Dead Sea Almanac - April 24, 2019
Featured Item
Today's featured item is sent to us by the assassin known as Shadow on behalf of the queen of the underdark, who claims our town was instrumental in helping stop a violent killer and insists on developing a partnership between our cities. These slightly magical throwing stars are said to be of great use in the underdark and in all dark places, as well as for combat with the enemies of the crown.
Stats
The Stars of a Cavern are consumable ammunition that look like ordinary throwing stars when inspected, except that they bear the sigil of the Queen of the Underdark. When thrown, the stars function as +1 Darts (see the Player's Handbook) that emit a flash of light when they strike a solid target, followed by a dim glow that slowly fades. When impacting such a target after a throw, the stars shed dim-light in a fifteen-foot radius for one minute, which gradually grows weaker until it fades entirely. If retrieved, the stars continue to function with subsequent throws in the same way they did on the first one. A Cavern Star costs 2 SP and cannot generally be obtained from merchants without access to the Queen's Arsenal.
A Story From the Frontier
Today's story comes to us from the mines to the north of the city. It is said that a strange stone has been unearthed which glimmers as though with the light of a thousand stars, and we would be incredulous had we not seen it with our very own eyes. The stone is of indescribable beauty, and bears the sigil of House Stormhammer, an ancient clan of dwarves from the first millenium of the third age. The discovery of such an artifact sets the stage for deeper exploration of the as-yet-uncharted mines, which go deeper than anyone has ever travelled. What other mysteries could lie within? Could this be a site of long-lost artifacts and ancient power? The duke seeks adventurers to find out.
Wolf's Corner: Exploring the Mines
I had intended to publish an unreleased Fantastic Worlds supplement along with today's story, detailing the exploration of mines and caverns, but unfortunately it seems the source text has been lost to the abyss of time in the year or so since it was written. I have a rough idea of the salient points still floating around in my head, so I may rewrite them in an upcoming supplement - perhaps even one that focuses on the mines of Eastbrook in particular.
In Other News
- A flying horse has been seen in the skies over local farmland.
- A rowboat with a dehydrated and exhausted man inside washed into port late last night.
Wednesday Delights
Today, I travel to the realm of the Dragonborn Tribes - the folk that belong to the Eternal Empire but who consider themselves independent and call themselves Highlanders on account of the rolling hills they inhabit.
| 1d6 | Highlander Delicacy |
|---|---|
| 1 | Biscuits and Gravy |
| 2 | Haggis |
| 3 | Karafe |
| 4 | Pickled Eyeballs |
| 5 | Mutton and Gravy |
| 6 | Korspesis |
Biscuits and Gravy
This dish consists of a hard-tack biscuit combined with gravy made from mutton and goat sausage and drippings, and it is most especially delicious. The dragonborn serve it for breakfast as well as for other meals, and eat of it frequently when on the road.
Haggis
This dish even I found to be... adventurous, much to the amusement of my dragonborn hosts. They cut up the organs of a sheep and mix it with gruel, then stuff the mixture into a stomach and cook it wholesale.
Karafe
This beverage is made with the finest Kaffe from Sariland and the worst rum from the Forbidden Isles. Guaranteed to wake the dead from their morning stupor, it leaves a peculiar burning sensation in the mouth and throat that spreads up into the nose and is most unpleasant.
Pickled Eyeballs
These delicacies are considered exquisite snacks by the dragonborn, who invest great effort in preparing batches of them in barrels of specially-made brine which are kept around for the purpose. A good batch can take months to pickle, though I'm not sure what the appeal is.
Mutton and Gravy
This is the most delicious of the dishes that I sampled this week, and it is often served with the next in this list at great feast halls for which the Highlanders are famous. The mutton is roasted slowly over a fire by a shirtless dragonborn, who requires constant attention from servants in order not to faint from excessive heat, and is then served in a gravy of the drippings.
Korspesis
This dish resembles our more mundane mashed potatoes; the potatoes are mashed, mixed with butter, and then stirred in with roasted mixed vegetables such as carrots and sweet peppers; the whole is then topped with red pepper flakes and cheese, and the concotion simply melts in the mouth and is most delicious.