Vaf
Every dusk, Jarmaa stops for a few moments. It is the time of preparing vaf - the most popular beverage in the whole civilised world. Affordable, easy to store, quick to prepare, nutritious, and adjustable to fit particular tastes, its popularity is well deserved.
Vaf is sold in cubes that look like made of sugar mixed with a bit of golden glitter. One cube, enough for four servings, is placed in a kettle filled with room-temperature water. The kettle is then heated over fire, letting the cube dissolve, gradually releasing different compounds. Because of its bland taste, additional ingredients may be added depending on the region. Attaba fruits - making it citrus-ish and refreshing - or mishik flowers - giving a more delicate, sweet taste - are usual additions in Orange Bay, but a variety of other fruits, flowers and spices are used around the world. Some people, mostly Murians, genuinely prefer to drink vaf plain. There is a rumor spreading around the Bay, telling of a certain manufacturer working on producing pre-infused cubes. Depending on the ingredients and personal preference, it can be drunk at any temperature. Looks-wise, on its own it is a bit oily, has a slight blue tint, and golden, glittery particles float in it.
Vaf is manufactured mainly along the border between Jarmaa and Muria, but individual mines and processing facilities can be found throughout eastern parts of the continent. Veresite is brought to the surface covered in thick material, as light degrades it's crystal structure. After it is ground up, water is added and the resulting substance is shaped into cubes and left to dry. Packs of two dozen cubes are sealed with manufacturer's mark and shipped. People working there are one of the best paid laborers due to work conditions - almost no light, low humidity and high temperature. Some nobles are concerned with their well-being, but the sheer amount of money the industry possesses keeps things as they are.
Few people actually know that veresite isn't a mineral in a strict sense. What is commonly thought to be a type of a stone, is actually excrement of veresh - animals inhabiting veresite mines, feeding on moss, mushrooms and pebbles. Because this information could potentially destroy the industry, veresh are unknown to modern science, as manufacturers will stop at nothing to keep everyone - researchers included - away from their mines.
Vaf is sold in cubes that look like made of sugar mixed with a bit of golden glitter. One cube, enough for four servings, is placed in a kettle filled with room-temperature water. The kettle is then heated over fire, letting the cube dissolve, gradually releasing different compounds. Because of its bland taste, additional ingredients may be added depending on the region. Attaba fruits - making it citrus-ish and refreshing - or mishik flowers - giving a more delicate, sweet taste - are usual additions in Orange Bay, but a variety of other fruits, flowers and spices are used around the world. Some people, mostly Murians, genuinely prefer to drink vaf plain. There is a rumor spreading around the Bay, telling of a certain manufacturer working on producing pre-infused cubes. Depending on the ingredients and personal preference, it can be drunk at any temperature. Looks-wise, on its own it is a bit oily, has a slight blue tint, and golden, glittery particles float in it.
Vaf is manufactured mainly along the border between Jarmaa and Muria, but individual mines and processing facilities can be found throughout eastern parts of the continent. Veresite is brought to the surface covered in thick material, as light degrades it's crystal structure. After it is ground up, water is added and the resulting substance is shaped into cubes and left to dry. Packs of two dozen cubes are sealed with manufacturer's mark and shipped. People working there are one of the best paid laborers due to work conditions - almost no light, low humidity and high temperature. Some nobles are concerned with their well-being, but the sheer amount of money the industry possesses keeps things as they are.
Few people actually know that veresite isn't a mineral in a strict sense. What is commonly thought to be a type of a stone, is actually excrement of veresh - animals inhabiting veresite mines, feeding on moss, mushrooms and pebbles. Because this information could potentially destroy the industry, veresh are unknown to modern science, as manufacturers will stop at nothing to keep everyone - researchers included - away from their mines.
Item type
Consumable, Food / Drink
Rarity
Readily available in medium and bigger settlements, travelling merchants distribute it in more rural areas.
Weight
200-300 ml per serving
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