Trail Rations
"They'll keep you fed, though after the third day you may wish for something else."One constant about people of Erisdaire is the need to eat, and being on the road leaves very few options for most people. While it can be said there is no shortage of game in much of Erisdaire, most people are not necessarily adept at hunting. Furthermore there is the need to clean the carcass and cook it, and these skills do not often overlap with your average person. Therefore, most travelers make arrangements for trips between towns. For longer trips, this often means traveling with a caravan or other large group. Such arrangements often have some designated hunters and cooks, and basic provisions to round out whatever can be caught in the area. This means many such caravans enjoy fresh fare for most of the trip, though it may be simple in form.
For those who aren't traveling with others and lack the skill, there are "trail rations". These are basically measured amounts of various foods which are meant to provide sustenance over the course of a day. While it will keep a person fed and capable, rations are often not particularly filling - or pleasant to eat. The ration contents vary depending on where they are acquired, and some cultures have developed very different combinations of items to pack together. A few examples follow:
Imperial Rations
"I swear, when I find out which one of you bought surplus military rations I will drag you behind the cart for a couple hours a day."Imperial rations are often of two styles, the sort sold by independents and the ones which are Legion surplus. Both of them follow a similar pattern of containing a meat, a fruit, some bread, and a 'treat'. The independent suppliers tend to stick to a dried, cured meat and a similarly preserved local fruit. The bread is often a flatbread of some sort, twice-baked to be dry and crunchy rather than soft. The treat is variable depending on whatever the locals prefer, from chunks of raw sugarcane to honeycomb wrapped in parchment, a portion of toasted nuts, or even coffee beans roasted and able to be eaten directly.
When you get Imperial Legion rations, everything is quite different and much less personal. Everything is measured out by weight to be standard, so each person knows already what they will be receiving - and have no complaints about what someone else got instead. The meat is a peppery, salty beef which was cured whole and then cut into portions. The fruit is dried berries, and the process used by Legion cooks gives them a more tart flavor than sweet. The treat is a block of pressed material which, when dropped into a cup of hot water, is a close approximation of herbal tea with honey to sweeten it.
The bread is the most infamous part of the Imperial rations: Legionnaire hardtack. This is little more than a dough of sunwheat flour and water baked until all moisture has been removed and what remains has the feel (and sound) of a clay roofing tile. It is not meant to be eaten directly, although if one is desperate that is possible. Most times it is meant to be broken up and softened in water, making a sort of paste. It can also be used to thicken a stew, though this is best done while the stew is cooking as opposed to 'when served in the bowl'.
Dwarven Rations
"No. Despite what rumors say, there is no ale with the rations. Stop asking about it."Dwarven ration packs often retain the dried meat, though it is often a sort of pork or poultry. The bread component is a dense and flat cake which is more palatable than the Imperial hardtack, but only just. Rather than dried fruit or honeycomb, there are instead solidified pieces of honey which can be tucked inside the cheek and last for a considerable while. The fourth item varies based on the clan, though these choices are not necessarily unique. Dried mushrooms are common, as are pieces of root which would normally be cooked into a stew. The Cinderfall clan is known to include a piece of salty cheese sealed in green wax to preserve it.
There has been attempts to make a "canned ration", using a meaty stew, but this has not quite been solved in a way which makes it easier for a traveler to carry or manage on their own. When riding in a wagon it is not necessarily a problem, but when marching on foot or riding on horseback it can be a rather miserable experience attempting to open and consume the food within.
Elven Rations
"I... have no words to describe what this is. Why can't the Legion cooks get it this right?!"The elves have their own form of 'field rations', and while most might suppose they'd forego meat due to stereotypes about elves, this is simply not true. There is less meat in the ration kits than others, but it is treated with more care. The meat is usually venison, or a kind of fowl, but usually not pork or beef. It has been dried and salted, but additional spices are used depending on the maker. Some have a heat to them, others compare to complex spice mixes used mostly at banquets. There are often two types of fruits, often lightly dried so some moisture remains. This means the rations are at risk of spoiling, though few have reported this happening. A generous helping of roasted nuts (sometimes of a type which is called an "acquired taste") is included, usually tossed with a salt and spice blend complimenting the meat's spices.
Lastly, there is the bread, wrapped in leaves to prevent them from falling completely apart. It starts with various grains and seeds, then the local nuts and dried fruit are added in small amounts to add a variance to the texture. Honey and rendered animal fat is used to hold the "bread" together until everything cools. Rather than something to endure, or solve like a riddle, it becomes something to eat while walking. While some claim you could make rations of just the "elven bread", the elves are quick to dissuade people from those decisions. It is known to be good for a burst of energy, but eating too much can lead to digestive problems rather quickly.
Rarity
Common
Base Price
2 silver
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