Balaros' Reserve
"I don't worship any of your gods, but this Balaros of yours might be on to something with this drink of his. I don't suppose you require some vessels to... ah... proselytise on your behalf?"Balaros' Reserve is an alcoholic spirit that that is highly prized in the Elementalist faith- more specifically, the faithful of the Elemental god of fire, Balaros. An extremely rare beverage, it is only produced in two places in the known world - by the Firedancer elemental monks at their temple complex of Kalor-Gai, in northern Calina, and in the First Temple of Balaros in the southern Sapphire Coast. Myth and legend state that Balaros' Reserve is a beverage of divine origin - created and devised by Balaros himself and provided to humanity as a gift. It is considered a luxury item and is somewhat rare, with authentic bottles highly sought after by wealthy merchants and nobles across the Calinan - and something many commoners only dream of tasting once or twice in their lives. The drink itself is prepared in the style of a whisky made from fermented barley and aged in oak barrels. It is then flavoured with flamespice, a rare spice native to the slopes of the dormant volcano housing the First Temple of Balaros, and introduced to the temple complex in Kalor-Gai. As a final step, as part of the bottling process, each bottle of Balaros' Reserve is given a blessing by a Firedancer monk or a priest of the Balaran Templar, said to infuse the drink with a single spark of Balaros' holy essence of flame. The drink is regularly used in various rituals by followers of Balaros, serving as a way to commune with the Elemental god as a direct product of his connection with humanity. It is also used to treat wounds and, in an emergency, potent bottles can be used to stave off the cold. It is highly prized, with its production and trade being a vital part of sustaining the Firedancer Order, and also a significant method of filling the Balaran Templars' coffers as well. The trade of the drink across the Calinan is a lucrative trade for Avadian sailors.
-an Avadian merchant, on sampling a bottle of Balaros' Reserve provided by a Firedancer monk in Maganti
Summary
According to the myth, Balaros' Reserve was presented to humanity by Balaros when he took an avatar and visited Annyrion, something which he is said to habitually do a handful of times throughout history. The most prevalant version of the myth is that in humanity's early years before the smelting of copper, Balaros came across a young shepherd who had been caught into a blizzard in the present-day Vessene Mountains. Isolated, with no way to keep warm and shelter from the elements and close to hypothermia, the shepherd drew the attention of Balaros, who had visited Annyrion and sensed her plight.
Balaros, known for his compassion to humanity, caused a flask of the mixture that would become Balaros' Reserve to appear - but also infused it with a spark of his own divine power. When the shepherd drank the whiskey, she was infused by a supernatural warmth that warded off the bitter cold, restoring the feeling in her extremities and even melting the snow around her. The drink allowed her to walk through the blizzard for hours before finding a cave in which to shelter before the storm passed.
It is said that the shepherd returned to her village, and became the very first priest of the Balaran Templar, spreading news of his compassion and friendship to humanity, along with her own story of survival. Balaros departed the world upon seeing her to safety, but continued to communicate with her on a spirtual level for the rest of her life, imparting wisdom and laying the foundations for the philosophy that would one day become the Balaran Templar - and the faith of the Elemental Gods.
He also gifted her with the knowledge of how to create Balaros' Reserve, and while she could never recreate it with the potency the god had, it became a prized symbol of humanity's covenant with the god, the tradition being passed down among priests. Even after the schism splintering the Elemental Orders from the Templars, the tradition of preparing the drink was kept among the Firedancer monks, and it remains an important part of humanity's connection to the Elemental Gods to this day.
Historical Basis
While the Elemental Gods do indeed exist, most myths and legends relating to them are only tangentially related to an actual event, or in some cases are outright fabrications or failed attempts to explain events. In the case of Balaros' Reserve, however, there is much more truth to the story than usual.
Balaros is the one god among the otherwise relatively distant Elemental gods who has enjoyed a closer, more personal relationship with his followers, occasionally appearing to, befriending and even, some say, romancing his followers. In truth, Balaros did intervene that day several thousand years ago to rescue the shepherdess, and did create a magical whiskey infused with his power that saved her from hypothermia.
Whether a bottle of Balaros' Reserve contains any kind of divine or magical spark appears to depend on the individual who brewed and prepared it. Most Firedancers and Balaran Templars do not have access to divine magic, but those who can manipulate ki energy of the Fire affinity are able to infuse it with that power, resulting in resistance to cold weather in the drinker. Its potency greatly varies on the talent and spiritual power of the individual infusing it, however - and a bottle brewed by Firedancers or Templars without ki manipulating abilities has no effect at all. This effect does not last forever, and usually by a few weeks, the drink loses its effect.
Date of First Recording
Neolithic
Date of Setting
Neolithic
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