Brainstorming: the Meat-Pit

[chronoplasm]

There isn't enough livestock to keep the people of Kire fed.
Cows and goats need wide open fields to graze upon. The only open fields around the besieged city-state are battle-fields.
The half-orc king Afastum II called upon his court mages to figure out a long term, sustainable solution to this problem.

One young mage, named Neviik, figured out a cheap and efficient means to produce enough meat to sustain the entire city. It was a very grisly solution. It was fought initially by most Kirens. Even now it is a public secret; it known by all but spoken by no one.

Neviik discovered a ritualistic and alchemical process that could be used to grow living flesh without having to grow the full creature.
With just a small tissue-sample taken from an animal, its meat could be grown in saline vats or on metal sheets.

Though he was resistant at first, Afatsum II ultimately implemented Neviik's program, and thus the Meat-Pits were created.
Deep beneath the ancient architecture and scarred fortifications of Kire, there are great, terrible chambers where living flesh grows from the walls.
The mages of this pit are also developing artificial skin to make into leather, and are even trying to grow udders for milk.

The job of butchering and processing the meat is relegated to prisoners. This is no fate for common thieves and petty crooks; this sentence is reserved for those who must be put away for life. Those who labor in the Meat-Pits must stay in this hole and never see the light of day.


Theres the seed of the idea.
Any suggestions for how I could develop this further?

 

[Fallen Seraph]

I could so see you making a analogy to today with fear/worry of genetically altered/created food. Perhaps something weird in the alchemical recipee that causes some reaction in people who eat it.

The meat isn't mindless, rumours are spreading of slabs of the meat conjoining together into menacing beasts. They have not risen to public knowledge simply because of the mages to utterly destroying them. This is also the reason slaves are not allowed to leave.

 

[Bold or Stupid]

Look at this months bestiary article. The creatures are a bit high level for your idea I suspect but they could be reduced down in level to fit.

Also who gave Nevvik the idea? What is their agenda? What do they gain by warping the society/infecting the population?

 

[Fallen Seraph]

Oh, look up, "sheet meat", this is basically your concept brought to potential real-life. They are beginning to figure out how to make just slabs of meat.

 

[Roger]

Any suggestions for how I could develop this further?

Figure out what the vat meat is feeding on.


Cheers,
Roger

 

[chronoplasm]

Heres an idea I had just now;

Neviik's project showed a lot of promise from the start, but it ran into some snags in the beginning.
Some mysterious benefactors met with him to offer assistance. These beings gave Neviik additional funding and resources to get the project off the ground. What did they want from Neviik in return? They wanted something that would be mutually beneficial to everyone.

The Illithid collective has offered their knowledge and the promise to never consume another sapient brain, provided that Neviik produce synthetic brains for them.

Neviik found a way to grow human brains without the regions that cause emotion or the desire to live.
The Illithid showed Neviik a way to upload knowledge into these brains.
Illithid feed on thought. It is intellect that gives their food flavor and nourishment. Neviik's Meat-Pit could churn out endless numbers of genius brains for the Illithid to feed upon, and the fact that the brains could not feel pain or lament their fate pacified Neviik's scruples.
The Illithid were astounded and enamoured with Neviik's genius. They insisted that he upload his knowledge into the artificial brains... it is the ultimate seasoning to them.
For a high cost, Neviik complied, but ommitted the knowledge of synthetic brain production to prevent the Illithid from aqcuiring this knowledge. He wanted to keep the Illithid dependent on Kire.

During a time of peace, when the roads were clear of invading armies, Neviik decided to leave Kire. He resigned from his position as court-mage and traveled elsewhere. He hasn't been heard from since.

Another mage, named Otiiv, took up Neviik's position in charge of the Meat-Pit and brain production.
The Illithid, desiring more... "texture" in their meals, asked Otiiv to create more complete brains. They wanted to eat brains that could feel pain and fear.
Otiiv took their money and gave them their product without hesitation. Otiiv was a more friendly business-man than Neviik. "The customer is always right" was his motto. His customers loved him.

 

[frankthedm]

The "meat" must be harvested semi regularly. The workers are kept on a strict schedule, which has always been followed since the meat pit was conceived. The creator knew there was a small chance the meat could come to “life” were it allow to grow too large. The chance was very small and the size required for that to happen was ‘quite’ large. Unfortunately, a calculation overlooked by the creator indicated every year the size required for “quickening” reduced a small amount while the chance for it to happen grew.

Up until now the wizards protocols kept everything running smoothly. Indeed, things probably would have been fine for several more years, but an illness swept through the Meatpit workers, causing notable delays in the schedule. A Meatpit Warden was about to send an emergency request to the surface for more workers, but during the last pass through the pit, he saw that the largest of the meatslabs were gone. Assuming his recent threats had gotten the workers motivated, he wrote the slabs off as harvested and planned to just note it on his next scheduled report. He would soon "meat" one of the "harvested" slabs

IIRC one of the 3E monster books had a flesh jelly monster which could work for this thing.

 

[chronoplasm]

The "meat" must be harvested semi regularly. The workers are kept on a strict schedule, which has always been followed since the meat pit was conceived. The creator knew there was a small chance the meat could come to “life” were it allow to grow too large. The chance was very small and the size required for that to happen was ‘quite’ large. Unfortunately, a calculation overlooked by the creator indicated every year the size required for “quickening” reduced a small amount while the chance for it to happen grew.

Up until now the wizards protocols kept everything running smoothly. Indeed, things probably would have been fine for several more years, but an illness swept through the Meatpit workers, causing notable delays in the schedule. A Meatpit Warden was about to send an emergency request to the surface for more workers, but during the last pass through the pit, he saw that the largest of the meatslabs were gone. Assuming his recent threats had gotten the workers motivated, he wrote the slabs off as harvested and planned to just note it on his next scheduled report. He would soon "meat" one of the "harvested" slabs

Heh.
Imagine what would happen if the workers revolted and went on strike.

 

[Fallen Seraph]

How open are Illithids in Kire? Does not just the trade of brains, but the simple existence of Illithids need be kept under wraps? If so I imagine there are special areas where they can appear, what if various Gith factions find out about this. They could perhaps try to sabotage the Meat-Pit; how dare someone support the dreaded Mind Flayers.

 

[chronoplasm]

This could be insane.

Githian infiltrators get into the meat-pits, kill Otiiv, and destroy the brain vats.
The prisoners use this opportunity to riot and try to escape.
The in vitro meat springs to live and starts killing everything in sight.
The Illithid show up in a warship high above Kire, wondering where their brain shipment is and threatening to eat the brains of every Kiren if they don't get their stuff.
Neviik returns after his long absence at the gates of Kire... and there's a million of him. Apparently he has managed to make an army of clones of himself and has uploaded his mind into all of them. Now they have shown up to fight the Illithid.
Somehow the party has found themselves in the middle of this.


This looks like the makings of a Paragon tier adventure.