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exhausted-archivist · 1 year ago

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All Lore from the Dragon Age: Official Cookbook: Taste of Thedas

This is going to be a long post with all the lore from the cookbook collected in one post. This is only going to be counting the lore in the "blurbs" so to speak as the actual recipes themselves, which are not meant to be set in-world.

Additionally, it should be noted that I am unable to say one way or the other if the props used in the photos or the etching art shown on some recipes are to be taken as reflecting the canon the cookbook narrator is in. For the sake of completeness, I have included the less conclusive elements.

Shoving everything below the cut for length as well as to help people avoid spoilers. Think I got everything... There is a lot in this book honestly.

Cookbook Lore

World State

Cassandra is Divine.

The Hero of Ferelden is a Cousland Warden.

The Warden gave Leliana Schmooples.

Hawke is a non-mage, as Varric knows Bethany.

Hawke is diplomatic in personality.

Bull's Chargers, Krem, and Bull are all alive.

Cullen stayed off lyrium.

Celene is empress; Briala and Gaspard are still alive.

Alistair is king.

Varric is viscount.

Uncertain aspects of the world state:

The suggested lore based on the art, props used in photos, and vague wording in blurbs. These are not for certain this is the canon.

Briala is described as a spymaster and lover, implying she was possibly reunited with Celene.

Celene, Briala, and Gaspard are possibly working together in the truce. But the wording is vague it could simply be Celene ruling alone while Briala and Gaspard live.

Cole was encouraged to be more human and is traveling with Maryden Halewell.

Cullen got his mabari.

Josephine was romanced by the Inquisitor.

Morrigan has Keiran.

The Hero of Ferelden romanced King Alistair.

Food Lore

Lentils and onions are common ingredients to find in pantries across Thedas.

Ferelden has reliable access to tomatoes that allows them to use them regularly in their food.

Fereldans are known for their love of soups, stews, pickled eggs, and turnips that it is regularly joked about and seen as a stereotype. Devon regularly comments on the known expectations.

Turnip and Mutton Pie is a classic Fereldan dish served in taverns across the nation.

Nevarra food culture holds that food is suppose to be a feast for the eyes and mouth. Leading to their plating to be dazzling and seen as works of art.

The Jade Ham, is a smoked Anderfels ham with a particular glaze made from wildflowers and turns the ham as hard as jade.

The Anderfels are hostile and often considered inhospitible in certain areas. But despite the harsh environment, pigs farm well there and as a result are much larger than elsewhere in Thedas.

There are custard connoisseurs across Thedas.

Lichen ale is toxic, though most dwarves are able to handle it. However, non-dwarves can only tolerate a few sips of the drink.

Isabela has a drinking game based on how many enemies you have, it has killed at least one person.

The Rivaini tea blend is said to have healing properties such as helping alleviate headaches.

Dwarves underground raise giant spiders like people on the surface raise cattle and goats.

Orzammar has a contest where one is crowned as Orzammar's Best Sauce, the competition is so fierce people get underhanded in their attempts to acquire recipes. This has led to eateries, and in general people of Orzammar, to guard their recipes from others.

Orzammar also farms various mushrooms for eating.

Rice is commonly found in Antiva and Rivain, however it is not a large export for Antiva so it is a rare grain for folks in Ferelden. Due to it not being exported, rice is a cheap food item in Antiva and is very common in the more mundane foods of commoners.

Wyvern, like phoenix, can become deadly poisonous if eaten when they aren't prepared properly.

A jam maker lives in Orzammar, importing individual ingredients so they can make the jam themselves and hopefully sell it cheaper than imported jam.

Fauna

Mentioned through out the cookbook, not necessarily as ingredients themselves but sources for other food items.

Ayesleigh gulabi goat - Rivain

Cattle

Cave Beetles - Underground

Chicken

Crab

Cuttlefish

Dracolisk

Giant

Giant Spider

Goat

Gurgut

Halla

Lamprey

Lurker

Mackerel

Mussel

Nug

Pig

Prawn

Quillback

Sheep

Shrimp

Snail

Turkey

Wyvern

Additional Lore

The golden nug statues do exist in Thedas, Devon mentions seeing one in Haven and hearing rumors of there being more.

Fereldans who worked for the Inquisition would leave Commander Cullen pickled eggs on his desk while he was going through the worst of his lyrium withdrawal symptoms.

Spring time is gurgut mating season, and travelers are advised to keep their distance.

Starkhaven is oval in shape, shaped by rings of tall, grey stone walls, is filled with lavish estates, fountains, and sits on the Minanter River.

Makes reference to the ambient events of where Cole dumped a bushel of turnips onto a fire.

Food: Dishes, Ingredients, and More

Foods/Dishes

These are mentioned, referenced, and/or introduced in the cookbook description of the food, these aren't including the ingredients or foods mentioned in the recipes.

If the item is marked with **, it means there are multiple cultures with the same dish but the cookbook is offering specifically that as the reference point.

Apple Grenade - Antiva

Bark Bread - suggested alternative to black lichen

Biscuit

Biscuit, sweets

Black Lichen Bread - Orzammar

Blancmange - a white pudding dish from Orlais

Blood Orange Salad - Nevarra

Boiled Turnip

Bun

Bun, sweet - a pastry served as dessert

Cabbage Soup - Ferelden

Cacio e Pepe

Cherry Sauce

Cherry Cupcakes - Tevinter

Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cream

Cinnamon Rolls

Couscous Salad - Rivain

Crab Cakes - Kirkwall

Croissant - Orlais

Crow Feed - Antiva

Custard

Dark Bread

Eggs à la Val Foret - Orlais

Fish Chowder - Antiva

Fish Wraps/Fish Pockets - Seheron

Flat Bread - Nevarra

Fluffy Mackerel Pudding - Ferelden

Forest Fruit Cobbler - Dalish

Found Cake - Ferelden

Fried Crab Legs - a substitute version of fried young giant spiders

Fried Young Giant Spiders - Orzammar

Gnocchi - Antiva

Goat Custard - Rivain **

Grilled Poussin - Chasind

Gurgut Roast with Lowlander Spices and Mushroom Sauce - Avvar

Hearth Cakes - Dalish

Hearty Scones - Ferelden

Honey Carrots - Orlais **

Jade Ham - More suited for a weapon, stated to not be suited for eating.

Lamprey Cake - not made of real lamprey, just a cake modeled after it.

Lentil Soup - City Elf **

Llomerryn Red - Rivain

Mashed Turnip

Merrill's Blood Soup - Dalish

Mushroom Sauce

Nettle Soup - origins unclear

Nug Bacon and Egg Pie - Ferelden

Paella - Antiva

Pastry Pockets - recipe originates with the Grey Wardens, cookbook provides the Orlesian Grey Warden variation **

Peasant Bread - Orlais

Pickled Eggs - Ferelden

Pickled Lamprey - Free Marches

Poached Egg

Poison Stings - Chocolate-coated orange peels from Tevinter

Potato and Leek Soup - Ferelden

Pumpkin Bread - Tevinter

Red Grape Compote

Rice Pudding - Tevinter

Roasted Fig

Roasted Cave Beetles - Orzammar

Roasted Prawns - a substitute prawns for cave beetles

Roasted Turnip

Roll, pastry

Snail and Watercress Salad - Avvar

Sour Cherries in Cream - Orlais

Spiced Jerky - Dalish

Steamed Turnip

Stir-fried Turnip

Strawberry and Rhubarb Cobbler - Ferelden

Stuffed Cabbage - Ferelden

Stuffed Deep Mushrooms - Orzammar

Stuffed Vine Leaves - Tevinter

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup - Ferelden

Toasted Almonds

Traviso Energy Balls - Antiva

Tzatziki - Tevinter

Turnip and Mutton Pie - Ferelden

Unidentified Meat - a common tavern food in Tevinter

Yogurt Dip - Nevarra

Drinks

Chasind Sack Mead

Chasind Wildwine

The Emerald Valley

The Golden Nug

The Hissing Drake

Hot Chocolate

Lichen Ale

Pomegranate Juice

Rivaini Tea Blend

West Hill Brandy

White Seleney wine

Ingredients

These are only listed in the lore entries and not the actual recipes themselves as whether or not they are canon is questionable as the recipes recommend store bought items as well as ingredients that have unique Thedosian counterpart names.

Almond

Antivan Pasta

Apple

Apricot

Bacon

Bacon, Nug

Bark

Barley

Beef

Beetroot

Bell Pepper, red

Bitter Greens - this is a class of salad greens known for their bitter flavor.

Black Lichen - Underground

Blood Orange - Nevarra

Butter

Butter, Halla

Cabbage

Cave Beetles

Celery

Cinammon

Cheese

Cherry

Cherry, black

Cherry, sweet

Chicken

Chickpea - Rivain

Chocolate

Cocoa Powder

Corn, yellow

Corn, checkered

Couscous - Rivain

Crab

Cranberry

Currant

Deep Mushroom, various varieties

Dracolisk - The narrator suggests it being a potential meat in a recipe in Tevinter.

Dried Fruit

Eggs

Fig

Flour, semolina - Rivain

Giant - Suggested that Tevinter might serve giant

Giant Spiders - Underground

Goat

Grape, red

Grape Leaves/Vine Leaves

Grease

Guimauves - Orlesian

Gurgut - Avvar

Heavy Cream

Honey

Jasmine

Mackerel

Mango

Mint

Mussel

Mutton

Lamb

Lamprey

Leek

Lemon

Lemon Juice

Lemon Verbena

Lentil

Lichen

Licorice Root

Lurker - Avvar

Oat

Oil

Onion

Oregano

Pastry Dough

Peanut

Peanut Butter

Peppers, Hot

Peppermint

Plum

Pork

Potato

Prawn - said to have the same texture and flavor as cave beetles.

Puff Pastry - Orlais

Pumpkin

Quillback

Raisin

Raspberry

Rhubarb

Rice - Antiva and Rivain

Salt

Semolina Flour - Rivain

Shrimp

Snail - Avvar

Spinach

Strawberry

Sugar

Tomato

Turkey

Turnip

Watercress - Avvar

Wheat

Whipped Cream

White Chocolate

Wildflowers

Wyvern - Avvar, Orlais

Charts and Stats

Because I love a good visual rep of data, I collected some stats of the types of food, how many recipes are from where, and the amount of time a character was mentioned.

Types of Food

I did percentages for the course of food as well as the portion of options that are vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, meat based, and alcoholic.

Food Types Stats

These charts show the ingredient percentage in the actual recipes and not the lore blurbs themselves. This is out of 72 recipes with the amount they were used in (-) after their percentage.

Left Hand Chart

Alcohol: 14.6% (27)

Dairy-free: 15.7% (29)

Egg-free: 25.4% (47)

Meat based: 16.2% (30)

Nuts: 3.1% (6)

Shellfish: 2.6% (5)

Vegan: 4.2% (8)

Vegetarian: 20.4% (39)

Top Right Chart

Alcohol: 37.5% (27)

Alcohol-free: 62.5% (45)

Bottom Right Chart

Beef: 11.4% (4)

Chicken: 17.1% (6)

Fish: 17.1% (6)

Lamb: 5.7% (2)

Pork: 28.6% (10)

Shellfish: 14.3% (5)

Turkey: 5.7% (2)

Percentage of Recipe Origins

Anderfels: 1.4%

Antiva: 11%

Avvar: 6.8%

Chasind: 2.7%

City Elves: 2.7%

Dalish: 6.8%

Ferelden: 15.1%

Free Marches: 5.5% Kirkwall: 2.7% Starkhaven: 2.7%

Grey Wardens: 1.4%

Nevarra: 2.7%

Orlais: 13.7%

Orzammar: 9.6%

Rivain: 4.1%

Seheron: 1.4%

Tevinter: 9.6%

Character Mentions

I organized the chart by game and the characters in alphabetical order.

DAO Alistair: 2 Dog: 2 Hero of Ferelden (Cousland): 6 Leliana: 1 Loghain: 1 Morrigan: 1 Sten: 1 Zevran Arainai: 2

DA2 Anders: 2 Bethany: 1 Fenris: 3 Hawke: 1 Isabela: 1 Merrill: 2 Sebastian Vael: 1 Varric: 3

DAI Briala: 1 Bull's Chargers: 2 Cassandra: 2 Celene Valmont: 1 Cole: 2 Cullen: 3 Dorian: 2 Friends of Red Jenny: 1 Gaspard: 1 Josephine: 3 Krem: 2 Sera: 1 Solas: 4 The Iron Bull: 4 Vivienne: 2

Food Courses

I thought it would be interesting to see how the recipe groups totaled out in how much of the book they made.

Drinks: 12.5%

Baked Goods: 13.9%

Sweets: 11.1%

Sides: 5.6%

Starters and Refreshments: 12.5%

Travel Food: 13.9%

Soup and Stew: 11.1%

Main Course: 19.4%

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changingplumbob · 10 days ago

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Glenn: So how do you feel about your first child

Silver: Pardon?

Glenn: Oakley, the treefish. He's technically our furbaby

Silver: But he didn't look like he had fur

Glenn: I know but still, accepting a child with me, that's a good step towards family right

Silver: I suppose but he's not exactly a dragon. Ah ha, a walleye. You'll let us cook this one right

Glenn: Yes Beefcake, we can cook that one. But...

Silver: You have a nice butt

Glenn: *laughing* I was just going to say I already had some fish set aside for tonight

Packing up the pair head back to Glenn's house. This time Silver holds Glenn's hand the whole way, rather than simply waiting for when they need to cross the spell barrier. It's warmer inside so the sweaters come off before dinner time.

Silver: Another plant shirt

Glenn: I like pretty shirts

Silver: Well they look good on you

Glenn: Thanks

Silver: They'd also look really great on your floor

Glenn: I know I have dinner already set but it doesn't make the fish you caught any less impressive, or you any less impressive

Silver: Are you trying to flirt with me

Glenn: That rather depends on if it's working

Silver: Oh it is. In fact I-

*GROWLING STOMACH*

Glenn: Shoot, what were you saying

Silver: *laughs* It doesn't matter because your belly clearly needs food

Glenn: Stupid belly. Fine, I guess dinner it is

As he got up and gathered ingredients Glenn wondered if some of the stories he heard about werewolves were true. I mean, who better to ask than a werewolf?

Glenn: Hey Beefcake, you don't have to tell me if you don't want but are you like allergic to silver bullets

Silver: Do you think my mum would have chosen my name if I was

Glenn: Right, stupid question

Silver: Are you worried about me heading off

Glenn: Maybe

Silver: Don't be. It's pretty easy to avoid the hunters just by myself

Glenn: And what about wolfsbane

Silver: Yeah... that can do lasting damage. Like Grayson's scar

Glenn: Oh

Silver: But I don't plan on going near anyone with wolfsbane weapons

Glenn: And I don't plan to trip over my own feet but it still happens

Silver: I'll be careful. And use the phone smart

Glenn: Everyday? You'll tell me about all the plants you see?

Silver: I mean if you want to talk to me everyday, sure

They sat down to dinner and Glenn tucked in immediately.

Silver: Been wondering about werewolf myths have you

Glenn: *swallows* Mmhmm. Spellcasters don't have much research on other occults

Silver: It seems like most of the occults stay separate

Glenn: I think it's been safer that way

Silver: Since you want me to share I should tell you... male werewolves can get pregnant

Glenn: Wait, what? But you said same sex relationships were all hush hush back when you had your pack

Silver: Maybe romantic ones were but it was something we all knew and were taught about. For survival. Sometimes a pack would be wiped almost completely out save for a handful of males. So it became necessary to be able to reproduce in those conditions

Glenn: So I could get you pregnant *raises eyebrows suggestively*

Silver: Definitely not, it's werewolf specific

Glenn: So Oakley won't be getting any siblings?

Silver: Look, kids and all that, if that happens it'll be in the future. Far future. Like after we've decided what we are to each other future. I just... thought you deserved to know

Glenn: Wait- how do they get the babies out

Silver: Caesarean

Glenn: Oh well we couldn't let them cut your abs, it'd be such a waste

Silver: You seem a little ab obsessed

Glenn: Guilty. I like them okay! And yours are very impressive

Silver: I could stand to hear more of that

Glenn: You must know you're attractive

Silver: Not really. It's been ages since I've been intimate with anyone and styles and fashions have changed so much

Glenn: Well you carry your ancientness well

Silver: As opposed to what? Being a dust pile on the floor

Glenn: You're good looking Silver, I promise

Previous ... Next

#sims 4 #the sims #simblr #my sims #ts4 #active simblr #GWG #GlennSutherland #SilverClawcrestByCawthornTales

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scifigeneration · 20 days ago

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Carl Sagan’s scientific legacy extends far beyond ‘Cosmos’

by Jean-Luc Margot, Professor of Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles

On Nov. 9, 2024, the world will mark Carl Sagan’s 90th birthday – but sadly without Sagan, who died in 1996 at the age of 62.

Most people remember him as the co-creator and host of the 1980 “Cosmos” television series, watched worldwide by hundreds of millions of people. Others read “Contact,” his best-selling science fiction novel, or “The Dragons of Eden,” his Pulitzer Prize-winning nonfiction book. Millions more saw him popularize astronomy on “The Tonight Show.��

What most people don’t know about Sagan, and what has been somewhat obscured by his fame, is the far-reaching impact of his science, which resonates to this day. Sagan was an unequaled science communicator, astute advocate and prolific writer. But he was also an outstanding scientist.

Sagan propelled science forward in at least three important ways. He produced notable results and insights described in over 600 scientific papers. He enabled new scientific disciplines to flourish. And he inspired multiple generations of scientists. As a planetary astronomer, I believe such a combination of talents and accomplishments is rare and may occur only once in my lifetime.

Scientific accomplishments

Very little was known in the 1960s about Venus. Sagan investigated how the greenhouse effect in its carbon dioxide atmosphere might explain the unbearably high temperature on Venus – approximately 870 degrees Fahrenheit (465 degrees Celsius). His research remains a cautionary tale about the dangers of fossil fuel emissions here on Earth.

Sagan proposed a compelling explanation for seasonal changes in the brightness of Mars, which had been incorrectly attributed to vegetation or volcanic activity. Wind-blown dust was responsible for the mysterious variations, he explained.

Sagan and his students studied how changes to the reflectivity of Earth’s surface and atmosphere affect our climate. They considered how the detonation of nuclear bombs could inject so much soot into the atmosphere that it would lead to a yearslong period of substantial cooling, a phenomenon known as nuclear winter.

With unusual breadth in astronomy, physics, chemistry and biology, Sagan pushed forward the nascent discipline of astrobiology – the study of life in the universe. Together with the research scientist Bishun Khare at Cornell University, Sagan conducted pioneering laboratory experiments and showed that certain ingredients of prebiotic chemistry, called tholins, and certain building blocks of life, known as amino acids, form naturally in laboratory environments that mimic planetary settings.

He also modeled the delivery of prebiotic molecules to the early Earth by asteroids and comets, and he was deeply engaged in the biological experiments onboard the Mars Viking landers. Sagan also speculated about the possibility of balloon-shaped organisms floating in the atmospheres of Venus and Jupiter.

His passion for finding life elsewhere extended far beyond the solar system. He was a champion of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, also known as SETI. He helped fund and participated in a systematic search for extraterrestrial radio beacons by scanning 70% of the sky with the physicist and electrical engineer Paul Horowitz.

He proposed and co-designed the plaques and the “Golden Records” now affixed to humanity’s most distant ambassadors, the Pioneer and Voyager spacecrafts. It is unlikely that extraterrestrials will ever find these artifacts, but Sagan wanted people to contemplate the possibility of communication with other civilizations.

youtube

Carl Sagan, offering his unique commentary in a scene from ‘Cosmos.’

Advocacy

Sagan’s scientific output repeatedly led him to become an eloquent advocate on issues of societal and scientific significance. He testified before Congress about the dangers of climate change. He was an antinuclear activist and spoke out against the Strategic Defense Initiative, also known as “Star Wars.” He urged collaborations and a joint space mission with the Soviet Union, in an attempt to improve U.S.-Soviet relations. He spoke directly with members of Congress about the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and organized a petition signed by dozens of prominent scientists urging support for the search.

Carl Sagan, speaking out against the use of nuclear weapons, at the Great Peace March in 1986. Visions of America LLC/Corbis via Getty Images

But perhaps his most important gift to society was his promotion of truth-seeking and critical thinking. He encouraged people to muster the humility and discipline to confront their most cherished beliefs – and to rely on evidence to obtain a more accurate view of the world. His most cited book, “The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark,” is a precious resource for anyone trying to navigate this age of disinformation.

Impact

A scientist’s impact can sometimes be gauged by the number of times their scholarly work is cited by other scientists. According to Sagan’s Google Scholar page, his work continues to accumulate more than 1,000 citations per year.

Indeed, his current citation rate exceeds that of many members of the National Academy of Sciences, who are “elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research,” according to the academy’s website, and is “one of the highest honors a scientist can receive.”

Sagan was nominated for election into the academy during the 1991-1992 cycle, but his nomination was challenged at the annual meeting; more than one-third of the members voted to keep him out, which doomed his admission. An observer at that meeting wrote to Sagan, “It is the worst of human frailties that keeps you out: jealousy.” This belief was affirmed by others in attendance. In my opinion, the academy’s failure to admit Sagan remains an enduring stain on the organization.

No amount of jealousy can diminish Sagan’s profound and wide-ranging legacy. In addition to his scientific accomplishments, Sagan has inspired generations of scientists and brought an appreciation of science to countless nonscientists. He has demonstrated what is possible in the realms of science, communication and advocacy. Those accomplishments required truth-seeking, hard work and self-improvement. On the 90th anniversary of Sagan’s birth, a renewed commitment to these values would honor his memory.

#science #science communication #Carl Sagan #astronomy #space #SETI #astrophysics #astrobiology #Mars #Venus #space exploration #extraterrestial life #Comos #Outer space #Youtube

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piratesandcobras · 10 days ago

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Another recipe from the dragon age cookbook here. These fereldan scones are so moist and delicious I had to share em next.

Fereldan Hearty Scones

yield 12 SCONES

Cook time 30 MINUTES (INCLUDING BAKING

Dificulty AVERAGE

Ingredients

4 cups plus 2 tablespoons fiour, plus more for the counter 5 teaspoons baking powder, a teaspoon baking soda, a teaspoon salt, 7 teaspoons sugar, 2 sticks plus tablespoons cold butter, cut into smal cubes 2 ounces Cheddar cheese plus more for sprinkling 12 strips crispy bacon, crumbled 1 and half cups buttermilk , 1 egg

Preheat the oven to 350"F

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar to a bowl and combine thoroughly.

Add the buter, and stir well with a fork to combine.

Add the cheese, bacon, and buttermik. then knead by hand until the mixture is just beginning to hold together as a loose dough.

Use a rolling pin roll it out the dough about l inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into rough triangles with a small sharp knife and set the pieces of dough on the baking sheet

Beat the egg in a cup, and brush it over the tops ot the scones Sprinkle with cheese as desired Set the baking sheet in the oven , and bake for about 12 to 15 minutes or until the scones are firm.

Remove the scones from the oven. and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before consuming.

#dragon age inquisition #dragon age 2 #dragon age origins #dragon age the veilguard #dai #dao #da2 #da veilguard #dragon age #cooking #food #recipes #cookbook

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celestiall0tus · 6 months ago

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Siren's Song

It's time. Siren's Song has finished its changes and it's time to reveal the revised story for y'all. Let's crack into it:

"Our imagination is the only limit to what we can hope to have in the future." - Charles F. Kettering

Synopsis:

The world is drawn between the old and new, the need to evolve and progress that clashes with the desperate desire to cling to the past. This worldview and mindset are challenged when a villain by the name of Grandeur seeks to usher in a new age, creating a clear canvas for the new world by erasing the past.

Characters:

Kagami/Lady Beetle – Daughter of Tomoe Tsurugi/Grandeur. She was brought up in an environment surrounded by the best of the best technology, always pushing for the latest. When Grandeur makes their appearance, Kagami is presented with the ladybug earrings by Tomoe and encouraged to help Grandeur. She immediately sides with Grandeur, believing it to be the best course of action to provide everyone with the kind of life she had enjoyed.

Ivan/Razor – A delinquent teen that comes from a single parent household with his father, who is an absentee drunk. He has developed a massive chip on his shoulder as he engages in illegal and gang activities. When Grandeur arrives, Ivan finds the black cat on some of Grandeur's supporters. He takes the ring and chooses to take his trouble to a new scale.

Ondine/Siren – A prodigy singer and swimmer. When she isn't honing her swimming prowess, she is tutored by Nathalie Sancoeur, a former lounge singer that was famous before the legendary Neith. She is given Duusu by Nathalie to make her debut as Siren when Grandeur comes into the picture. Ondine falls into the neutral side, not wanting to pick a side in the fight.

Mylene/Honey Bee – A wicca teen/green witch. She is always there to defend nature and help those who seek her potions and remedies. She is working to set up a coven to aid people with her 'magic.' She finds Pollen while exploring a new age secondhand shop while looking for ingredients and reagents for her practices. She aims to assist the heroes with Pollen.

Luka/Maestro – A musical theater kid whose soul and heart is music. Luka's entire life has revolved around music as he longs to share his songs with the world, telling stories and invoking emotions with simple instrumental pieces. He discovers Trixx while window shopping for music supplies when he finds Trixx's necklace. When Grandeur announces their takeover, Luka fights to preserve the past works and great artists of history.

Marinette/Iridescent – The beautiful daughter of the greatest baker in Paris, female face for the Agreste brand, but also the lovechild of Gabriel Agreste. Ever the perfect child, always doing as her parents tell her. Sabine confides in Marinette the truth and begs Marinette help her in aiding her and Gabriel in remaking the world so they could be a proper family at long last. She is given Nooroo by Sabine and Gabriel.

Adrien/Scourge – The heir of the Agreste legacy and fortune, son of Gabriel and Emilie Agreste. Despite appearances, Gabriel has long turned his back on Adrien, preferring his lovechild (unknown to Adrien) over Adrien. He would help the heroes to destroy his family’s legacy. Given his miraculous by his mother, Emilie.

Zoe/Wyvern – Lovechild of Audrey Bourgeois and Zack Lee. She was taken from her father at a young age, living with her mother, half-sister, and stepfather. She often sheltered under Chloe’s constant overprotective paranoia after she had vanished once at a nature preserve, where she encountered a dragon (the kwami Longg). Since then, Zoe has been an advocate for nature and often returning when she’s able to see the dragon again. Meets with Longg again and gets the miraculous.

Juleka/Banshee – A wicca attuned to ghosts, spirits, and other ethereal entities. She is an empath (just like her twin brother). She would fight against Grandeur to preserve the natural world and the connection of spirits with the land. Finds Styx's necklace in a graveyard.

Rose/Venus – A star ballerina that loves the classics. Graceful and beautiful like a swan, she is the prize of her academy. She fights against Grandeur to preserve the art of ballet and the classics. She will have had Psyche since a young age after find Psyche's discarded armlet in a secondhand shop.

Chloe/Mariana – A natural born leader and overprotective sister. She leads with a fair and just hand, taking into account everything and everyone as much as possible, but fears for their safety, especially her sister, Zoe, the one light in her life. She fights alongside Grandeur to create a safer world.

Felix/Aetolian – The only child of Amelie and Colt Fathom. He follows in Amelie’s family legacy and aims to be an actor more as personal preference but as a slight to Colt, refusing to follow Colt’s business. He fights against Grandeur to preserve the plays of old. Was given his miraculous by Amelie.

Nino/Director– A DJ and aspiring director. He fights alongside Grandeur to carve out a new world and ideas in the filming industry. Will switch sides later down the line but starts as a villain.

Sabrina/Seeker – A young teen with a bright, inquisitive mind. She is always on the lookout for new knowledge about the past, loving the secrets that are buried deep. When Grandeur announces their takeover, Sabrina leaps at the chance to preserve the past that has yet to be unearthed. She finds Min's bracelet at a curio shop.

Lila/Pettirosso – A Primadona drama queen with a natural talent for starting drama and watching the show unfold. While visiting her mom in Paris, Grandeur announces their takeover. Lila sees it as the perfect opportunity to start trouble, helping neither side in the war.

Alix/Megalodon – A teen with a unique perspective on time. Having found her kwami's miraculous while a young age, she has had a different view on time and history compared to others. When Grandeur emerges, Alix is quick to jump into the fight to preserve all of history and time.

Alya/Oblivion – A comic book nerd with aspirations of being a reporter. Alya loves to search for scoops to the point of hyperfixation. She struggles often with focusing and her memory, leading her to forget a lot of things. While investigating Grandeur and the rise of other superpowered people, she finds Lethe's miraculous. She is eager to join to the fight, but she remembers her comics of the bad caused by heroes and villains fighting. She fears what she stands to lose if she or her family are caught up in the fight, choosing to use Lethe's powers to help people forget to keep them safe and happy.

Marc/Eros – A romance writer that loves everything romance. He fights against Grandeur to preserve the classics and other works of the genre he loves to write and read. He finds Barkk's miraculous along with Luka finding Trixx's miraculous while they are out shopping.

Aurore/Sea Breeze – An aspiring photographer that assists Alya with her blog and many others with their tasks. She lives by her grandmother's words that every memory is precious, good and bad, and nothing is worth forgetting. She makes sure to capture every moment she can with photos, journals, scrapbooks, etc. When Grandeur emerges, she is quick to assist the people in reminding them of what must never be forgotten and what they could stand to lose if they side with Grandeur.

Nathaniel/Belphegor– An artist with a lax work ethic. He puts little thought and effort into the war, but steps in when it disrupts his dreaming and drawing.

Colt/Lyncus – Husband of Amelie Fathom and father of Felix Fathom. He is a massive American business tycoon with his mind fully on his business. On the front, he is neutral as he deals with armed weapons, but as Lyncus, he fights against Grandeur, having a Carmilla Carmine mentality (Want to avoid all out war to preserve the things he loves).

Amelie/Artemis – Wife of Colt Fathom and mother of Felix Fathom. She and Colt were arranged into their marriage, and while they don’t love each other romantically, they have a deep, endearing friendship. When Emilie joins the fight against Grandeur, Amelie joins her twin. Hero

Emilie/Eleutheria – Wife of Gabriel Agreste and mother of Adrien Agreste. She has been trapped in a loveless marriage, convinced that Gabriel has long since fallen out of love with her. When Grandeur enters the picture, she fights against them, convinced that Gabriel sided with Grandeur.

Max/Formica – A teen always on top of cutting edge technology. He helps Grandeur by feeding him information about the heroes, pretending to be one of them.

Tomoe/Grandeur – Tomoe was born into the world blinded to it. Despite her disability, she learned how to thrive in a world that was hard on her. She grew up listening to tales of sci-fi and the world around her that she could only imagine. She held onto this idea of what the world was until she stumbled upon Vana, kwami of imagination. With Vana, she was granted the ability to see and that her reality did not meet her imagination. She fell into a depression until Vana shared the promise of making that world a reality. Over the years, she's worked with Vana to make her vision of the world become a reality and to usher in a new age.

Gabriel/Golem– Husband of Emilie Agreste, top fashion designer, and lover to Sabine Cheng. He sides with Grandeur to usher in a world where he can be with Sabine and Marinette. He will have his miraculous from when he used it before with the swan of souls.

Nathalie/Neith – A lounge singer and blackmailer. She works for Grandeur, while feeding information to the heroes. Has had her miraculous for years.

Sabine/Weaver– The wife of the best baker in Paris and mistress to Gabriel Agreste. The two have had a decades long affair that resulted in Marinette. She fights for Grandeur to usher in a new world where she and Gabriel can be together. Is given her miraculous by Gabriel.

Collab of the Fans:

This, at its core, is a crack au. This is a mix of ideas that have come from mutuals, followers, and anyone that stumbled upon anything regarding Siren's Song. You've all waited and now it's time. We have a story at long last and can finally move forward. A lot has been set in, but I will always have my ask box open for anyone that wants to make a suggestion.

Acknowledgements:

For all those that had a hand in creating this crack au, you'll find them here at the Siren's Song Acknowledgements

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous #miraculoustalesofladybugandcatnoir #miraculous au #au #alternate universe #au idea #au info #ml au info #ml au idea #siren's song au #siren's song #crack au #fan collab

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fishingfordreams · 2 years ago

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manga recommendations pt. 3

memory, melancholy, and maturity

Totsukuni no Shoujo (The Girl From the Other Side: Siúil, a Rún) by Nagabe

A harrowing and beautiful grim dark fairy tale set in a world populated with monstrous creatures that can curse people with a single touch. The story follows a young girl named Shiva and her otherworldly Teacher who live in a vacant village on the "outside." The story explores the dichotomy of light and darkness, good and evil, body and soul, and those who linger in the quiet spaces in between. Nagabe’s dreamy story book illustrations capture the fantastical and eerie world vividly, crafted together in fine lines and careful contrasts.

Dungeon Meshi (Dungeon in Delicious) by Ryoko Kui

A charming medieval fantasy story about, well, dungeons, dragons, and delicious food! The premise is simple: kill the magician of the dungeon and the golden kingdom shall be yours, or so the former king declared before fading to dust. And so, we follow a group of adventurers as they traverse the dungeon and, after losing their supplies and friend to a red-scaled dragon, meet a dwarf who teaches them how to prepare and cook monster ingredients. The story delights in monster designs and their anatomies and ecosystems, and boasts a diverse cast of characters that are as equally complex and well-developed.

MagMell Shinkai Suizokukan (Deep Sea Aquarium MagMell) by Kiyomi Sugishita

A gorgeously illustrated story following Koutarou Tenjou, a janitor and assistant keeper at a deep sea aquarium in Tokyo. The story quietly opens up a hidden, dreamlike world filled with strange and wonderful creatures that dwell in the dark depths of the sea. Sugishita beautifully captures the fleeting, tender moment of fondness and rumination that people experience while watching the majesty of the ocean and her inhabitants.

BECK: Mongolian Chop Squad by Harold Sakuishi

An absolute classic! A soul-stirring, coming of age story about music, brotherhood, and the angst of adolescence. It features a group of colorful teenagers who come together to form a rock band and the story focuses on their love, trials, and tribulations as they struggle to fame. The protagonist, Yukio “Koyuki” Tanaka, embodies the raw, honest, confronting, and liberating feeling of self-discovery and self-expression that young people often go through. His growth is slow and subtle, but so genuine and measured, and he becomes the force that eventually pulls the groups’ sound together.

Medalist by Tsurumaikada

A heartfelt story that explores the familial, social, and economical pressures of competitive sports, specifically figure skating. We follow Inori Yuitsuka, a fifth grader who is desperate to become a skater but has been constantly criticized by those around her and told that she’s too old to begin training competitively. All except for down-on-his-luck former figure skater Tsukasa Akeuraji who sees her potential and decides to coach her with the promise of winning a medal. Despite the somber premise, this is an incredibly uplifting story about building confidence, realizing your self-worth, and pursuing your dreams regardless of when you decide to start. The athleticism and elegance of figure skating is also portrayed beautifully through dynamic and expressive artwork and paneling.

Holyland by Kouji Mori

An intense, character-driven story following high school student Yuu Kamishiro who, after being driven to isolation by the abuse of his peers and with no place in society, ventures out into the night in search of his "holyland." He finds acceptance through violence and solace in the lawless brutality of the streets. The author meditates on human nature and explores the nature of one's emotions, particularly grief and hatred, and how they define us. Make no mistakes though, this is also very much a martial arts story and Mori balances both the technical and impassionate aspects of combat seamlessly.

(Includes depictions of self-harm, depression, bullying, violence).

#manga #manga recs #totsukuni no shoujo #dungeon meshi #magmell shinkai suizokukan #beck #medalist #holyland

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felassan · 1 year ago

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Dragon Age: The Official Cookbook: Tastes of Thedas lore post Part 2

This post is part 2 of 2. [Link to Part 1]

(Post contents under a cut, in case anyone would rather not read cookbook spoilers. also due to post length)

If I have forgotten, misread or misunderstood something, please let me know.

This post is complementary to Part 1, so please see Part 1. The first post contains some other information, such as a full list of what culture[s]/area[s] each dish comes from, a full list of all in-world ingredients mentioned and notes on the worldstate that the cookbook was written in. The lore collected in this post is just a general note of lore mentioned in the cookbook, so it contains both old/previously known lore, and new lore from the cookbook. There is a bit of repetition in places where a piece of lore made sense in include in multiple categories.

[☕ found this post or blog interesting or useful? my ko-fi is here if you feel inclined. thank you 🙏]

[Devon/mom mentions from blurbs]

Devon, their mother and the cookbook

The cookbook introduces a new character called Devon, who is the narrator, writer and compiler of the cookbook in-world. Devon is now an adult, and their mother was the cook for the Couslands at Castle Cousland (implied to be Nan from the Human Noble origin). In their youth Devon helped their mother out in the kitchen, undertaking chores like sweeping the floor. They also helped cook from time to time (which their mother approved of and expressed pride to them over). They were child-like and a dreamer, often daydreaming about going off on a grand adventure and engaging in acts of heroism, and getting into trouble from their mother due to this. They did not used to be very adept in the kitchen and at one time almost set Castle Cousland on fire with their first attempt at a stew. Since then they have been practising cooking extensively and are now a good cook. Their mother taught them the important lesson of love through food. Devon is very much their mother's child, and loves food.

The position of Cousland family cook is implied to no longer exist. Devon's mother is implied to have now passed away. (and in game Nan dies during Howe's Treachery)

Devon's mother nearly lost her mind trying to keep the Hero of Ferelden's mabari out of her larder. Similar to this, falling 'prey' to a nug's cute face once resulted in a nug (which are voracious omnivores) in Devon's kitchen eating lots of their food, and Devon discovering first-hand how voracious they can be in their efforts.

Devon has a desire to see all of Thedas and as an adult recently embarked on a journey to travel throughout Thedas in order to see and experience its different types of food, in order to honor and thank their mother. This was a year-long journey involving many weeks on the road, with the occasional encounter with bandits and beasts. They travelled by carriage and on foot.

Devon travelled throughout Thedas, including Nevarra, Orzammar, Tevinter, Ferelden, Orlais, Antiva, Rivain and among the Avvar. They met and spoke to various key characters including Varric, Sera, Krem and Bull's Chargers, and sampled every local cuisine they could get their hands on, even the downright strange. They filled their book with different recipes and thought of their mother with each new entry, in order to share them and the lesson their mother taught them with the rest of the world. Some of their recipes are based on these conversations. Others are Devon's mothers recipes or Devon's own recipes/experimentations with other foods.

Devon is something of a fan of the Hero of Ferelden, Hawke and the Inquisitor (especially the HoF) and displays a child-like excitement for the world. On their journey they tracked down foods eaten by the heroes and their companions. Devon's hero worship of the PCs and their companions was part of their motivation for their journey.

Devon's mother often had her hands full with the Cousland's meals.

Devon's mother had a recipe for Chocolate Cake. She baked it for Devon's tenth name-day and then at their every name-day after that as Devon always begged for this. To this day when Devon thinks about their mother's love for them, this cake sits front and center in their mind. The Fereldan Potato and Leek Soup included in the book is also hers, though for the book Devon put their own little twist on it, using crispy toasted chickpeas from Rivain for the crunch rather than a side of toasted bread. Devon loves stews and their mother's stews will always rule their heart (the recipe for King Alistair's Lamb and Pea Stew comes close to stealing that crown). Devon's mother always knew that there is no greater comfort than a warm slice of cobbler, and the simple pleasure of her baking would wash away all of Devon's troubles from the day when they ate some in her kitchen (it's hard to feel the sting of a skinned knee or a lost game when your belly is full of warm gooey goodness). Devon's mother usually made her cobblers with strawberries and rhubarb, but only the stems not the leaves as those are poisonous.

Devon's mother was kind and indulged her child, whom she loved.

Devon likes hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and dusted with cinnamon.

Devon loves sweets and desserts.

Tea is a nice accompaniment for sweet treats. Tea exists in many blends. Devon likes deciding which biscuit to pair with different blends.

Once when young Devon tripped and fell face-first into a patch of nettles. They cried and got a lecture from their mother, telling them to play elsewhere from then on. Also when Devon was young, they were very reluctant to eat their greens/vegetables. But their mother always used to say that you can't only live off meat, and any meal without vegetables is a meal half-finished. They didn't understand her reasoning then, but they do now. Ever since hearing Leliana kept a nug as a pet, Devon has desperately longed for a Schmooples of their own. Another lesson their mother taught them is that sides form an equal part of the equation in a meal to the main part of it, and that they deserve just as much care and attention as the dish they are served alongside.

Ferelden

Fereldans - including their mabari - love cheese and bacon.

Barley is a common grain grown in Ferelden. In Ferelden grain is usually barley or wheat. Rice is very rare in Ferelden.

Hearty Fereldan Scones are hearty, packed with cheese and bacon, and keep a person sated for a good while. They are less sweet and less delicate than their counterparts (referring to Orlesian scones?). Mabari like them due to the cheese and bacon content.

Pickled Eggs taste salty-sour and are a very common Fereldan folk remedy, 'prescribed' by them for almost anything, including fevers, colds, aching body parts and when you feel a bit of illness coming on (sounds like chicken soup in parts of our world hh ^^). If asked for advice on health or when they meet someone who looks a bit under the weather, many Fereldans recommend and provide pickled eggs. When Cullen was experiencing lyrium withdrawals, Fereldan members of the Inquisition left a heap of pickled eggs in his office. whether this actually works or not we don't know. Still, loving pickled eggs is a Fereldan trait and they are considered one of the country's finest snacks.

In Orlais, City and Dalish elves eat Peasant Bread, which is a rustic, hearty type of bread with a straightforward recipe that calls for wheat, salt and grease in nearly equal parts. This produces a biscuit that is good for mopping up last bits of stew and pairing with butter and jam. Devon remarks that this biscuit is reminiscent of Fereldan cuisine.

Fereldans love stews; people, including Fereldans themselves, joke about this often. The three key aspects of any good Fereldan stew are that it's hearty, humble and straightforward to make.

Devon assures the reader that Fereldans don't actually cook their ingredients until they're all "a uniform grey color", contrary to what Alistair once said. They do however throw them into the largest pot they can find, with the rationale being that if you're going to make a stew, you might as well make a lot of it.

Lamb and Pea Stew is hearty, humble, and straightforward to make. This dish is so ubiquitous in Ferelden that it's almost become synonymous with Fereldan cuisine.

Sweet and Sour Cabbage Soup is a Fereldan staple and Fereldans enjoy it regularly. It's more solid than liquid, filled to the brim with cabbage, tomatoes and other vegetables, and is paired with a thick slice of bread. This makes it a filling, satisfying and warming meal, especially on cold days.

A troupe of actors in Orlais focus on a popular comedy set in the fictional Fereldan village of Wilkshire Downs. Their performances sell out almost instantly. In order to play their roles well, and out of dedication for their craft, the actors changed their diets to match those of their characters. For example, there's a mayor character who specifically only eats cabbage soup (bear in mind this is Orlesians trying to get in 'Fereldan character').

Nug Bacon and Egg Pie is a traditional Fereldan farmer's pie.

Fereldan ale is soothing and relatively easy on the stomach, compared to something like a Hissing Drake.

Fereldans love turnips and enthuse about them. Turnips make a good addition to any stews and are also good in pies. They're versatile and can be prepared in many ways (boiled, stir-fried, roasted, steamed, mashed, eaten raw, etc). Turnip and Mutton Pie is a classic Fereldan dish served at taverns across the country. It's an unmatched, rich comfort food that is good on cold or miserable days. Even the smell is comforting. It consists of tender chunks of lamb and turnip enveloped by buttery crust. Cole once evoked this sense of comfort by throwing a bushel of turnips into a fire.

Kirkwall

Crab Cakes is a classic Kirkwall dish.

The Hanged Man's Mystery Meat Stew is a famous dish from this Kirkwall tavern, and its feature dish. It's made from a different meat every morning, such as pork or something more suspicious/less appetizing. The waitress at the tavern claims that they hang people who ask what meat it is from the rafters.

Roasted Turkey With Sides is found in Starkhaven, Kirkwall and the Free Marches in general. This dish is common at birthday celebrations and dinner parties. The turkey is cooked til golden-brown and surrounded by a host of different sides, creating an impressive scene. This meal is complicated, difficult and time-consuming to prepare. The turkey alone can take hours to do. If a few sides are involved it can take most of the day, especially without kitchen staff. This meal is meant to be shared.

Orlais

A common feature of Orlesian cuisine is lots of cream.

Creamy soups seem to be emblematic of Orlesian cuisine.

Some strong/hot combinations of spices are a bit much for Orlesian palates, which are more delicate than others.

Lately in the Grey Wardens, a new variation of the Grey Warden Pastry Pockets (pastries stuffed with meat, potatoes and onion) recipe was introduced by new recruits from Orlais, which uses the more delicate Orlesian puff pastry. These newer pastries are delicious hot or cold but can't really be stored anywhere where they may be jostled as they will get mushed, unlike the original version of the recipe, which was tougher so as not to fall apart in packs when on the road.

Honey Carrots is an Orlesian staple, often found on the table at meal times in Orlais. The traditional Orlesian rendition of this dish is sweet due to liberal application of honey, implying that outside of Orlais other takes on this dish are less sweet with less honey due to differing palates/cuisine styles (since Orlesian standards run sweet).

"Blancmange" is an Orlesian word which literally translates as "white eating". The dish Blancmange is white pudding made with either milk or heavy cream that has been thickened. On its own it has a sweetness that is mild by Orlesian standards; it's generally served with various toppings which amplify the sweet flavors. Possible toppings include red grape compôte, toasted almonds, ribbons of fresh mango and cherry sauce (the latter is Devon's preference). Alone blancmange is plain-looking so the toppings are also a way to decorate it with various designs.

Vivienne's preferred arrangement of Blancmange is a stunning, elegant, pristine white-on-white tableau of white chocolate curls and whole jasmine flowers, served on a dark plate for contrast.

Orlesian dinner parties are long indulgent slews of extravagance. Not finishing all of the courses may be perceived as being rude to the host or taken by them as offensive.

Orlesian desserts often include sugar and cream.

Sour Cherries in Cream is an Orlesian dessert composed of a small bowl filled with black cherries dressed in sweet cherry sauce and whipped cream. This dish is an example of one which is lighter fare than usual for Orlesian cuisine, and may be eaten as the last course of an extensive dinner party (as even the Orlesians are sometimes in need of lighter fare).

The Orlesians know how to make a good pastry.

Croissants are the most well-known Orlesian pastry. They are a lot of work to make. To achieve their famous flaky texture, dough is layered with butter and then rolled (with a rolling pin) and folded several times over, before being rolled into a thin sheet.

In Orlais, City Elves and Dalish Elves eat Peasant Bread, a rustic, hearty type of bread with a straightforward recipe that calls for wheat, salt and grease in nearly equal parts. This produces a biscuit that is good for mopping up last bits of stew and pairing with butter and jam. Devon remarks that the biscuit is reminiscent of Fereldan cuisine.

Tevinter

A mysterious, strange, impossible-to-identify meat is often served in taverns across Tevinter, often with a big portion of Nevarran flat bread. It's something of a tall tale. Devon ordered a portion, wondering what exotic species it could be, and it turned out to be delicious chicken legs.

Stuffed Vine Leaves is a classic Tevinter appetizer sold in taverns there. Tender leaves are stuffed with rice, herbs and sometimes minced meat. Devon recommends topping it with lemon juice and some tzatziki sauce.

Dorian loves chocolate-coated orange peels, colloquially known as "Poison Stings". They are sweet, sour, crunchy, chewy and energizing. Dorian ate these a lot on his travels from Tevinter to Ferelden to join the Inquisition.

Cherry Cupcakes are decadent little pink cakes served alongside other sweets by servants on stilts at the Tevinter theater. The servants carry them to each private box. The cakes both taste and look good. They were once used as a vehicle for deadly poisons.

Tevinter Pumpkin Bread is one of Dorian's favorite foods. They are wonderful treats with limited ingredients, and can be made in a pan.

Starkhaven

Starkhaven Fish and Egg Pie is famous, almost oval in shape and stuffed full of fish from the Minanter River. It has a light flaky crust.

Starkhaven is beautiful, almost oval in shape, sits perched on the Minanter River and is crowned with solid rings of tall, gray stone. It has lavish estates and fountains. Minanter River fish are implied to be common in Starkhaven cuisine and trade.

Prince Sebastian Vael has high popularity.

Free Marches

Nevarra

The gardens of Nevarra are extremely beautiful, dazzling in their vibrancy.

In Nevarran culture, food is as much a feast for the eyes as for the mouth. They create artful and aesthetically pleasing food arrangements. Nevarrans like their dishes to be pleasing to the eye, and take this into account when cooking.

Nevarran flat bread goes from dough to ready to eat in minutes, contrasting other methods of making bread which involve baking loaves for hours. It can be eaten in many ways, including on its own, brushed with oil, or as a vehicle for an assortment of dips such as yogurt dip.

Antiva

Antivan cuisine includes pasta.

Dinnertime is usually a late-night affair in Antiva.

Rice is not seen much outside of Antiva and Rivain. Antiva exports very little of its rice. Due to this, in Antiva it's relatively cheap compared to other grains and is a key component in dishes favored by less well off Antivans. Crow Feed is a simple, cheap and delicious dish of rice, butter and onions, named after the Antivan Crows.

Fish Chowder is a classic Antivan dish. It's a thick creamy soup that evokes Antiva City.

Pickpockets seem to be common in Antiva/Antiva City, as Devon includes them alongside corrupt politicians and Antivan leather when referencing Zevran's homesickness for the place and creating an image in the mind's eye of Antiva.

Antivan meals "sure are something to behold". Antivan nobles have decadent, indulgent spreads for dinner involving lots of courses. Such dinners can have ten dishes, full of ingredients like olives, truffles, pasta and cream.

Gnocchi is a filling Antivan dish, with small pieces made of wheat, flour, egg salt and potato. It may be dressed with leeks and rich cheese sauce.

Being bordered by the Rialto Bay to the east, Antiva is mostly populated on the coast. Because of this seafood plays a starring role in Antivan cuisine. The classic Antivan paella exemplifies this, consisting of rice, saffron and a variety of seafood, from whole shrimp to cuttlefish to mussels. It's made in a single pot and the end result is aromatic. It's traditionally cooked in a shallow, wide pan called a paellera (or confusingly, in some parts of Antiva, a paella) but can be prepared in almost any deep skillet. It's best paired with a glass of wine, preferably an Antivan vintage. Josie recommends doing this. :)

Cacio e Pepe is a classic, simple Antivan dish among its rich and poor alike. It's composed of three main ingredients - pasta, cheese and pepper. Despite its simplicity it's hard to make correctly. The sauce has to be smooth, not clumpy, which is a surprisingly difficult task. However the skill of making it can be learned with practise and perseverance. Antivan grandmothers may sternly judge their young family members' attempts at making it correctly, only approving when it's just right.

Treviso is a port city in northern Antiva that was captured and liberated several times during the Qunari Wars and the New Exalted Marches. During the dark times of occupation, food was scarce, and the city residents had to make do with what limited ingredients they had. From their creativity in these times Treviso Energy Balls were born. These combine peanut butter, nuts and dried fruit into a bite-sized treat that contains lots of energy. They are ideal to take with you when hiking.

Antivan Apple Grenade is an Antivan dessert (sweet pastry bundles filled with piping-hot apple) named for resembling the fire grenades used by the Antivan Crows, both in shape and in heat.

Rivain

Rivaini cuisine includes couscous (a sort of pasta made with semolina flour and water, a lot smaller than typical Antivan pasta). Couscous sounds like it is not common or even known at all in the south. It has a mild slightly nutty flavor on its own and excels in soaking up surrounding flavors, making it a great base for salads.

Rice is not seen much outside of Antiva and Rivain.

Chickpeas come from Rivain.

In Rivain, a Goat Custard recipe is very popular as a dessert. The custard is made from goat's milk and studded with roasted figs to add sweetness to the overall richness. Milk from the Ayesleigh gulabi goat is particularly prized by custard connoisseurs in Thedas due to its natural sweetness, which when used in this recipe enhances the sweet flavors.

The classic Rivaini Tea Blend is probably the most famous tea blend in Thedas. It's a mixture of peppermint, lemon verbena, oregano and licorice root. This combination is soothing and said to have healing properties. Celene of Orlais drinks this tea throughout the day to alleviate headaches.

Anderfels

Smoked Ham from the Anderfels doesn't actually taste of despair, contrary to what rumors and the importers say. The Anderfels are largely ill-suited for farming, but pigs do surprisingly well there despite the inhospitable climate. Due to this Anderfels ham is big and is delicious when glazed. Devon favors a glaze made from a combination of apples and apricots. One glaze in particular is made from wildflowers and can turn a smoked ham as hard as jade, rendering it unsuitable for eating.

Seheron

Seheron smells like tea, incense and the sea.

Seheron Fish Pockets are hot due to a combination of spices, but the heat is tempered somewhat by the soft wrap and crisp vegetables. (They are a group favorite food of Bull's Chargers). The fish involved is packed with flavor and the pockets fall apart if eaten haphazardly. Devon learned this recipe from one of Bull's Chargers.

Avvar

The Avvar are gatherers as well as hunters.

When Avvar can't hunt gurguts and wyverns, they go for smaller prey and forage for alternative food items such as snails, which are common on hillside boulders. Snails are an abundant and traditional source of food for the Avvar. When prepared correctly the texture and flavor are good. It sounds like the Avvar usually eat them without accompanying ingredients such as salad. They can be dressed in butter and oil. They aren't common in Lowlander cuisine and many Lowlanders are unconvinced on eating/trying them.

Many Avvar settlements populate the Frostbacks. In spring Avvar begin preparing for the following winter by smoking meat, picking vegetables and drying fruit. Springtime is the gurgut's mating season. At this time especially travelers are advised to keep their distance from gurguts, as they're dangerous.

Lowlander spices are prized among the Avvar and often reserved for feasts as rare delicacies.

The Avvar are generally utilitarian in their cooking methods, with lots of stews. Holds by lakes and rivers have a unique way of cooking fish. Instead of using a pan, the fish is wrapped in pungent leaves and salt then left baking all day over banked coals. Like stews, this method of cooking does not require constant attention. The salt helps keep moisture inside the fish, which turns the flesh creamy and tender. Cracking the salt open is good fun.

Avvar live on whatever they can glean from the land owing to living in the inhospitable Frostbacks. They hunt all kinds of beasts, including harts, rams, lurkers, gurguts and sometimes even wyverns. Wyvern can be delicious but if not prepared correctly are very poisonous. Correct preparation involves following detailed instructions.

Chasind

Chasind love poussin, a good alternative to roast turkey though significantly smaller in size. The Chasind typically cook it in a large pot over an open fire for an extended period of time. A similar effect can be achieved with any other cookware of suitable size and an oven. The secret to tender meat that falls off the bone is marinating and basting it to keep it moist during the cooking process. Devon recommends grilled poussin for more intimate dinner parties with smaller guest lists.

Chasind drink Chasind Wildwine and Chasind Sack Mead. Both are strong, even brutal. The flavor of the sack mead is almost poetic. First there is an overwhelming rush of honey, tinged with the sour-sweetness of apple blossoms, that fills the mouth with all the bright warmth of a summer's day. The initial sweetness then fades and there comes an unexpected bitterness, reminiscent of the slow decay into fall. The drink is therefore like the turning of the seasons in a single cup/sack.

Dalish Elves

Preserved foods play an important role in many different cultures across Thedas, including the Dalish. They help communities weather times of scarcity (e.g. in winter) and allow people to make long journeys away from home.

Dalish hunters take preserved foods such as Spiced Jerky with them on their hunts as provisions so that they can bring back game the clan is depending on. It means they won't be hungry and don't have to be back in time for dinner. Due to how long it lasts, Devon wonders if Spiced Jerky is used in offerings made by certain Dalish to Fen'Harel. His shrines are usually located well outside of Dalish camps, but Devon posits that leaving behind food that would readily spoil would be bad practise, especially given the fact that the prevailing opinion on these shrines is to avoid them.

Dalish make Hearth Cakes as comfort food. They are traditionally made over the hearth on an iron griddle or skillet, hence the name. The original recipe calls for halla butter but other types of butter work just as well. The resulting dough stays moist inside but crisp and flaky on the outside. Hearth Cakes can be made plain or with added dried fruit, such as cranberries, raisins and currants. The Dalish use whatever is on hand.

The Dalish make a warm, gooey, comforting dessert called Dalish Forest Fruit Cobbler using whatever forest fruit is currently in season.

City Elves

In Orlais, City Elves and Dalish eat Peasant Bread, a rustic, hearty type of bread with a straightforward recipe that calls for wheat, salt and grease in nearly equal parts. This produces a biscuit that is good for mopping up last bits of stew and pairing with butter and jam. Devon remarks that the biscuit is reminiscent of Fereldan cuisine.

Lentil Soup is a popular recipe in City Elven alienages.

Orzammar / dwarves

Underground, dwarves raise spiders to eat just as surface folk raise cows and goats (this factoid appearing in the cookbook reinforces or perhaps, more accurately, properly canonizes this aspect of Orzammar/underground dwarven culture, as this was previously only featured in the DA TTRG). Spider legs are fried and served with a sauce containing alcohol. Spider legs are not unlike crab legs in taste. Sourcing spider legs above ground is not easy, and the demand from the surface for this kind of export from underground is minimal.

In dwarven culture sauces are often made with some type of alcohol. The precise kind depends on the establishment in question. The recipes for these sauces are closely-guarded secrets which chefs won’t specify. There are many varieties of these sauces. Orzammar has a fierce competition (to be crowned Orzammar’s Best Sauce) and so dwarves sometimes devise nefarious schemes and plots to acquire the secret sauce recipes. Lichen ale is generally not used in these sauces.

All mushrooms growing underground in caves and the Deep Roads are called "deep mushrooms" but there is no one variety of deep mushroom. There are in fact several. Some are squat, broad and flat-capped, while others are long and spindly, reaching towards the sky like an old man's gnarled fingers. They are used for many things, from making health potions to deadly poisons.

In Orzammar, deep mushrooms are farmed for eating. There they are a delicacy prized for their unique flavor and intoxicating scent. Some dwarves believe that a deep mushroom's proximity to lyrium and darkspawn improves its flavor. Devon, who is almost certainly human, suggests that non-dwarves and Surface dwarves who have lost their lyrium resistance should not eat deep mushrooms that have been in proximity to lyrium.

Dwarves roast cave beetles in their shells. Eaten in this way they are not unlike prawns, being similar in texture and flavor. This aspect of the lore book properly canonizes or reinforces another thing about dwarven underground culture that was previously only featured in the DA TTRPG.

Underground dwarves eat bread made from black lichen. Black lichen is toxic but high temperatures seem to largely neutralize this, making it safe to consume. Surface varieties of lichen can be substituted for the lichen used in making Black Lichen Bread. Any lichen used in making lichen bread needs to be thoroughly dried. Bark can also be used in place of lichen, although this would make the resulting bread more bark bread than lichen bread.

Nugs are edible and a key part of dwarven cuisine. The first dwarf to attempt eating one was called Varen. He did so out of desperation but became a paragon for his culinary discovery. The flavor is like a cross between pork and rabbit. Nugs are very tender, especially when roasted. There are lots of nug-based dishes including Nug Pancakes and nug-gets. For nug pancakes, other meats can be substituted.

Orzammar offers little in the way of choice when it comes to locally-produced foods. However, trade with the surface has ensured that foods from above ground are very popular underground. Jam, especially plum jam, is in especially high demand. It's very expensive there and only the most wealthy and influential Orzammar residents can afford it due to this. Recently Devon encountered a local jam maker in Orzammar who, rather than purchase jams as-is from merchants has opted to import only the individual components, in the hope that by making them themselves, they can sell the product at a much more reasonable price.

Food is easily defined underground; as long as it's edible and capable of being scavenged, it gets eaten. A surface dweller's understanding of "edible" may not align exactly with that of an Orzammar dwarf.

Lichen Ale is the drink of choice among Dust Town dwarves. It is literally toxic. In sufficient quantities it can overpower even the heartiest of dwarven constitutions. Consequently non-dwarves must approach it with caution. Most can tolerate a few sips without issues. Devon devised their own rendition of Lichen Ale using the dwarven recipe as a base, so that non-dwarves can enjoy the look and most of the flavors of the original without fear of poisoning themselves.

Grey Wardens

Grey Wardens undertake exhausting work in poor climates on patrol on the road. As such they need food items more nourishing than handfuls of nuts. On the road they often eat Grey Warden Pastry Pockets, pastries stuffed with meat, potatoes and onion. The original recipe produced a tough pastry to stop it falling apart in their packs. Lately a new variation of the recipe was introduced by new recruits from Orlais, which uses the more delicate Orlesian puff pastry. These newer pastries are delicious hot or cold but can't really be stored anywhere where they may be jostled as they will get mushed, unlike the original version of the recipe, which was tougher so as not to fall apart in packs when on the road.

Characters

When Cullen was experiencing lyrium withdrawals Fereldan members of the Inquisition left a heap of Pickled Eggs in his office, as these are a common Fereldan folk cure for many ailments.

Solas' bald head was at one point compared to an egg by another character.

Seheron Fish Pockets are a group favorite food of Bull's Chargers.

Krem tells an amazing story of a time when he, Bull and five other Chargers defended a village from fifty bandits. When the bandits were defeated and the Chargers went to collect their payment, the villagers paid them with several bags of rice rather than in gold. The Chargers used it to make dishes such as Rice Pudding.

Prince Sebastian Vael has high popularity.

There are rumors of a kind and appearing hero (Diplomatic Hawke).

Cole once evoked the sense of comfort from turnips/Turnip and Mutton Pie felt by Fereldans by throwing a bushel of turnips into a fire, via the smell.

Sera's Yummy Corn recipe is simple, yet strict, with no wraps and no non-yellow corn allowed. The corn should be checked for rot, peeled halfway, washed, cooked, peeled again and eaten. Devon holds that other varieties of corn would work fine too, but when they suggested this to Sera she was so disgusted that they couldn't bring themselves to try it. Devon assures the reader that merchant-bought corn is fine however.

Vivienne's preferred arrangement of Blancmange is a stunning, elegant, pristine white-on-white tableu of white chocolate curls and whole jasmine flowers, served on a dark plate for contrast.

Vivienne starts off her day with a croissant.

Tevinter Pumpkin Bread is one of Dorian's favorite foods. They are wonderful treats with limited ingredients, and can be made in a pan.

The Hero of Ferelden's mabari is very good at finding items. One time he even found a cake of a chocolate cream variety, topped with white frosting and fresh strawberries. Devon's mother nearly lost her mind trying to keep the Hero of Ferelden's mabari out of her larder.

Sugar Cake is a simple, humble cake topped with a sweet mixture of butter, sugar and almonds. Devon purchased one from a surface dwarf merchant who assured them that it would be well-received by any companion. The merchant told Devon that even the Hero of Fereldan purchased a few of these cakes as companion gifts.

Varric can disarm with humor, charm or through his spy network. Peoples' exasperation at his nicknames amuses him. He has a soft spot for the softer heroes, like Merrill, Bethany and Cole.

Cinnamon Rolls are one of Varric's favorite sweets. They are warm, sweet and comforting, perfect for time spent reminiscing.

Varric loves pastries, to the point that he's liable to steal them off windowsills if they have been left there to cool unattended.

Devon had an extensive consultation with Varric in order to put together the recipe for Varric's Favorite Pastries.

Varric loves sweets.

Isabela once played a drinking game where participants drank based on the number of enemies they had. This game killed a man.

Lampreys are one of Thedas' more unique-looking creatures. They have long slender bodies and toothed, suction-cup mouths. They are rare in Thedosian cuisine as they have noxious flavors. Lord Norbert de la Haine, who wanted to conquer the Free Marches, had a peculiar, singular fondness for pickled lampreys.

Iron Bull loves sweets. Hot chocolate is a particular favorite of his, to the point that it's practically a necessity for him. He swears by cocoa powder which is sometimes difficult to find (in the south). He takes his with hot milk and some Orlesian guimauves.

Other / unspecified / general

Preserved foods play an important role in many different cultures across Thedas. They help communities weather times of scarcity (e.g. in winter) and allow people to make long journeys away from home.

Lentil and onions are Thedosian stapes found in every pantry across Thedas. They're relatively inexpensive, keep well for long periods and go with almost anything. They play a supporting role in many dishes.

Fluffy Mackerel Pudding is a unique combination of mackerel, onion, celery and eggs that is strongly associated as a dish with Feast Day, when it is often eaten (as "Feast Day Fish"). There are stories that several decades ago, someone once attempted a diet consisting entirely of this dish.

There is a type of 'blood' soup which is vibrant red due to beetroot. It has a rich, earthy flavor and is topped with roasted chickpeas. This dish could either be one Merrill makes (since "Sera's Yummy Corn" is Sera's recipe, and this is "Merrill's Blood Soup"), or else it's named after her.

Roasted turkey is a dish that is sometimes cooked when having guests over for a dinner party.

Allowing nugs near kitchen pantries and stores is a recipe for disaster. They are voracious omnivores.

Sera's Yummy Corn recipe is simple, yet strict, with no wraps and no non-yellow corn. The corn should be checked for rot, peeled halfway, washed, cooked, peeled again and eaten. Devon holds that other varieties of corn would work fine too, but when they suggested this to Sera she was so disgusted that they couldn't bring themselves to try it. Devon assures the reader that merchant-bought corn is fine however.

Fruit cobbler is also a dessert known/made in other groups in Thedas, not just the Dalish, as Devon's mother baked it for them when they were young. Devon's mother usually made her cobblers with strawberries and rhubarb stems (not leaves, as those are poisonous).

There is a big variety of custards across Thedas.

Cinnamon Rolls are warm, sweet and comforting, perfect for time spent reminiscing.

Sugar Cake is a simple, humble cake topped with a sweet mixture of butter, sugar and almonds. Devon purchased one from a surface dwarf merchant who assured them that it would be well received by any companion. The merchant told Devon that even the Hero of Fereldan purchased a few of these cakes as companion gifts.

The Gilded Horn is a tavern which sells drinks like Hissing Drakes. Hissing Drakes have fiery effects on the stomach such that no sober individual would dare to down more than a single glass at a time. Drinking several in quick succession is quite a feat and formed the basis of a drinking game among some drunk young men that Devon witnessed. The men managed two or three servings before vomiting over the balcony.

There are many ways to dress up a cup of hot chocolate.

Antivan Sip-Sip packs a punch. People who are capable of downing an entire glass are made of quite stern stuff. Devon speculates that it's called a "sip-sip" because each sip of it must be chased by a sip of something else. When Devon tried it, they could scarcely manage more than a small sip at once, even though they also had a big glass of water at the time.

Dragon Piss burns like a dragon's breath both in the glass and going down.

Tea is a nice accompaniment for sweet treats. Tea exists in many blends. Devon likes deciding which biscuit to pair with different blends.

Snails aren't common in Lowlander cuisine and many Lowlanders are unconvinced on eating/trying them.

Nevarran flat bread goes from dough to ready to eat in minutes, contrasting other methods of making bread which involve baking loaves for hours.

Travel by carriage is mentioned.

Despite the name the drink The Golden Nug is pink. Inspiration for the drink was drawn from typical living nugs rather than the golden statues. The drink is made of a base of white Seleney wine sweetened with a splash of West Hill Brandy. This dilutes the color of the pomegranate juice and mulled raspberries into a soft, pinkish hue. The goal is to imitate the color of a typical nug.

Chantry sisters make some marvelous creations, including a spirit used in the making of The Emerald Valley drink which is distilled from over seventy different herbs and flowers. This spirit has a complex, varied flavor bursting with the freshness of a green valley.

Nettles are nutritious and delicious.

Source of the above information: Dragon Age: The Official Cookbook - Tastes of Thedas

If you’re not able to get the book, and there’s a recipe or two in the Contents that you’d like to see/read, let me know and I’ll show you. (❁´◡`❁)

[☕ found this post or blog interesting or useful? my ko-fi is here if you feel inclined. thank you 🙏]

#dragon age #bioware #video games #long post #longpost #ref stuff #alcohol cw #solas #cole #spirit boy #blood cw #alistair theirin #fav warden

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escapistsatellite · 6 months ago

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zoids headcanons

NOTICE: editing this a few times for grammar and to add details that I forgot the 1st time. (⊙_⊙;)

Just some stuff about zoids worldbuilding that I've written odds and ends of on paper but haven't made digital at all yet, but probably should since I'm thinking about it.

"First contact" as it were happened much later, so much of innovation/rediscovery of ancient zoids engineering marvels was accomplished without human intervention.

Organoids: Europan organoids are theropod-like, Delpoian organoids resemble felids and canid, and in fact share common ancestors with Command Wolves and Helcats.

Zoidian diets consist of mainly vegetables, grains, nuts/legumes, and fruits. Proteins are provided by species of arthropods and fishes that are considered unsuitable for adopting as companions. This eventually leads to the development of massive, archology sized farming facilities to keep up with year-around demand. Animal-based dairy products naturally do not exist on Zi, but they do have various analogues to plant-based "milks" that are primarily used as cooking ingredients rather than drank straight.

Zoid reproduction: Their are 2 broad ways that zoids produce young->

1st, the Dinosaurs:

quick recap of canon: all zoids reproduce when they die, which causes embryonic mini-cores to break off of the dead core and move towards water (...somehow...) and once in the water begins to grow into new zoids.

Some of this still applies, but with significant differences: all zoids have a breeding season and dino/dragon type zoids lay their embryonic mini-cores in deposits of mineral rich water containing select vital elements, no death required. In this water they go thru the following growth stages (per the Iron Bible, pt 3):

The adults remain gathered around the area and guard the pool while their young grow. The problem is that after the planets ice age these pools became scarce everywhere but Nyx and deep underground in scattered areas. In fact many species of dino/dragon type zoids have gone extinct in the wild outside of Nyx and depend on Zoidians and their ability to replicate the unique mineral springs to survive.

Beast type zoids: Comprised of mammal and bird zoids, these species essentially reproduce by egg laying. This cuts out the need for mineral springs and the young are quite mobile upon birth, much like ungulates on Earth, and usually develop a full set of teeth and are capable of eating solid foods within 2-3 weeks (until then they eat partially digested food regurgitated by the adults, or a nutrient rich gel excreted by special glands in their caretakers' mouths).

Organoids (both types) reproduce much the same way as beast type zoids.

Domestic Zoids: come in two broad categories.

The machine beasts that we all know and love:

And what I'm tempted to call "bio zoids" for lack of a catchier term:

Zoids that were never fully mechanized, and serve as transport, protection, companionship, etc on a smaller scale than their larger cousins. (Obviously these are the only canon examples available, but the tech for cyborg zoids has gotten more refined than this over time, becoming streamlined, smaller, and in some cases can be removed when not in use and reattached when it's time to get back to work.)

After a few centuries of divergent breeding machine beasts bloodlines naturally produce more massive, energy abundant cores and can no longer reliably produce their own bodies since Zoidians have been doing it for them for so long. (A severe drawback yes, but mechanization gave them 2 brains and they are evolving the ability to use their radios and digital wireless connections to communicate digitally without rider intervention, so...)

Some domestic zoids only exist as fully natural or partially cyborgized forms since their machine bodies have been left behind by modern technology and most of the general populace find more natural zoids easier to care for. Including all of these guys:

are just cyborg animals now.

The beginning point of zoid fuselage development begins with the above and ends with:

The fact that fully natural zoids have all their viscera compressed into a single super-organ means that they have room for much more muscle and connective tissue, so they are much stronger than non-zoid animals of similar size.

COMP Score: COMP is short for "compatibility" or "compliance" score, meaning a zoid's likelihood of accepting a revolving selection riders/pilots; the higher the score, the more likely the zoids will accept guidance from multiple people. The lower the score the harder it will be to find a suitable rider/pilot, and while they don't entirely reject Zoidian authority, but those authorities are never as respected as a truly accepted partner. Zoids are tested to ascertain their individual score, but different species have expected average scores.

This may be a part 1/2 if I end up thinking of anything else.

#Zoids #headcanon #worldbuilding #fanon #if zoids fans even have fanon?#i think the closest thing to a zoids fanon i have seen is everything has telepathy #which is more or less stated in canon #zoids headcanon #anime and manga

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chromaglitchgaming · 1 year ago

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The Traveling Baker’s Otherworldly Pastries TTRPG Supplement

“I’ve traveled across many realms, seeking out curious ingredients for my pastries. The ingredients of this realm helped me cook up some exciting treats. Now I just need a good friend to try them out, and perhaps add a bit more color to each dish.” -The Baker

The Traveling Baker’s Otherworldly Pastries is a supplement for TTRPGS and a coloring book. You’ll find several fantasy pastries with fun effects that you can easily add to most systems.

What you’ll need:

1d6 or a coin

Optional: colored pencils or crayons

This supplement is compatible with SKYREALMS, however, it can be used in other systems such as Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and really any fantasy-based system.

The supplement was made for the Skyrealms Jam on itch.io and features 6 fantasy pastries that can be incorporated into most fantasy settings. Each pastry is also colorable, so let your creative juices flow.

I wanted to make something that was a bit more on the family-friendly side, compared to my other supplements. TTRPGs are a great way to bond with family members of all ages.

#cozy gaming #indie games #ttrpgs #cozy games #dnd #solo ttrpg #ttrpg community #indie ttrpg #ttrpg stuff #tabletop games #roleplaying games #homebrew #skyrealms jam

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astarab1aze · 8 months ago

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➥ Chip on Her Shoulder

⸻Technical Information. // Face, Voice, etc.

01. Faceclaim. Touka Kirishima [ Tokyo Ghoul ] 02. Voice Claim. TBA

⸻Profile Information. // Name, Age, etc.

01. Name. Viresca Lizabeth Mandragora 02. Alias. Viri, Mandragora 03. Sex. Female 04. Gender. Female 05. Age. 21 [ Dependent ] 06. Birth Date. November 17th [ Scorpio ] 07. Blood Type. Sub-type WB- 08. Race. Witch, American ; Irish-Engllish by ethnicity. 09. Marital Status. Single [ Multiship ] 010. Orientation. Heterosexual [ Demiromantic ] 011. Residence. Belle's Hollow, Belle Valley, United States ; Formerly, the Mandragora Estate, Scarcroft, England ; Before that, London, with her parents.

⸻Physical Information. // Body, Equipment, Family, etc.

012. Physical Description. Viresca is 5'4" and her hair is ash brown with some tealy green highlights cut in a chin-length bob with some covering her eye to conceal a scar. Her eyes are gray-green, open, wide, and somewhat gentle despite their relative coldness. There is a scar caused by a blast of cursed magic spidering over the right half of her face, from the crux of her jaw and up to her forehead, twisted and gnarled in shape as if the mark of a painful, failed or insincere curse - magic gone awry due to incompetence. Beyond that, her fingers show a myriad of little scars all over, presumably caused by diligent work in a garden. Beyond this, she is covered head to toe in lightly-pigmented freckling and has a small, light, smudge-like birthmark behind her right ear. She'll casually wear slightly tighter clothes and knee-high leather boots perfect for traveling or adventuring - and she always looks nice. Clean, proper, and not an inch of her skin from the neck down visible in any way. She's altogether rather modest and not necessarily for propriety or dignity's sake. Rather, she gets cold easily (it comes with being a string bean), thus she prefers to wear thicker, heavier cloaks and long-sleeved tops nearly year-round. She tends to wear strictly green, black, teal, and silver/dark gray clothing with extravagant patterns and fabric types, though leather, wool, and satin seem to be staples. It's exceedingly rare for her to wear anything frilly, as she much prefers to appear sharp and sleek - she wants to look like she can walk the walk as much as she can talk the talk. She always wears a set of black gloves as well.

013. Equipment. She keeps an infinite sack full of: Alchemical ingredients, husbandry tools, a pair of singing stones with which she calls her basilisk Gehenna & owl Morrigan, her black marble catalytic wand, an obsidian palmseal, keys to the Mandragora mansion, a palm-sized, tarnished silver traveling mirror, proprietary draught blends, recipes, her blackbound grimoire, and honestly a lot of other things. 014. Occupation. Owner and Proprietor of the Flytrap, an alchemical supply store in Belle's Hollow ; She inherited the shop from her parents, but didn't start running it until after she'd graduated from Belegerande's 015. Job Performance. Well-liked ; Since she keeps the family shop so well-stocked, in terms of quantity, variety, and quality, she's developed a positive reputation and solid place among Valley denizens. 016. Parents. Lutesce Blackwood & Agrivayne Mandragora, both tragically killed in an attempt to protect her from a band of murderous poachers. 017. Siblings. None

⸻Personality Information. // Likes, Strengths, etc.

018. Likes. Fine art, piano music, learning, herbalism, reading (multi-genre, non-specific, just…reading), wandering Belle's Hollow, dragons, watching the town ghosts try to kill each other again, flying, sneaking into places she shouldn't be, Halloween, full moon nights, bloodwine, chatting with Gehenna, exploring, collecting rare materials (ethically), etc. 019. Dislikes. Poachers, spiders, vegetables, most chocolates, moral grandstanding, tomatoes, people who are unkind to knockers and service workers besides, again poachers, undead (including vampires), people who are obsessed with blood status, snow, winter time, tight spaces, pungent smells, sharing, spicy food, sleeping, etc.

020. Alignment. Chaotic Good 021. Positive Traits. Resilient. Resourceful. Persevering. Diligent. Sure-footed. Loyal. Friendly. Generally open-minded. Supportive. Thoughtful. Modest. Respectful. 021. Negative Traits. Detached. Manipulative. Mistrustful. Reckless. Something of an enabler. A little dense. Pessimistic. Lies of omission. Secretive. Some questionable ethics. 022. Goals & Desires. Her goal is to attain as much knowledge and power as possible, put it to practice, and lay waste to the poaching industry as a whole - make it unprofitable and a hundred times as risky. Eventually, she would also like to change public opinion and philosophy regarding magic as a whole in the interest of furthering advancement for nightfolk. She believes nightfolk have stagnated significantly and needs a right kick in the ass to start moving again; If that means challenging popular opinion on divisive matters as magic itself and its practice, then so be it. She also wants to see nightfolk and humans coexist properly, for the secrecy laws to be repealed, as she believes both humans and nightfolk have much to learn from each other by way of practicality and science. She also sees the DRS as a flawed and complacent system in dire need of replacing precisely because of the secrecy laws and strict regulation of magic.

She aspires to become a great woman like her mother, and her goals absolutely include becoming a Sorcier among them. She is also set on mastering the art of transformation, no matter how tedious she's learned the process actually is. Becoming a skilled tamer and herbalist are also on the list (family tradition). Eventually, she would also quite like to start a family, but isn't entirely certain if that is the right choice given that it may conflict with the bulk of her goals.

023. Personality. She has the capability of being quite the spitfire, but a cold fire is more accurate. She is outwardly friendly but incredibly impersonal, tending to keep anyone from getting to know her. This is a defense mechanism she's been making use of so long, she hardly notices it anymore. It's incredibly difficult for her to properly connect to other people, often treating her interactions with other people as transactional; On the flip side, this means she sees them as purposeful and, therefore, not merely a waste of time.

Again, she is quite friendly and always willing to help, but she does not help out for free - she does expect the other end of the bargain to be upheld, which may or may not incidentally deepen a relationship depending on the circumstances. She's quite frank about it, too, but not in an insulting manner - just straightforward, unless she believes her favors will be returned naturally. She's also distrustful of others, beyond her natural defensiveness, and rarely trusts what they might say - a feature of anxiety. Kind words often fall on deaf ears, but so do cruel ones - actions, however, are quite different.

Now, with all the negatives laid out, Viresca is strong-willed, stubborn, and persistent; There is nothing she can't do without a bit of time to figure it out, though she's actually fairly quick-minded. Solving puzzles and riddles, getting creative with her magic and mixing in a bit of practical technique, as well as her combat prowess make her a formidable ally. Should she ever be beaten in a duel, she is graceful in her defeat - that is, she's not a sore loser - and should she win, she accepts victory with the same amount of grace, modest and fair.

She has a passion for learning and trying new things, her nose often buried in an old book or practicing new and old spells. Likewise, the same goes for any number of things. She's quite the quick learner and she often finds enjoyment in all magical things. She is fascinated by the taboo and completely unafraid of bending and breaking the rules to satisfy her curiosity, so forbidden magic is a common thing for her to research.

She doesn't outright hate anything or anyone - indifference is the correct word for her here. She is unflinchingly tough and once she has her heart or mind set on something, she'll never back down. She meets every challenge with the seriousness it deserves. For as tough and cold as she may be, she is surprisingly gentle and even... paradoxically, warm. There is much she doesn't understand, yet she understands more than you might think at first glance. She's patient, deliberate, careful, and tender when it matters the most. Besides, she has a few tells and, if you know where to find them, they can be easily exploited. She doesn't lie, but avoids the truth.

Her impersonality does not reflect on her intelligence. She can quite read a room or pick apart another person's expressions or emotions, but she is not at all liberal with her own. She's prone to nightmares. Occasional night terrors, complete with screaming, but certainly more often sitting bolt upright in the middle of the night in a cold sweat and intense fear of going back to sleep. She feels perpetually unsafe and being haunted by the memory of your parents' murder will do that to you, but this explains a lot. She can sometimes be playful, prideful, sarcastic, and even happy, but she's bottling so much of the pain, grief, fear, and anger inside her. She is tired and has already established herself as a Strong and Capable™️ witch, it would be wrong to shatter that expectation, so she must remain strong, no matter how weak she is in actuality. A vicious cycle, for her. She would loathe for anyone to see her as the broken-hearted, terrified girl she really is.

⸻Sorcery Information. // Element, Talent, etc.

026. Element. Earth, some expertise in Necrotic - moderate control, but especially talented with an array of earth-based magic. 027. Shapeshifting. Scraggly, wiry, gray fox transformation - she has no shifter blood in her, though she has been able to shift into at least an animal ; This was never her wheelhouse, but she was determined to remedy that... 028. Utility. Summoning, curses, dispel, alchemy, binding, telekinesis, clairvoyance, conjuration, husbandry, herbalism, illusions, barriers, growth, and minor healing. 029. Specialization. Fey, Thorn, Floral, Alchemy & Herbalism - each form of specialized earth magic happens to assist in nearly every aspect of running the Flytrap ; Fey magic is extraordinarily difficult to master, especially if the user is not Fey themselves, wild and volatile ; She is particularly adept in alchemy and herbalism in accordance with family tradition. 030. Graduate School. Belegerande’s School for the Arcane, House La Fey - the first of 11 total sorcery-centered schools established in North america in the 1500s; Quite a prestigious institution despite its current reputation. 031. Classification. Herbaflorist - An occupational classification belying talent and specialization in the tending of alchemical ingredients where it pertains to plants ; Herbal & alchemical supply shops require Herbafloral certifications in order to run.

⸻Background Information. // Past to Present. Warning for death, familial abuse, murder, grief, cops, etc.

Her parents, Lutesce Blackwood & Agrivayne Mandragora, were sorciers and this remained true even after she was born. Together, they lived somewhere in London, distant from the city center, comfortable if somewhat lonely. Throughout her childhood, due to how busy they were in their work, the rate in which she saw her parents dwindled to a measly percentage - but when she could be with them, their time together was of utmost quality. She was their focus, the very reason they were sorciers - to make the world a better and safer place for her to live in, where all nightfolk could live without worry. She respected them for it, believed them to be the very best sorcerer and witch in existence, above the Kingmaker and Morgan Le Fay and all others. When they were gone, her grandmother would care for her, but she was neither warm nor particularly caring. Old, wizened by her own experiences, her grandmother was quite strict and oftentimes unfair, and there were times she'd use magic to punish Viresca - nothing so severe she couldn't quickly heal from. Her relationship with her grandmother was contentious and uncomfortable at the best of times, but she persevered, patiently waiting for her parents to return.

Unfortunately, the year she was supposed to finally attend Belegerande's - having finally recieved her summons - she didn't, and her parents... Their final case focused on the investigation of a particularly nasty band of blackwyrm poachers and drug traffickers intent on shoving as many beasts into cages as was magically possible, funneling drugs into the Valley, and killing, torturing, or maiming any who got in their way. Lutesce and Agrivayne had been closing in on them, their investigation coming to a close, but they'd dug too deep and poked the wrong bear. When it was afforded to them, before they were given the final go ahead, they returned home for a weekend in the summer, and they spent time together as a complete family - no work, no cruel grandmother, no grief.

But, in the end, the poachers had found them and took advantage of their vulnerable family life. Her parents ushered her into the cellar and locked the door, calmly commanding her to keep quiet and never to come out no matter what happened. She did, and she listened with horror as her parents fought the poachers, crawling into the darkest corner of the cellar and staring at the door with terror. The fight went on for longer than it should have, and she realized what the end result would be - there were too many voices and not enough of them belonged to her mother and father. As it went on, they came closer to the cellar door and before much longer, she watched as the wood splintered and her father fell to the floor in a broken heap, the faint glow of volatile red magic robbing him of his life. She heard her mother scream, but she was speechless, and so, too, had her body been thrown into the cellar.

The poachers laughed and laughed, mad hyenas the lot of them, taking cruel pleasure in the calculated murder of her parents. She held herself, swallowing the knots in her throat and hot tears in her eyes; She muted every desperate scream, every horrified wail, but she just couldn't help herself. Foolishly, she crawled to them, into the pale moonlight as it struck the stone and her mother's lifeless eyes, and the poachers laughed. They laughed and they laughed and they laughed - and one, the leader of the group, struck her with accursed blood magic. All she knew was soul-rending agony, pain becoming familiar and intimate as her body shook and convulsed on the floor, such permanently scarring her face.

In the aftermath, she wasn't quite the same girl. Not nearly as hopeful, nor optimistic, nor trusting of others. Her grandmother's lack of kindness became a comfort - she knew it, familiar and true, the one thing that hadn't changed since her parents died. Her grandmother never blamed her, however, for what happened to her parents nor to her face. Still, she was unpleasant and cold, and still plenty spry enough to hex her when she felt like it. She taught Viresca all she would need to know in terms of magic, however, never once belittling her for her late-blooming. "You're just like your father. He was a late-bloomer, too," she said, and would remain the only kind thing her grandmother would ever say to her. For three years, she studied and practiced and kept trying until her magic manifested, and in that time, she grew closer to her grandmother. It was strange, but...Viresca left home knowing that she always had a place to even call home, dysfunctional and unwelcoming as it was.

Her grandmother helped her through the process of preparing for her schooling, all the while telling her little stories about her mother and father - when they were attending school, how she hated Lutesce. Viresca thought it amusing, but would take those little stories to her grave if she could. She vowed to use her time at Belegerande's constructively, to learn as much as she possibly could so she might one day put an end to the plague of poachers and foulest nightfolk mages - to make a difference, whatever that difference may be.

She might try to live for them, too.

#➥ Viresca.

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