By AlHazred (original post)

Mr. G is a rather thin man, nervous of manner and deep voiced, who seems to be a travelling salesman of the kind that frequently stay at the hotel. He comes by every few months or so to visit a number of clients in the city. The management all know him, apparently very well, but remain somewhat standoffish around him. They treat him with professional courtesy, no more, no less. For his part, the Glutton returns their disdain.

The Glutton is most often seen in the restaurant. For reasons that should become obvious, the maitre d' always seats him in a private booth by himself, no matter how crowded the restaurant is at the time. The Glutton seems to get there early in the evening, and orders incredibly large amounts of food. All sorts of different kinds of food, too - he'll order three 40 oz. steaks, two different kinds of fish, four sausages, two different salads, etc. The servers bring him the food as soon as each plate is done - he eats them voraciously as they come, downing huge bites of food in between great gulps of wine, beer, soda, whatever sits in front of him on the table. He tries to be quiet, but it's sometimes difficult to disguise the noise - when he orders lobster, the guests can't possibly miss the rapid-fire cracking sucking noises from his booth, almost as if he was eating with three mouths at the same time. He eats in this manner for three or four hours at a time.

Afterward, he quietly pays the check in cash (small, unmarked bills) and retires to his room. He rarely chats with any other guests, and if he does it's entirely about inconsequential things. Any attempts to “buddy up” to him or engage him in more personal conversation (like to find out the reason for his gustatory habits) are met with a cold expression and an instant cease of conversation.

Plot Hooks:

1) Mystical: The Glutton is actually a man of some occult power. A sorcerer of great age, he is a member of a cult of cannibals that gain many benefits from their sorceries - greatly extended lifespan, increased magical potency, and other, more outre benefits. Their victims must be chosen by arcane divinations, though, and the members find they must travel a lot to avoid killing too many people in any one area - it would draw dangerous attention. There are other drawbacks, too. For one thing, the Glutton finds he must consume more and more food at mealtimes every year. At the current rate he suspects he will soon spend more time eating than doing anything else. He seeks some means by which he can avoid this fate. Perhaps with the right ritual repast, he can suppress this unnatural hunger. Perhaps one of the PCs will find herself on the menu…

2) Weird Conspiracy: The Glutton seems like a more-or-less ordinary person, except for his one peculiarity. However, he is not: he is the latest in a long line of human cloning experiments designed to make the perfect soldier. This one has been doing fairly well for some time now - he's been able to mostly blend into society. The only problem is that his mutated physiology has huge energy requirements; he must consume enormous quantities of food in order to keep his super-strong muscles limber and his super-fast reactions at their peak. He eats such varied fare because, as a very new person (he was born fully mature) he enjoys the variety and flavor combinations he discovers. In any case, his tastes are not human at all. Perhaps, soon, he will decide to try for some forbidden food…

3) Fortean: The Glutton has been eating enormous amounts of food for years, but it was not always so. He only changed after an experience he does not quite recall. There was a bright light, and then he felt hands all over his body. They put things inside him - in his nightmares, he becomes convinced that he can feel things squirm and writhe inside him, but when he is awake and mostly normal he can convince himself that it's all in his head. Of course, there are some things that are not in his head. His hunger for one - lately, he feels like he's always hungry. And he's getting thinner, too, despite the food he eats. He thinks he's seen some odd things when he visits the restroom, too. And his stomach is always this purplish bruised color. He swears to himself, he will go see a doctor soon. But the very thought sends him into paroxysms of hunger and pain. And when he eats, he feels a euphoria he never felt before, like all the pain in the world has gone away, like he could conquer any obstacle, like he was the richest man in the world. Like he was becoming part of something new.

And he's right.

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