The Lotus-Eater
Origins
The Lotus-Eater is a creature with origins in Greek mythology, legend and folklore. It is one of a race of people with origins on an unnamed island near North Africa (possibly near Djerba). Naturally, it is from a land highly populated by the honey-sweet Lotus. The Lotus-Eaters they make their one and only appearance in Greek mythology, within the poet Homer’s famous epic poem, The Odyssey (the sequel to The Iliad).
In the tale, a few of the hero Odysseus’ men meet the Lotus-Eaters, on their way home from the Trojan War. The Lotus-Eaters beguile(騙，誆騙)he men into eating lotus and joining their lotus-addicted society, with temptations of carefree life and an endless supply of delicious food.
When Odysseus finally discovers the fate of his men, he immediately goes to retrieve them; though, the undertaking is only partly successful.
Appearance
Most Lotus-Eaters appear superficially normal; they grow to about average human height; they don’t have glowing eyes, strange-colored skin, pointed ears, sharp claws, tails, wings or anything of that sort. 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. In addition, long term Lotus-Eaters will often look very thin (even frail) and intoxicated. Natural-born Lotus-Eaters also have a higher chance of being born with white hair, pale skin and/or gray eyes (while some converted Lotus-Eaters slowly progress to looking this way).
Behavior
Lotus-Eaters spend the majority of their time half-asleep in a dazed state of Lotus-induced intoxication; the Lotus-Eaters are notoriously lazy and hedonistic(樂主義者的) treating anyone they see with nothing more than a dreamy apathy(無感情). This fact is only worsened by the fact that the Lotus feeds them, and makes them smell delightful, which nearly removes their need to move, or even to bathe. Even if they should go without Lotus long enough to regain some semblance(外貌)of mental normalcy, they tend to be fairly flighty-minded(愛發怪想的；充滿幻想的)and somewhat easily distracted. They only move or put forth any real effort when they are forced, such as if they want to go out for more Lotus, or in the event they run out of Lotus in their immediate area. Being deprived of the flower allows them to sober up, and their addiction to it compels them to hastily relocate, to find new Lotus groves(樹叢，小樹林)to feed off of. Though, admittedly, even in times when the Lotus flower is plentiful, the dreamy mindset of the Lotus-Eaters leads them to fairly nomadic(遊牧的)tendencies.