Natural Contraceptives of Eorzea

[Kailia]

May contain some adult related material!

 

Wasn't entirely sure where to post this but since this is RP related, figured I'd post it in the RP Discussion. Plus we've seen a lot of threads about pregnancy, age of consent, etc. Which got me thinking. Are there any natural contraceptive herbs in Eorzea? Well I did some research on real world herbs that are said to work as contraceptives and I believe I've found at least 2 equivalents:

 

Thistle - Temporary sterility by placing the entire plant in boiling water. The very bitter, strong tasting liquid is then consumed. An in game item that closely fits the description is: Shroud Tea Leaves. They have a text description of Picked from plants that grow wild in the Black Shroud, these leaves are extremely bitter and are not ideal for brewing tea.

 

Wild Carrot Seeds - For when unprotected sex occurs, will work as an implantation preventer. One tsp of carrot seeds are taken immediately and continued each day for another 7 days. Obviously the in game equivalence is Coerthan Carrot Seeds.

 

Who knows maybe those who RP doctors and healers, will find this information useful.

[FreelanceWizard]

Mae listed off some contraceptives and related items that exist in game on another thread, so that could be a useful resource as well.

[Shizuka]

I've always personally RP'd the use of a very bitter tea as a contraceptive. And as with all contraceptives, it was stated to not be 100% guaranteed, so it's not a "get out of jail free" card so to speak. But other than that, I've never really gone into the details of what exactly is IN this tea, but it sounds like it's very similar to thistle.

[Kellach Woods]

I figure, if there's a fish that makes ya randy, there's probably a fish that solves that problem too.

[Titor]

In a world of magic an alchemy I could near guarantee that a spell/geometry/potion would exist for infertility.

[Gegenji]

In a world of magic an alchemy I could near guarantee that a spell/geometry/potion would exist for infertility.

 

Whole new meaning to the phrase "X-Potion."

[Mae]

Going to repost from that other thread that FreelanceWizard mentioned:

 

Oookay, first off, some terminology:

-- emmenagogue: an herb to start menstruation, and is often used for the purpose of avoiding/ridding pregnancy

-- abortifacient: an herb used in-context solely for avoiding/ridding pregnancy [edited in note: don't go crazy on this term, please... it is what it is, the morality of the term and it's implications can be discussed somewhere else.] 

 

The item description for Pennyroyal correctly identifies it as an emmenagogue. The game also correctly identifies it as being extremely toxic. Even using half of the... 'recommended dose' to start menstruation has on occasion killed women in the real world. Do what you want in-game with that knowledge, but I highly recommend that in the real world that you do NOT use it.

 

Mistletoe berries have an old reputation for being used as birth control: it wasn't kissing that you did under the mistletoe, it was bumpin' uglies while using mistletoe. Much safer than pennyroyal, but still has some risk (non-fatal, thankfully) and is typically labeled as an abortifacient. The game has a few different versions of mistletoe in it.

 

Mugwort and ginger (root) are also known emmenagogues. Can cause lightheadedness and a bit of nausea, but generally safe when use correctly.

 

Parsley... I have found a lot of folk references for parsley, but no actual medical backing. Fresh parsley is... uhhh...inserted... for twenty-four hours after copulation, and somehow prevents pregnancy, possibly in the same way Wild Carrot does (see below).

 

So, that's it for actual in-game items. There are a few more I can think of off the top of my head that don't have in-game icons/references, but their in-game existence wouldn't be too much of a stretch:

 

Ergot is a fungal infection of rye plants that has been used as an abortifacient in early/mid term and to induce labor... but it can be dangerous as it can cause the uterus to rupture. It is also known to be a hallucinogenic and cause hysteria, and a painful burning sensation in limbs.

 

Wild carrot (Queen's Anne's Lace) seeds. The game has cultivated carrots, parsnips, and parsley, I don't think it'd be too much of a stretch to believe that Queen Anne's Lace would also exist. There are also terrain flowers that look a lot like these in both the Shroud and La Nosca. Anyways. Seeds are chewed or brewed into a tea and taken after copulation, and makes the uterus 'unsuitable' for egg implantation.

 

The game makes no distinction to what type of elm we're dealing with or if there is or isn't multiple types of the tree, so it is possible that Slippery Elm might exist. Works much like ergot in that it's an abortifacient in early/mid term and used to induce labor in the late term. It is also used to ease labor, and has many other common uses that makes it fairly safe (it's even in some baby food to help ease/prevent colic).

 

In regards to the thistle mentioned in the first post, we have lettuce and artichokes in-game, so a logic jump to thistle isn't too farfetched. I'll hunt around and see if I can find a terrain graphic that could be used as a 'source'. Same with wild yams... I don't think there's an in-game precedent for something specifically of the yam family, but I -think- I remember seeing a terrain graphic for lianas...

 

I would nitpick about using Coerthas Carrot (a cultivated carrot) seeds the same way as you would Queen Anne's Lace/Bird's Nest Flower (Wild Carrot) seeds. Yes, they are in the same family (along with parsley, parsnips, and poisonous hemlocks), but the properties aren't the same across all members. You wouldn't want to use cultivated carrot seeds for contraceptives any more than you would hemlock seeds, albeit for different reasons -- you'd have to consume a nearly prohibitive amount of cultivated seeds to begin to have an effect, where the hemlock ones would just kill you.

 

I figure, if there's a fish that makes ya randy, there's probably a fish that solves that problem too.

Fish from polluted waters often contain chemicals that lower sex drive.

 

Dr. Kellogg actually developed Corn Flakes to be a food to lower sex drive. In general, bland foods with uninteresting textures seem to have a psychological effect of lowering libido.

[Ciel]

I've made reference IC and in other threads to Queen Anne's lace, but calling it Shroud Lace instead.  Mostly a head canon thing.  Feel free to use the term if you like, but as noted above it relates to wild carrots and the seeds are taken much the same way.

[Mae]

I've made reference IC and in other threads to Queen Anne's lace, but calling it Shroud Lace instead.  Mostly a head canon thing.  Feel free to use the term if you like, but as noted above it relates to wild carrots and the seeds are taken much the same way.

I think the one time I actually had the Gardener reference it in-game, I used either "Bird's Nest Flower" or "Sanctuary Flower". It's one of those plants that grows in so many places that it has a bunch of different names, heh.

[YesGood]

Blue and black cohosh equivalents might be something in Thanalan. Maybe it's the same as thistle. 

 

This is a great informative thread. Thanks for posting it.

[Kailia]

Blue and black cohosh equivalents might be something in Thanalan. Maybe it's the same as thistle. 

 

This is a great informative thread. Thanks for posting it.

 

Welcome

[D'aito Kuji]

I've always kind of presumed that Miqo'te females control their own fertility and are only fertile when they want to be, when sufficiently impressed with a Tia or Nuhn, for instance.  But that's probably a little bit "out there."

[Delilah Scythewood]

Since Lili has maintained an active sex life in the last half year IRL time or so, she just drinks herbal teas in the morning that help. I never RP'd out the details of what's in them save they keep her from getting McPreggers, but I'm sure they'd be like the herbs you listed Thanks for the thread and info!

[Aysun]

I've always kind of presumed that Miqo'te females control their own fertility and are only fertile when they want to be, when sufficiently impressed with a Tia or Nuhn, for instance.  But that's probably a little bit "out there."

 

I'd agree that's pretty darn out there, but to each their own! I don't know of any biology in higher-mammals that would allow a female to control her own fertility.

 

I too do the bitter tea route and use a RNG, since such things are never 100% effective. I just leave details vague since we don't have anything specific in game.

[K'nahli]

I've always kind of presumed that Miqo'te females control their own fertility and are only fertile when they want to be, when sufficiently impressed with a Tia or Nuhn, for instance.  But that's probably a little bit "out there."

 

What in the world brought you to such a random conclusion?  *laughs*

[Erik Mynhier]

Monks?

[D'aito Kuji]

I've always kind of presumed that Miqo'te females control their own fertility and are only fertile when they want to be, when sufficiently impressed with a Tia or Nuhn, for instance.  But that's probably a little bit "out there."

 

What in the world brought you to such a random conclusion?  *laughs*

 

I dunno exactly, just the way their tribal societies are structured.  I was kind of thinking about birds, the way that males have to impress females in order to get them interested, but that's not really the same thing as fertility.  And Miqo'te have a reputation for hedonism so it seems like they'd have to have some way of controlling fertility but like everyone else said, there's no doubt natural substances in their world that help do so.

 

I guess that when I read about the Seeker lore in particular, only the breeding male is allowed to mate with select females, that couldn't be the only time Seekers were having sex.

 

But yeah, why would "tradition" trump biology?  So just me having dumb thoughts.

[Kailia]

I've always kind of presumed that Miqo'te females control their own fertility and are only fertile when they want to be, when sufficiently impressed with a Tia or Nuhn, for instance.  But that's probably a little bit "out there."

 

I'd agree that's pretty darn out there, but to each their own! I don't know of any biology in higher-mammals that would allow a female to control her own fertility.

 

I too do the bitter tea route and use a RNG, since such things are never 100% effective. I just leave details vague since we don't have anything specific in game.

 

Here's a question for ya. How do you roll the RNG? I had found a couple D&D style data's, but I haven't the faintest clue what DC10 and such are lol

[K'nahli]

And Miqo'te have a reputation for hedonism so it seems like they'd have to have some way of controlling fertility

 

I don't understand what gave you that impression. Just because the tribal structure has the females select only one man - so long as they are not interested in bearing more children further down the line when a new nuhn holds the position - and are expected to restrain any feeling that they may have developed for a non-nuhn, it doesn't mean they are any less like any of the other races in the attraction and sexual aspect; at least I cannot see why it would be suggested otherwise anyways.

 

It's not as though the females are a nuhn's selection of wines for any evening he feels like drinking. His only true role is to bring offspring into the camp and it would be incredibly unlikely and unwise to impregnate multiple huntresses in a short space of time since that is stealing them from their duties and creating another mouth to feed in some months time.

 

The way the K tribe here have it work is that a challenging tia must have the support of at least one female before he can make an official challenge against the nuhn. After that it is up to him to earn the favour of further females if inducing multiple births is expected by the elders. Females obviously still have their free will, they make up the majority of any tribes' populations and are incredibly important beyond the aspect of child-bearing so assuming otherwise would be incredibly odd. The only difference between their relationships and "normal" ones that other races have is that they must accept the nuhn's obligation to be a polygamist where possible(assuming that term extends to partners and not just wives).

 

 

As far as I have seen, in no-way, shape or form have miqo'te been suggested as more hedonistic than anyone else.

 

 

 

Anyways, that's just assuming tat any of the above was what brought you to that conclusion.

[D'aito Kuji]

You're so right, I stand completely corrected.  I don't know how I could have ever got my wires so crossed on this important character issue.  Thanks for pointing all this out for me.

[OttoVann]

Otto's natural contraceptive is sticking to Elezen females for the most part. The devs said a few years ago in the forums that cross-racial breeding is rare as fuck, aka bitter tea will fail first before Otto gets an Elezen pregnant.

 

Miqo also suffice I suppose.

 

So theres that.

[FreelanceWizard]

As far as I have seen, in no-way, shape or form have miqo'te been suggested as more hedonistic than anyone else.

 

The miqo'te dancing girls in Ul'dah, miqo'te prostitutes in Limsa Lominsa, and so on aren't suggestive in that regard? In all seriousness, though, I think it seems to be more that there's a stereotype of miqo'te being hedonistic (certainly among RPers) which is, like most stereotypes, not really accurate.

 

Daitokuji: There's a fairly wide variance in how one can read certain parts of the miqo'te lore. Without reopening some very old arguments, the matter of "how do nunh work in the tribes" is one such example. You'll find that there's a number of different points of view based on the lore we have available and the needs of an individual RPer's story.

[Titor]

Why are most people disregarding my aetheric solution?

Aether is 'natural'. In fact it is what comprises most of life and the elementals in the shroud or whatnot. There is nothing more "natural" than aether.

I am sure any street-vendor would sell a potion of infertility, or be able to cast a spell on it. It would be so much simpler and more effective than using plants or herbs.

[Coatleque]

Monks?

 

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Do you realize how many star systems were just vaporized in that Galaxy?

[Telluride]

Monks?

 

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Do you realize how many star systems were just vaporized in that Galaxy?

 

It was over NINE THOUSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAND.