spirit stew
Welcome to our home! Please, have some spirit stew. Cleanse the troubles from your travels.Part food, part potion, spirit stew – also known as cleansing soup – harnesses the power of Cleansing Magic through the steeping of beneficial alchemical herbs within the broth. The soup is particularly common among the Rol'nara, especially those working the Portal Exchange, to ensure they don't bring negative energy or surprises home.
Manufacturing process
Each family and community has their own favorite recipes, which often vary by season and availability of ingredients. Regardless of the variations, each cleansing soup follows the same basic process.
Just don't think I'll tell you my family's secret ingredient for the best tasting spirit stew you'll ever eat!First the animal carcass of choice is added to the water, with or without meat still on the bones. This is usually already cooked, with the majority of the meat eaten during a prior meal, but the marrow still intact. The water is brought to a boil and maintained at a simmer. Vegetables are added for additional flavor, and Cleansing herbs for their magical properties. The entire mixture is allowed to steep and reduce for several hours, forming a strong and flavorful stock.
Remember, the herbs you select not only affect the flavor of the stew but also the quality and behavior of the of Cleansing Magic! Fresh and freshly shredded herbs provide the most potent magic. Dried and pre-shredded will require more herbs to achieve the same effects.The carcass is then removed and the stock strained. The materials caught by the strainer are often retained for use in polices for stronger Cleansing Magic rituals, while the stock is returned to the fire and allowed to continue to summer. Raw meats or seafoods, if included, are now added and allowed to cook. Vegetables, cooked meats, and additional herbs are then added to taste, sometimes accompanied by noodles. In fancier recipes additional ingredients such as breads, liquors, fruits, or cheeses may be added immediately after removing the soup from the flames, either in the communal pot or as an additive to each individual bowl when served.
Significance
Spirit stew has become a staple in Rol'nara households, particularly those with family members employed at the Portal Exchange, due to the traditional methods of preparation and its proven protections against curses and bad external emotions. Serving the stew to guests has also become synonymous with wishing health and good fortune, due to the Cleansing Magic inherent within the stew.
No, I'm not making the stew. They're already doing quite well for themselves, they should be making some for me.
Item type
Consumable, Food / Drink
Related Technologies
Related ethnicities
Raw materials & Components
- Water (or broth or stock)
- Leftover carcass (if starting with water)
- Assorted alchemical herbs, fresh or dried, dependent upon what is available and in season and the desired cleansing effects
- Meats, vegetables, and even fruits, often scraps or even leftover from prior meals
Mmmm, this sounds like a delicious stew, all the best kinda ingredients in there! The addition of the alchemical herbs must be a big boost to the stew as well. I want some :D Are there any special occasions that always call for Spirit Stew to be eaten, aside from the mention of wishing wealth and good fortune? Reading "cleansing magic" on it immediately made me think hangover cure, but I could also see it going nicely as a meal to eat when feeling sick or something. :) It's interesting to think about!
Cleansing Magic helps shield or cure individuals from things like curses or Psychic Magic and other magical ills, so yes! If you aren't feeling well it's a great idea. You might not be sick it might be magical in nature. Of course, if the magic has already set in you'll need a stronger cure, so this is more for prevention than treatment. Ghost Hunters are especially known for taking things like this seriously. They tend to pick up more negative stowaway energy than most.
Necromancy is a Wholesome Science.
Oh, even better then! I love that kind of magic being woven into things, food and stuff, that's awesome. Especially as prevention magic, I like that twist to it. :D