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The Underwater Grotto Restaurant: what's on the menu?


GamingGlen

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The other day our group of adventurers went to visit the sea elves under the sea, with their underwater domes containing air.  We played the tourists like we were, and ended up at the tavern and asked for the menu for supper.  The game master stuttered a bit, and so we made a few attempts at what might be on it.  While that was going on, I made a web search for such a thing.  None could be found, fictional or otherwise.  I'll admit, my search-fu is quite weak, so recalling the troll menu from Glorantha and all the great sea people that live in that world I figure some of you might have come up with something.   

 

So what is on an underwater menu?  (fictional creatures/plants and real)

 

BTW, we were playing.... D&D5e, in the GM"s homebrew setting  (I can't help that it is the most popular RPG played at my game store).  But non-specific game information can be used by any system.

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53 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

If it's sea elves in a kelp forest, probably 'nutrient' or 'mana' rich soups and ales that the plant folk would readily absorb/ingest.

Except it's Sea Elves in D&D5e, not Kelp Aldryami.  :rolleyes:

I'd presume UNDER the sea -- but in the air -- would be much like what's available in many fishing-harbor seafood restaurants; but with little to none of the dairy (butter, cream, etc) in so many sauces (also rare would be bread & pasta, and other grain-based products).  Trade (and raid) would of course get some of those rarities.  Plus sundry sea=veggies (kelp & mega-algea's).  Bouillabaisse, seafood chowders, other soups.

Fire may be pretty rare in undersea cuisine; yeah, I know they can get air and magically create fire (or just heat); but still.  There may be a LOT more pickled/brined/fermented/etc treatments than surface dwellers are used to.

 

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Yeah, those are pretty much what we came up with.  That's when I realized that plant life is predominately a land-based life form.  I have Elfquest's Sea Elves supplement which lists mostly land-based food as their edibles.  FYI, our group, we're the spearhead adventurers re-opening an island after a disaster long ago, helped re-establish trade with the sea elves (yay us!).  Now we have to fight some suhaugin (boo!).  Maybe my elf wizard can save some sea elven princess. (hah!)

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On 1/16/2018 at 1:25 PM, GamingGlen said:

Yeah, those are pretty much what we came up with.  That's when I realized that plant life is predominately a land-based life form. 

A quick Google search comes up with between 83-85% of all Plant Life is in the seas/oceans.

Sea Elves are associated with Kelp forests in the same way that land-based elves are associated with normal forests. I can see runners being associated with Algae as well.

Of course, Sea Elves are not Aldryami, but are Murthdryami, descended from Aldrya's sister Murthdrya.

I see shellfish, lobsters, crabs, fish and so on being available for meat-eaters. Algae and plankton could be harvested and used in soups, kelp and other sea plants could be eaten, I suppose.

It depends if the restaurant is for Murthdryami, all sea-dwelling people or both sea and land-dwellers.

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On 1/16/2018 at 5:25 AM, GamingGlen said:

... I realized that plant life is predominately a land-based life form ...

No, it's GRAIN that's predominately land-based (noting that "wild" and "asian" rices do grow from the water; but into the air); and needs to be kept dry until use!

But there are a HUGE amount of sea-veggies; they're just harder for us to gather than land-based stuff, so they aren't as familiar... or even known.

 

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