Post by Gordy101st on Nov 19, 2004 5:22:59 GMT -5
Flagged as Not official FRC or Forgotten Realms 3.x Lore - DM Warspite
The Dwarves have always relied on nature and the bounty of a healthy underground ecosystem to provide most of their food. The Dwarves work with the species of animals they are familiar with to create ecosystems existing within caverns that are easy to harvest from.
The typical eco system works like this: there exists a cavern with a water source (stream, lake or river). The entire cavern is sloped, so that all water run-off will gradually run back into the water source. The floor of the cave is then covered with a light layer of rich fertilizer, usually of Roth=e dung and earthworms. The worms can thrive on the roth=e waste for extended periods of time. It takes only a few weeks (three to five) for a cave to be properly fertilized for other mosses and fungi to grow there.
Mosses and other underground plants are then transferred into the cave, and planted in carefully laid out sections. A balance of fungi, mosses, toadstools and other cavern plants are selected. These plants are allowed to grow wild for a while. This allows them to take root and flourish. The warmth of the cave allows for a miniature rain cycle to take place, which helps the plants to grow.
Next, if the cavern has a standing source of water (pool, pond or lake) fish are introduced--tiny fish that are hardly suitable to bother catching, other than for children. These fish feed on the mosses and greenery that live on the water's edge on surface, trimming that down until a balance is maintained.
Then, the next species to be introduced is a species of bat which feed off tiny fish and insects. Following careful checking to insure that the bats haven=t made too large a dent in the fragile fish population, one of several additional species of fish will be introduced. These fish will feed off of the small fish. Each of these predator species are sizable fish, suitable for consumption by the dwarves. Once these additional populations achieve another balance point, then a second species of bat is typically introduced. These bats can lives off the larger plants, which the fish do not eat.
These larger plants include several additional types of fungus and lichen as well as sturdy bushes that can thrive in a low-light environment. Some of these bushes require actual soil, so that either has to be imported from the upper world or accumulated over time via plant and animal decay. One of the most interesting bushes that can be raised underground is the Rock Berry. This is a low gorse plant that bears a small, almost pebble like fruit. This fruit is editable, and has a very tart taste, which the dwarves find appealing.
Once a food cavern has an advanced and stable ecosystem, then additional crops (usually fungus-based fodder for grazing animals) and food animals (like roth'e or cave crickets) can be introduced. Or the cave can be left at this point in it's development, although the dwarves will continue to monitor the cave, harvesting fungus and fruit, fishing, and hunting bats as appropriate.
A wide variety of fungi are used as food by the clan. The largest of their food mushrooms is a giant type (yet to be named)., which grows to nearly the height of a male dwarf. The smallest fungi used for food is the buttonhole mushroom, which is typically no bigger around than your pinky-finger. These mushrooms thrive in low-light conditions and require a lot of moisture. The Brightblade clan has carefully selected several caves in the Lower Reaches and made the necessary improvements to create ideal growing conditions. The sporebeds are reputedly fertilized with bat droppings and roth’e dung, and lit with the fabled dwarven ‘‘glowglobes’’ (a magical device of divine manufacture, usually made by the clerics of Mordain).
Dwarven dishes are centered on meat and potatoes. Most dwarf dishes are variations and embellishments of those two basic foods. Their food is flavorful, but rarely spicy. Besides meat and potatoes, dwarven meals often include fish, roots, tubers, mushrooms, bread and ale.
The roth’e provide the dwarves with milk, cheese, and meat, hides for leather, and manure to fertilize their mushroom caves. Dwarves also eat a variety of mushrooms, fungi, and fish and other aquatic creatures found in the subterranean rivers and lakes.
One of the other staples of dwarven cooking is "dwarf bread" which is created by drying out certain lichens and mushrooms (each baker has his/her own favorite mix), powdering them, and then mixing the resulting flour into a dough with stale beer (which provides the yeast needed to rise) and baking.
Author: Halidan
Taken from: Forgotten Realms Portal : www.masterao.com/default2.asp
The Dwarves have always relied on nature and the bounty of a healthy underground ecosystem to provide most of their food. The Dwarves work with the species of animals they are familiar with to create ecosystems existing within caverns that are easy to harvest from.
The typical eco system works like this: there exists a cavern with a water source (stream, lake or river). The entire cavern is sloped, so that all water run-off will gradually run back into the water source. The floor of the cave is then covered with a light layer of rich fertilizer, usually of Roth=e dung and earthworms. The worms can thrive on the roth=e waste for extended periods of time. It takes only a few weeks (three to five) for a cave to be properly fertilized for other mosses and fungi to grow there.
Mosses and other underground plants are then transferred into the cave, and planted in carefully laid out sections. A balance of fungi, mosses, toadstools and other cavern plants are selected. These plants are allowed to grow wild for a while. This allows them to take root and flourish. The warmth of the cave allows for a miniature rain cycle to take place, which helps the plants to grow.
Next, if the cavern has a standing source of water (pool, pond or lake) fish are introduced--tiny fish that are hardly suitable to bother catching, other than for children. These fish feed on the mosses and greenery that live on the water's edge on surface, trimming that down until a balance is maintained.
Then, the next species to be introduced is a species of bat which feed off tiny fish and insects. Following careful checking to insure that the bats haven=t made too large a dent in the fragile fish population, one of several additional species of fish will be introduced. These fish will feed off of the small fish. Each of these predator species are sizable fish, suitable for consumption by the dwarves. Once these additional populations achieve another balance point, then a second species of bat is typically introduced. These bats can lives off the larger plants, which the fish do not eat.
These larger plants include several additional types of fungus and lichen as well as sturdy bushes that can thrive in a low-light environment. Some of these bushes require actual soil, so that either has to be imported from the upper world or accumulated over time via plant and animal decay. One of the most interesting bushes that can be raised underground is the Rock Berry. This is a low gorse plant that bears a small, almost pebble like fruit. This fruit is editable, and has a very tart taste, which the dwarves find appealing.
Once a food cavern has an advanced and stable ecosystem, then additional crops (usually fungus-based fodder for grazing animals) and food animals (like roth'e or cave crickets) can be introduced. Or the cave can be left at this point in it's development, although the dwarves will continue to monitor the cave, harvesting fungus and fruit, fishing, and hunting bats as appropriate.
A wide variety of fungi are used as food by the clan. The largest of their food mushrooms is a giant type (yet to be named)., which grows to nearly the height of a male dwarf. The smallest fungi used for food is the buttonhole mushroom, which is typically no bigger around than your pinky-finger. These mushrooms thrive in low-light conditions and require a lot of moisture. The Brightblade clan has carefully selected several caves in the Lower Reaches and made the necessary improvements to create ideal growing conditions. The sporebeds are reputedly fertilized with bat droppings and roth’e dung, and lit with the fabled dwarven ‘‘glowglobes’’ (a magical device of divine manufacture, usually made by the clerics of Mordain).
Dwarven dishes are centered on meat and potatoes. Most dwarf dishes are variations and embellishments of those two basic foods. Their food is flavorful, but rarely spicy. Besides meat and potatoes, dwarven meals often include fish, roots, tubers, mushrooms, bread and ale.
The roth’e provide the dwarves with milk, cheese, and meat, hides for leather, and manure to fertilize their mushroom caves. Dwarves also eat a variety of mushrooms, fungi, and fish and other aquatic creatures found in the subterranean rivers and lakes.
One of the other staples of dwarven cooking is "dwarf bread" which is created by drying out certain lichens and mushrooms (each baker has his/her own favorite mix), powdering them, and then mixing the resulting flour into a dough with stale beer (which provides the yeast needed to rise) and baking.
Author: Halidan
Taken from: Forgotten Realms Portal : www.masterao.com/default2.asp
