01 - Maplewood Smoked Herring
When Old Red made the decision to stop his nomadic travels within the Shelterwood and make his campsite a permanent fixture he knew he'd need to come up with a way to peacefully draw more attention to continue doing his work as a distraction for the hidden community of elves living in the Old Fortum Burrow. Since the Clavier rangers have chased off most of the larger predators within the region he decided to indulge in his personal favorite food and use it to make a scene, too.
Using fallen wood from the surrounding forest, Old Red has three large 'smoking boxes' central to his camp that he usues all year to smoke various kinds of meat but predominantly the herring he catches from the nearby river. There's nothing unique about the way he smokes the meat but by only burning maplewood to cure the meat he infuses an intense maple flavor that most people enjoy. Whether it's the salt, the smoke, or the sweet maple flavors, Old Red knows that offering a delicious distraction is much more effective when trying to influence strangers than a dirty curmudgeon who smells like smoke and old sweat.
The herring itself is extremely popular among the rangers and other folks who spend most of their time among the Shelterwood and surrounding wilderness. Thankfully the campsite is more than a days' travel from Clavier which means people who aren't already in the vicinity won't make the journey without a good reason. Given that Old Red catches more fish than he could ever eat all on his own there is almost always a stash of smoked herring hidden near the campsite for visitors who arrive while Old Red away from the site.
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