| Lotus-Eater | |
|---|---|
 Odysseus saves his men from the flighty-minded Lotus-Eaters... | |
| Information | |
| Alternate Names/Spellings | {{{Alternate Names/Spellings}}} |
| Origins | {{{Origins}}} |
| Alignment | Neutral |
| Element | Plant, Air, Sleep/Dream/Nightmare |
| Species | Humanoid |
| Appearance | Somnolent Humanoid |
Origins
Lotus-Eaters (Lotophagoi, Lotophagi) are a race of people who have partaken of the legendary Lotus, an addictive plant that induces euphoric, sleepy apathy to any who eat it. They are first documented in Homer's famous epic poem, The Odyssey (the sequel to the Iliad), in which they beguile a few of Odysseus' men to join their lotus-addicted society (the men then have to be retrieved by Odysseus...an undertaking that is only partly successful).
Appearance
Most Lotus-Eaters appear superficially normal, though to a keen eye they show obvious signs. They have distant eyes like someone watching a dream and their movements are lazy and slow, like a person moving underwater. Long term Lotus-Eaters will often look very thin (even frail) and wasted. Natural-born Lotus-Eaters also have a higher chance of being born with white hair and/or gray eyes.
Odysseus' men watch the Lotus-Eaters with intrigue...
Behavior
Lotus-Eaters spend the majority of their time semi-comatose, too busy exploring dream worlds and living out fantasies to bother with the real world. Even while moving, they are still half asleep and show only dreamy apathy to anyone they see. Even if they should go without lotus long enough to regain some semblance of mental normalcy, they tend to be flighty-minded and easily distracted.
Abilities
"Give in to the lure of the lotus..."
As a result of their addiction, all Lotus-Eaters create the mental equivalent of white noise wherever they go. People around them will become disoriented and confused, their minds and memories fogged over; the effect is worsened by smelling a lotus-eater's breath, smelling their rather fragrant body odor or kissing them (Lotus-Eaters and precious few others are immune to these effects). Telepathic beings and dream walkers will often be unable to function around them. Lotus-Eaters dream more vividly and with more conscious control than others (even perhaps sharing dreams with others of their kind). Eventually, Lotus can even slow aging if taken regularly.
