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Bladewind
Master of Realmslore
Netherlands
1280 Posts |
 Posted - 30 May 2013 : 15:28:29
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Seeing as trade plays such an important role in Faerun I thought it would be prudent to try to see what 'trademarked' goods can be linked to or associated with wich mercantile empires.
Just as wines are most likely to be compared to french standards, or tea is linked to english, arabian or asian cuisines, faerunian goods are just as {if not even more so) linked to the locales they originate from and/or are heavily used.
An example of the top of my head is the strong liquor Dragon's Breath, made in Hillsfar in the Moonsea area. I think the Zhentilar would be the prime candidate for transporting it to the south and west. Zhent mercs are then likely to carry a flagon of Dragon's Breath during winter marches. Observant (or paranoid) people would even associate a dragon breath drinker at a mead hall with a zhentilar affiliation. Some truly riled up people could even go so far as to empty all dragon's breath flagons as a sign of resistance against Zhent forces...
What faerunian consumer goods would you use to indicate a villain is from the Shade Enclave? What is the favorite drink amongst the Arcane Brotherhood? What does a typical harper spy order in a bar (shaken not stirred)? Any cool suggestions?
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hashimashadoo
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1155 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2013 : 15:43:59
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This is a toughie. Your best bet would be to check out the Volo's Guide books for answers to these questions but a couple of things come to mind off the top of my head.
Suzale is too popular in the wider Realms to still be regarded as Cormyrean but Utterdark was a red wine brewed exclusively in Cormyr. It is a VERY acquired taste so you'd most likely only see Cormytes drinking the stuff. There was a market for it in Waterdeep but only because it was used to hide the taste of spoiled food. Arrhenish would identify anyone ENJOYING it to be from the Cormyrean royal court as everyone outside of there treated it like swill.
Coffee is rare outside of Zakhara but carries an important cultural significance there.
Manycherries is a wine associated with Waterdhavian nobles.
And of course Jhuild was enjoyed by the Rashemi. I believe the stuff available outside Rashemen wasn't a patch on the real thing so if you could get your hands on the real stuff and give it to someone without them choking, then you could bet that they were from Rashemen. |
When life turns it's back on you...sneak attack for extra damage.
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Bladewind
Master of Realmslore
Netherlands
1280 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2013 : 16:06:32
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The shores of Var the Golden are covered in wheat, so I suspect a clear ale to be served during night times in the numerous inns in their port cities, like Vaelen. I once had a character from there, who grinded his own coffee beans on adventures. I could have played up the part that the beans were of a zahkaran bean strain.
Is there a northern locale that has adopted a liking to a more southern consumer good, like how the english have adopted drinking tea? Did the Tuigan 'butter tea' catch the fancy of Azoun IV, and are his supporters amongst cormyrean locals increasingly seen sipping it at fashinable parties? |
My campaign sketches
Druidic Groves
Creature Feature: Giant Spiders |
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hashimashadoo
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1155 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2013 : 16:17:34
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Herbal teas have been around all over Faerūn in some form or another forever, but more recently, true tea (made from tea plants) has started being imported from Shou Lung. Since it's available from Aurora's Emporium, it hasn't become particularly popular in any one place.
As an aside, coffee is also grown in Durpar, but it doesn't carry the cultural significance there that Zakharan coffee does. |
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Edited by - hashimashadoo on 30 May 2013 16:18:12 |
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Sightless
Senior Scribe
USA
608 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2013 : 18:49:01
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| This is completely NC, but Ashanaka, or dried Ashen scales, is a dried plant smoked mostly by scholars and priests among the Orcs of the Kingdom of many arrows, it is the result of several different cross strands of pipe weed. The other is a strong tea, called by most Northerners as tuskers brew, called summers breath, which tastes terable to most folks, but is garrented to keep you awake. This is both stuff from my Kingdom of many Arrows notes, that I can remember. |
We choose to live a lie, when we see with, & not through the eye.
Every decision, no matter the evidence, is a leap of faith; if it were not, then it wouldn't be a choice at all. |
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hashimashadoo
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1155 Posts |
Posted - 30 May 2013 : 19:26:50
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| Oh and during the period between the discovery of Maztica in 1361 and the Spellplague in 1385, there was great demand for Maztican produce such as tabacco (smoked as cigars which you can't do with pipe weed. Note that it isn't spelled 'tobacco'), tomatoes (dried only - fresh toms wouldn't survive the trip back to Faerūn) and chilis (which were much stronger than faerūnian peppers). |
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Goods and factions
