| Emperor Zhongzong's Bamboo Steamer | |
|---|---|
| |
| Now that I've become a full-course identity Take a bite of me | |
|
Origin |
Emperor Zhongzong of Tang (Li Xian); Wu Zetian |
|
Type |
Bamboo steamer |
|
Effects |
Trait grafting |
|
Downsides |
Identity replacement |
|
Activation |
Consuming food prepared in steamer. |
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Collected by |
TBA (Out and About List) |
|
Section |
TBA (Archived for 726F888) |
|
Aisle |
Food-888A |
|
Shelf |
88819-05710 |
|
Date of Collection |
TBA |
| [Source] | |
Origin[]
Emperor Zhongzong of Tang (656 - 710), born Li Xian, was the third son of Empress Wu Zetian and fourth Emperor of the Tang Dynasty. Very soon after ascending the throne after the death of his father, his mother quickly had him replaced in favor of one of his younger brothers and exiled. On his way to where he was to stay, his wife/empress consort (Empress Wei) gave birth to a daughter, Princess Anle (Li Guo'er), who was doted on very much by both her parents.
Whe he was eventually called back to the throne by his mother, and reigned as Emperor for five years, most of the power actually belonged to his mother, his wife, his wife's lover, and his own daughter, and he was easily influenced. He was also known to have attempted to promote the son of his wet nurse to a position of high ranking.
As an adult, his daughter Lu Guo'er wished for power thanks to her parents' constant doting, and she wished to be Empress Regnant like Zetian and to be crown princess, which Zhongzong repeatedly denied. This, among other factors, inspired Zhongzong's own daughter, mother, and others decided to have him killed - this was accomplished by having him eat a poisoned cake.
Chongyang cake is a traditional cake that first became popular in the Tang dynasty, prepared by being baked and steamed. The food is symbolic and means the appreciation and the memory of families and friends who have passed, while it also reminds people to value and highlight the importance of family relationships.
Effects[]
When food is prepared in this steamer, the user may concentrate on an aspect(s) they desire from others, be they physical characteristics, personality traits, talents, etc. Those aspects will be imbued into the dish, and when eaten, the consumer will gain that trait themselves, at the expense of replacing a trait of their own.
If enough traits are absorbed, the user's appearance and personality will become erratic and discordant; different physical traits such as eyes, nose, hair, limbs, or skin color in certain areas will appear mismatched and haphazardly slapped together, and their personality and sometimes even voice will rapidly and randomly change to reflect the aspects or the very people the aspects were taken from. Eventually, the user will become completely unrecognizable and will lose all aspects of their original self.
Collection[]
This artifact has yet to be collected in canon.
This artifact was collected by the Warehouse from the household of male exotic dancer Basil "Tart" Murong and Pepper & Reese Hammond.
Trivia[]
- Basil comes from the herb of the same name. Murong (慕容) is a Chinese surname combining characters that mean "to admire"/"to desire, yearn for" and "to contain", "bearing, posture", or "appearance, looks". Thus, it can be interpreted as meaning "to admire/desire (one's) bearing/appearance", or "to contain what one admires/desires".
- A tart a sweet pastry dish; as an adjective, "tart" refers to a sharp, acidic flavor; it is also a slang word for a sex worker or someone who dresses promiscuously.
- Pepper and Reese are named after peppermint and Reese's Cups candy respectively; Hammond is a Norse or Germanic surname that means "high protection" or "home protection".
- This artifact was inspired by "Appetite of a People-Pleaser" by GHOST.
- This artifact and its story are also inspired by "Hansel & Gretel", where a pair of siblings are lured into a witch's house made of candies and treats.
- While unintentional, this artifact can be considered a loose counterpart to the Sense-Transferring Bridal Garter.