How would they feed themselves?

[Androxine Vortex]

Heaven has been destroyed many years ago and when night falls the demons emerge from their hellish prison and roam the land hunting for humans to devour their souls (isn't that lovely?) Humanity has been broken and no form of authority or leadership is there so its kind of like small groups and families fending for themselves. The forests have been burned and the soul is blackened with ash I have a small party of survivors living in a cellar of an abandoned cabin. So I'm trying to think of a realistic way they could get food. Keep in mind the demons are only Able to hunt at night so during the day they return to Hell.

 

[Renos]

Since they can roam outside free on the day they surely could find food would't they? Or is every form of life destroyed?

 

[The Writer's Realms]

Subterranean gardens/livestock?

 

[Zero Angel]

Maybe eat the flesh of weaker demons? Subside through dark magic rituals that weaken their souls while strengthening their bodies? Cannibalism?

 

[Androxine Vortex]

A good suggestion zero angel but when morning comes the demons dissipate back to their realm. Some humans have become very barbaric and do consume other humans but I want my group to have morality.

I was thinking of having underground farming but this is only a small group and it takes a long time for things to grow and become edible. Plus I need a way for them to have (somewhat) clean water.

 

[Feo Takahari]

There needs to be some plantlife left, if only to produce the air they breathe. Some of it may be harvestable, or may provide food for small scurrying animals.

Alternately, the problems of food and clean water may be dealt with together--if they have access to a lake or river that's somehow protected from the demons, they may be able to catch fish in it.

Be sure to consider not just quantity of food, but types of food--in particular, it sounds like it would be difficult to get enough vitamin C in this setting, unless there's some area fruit can grow and the demons can't go.

P.S. I just realized--do the demons eat plant life at all, or do they only damage it with their presence? If they exclusively target animals, and the survivors can find a way to block off an area so that animals can't get in at night, they may be able to grow crops there.

 

[Devor]

If they're knowledgeable, then try edible fungus and algae.

 

[Anders Ämting]

This is essentially a post-apocalyptic scenario. Have them scavenge their supplies.

Nothing to scavenge? Change your story so that there are things to scavenge. Trust me, everyone loves scavenging. There are entire video game genres based on scavenging. Even your classic fantasy dungeon crawl is really just about going into a derelict building and taking whatever you find. Your story can only benefit from scavenging.

 

[MadMadys]

Nothing to scavenge? Change your story so that there are things to scavenge.

I think this is an important point to make if not for this exact problem you're having but for writing in general. Writer's often lock themselves into rules of their world and have to try and figure a way around them having forgotten they can still change the rules whenever they like. Until a book is published, it isn't cannon. If you've written yourself into a corner, don't forget the rules can be changed.

Back to the question at hand, you could also have it when heaven fell, which I took to also have some literal meaning to it, perhaps some shards of heaven fell that blessed certain trees to give fruit or something that's always pure. Same with the water. Perhaps there are entire groves or an oasis created by this. Just a thought.

 

[Androxine Vortex]

Sometimes I have a hard time solving an issue and then I say to myself, "oh wait I'm the author. Enable God Mode!"

I love adding literal meanings to my stories I can't believe I didn't think of that myself. That was a really good idea and believe I could work with that. Perhaps some energies that fell down blessed whatever they touched. I could have the people be nearby a tree that bears fruit every few days and the fruit are so rich in nurishment that it can last a long time. The people could take water and place the trees roots or branches would purify it.and if someone makes the argument as to why the demons haven't just destroyed these things I could say the demons fire doesn't burn it or something like that.

Thanks again for that terrific suggestion

 

[PlotHolio]

Your survivors could cultivate a fungus that doesn't require sunlight light to grow.

Also, the whole "demons come out at night" thing reminds me of The Painted Man, by Peter V. Brett. Be careful that you don't accidentally create something too similar.

 

[wordwalker]

Also, the whole "demons come out at night" thing reminds me of The Painted Man, by Peter V. Brett. Be careful that you don't accidentally create something too similar.

Yes and no. The fun of the Brett books is that they're a good handling of a very old theme, and people always want more takes on it; "original" is always impossible. Still, the may be the first thing people compare your tale to, so double-checking them might be a good thing.

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

I wouldn't worry about similarities too much. If we did that, we might as well hang it up & never write another story because whatever you're working on now has been done before (regardless of how fantastically original you may believe it to be).

A concept like "demons come out at night" is general and shares common roots over many cultures and time periods. To avoid writing about this because of a general similarity would be like saying that all stories based on the myth of Samhain or Halloween are copies of one another. That's ludicrous.

Now, to the OP's question. I like the scavenging idea posted by Anders. I assume that any survivors are near starvation at this point which provides a nice level of urgency for the story. It forces characters into action. It causes situations where they just can't hide all day long in a cellar, eating mushrooms and lapping up water off damp walls. It pushes characters to brave roaming bands of cannibals during the daytime and risk being caught out at night, unable to get home, hunted by demons.

Your characters can obtain a certain level of proficiency at survival, subsisting on meager amounts of food & eating things we'd never consider stuffing into our mouths. Scavenging also provides a background goal...the search for long term security (a basic understanding shared by all humanity).

In my opinion, giving your characters a ready source of replenishing food and water yields far fewer options.

 

[Androxine Vortex]

But my problem is I have no idea how they would scavenge. Most wildlife would be dead. I really want my party to have some morality left and so I don't want them to go around eating other humans. I know that might make them sound picky but its the way I want these characters to be I've never really written anything in a post apocalyptic scenario before so I have no experience in this. I've tried reading articles online about tits stuff but nothing is very helpful.

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

But my problem is I have no idea how they would scavenge. Most wildlife would be dead. I really want my party to have some morality left and so I don't want them to go around eating other humans. I know that might make them sound picky but its the way I want these characters to be I've never really written anything in a post apocalyptic scenario before so I have no experience in this. I've tried reading articles online about tits stuff but nothing is very helpful.

Roots, insects, unearthed food stores, worms & grubs, seeds that did not germinate, etc. Like you said before, go god mode. Give them creatures and items to scavenge. It can still be extremely meager and hard to find.

Their means of survival should serve a story purpose. Otherwise, there's no point in writing about it.

 

[psychotick]

Hi,

If the demons only come out at night then they have options to get sunlight. Sunlight and soil, even burnt soil, will be enough to grow crops. So maybe they have gardens on wheels, i.e. wagons, that they wheel out each morning and bring in each night, Also they have underground food sources, mushrooms etc. And maybe they've got some livestock underground as well, I'm thinking chickens mostly, and they'll happily eat insects that I assume survive. Also is it possible to set up a glass house that the demons won't notice?

As for scavenging if the world's been destroyed then surely there would be a lot of food left over to keep people fed for many years. No one's eating all those tins after all.

As for the divine tree, I like it, and there is precedent. Mana from heaven.

Cheers, Greg.

 

[scottmarlowe]

Sounds like the movie Reign of Fire. Despite dragons turning the world to ash the survivors still managed to have a small, hidden field where they grew crops... up until the dragons came and burned it up.

 

[Rho]

I had a similar idea minus the demons, I decided one of the members of the group has true dreams, and he dreams of a cave entrance in the bush (name for forest in New Zealand) the cave opens up into a huge natural depression in the earth where there is more than enough room for gardens and pasture for stock, there is also a spring for fresh water. the edges of the depression are sheer cliffs and the only way in was through the cave which can be defended. This area could be where part of heaven fell, creating a safe haven. You could also have other tunnels that lead out to other areas, perhaps to the sea...fresh seafood?
I just can't see how life could be sustainable at all with out flora and fauna, otherwise it would be a vast waste land and everyone and thing would die, but that's just my opinion.