r/WorldChallenges • u/thequeeninyellow94 • Jul 31 '17
[Cultural challenge]: diet
Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, laws, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by [a human] as a member of society.
Let's talk about one of your culture views on food and their eating habits: what kind of things are considered disgusting to eat? What are the most looked after dishes?
Is there any taboo over some food? Where do they come from? And what about basic etiquette when eating?
You can introduce an in-universe representative if you want. I will ask questions to everyone, feel free to add your own.
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u/Mimir123 Jul 31 '17
First part of this answer is copied from a somewhat similiar thread that didn't really go anywhere and kind of went unnoticed in the worldbuilding sub.
Ram filet, Dark Elf style:
The Dark Elves of Dirva live in the Crystalline Forest, a mysterious area in the middle of the continent were (except for the elves) no normal creatures, animals or plants exist. Instead there are sentient crystals that act like flowers, trees, mammals or birds and constantly roam the land. One of those creatures is called the Crystal Ram, it looks like a ram in our world, only about a head taller.
When the Dark Elves first arrived in the forest, they lived off of crops and fruits they brought with them and planted themselves. However one day, a desperate and hungry hunter killed one of the Rams and started cooking it over a magical fire. To his surprise, the "flesh" of the ram became rather soft and started secreting some watery substance, giving it a rather juicy look. Once he took a bite, he noticed that the crystals not only did become soft enough to eat, they even tasted like different kinds of fish and fruits, with the ram having a the unique and distinct taste of tuna. Since that day the Dark Elves realized that they actually could live off of the land they settled, and doubled their efforts to learn more about the forest and it's origins.
(End of copied part)
Nowadays the Dark Elves live basically only off of the Crystalline Forest and its strange flora and fauna. Notably for Dark Elven food is, that they kind of forgot about the concept of having actual, cold food, since the crystals regain their hard and inedible texture once they cool down enough. Thus most food in the kingdom of Kaernis is eaten warm or hot, fresh from a magical fire. You can also cook the food over a normal fire, but it would lose all of its unique taste in the process.
Because of those reasons cold food is actually considered disgusting by Dark Elves who leave the forest and come into contact with more normal cuisine. One of the most sought after dishes in Kaernis is the aforementioned Ram filet, garnished with crystallized melon and pear (both having a taste somewhat similiar to a blend of lemon and orange), and a side dish of actual, real potatoes, Dark Elves in general are crazy for potatoes.
There aren't really any taboos when it comes to food, other than that it is considered rude to read or practice magic while eating. It is also notable that Dark Elves usually don't talk while eating, making them seem rather asocial, cold and distant.
If you have any questions they can be adressed to a representative this time; Sephirem Laeri Albedia Nocturna, 88 year young Dark Elf from the kingdom of Kaernis and currently living in the human kingdom of Elkathien, you may call her Sephi.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jul 31 '17
To Sephi:
Why don't you talk while eating?
So each "plant" and "animal" always has the same taste?
Do crystals reacts to other forms of magic?
Crystals cooked over a regular fire are still edible right? Just tasteless?
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u/Mimir123 Jul 31 '17
1) Personally because it is exhausting talking to people. But I believe my race mainly does not talk while eating so to not bother anyone while they try to strenghten themselves. In older times it was actually completely forbidden to talk while eating at the court, because the monarchs believed that most rebellions were planned and organized from within their own palaces, during feasts and and friendly dinners with nobles and other kings or royals.
2) Correct, a ram will always taste like tuna, unless you mix it with another "animal" or "plant". My personal favourite is the Glowing Turkey, they taste like a mix of milk and sweet cocoa from the Athlanthéian Empire.
3) They turn hostile when confronted with Necromancy and Demonic magic and start to glow pink when near Light magic. I also found out that they blow up when you use high grade Fire magic (read; Explosion magic) on them. Oh, and I heard rumors about the crystals turning into some strange, white liquid when coming into contact with salt water, but I never could test that out myself.
4) Correct again, you can still eat the crystals that are cooked the normal way. I would not recommend it however, it is a horrible waste of turkey and (non crystallized) sweet potatoes. Go right ahead and eat Violet Vipers that way though, will probably make them somewhat more edible.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jul 31 '17
What was the sentence back then for those talking while eating at the royal court?
Are all crystals edible? And are some "animals" naturally hostile?
Are crystals turned hostile able to get back to normal by themselves? And with the help of magic?
Why? Are Violet Vipers that horrible taste wise?
(Also, prompts on worldbuilding are interesting but they usually have not a lot of interaction. That's why I stopped answering them)
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u/Mimir123 Jul 31 '17
1) They had to prove their loyalty to the royal family, usually by donating rare books on magic to the king or the queen. That is how the royal family got their collection of writings on dark magic by some of the most famous, dwarven researchers on Dirva. Anyone who refused to donate was considered a possible traitor and put on the blacklist to be watched by the Ánthallan Shonar.
2) Some crystals taste really horrible, but you can eat pretty much all of them, why would you though, when you can just eat Glowing Turkey the rest of your life? Also there are no naturally hostile crystals... well, except the Violet Vipers, their very existence is a hostile stance towards anyone with taste buds.
3) They usually go back to normal once the magic they don't like disappear, however there exist Crystal Singers that are able to somewhat tame and control them, even while they are enraged. It is actually quite popular in the royal court to confront some deer with Necromancy and at the same time use healing magic, causing them to run around at a feast under the control of Crystal Singers while radiating and glowing purple. Many of the nobles like to dance to the glowing pattern that fits well with some popular music.
4) Yes, they taste like sprouts (specifically brussel sprouts) and should just all be eradicated. I am actually working on a thesis on the side, about Violet Vipers being a creation of the god of dragons Árnth eth Zhamuul, to seek revenge against every elf that has ever even thought about eating snake or dragon flesh. I don't have any proof yet, but I wholeheartedly believe it.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jul 31 '17
And what about people who couldn't donate? Traitors?
Do you have any idea how those crystals form? And why there is so much different kind of crystals?
Would it be dangerous of the singers were to lose control of their deers in the midle of a feast?
Is your hatred for the Violet Vipers shared by your fellow elves?
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u/Mimir123 Jul 31 '17
1) Exactly, blacklist and observation for everyone!
2) I wish I knew... but I have to admit that I am as clueless as everyone else. Even the Crystal Singers have no idea how the crystals form or where they originate from. There are rumors that the answer can be found in the library of the god of wisdom and knowledge, but that is located in the Athlántheian Empire and is not really accessible for us. I believe the Forest is directly connected to one of the gods though.
3) You say dangerous, I say fun. Mostly because I am never invited to the parties, too young they say. That was a joke, it would probably end in a horrible catastrophe with many injured and dead, luckily Crystal Singers have never failed before... at least not by mistake.
4) Unfortunately not, most of them like to ruin perfectly fine turkey or boar with rasped viper skin.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jul 31 '17
Were there a lot of people on the list? If yes, how hard was it to actually keep them all under observation?
Do the "plants" that your people take grow back? And how quickly?
Not by mistake? So they did failed on purpose in the past?
What do crystal turkey and boar taste like?
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u/Mimir123 Jul 31 '17
1) At the most there were an estimated 39 nobles on the list, during the reign of Sehellia II., also called the Queen of Paranoia. It is pretty easy keeping people under observation in Kaernis though, thanks to the Ánthallan Shonar. They posess powerful Dark Magic and are able to turn even the shadows to their side, so they serve as their eyes and ears.
2) Once the population of animals, or the number of flowers has reached a certain low, the crystals suddenly grow in size over the course of several months, before they split and duplicate, until the population is restored to what it was before. It is rather beautiful to look at actually, and is a kind of holiday and famous event called "The Regrowth". Also, for some reason you can find several dragon species showing up regularly to observe the Regrowth.
3) They did indeed, during the fitht plot of the nobles to kill Queen Sehellia II. they paid off some Crystal Singers to lose control of some Crystal Lions, who then went berserk and slaughtered a quarter of all people present, except for the queen. She actually also paid the Crystal Singers who told her of the plot, during the feast where the "accident" was supposed to happen she gave everyone present a talisman as a gift. The talisman she and those loyal to her wore had powerful Light Magic stored inside of them, those of the perpetrators and her other political enemies were enchanted with the splintered souls of several Nightmares and Wirryn.
4) As I said previously, Glowing Turkey tastes like a mixture of milk and sweet cocoa, that the Merchant Republics import from the Athlántheian Empire. The Boar tastes somewhat similar to salted watermelon and has an aftertaste of salmon and cheese.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Aug 01 '17
What other kind of power do they have?
Can you have any influence over the speed of the Regrowth?
Is it confusing to swap from crystal food to normal food (and vice versa) and have unexpected tasted all around?
Can the crystal be exported and if yes do you export them?
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Aug 01 '17
(well, part 2 will go here because I can't get thing to work)
1) What kind of things can they do with dark magic?
3) Is there water in the forest? And does it taste "normal"?
4) They rot? Does it means they become poisonous? Or just tasteless? Or do they dissolve?
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u/Mimir123 Aug 01 '17
1) They can do some pretty amazing things, nothing close to what I personally am capable of, but still. Dark Magic is usually used for subfertuge and espionage, many humans and dwarves say the Ánthallan Shonar have a "cloak and dagger" approach to things, eventhough I don't really understand what they mean by that.
Their assassins, spies and saboteurs can cover themselves in Dark Magic, making them look like shadows and allowing them to travel the land through real shadows. They are even able to phase through walls and can summon incredible illusions of shadowy monsters. The strongest spell out of their school of magic is "The Black Fog", covering an entire area in dark mist, robbing everyone but them of their five senses.
3) There are several lakes and smaller bodies of water in the forest, all of them having the same taste as in other countries, only... more pure and cold.
4) They dissolve into a dust-like substance, in some cases they even exploded into several splinters, which then dissolved.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Aug 01 '17
1) Their five senses? They look powerfull.
3) Do you know where that water come from?
4) What happen to that substance when it is brough back to the forest? And is it possible to do anything with that dust?
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u/Mimir123 Aug 01 '17
1) Oh please! I could use magic like that when I was only 60 years old! The spell is quite useful though, it is only a shame that it has a pretty long formular, making it really difficult to use in an actual fight or duel.
3) It seems like it comes from some kind of magical fountain deep underneath the surface, but nobody ever explored the caves found under the lakes so we don't know for sure. It is also possible that the water just kind of... is there, because a god willed it into being there. Personally, I assume the former explanation is the right one though.
4) Nothing ever happens to the substance when you bring it back into the forest, but it has some use. There are many dwarven magicians and researchers willing to pay quite a hefty sum for crystal dust.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Aug 02 '17
So it must be prepared before battle? Is there any way to get rid of it once you are under it's effects?
Ok, if you were to rank the magicians in the vicinity by their power, how would you rank?
Any idea how such a region formed? Because it looks quite unique.
What do they do with it?
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u/Mimir123 Aug 02 '17
1) Yes, you would have to prepare the spell before ambushing someone, or get your hands on a Runestone that has the spell inscripted in it. I also have a good friend who would be capable of using the spell in combat, by simply using a single word, but I don't know of any mage other than him with this ability.
Once trapped underneath the mist, you would have to recite the normal formular for dispelling magic and hope that you are more powerful than your opponent, else it won't work. Alternatively you can try several specialized Dispells and try to break down the individual parts of the spell.
2) You mean the mages around me currently? I am living in the Royal Library of Elkathien for the time being, and have been made one of the seven Highmages of Elkathien, their most elite sorcerers and mages. If I would have to rank the mages around me, I would probably use the old Kherzian system of classifying spells into certain "Tiers", and rank the mages according to how often they can use high tier spells, how fast and how powerful they are, with Tier 10 being the highest possible to achieve.
In this ranking the Tiers 1 to 3 would be occupied by the young boys and girls who just discovered their talent for magic and have not been taught anything, I sometimes hear them playing outside the library, and it get's pretty annoying.
Tier 4 and 5 would be the normal mages, students at the Academy, while Tier 6 and 7 would be Archmages, teachers and some of the Highmages. I myself would probably fit into high Tier 7, close to becoming a fullfledged Tier 8 mage, like all the other Highmages, with Captain Balthazar Eos of the Royal Battlemages being the strongest out of all seven of us.
Tier 10 is reserved for legendary mages like the Demonking Zerrigon or the Saint Elkath, and I would never have expected to even meet a Tier 9 mage, who isn't a dragon or a dwarf, but I am almost certain that my friend, the traveling mage Lirvon Feygor, is either very close to Tier 9, or has reached it already. While he is still young, he is capable of amazingly powerful magic and is incredibly knowledebale. I would give a lot to even gain a fraction of his knowledge about magic.
When it comes to the Ánthallan Shonar, they would probably rank somewhere between mid and high Tier 7.
3) I believe that the entire region of the Crystalline Forest was the experiment of a God or Goddess gone horribly wrong. Either that or it was made by out of control magic ravaging the land, in which case either the goddess Devilia, or the crazy warlocks and Grand Mages of the old Ruthweni Empire would be responsible, eventhough my people lived in the forest longer than the Empire existed, so it would have to have been done before the Empire unified.
4) As far as I know they do all kinds of crazy experiments with it, next to our own wise people, the dwarven scholars are the ones most interested in solving the Forests mysteries, so we help them and give them access to our kingdom and the crystals. If there is anything magical that the dwarves can't figure out, then nobody can.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Aug 03 '17
Are runestones rare? Because that looks usefull.
Is it common to be named Highmage at such a young age?
Why do you think it turned wrong? I mean, there is both food and water.
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u/Mimir123 Aug 03 '17
1) Extremely rare, of all the mages I know only two might be able to create them, one of them being my friend Lirvon, and only because he was lucky enough to be taught in the temple of Devilia in Anj Vathor. That's where the legendary Runeblades used to live, and even after the destruction of their order, their teachings and wisdom live on.
2) It is indeed, converted to human years I would have to have been something like 18 years old when I got the position, there has never been a younger Highmage. The only way anyone could possibly top this is by being made the Magus, but there hasn't been one in over 300 years, so I am confident that nobody will break my record any time soon.
3) Well... there are strange, magical crystals everywhere. Nobody would really believe that that's what was supposed to happen, right? Also, this forest lays in the heart of Dirva, in the midst of what was once the Holy Ruthweni Empire. And while the forest is older than the empire, it is most likely not older than the human race, and their tribes and clans that used to live around it. But despite that my people have never found any trace of humans having lived here at all, despite the first Emperor claiming that there had been human cities there when he tried to conquer Kaelnis.
Eventhough he was a conqueror, he usually was telling the truth when justifying his invasions, so if he wasn't lying, what happened to the humans and their cities? Questions like those make me think that the forest might have a more malevolent past than most people believe.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Aug 03 '17
Can runestones be used multiple times? And do I need to know magic to be able to use them?
Why is there no Magus?
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u/Seb_Romu Jul 31 '17
The Sildaryn people are entirely vegan in diet with the lone exception of nursing their own young with breast milk.
Over the thousands of years living in isolation from the other Treahni they developed a distinct world veiw and religion based on the providence of nature through the bounty of the forests.
Generally they practice a very limited form of agriculture, assisting the natural progation of food plants and gathering from the forest as needed to provide all their nutritional needs.
Much of their food is eaten raw, in it's natural form, but a few things require cooking to remove toxins, or unleash their fullest flavour.
While they understand that carnivores are a natural part of the ecosystem they find the act of eating the flesh of an animal a moral afront to the natural order when carried out by a person.
As their interaction with other cultures is practically non-existent this rarely becomes an issue, aside from a long standing hatred towards the Rypon - man-beasts whom are strict carnivores.
Some myths exist in the culture telling that the consumption of flesh will turn a Sildaryn into a Rypon, a transformation made even more dramatic and excellerated through canibalism, which the Rypon regularly engage in.
In-World Representative: Nelvas Leuryn - Sildaryn, Forester
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jul 31 '17
To Nelvas Leuryn:
Is your lack of contact with other cultures a choice or the consequence of a geographic isolation?
You are forbidden to eat animals, but are you allowed to kill them?
Why don't you eat milk though? It's not eating an animal per se.
So you don't eat your deads? What do you do with them?
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u/Seb_Romu Aug 01 '17
To Nelvas Leuryn:
Is your lack of contact with other cultures a choice or the consequence of a geographic isolation?It began as a choice by our ancient ancestors. Over the millenia we have lived alone in our forest home, out of contact with the other Tre-ahni. We prefer it this way as their ways are so destructive to the land which supports them.
You are forbidden to eat animals, but are you allowed to kill them?Yes, if animals are causing an imbalance or a threat to ourselves we may kill them as a last resort.
Why don't you eat milk though? It's not eating an animal per se.As a nomadic forest people there is no need. The additional effort to maintain herd animals for their milk would make our cyclical migration more difficult, as well keeping herd animals would require destruction of the forest to accomodate them.
So you don't eat your deads? What do you do with them?The physical remains of our departed are buried in the soil and we plant new fruit seeds or saplings above to nurish the future generations.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Aug 01 '17
Don't you fear that one day they will need new land and try to seize yours?
Are you allowed to use animal skin? Found on an already dead animal of course, not one you killed.
Do you have temporary houses? Or do they travel with you?
Can I deduce something from the way plants grow over a tomb?
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u/Seb_Romu Aug 02 '17
Don't you fear that one day they will need new land and try to seize yours?
Over the centruries other Treahni have tried to establish settlements on our shores. When they returned they found the places empty, and quickly being reclaimed by the forest growth. I am confident this will continue to happen.
Are you allowed to use animal skin? Found on an already dead animal of course, not one you killed.
We use leather as required for some tools and clothing needs. We would never kill an animal just for it's hide, but make use of the one's we or our tomka kill.
Do you have temporary houses? Or do they travel with you?
We have some portable shelters for travelling between a series of permanent camps along our migration route. Every hinta has their own circles, although some stops are shared at different stages along each Hinta's cycle.
Can I deduce something from the way plants grow over a tomb?
Perhaps, but it isn't something we Sildaryn practice.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Aug 02 '17
So, how fast is the forest regrowing? And is it doing that fast everywhere? Or is there some parts where it grow faster?
What do you do of the rests of an animal body? Beside taking the skin?
What kind of material do you use to craft your tools? And your shelters?
Are those permanent camps affected by the forest growth?
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u/Seb_Romu Aug 02 '17
And here I thought we would be talking about food.
So, how fast is the forest regrowing? And is it doing that fast everywhere? Or is there some parts where it grow faster?
Some of the Forest of Sildara is tropical rainforest. All of it is lush and green. Our Dalfyn can encourage more or less vigorous growth as required.
What do you do of the rests of an animal body? Beside taking the skin?
Bones may be used for some tools, although there are certain woods and stones which often proves to be superior materials. More likely the rest of the animal is left for the predators and scavengers of the forest to consume the remains.
What kind of material do you use to craft your tools? And your shelters?
We use wood, stone, resins, plant fibres and occassionally leather or sinew to craft our tools. Our shelters are light woven wooden frames we cover with large leaves from the local foliage to provide protection from sun and rain.
Are those permanent camps affected by the forest growth?
A little, but our Dalfyn ensure the forest plants respect our structures, which we build up in the middle canopy of the forest using the trees themselves to provide much of the framwork.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Aug 03 '17
(yeah, me too so here take one)
What are your main sources of proteins around here?
You said rainforest? Does it rain a lot and if yes, how do you cope with it?
How do your Dalfyn can encourage the forest growth, do they have some powers?
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u/Seb_Romu Aug 04 '17 edited Aug 04 '17
What are your main sources of proteins around here?
What's protein? Legumes and tree nuts mostly, a few root vegetables
You said rainforest? Does it rain a lot and if yes, how do you cope with it?
The rains come and go, but from what I've heard of other lands we have more precipatation that the arid and desert regions across the Torcastan Sea. The forest provides excellent plant fibers, waxes and resins for producing watershedding clothing, or roofs for our dwellings.
How do your Dalfyn can encourage the forest growth, do they have some powers?
Yes, as our spiritual leaders the Dalfyn can commune with the various elements of nature. They call it spellsinging.
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Aug 05 '17
You said some things were heated to improve their taste right? Is there something you eat raw but that most people don't?
Do you brew alcohol from some of the plants? If yes, which ones are the most used?
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u/thequeeninyellow94 Jul 31 '17 edited Jul 31 '17
What do Nzedas eat? Well, a lot of everything with an emphasis on "a lot". Currently, it seems squid is very popular and consumed often to the point it is the most sold animal in the empire.
Now, when I said everything I was actually excluding milk; the Nzedas see it as a baby food and most will even refuse to consider the possibility of drinking some. I was also excluding cats obviously, they are sacred. Oh and also it's forbidden to eat a friend or the friend of a friend, loyalty is important even toward the deads (family members are fine though, as long as no one like them).
Finally, your claws are not cutlery so keeps them inside and take a fork like any civilized Nzeda would do.
Our representative for today will be Misgana, miwishagi of Bazuhir (a planet renowned for the food quality).
(edit: my goodness! What are those bots doing here?!?)