Sadly, that file seems to only be openable in Neverwinter Nights, which I don't have access to.
Does anyone have that list (or similar) in another format? Please o please?
Do you have a copy of that file? I happen to have Neverwinter Nights installed on my computer, the first one anyway. Not sure how you would go about opening a file in the game though.
red wine
ale
beer
white bread
cheddar cheese
beef stew
And that's it. Every city is the same, only the above is available. See, the designers felt that there were too many options, many of them confusing, so they cut down the list to make everything simpler.
Post-spellplague, all Forgotten Realms inns and taverns serve only the following:
red wine
ale
beer
white bread
cheddar cheese
beef stew
And that's it. Every city is the same, only the above is available. See, the designers felt that there were too many options, many of them confusing, so they cut down the list to make everything
I'd say youve been going to all the wrong taverns!
Not sure were youre getting your information from, but you are wrong. Taverns and Inns across the Realms each serve a variety of things. Nowhere in the CG does it say that those are the only things you would find at an inn or taveren. It has been said that if they havnt said that something has been destroyed or altered, then we are to assume that its still there, so all those listings of ales, wine, etc. for Volo's guide, and Aurora's Whole Realms cataloge still apply. Also some of the LFR adventures give a sampling of what the local tavern/inn offer, and those are considered canon, so by canon theres a lot more variation than just simply red wine, ale, beer.
What joke?
This thread is made almost purely of win. It would be 100% win, if not for a few posts where it was veering towards an edition war.
Having an opinion, and pointing out the negative effects of the spellplague hardly qualify as edition war. It's not like I invented the spellplague.
Yeah, Im not tryying to devolve things into an editon war. Jorunhast has made his opinion very clear on the matter, but I still think its funny that hes the one that brought up the whole "Spellplague" thing! But he did offer up some serious thoughts on the discusion (except his first post in the thread), yeah the "Plague" would have definitely shook things up and many of these brews are probably no longer around or vastly altered.
How about less of a focus on me, and a return to discussion of ideas? Don't take my opinion of the 4E Realms so personally.
I meantioned Aglarondan firewine, but I cant find it now, I could of sworn I seen that but Icant find it now, I either saw Rashemi Firewine, and thought Aglarondan Firewine, or maybe it was Bloodwine and I read it as Firewine. Any way I found more info on Bloodwine in Aurora's.:
Blood wine, a product of Aglarond, has a heavy body and deep-red tone. The taste is lush and full, with a slight afterbite, The wine comes from a shriveled variety of grape that grows on twisted vines, grapes said to be possessed by the dead who enacted petty cruelties upon others while they lived. Blood wine has a distinctly heavy flavor. Hand keg: 15sp; Cask:4gp; barrel:10gp; butt:30gp; tun: 70gp.
Fire wine is mentioned as well. Not sure if its the same as Rahemen fire wine.:
Fire Wine: This thick, dark, almost black wine made in the Old Empires is named for the fire it creates in one's belly. Fire wine is an extremely strong and spicy wine, reputed to have medicinal qualities. Hand keg:38cp; cask:18sp; barrel:46sp; but:15gp; tun:38gp.
Also of note:
Golden Sands Brews: Southeren brews, including these Calishite beers, are rare, interesting, and lighter drinks called lager. They are lighter in taste, color, and weight and have more effervescense. Golden Sands brews come in varying types, each with different additives to alter the taste of the base lager. The following are the variants of this Calimport brew:
Golden Sands Basic: Unadulterated lager with no added flavorings after brewing. It has a pale yellow color, white foam, and light bubbles.
Golden Sands Gold: The basic brew specially fortified with extracts from cacti and nettles, giving the beer a sharp, more bitter aftertaste and its deeper golden color.
Golden Sands Orange: Braced with flavor of orange and currant, this unique lager has an acidic aftertaste, but is sweeter than the basic lager.
Hand keg: 2sp; cask:1gp; barrel:25sp; butt:8gp; tun:16gp.
Other common drinks available in the Realms:
Clarry: A blend of table wines sweetened with honey and spices, pink Clarry is a treat for any special occasion. Hand keg: 4sp; cask: 2gp; barrel: 5gp; butt: 14gp; tun: 35gp
Mead: A delicate, slightly sweet wine made from honey, slow to ferment and in scarce supply compared to grape wines or those of other fruits. Mead-making is an art, and the vintner must be careful to neither over-yeast his mead, making for a foul taste, nor allow it to grow too hot or cold, killing the yeast and forestalling proper fermentation. The Mead offered by Aurora is the finest found in the Northlands, as the honey comes from the fantastic honey bees that inhabit the gardens in Neverwinter. Hand keg: 25sp; cask: 6gp; barrel: 20gp; butt: 48gp.
Spiced Wine:Is a taste treat and a sovereign remedy for many ailments, including nausea, cough, and huskiness of the throat. Raisin, cinnamon, fennel, anise, nutmeg, and clove varites are common. Aurora's offers the best spiced wine from Calimshan and Tethyr. Raisin, fennel, cinnamon: Hand keg: 4sp; cask: 2gp; barrel: 5gp.
Anise, nutmeg: Hand keg: 5sp; cask: 25sp; barrel: 6gp
Clove: Hand keg: 6sp; cask: 3gp; barrel: 7gp.
Table Wine: Red or white, varies in quality by region, and nature of local suppliers.
Hand keg: 3sp; cask: 12sp; barrel: 25sp; butt: 8gp; tun: 20.gp
As an aside, on one of her rare occassions taking on DMing, my wife came up with Thayvian Spring Wine, which she described as tasting Green, like one would imagine Spring to taste if it had a flavor. Was a great favorite of druids and rangers until they found out where it came from... think she just put it out there to screw with everyone's perceptions of Thay.
Thought it was Thayvian Firewine... I seem to recall them having several unique potables native to Thay. Might have been Spellbound I read that in, as I don't recall Unapproachable East being all that informative, comparatively... presuming I'm not imagining.
As an aside, on one of her rare occassions taking on DMing, my wife came up with Thayvian Spring Wine, which she described as tasting Green, like one would imagine Spring to taste if it had a flavor. Was a great favorite of druids and rangers until they found out where it came from... think she just put it out there to screw with everyone's perceptions of Thay.
I was going to ask about Thay, I seem to remember a few strong Thayan drinks, one of them being Thayan Firewine or maybe it was Firewater. I cant find anything now that I'm actively looking for it. It may be in Spellbound, I dont have a copy of that one, but I just recently saw it on Ebay and put a bid on it, hopefully I'll be getting it soon. I do have the older Thay source book, Dreams of the Red Wizards? or something like that, I'll look through it later on. Seems like I remember a Firewine bridge or something like that in Thay where this stuff was produced.
Dragondew from Death of the Dragon. AzounIV enjoyed it...
Sounds interesting. Got any more info on it? Description, taste, is it an ale, a wine? liquor? And does he like it better than a frothy Suzale?
I was going to ask about Thay, I seem to remember a few strong Thayan drinks, one of them being Thayan Firewine or maybe it was Firewater. I cant find anything now that I'm actively looking for it. It may be in Spellbound, I dont have a copy of that one, but I just recently saw it on Ebay and put a bid on it, hopefully I'll be getting it soon. I do have the older Thay source book, Dreans of the Red Wizards? or something like that, I'll look through it later on. Seems like I remember a Firewine bridge or something like that in Thay where this stuff was produced.
You may be thinking of the Rashemen drink "jhuild" (firewine) that warriors drink heavily before battles. It's a strong amber color, and it decreases pain while increasing aggression and lust. Lucky traders can obtain casks and sell it in the west for a lot of gold. And you're correct, it is detailed in Dreams of the Red Wizards.
Tashlutan amberthroat. 9 gp/glass
Tashlutan dragonstongue 20 gp/glass
Almond brandy from Moonshae 7cp/glass, 1sp/bottle
Almond Brandy from Mintarn 6 cp/glass, 1sp/bottle
Firewine 1 gp/glass, 9 gp/bottle
Elverquisst 4 gp/glass, 20 gp/bottle - ruby red in color, taste unknown
Fiery blackthroat from Lantan
Tethyrian distilled dragonsblood, very rare due to local unrest 33gp/bottle
Neverwinter black icewine, 7 sp/bottle
Best Old Mintarn whisky, 1 gp/bottle
Wyvern Whisky, 2 gp/bottle (made in Nimbral - a wyvern's scale floats in every bottle
All these drinks are served at The Elfstone Tavern, and are suggested to be of elven make:
Evereskan clearwater 2 gp/tallglass)
moonwine (4 gp/tallglass)
elverquisst (14 gp/tallglass)
guldathen nectar (16 gp/glass)
maerlathen blue wine (17 gp/glass
Found listed as "exotic drinkables"
elverquisst, dragonstongue, firewine, and Fires of Mirabar whiskey
The House of Good Spirits, both an inn and winery, "can be found from afar by following the strong almond scent of the zzar made there."
Zzar is a sherry, made from fortifying Sluth with almond liqueur. Sluth is a dry, sparkling white wine.
At the House of Good Spirits, Sluth is 2cp/bottle, zzar is 6sp/bottle, but in general prices seem higher elsewhere.
"the best" (as opposed to the bad stuff; not it's name) firebelly whiskey up to 14 gp/glass
Neverwinter Nectar, sweet but otherwise no info
At the Jade dancer:
glowing amber dwarven thorl beldarakul (Old Trickster)
cool, minty green shondath icewine (favored by some elves and halflings)
Al & Tal's Slurp Syrup (well-spiked cherry syrup)
Fool's Thirst-Quencher (a mix of six beers and winter wine)
The Old Xoblob Shop (a curio shop) owned by Dandulus, makes it's own wine, sold for 2 sp/glass or 1 gp/bottle. No name - I might name it Old Xoblob Greenwine, and Volo says it's worth 10 times the price and is among the best wines he's ever tasted.
Other products:
Nightcap mushrooms - found only in the Realms, but no description
Exotic perfumes and scents-
ashes of burnt snowsnake
the musk of the female giant slug
(hopefully neither are sold under those names)
Types of fish - silverfin, longfin and firefin
And I think I was thinking of Fireberry wine, but now that I think about it I dont think it was in Thay, I think it was up North somewhere. Of course I cant find any reference to that either.
I'm really loving the information in this thread, and I'd love to see similar information of non-alcoholic varieties. I don't want to derail this thread, though.
Admittedly, half my motivation for wondering about foods of the FR is to figure out whether my half-orc character that grew up along the River Tesh, lived most of his adult years in Westgate, then migrated to Waterdeep to live for a couple years, could have had any significant exposure to bacon. Clearly, such a detail is paramount to the character's portrayal and development.
Would it be worth starting another thread regarding foods and regional dishes of the FR?
I'm really loving the information in this thread, and I'd love to see similar information of non-alcoholic varieties. I don't want to derail this thread, though.
Admittedly, half my motivation for wondering about foods of the FR is to figure out whether my half-orc character that grew up along the River Tesh, lived most of his adult years in Westgate, then migrated to Waterdeep to live for a couple years, could have had any significant exposure to bacon. Clearly, such a detail is paramount to the character's portrayal and development.
I'd be perfectly happy with folks adding other foods and regional dishes here, or creating another thread, whichever you think is best. I noted cheeses in the title as well, because I was thinking along the lines of Realms-specific foods in general, but originally had a file on wines/ales (that I still can't open) and those references seem to be more common.
If you've noted, we've talked about mushrooms, fish, tomatoes and more in this thread already, so adding in more food certainly can't hurt.
As to bacon (bacon bacon BACON!!! - yum!), I'm rather sure I've noticed numerous mention of pigs and pig farming, pork and bacon in my Realms reading, and I find little reason your character couldn't have been exposed to bacon. (Granted I haven't been making especial note of "ordinary" barnyard critters.) Bacon would come from wild hogs as well as domesticated pigs, so your half-orc might have enjoyed bacon from them as well. Hmm, just checked, and Volo's guide to the Dalelands has mention of both pork and bacon, so it's probably pretty common.
Anyway back on the subject of coffee i came across a reply from Ed o' the Greenwood on this very subject over at Candlekeep.:
" Yes, coffee is known in the Realms (usually as "kaeth"), but (aside from in the most cosmopolitan ports, like Waterdeep, Athkatla, and Westgate) it's rare north of Calimshan and the southern Vilhon shores.
Its major sources are south and east of Durpar, about halfway up the east side of Anauroch, and overseas to the west (Maztica).
Sacks of beans from overseas are brought in to Baldur's Gate and there trans-shipped elsewhere, mainly south to Calimshan and the Tashalar. These beans are large, soft (crumbly), and reddish-brown.
The Bedine of Anauroch call coffee "qahwa" or just "qaw") and trade little in it, these days (post-reappearance of Shade; the surviving Bedine consume almost all of their qaw themselves). Through the D'Tarig, a tiny trickle of Bedine beans formerly reached Zhentil Keep, and thence Hillsfar and Sembia. This source is now EXTREMELY unreliable and paltry, though wealthy Sembian coffee-drinkers have bid the price up high. Anauran beans are small, hard, and such a dark brown that they look black.
The beans from beyond Durpar are usually known as "Thondur's" after a now-deceased trader who for a time controlled the entire trade in coffee reaching Calimshan, the Tashalar, and the Vilhon. Thondur amassed a staggering fortune, much of which has never been found (thanks to his habit of establishing literally hundreds of secret caches, all over Faerûn) after he was publicly torn apart by a "pet" dragon some sixty years ago. The beans are now more plentiful and cheaper (thanks to the shattering of his monopoly), and form the bulk of the supply enjoyed in southern lands of the Realms. Thondur's beans are large, have a pronounced cleft or depressed line running their length (making them somewhat like cowrie shells in shape), and have a bluish tint to their chestnut brown colour.
Although the coffees available in the Realms vary from place to place with the precise species of trees, they're all derived the same way: the stunted mountainside coffee trees yielding beans that are dried in the sun (usually on rocks), sewn into sacks, and shipped long distances to consumers who grind the beans just before brewing. The sacks of beans are put into coffin-like (and battered, because they're re-used over and over) crates for wagon-travel or barge trips, and the sacks are tossed loose into ship hulls, so they can be arranged evenly (as stable ballast).
It should be noted that coffee is drunk black in Calimshan and the Tashalar (its taste often altered with dried, ground nuts and roots, even "dusts" as strong as ginger), but in Sembia is usually mixed with melted chocolate and/or "cordials" (liqueurs).
Cider mugs are usually used for coffee-drinking in northerly places, but in the south small palm-sized bowls with outflaring tops and 'drinking spouts' (looking rather like a small real-life china Victorian cream jug, only one drinks coffee from the narrow shovel-spout rather than pouring the cream out of it) are favoured. These are known formally as "kavvar" or colloquially as just "cups," and coffee is usually formally called "kaeth" and colloquially known as "fireswallow." Bad coffee will be described with any handy oath in northern lands, but in the South there's a word for crappy coffee: "ortulag" ("OR-tul-lag"), which derives from a now-defunct dialect word meaning 'warmed-over chamberpot rinse.' "
As to bacon (bacon bacon BACON!!! - yum!), I'm rather sure I've noticed numerous mention of pigs and pig farming, pork and bacon in my Realms reading, and I find little reason your character couldn't have been exposed to bacon. (Granted I haven't been making especial note of "ordinary" barnyard critters.) Bacon would come from wild hogs as well as domesticated pigs, so your half-orc might have enjoyed bacon from them as well. Hmm, just checked, and Volo's guide to the Dalelands has mention of both pork and bacon, so it's probably pretty common.
Yep, totally agree, bacon (and pork generally) would be available in most every city of the Realms, both eastern and western. Very common. And they'd probably dry or salt it for trade (especially long trade routes), just like we do.
Naerian Tilthar, owner and innkeeper of the Blue Fire Inn, has kept a special family secret for all of his life. Descended from a rapscallion (and constantly drunk) minor noble who lived through the spellplague, he inherited a small cache of gems, a few deeds to very small and unimportant properties, and a pair of magical wine casks that were permanently affected by spellplague energy. These last two items his family has kept secret, known only to those closest in his immediate family, as they have been essential to their success. Originally spelled to prevent any problems with the wine they held, these casks soaked in a massive amount of spellplague energy which has had a number of interesting after-effects. They are now "ever-full" casks of extremely high-quality aged wine, the casks themselves do not suffer the effects of age or wear, and the wine itself has taken on a remarkable bluish-purple color. When served in glasses, blue fire playfully dances across the surface. Drinking it, the imbiber is often taken aback by the rich, complex, fruity tones and the "zing" that comes to the tongue slightly afterwards. Drinking to intoxication can happen quite quickly, as it is nearly 25% alcohol. This has become a featured wine at the Blue Fire Inn, unique and well-loved by patrons. Additionally, Naerian uses this wine in cooking, often using it in sauces for fish and poultry. When cooked, the spellplagued alcohol does not completely burn away as in cooking with normal wines; lingering amounts of the alcohol, now esssentially "purified," adds a mildly addictive effect (and it doesn't hurt that he and his wife are both accomplished chefs). Hence, most all of his dishes with wine sauces have become extremely popular. He is judicious, however, and does not always use the wine for every meal preparation. But rest assured that new customers will be treated to the special ingredient.
Certain individuals who have been spellscarred or otherwise affected by spellplague energy may have additional reactions, depending on DM preference. Mild, but unpredictable "wild magic" effects have been known to happen when someone spellscarred is enjoying the "chicken in white wine sauce" or one of the special Blue Fire flambe dishes, although Naerian immediately blames such things on the spellscarred person. "How could you do this to me, to my Inn, to my patrons!" and makes every effort to expunge them for causing a scene. Luckily for Naerian, to date the magical effects of the wine have not been detected - even by extremely powerful mages.
Some of Naerian's famous dishes:
- Chicken in white wine sauce, served with rice
- Stuffed crown pork flambe (stuffing of mushrooms and apples)
- Seared lamb chops in puff pastry, served flambe
- Pheasant in wine sauce, served flambe
- Beef tenderloin with shallots, mushrooms, and cream/wine sauce
- Fresh fruit (seasonal, but often apples and berries), served flambe and over ice cream (dessert)
And of course, Naerian's famous Blue Firewine, nicely chilled.
Long-time patrons have heard the "legendary" story of the original owner, Lavran Tilthar, who barely escaped with his life when his Inn was ravaged during the spellplague and burned to the ground. As the story goes, Lavran ran from the burning Inn in his undergarments, saving only his dog, his lute, and a glass of Berduskan red that he had been savoring. And although the Inn burned to the ground, he found that much of the basement and storage were left intact. Dedicated to fine wines and good company, he rebuilt the Inn atop the ruins of the old, and it has been famous ever since.
Found some more info on coffee from Ed over at Candlekeep:
"Coffee is consumed in a great variety of ways in Faerûn, from a thick black near-syrup stirred into sweet liqueurs in Sembia and Chessenta, to roasted beans eaten whole, to the more familiar brew (drunk black, sometimes with medicines or mint leaves sprinkled over the surface, and "stewed in a pot over a fire or hearth," and hence much stronger than what most of we real-world moderns are used to). The brew is the most popular method in Calimshan, the Tashalar, the Heartlands and the North, but peddlers, explorers, and adventurers often chew the beans as they travel."
And some info on tea in the Realms:
"Unlike coffee, few teas in the Realms are shipped far, or sold for high prices (though there are "clubs" of tea-fanciers in Athkatla, Calimport, and other rich cities, of wealthy connoisseurs who'll pay much for favourite blends).
This isn't because tea isn't popular or well thought of. It's because the majority of teas in the Realms are what we modern real-world sorts call "tissanes" or "infusions" or (for the bulk of them) "herbal teas." In other words, boilings of the leaves of various plants other than 'tea.' Moreover, the vast majority of teas are made from local wild plants, and travelers in the Realms expect teas to vary in taste from place to place - - so not a lot of long-distance shipping goes on. Within a realm, yes, and from hinterlands into a city, but most crofters and other country folk view tea as something they glean themselves, from wild bushes they (or their children) can "pluck leaves from" as opportunity and need arises. The leaves are usually kept in metal coffers with "sticky-rim" inner lips of the lids, to keep air out (and unlike our real world in past times, the container is worth a lot more than the tea!).
Most teas are made by pouring boiling water onto a container full of leaves, and then straining the leaves out (often for re-use, after "drying on a shield in the sun," in the poorest households, though no one brews entirely with re-used leaves; instead, they add a little to fresh leaves). The tea is ALWAYS drunk clear, never with milk. However, "Murky brew made from powdered leaves whisked in a bowl" is the norm in the Shining South, and in ports where travelers from many places mix, all sorts of tea-making habits and techniques are used and copied. Tea in most dining-houses (restaurants) replaces the real-world "dusty glass of water on the table."
Except for places that have docking or gate-entry fees levied by the conveyance (a wagon, or a ship), no one levies import or export duties on tea ("Tea? TEA? Pass, merchant, and may you know better fortune within than to have to trade in tea!"). Even if you showed up with a caravan-full, you'd not be charged duty (though you might thereafter be watched, as a madman or a liar actually "up to something else")."
Awesome stuff Jorunhast! Thanks for sharing! What the source on that anyway?
There's no source, I made that up.