Greetings, very luck you all are to be able to listen to me speak. I envy you, I wish I could sit there and do nothing and listen to me speak. But I cannot, because that is not my place.
Today we talk of Forest Gnome ecology yes? Right? Ok, then that is what we talk about. Not so much what the Forest Gnome eats, but how it goes about eating anything at all yes? Very important topic if you do not wish to starve to death. Long have we said, and still say, the blood will show, this is true of all aspects of life and it is true of ecology of Forest Gnome. The Greengair does not eat the same things as the Basingstoke, but from one source we all came thanks to Imaera’s curse that killed most of us, blessed is Imaera, and brought us to the brink of death, may her gaze not fall on you.
It is important to realize that while we do not have cities, not even fancy magical horrors like the sylvan grow, we do have tradesman. Not every gnome hunts and forages, many are known for the work with the needle or for the ability to preserve and smoke meats. In this we are masters without equal in all of elanthia, the Halfling may make sweeter jams and the dwarf may make more alcoholic ale but no one makes longer lasting foods, without the aid of magic, than the forest gnomes. Pickled meats, smoked meats, preserves, jams, relishes, pickled cabbage, roasted nuts, spiced meats that are dried, all of this we make so that what we catch in the hunt can last us on our travels and into the darkness of winter.
Of course, life would be sad if one is forced to eat smoked meat all the time. Fresh is how we eat most things! Basingstoke slash and burn down small areas around the Basingstoke camp and grow crops, for grains, and hunt the local game to make wondrous stuffed meats. Greengair, those sylvan loving oddities, are somewhat redeemed by the unique and wonderful creations they make out of local fauna. One might think the Felcour eat nothing but rare meat but in truth they have spent too much time watching the pompous elves of Ta’vaalar to settle for just that, they often make imitation elven dishes….to go with the almost raw meat. Wendwillow’s eat a large variety of things based on where they travel, but if I may so we make the best fish and whatever we make will have more ingredients and seasoning from further away than any other Blood Line. Rosengift? Don’t eat anything they give you. You will live longer…ok the Rosengift makes very good things, lots of hot spices, lots of foods and flavors that you will not find in any hall, elf or human or dwarf, but they also make lots of poisons and sometimes they make both out of the same thing so it is safer not to eat anything if you ask me.
For drinks we have the water….ok also we have the other drinks and in this there is more similarity in the blood lines and some differences. Tea is common amongst all the blood lines, even the V’tull worshipping Felcour drink tea I think, though we do not often grow fields of leaves like the humans and elves but make it from known plants we find in our travels. The Basingstoke will sometimes make the brandy, as they are in one spot long enough to do so. Everyone will make the mead, though the Wendwillows only make small batches that ferment in portable leather skins or trade with the other bloodlines they come across. Greengairs make wine and tea, but no one else cares. Rosengift…well is best you never drink anything made by them and you will live longer. In truth our drinks are good and natural, but they are not as strong as dwarven drinks and even some Basingstoke’s will admit the Winedotter Burghals have the advantage here when it comes to fermented drinks...but not food! Winedotter couldn’t make sauerkraut for all the elven praise in the nations.
What? Angstholm? There is no such thing…go away now.
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OOC: One day we will have a verb and that verb will be fidget and it will be good.
