

Quoren used to refuse to drink alcohol. He felt it was beneath the dignity of a priest. Lately (read: after reincarnating into a dwarf) he will drink very small amounts in social settings, but he's still quite prudish about it.

Well, not an Achaean character but I had an Imperian character (one of many short lived attempts to move to Imperian RIP) who hated chocolate. But cooking is a craft skill in Imperian so picky eating is a bit easier to manage.

Must be hard being an Achaean vegan though. I can hardly think of many places that sell any large variety of food to suit those needs. That fruit seller in Delos maybe. And miscellaneous salads...

My character only eats the heads of heathens. Sometimes caviar.

My character takes all his sustenance in the form of alcohol.

I will add that it is very, very, very easy for Priest and Paladin characters to avoid eating meat. Most Priests I know, at any rate, survive on a diet of mostly manna.

Of all the character quirks, this is one of the least interesting.

Also, everyone who is someone is over level 80.

Right, after a while, eating becomes a social thing rather than one of necessity (the only practical thing to carry around is waybread anyway) and after a while most people don't even bother anymore.

What about a quirky code of ethics? Boz whines about thieves but wants to be one himself. He also only spies on certain people, regardless of how hypocritical it may be.

There are ways to avoid hunger other than manna?

I avoid becoming hungry by dying often. A trip to Maya's halls is beginning to look like a trip to the diner.

Flair eats primal things of unformed chaos.

Yes, there are. I'm just stating one of them which is a major factor among a certain population.

Trevize eats moonpie almost exclusively.

Mosr eats pretty much anything. He doesn't like to eat food or drink from other islands, which is why he brings his own, but that's about it.

*giggle*

*titter*

*blush*

Unless she's trying some new delicacy or starving to death, Amunet doesn't eat red meat-- she thinks it tastes like blood and finds it entirely unpalatable, to the point where she turns up her nose at other people eating steak. She particularly hates mutton, won't touch humgii, and tends to prefer Shallamese or Baarian cuisine, and seafood of any kind. She plans to enslave the kitchen staff of Sahart's when the Occultists eventually overthrow Shallam, and sorely misses Reinhold's tiramisu.


EDIT: Amunet is also a well-known alcoholic, albeit functional. Her drink of choice is absinthe. Anything less may as well be bitch beer-- though, if it has alcohol, she will drink it. She has expensive taste and often has Shala'jen wine ferreted out of Shallam for her personal consumption.

Soludra will eat pretty much anything, preferably meat (he IS a Raja), but he avoids alcohol. He also occasionally partakes of a tabac pipe, but very, very rarely.

Eurulis avoids excessive amounts of alcohol, as when under the influence he is a complete and utter idiot. That's cover for my change in RP when Eurulis was around 50 when he changed from the lighthearted acolyte of Nature to scholar. Now, he also avoids poultry, since the time he saw Vastar take the form of an albatross.

Otherwise, metamorphosis' forage ability is the absolute first thing one learns, and fits most lifestyles unless you eschew nuts and berries from your diet. Otherwise, I find the rare vegetarian quirk somewhat intresting, though almost always related to "Yay tree". Sadly.

Agreeing with Rynn, I don't find the concept of ic dietary restrictions to be very enthralling. That said, Herenicus only drinks socially, and never to excess.

I have to throw my agreement in there as well. It's not really a very visible thing at all, thus it becomes not very intresting.

It's not meant to be a huge -omg it's the best thing evah- event. It's just a minor thing that adds depth to your player, and when done by many, Achaea as a whole. Those matter more than the huge 'look at me I'm awesome' rp crap most people do.

Wait, Forage can actually work?

For a while, when Baly was young, and mostly for my own entertainment, she would only eat things she could kill. Thus, she lived on the Bertram's special for a long LONG time. Mmmm, charred rat on a stick.

Food quirks are like all other quirks though: not amazingly interesting, but they do add to the character you are playing, just like having a favorite color or any other mundane detail.

Rakon was a vegetarian for the entirety of the characters life.
As was already said, being a priest to begin with your sustenance really comes from Manna.

Other vegetarian dishes around Sapience include bread, turnip soup(Rakons favorite), cheese, etc. Certain diners also serve Potatoe or cabbage soups, mozzarella bread, mushrooms and other random vegetables. It's not hard finding something without meat in Achaea to chow down on. Though if you're falling over from starvation, Rakon's gotten people buying him mutton and bacon, mhun steaks and the like. Kinda look at your character stupidly when the refuse the meat, and ask for/wander off looking for some turnips to eat while starving.

Anyway, have fun with it. Past level 80, it really is just a character quirk as your character doesn't need to eat anymore.

Yeah, just go to the wilderness forests. You might not find anything the first few times, but you'll get something in the first four or so minuites. Unless you're in the Ithmias. If so, then good luck with that!

One of the reasons I have always enjoyed intensive roleplaying is that I am constantly learning. Learning to speak a new language, learning history and mythology, learning about a craft or trade, or... learning what is involved in being a healthy vegan.

Convincing and engaging characters are played by people who take the time to explore what they want to play. A forger who cranks out rapiers by the hundreds is nice, but a forger who learns something about the blacksmithing trade and incorporates that knowledge into his persona will leave a bigger impression. Similarly, a vegan character who simply makes a point of buying vegetarian food is quickly forgotten, but a vegan character who makes a point to incorporate the real applications of herbs, the vegetation required for a healthy diet, and the methods a medieval person might use to preserve/use those foods into his or her character is much more interesting.

So: Learn about veganism, herbalism, nutrition, and food preservation in medieval times, and incorporate that knowledge into your activities. 'Flavr' emotes can make a world of difference in small group roleplaying - hanging aromatics to dry, pickling fruit, or distilling essential oils while speaking with a companion at home are ways to reinforce that side of your character without focusing so much on which item number you use in your buy/eat alias.

It is also important to consider the reason behind this particular trait. Examine the doctrines of Jainism and Buddhism for the historical origins of nonviolence towards life.

Speaking of diet and roleplay, why are you not in your basement eating your fish heads?

Lisbethae lives almost entirely on waybread. She doesn't even notice when she eats. If she runs out of waybread, she simply collapses repeatedly until she makes it back to the Aalen. It fits her race and character well.

She's too busy with everything she does to spend any time on herself.

There -are- some fun things to eat and drink, however. Fairy nectar and giggle pudding are guilty pleasures.

Many foods (those at the Brewery in Cyrene and Sahart's in Shallam) that have multiple sensations are just plain well written and fun to discover.

Alas, I was tempted away by fish head coctails.

I think I spoke to your character the other day. And frankly, it was annoying. All you talked about is how you were a vegan (which, by the way, is an ooc term that is not IC). I told you I had something to attend to, walked one room away, and continued afking because your "rp" was not to my taste.

Contrary to those who said food is the least interesting RP quirk of a character, I think it can be very interesting if done properly simply because food in Achaea is so well done, plus the fact that it is such a fundamental aspect of life that it feels very 'natural', and happens without you thinking 'Ew, RP quirk' as opposed to, say, 'uncurable' deaf and mute people.

Anyone who knows Requa knows that a particular interest for her is food. She will almost always have some sort of food or drink item on her, which she gives away to almost every friend she sees, and constantly buys food whenever she passes a food stall and brings it back for her Housemates.

I didn't even start Requa with the intention of making food become so involved into her life - it just developed as the character grew, which I find is the most fun and long-lasting type of RP. It started off by me liking the well-written descriptions that you get with certain food, and even if there aren't any reactions when you actually eat the food, it's fun to have. Gradually as Requa grew stronger she started exploring new areas and sampling new food, which over time developed into a personal quest to try any sort of new food available. She thinks that people are entirely too underexposed to food outside of the cities, and makes it a personal mission to introduce as many people to new food as possible. Before she got eagle's wings, she would run to the other side of Sapience to get a certain type of food - the fact that she has wings now only makes it easier!

It has been so long that I cannot remember if this was an actual event in-game or if I found this out by OOC means, but being a food lover Requa absolutely detests waybread and refuses to accept it as food despite being a Tsol'aa, owing to the fact that Zeuris (the Tsol'aa baker) told her about the secret ingredient of waybread (which shall remain secret unless you ask IG!), which is responsible for its long life and bland taste. She also absolutely refused to touch alcohol in her earlier years, but over time has mellowed somewhat and accepted that as a food lover she will have to try anything at least once, now willing to drink cocktail in small quantities and even taking a liking to Zanzibaarian champagne. She even ventured to Mhaldor once solely to try out the food!

The Cafe Ruminic in Cyrene is a well-known, city run Cafe which Requa took responsibility for stocking some 50 IC years ago now, and really there is no better example of how food can be a fun RP aspect. She introduced the 'Featured Foods' program where every year she would stock exotic food outside of the Cafe's regular fare, which received a warm reception and I like to think it got more people interested in food. I had to discontinue it due to increasing responsibilities and time constraints, but she still puts in exotic food that people bring back from the islands sometimes. When the trade embargo was imposed with Ashtan, Requa had to sit down and redesign the menu with the Chancellor as about half of the stock was bought from Ashtan. (which has some of the most delicious, cheapest food in Sapience..those in West of Central Market are so much better than standard mutton or goose drumsticks) She also laments that Cyrene, despite being a centre of arts and culture, has no restaurant (or bakery!), and will lobby for one when the time is right. Plus, she is also in the (long) process of publishing a comprehensive Food Book to encourage people to go out and eat.

Apologies for the rambling, because I was excited about this topic as food is so rarely mentioned in terms of RP, yet there really is a variety of things you can do with it - and if not, just take some time to sample the local cuisine, as they really are fine pieces of work!

P.S. In regards to the OP, there actually are quite a few places for vegetarian food. Off the top of my head I can think of Arcadia, New Hope, the fruits and vegetable merchant in Delos, the Creperie in Ashtan, not to mention the various vegetarian foods that are usually available in the shops along with regular meat fare (grilled figs and couscous at Amadeo's in Cyrene, etcetera). Just go out and explore!

Edit: Seeing Neraeos post in the other thread, I just wanted to say - no, Requa is not the sort that discusses pies or cake on CT.

I have to say. Rosaceae is flat out obsessed with cookies, if you havent noticed.
It's quite fun. It's prime annoying material that she can use on market and it makes good conversation between her and friends.

What RP can back being a 'vegan' IG?

Everyone kills things whether they are sentient or just animals.

Eating a piece of waybread or a roasted rat on a stick provide the same sort of sustenance (some things provide more or less, but the effect does not change).

There are no harmful effects for eating only red meat and nothing else, for instance.

You don't require special vitamins that only certain things provide.

I don't get it.

I do get that it can be a(n) (annoying) character quirk, of course, but it doesn't make logical sense.

Dralian got stuck on the shallamese combat diet and never really got interested in other food. It's still weird for him not to just eat two mutton with satiation up.

Most things people do don't make sense.

Agreed. Faur lives on Holoburgers and ReubenWardens, along with his ale and chocolate. Mmmmm, chocolate...

I got warned back in the day for threatening to make someone into a pie if they kept making pie comments on CT.
That was one of the times I truly laughed at some people's ideals of Cyrenian respect.

On topic - Trici has a diet of things that are interesting tasting (i.e. have a description other than You consume *foodstuff* hungrily, etc) or honey from her hive.

Pursuing vegetarianism is hard when your character eats hearts on a regular basis. It's not like you can claim that they're not meat.

You know, we might be able to come up with a compromise of some sort, I'm sure some part of heartseed would be quite exquisite for an apostate/infernal.
Close enough, right?

If anyone looks, you could paint them green and claim they're artichoke hearts?

Vegetarian hearts are made of tofu. Go get 'em.

Perhaps you could try only the hearts of vegans?

Vegans don't realize that we have canines and bicuspids for a reason when they say, "But it's only natural that I eat only fruits/vegetables/soy products!"

It is not optimal for humans to eat all meat or all vegetables. We are omnivores as marked by the tearing canines and the grinding bicuspids.

I just tell them (in a serious, saddened tone) plants have feelings too. Studies have been done. They respond to music and everything.

Now we know why the human race is so messed up; all the humans with highly evolved consciences died of starvation.

Hey.. Be nice to the vegetarians. We have feelings too.

Um....I wasn't trying to insult vegetarians...I don't think I did. I was actually just making a (sarcastic) comment about human nature.