NutriPaste

NutriPaste is a substitute food source in the Rogue Isles in the City of Heroes MMO. It was invented by Doctor Thadeus Aeon as a way to provide basic nutrition for the public.

History

Following the public revelation that the Rogue Isles were taken over by the criminal terrorist organization known as Arachnos, a world-wide embargo was imposed on the island chain. As with all embargoes, the idea was to "encourage" the masses to revolt against Arachnos and force Lord Recluse and his forces to flee the area.

Unfortunately, this idea failed miserably, because by the time the revelation of Arachnos as being the true head of the country was known, they had been in power for many years. The "Rogues" had no love for Recluse, but they feared him and his forces more than they feared starving to death.

While Recluse had nothing to fear from the "sheep", he also needed them alive, not only as a source for new soldiers, but also as political human shields against any government from trying to force a "regime change". So he charged Dr. Aeon with the task of finding a new food source for the masses.

Aeon's efforts were stymied by the curses of the Isles. Volcanic ash in the atmosphere (from Cap au Diable) keeps the Isles shrouded in clouds. Various chemicals and dark magic have also poisoned the lands, making the mass growth of fruits and vegetables impossible. Any fish in the area are equally poisoned, and that's not counting the strange water-based creatures that are there as well.

This task troubled Aeon for over a year, while the populace slowly and slowly began to starve, and Recluse was forced to dip into the Arachnos stockpiles, as well as threaten to have Aeon and his whole staff cut up and served to the masses as the "New Soylent Green".

Then Aeon achieved a scientific breakthrough, and possibly a breakdown.

Aeon was able to artificially create proteins using available resources. His first success was in replicating Tofu, but then he was inspired to go beyond copying foods. He developed a quick nutritional paste that could be easily carried and readily available. While his thought was for the Arachnos soldiers, Recluse ordered the substance be distributed to the masses immediately to show the world that the Isles would not be "bullied by the world".

Aeon dubbed the food substitute NutriPaste (short for "Nutritional Food Paste"). While it had a bland taste at first, he was able to cultivate both a meat-flavored and fish-flavored version. (Somehow he never could quite figure out poultry.) He was later able to develop a more solid version for mass-production known as "NutriLoaf", but it is still the same substance.

Today NutriPaste is the chief food substance in the Isles. Real food is considered a luxury thanks to the embargo that is still imposed, but those in the Isles have been finding ways to make do with what they have.

Related Information

(See the plaque dedicated to Aeon's creation as it existed in the MMO.)