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Herkles
Seeker
82 Posts |
 Posted - 18 Aug 2009 : 20:37:54
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Greetings sages of Candlekeep,
I have been wondering about food and drinks in the world below Toril, aka the Underdark. So I am wondering what is the food and drinks that the drow would drink, but I am also curious about the deep gnomes and the duergar.
Thanks for any help that can be offered.
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Kilvan
Senior Scribe
Canada
894 Posts |
Posted - 18 Aug 2009 : 21:08:58
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| On the top of my head, I'd say rothé (those who live underground) and fungus. IIRC Menzoberanzan has an island where goblin slaves breed and harvest both. |
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Tyr
Learned Scribe
225 Posts |
Posted - 18 Aug 2009 : 21:13:19
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| yeah, and I believe it also mentions in some of the novels that merchants do import food and drinks from above, probably mostly for the drow nobles. |
Edited by - Tyr on 18 Aug 2009 21:13:42 |
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Kiaransalyn
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
762 Posts |
Posted - 18 Aug 2009 : 22:15:58
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quote:
Originally posted by Herkles
Greetings sages of Candlekeep,
I have been wondering about food and drinks in the world below Toril, aka the Underdark. So I am wondering what is the food and drinks that the drow would drink, but I am also curious about the deep gnomes and the duergar.
Thanks for any help that can be offered.
With the drow, and Menzoberranzan in particular, I always figured that most of the Houses ate what they liked since they had enough high level casters who could cast Genesis and make a demi-plane that they could subsequently convert into use as a farm. Of course, another major source of food and drink would be the Bazaar.
Commoners in the Underdark probably scratch by on water, fungi and rothe, but those who can afford it would go to the Bazaar for whatever was in stock/season. |
Death is Life
Love is Hate
Revenge is Forgiveness
Ken: You from the States?
Jimmy: Yeah. But don't hold it against me.
Ken: I'll try not to... Just try not to say anything too loud or crass. |
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Hoondatha
Great Reader
USA
2449 Posts |
Posted - 18 Aug 2009 : 22:31:33
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Ed actually had a rather lengthy reply about the diets of elves and dwarves back in 2005. Here's what he had to say about dwarves, which likely also applies in many ways to deep gnomes and duergar.
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May 28, 2005: Hello again, fellow scribes. Ed tackles dwarves and their feeding for Phoebus, this time: Hi, again, Phoebus. Okay, dwarves... Dwarves (and gnomes, too) are great fisherfolk, of the 'weir and trap' method more than the hook-and-line or spear technique. They're also great hunters (of the 'herd prey over a killing cliff-fall, and then make a stew, carrying off marrow bones for use as trail food' sort), AND also great ranchers and farmers. Ranchers and farmers? Yes, ranching rothe, wild boar, and other beasts with edible flesh and usable hides, that can be introduced into confined ravines and steep-sided, 'prison' mountain valleys. Like farmers, allow the growing herds to graze a valley bare, harvesting individual beasts as needed for food. At season end, keep just a few to regenerate the herd and move them to a second valley (or into mountain caverns for warmth and survival, if need be), and harvest the rest, leaving the first valley to regenerate edible plants. Yes, farming edible cave and subterranean fungi. THIS is the 'neglected secret' of many dwarf and gnome diets: the near-surface Underdark in particular, but all depths of it to some extent, are home to a great variety of fast-growing fungi that can be sliced thin and fried, stewed, boiled to yield glues and teas and gravies, and that give dwarves (again, like elves, possessing metabolisms and chemical internal needs slightly different than those of humans, though they 'work the same way') all the nourishment they need, and a wide variety of tastes and textures [mushroom bread, anyone?]. This food source is self-regenerating unless fire is carefully and persistently used for eradication; think of real-life mildew that keeps coming back in the same spots. Many southern and eastern gold dwarf tribes do breed, control, and harvest herds of grazing animals, and many cave-dwelling dwarves dine on bats, spiders, and various worms as delicacies. So except in the hearts of frozen glaciers, food's never as scarce as one might think. Dwarves are fierce, daring, and competent hunters (and train their young continuously to replace their elders as such), but they are also patient and persistent gatherers and foragers, who'll happily eat things many humans wouldn't consider food, or would shudder and turn away from as 'emergency edibles only' (maggots, leeches, eels, gnawing worms). However, you're quite right: with so much trade-metal and gems to barter with, "most food the Dwarves get comes from trading (selling metalworks, weapons, armor, jewelry, etc., for foodstuffs, linen, etc)." Just like the elves, they enjoy the variety and the freedom (in terms of time not lost to foraging activities) buying food wins them. (Dwarves and gnomes distill potent vintages from Underdark materials such as molds, as well as enjoying human- or halfling-crafted beer and strong drink.) It should be noted here that dwarves and gnomes have very strong digestive systems and tolerances for 'slightly off' tainted food and for strong or foul-tasting or highly-spiced food and drink. They also have the capacity to gorge themselves (become sluggish but not nauseated) incredibly when food is available (so that a dwarf who has six oxen to eat, raw or cooked, plus the expectation that food will later be very scarce, could settle down and stolidly and patiently eat most of those six beasts by himself, before lurching waddling on about his business. Most dwarves and gnomes smoke fish and meat into dried, hard-to-human-jaws forms for trail use, and season such 'hardscraw' to taste, taking pride in getting 'strong-but-just-right' flavours in their scraw. |
Doggedly converting 3e back to what D&D should be...
Sigh... And now 4e as well. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 19 Aug 2009 : 01:13:13
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It really depends on how the tavern/inn itself is regarded, its main clientele, how well or how poorly the establishment is maintained by the owner, its location, and the type of meals and drinks they serve.
For example, the Great Elixir in Sshamath is rated "excellent" which is likely partly due to the fact that the tavern itself provides patrons with a wide selection of beverages and its bartenders are capable of producing any alcoholic drink served anywhere in the Realms Above or in the Underdark.
Whereas the Lizard's Kiss in Ched Nasad is rated as "poor" which likely reflects the fact that the inn caters mostly to duergar patrons and thus, has a menu that appeals mostly to the gray dwarves. The inn is also said to be frequently affected by dampness and overgrown with mold.
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
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Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 19 Aug 2009 : 01:16:18
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Oh, and two specific Underdark beverages off the top of my head:-
Glowwine -- which is the house specialty in the Glowing Goblet. 'Tis an amber vintage that glows with faerie fire for approx. an hour or more if the wine is stirred with a dweomered item, like a magical dagger or a wand for example.
And my current favourite...
The "Great Elixir." It's actually just a cloudy liquid of guano-tainted materials that the patrons of the Great Elixir tavern [that I mentioned above] try to sell to gullible visitors as a drink with magical properties. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Herkles
Seeker
82 Posts |
Posted - 20 Aug 2009 : 11:49:09
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oh this is nice info thanks everyone, if there is anymore lore on foods and drinks of the underdark that would be great :)
Sage, I do have a question though. Where was the last bit of information from, the one about the two inns and the two drinks from? I am not sure which source book held that information. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
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Underdark foods and drinks
