Creating a truly Vegan society.

[DTowne]

I'm also toying with the idea of people growing some of their own goods in personal gardens in the small villages or on rooftop gardens in the cities. I'm working out details now. Clay pots, like mentioned earlier and the four plot rotation are definitely factoring into this.

 

[Phietadix]

I read once that Felines can't actually taste sweets. I'm not sure how accurate that really is, but its still something I might use for my race. They will be stronger than humans, that's for sure. Also, most the plowing will be done by the Deacon (My debt slaves; criminal punishment) the work will be a bit of a punishment. I'm hoping that, along with low populations covers all bases.

I have considered the use of animals for labor but I always wondered if the concept of keeping animals would ever occur to people who have no other real use for them.

How long is the deacon's sentence? Is it for life? Hours? Months? How common is it to become one? If it is uncommon and short sentence that could be a problem.

 

[DTowne]

As of now I have no set periods. My basic idea is something like community service, depending on the nature of the crime. Minor crimes would involve street cleaning, picking up trash etc. Thievery, assault, adultery, and worse crimes would earn you work out in the fields for hard labor. The worst criminals like murderers, petafiles, rapists, and traitors would be sentenced to the mines, along with foreign enemies. The Ninkurrai do not believe in jails or taking prisoners though the mines are essentially a jail.

I'm thinking there may have to be some lifelong deacon working the fields I just haven't come up with how that would work and what kind of criminal would be sentenced to that work.

 

[Ireth]

Might I suggest a change to the word "deacon"? I think it has too much of a church-leader connotation to really make sense as a term for prisoners. It might confuse some people.

/2cents

 

[Rullenzar]

From what I've read a lot of information holds true if his society was human. He did mention however that it was a feline humanoid. So as long as he makes it clear that all their required nutrients can come from plants and that's how they live he can make a pretty decent story. However, we haven't heard an idea or concept just a setting and eating habits.

I think it would be interesting seeing a city of traders an food merchants trying to sell off different types of plant life. Would be very interesting if done right.

 

[Rullenzar]

More ideas:

On subject of bees/sugars. Whats to stop him from saying a made up plant provides the sugars they use for made up drinks?
Or, maybe sweet to their taste is really dull and dry to humans taste.
You have many good ideas to work with here and develop your world and im sure you will get more.

Anythings possible with solid research and imagination

 

[DTowne]

Might I suggest a change to the word "deacon"? I think it has too much of a church-leader connotation to really make sense as a term for prisoners. It might confuse some people.

/2cents

Yeah, the church connotation is a bit of a problem. I was only using that word for its meaning, being servant. Arad is another word for them with the same meaning. I just didn't want to keep using foreign terms. I'm still looking for something better.

 

[DTowne]

So as long as he makes it clear that all their required nutrients can come from plants and that's how they live he can make a pretty decent story. However, we haven't heard an idea or concept just a setting and eating habits.

I think it would be interesting seeing a city of traders an food merchants trying to sell off different types of plant life. Would be very interesting if done right.

The idea and concept was originally just to see if it could be done. I almost dated a vegan girl once and this all came from trying to get to know and understand her better now its become so much a part of the story I don't want to get rid of it.

Basically, the story starts off with two of my main characters, Fen and Tully who are of a second related race of carnivores (They are obviously in a foreign land) breaking free from a ship. Tully, is covered head to toe in skins and weapons made with bone. (Think native american) They are fleeing trying to find safety.

I get really interested in how different cultures interact and clash and really wanted to play with that right away. Her being a carnivore plays into part of her frenemies hatred of her among other things. Overall its not a direct plot point, this vegan-herbivoreness but it shapes the world and its people.

 

[Saigonnus]

I shudder to imagine what would happen if a carnivore is shipwrecked or whatever in a place where only herbivores reside. There would obviously be animals to eat, ones that simply cohabitate with the people, but what would their reaction be to a creature that LOOKS like them that destroys and consumes the flesh of one of the animals. Would they think he's possessed by a demon and try to exorcise it? Would it be considered a crime within their lands and they'd end up in the mines or as a "field servant"?

I think if they study him/her they'd come to realize their teeth would be very different even if they are a similar creature. Vegetarians generally have flat teeth, like our molars and carnivores have sharp teeth like incisors. They may even wonder why they filed their teeth like that. XD.

 

[Phietadix]

Vegetarians sometimes have sharp teeth too.

 

[DTowne]

Sorry, I'm so used to knowing all the ideas myself I forget to inform everyone else here. In the area he shipwrecks there is one area that is a city, and vassal state, of ominvores. They are third generation descendants of refugees from a war in a foreign land. They number 50,000 at most and are allowed to practice their way of life within their walled borders, no further. So the herbivore/vegan societies do have some experience with carnivores.

Should I ever be so lucky to get popular with this series All you said Saigonnus would come into play in one of my prewuel ideas. And yes, living their ways inside Ninkurrai borders is a punishable offense worthy of life as a field servant.

 

[DTowne]

The big problem I thing you'll have to overcome is the no using animals as beasts of burden. Advancement of society is based on the use of beasts of burden. Check out this book called Guns Germs and Steal. Guns, Germs, and Steel: Amazon.ca: Jared Diamond: Books It talks about how there's a correspondence in our world between the availability of beasts of burden, like the cow, allowed for the advancement of society.

Just started reading it now. I'm only about 125 ages in and I've already made some major changes. Thank you for the suggestion. It's helping immensely.