$39.95

ISBN 979-8-9887126-0-2

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9 798988 712602

A Traveler’s Guide to The Lucky Gryphon: Recipes & Regalings Copyright © 2023 by The Lucky Gryphon LLC & Minthie’s Library All Rights Reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the authors, except where permitted by law.

ISBN: 979-8-9887126-0-2

Edited by: McKenzie Catron, Stephen Warren, and Tamara Shope Cover Art, Food Illustrations, and Portraits: Minthie “Lady of the Styx”, “Corvid, Lorekeeper of Minthie’s Library”, and “Casket & Kane, Service Beast” by Hillary Bardin (@reebardin on Instagram)

Black and White Doodles by Avery Howett

(@dynabeez on Twitter)

Character Art: Quincy, Minthie, Misty, Stubby, the Gobbles, Corvid, Koko, Lyric, and Casket & Kane by Toby Trangmar

(@Tobydotexe on Twitter)

D ed i c a t i o n s

“To my mother, Marlene, and my father, Arthur—

who taught me to love completely, patiently, and selflessly.”

– Stephen Warren

“To my family—Thank you for supporting every tale I ever told and adventure I embarked on. This book is your journey now. Enjoy discovering the pieces of you I’ve sewn into the pages my words have touched.”

– McKenzie Catron

Co n te n t s

S p i c e s ................................................................................................1

1. Harvest Spice

2

2. Regal Sugar

4

3. Phoenix Powder

5

4. Witch’s Closet

7

S a u c e s ..............................................................................................9

5. Gramma Gupgup’s Uh-Oh Sauce

10

6. Sweet Dragon Sauce

12

7. The Pink Stuff

14

8. Chimera Chocolate Sauce

16

9. Amethyst Compote

18

S ch m ea rs ....................................................................................21

10. Monster Butter

22

11. Apple Mush

24

12. Pot of Gold

26

13. Whipped Copper Butter

28

S u n r i s e M ea l s .....................................................................33

14. Sunrise Special

34

15. Biscuits and Dragon Gravy

36

16. Adventurer’s Casserole

39

17. Apple Butter Balls

42

18. Popover Pancakes

45

19. Lost Bread

47

20. Misty’s Maple Scones

50

21. Jaymee Cakes

54

22. Morning Oats

58

23. Dee Dee’s Parfait Pots

61

S u n h i g h M ea l s ..................................................................67

24. The Usual

68

25. Mak-in-Jack

72

26. Tarragon Stone Pie

76

27. Vagabuns

79

28. Bitty Buns

82

29. Tato Corn Chow

86

30. Shroom Crème Soup

91

31. Piggy Dippers

94

32. Such a Thing

98

33. Coronation Rabbit

100

S u n d o w n M ea l s ..............................................................107

34. The Lucky Gryphon Special

108

35. Wolf Stew

112

36. King’s Mulligan Stew

116

37. Thieves Stew

119

38. Fluff n Poco

121

39. Penny Chili

125

40. Cap’s n Maggots

129

41. Gulo

132

42. Twilight Noodles

135

43. Fisherman’s Fillet

140

44. Druid Jack

144

L a s t M ea l s .............................................................................149

45. Pieflings

150

46. Nightmare Potatoes

156

47. Lumi Bars

158

48. Lunar Pasty

162

49. Duppy Puds

167

50. Gingerbread Solstice Cake

172

51. Fae Noelles

176

52. Strawberry Solstice Cake

181

53. Dumpster Cake

185

54. Clent’s Oatmeal Scotchies

190

L i te B i te s ...............................................................................197

55. Koko Buns

198

56. Iron Bread

203

57. Copper Bites

206

58. Gilded Rolls

210

59. Goblin Bread

214

60. Kelpie Dip

220

61. Stubby’s Pocket Pot Pie

222

62. Tater Tubs

226

63. Hydra Fangs

229

64. Faerie Chow

232

L i ba t i o n s .................................................................................237

65. Quincy’s Hot Chocolate

238

66. Apple Ale

243

67. Minthie’s Curse

246

68. Pepper Tea

248

69. Hot Honey Pot

251

70. The Violet Butterfly

255

71. Solar Flare

258

72. Kippy’s Ginger Mint

260

73. Quincy’s Health Potion

264

74. Minthie’s Mana Potions

268

A ck n o w led g m e n t s .......................................................279

A u th o r B i o s ..........................................................................283

H el lo th e re, Travele r !

Allow me to introduce myself and my lovely friend here. My name is Quincy. The one with all of the tattoos is my best friend, Minthie.

We run The Lucky Gryphon, our magical Tavern and Library.

We hope you enjoy your stay. This tome you’re holding is quite the treasure, and we trust you’ll keep it out of the wrong hands. But for now, we invite you to journey through these pages, tales, and recipes to learn a bit more about this wonderful place we call home.

S P I C E S

H a r ves t S p i c e

A unique blend of flavors and aromatics that perfectly encapsulates the feeling and taste of the autumnal season. Commonly used in desserts and sweet treats. This warm blend can also be added to certain soups, entrees, and drinks to add that seasonal touch.

I always kept a pouch of this

whenever I used to travel.

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

I drew this.

Ingredients: (vegan, gluten free)

• 3 ½ parts ground cinnamon

• 1 ½ parts ground nutmeg

• 1 part ground ginger

• ½ part ground cloves

Preparation:

Simply mix all the dried spices together and you’re done! Store in a cool, dry space, and use when needed.

SPICES

3

R eg a l S u g a r

U sed throughout several kingdoms in the Crossroads during holidays or birthdays, this sweet mix of sugar and powdered ube (commonly called purple yam) creates an eye-catching royal color on cakes, cookies, and mixed drinks. Royal families and those looking to impress guests often use a version of Regal Sugar to signify the end of a particular feast or celebration.

Ingredients: (vegan, gluten free)

• 2 parts white sugar

• 1 part dehydrated ube powder

Preparation:

Mix both parts and store in a cool, dry space, and use when needed.

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

P h o e n i x Po wd e r

W arning! This favored spice blend will add a significant kick to your dish. Phoenix Powder was a long-kept secret recipe until now. It can be used in nearly any savory meal; try it with meats, stews, salads, and pasta. Like its namesake, the glorious phoenix, this mixture will resurrect your food from the ashes.

THIS IS AMAZING ON EVERYTHING!

SPICES

5

Ingredients: (Vegan, gluten free)

• 3 parts paprika

• 2 parts garlic powder

• 2 parts coarse pink salt

• 1 part ground black pepper

• 1 part onion powder

• 1 part red pepper flakes

• 1 part ground cayenne pepper

Preparation:

Mix the dried ingredients and store in a cool, dry space. Use with caution!

Very, very, very tasty!

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

Wi t ch’ s Clo s e t

N amed for the simple reason that all ingredients in this blend are staples in any respectable witch’s pantry. Not only useful in potions and spells, this wonderful mixture of herbs and salt supplies a unique aromatic element to any savory dish.

Bubble bubble!

Toil and stuff!

-Misty

SPICES

7

Ingredients: (Vegan, gluten free)

• 3 parts parsley

• 2 parts basil

• 1 ½ parts oregano

• 1 ½ parts garlic powder

• 1 part thyme

• 1 part rosemary

• 1 part white salt

• ½ part ground sage

• ½ part onion powder

• ½ part ground black pepper

• ½ part red pepper flakes

Preparation:

Mix ingredients together and store in a cool, dry space.

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

SAU C E S

G ra m m a G u p g u p’ s

U h - Oh Sa u c e

S weet and welcoming, Gramma Gupgup is the most affable orc lady you’ll ever meet. Bent over double with wispy silver hair and large spectacles over her squinting yellow eyes, Gramma Gupgup loves to cook for her family, even calling new guests in her home her “poppets.” But note that despite her calm demeanor, Gramma Gupgup loves to turn up the 10

A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

heat on her food, often leaving rugged warriors’ and adventurers’ eyes watering and gasping for a drink. Her “Uh-Oh Sauce” recipe is named for the often-uttered phrase right before the tears flow.

Ingredients: (Vegan, gluten free)

• 8 habanero peppers

• 2 jalapeno peppers

• 5 gloves of garlic

• ½ medium-sized white onion

• 1/2 cup (125 mL) water

• ¾ cup (180 mL) apple cider vinegar

• 1 Tbs (14 grams) white sugar

• 1 Tbs (14 grams) Phoenix Powder

Preparation:

1. Remove the stems from the habanero and jalapeno peppers before roughly chopping. Be careful to NOT touch your face if you’ve touched the oil of the peppers. Wash your hands properly or wear disposable gloves.

2. Combine all ingredients in a small pot and bring to a simmer for half an hour.

3. Allow mixture to cool, then carefully pulse into a sauce using a blender, food processor, or whatever means you prefer.

4. Store in an airtight container and chill at least overnight to let the flavors develop.

5. Uh-Oh sauce is good for a few weeks as long as it is chilled and bottled.

SAUCES

11

S wee t D ra g o n Sa u c e

D ragons, Wyverns, and Drakes. Powerful creatures of legend in whose wake leave destruction or blessings. I first came across this savory, sweet sauce during my first Feast of the New Moon in which four great dragons met to be honored by this city and its inhabitants. It was quite the intimidating and surreal event. The Sweet Dragon Sauce was said to have been inspired by the river of lava that one of the great dragons spewed to save the city from an ancient evil. This sauce could be used as a dipping sauce for just about anything including rice cakes, dumplings, and even sugar biscuits.

Whoa! I need to hear this whole story. –Lyric Yeh! Same!

I think there’s a whole book on it in

Minthie’s Library.

Storytime with Minthie! -Misty

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

Ingredients:

• ⅓ cup (80 mL) white vinegar

• 1 cup (250 mL) water

• 1 Tbs. (14 grams) minced garlic

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) soy sauce

• 2 tsp. (8 grams) Phoenix Powder

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) chili powder

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) red pepper flakes

• ½ cup (125 mL) maple syrup or honey

• Slurry: 2 Tbs. (28 grams) corn starch mixed with 2 Tbs. (30

mL) of water

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan, add all ingredients except the slurry and bring to a simmer. About 5 minutes.

2. Add in the slurry and cook until the sauce thickens.

3. Sweet Dragon Sauce is good for a few weeks as long as it is chilled and bottled.

Use as a marinade or dipping sauce.

SAUCES

13

Th e P i n k S t u f f

T his “secret” sauce is a staple at The Lucky Gryphon. It’s great on sandwiches, fries, meats, and even salads. An instant favorite to the Tavern, I quickly discovered that I needed to always have a proper stock when a fight or two broke out over the last remaining bottle.

I blame Jaymee! -Hallinta

What?!

Not entirely “pink” in color but a light reddish hue from its ingredients, The Pink Stuff is a simple sauce to make that adds subtle heat and depth of flavor to almost any savory meal.

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (250 mL) mayonnaise

• ½ cup (125 mL) ketchup

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) pickle juice or apple cider vinegar

• 2 tsp. (10 mL) Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) Phoenix Powder

Preparation:

Mix everything in a bowl and stir well. Store in an airtight container and chill. Enjoy within 5 days.

SAUCES

15

Ch i m e ra Ch o co l a te Sa u c e

T he rich, velvety taste of chocolate is complemented wonderfully with subtle whispers of flame from the several spices mixed in this dark topping. This is sometimes the base for the Tavern’s hot chocolate during Winter Solstice when we want something with a little more kick.

I share it with you now because the joy and peace that I see on a traveler’s face after they sip this is—well, it would be a crime not to share. It’s also used in several desserts and even on Sunrise Oats.

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

Ingredients: (Vegetarian)

• 1 cup (200 grams) chopped dark chocolate, or semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 2 cups (400 grams) white sugar

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) unsalted butter

• Pinch of salt

• 1 tsp. (5 mL) vanilla extract

• 1 cup (250 mL) milk of choice

• Pinch of cayenne pepper

• Pinch of chili powder

• Pinch of cinnamon Use Harvest Spice instead of plain cinnamon when able.

Preparation:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small pot over low heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Once all the ingredients have melted together for about a minute, remove from heat and let cool. Store in an airtight container and chill.

2. Can be used for up to a week as a fruit dip, dessert topping, or mixed in a pot of hot milk to make hot chocolate.

SAUCES

17

A m e thy s t Co m p o t e

S o simple, yet so refreshing, Amethyst Compote is a slow-cooked mixture of berries and sugar that becomes the perfect topping for pancakes, waffles, and other desserts. It can even be used as a filling base for pies and pastries.

Like a potion, I tend to bottle this mixture and serve it to patrons for breakfast. I’ve even experimented with a spoonful of this in drinks.

My conclusion is, it’s fantastic. Definitely worth a try.

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

Ingredients: (Vegan, gluten free)

• 3 cups (600 grams) of berries fresh or frozen Can be a mix of blueberries,

raspberries, strawberries,

cranberries, etc…

• ½ cup (100 mL) packed brown sugar

• 1 half of a fresh lemon (juice and zest) Preparation:

1. Add all ingredients to small pot and stir to combine over low heat. Let the mixture heat up before gently mashing the berries with a spoon. The compote should remain slightly chunky.

2. Allow the berries to reduce and thicken, cooking for another 10 minutes.

3. Let the compote cool before serving or chilling in an airtight container.

SAUCES

19

SC H M E A RS

M o n s t e r B u t t e r

T hough not made with any part of actual monster, Monster Butter contains a key ingredient that repels and disperses many of them: garlic. Combined with herbs, salt, and fresh butter, this spread is a fantastic glaze for pan-fried meats, roasted or sauteed vegetables, freshly baked breads, and of course, for repelling evil fiends.

Apply a thin layer to your windows and door frames to prevent unwanted intrusions.

Known to ward off (including but not limited to): vampires, ghosts, evil spirits, werewolves, demons, and the evil eye.

Why do vampires hate garlic?

What did garlic ever do to them?

Ask Corvid.

Corvid’s a VAMPIRE?? We knew it!

Guys, we’ve been over this.

Half-Harpy, not Vampire.

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

Ingredients: (Vegetarian)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (softened to room temperature but not melted)

• 3 cloves chopped garlic

• 1 Tbs (14 grams) Witch’s Closet mix

• Heavy pinch of coarse pink salt

Preparation:

1. Cream your butter at room temperature by mixing it in a small bowl with a mixer or fork until the texture is soft.

2. Add herbs and garlic, mixing until well combined.

3. Scoop out Monster Butter mixture onto parchment paper before rolling into a log. Twist the sides of the parchment like a taffy roll. Chill until firm. About 2 hours.

4. For up to a week, serve chilled or melt into dishes.

SCHMEARS

23

A pple M u s h

A pple Mush is a sweet spread made with the Harvest Spice mix and slow cooked to a rich and caramelized texture. Not only is this a perfect addition to baked rolls or used as a fruit dip, but Apple Mush can be included as an ingredient in cookies, cakes, and filling for pastries or pies.

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

Ingredients: (Vegan, gluten free)

• 6 medium-sized apples peeled and cored We like honeycrisp the best. But use

whatever you prefer.

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) lemon juice

• 1 Tbs. (14 grams) Harvest Spice

• ½ cup (115 mL) apple cider vinegar

• ½ cup (100 grams) packed brown sugar

• ½ cup (100 grams) white sugar

Preparation:

1. Chop apples into bite-sized pieces and add to a large pot with the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine.

Or use a fancy blender gadget!

2. Over medium to medium-high heat, stir the mixture occasionally until the apples start to break down and soften.

About 20-30 minutes. Make sure the bottom doesn’t burn.

3. After the apples are soft, mash them using a spoon.

4. Return to the pot, cooking the Apple Mush over low heat until it reduces to a thick, jam-like consistency. About 1-2 hours. Be sure to stir occasionally.

5. Allow it to cool before serving or chill in an airtight container for up to a week.

SCHMEARS

25

Po t o f G o l d

M ade with several types of cheeses, cream, and the secret ingredient: turmeric. Cheese lovers crave the Pot of Gold—and for good reason! Use it in soups, pasta dishes, or just as a dip for breads and meats.

Served in a bowl large enough for the table, this gooey cheese dish is well worth its weight in gold.

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

Ingredients: (Vegetarian, gluten free)

• 3 Tbs. unsalted or salted butter

Monster `Butter works quite well here.

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) flour

• ¼ cup (50 grams) milk

• 1 cup (120 grams) cheddar cheese

• ½ cup (100 grams) Swiss cheese

• ½ tsp. (2 grams) Turmeric powder for color

• Salt and cracked black pepper to taste ADD GRAMMA GUPS GUPS UH-OH

SAUSE FOR MORE KICK.

Preparation:

1. Melt butter in a medium pot, then add garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds.

2. Add flour and turmeric, then combine thoroughly before adding milk. Whisk well.

3. Slowly add in the cheese, mixing and allowing it to melt before adding more.

4. Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve immediately.

SCHMEARS

27

Wh i pped

Co ppe r B u t t e r

W hat once started as a harvest season treat quickly became a year-round specialty here at the Tavern. The Whipped Copper Butter is a simple schmear using butter, sugar, and the Harvest Spice mix. It’s the perfect companion to a hot roll or biscuit. In fact, it was often the first thing an adventuring party asked for when they received their breadbas-ket, so Copper Butter is now served alongside bread before patrons even sit down.

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

Ingredients: (Vegetarian, gluten free)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

Make sure to let the but er get

to room temperature.

• ½ tsp. (2 grams) salt

• ½ cup (100 grams) white sugar

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) honey

• ½ Tbs. (7 grams) Harvest Spice

Preparation:

1. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and whip together using a mixer, whisk or fork until well combined and fluffy.

2. Serve immediately or keep chilled for up to a week.

SCHMEARS

29

I hope you woke up on the right side of the bed this morning because today will be a doozy. Before you read further, my friend, you better take a deep breath. I must warn you that when you go downstairs, you’ll find a couple things broken … and by a couple, I mean a few. Or maybe a handful. All I can tell you is that a lot happened in the Tavern last night, and I swear on the Archmage that I had nothing to do with it. Trust me, my father would turn in his grave if I lied to you. I should probably tell you, though, that I may have ticked off some of the nymphs in the greenhouse, but that’s a problem for another time. ANYWAY, here’s the damage.

• Koko flew into the painting covering my passage up to the Observatory. I know you told that gryphon not to fly inside, but it doesn’t seem like he took that to heart. The frame is a bit busted, too, so the passage is essentially blocked. My wheelchair won’t be able to get through until it’s fixed.

• Casket and Kane got a little riled up because of Koko, and they knocked over the suit of armor stationed at the west wing.

Mainly it’s just in pieces, but the helmet did get a little dented.

However, I know that the triplets can fix it. Don’t look too closely at the dent, though. You might see that it’s in the shape of a paw print. Can you fault the Orthrus, though? Its heads get in the way sometimes, and the two necks can get tangled together. Besides, it wasn’t on service beast duty, so it didn’t have its working vest on. You know Casket and Kane behave better with the vest.

• Speaking of the triplets, Hallinta, Hina and Hassar found their pea shooters. I hid them in a cask of wine in the kitchen. But after a little tussle with Jasper, well, let’s say the goblins won, and wine-covered peas were shot. They broke at least four stage lights.

• Oh, and Jasper did spill that cask of wine trying to defend it from the grubby little monsters. There’s a bit of a stain on the kitchen floor now, but I’m sure it’ll come out with a little magic.

Though the deep berry splash across the automaton’s back might need something more. You should ask Corvid what he knows about mixing arcane magic with metal. No doubt, he’ll be up in my Library, hiding from the mess. You know how the man can be when his feathers are ruffled and things get loud.

• Jaymee may or may not have broken the chandelier. It’s still working, but it’s not pretty. There’s a crack running through the lighted orb, and I have no clue how that happened. All I know is the hyper automaton did it.

• Speaking of Jaymee, MIKA did split a table in two trying to get him down from the ceiling. Make a note to invest in tables thick enough to hold large, heavy automatons.

• Misty said the oven is broken, but I don’t necessarily fault her for that. She is the resident baker after all, so you can’t be mad at her for doing her job!

• Stubby, on the other hand, is the reason why so many of our kitchen utensils keep going missing. I guess the poor orc keeps snapping them between his big ol’ fingers while he cooks. Add that to the list of investments.

• Lastly, Lyric and Lazuli were here, and they broke a window. I’m pretty sure they were fighting, but I’m not positive over what.

All I know is that Lyric’s violin bow shattered the glass.

These are the messes I know about. I suppose that there could be more issues I’ve yet to find, but I’m too socially exhausted to deal with them right now. I’ll be in The Back if you need me, but please, try not to need me P.S. My tattoos are flaring up a little bit today, so I might not be around after I categorize the new trinkets you traded for in The Back. Something is telling me tonight might be a hard one for me.

S U N R I S E

M E A L S

S u n ri s e S pec i a l

E very kingdom and country has its staple breakfast. They all have a meal with a combination of proteins, vegetables, and bread that can jumpstart one’s day perfectly. During one of my travels, I arrived in a country ruled only by a queen. The people were friendly but frank, and the weather was either grey or foggy.

In this queendom, I was introduced to a breakfast that seemed unique solely because it was always the same. A cast iron pan of potatoes, barbecued beans on toast, sausage links, a small bowl of grits, and two drippy eggs. I could never make any changes; otherwise, it wasn’t a “full breakfast,” as they said.

My journey there wasn’t long, but the idea of a complete, full sunrise meal lingered in my mind. I’d asked a local named Barnaby why the queendom believed that this specific combination of food was considered a “full meal.” He explained that it was because of the cold conditions. A hearty meal at the beginning of the day is vital to stay warm and energized.

Often, because of the dangerous, monster-filled forest surrounding the 34

A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

queendom, most adventurers desired to have their last meal be one that felt like home.

Before my journey there ended, I had a horrific encounter with some of those monsters from the forest. I won’t tell that story here, but I will say this: Barnaby, thank you. That breakfast kept me full and alert during that encounter, and it’s now an everyday option on the menu here at the Tavern.

Ingredients: 2 servings

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) butter Monster Butter recommended.

• 2 sausage links

• 2 bacon strips

• 2 small Baby Bella mushrooms Cleaned and sliced.

• 2 slices of red tomato

• 2 slices of preferred toast

• 2 eggs

• 1 scoop of canned baked beans Hot and fully cooked.

Preparation:

1. In a medium-sized skillet, melt down your butter and add all your ingredients except for the eggs, toast, and baked beans.

2. Heat until meat is cooked through and the vegetables are soft and caramelized. Then, add your eggs cooking sunny side up, basting the top of the eggs with the hot oil from the pan.

3. Transfer everything to a clean plate or just add a scoop of baked beans and serve in the skillet.

SUNRISE MEALS

35

B i s c u i t s a n d

D ra g o n G rav y

A long-time staple of The Lucky Gryphon menu, favored by old and new patrons alike. The soft, pillowy biscuits covered in peppery creamed gravy with ground sausage are nigh perfect. Lean in close and I will tell you the secret ingredient: dried pepper flakes from roasted chili peppers. This subtle kick of heat first hits the tongue with the fire of a small dragon but is then tamed by the cream gravy. This, combined with the addictive sensations of spicy foods, makes Biscuits and Dragon Gravy one of the most popular meals at the Tavern. Also, saying it’s “all you can eat” keeps our hands strong from kneading all morning long.

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It started after a rowdy night of brawling, punting things into wood-chippers, and general rough housing. I needed a simple but tasty breakfast to satisfy the pickiest of palates—as well as the strongest of appetites.

Enter the dragon gravy! Dun dun duuuun! Indeed, my spicy rendition of the classic world-renowned dish sometimes has an actual dragon in it! (The bad kind. Not the nice ones who live beneath the Tavern in the underground caverns and dens.) Dragon meat is filled with natural spice, so adding a few peppers really fans the flames.

Ta ve r n B i s c u i t s

Ingredients: (Vegetarian) Makes about 8-10 biscuits

• 2 ½ cups (375 grams) flour

• 1 Tbs. (14 grams) baking powder

• 1 tsp. (6 grams) salt

• 1 stick cold, unsalted butter cut into cubes We sometimes use 1/2 a cup of cold

Monster Butter to make garlic biscuits.

• 1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk (and a little extra to brush onto the dough later)

Preparation:

1. Preheat your oven to 450˚F/232˚C.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add all your ingredients and mix well to form a sticky dough.

3. On a floured work surface, knead and fold the shaggy dough until it starts to come together.

SUNRISE MEALS

37

4. Once combined, roll out to about ½ inch thick. Cut out your biscuits using a cookie cutter, empty tin can, or drinking glass.

5. Brush with extra buttermilk, then bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits are golden brown.

D ra g o n G ra v y

Ingredients: 4 servings

• 1 Tbs. (30 mL) butter Monster Butter optional.

• 1 lb. (450 grams) ground mild sausage Or evil Dragon meat.

• 1 ½ Tsp. (9 grams) Phoenix Powder

• 3 Tbs. (24 grams) flour

• 1 ½ cups (375 mL) milk of choice

Preparation:

1. In a medium skillet, melt butter and add ground sausage and Phoenix Powder. Cook on medium-high until the meat is browned and cooked through.

2. Add flour to the sausage and use a small whisk to mix the flour with the meat until no lumps of flour remain.

3. Slowly add milk into the skillet, whisking constantly to combine the flour mixture with the milk until smooth.

4. Lower the heat to medium and allow the gravy to thicken.

About 10 minutes.

5. Serve immediately over Tavern Biscuits.

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

A d ve n t u re r ’ s Ca ss e ro le

I f there’s one thing I’ve learned about adventurers, it is that they like their meals hot, quick, and available for second helpings. When I first put Adventurer’s Casserole on the menu, it was often ordered for the entire table. That being the case, I just started placing the whole casserole dish in the center of the table for the entire party to share. Now, I rarely sell a single slice of Adventurer’s Casserole; it’s almost always the entire dish.

One evening, an order came in for two casseroles for the same table.

Now, the average casserole feeds a party of five pretty easily, with enough for seconds if a couple of them want more. But the table that ordered two whole casseroles was only a party of four adventurers: a tusk-toothed paladin, a dwarven bard, a pink fiendling, and a stern-faced gunslinger with several firearms strapped to her side.

Curious, I watched from the bar as they began to countdown loudly.

Then two of them, the pink fiendling and the tusk-toothed paladin, started eating. They practically inhaled the casserole dish in front of them. This commotion immediately caught the attention of many eyes in the Tavern, and a crowd began to form. The bard proclaimed that the SUNRISE MEALS

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winner of this eating competition would be allowed to be the first to use the washtub that night. And I will say that they all could use a proper cleaning on this evening. Also, thanks to the Gobbles, MIKA and Stubby, The Lucky Gryphon had indoor plumbing installed quickly hereafter. I couldn’t believe that my poor adventurers would have to deal with this type of inconvenience at my Tavern.

The paladin was more than three-quarters through his casserole when the loudest belch erupted from the petite fiendling. She had finished her casserole and cleaned the dish, licking her fingers for the last bits of sausage and egg. Cheers and applause resounded throughout the Tavern.

I announced that I would have clean baths for all four of them when the tusk-tooth paladin stood up and addressed me. He said he appreciated the offer of clean baths for his party, but he must honor his bet with his friend and endure the punishment for losing.

To this, even more cheers and laughter arose. I’m not sure if that party ever got to wash up that night because of the numerous rounds of drinks bought for them and the stories they were asked to tell. But I’ll say this, ever since that night, the Adventurer’s Casserole has had this secret surprise. If anyone ever finished a whole one alone, they would get free lodging for the night and the best bath they’d ever have.

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

Ingredients: 6 servings

• 1 lb. (450 grams) ground sausage

• 6 eggs

• 1 cup (120 grams) shredded cheddar cheese This may come a surprise, but I don’t like cheese.

So I leave it out when I make it for myself.

• 2 cups (300 grams) shredded potatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold)

• 1 cup (250 mL) milk of choice

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) each of salt and pepperSome Phoenix Powder or Witch’s Closet here is amazing.

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F/177˚C.

2. In a skillet, brown the sausage, then set aside.

3. In a 9x13-inch casserole dish butter the sides of the dish and whisk the milk and eggs together.

4. Add shredded potatoes, cooked sausage, and cheese. Mix to combine.

5. Cover in foil and bake for 35-45 minutes.

6. Remove from oven, carefully remove foil, and cover with more cheese. Then, bake uncovered for another 10-15 minutes.

7. Slice into portions and serve immediately.

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A pple B u t t e r Ba l l s

King Bippy

doth proclaim this recipe is thine!

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

O u r resident sentient mouse living

inside the Tavern walls found a tat-

tered paper scroll with this recipe etched on it. King Bippy says he found it amongst a treasure trove where he discovered his crown and scepter (a golden bottle cap

and a sewing needle). Personally, I think the notorious thief pilfered these items and this recipe from some unsuspecting

traveler.

Either way, these fluffy little pillows

are delicious.

Typically, these north-hailing spherical fried pancakes are called æbleskiver. But let’s face it, Apple Butter Balls is easier to pronounce and much more fun to say. You can ask your local blacksmith to forge an æbleskiver pan for you, or you can find one at a housewares store near you. It is a necessary tool to create these warm poppers of goodness.

These rodent-sized breakfast treats are served with our signature Apple Mush as a dipping sauce. Our flavorful Harvest Spice mix adds warmth to these already delish golden-crusted rounds.

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Ingredients: (Vegetarian) Makes about 18 æbleskiver

• 3 cups (375 grams) flour

• 1 tsp. (3 grams) baking soda

• 2 tsp. (6 grams) baking powder

• 1 tsp. (5 grams) salt

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) Harvest Spice

• 2 cups (500 mL) buttermilk

Preparation:

1. In a small pitcher, whisk together buttermilk, and eggs.

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients before pouring in buttermilk mixture. Combine well.

3. Heat up the æbleskiver pan on medium-high heat and add a small amount of oil to coat each cup.

4. Pour batter into each cup about ¾ of the way full. Cook for about 1-2 minutes.

5. Using a toothpick or chopsticks, turn the poppers 90 degrees and then cook for another 1-2 minutes.

6. Flip the poppers completely over and cook for a final 1-2 minutes.

7. Serve with a side of Apple Mush and top with powdered sugar and/or maple syrup. Or, be creative with your toppings of choice!

I prefer a dol op of Amethyst Compote

for a colorful and tart addition.

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

Po p o ve r Pa n c a k es

W e have Minthie’s elusive grandmother, Mor Mor, to thank for our Popover Pancakes.

You will seldom catch Minthie anywhere near the loud bustling kitchen, but if you do, it’s likely because she’s been craving a taste of home—and perhaps the serotonin from watching the pancakes rise inside our fiery ovens and listening to the scream-like sizzling of the pan. Though travelers should beware: I can never say with 100% certainty that when she has a cast iron skillet in her hand, it’s for puffy pancake making. I’ve seen her whack a monster or two with it when her scythe wasn’t in reach.

Therefore, results may vary.

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If you’re brave enough to weather the Minthie storm, you’ll be delighted by this large, poofy, family-style breakfast dish. The risen edges are perfectly crisp, and the deflated center is deliciously custardy and ready to serve as a vessel for any sweet topping of your choosing.

Moreover, ordering this family recipe will jump-start your climb up the ranks to becoming one of the dark Naiad’s favorite people.

Ingredients: (Vegetarian) 1-2 Servings

• 1 cup (125 grams) flour

• 3 large eggs

• 1 cup (250 mL) milk

• Pinch of salt

• 4 Tbs. unsalted butter, divided

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F/218˚C.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients, saving two tablespoons of butter off to the side, then whisk together until smooth.

3. Heat up a 10-inch, oven-safe skillet and melt the last two tablespoons of butter.

4. When the butter is melted, pour in the batter. Bake for 20

minutes or until the pancake puffs up and is golden brown.

These babies are best served the traditional way, with a dusting of powdered sugar and squeeze of lemon.

However, topping with maple syrup, Regal Sugar, or Amethyst Compote will also do.

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

Lo s t B rea d

T here’s a tale about thunderstorms that says things go missing when they roll over a town. Nothing of great value disappears but random and inconvenient things. You might discover that you are missing your shoelaces, an axe handle, the doorknob but only on one side, the salt but not the pepper, and other things of little worth. This was often attributed to pranking fae or mischievous spirits. To combat these annoying thefts, locals began to put out random items on the windowsill that they were willing to part with during a thunderstorm. Throughout the town, when the clouds roll in, windows are adorned with things like chipped mugs, socks with holes in them, an almost empty bag of flour, or half-eaten food.

Sometimes this worked, but many times those items just remained on the windowsill after the storm rolled past. This town was beset by these maddening disappearances for years until, one day, the local SUNRISE MEALS

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baker’s wife proclaimed that she had discovered a secret. “A way to appease the Thunder Fae,” she said. Before a thunderstorm would roll through, the baker’s wife would set out a plate of fried bread slices coated with powdered sugar, berries, and syrup. The sweet dish was gone in the morning, and everything else remained. She claimed to have tested this several times and that it always appeased the tiny creatures with sticky fingers.

The townsfolk, having nothing to lose, put this theory to the test.

Some would put out soup, and others would set out fruits. Some did precisely as the baker’s wife said by setting out fried bread with sugar and fruit. As the next storm came and went, those who had set out the fried bread offering were left alone, while those that did not, were pilfered of small but necessary things. This sugared offering was coined Lost Bread. And even though I’ve never had to deal with these Thunder Fae myself, I still tend to set out a dish whenever I hear thunder rolling in the distance.

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

Ingredients: (Vegetarian) 2 servings

• 4 thick slices of bread

We recommend brioche, sourdough, or a baguet e.

• 2 eggs

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) heavy cream

• Splash of vanilla extract

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) maple syrup or honey

• Pinch of salt

Harvest Spice is a wonderful substitution.

• ½ tsp (2 grams) cinnamon

• Unsalted butter for greasing the pan

Preparation:

1. Setting the bread aside, mix the rest of the ingredients together in a wide mixing bowl.

2. Preheat frying pan on medium heat. Melt a knob of butter in the pan.

3. Dip bread slices into the egg mixture and fry up to 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

4. Serve topped with powdered sugar, syrup, honey, or fruit.

We’ve also enjoyed it topped with Amethyst Compote or Chimera Chocolate Sauce!

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M i s t y’ s M a ple S co n es

S unrises at The Lucky Gryphon are Misty’s favorite part of the day.

They are not only a symbol of new beginnings and a fresh start, but a chance to enjoy the Tavern in the peaceful morning before the early rush. I often find the young barmaid with her pink hair pulled back out of her bronze- and ivory-toned face, almost dancing around the kitchen as she bakes.

I credit Misty for many needed improvements to the Tavern. She scheduled quiet evenings during the midweek that make The Lucky Gryphon feel like the inside of Minthie’s Library, but with a bar. She also instituted baking classes for young adventurers, taking them into the kitchen and teaching them to cook loaves of bread, brownies, and biscuits. I couldn’t do what I do now without her.

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

Misty Lunala is just as important to the Tavern as Minthie, Koko, and the rest. There are even several menu staples that she’s helped improve or create, namely her maple scones. Warm and buttery with a blanket of velvet maple icing, Misty’s Maple Scones are some of the first items we sell out of every morning.

Though sometimes I’m

unsure if it’s the scones or

Misty herself that makes

these breakfast goods go so

quickly. I’ve noticed many

blushing patrons casting long-

ing looks while she’s serving her

sweet confections. Either way,

here is the recipe from Misty

herself, along with any notes,

corrections, and updates that

she’s done. I hope you enjoy them.

Misty!

You’re so adorable!

-Lyric

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Ingredients: (vegetarian) 6 servings

• 2 cups (250 grams) flour

• 1 Tbs. (14 grams) baking powder

• ¼ tsp. (2 grams) salt

Harvest Spice can be a lovely substitute.

• ⅓ cup (100 grams) packed brown sugar

• ½ tsp. (2 grams) cinnamon

• 1 stick of cold butter, cut into cubes It must be cold butter.

• 1 cup (250 mL) heavy cream (and a little extra to brush onto the dough later)

• 1 egg

Maple Icing Ingredients: (vegetarian)

• ½ cup (125 mL) maple syrup

The maple syrup from Notos is my personal favorite.

• 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) heavy cream

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F/205˚C.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

3. Add the cubed stick of cold butter to the dry ingredients.

4. Using a fork, mix the butter into the flour until a pebbled mix is established. Set aside.

5. Then in a measuring cup, add heavy cream and egg, and whisk to combine.

6. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until a shaggy dough forms.

7. On a floured surface, work the shaggy dough until it comes together into a ball. Roll out the dough into a large ¾-inch thick circle.

8. Divide the dough into 6 equal triangle-shaped parts, then place on a baking sheet and baste with more heavy cream.

9. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until scones just begin to brown.

10. While the scones are baking, mix together maple syrup, powdered sugar, and heavy cream to form the icing.

11. Allow the scones to cool completely before applying the maple icing.

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J a y m ee Ca k es

U sually, I wouldn’t let Jaymee even set foot in the kitchen, let alone cook anything. His automaton body is never in need of food or drink, so he has no sense of smell or taste. This, combined with his overly enthusiastic nature and desire to cook, has resulted in a few kitchen fires.

More than any building should endure.

Nevertheless, Jaymee continued to want to cook and provide food for our hungry patrons that were always grateful for the hot meals and cold drinks. He learned that cakes were often ordered when a party of adventurers arrived and wished to celebrate a member’s birthday. This, in turn, resulted in Jaymee trying dozens of times to make a cake.

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

He often tried to mix things together without my knowledge and throw them in the oven before I noticed. Again, more kitchen fires. At one point, I finally sat Jaymee

down and had a long conversa-

tion with the small automaton,

whom I love as if he were my son.

We came to the conclusion that

we would create a food item that

even he could make.

I also made a rule that

he was only permitted

to practice his kitchen

skil s when supervised.

It took a few attempts, but after a month or so, Jaymee mastered this recipe. It’s a simple treat of fried dough that can be coated in sugar and dipped in a hot beverage. They will forever be called Jaymee Cakes and have been a popular breakfast, celebration dessert, and on-the-go order ever since.

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Ingredients: (Vegetarian) 4 servings

• 1 ½ cups (180 grams) flour

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) baking powder

• ½ tsp. (2 grams) salt

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) Harvest Spice

• ¼ cup (50 grams) white sugar

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) unsalted butter.

Let butter soften to room temperature.

• 1 egg

• ⅓ cup (80 mL) sour cream

• Vegetable oil

Enough to fill 2 inches in a wide, deep pan.

Jaymee Cake’s Glaze:

Combine all ingredients

and simply whisk together.

• 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar

• 1 tsp. (5 mL) vanilla extract

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) honey or maple syrup

• Pinch of salt

• 1 tsp. (5 mL) milk or cream

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

Preparation:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and Harvest Spice.

2. In a separate bowl, add sugar, egg, and sour cream. Beat with a mixer or whisk until well combined.

3. Slowly mix your dry and wet ingredients until well combined.

4. Cover bowl with plastic and let dough chill for 1 hour or up to overnight.

5. Heat oil to 350˚F/175˚C and prepare glaze while dough rests.

Combine all glaze ingredients into a small bowl and mix well.

Set aside until ready to use.

6. Roll out dough on floured surface to ½-inch thick.

7. Divide into six bars and score the top of each with a knife.

8. Fry in hot oil with the cut side down for 3 minutes. Carefully flip over and fry until golden brown.

9. Allow the cakes to cool completely, then dip into glaze. Let the glaze set before serving.

Don’t add hot sauce

…again.

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M o r n i n g Oa t s

O f all the Tavern Guard factions, the Gryphon Watch will always have my heart. Not only because it’s the faction I oversee, but because of the incredibly creative and hardworking individuals within its ranks.

One such artificer I knew was Arthur, a master mechanic and tech-nician on all things diesel. Arthur could repair any large, old contraption to be like new. He even invented a revolutionary engine that flowed perfectly from solar power to fossil fuel and arcane sources seamlessly. He essentially created an engine that would never stop and could be powered by practically anything. I’ve had Arthur install several of these engines underneath The Lucky Gryphon to provide electricity and running water throughout the building.

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

I’ve known Arthur for many years now. He is a gentle and humble man who never raises his voice and whose mind is always thinking ten steps ahead. A creature of habit, Arthur comes to the Tavern and always orders the same thing: a bowl of oatmeal and a cup of Minthie’s Curse.

He and his wife, Marlene, visit the Tavern quite often. Every weekend, always ordering the same breakfast and sitting at the same table in the corner. Jasper has their order sent back the moment they walk through the doors.

I’m thankful for the people who trust The Lucky Gryphon to be a resting place where they can get a hot meal. It warms my soul to see familiar faces so often that those faces become friends. And those friends have the potential to change the direction of our destinies in ways we could never imagine.

You can’t get any simpler than boiled oats in the morning. They’re quick, full of fiber, and provide sufficient energy at the beginning of the day. Especially when a long road of adventuring lies before you. I’ve had many versions of Morning Oats—sweet, savory, spicy, and even frozen.

I’ve listed a few variants

for you to choose from to

try yourself. I recommend

the bacon and chicken ver-

sions because I feel extra

cozy when partaking a bowl

of savory oats on a chilly

autumn morning.

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Ingredients: (Vegan) 1 Serving

• 2 cups (475 mL) water

• 1 cup (85 grams) rolled oats

• Pinch of salt

Preparation:

1. Add all ingredients to a small saucepan.

2. Cook oats over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes.

Be as adventurous with your flavor profiles as you desire. Some of our favorite toppings include:

• Fresh fruit

• Peanut butter and bananas

• Brown sugar and cinnamon

• Bacon and eggs

• Fried fish and mushrooms

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

D ee D ee’ s Pa r f a i t Po t s

I t’s a little-known fact that Dryads have a certain knack for breakfast foods. Among their specialties: layered yogurt dishes. Dee Dee, one of the forest nymphs that takes residence in the trees around the Tavern, was gracious enough to offer her favorite recipe for our sunrise guests.

Her kind has a special connection to the things this earth can grow, from the berries inside this parfait to the oats and nuts it’s topped with.

They even have a bond with the cows the yogurt stems from. Dryad recipes are sewn with love, gratitude, and good intentions, gracing the patron’s belly with peace and energy for the day.

Don’t forget to give the next tree you see a little pat and thank-you, just in case a Dryad is inside. It’s important to spread kindness wherever you go.

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Sunrise Granola Ingredients:

(Vegetarian) 4-6 servings

• 2 cup (160 grams) rolled oats Gluten-free, if desired.

• 1 cup (125 grams) chopped nuts Almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc.

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) Harvest Spice

• ¼ cup (125 mL) coconut oil, melted

• ½ cup (125 mL) honey

Substitute with maple syrup for a vegan friendly version.

• Splash of vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Preheat your oven to 300˚F/150˚C.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine rolled oats and chopped nuts.

Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, combine the melted coconut oil, honey, vanilla, and spices. Don’t cook the mixture; just allow the ingredients to melt together and combine.

4. Pour the warm syrup over the oats and nuts and mix until the dry ingredients are well coated.

5. Spread granola evenly on a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes or until it starts getting toasted.

6. Let the granola cool entirely before breaking into pieces.

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

Dee Dee’s Parfait Pots Preparation

• 1 part Sunrsie Granola

• 2 parts plain yogurt

• 1 part fresh fruit

• Optional additions: Chimera Chocolate Sauce, Amethyst Compote, Regal Sugar, Harvest Spice

Be adventurous!

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The pain is bad today. So bad that I can feel it ripping through my skin. My tattoos feel hot to the touch because of how much they’re overworking to keep everything contained. I can’t stand it any longer. If I had known those stupid rings would do this to me, I never would’ve picked them up.

I would’ve left them to rust in the Styx somewhere deep and dark where no one else could ever be cursed by them.

Then again, if I had never put those rings on my fingers and if they never burned into my skin, I never would’ve found my place in the Tavern.

I think I would have just stayed in the Underground, combing the waters, and ferrying the lost, going on quests with you only when you called on me. There probably never would’ve been a reason for me to come Topside and build The Lucky Gryphon. There wouldn’t have been a reason to stay.

I’m forever thankful that you found me and pulled me from the shores when you did.

I suppose this chronic pain is the price I pay to have my family, huh?

You’re lucky I love you all because this hurts.

I feel it mostly in my legs, deep down in my bones, and spread throughout the marrow. If I close my eyes, I can feel how it’s wrapped around my muscle and buried itself in the sinew. It’s easier when I’m in the water and my lower limbs are fused together. The pain can hardly touch me down in the Underground, where the different atmospheric pressure, darkness, and enchantments interfere with my curse.

I’ve noticed I get these sharp zings in my chest more recently. Like my heart is fighting to work against the magic, trying to suppress the power and hexed affliction inside me. By the way, I’m not telling you this to scare you. I know for a fact that this new symptom of mine won’t kill me, so don’t get your knickers in a twist. I just know that if I told Corvid or Misty, they would worry … especially Corvid. He’d try to tear my Library apart to find a way to fix me. I don’t want him to go through that same disappointment and depression when I already did that five hundred solstices ago.

Anyway, I’m going down to the Underground for a while. I need to stretch my fins and get these tattoos to cool down. I’ll keep an eye out for anything rare and magical. And yes, I promise not to examine anything that could be cursed on my own. I’ll wait until I get back so we can secure everything in the Observatory and use the proper protection spells to weed out the bad stuff.

Trust me, I won’t make that mistake again. And don’t roll your eyes at me sir, I can already feel it. That was ONE time!

P.S. Please tell Corvid where I went, but don’t break the news empty-handed. If you bring him up a Violet Butterfly, it’ll ease his grumpiness until I get back.

S U N H I G H

M E A L S

Th e U s u a l

T here’s a chair in the Tavern engraved with the name D. Samuel.

Sam was a Phoenix Ménage Elementalist who came into the Tavern every Thursday. He sat in the same chair at the bar, second one to the right, without fail. Everyone knew not to sit in that chair on Thursdays.

There was many a time when Sam showed up fresh from a quest, still covered in blood and grime with a limb ready to fall off, just to order his usual: a grilled cheese and a steaming bowl of tomato soup to dip it in.

If it was a good day for Sam, he ordered the usual.

If it was a bad day, the usual.

Celebration, the usual.

Mourning a fallen comrade, the usual.

Rain or shine, the usual.

Tastebuds rendered useless from a weeklong curse, the usual.

Lip fat and actively bleeding, the usual.

Sam was as much a staple at The Lucky Gryphon as is his sandwich.

We typically already had the bread on the griddle and the soup on the stove before he showed up. It was hot and ready to serve every time he 68

A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

dropped into his favorite chair. But one day, the soup was left simmering on

a burner, and the grilled cheese

set off to the side until it grew

cold.

There was a sense of off-

ness that day.

When closing time came

around, and Sam never showed up

for his usual, we all knew something was wrong.

Although he never came in on Fridays, we waited in hopes that he encountered extra trouble on his journey down into The Maze. We believed he’d waltz in with a tired smile and unnecessary apologies. We waited Saturday and Sunday. We watched for him day after day until the following Thursday, but he never resurfaced.

No one sat at the bar in the chair second to the right that week or the next.

I put The Usual up on the menu in case it would draw him back to his rightful place, like a beacon. But it never did. Three weeks had passed before I noticed Jasper had nailed a small, engraved plaque on the back of Sam’s chair: “D. SAMUEL.” He started the ritual of honoring the fallen friends and adventurers that graced these hallowed halls. And although his chair is used by patrons these days, it’s respected and fiercely protected.

Sam will never be forgotten.

You are sorely mis ed, my friend.

I miss his calm presence. Stubby said you bought some vegan cheese from the market… Mind making a Usual?

I’m feeling a li"le nostalgic tonight.

Of course. I’ll bring it up to the library.

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G r i l led Ch ees e

Ingredients: (Vegetarian) 1 Serving

• 2 slices sourdough bread

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) Monster Butter

• 2 slices cheddar cheese

• 1 slice provolone cheese

• 1 slice Swiss cheese

Preparation:

1. Put the slices of cheese between the two slices of bread.

2. In a frying pan, melt butter on medium-high heat.

3. Cook each side until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes. Adding a knob of butter to the pan between flipping the sandwich.

4. Serve immediately.

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

To m a to S o u p

Ingredients: (Vegetarian, gluten-free) 2 servings

• 28-oz. can (790 grams) chopped tomatoes

• 1 cup (250 mL) vegetable broth

Or water with some vegetable bouillon.

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) Monster Butter

• ½ white onion, chopped

• ½ cup (125 mL) half and half

Add some Witch’s Closet for more flavor.

Preparation:

1. In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium-high heat and sauté the chopped onions until translucent. About 3-4 minutes.

2. Pour in chopped tomatoes and vegetable broth. Cook for 15 minutes.

3. Using a blender, immersion blender, or food processor, carefully pulse the tomatoes until smooth.

4. Add heavy cream and stir, cooking for another 3 minutes.

5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. Serve warm

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M a k - i n - J a ck

T here’s a legend that once crept its way down Mount Eurus with twisted limbs, crawling through the Plains of Notos to reach the Tavern. You can still hear whispery groans of it echoing through the woods at night. One must listen closely to hear the guttural sounds, but the tale begins a bit like this:

Beware the Boy Jack, for he is not alone, The spirit Mak is sulfide

Beware the Boy Jack, for his warning is a groan The spirit Mak is inside

The rest is a cautionary tale, but I will spare you the rhymes. Boy Jack was a street urchin who worked the black market selling stolen goods with the help of his beastly pet lady boar, Vidalia.

Now, where did Jack get these goods, you ask?

Yes, the big pig was named after an onion, and yes, our macaroni and cheese comes topped with onions.

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A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

Well, none other than the cemetery proper. He and Vidalia were a graverobbing team, digging up the dead like truffles and flinging open their coffins to pilfer the treasured belongings they were buried with. The pair stole heirlooms of jewels and brooches, fine fabric clothes such as velvet or furs, and gold coins that covered sunken eye sockets. They even retrieved the coins sitting on decaying tongues like communion wafers.

That was all fine and

dandy until, one night, they

breached the grave of Mak

Caden. A very wealthy, very

vengeful sorcerer. Before Mak

died, he cast a spell on his body

to haunt whomever might dare

disturb him, pulling him from his

eternal rest. You can imagine what happened when Jack and Vidalia were pawing through the dirt to his grave to reach whatever riches were inside the coffin.

Mak’s spirit arose when they uncovered his body and trove of gold, flooding his essence into the boar first, stopping her heart dead in its tracks. Then, Mak moved on to Jack.

When the deed was done, the bodies of Boy Jack and his pet boar were strewn over the gold like distasteful garnishes.

Safe to say, Mak-in-Jack and its origins aren’t for the faint of heart.

Though, rest assured, no graverobbers were harmed in the making of this dish.

*Chefs Kiss* Bon Appetit

Bone apple teeth!

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J a ck ’ s Pu l led Po rk

Ingredients: (Dairy-free) About 6 servings

• 3-4 lb. (1300-1800 grams) pork butt roast

• 1 white onion, sliced Save some for garnish.

• 1 green bell pepper, sliced

• ½ cup (125 mL) water

• ½ cup (100 grams) brown sugar

• 2 Tbs. (28 grams) Phoenix Powder

• 1 ½ cups (375 mL) barbecue sauce of choice ADD UH-OH SAUCE!

Preparation:

1. In a slow cooker, place your sliced onions and peppers on the bottom with a 1/2 cup of water.

2. In a bowl, mix the barbecue sauce, spices, and brown sugar until well combined, then spread all over the pork butt roast.

3. Place pork butt into the slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

4. Pull cooked pork apart with forks and mix with the sauce and onions. Set aside.

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M a k n’ Ch ees e

Ingredients: (Vegetarian) About 4 servings

• 1 pound (450 grams) short pasta Macaroni, conchigliette, or cavatappi.

• 1 cup (250 mL) whole milk

• ½ cup (125 mL) half and half

• 2 Tbs. (28 grams) flour

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) Monster Butter

• 3 cups (360 grams) shredded cheese

We use a mixture of Cheddar,

Monterey, Colby, and Pepper Jack cheese.

• Pinch of salt

Preparation:

1. In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil, then cook your pasta for 7-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. In a saucepan, whisk your milk, half and half, and flour over medium heat. Be sure to not cook to a boil.

3. Melt Monster Butter into the saucepan for some garlic and herb flavor.

4. When light steam begins to rise from the heating cream, slowly add shredded cheese and melt in batches.

5. When all the cheese is melted and well combined, pour cheese over the cooked pasta and mix well.

6. Serve Mak n’ Cheese with a scoop of Jack’s Pulled Pork and some onions sprinkled over the top to make it a complete Makin-Jack dish.

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Ta rra g o n S to n e P i e

N amed after the dragon herb, Tarragon Stone Pie is inspired by an old medieval way of cooking thin flat bread.

There used to be a town called Daltini that claimed to use the dragoncello method, meaning they stoked their pies, not in brick-fired ovens, but in the flames burning straight from the dragons’ mouths. The town had a treaty with the creatures, and rumor has it, the boon the fiery beasts received was an exchange of grain bags teeming with tarragon. The herb

acts like catnip, rendering the

winged behemoths as docile

as sleepy kittens.

The legend of these

fire-breathed flatbreads is

still talked about to this day.

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While I wish we had a little benevolent dragon friend inside the Tavern (unlike the nasty ones skulking about The Maze) to cook our meatless cheesy tomato pies, our ovens do just fine. Though if you have a friendly dragon at home, I highly encourage you to ask for its assistance—in exchange for some tarragon—to get an evenly toasted bake.

Ingredients: (Vegan) 6 servings

• 2 cups (250 grams) flour

• 2/3 cup (160 mL) warm water

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) olive oil

• Pinch of salt

• Preferred tomato sauce

• Preferred toppings

The Tavern’s version adds:

1 tsp of Witch’s Closet,

a pinch of chopped tarragon,

and 2 cloves of fresh minced garlic.

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Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 450˚F/232˚C and place your baking trays in the oven to heat up.

2. Add the flour to a bowl. Make a well in the middle with your finger and add your water and salt.

Add in additional herbs and garlic at this step.

3. Mix until the dough starts to come together, then add the olive oil.

4. Knead the dough together until a ball forms. Don’t overwork.

5. Roll out dough ½ -inch thick on a floured surface, shaping it into a round 10-inch to 12-inch wide pie.

6. Remove baking trays from oven and carefully set your pie onto the hot baking trays.

7. Cover in your favorite tomato sauce and toppings of choice.

8. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Extra cheese for me! -Misty

Spicy slices of salami!

Do you have mushrooms and hot peppers? -Lyric PINEAP PLE

EW! No!

WHO SAID EW NO?

And the Gobbles were never seen again…

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Va g a b u n s

I discovered early on in my travels that hunger strikes whenever it very well pleases. And often at the most inconvenient times. Many towns I visited didn’t cater to the average traveler in the way of providing convenient meals for the road. It is either raw or dried fruit, jerky, stale bread, or nuts. Of course, those things can be acceptable in a pinch. But not for me.

One day, while visiting a town during one of its annual celebrations. I noticed several people walking around eating these meat-filled bread rolls. I asked where they got them, and they pointed me to a street vendor who was making them on the spot. I ran to the vendor, a hunched,

old woman with hardened hands

and squinting eyes. I asked for one

roll, watching her every move as

she rolled out her dough and

spooned in a spicy meat filling.

The aroma was to die for!

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She pinched the dough around the meat and threw it into the brick oven behind her. In a few minutes, it came out golden and steaming. One bite and I knew this was something special. They were perfect for travel.

I could shove a couple of these in my pockets before a day’s journey, and the bun would keep the meat from falling out. When I had the chance to recreate these rolls for myself, I dubbed them Vagabuns, “The Wanderer’s Pocket Meal.”

This recipe uses Tavern Biscuits. Prepare a batch of biscuits but don’t bake.

For a simplified version of this dish, use canned biscuit dough.

Ingredients: Makes enough filling for 8-10 Vagabuns

• ½ medium-sized yellow onion, chopped

• ½ Tbs. (8 grams) minced garlic About 2 cloves.

• 1 Tbs. (14 grams) unsalted butter

• 2 pounds (900 grams) ground beef

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) Worcestershire sauce

• Pinch each of salt and pepper

• 1 tsp. (14 grams) Phoenix Powder

• Beaten egg or milk to brush onto the dough later Add Uh-Oh Sauce for extra heat!

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Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F/177˚C.

2. In a large skillet, melt the butter and sauté the onions until caramelized.

3. Add garlic and cook for less than a minute before adding ground beef.

4. Add seasonings and sauces, stirring until meat is thoroughly cooked and browned. Set aside and let cool completely.

Be careful not to overfill.

5. Flatten out your biscuits to about 4-inches wide, ¼-inch thick, then scoop a spoonful of filling into the center of the dough.

6. Carefully pinch the biscuit dough around the filling and seal the contents, placing them onto a baking tray sealed side down. If you find the dough isn’t sealing well, you can wet your fingers and the seam with water before trying again.

7. Brush biscuits with a beaten egg or milk, and then bake for 15

minutes or until golden brown.

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B i t t y B u n s

B itty Buns are just that. Bitty. Buns. Here at The Lucky Gryphon, we aspire to be inclusive for all, and I figured one of the ways to do that is to put something on the menu for some of our smaller guests to enjoy.

This small slider-like dish is for but not limited to:

• Faeries

• Trows

• Imps

• Sprites

• Footlings

• Children

• Gnomes

King Bippy was here

• Dwarves

Duendes

• Leprechauns

• Pixies

• Lutin

• Knockers

Sleep paralysis fae

Kelpie

T

that sit on you while

his is why

I’m an

you sleep.

insomniac.

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Absolutely not, Corvid.

I’m just trying to be inclusive. You need to learn how to forgive, Mint.

Oh my sweet, sweet bird boy.

How about you let a Kelpie drag you down to the bo!om of a river, and then we can talk about practicing forgiveness.

Since putting these Bitty Buns the menu, we’ve learned that larger patrons such as orcs, minotaurs, centaurs, and even humans enjoy ordering a platter of these as bite-sized appetizers to go with their drinks. Guess we have a winner here!

Ingredients: (Vegetarian) Up to 12 servings

• 1 cup (250 mL) warm water

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) melted butter

• ½ cup (125 mL) whole milk

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) honey or maple syrup

• 1 Tbs. (9 grams) active dry yeast

• 3 ½ cups (420 grams) flour

• Pinch of salt

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Preparation:

1. In a saucepan, mix warm water, butter, milk, and honey or maple syrup. About 5 minutes.

2. Add active dry yeast and stir, then leave it alone to let yeast activate.

3. In a large mixing bowl, add flour and salt. Give it a quick whisk, and then add wet ingredients.

4. Mix dough until it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

If the dough is too sticky, add more flour a small spoonful at a time until it comes together. Continue kneading in the bowl for another 5 minutes until you can form a ball.

5. Transfer the dough ball to another bowl that has been greased with oil or butter.

6. Cover with a dish towel or plastic wrap and let rise for about 20 minutes.

7. Punch down the dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces.

You can use a kitchen scale to precisely measure out each piece if you’re a perfectionist like Minthie.

Hey! It’s cal ed being

professional!

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8. Roll those pieces into balls. Place the smaller dough balls onto a greased baking sheet or in a casserole dish.

9. Cover and let rise again for another 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400˚F/205˚C.

10. After the final rise, brush melted butter or milk on top before baking.

11. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

12. Allow the buns to cool slightly before serving.

13. Or before serving, let buns cool slightly and slice open each one to fill with whatever you like: meats, vegetables, cheeses, etc.

Some popular options we’ve done before include: COLESLAW AND JACKS PULLED PORK.

Sliced turkey and cranberry sauce. -Misty Sausage, eggs, and salsa.

Sauteed mushrooms and melted

vegan cheese. -Lyric

Anything dippable.

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Ta to Co r n Ch o w

D uring a time when meat was limited due to an invasion of Canibeetles—carnivorous swarms that wiped out many livestock farms—we had to get creative at the Tavern. Suggestions were made that we remake the menu to be completely meatless. Lyric suggested a soup recipe they enjoyed. A potato and corn chowder made with dairy-free milk, thickened with starch and served in a bread bowl. It could be made in large quantities and was as filling as any other meat-based meal.

We all agreed unanimously, and I

had Jaymee, Misty, and Lazuli head

to the market under the cover of

night for as many vegetable ingre-

dients they could find. We barred

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the doors and windows of the Tavern to prevent these Canibeetles from getting inside. The bars were wired and connected to a thunder stone that would send an electric jolt to anything that touched them. These reno-vations were done by Jasper and Minthie from things found in The Back.

Some of the second-story windows still have these lightning bars installed. These horrid bugs were known to eat the flesh of anything they saw when the livestock option (that never fought back) was no longer available.

Upon the trio’s return, Stubby and I quickly chopped all the potatoes and corn cut from the cob within the hour. Lyric then taught me how to make a quick dairy-free milk substitute made of blended oats and water.

I’ll list that recipe somewhere here when I find it again. I may have to get Lyric to write me their recipe again, as I’ve turned back to using regular milk and cream when the bug invasion was dealt with, and livestock returned.

I gotchu, Tavern Man -Lyric

But from what I recall, that night was a good night overall. A full Tavern, all enjoying the evening’s “Tato Corn Chow” special. We immediately added it to the menu as a staple dish and a reminder of the struggle we persevered through together.

Found the recipe for oat milk, Mr. Tavern!

- 1 part oats

- 4 parts water

- Splash of vanil a extract.

1. Blend ingredients together until smooth.

2. Strain milk through cheesecloth to remove lumps.

Boom! You’re welcome. -Lyric

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The lovely Lyric. Our resident bard

and musical extraordinaire!

The way they play is enchanting! -Misty

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Ingredients: (Vegetarian) 6 servings

• ½ medium-sized yellow onion, chopped

• 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

• 1 celery stalk, cleaned and chopped

• 4-5 medium-sized russet potatoes, chopped

• 1 cup (165 grams) corn kernels

Drained canned corn is perfectly fine to use.

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) olive oil

• 2 Tbs. (18 grams) flour

• 4 cups (1000 mL) water

• 2 Tbs. (28 grams) vegetable bouillon

• ½ cup (125 mL) milk

Almond, coconut, cashew, or

oat milk also works.

• Salt and pepper

Add Phoenix Powder and Witch’s Closet if available.

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Preparation:

1. In a large soup pot, add oil, onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until veggies are soft. About 5 minutes.

2. Add in flour and mix until well combined, then cook for another 2-3 minutes.

3. Add in chopped potatoes and corn, and then fill the pot with water until it just covers the potatoes.

4. Once it gets to a gentle boil, add in your bouillon and seasonings.

Cook until potatoes are tender. About 10-15 minutes.

5. A few minutes before the soup is done, add in milk and mix well.

6. Serve hot.

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Sh ro o m Crè m e S o u p

T his simple recipe has been around since the first menu of The Lucky Gryphon. It’s not only used as a base for other recipes, but it’s delicious on its own.

This one time, I bought these mushrooms from a traveling mage with different types of plants growing off his hat and cloak. He had a very stringent, earthy cloud about him, and his speech was quite slurred and slow.

I bought a bag just to get him to stay and rest for the evening because he seemed to be, let’s say… temporarily without possession of his wits. I made the mistake of using those mushrooms in that evening’s pot of soup.

Needless to say, everyone who ordered a bowl that evening had a very vivid and colorful night. I swore to never buy mushrooms from anyone ever again. Now we grow our own in The Lucky Gryphon’s greenhouse.

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Anyway, despite this

soup’s straightforward

nature, a large bowl and

toasted bread leaves me

more content than I often

am with a complex meal

of high-end ingredients.

When it’s simple and good,

then it will always be good.

I remember this! Good times. –Lyric

So many colors!

Ingredients: (Vegetarian) 4 servings

• ½ medium white or yellow onion, chopped I often us baby bel a or crimini mushrooms for the tavern, but I’ve seen the gnomes use white but on mushrooms, portabel a, even shiitake mushrooms.

• 1 cup (110 grams) mushrooms of choice, chopped

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) unsalted butter Use Monster Butter.

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) cooking oil

• Seasonings of choice 1 tsp. ( 4 grams) Witch’s Closet recommended.

• 2 Tbs. (18 grams) flour

• 2 cups (500 mL) water

• 2 Tbs. (28 grams) vegetable bouillon

• ½ cup (125 mL) heavy cream

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Preparation:

1. In a medium-sized pot at medium high heat, melt butter and oil and sauté onions until translucent.

2. Add in chopped mushrooms, then cook until mushrooms are soft. About 3-4 minutes.

3. Sprinkle in flour and seasoning, then mix well until flour is well incorporated and no lumps remain. Cook for another 2-4 minutes.

4. Add water and bouillon then bring to a soft boil. Cook for 5-8 minutes.

5. Add in heavy cream and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

6. Serve hot.

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P i g g y D i ppe rs

A nytime I am asked about why this recipe is named Piggy Dippers, I will point you toward our resident metalworking triplets, Hallinta, Hina, and Hassar. Known around here as The Gobbles. They wouldn’t let me name this dish anything else, no matter how hard I tried to persuade them. I even tried bribery, but nothing would get the goblins to budge. Not even the promise of a new trench coat or fancy blade-smithing tools would sway their decision.

The three of them have an odd love of dipping sauces. They would dip themselves into a vat of anything if they could.

That’s why they’re not allowed in the kitchen.

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Every snack and meal must be dipped in whatever they can get their grubby hands on. Eggs in hot sauce, burgers in cheese sauce, potatoes in tomato sauce, ice cream in chocolate sauce, etcetera, etcetera.

One day, I served them a plate of tacos for lunch after a hard day minting new arrowheads. I should’ve expected the frowns on their green faces. Of course, even this would need to be dipped.

We look so good!

Heck ya we do! Look at my cool hat!

My hat smells like soup.

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So here we are with Piggy Dippers. Piggy here does not necessarily refer to an ingredient, but rather the sheer enthusiasm from the triplets when they gobbled down these beef tacos and their accompanying aromatic broth dip. It may seem peculiar, but I urge you to try it at least once. Even I was pleasantly surprised.

They always look so

sweet in pictures. –Misty

Ah, but that’s what they want you to think!

Looks can be deceiving…

If only they were as quiet

as their picture. –Lyric

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Ingredients: (Dairy-free) 6-8 servings The original recipe isn’t made with pork, but if you use the recipe for Jack’s Pulled Pork here, it works just as well!

• 3 lbs. (1,350 grams) chuck roast beef

• 3 cups (750 mL) water

• 2 tsp. (9 grams) onion powder

• 2 tsp. (9 grams) garlic powder

• 1 tsp. (5 grams) Witch’s Closet

• 3 tsp. (15 grams) beef bouillon

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) Worcestershire sauce

• 6-8 soft flour tortillas (warmed at the time of serving) Our secret ingredients! Shh!

2 tsp. Phoenix Powder &

1/2 cup of pickle juice!

Preparation:

1. Mix all ingredients except for tortillas in a slow cooker. Cook on high for 5-6 hours or on low for 8 hours.

2. Shred the beef and serve on warmed tortillas.

Top with some fresh or sauteed onions.

3. Serve with a small bowl of the broth from the slow cooker for dipping.

Stay out of my Library unless you’ve

washed your hands. Twice!

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S u ch a Th i n g

M ost people would tell you to be careful what you wish for, especially if a djinn is involved. I might advise the same, but there is a slim chance you might get lucky. If you’re a kind and gentle soul, you could find favor with one of the genie folk or, better yet, become friends.

I have had such fortune and regularly entertain a djinn at the Tavern every once in a blue moon. Which is every two years.

For those who don’t fol ow the Kitsune Conclave’s calendars.

It was the first time Charlie had stopped in. She was at the bar chatting with Lyric and Minthie about one thing or another. As I approached, I overheard Lyric mention what I call her “rabbit food,” also known as things green and leafy—not my forte. I tried to turn away before my presence was known, but it was too late at that point. The girls pulled me into the conversation, claiming that I needed to eat healthier to run the Tavern better.

I didn’t even know Charlie was a djinn until I had already misspo-ken. I jokingly proclaimed, “I wish I knew of a way to cook such a thing,”

while scrambling out of the way of Minthie trying to trap my toes beneath her wheelchair.

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Next thing I knew, there was smoke in Charlie’s hand as she produced a slightly singed piece of paper between her fingers. On it was a recipe for hummus titled Such a Thing, and I couldn’t help but laugh. It brought us all enough joy that it’s been on the menu since, especially for our vegetarian and vegan guests to enjoy. I will admit…even I like it.

Ingredients: (Vegan, gluten-free) 4 servings

• 15-oz. can (400 grams) chickpeas drained and washed

• ⅓ tsp. (2 grams) baking soda

• ¼ cup (60 mL) tahini sauce

• 4 Tbs. (60 mL) lemon juice

• Salt to taste Add Phoenix Powder for added spice.

• 4 Tbs. (60 mL) plant-based milk or water

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) minced garlic

• Fresh parsley roughly chopped for garnish Preparation:

1. In a saucepan add baking soda and chickpeas with its liquid.

Cover chickpeas with at least an inch of water then bring to a boil over high heat.

2. Boil for 10-15 minutes or until the chickpeas look mushy.

3. Drain then rinse with cold water.

4. In a large mixing bowl, add chickpeas and the rest of the ingredients. Mash with a fork or potato masher until smooth.

5. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with chips or Iron Bread.

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Co ro n a t i o n R a bb i t

T he garden gnomes who work in the greenhouse have something of a ritual when they harvest the fruits of their labor. Corvid was the one to discover this event on one of his trips out there to study the giant Venus Mantrap plant living in the carnivore sector that’s tucked in the very back of the glass building.

When the humanoid raven swept past the humid wall the Soraiad capped at the threshold so the moisture couldn’t get out, he found the gnomes in a bustle. They had their little woven baskets beneath their arms, scurrying from one plant bed to another, picking the ripest things they could. One gnome picked juicy strawberries while another pulled vermillion carrots. A small group of the miniature fae selected heads of lettuce and bushels of arugula, keying Corvid into the salad they were building.

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He told me they tapped the maple tree for the base of the dressing and scoured the bushes for nuts to garnish. But the most important part of their process was the stone statue they stopped at before rushing to continue their tasks. The gray-speckled sculpture captured the likeness of a rabbit. It was just over a foot tall, not including the long ears that protruded from the top of its head. The rabbit was no bigger than any other garden statue someone might use as a lawn decoration.

But to these gnomes, this rabbit was a saint. They topped its sculpted head with a daisy chain crown, and any time they had to walk past the statue, they stopped and stood on their toes to kiss its nose before hur-rying onward. To them, this was a sign of respect to what they called the Coronation Rabbit. It was a silent thank-you to the stone bunny for watching over their garden and ensuring everything grew strong and plentiful. Technically, they owe that thank-you to the air nymphs, but the women don’t mind the misplaced gratitude. The nymphs think the gnome’s harvesting ritual is rather cute.

Corvid would agree, but I don’t think you could get him to admit it, not after the fae made him pay the Coronation Rabbit its tithe. The Half-Harpy wanted to retreat to the back of the greenhouse and give the gnomes their privacy, but he would have to pass the statue to do so.

You must join me in the glee of imagining the tall man. He was dressed in fancy clothes comprising a button-up, slacks, waistcoat, and chained pocket watch, kneeling on the greenhouse floor on his hands SUNHIGH MEALS

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and knees to kiss the stone rabbit’s nose. You best believe his cheeks were burning as crimson as the strawberries that day. The air nymphs told me it was a sight.

Aw! I wish I would’ve been there

to see that!

Never, Minthie. Never.

I bet you looked adorable.

We have pictures.

Put them in the book you hol owed out in my Library and I won’t tel Quincy what you did with that cursed mal et he specifical y told you not to touch. Deal?

Deal!

Ingredients: (Vegan, gluten-free) about 4 servings

• 2 cups (330 grams) fresh strawberries, sliced

• 6 cups (180 grams) fresh spinach and arugula, rinsed and drained

• ½ red onion, thinly sliced

• ⅓ cup (50 grams) roughly chopped mixed nuts such as almonds, cashews, and walnuts

Optional Additions: Shredded carrots, shredded cheese, sliced avocado, sliced cucumbers, hard-boiled egg, cooked and cooled short pasta.

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Preparation:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients and toss to combine.

No need to overmix.

2. Serve with whatever you prefer on your salad. Many patrons prefer the house dressing, which is a simple maple vinaigrette.

M a ple Vi n a i g re t t e

Ingredients: (Vegetarian) 6 servings

• ½ cup (125 mL) extra virgin olive oil

• ¼ cup (60 mL) balsamic vinegar

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) garlic powder

• ½ tsp. (2 grams) black pepper

• ½ tsp. (2 grams) salt

• 3 Tbs. (45 mL) maple syrup

Preparation:

1. In a mason jar, add all ingredients and mix vigorously until well combined.

2. Serve over salads, veggies, cooked meats, or as a marinade. Chill any leftover dressing and keep for 2 to 3 weeks.

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It’s late now, and the whole Tavern is asleep as I’ve returned from my short stint in the Underground. My time was very healing. I feel like my bones fit better inside my body, and my skin isn’t screaming. I’m just hoping this feeling lasts a little longer this time.

Anyway, as promised, I secured everything I found in the Underground’s waters away inside the Observatory. A handful of items may be cursed, so those will need to be further inspected. But I found some magical items that are safe and ready to be sorted into The Back. I’ll get to it when I can, but in the meantime, here is a list of things I found: Safe Items:

• More anima glass in case you need to build another automaton with a soul. Although, these shards are much smaller than those inside Jaymee, Jasper, and MIKA. If you built another bot, it could probably only be a couple of feet tall.

• One enchanted shoe. I’m pretty sure it would help the user fly…though, it wouldn’t do anyone any good unless they were one-legged. Don’t set your hopes too high, but I might be able to find its match next time I visit the Underground. They don’t call me The Lady of the Styx for nothing.

• Ball of glowing thread. I don’t know what it does, but it needs to dry out. Maybe leave it out in the sun for a few hours or give it to a Kaidrad to zap some heat through it?

• A fancy-looking shield. While holding it on the way back up to the surface, it was surprisingly light. It weighed about as much as a feather. It could be useful in battle; you might want to hang onto this.

Danger Items That Have Been Put in Time Out:

• Glowing copper arrowhead

• Shapeshifting keys

• A golden lyre with razor sharp strings

• Pair of dice that appear molten inside

• Garnet spider-shaped brooch with pearl fangs

• Giant gem-encrusted dagger

• Rose-shaped pocket watch with a black crack running through its face

• Purple-tinted bullet

• Obsidian hand mirror with a rippling reflection DO NOT touch the danger items without Corvid and I. The same rule you gave me also applies to you, Quincy. I don’t need you winding up cursed as well. The Tavern would be doomed without its other guard.

P.S. I’m tired, so don’t you dare disturb me. If you wake me up before 11

a.m., I’ll shave your head the next time you fall asleep.

S U N D O W N

M E A L S

Th e L u ck y

G r y ph o n S pec i a l

S o, what does it take for a dish to become forever dubbed The Lucky Gryphon Special? What event or story had to have taken place for such a title? Well, if I had to put it simply, it was love. Now, I preface by saying this wasn’t romantic love. I do not tend to focus on or even strive for relationships simply because it’s not a priority for me. Not when I have the responsibility of the Tavern, The Maze, and the Guard to oversee and assist.

I will admit, though, that this love was unexpected. It all started when she walked through those front doors.

She was courteous, delightfully blunt, and rather funny. I didn’t think about her much until I noticed her returning to the Tavern for drinks and a conversation thrice a week.

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I admit I soon found myself fascinated with this youthful creature that possessed the aura of an old soul. Conversation between us flowed effortlessly. Discussions of reality and fiction, morality and mortality, and every other subject were a joy.

One day, she came in with this recipe that she swore I would enjoy and would be crazy not to have on the menu. It was a potato dumpling soup with chicken and vegetables. A simple yet comforting and filling dish. I made it that evening, and just like she said, everyone who tasted it begged to make it a staple here at the Tavern.

The next day it was on the menu. I called it the Special because I wanted to communicate to her that it was special to me, and by exten-sion, she was as well. Her laugh was infectious, and her smile could bring the sun out on a cloudy day. This person was someone I soon began to wish would never leave The Lucky Gryphon. But not every wish comes true.

The last time I saw her was brief. She had visited one summer evening and stayed for the night before she was joined by her adventuring party the following day. They had an urgent call that needed to be completed immediately, so she left quickly and early, her raven hair flying like a banner behind her as she ran toward her quest. It wasn’t until they all left that I felt this deep, yawning worry in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t even get to

say goodbye.

It wasn’t until a few

days later when a member

of her party returned.

But she wasn’t with them.

While successful, their

quest had several casual-

ties; she was the last. A

feeling of loss for her began

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boring deep in my heart, and the regret for what I should’ve said claimed my soul. I wasn’t the same for the next week or so as time blurred together; I was a shell of myself.

My dear Minthie, who has known me the longest and is one of my closest friends and companions, could immediately sense my grief. We talked late one night about the loss, and I shared that I hadn’t felt this deep pain since losing my late sister, Krystal, so many, many years ago. I told Minthie I didn’t want to feel this way anymore. I didn’t want to feel this way ever. That’s when I vowed never to open my heart enough to someone if it would lead me to succumb to this kind of torment again.

Minthie, in her blunt yet eloquent way, asked me if I would feel this broken if, Fates forbid, any of the current Tavern staff met an untimely demise. I immediately responded yes, if not more so.

“But that potential pain and grief doesn’t stop you from loving us now, does it?” She asked.

“Of course not,” I replied. “What good is it to live lovelessly even if those we love won’t always be there?”

My wonderful friend just hummed with a nod before tapping my knee and leaving me to think over my own words.

So, I share this with you, my friends. Love and loss come in different ways. They’re both, unfortunately, as vital to this world as breath and sleep. But that shouldn’t stop you from freely showing care, compassion, and empathy for your fellow adventurers.

When faced with loss, we must learn to direct the love we so griev-ously want to give to the one we’re missing instead to those currently around us. Through this act, love is able to be returned to us, and through that, healing.

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Ingredients: 4 servings

• 1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped

• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped

• 2 celery stalks, washed and chopped

• 2 chicken thighs, diced into 1-inch pieces

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) unsalted butter

• 2 Tbs. (18 grams) flour

• 3 cups (750 mL) water

• 2 Tbs. (28 grams) chicken bouillon

• 2 cups (500 mL) milk or cream

• 14 oz./400 g. gnocchi pasta

• Handful of spinach, washed and roughly chopped

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) Witch’s Closet

Preparation:

1. In a large pot, melt butter and cook chicken thighs thoroughly.

Remove cooked chicken from pot and set aside.

2. To the pot, add chopped onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until all vegetables are soft. About 5 minutes.

3. Stir in flour, then cook for another 2 minutes.

4. Return chicken to the pot and add water and bouillon. Stir.

Bring soup to a boil and then add gnocchi pasta and seasonings.

5. Cook until gnocchi are tender. About 10 minutes.

6. Add in spinach and cream, cooking until spinach has wilted.

About 3-4 minutes.

7. Serve hot

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Wo l f S te w

T he Legend of the Three Wolves goes a little like this: Once and away three wolves went on prowling With tired aching bodies and empty bellies growling They discovered a town full of prey walking ‘round So, they devised and connived ways to satisfy their drought The eldest of the three cloaked themself as a beggar And prowled amid the homeless, the weak, and the lesser The second of the wolves masked herself as a queen And strolled amid the royals, the nobles, and kings The third and the youngest of the wolf siblings three Disguised himself saintly, as pure, and holy 112

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So, these wolves roamed the town, never caught nor discovered As they feasted on unsuspecting fathers and daughters Their disguises: near perfect, for they blended right in With their wit and their charm, a town blind to their sins With shrewdness and cunning, they spread lies through the night Inciting brother versus brother while they hid in plain sight It was all but assured until that fateful day came When the three wolves were caught in that web they had made While these wolves whispered lies the town did as well They were a part of that gossip which they tried hard to sell Their masks now uncovered and true natures revealed The three wolves were hunted and swiftly were killed The lesson of this is not only be wary Of the wolf ’n sheep’s clothing

But that they are many

And may be any…

Although let me say this that a wolf ’n sheep’s clothing Never thinks they’ll get caught, and that is their folly For pride soweth lies and lies soweth holes And they never expect to pay their sins’ toll So be warned with eyes wide

Of them that lie behind backs

While to faces they smile

And pretend to attract

A two-faced friend is no companion to any But be sure you yourself are not a wolf ’n sheep’s clothing SUNDOWN MEALS

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Roa s t Wo l f

Ingredients: (Dairy-free) 6 servings

• 1 small yellow onion, chopped

• 4 cloves of garlic, minced

• 3-4 lb. (1,350-1800 grams) chuck roast beef

• 2 tsp. (8 grams) salt

• 2 tsp. (8 grams) pepper

• 2 tsp. (8 grams) Phoenix Powder

• 2 cups (500 mL) water

• 2 Tbs. (28 grams) beef bouillon

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) Worcestershire sauce

Preparation:

1. To a slow cooker add chopped onion and garlic first. Then place chuck roast on top.

2. Sprinkle salt and pepper, and your choice of seasonings over the meat.

Phoenix Powder is especial y good here.

3. Add water and bouillon to the pot.

4. Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

5. After cooking, shred the roast beef with forks, then serve over mashed potatoes.

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M a s h ed Po t a to es

Ingredients: (Vegetarian) 6 servings

• 8 medium potatoes, cut into cubes

Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes work best.

• 8 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

• 2 tsp. (8 grams) salt, plus more for boiling potatoes

• Pepper to taste

• Up to 1 cup (250 mL) milk or cream

Add in smal portions and mix until

you reach your desired consistency.

Preparation:

1. Wash, peel, then chop your potatoes, and place in a large pot.

2. Fill with water until potatoes are just covered, then salt the water and bring to a boil.

3. Boil the potatoes until tender. About 10-15 minutes.

4. Drain water but leave potatoes in the hot pot to evaporate some extra moisture.

5. Add in butter, salt, and pepper, then begin to mash the potatoes with a masher or spoon.

6. When potatoes are nearly mashed, stir in up to a cup of milk or cream, depending on how creamy you prefer your dish.

7. Season with salt and pepper. Add Witch’s Closet.

8. Serve with Roast Wolf.

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Ki n g ’ s M u l l i g a n S te w

I once took a trip to a dwarven kingdom to look at the precious stones and minerals they were pulling from the nearby mines. The miners and warriors were fed a hearty stew of slow-cooked meat and chunky vegetables. Pretty standard, to be sure. But what made the stew unique was the addition of home-brewed ale into the pot.

The sweet and earthy drink paired perfectly with the salty meat. I couldn’t get the flavor out of my mind. I replicated the dish as best I could recall, using a local root beer in place of their ale. It turned out much sweeter than I remembered, but it’s still delicious.

I’m calling this dish the King’s Mulligan Stew because mulligan means “to redo” or “a second chance.” Many of those dwarves were working toward building a new life alongside their king, who mined and worked alongside his people.

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Ingredients: (Dairy free) 6 servings

• 3 lbs. (1,350 grams) chuck roast, cut into bite-sized pieces

• 3 Tbs. (27 grams) flour

• 3 Tbs. (45 mL) unsalted butter

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) cooking oil

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) minced garlic

• 1 small white onion chopped

• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped

• 2 celery stalks, cleaned and chopped

• 4-5 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped

• 4 cups (1,000 mL) water

• 2 Tbs. (28 grams) beef bouillon

• 1 cup (250 mL) root beer

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 2 tsp. (8 grams) Phoenix Powder

• Slurry: 2 Tbs. (20 grams) corn starch mixed with 2 Tbs.

(30 mL) water

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Preparation:

1. In a large mixing bowl, toss cubed meat in flour to coat.

2. In a large pot, melt butter and oil over a medium-high heat then add meat. Brown on all sides, then remove cubes from pot.

3. Add carrots, celery, and onion to the empty pot, and sauté until tender. About 7-10 minutes

4. Place meat back into the pot, then add potatoes, water, bouillon, root beer, and seasonings. Bring to a boil.

5. Once stew is boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for 60 - 75

minutes stirring occasionally. You can also bake covered at 400˚F/205˚C for the same amount of time if you use a Dutch oven pot.

6. Add in thickening slurry and stir well. Cook for another 10-15

minutes.

7. Serve hot.

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Th i e ves S te w

T he origin of this dish isn’t one I tell often. I’m not proud of it, but it bears recording for the sake of history and transparency. Many years ago, when I was young and on the run with my sister and brother, we did what we had to do as young miscreants and wretches. Without home or guidance and with only the mission to survive, our fingers became sticky and our footsteps light.

At night, we camped out in the woods where we’d unload our spoils from the day and pull together the food for that evening’s dinner. Some nights it would be fruit and stale bread. On others, it would be smelly fish and half-eaten vegetables. One evening, my brother, Locke, had somehow grabbed a 10-pound cut of meat from the butcher, and my sister, Krystal, a bag of dry pasta and a loaf of bread. I had only been able to snatch a bottle of cream, but I did find an old cooking pot.

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We threw everything into the pot and made this very simple meal of meat and noodles. I remember it being one of the best meals I’d had in a long time. We dubbed it, unoriginally, Thieves’ Stew. Whenever we could, we would garner those same ingredients of pasta, meat, and cream to recreate that meal. I put it on the menu without changing its name, not only for the memory that it carries for me, but because of the rogues and spies who frequent The Lucky Gryphon. Those that walk into the Tavern in all black with hoods pulled over their faces seem to enjoy the meal for the name alone.

Ingredients: 4 servings

• ½ white onion, chopped

• 4 Baby Bella mushrooms, chopped

• 2 lbs. (900 grams) chuck roast beef

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 2 10.5-oz. cans (600 grams) cream of mushroom soup

• 4 cups (1000 mL) hot water

• 4 tsp. (16 grams) beef bouillon

• 12 oz. (340 grams) egg noodles

Preparation:

1. Add all ingredients except the noodles to a slow cooker.

2. Cook on high for 6 hours.

3. Shred beef with forks, and then stir in uncooked noodles.

4. Cook on high for another 12-15 minutes.

Or until the noodles are cooked through.

5. Serve hot.

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Fl u f f n Po co

T here used to be a tale that went around of the horrible and haunting Chimken of the Trees—a fat, mutated chicken that had grown to the size of a cow. It was said to be the failed experiment between an artificer and necromancer team attempting to regrow meat to provide a never-ending loop of food after the age of the Canibeetles. This resulted in the dreaded Chimken, a loud behemoth of a fowl that grew six eyes, two of which were the size of buckets and pointed in different directions. It had three legs and an extra pair of constantly flapping, tiny wings sprouting from its neck. Somehow it was still able to lay eggs. But these lamb-sized eggs were empty inside except for a sickly green goop that released a nox-ious fume that could be smelled from a mile away.

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The Chimken was aggressive and dangerous, fleeing to the forest for safety and solitude. A very hefty bounty was put on the creature’s head. It had to be dealt with, but when party after adventuring party returned bloody and unsuccessful, they spoke of the terrible things this creature was capable of: how it would soar from the

treetops and crush them beneath

its weight, and how its talons

could pierce armor.

Eventually, roads

were built to go around

the forest, and no one

ever went into the trees

again for fear of the

fabled Chimken. As time

went on, daring and unbe-

lieving adventuring parties

would travel into the forest in search

of the myth, only to discover nothing, let alone a giant mutated bird.

Eventually, it was presumed the “Chimken” had finally died, and the forest was combed for any sign of its body. No one found anything.

The legend of the Chimken faded into nothing more than a hilarious joke about an oversized chicken that sat on adventurers with its large feathery behind.

Little does anyone know, the Chimken is very much alive. Her name is Heifer, because she is still the size of a cow. I’m not sure why I decided to write this tale alongside the Fluff n’ Poco recipe because I would never kill Heifer to make this dish. Not only would that be the worst-tasting dish ever, but Heifer’s eggs are used to defend against invading bandits and those who dare to attack the Tavern. We have a whole storeroom of them in The Back, ready to throw on unsuspecting troublemakers.

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Ingredients: 4-6 servings

• ½ white onion, chopped

• 3 chicken breasts

• 4 cups (1000 mL) water

• 4 tsp. (16 grams) chicken bouillon

• 2 portions (600 grams) cream of chicken soup Use recipe that fol ows or

two 10.5 oz cans of premade cream of chicken soup.

• 6 Tavern Biscuits, uncooked and chopped into bite-sized pieces Or use one can of premade biscuit dough.

• 2 cups (300 grams) mixed frozen vegetables Such as peas, diced carrots, corn, and green beans.

Preparation:

1. Add onion, chicken breasts, water, bouillon, cream of chicken soup, and frozen vegetables to a slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours.

2. Shred chicken with forks, then add uncooked biscuit dough pieces to the top of the stew.

3. Cook for another 2 hours to let the biscuit dough cook through.

4. Serve warm.

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H o m e m a d e Crea m o f Ch i ck e n Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs. (45 mL) butter

• 3 Tbs. (27 grams) flour

• ½ cup (125 mL) water

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) chicken bouillon

• ½ cup (125 mL) milk

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) garlic powder

1 tsp. Witch’s Closet recommended.

Preparation:

1. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.

2. Add flour and whisk together, making a roux. Cook for about 60-90 seconds, being careful not to burn the mixture.

3. Add water, bouillon, and milk. Whisk until smooth.

4. Stir in seasonings.

5. Simmer until cream thickens. About 2-3 minutes.

6. Remove from heat, then use in above recipe as needed or serve on its own.

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Pe n n y Ch i l i

W hat’s luckier than the penny? The small coin has many myths and superstitions attached to it. They say putting one in your shoes will bring good luck wherever you go. Throwing one off the side of a ship will ensure a safe sail and arrival. In some worlds, the penny is a copper coin. Here at the Tavern, the penny is made of iron and forged by the dwarves. It’s still just as prone to blessing prosperity and good fortune as the one you might be familiar with. Still, we also use it for a different purpose.

One day, a farmer’s wife was struck with a sudden bout of dizziness and fatigue. Her skin turned pale, and it was said that she started to crave and even eat dirt and clay. Panicked and worried that some evil spirit may have overtaken his wife, the farmer sent for the town’s alchemist and begged for answers. The alchemist asked very forward questions without hesitation, and she discovered that the wife had lost a lot of blood recently.

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The alchemist opened her bag of bottles and herbs, producing a handful of iron pennies. Handing them to the farmer, she told him to clean them and boil the pennies in water with some lemon juice. That water was to be used in a meal to give to his wife.

The farmer, though confused, followed the instructions he was given. The alchemist led him through a recipe of beans boiled in the penny water, with beef, mushrooms, and spinach in a tomato sauce. The wife was fed this meal along with a cool glass of penny water.

The process wasn’t instant, but soon the color returned to the farmer’s wife’s face, and her energy was renewed.

Since then, the iron penny has been considered lucky and is used in cooking meals for a person who’s ill. Especially, if they’ve lost a good amount of blood.

Now as much as I truly believe in magic, I’ve come to learn why this works. The truth in and of itself is magical. A small bit of iron is released into the water as the pennies are boiled. When that iron is consumed, it helps with what is called anemia, a condition when

there is a lack of blood and iron in

the body. And some of its symptoms

are known to be fatigue and unex-

plained weakness.

Quite fascinating, right? I will say

that we don’t use iron pennies or any other coins in our food when we cook. After I told this tale to Jaymee and the triplets, I found them trying to boil a pouch of gold just to see if there were any magical properties to be found through that. There aren’t. Penny Chili is not only a delicious option packed with iron from the beans and beef, but it provides us an opportunity to recite this interesting tale.

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If you pair it with the cornbread, you’ll even pick up a bit of the mineral from the cast iron skillet!

Ingredients: (Dairy-free) 4 servings

• 1 ½ lbs. (675 grams) ground beef

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) salt

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) pepper

• 2 tsp. (8 grams) Phoenix Powder

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) garlic powder

• 1 14.5-oz. (800 grams) canned crushed tomatoes

• 1 15-oz. (425 grams) canned beans

Black beans or pinto beans work fine.

• 3 cups (750 mL) water

• 1 lb. (450 grams) penne pasta

Preparation:

1. In a large pot, cook ground beef over medium-high heat until browned. Add all seasonings.

2. Pour in canned tomatoes, beans, and water. Turn down heat to a low simmer.

3. Add in uncooked penne pasta. Cook on medium until pasta is cooked through. Stir occasionally. About 10-15 minutes.

4. Serve warm alongside some Maple Cornbread.

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M a ple Co r n b rea d

Ingredients: (Vegetarian) 4-6 servings

• 1 cup (160 grams) cornmeal

• 1 cup (120 grams) flour

• 4 Tbs. (48 grams) white sugar

• ½ tsp. (2 grams) salt

• 1 Tbs. (14 grams) baking powder

• 1 cup (250 mL) milk of choice

• 1 large egg

• ½ stick (60 mL) unsalted butter, melted

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) maple syrup

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F/205˚C.

2. Grease a cast iron pan with oil or butter.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Whisk together.

4. In a small bowl, add milk and then whisk in egg, melted butter, and maple syrup.

5. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Mix until well combined.

6. Pour batter into skillet then bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

7. Serve warm.

This also makes a great side dish for Mak n’ Jack, and any other stew or soup recipe. Can also be topped with chocolate syrup, berries, and ice cream for a sweet dessert.

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Ca p’ s n M a g g o t s

A cross the northern sky, where clouds become waves and the birds are actually fish, sailed a great skyship, the Lady’s Keep. It was captained by the intrepid adventurer Sylora Faye, an intimidating druid princess that was one with the Storm Lords and possessed the marksmanship aim of a veteran sniper. Captain Faye led her crew, the Maggots, all throughout the continent.

They sought the bounties of only the most wanted villains and criminals. But little did the authorities realize that after Captain Faye was paid her reward, her crew then jailbroke the newly captured criminals and invited them to join the Maggots. Many agreed, although some walked the plank while the ship flew above the clouds.

The captain and her crew were labeled pirates. Many in the black markets and hidden Undergrounds recited the tales of their exploits. The crew of the Lady’s Keep never killed anyone other than those who opposed them and the traitorous. They always split the wealth evenly, from the SUNDOWN MEALS

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captain to the cabin boy. This honorable code of ethics had many rogues and outlaws attempt to track down the flying fortress and be positioned at the dock when it landed so that they could beg to join the Maggots.

Although many applied, only the strongest of will and constitution were accepted. The crew of the Lady’s Keep had an initiation test they used to assess the fortitude of potential applicants: They would set a bowl

of Caps n’ Maggots in front of

them. This abomination con-

sisted of rancid mushrooms

and live maggots crawling

all over each other. If the

applicant could eat the

entire bowl without vomit-

ing, they were initiated into

the crew.

In no time, the legend of

Captain Sylora Faye grew, as did the size of her crew. It became so large that there was soon a fleet of skyships, the Faye Armada—a fleet in which all of the ship’s captains were women.

This venerable brigade of seven ships sailed across the skies, obeying none but Admiral Faye. They conquered monstrous beasts and battled other skyships for control over the heavens, but the Lady’s Keep never lost a battle.

At the end of her life, Sylora Faye relinquished control of the Faye Armada to her daughter, Allora Faye. The latter Faye continued the legacy until a mutiny destroyed the Lady’s Keep, exploding the ship along with its second captain.

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When I was told this tale, I was mesmerized. I was captivated by not only the wonder and adventure, but also to discover that Sylora Faye was our very own Misty’s thrice great-grandmother. I had to recreate a version of the Caps n’ Maggots from the story—without the rancid shrooms and live bugs, of course.

The closest I could get to where my stomach wasn’t churning at the thought was a creamy mushroom and rice dish. Warm and filling, yet evocative of the legendary tale it was inspired by. When a new patron asks why it’s called that, one of my friends or I are only too excited to share the tale of Captain Sylora Faye. If only to embarrass our lovely barmaid by revealing she is the captain’s kin.

Ingredients: 2 servings

This recipe uses Shroom Crème Soup as a base. Prepare the soup then add:

• 1 chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces and cooked through

• 1 cup (210 grams) washed, uncooked jasmine rice Preparation:

About 15-20 minutes.

1. Cook rice covered on medium high heat until cooked through.

2. While still hot, add chicken and rice to a pot of hot Shroom Crème Soup and combine.

3. Serve hot.

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G u lo

M any things in this world come from the earth. Some say that we all came from the dirt, and most will return to it once they die. The ground is a place of darkness, but it is also a place of growth. Its nutrients can give life, but also take it away. It can be a home to small things and an eternal trap for the large. The earth is life and death, and it has been around far longer than you or I.

Minthie and I have witnessed many ages. We’ve seen the birth of civilizations, watched them rise and fall, and be rebirthed again. But we have also seen war. We discovered what greed and lust can do, and how far corruption can make a man fall. We have watched two people battle, and we have seen troops and hordes fight for their cause. And worse yet, we have seen unwilling soldiers.

Through tears, we have seen a warring mage and wizard raise their armies from the earth, dragging bodies cobbled together with clay and mud to their feet. It was heartbreaking to watch the golem emerge from the dirt with moans spilling from their gaping mouths. They felt the pain 132

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of their existence the moment they entered this world, like the cries of a newborn babe being clipped from its mother.

They did not want to fight. They did not want to be.

However, the golem’s masters bid them to do their will: to battle their brothers made of the same earth, to tear each other limb from gloopy limb. We could do nothing but helplessly witness the mess those two magic users made as they became their own undoing.

I can still hear the golem soldier’s cries on the wind when a dust storm whips its way past the Tavern. Minthie still has nightmares about that day.

But in time, we’ve found comfort in warmth. Sometimes that means a safe shelter in the company of those you love, and sometimes that means filling your stomach and sharing a meal. I hope the warmth of this curry can bring you comfort even in the darkest times.

Ingredients: 4-6 servings

• 2 lbs. (900 grams) beef chuck, cut into cubes

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 3 Tbs. (45 mL) vegetable oil

• 1 onion, chopped White or yellow onions will do.

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) minced garlic

• 3 tsp. (12 grams) garam masala

• 2 tsp. (8 grams) Phoenix Powder

• ½ tsp. (2 grams) ground ginger

• ½ tsp. (2 grams) ground cinnamon

• ¼ cup (60 mL) apple cider vinegar

• 1 cup (250 mL) water mixed with 1 tsp. (4 grams) beef bouillon

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) plain Greek yogurt

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) tomato paste

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Preparation:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add cubed beef, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat.

2. In a hot skillet, add oil and cook cubed beef until browned on all sides. Remove from skillet and set aside.

3. Add onions to the empty skillet and sauté until caramelized.

About 10 minutes.

4. Add in minced garlic and cook for another minute. Be careful not to burn, or the garlic will become bitter.

5. Add garam masala, Phoenix Powder, ginger, cinnamon, and tomato paste. Stir and combine well.

6. Use apple cider vinegar to deglaze the skillet and its ingredients, cooking for another 3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan and stirring well.

7. Return beef cubes to the skillet and pour in water that’s been mixed with beef bouillon. Bring the dish to a boil.

8. Reduce to a simmer then cover slightly, leaving a vent. Cook for 45 minutes to an hour to let the beef cubes cook through and the flavors combine. During this time turn over the beef a couple of times to prevent burning on the bottom. Add water as needed if the sauce gets too thick as consistency should be somewhat watery.

9. After beef is cooked through, stir in yogurt. This will thicken the sauce and give it a gravy-like consistency.

10. Serve with rice of choice and pair with Iron Bread.

Basmati, brown, jasmine, etc…

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Tw i l i g h t N o o d les

T he Night Market is a magical place. It was originally established by celestial worshippers who follow the sun and moon wherever they go. The market would pop up all at once in an empty field in the east and thrive for a few weeks until one day disappearing without a trace.

Travelers familiar with its patterns will know it’s slowly making its way west for winter.

It appears in our part of the world at the height of the summertime when the Strawberry Solstice Cakes and summer celebrations are in abundance. You’ll find the colorful Night Market brightly lit with gas lanterns swarming with palm-sized fuzzy moths. The air always smells of spices and the mouthwatering aromas of foods the many vendors sell.

There’s live music to dance to, enchanted string instruments and hand drums, as well as a plethora of performers. You’d regret passing up acts from the acrobats and fire breathers.

Should you ever come across the Market, you should always drop in for uncommon ingredients. For example, I’ve enjoyed discovering goblin fruits, living cheese, fried Kraken, jamfish, onyx noodles, and monarch shrimp.

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Last time the Night Market was in town, Minthie and Corvid (of all people) volunteered to go stock up on these rarities for the Tavern. You must understand that this was very suspicious. Minthie and Corvid are antisocial beings who prefer to stay inside the Tavern. Specifically, they linger in Minthie’s Library or The Back together, and occasionally the dark Naiad visits the Underground to stretch her fins. So, when the pair left The Lucky Gryphon that night, I left Jasper in charge while Misty and I snuck out in unassuming coats to follow them.

It wasn’t necessarily too eventful, but my trusty baker and I learned much about our friends that night.

For example, Corvid always walks on Minthie’s right side so her service beast can pull her wheelchair from the left. And whenever Minthie wants to capture the tall man’s attention to point out something, her hand always grazes the back of his calf first. We also saw that Corvid never follows her finger right away. He takes a moment to capture the excitement on the woman’s face with a small smile before he gives in to whatever is bringing her so much joy. He was always sure to return her enthusiasm, whether they were perusing curving sickle blades or magic-grown ebony snowdrop blooms.

When Corvid isn’t looking, Minthie gives withering looks to anyone who stares at him and the short, jagged pieces of what used to be large, black raven wings drooping from his back.

Sometimes, ragged feathers slipped free

from the scarred skin. Misty and I

watched how Minthie covertly

scooped them from the earth

with her long, pale arms and

tucked them in her pocket

before the librarian noticed.

Her glare that night promised

death to any Marketgoers who

dared challenge her eyes or said any-

thing ridiculing about her Corvid.

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They make a good team that way, protecting each other. The Half-Harpy created a shield with his body for the transformed Naiad when anyone got too close to her. Minthie’s two-headed service beast from the Underground—an Orthrus named Casket and Kane—adopted the raven-man into its pack as well. It growled at the folk who dared to bump into its people while they were away from their safe haven.

Now, Misty and I could never confirm that what we saw that Solstice was a date night. No one in or out of the Tavern could tell you precisely what Minthie and Corvid’s relationship is either. It could simply be a close, wholesome friendship. Or perhaps they were secretly hand-fasted in a marriage ceremony only witnessed by the moon. I can’t say whether it’s only physical behind closed doors in silken sheets, or just pure unadulterated love and lifelong commitment wherever they might inhabit. I can tell you that whatever it is, it’s good.

Almost as good as the Twilight Noodles that Misty and I bought on our way out of the market. We had to dodge the pair to buy this savory meal. But let’s face it, no one can go to the Night Market and not sample its delicacies, even if they are trying to spy.

We saw you when you

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Ingredients: 4 servings

• 2 cups (250 grams) flour Plus more for dusting.

• 3 large eggs

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) olive oil

• 4 tsp. (20 mL) liquid squid ink

• Pinch of salt

Preparation:

1. On a countertop, pile flour and make a well in the center with your finger. Crack in eggs, then add oil, squid ink, and salt.

2. Slowly mix together with your hands or a fork, gradually adding flour to the liquid center until a kneadable dough starts to form.

3. Knead by hand until it becomes smooth, adding flour and water as necessary. About 10-15 minutes.

4. Let the dough rest, covered at room temperature for at least 30

minutes before cutting into quarters.

5. Working with one quarter at a time, while keeping the remaining quarters covered, roll dough flat, shaping into a rectangle. Lightly flour the surface of the dough to prevent it from sticking to itself, then fold the dough into thirds and cut into ½-inch strips.

6. Cook in boiling salted water for 7-10 minutes. Drain then set aside.

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Twilight Sauce Ingredients:

(Gluten-free) 2 servings

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) Monster Butter

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) olive oil

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) red pepper flakes

• 1 lb. (450 grams) shrimp, peeled and deveined

• ½ cup (125 mL) apple cider vinegar

• Salt and pepper to taste

• ½ cup (50 grams) cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) Witch’s Closet

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) chopped parsley for garnish Twilight Sauce Preparation:

1. In a frying pan, melt butter and sauté minced garlic with olive oil and red pepper flakes for about a minute.

2. Add shrimp and cook each side for about 3 to 5 minutes.

Remove shrimp and set aside.

3. Add apple cider vinegar and cherry tomatoes and let simmer for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Return shrimp to skillet with cooked pasta and chopped parsley.

Toss together then serve.

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Fi s h e r m a n’ s Fi l le t

I have heard many stories about the salmon of knowledge, salmon gods, and even a trickster god turning himself into a salmon. But I have yet to gain any magical insight from eating such a fish myself. Out of curiosity, I once consulted a fisherman who lived on the banks of an old, quiet village along Tuskfall, just north of the eastern islands.

The man’s house was built on stilts so it could hover above the water, allowing him to sit out on his back porch with a fishing rod in hand and cast his line out into the water below. We sat together for hours talking, not only about salmon, but about the fisherman’s life and how he came to live above the water.

He was a fascinating person who saw many things both above and below. You might even think he was human if it weren’t for the phospho-rescent yellow tinge in his eyes and the elongated dorsal spine growing from his forehead. I tried not to mention it or stare as it dangled between his dark brows, but it was difficult to ignore when night fell.

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We named him Nibbles!

As our white-and-red-striped lures still drifted in the water and the stars became aplenty, the tip of the fleshy spine began to glow brighter than any light I’d seen. Like an anglerfish, the man drew the larger noc-turnal sea dwellers toward us and the bait that waited below. In the luminescence, the water was almost clear. I could see the creatures circling the lines and weaving in and out from beneath the porch. Some of the fish I didn’t recognize were ancient breeds that probably only Minthie has seen the likes of in her underwater travels. But here they were, drawn like moths to a flame by this rare blaze.

I returned to the Tavern that night with more knowledge than before.

The fisherman split our day’s catch with me and sent me home with a hand-scrawled recipe for a baked salmon toothsome enough to rival any deity. All in all, I would say my curiosity is satisfied for now.

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Ingredients: 1 Serving

• A 6-8 oz. (170-230 grams) salmon fillet

• Salt to taste

• 2 garlic cloves, chopped fine

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) unsalted butter

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) olive oil

• 1 serving size of asparagus About 6-8 spears.

• Sprinkle of Witch’s Closet

• Splash of lemon juice

• Serving of your preferred rice, cooked 142

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Preparation:

1. Let your salmon fillet come to room temperature before cooking. Use a dry cloth or paper towels to help remove moisture from both sides of the fish.

2. Make a few cuts along the skin of the salmon to help prevent it from curling up when cooking, then salt both sides of the fish.

3. In a preheated skillet at medium to medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil.

4. Allow the oil to heat up, then place the fillet skin-side down.

About 3-4 minutes.

5. Flip the fillet over and add butter to the pan with the herbs, garlic cloves, and asparagus.

6. Let the garlic and herbs cook for about 3 minutes, then use a spoon to baste the salmon fillet with the butter. Add a splash of lemon juice over the fillet.

7. Cook for another 4-5 minutes, or until asparagus is cooked through.

8. Serve over your choice of hot, freshly cooked rice.

Basmati, Jasmine, Bomba, Brown, or even Black Rice.

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D r u i d J a ck

I have only ever been to a soothsayer once, following a rather hard time in my life. This was after the destruction of the Tavern post-battle with the House of Faces and Circle of Rooks. During this, I was in the Underground … chasing after my brother, as he was trying to release something wicked from The Maze. I hadn’t been Topside for a year. With me were Stubby, Koko, Minthie, and her Orthrus. In our absence, The Lucky Gryphon had fallen into shambles.

When we returned, we found the Tavern to be a burnt-out husk.

The automatons had previously hired Misty to work with them and keep the dilapidated business afloat. Luckily, Misty fit right into the crew alongside Lyric and her brother, Lazuli, before the sieges occurred.

But the battle they encountered together had done a number on them all. What’s more, upon our return Minthie had discovered an injured Corvid hiding in her cinder-filled Library. At that time, he was a newly ex-communicated member of the Circle of Rooks seeking refuge as he 144

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bled out. His people had just clipped his wings for shifting his allegiance and helping my friends when Minthie and I couldn’t be there for them.

It was a bloody mess.

Recovering from what horrors had to be done in the Underground and seeking guidance, I sought out a druid soothsayer. I had no idea what to do or if I should rebuild the life I once had. I even considered walking away from the place I vowed to help protect, the Tavern and all its many secrets.

Thankfully, the counsel I received was invaluable. It led to this very golden age of The Lucky Gryphon that you see now.

Lind say was the seer I found living in a forest encampment. To her fellow druidic people, she was something of a prophetess. The soothsayer had the incredible gift of seeing the future and the ability to speak certain things into existence. But this was an ability rarely used.

The woman first started by looking into my past and at my present. She divined the things I have seen and done, before searching for the things I have yet to do. I still remember how the furrow in her brows melted away the further she traveled into my future. And the grin on her face when she opened her dark eyes again was the reassurance I needed. I knew I had come to the right place.

“You will find peace,” she promised, using her gift to bless my hereafter.

Then, she told me what she saw.

“I see raucous laughter, friends pouring drinks and loving those who used to be enemies. Your larders wil overflow with food and magic, and your establishment wil be steeped with good memories. I see a menu built to welcome al , carnivores, herbivores, and those in between, both big, smal , and hidden. Your cup wil runneth over, traveler. Have no fear. You and those you love are safe.”

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Ingredients: (Vegan and gluten-free) 4 servings

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) cooking oil

• ½ Tbs. (7 grams) minced garlic

• ½ white onion, chopped

• 1 15 oz. can (400 grams) jackfruit, drained and rinsed

• 1 15 oz. can (400 grams) diced tomatoes

• 1 15 oz can (400 mL) coconut milk

Be sure its full fat coconut milk.

• 4 russet potatoes, peeled and diced

• 1 Tbs. (14 grams) curry powder

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) Phoenix Powder

• Salt to taste

• 1 cup frozen peas

• 4 servings of your preferred rice, cooked Preparation:

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté onions in oil for about 5 minutes. Then add garlic, letting cook for 30-60 seconds before adding coconut milk.

2. Add potatoes, diced tomatoes, and jackfruit.

3. Add spices and stir to combine. Bring to a boil.

4. Reduce to a simmer, stir often, and allow to thicken.

About 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and tender.

5. Stir in frozen peas and cook for another 10 minutes.

6. Serve with cooked rice of choice.

Minthie likes hers topped with cilantro.

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I heard you’re going shopping today. Don’t forget these things:

• Apples

• Treats for Koko

• Jackfruit

and my precious

baby Orthrus

• Mushrooms

• Corvid needs new

• Pork

quill ink

• Extra dark chocolate

• Stubby wants a

• Red chili peppers

new cleaver

• Coffee beans

• Misty requested

• Monarch shrimp

frozen sweet cream

• Living cheese

… and so did

everyone else. The

• Jamfish

triplets specifically

• Kraken meat

want muddy boot

• Raw oil for

and goblin fruit

the automatons

flavored cream.

P.S. Pick up some popcorn for me while you’re at it! I have absolutely no plans of sharing it, so if you want some, even a kernel, get your own. Thanks!

L A ST

M E A L S

P i e f l i n g s

T avern brawls are as much a part of The Lucky Gryphon as they are of any respectable rest stop for the weary—and often adrenaline-fueled—adventuring party. The last time we experienced a battle royale erupting on the Tavern floor was years ago, long before we instated the officially sanctioned, “Tavern Brawls.”

These planned events are for adventurers to blow off steam and go all out in a safe and controlled way without the risk of real death or danger—though the pain is still very much felt. I can describe these established fight nights at another time. The point of this story is to tell you of the particular Tavern Brawl where our famous Pieflings were born.

One holiday evening many years ago, we were packed to the walls, which was expected. Drinks were flowing, and the laughter was deafening.

Even now, I’m still not certain of the specific chain of events, but from the far corner of the Tavern, a burly hobgoblin was thrown through the window by two barbarians. And suddenly, like a spark to kerosene, all hell broke loose. Windows were smashed and food was airborne.

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Even though this happened often, it’s been a Lucky Gryphon code that you don’t throw the chairs. At this point, there isn’t a chair in the building that doesn’t have the name of a former adventurer engraved somewhere on its back, legs, or armrests. My regulars know that this rule is sacred, and that anyone who breaks it will face a consequence befitting such disrespect.

Anyway, fists were thrown, noses were bashed, and it was absolute chaos. I tried to keep it from getting too out of control by keeping everyone from charging behind the bar, raiding the kitchen, or pulling things off the walls. It was also customary to have health potions lined up on the bar for fighters to grab, drink, and get right back into the action.

During this ruckus, the triplets—Hallinta, Hina, and Hassar—were leaping from the rafters with pans in hand, bonking heads and faces.

Minthie’s two-headed service beast was biting butts, while she plowed through the fray crushing toes with her wheelchair. I remember seeing Jaymee cannonball from the second-story banister shouting “Rutabaga! ”

and casting darts of fire haphazardly. MIKA had five individuals grap-pling with faces turning blue and tapping out. Jasper just leaned back against the bar with me and sighed, shaking his head. Misty was hiding in the kitchen, and Koko was dive bombing, dropping bowls of hot soup. I was told Corvid just locked himself inside Minthie’s Library for the night.

I recall the moment Stubby

charged through the kitchen

door with a tray of what would

be that evening’s special dessert,

miniature versions of his famous

apple pie. Lightning flashed in the large half-orc’s eyes when suddenly a half

dozen hot pastries were hurled across

the Tavern.

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The triplets and Jaymee immediately noticed the new ammuni-tion. They ran to the kitchen to see if there were any more. To their lux-ury, Stubby had over a dozen trays full of these diminutive pies cooling on racks.

The door to the kitchen was kicked from its hinges as the four of them returned, each wielding a tray and shouting, “EAT PIEFLINGS, SUCKAHS!!!”

To be honest, the rest of the night was a blur. But I do remember that when the dust settled, all that remained were half-conscious patrons groaning and licking their wounds. I pulled one of the pastries off the wall and asked Stubby about them. He said they were to be a surprise, and I laughed, saying they absolutely were.

Stubby said he intended to name them Button Pies. Then, the triplets and Jaymee all resounded from different places in the Tavern that they were to be called Pieflings and nothing else because that’s precisely what these tiny pies did. Fling.

And with logic like that, I couldn’t argue. Stubby continues to make them for holidays. And thankfully, it’s been a while since any of these little pastries were thrown at anyone. I hope that it stays that way. But the triplet’s birthday is approaching . . so I worry.

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P i e Cr u s t

Ingredients: (Vegan)

Makes one base crust and dough for the lattice topping

• 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) salt

• ⅔ cup (145 grams) vegetable shortening

• 7-10 Tbs. (103–147 mL) cold water

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F/205˚C.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour and salt.

3. Cut in shortening with a fork until the shortening forms pea-sized clumps.

4. Gently add water into the bowl a little at a time as needed, mixing with a fork or clean hands until the dough forms a flaky ball.

5. Split the ball into halves and roll them out on a floured surface into 9-inch circles. Be sure to flour your hands and rolling pin as well to keep the dough from sticking or tearing. Add more flour as needed to prevent sticking.

6. Cut one of the dough circles into strips ½-inch wide for the lattice topping.

7. Place the other uncut dough into an 8-inch pie plate.

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A p ple P i e Fi l l i n g (Vegan) Ingredients:

• 5 large apples The gnomes prefer Ambrosia apples.

• 1 cup (200 grams) white or raw sugar

• 2 Tbs. (18 grams) flour

• 2 tsp. (8 grams) Harvest Spice

• Pinch of salt

• 2 Tbs. (24 grams) vegetable shortening or coconut oil

• Splash of vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. Peel and core apples, and then cut into thin slices.

2. Combine with dry ingredients and mix well so that each slice is coated in flour, sugar, and spices.

3. Pour into pie dish and break up dollops of vegetable shortening or coconut oil over the top.

4. Add the strips of pie crust over the top into a lattice formation.

Pinch around the edges to merge crust and lattice top.

5. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour or until golden brown.

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P i e f l i n g s Va r i a n t :

This one! This one! This one!

1. Follow the recipe above with these changes to make mini pies.

2. After you roll out the pie crusts, cut out circles with a circular cookie cutter or empty can.

3. For the filling, dice the apples into smaller pieces instead of slices.

4. Add about 1 tablespoon of filling to the circles then apply a lattice on top. This part will take some time, but the finished product is well worth it.

5. Bake on a parchment-lined cookie sheet for 20 minutes at 400˚F/205˚C.

6. Allow the pieflings to cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

OR! Use immediately so its hot when catapulted!

Hehehe!

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Ni g h t m a re Po t a to es

O KAY, I will start by saying that these are made of neither nightmares, nor potatoes. This sweet treat was inspired by a wandering rogue who visited the Tavern with a pocketful of stale black crackers. They were packed full of basic nutrition, but lacked any sort of flavor. They were dry and brittle. The impression they gave was powdery and sad, with just an awful taste overall. The rogue claimed that they helped enhance his senses and allowed him to see in the dark.

Intrigued, I asked him to demonstrate these abilities that night. He successfully picked the wine cellar lock, grabbed an expensive bottle of fermented juice, and poured himself a drink before I could even locate his presence. I was convinced. But that horrid taste needed to be fixed. After a long conversation, the rogue gave me the recipe for the crackers and the secret ingredient that made them so powerful.

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It took a few weeks to perfect a simple recipe that I was happy with and produced both the desired effect and taste. But I think I’ve managed to come up with something amazing. I dubbed them “Nightmare Potatoes” purely because I thought it was funny.

Ingredients: (Vegetarian) 10-12 servings

• 14.3 oz. package (405 grams) chocolate sandwich cookies About 39 sandwich cookies.

• ½ stick (57 grams) unsalted butter 4 Tablespoons.

• 10oz bag (283 grams) regular sized marshmallows About 40 marshmallows.

Preparation:

1. Crush cookies to a rough gravel-like texture in a sealed plastic bag.

2. In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, add marshmallows and butter. Melt together in 20-second intervals, stirring in between until the butter is fully melted and mixed with marshmallows.

3. Pour crushed cookies into the melted marshmallows and butter. Mix.

4. Allow to cool enough to handle, then break apart mixture and form balls that can fit in the palm of your hand. They don’t need to be perfect. The more irregular and rough looking, the better. Use a small amount of butter or oil on your hands if the mixture is too sticky to handle.

5. Place cookies on parchment paper lined tray.

6. Chill for about 30 minutes or until they firm up, then enjoy.

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L u m i Ba rs

I ’m not sure that any of you will remember this, but there was a period of time when the whole world was plunged into complete and utter darkness. The sky was clouded so thick with dark magic, that no light above could pierce through. Even the divine failed to cut this black veil.

Many lamps and streetlights were erected and lit a few days after this occurred. Arcane users taught others how to cast simple illumination cantrips. But, there were those who couldn’t learn magic or cast anything metaphysical, no matter how hard they tried. Of course, they could always use torches and headlamps. Still, I wanted to provide a way for them to feel a little magical, even if just for a little while.

So, with the help of Minthie and Corvid, we devised a way to infuse the petals of the Sol flower into an edible treat. This allowed the consumer to temporarily see better in the dark while exuding a soft aura of warm 158

A TRAVELER’S GUIDE TO THE LUCKY GRYPHON

light from their skin. Getting this enchantment to “stick” to a portion of food was tricky. We tried it as a potion, but it proved too volatile, resulting in some burnt feathers on Corvid and with me seeing fae spots for the better part of a week. We turned to small snacks, such as Copper Bites or the Popover Pancakes. Still, the effects were far too short-lived and nowhere powerful enough to create light stronger than a stifled candle.

So, we went back to the drawing board and devised a unique recipe for this enchantment. Corvid wanted something mellow and floral, while Minthie wanted something rich like peanut butter. We tried both, but the enchantment took better to a dessert with citrus juice and a zing of lemon zest inside.

That was enough for me, so I put together this recipe for Illumination Lemon Bars. Jaymee calls them Lumi Bars for short. These light-giving treats went up for sale immediately, and we were sold out before the dinner rush ever began. The next day, a line was out the door and into the dark for these bars. We did our best to keep up with demand until that blessed day when the sky broke apart and sweet sunlight poured through the clouds.

Word went around that several adventuring parties had ambushed and defeated a family of necromancers, who had caused the blackened sky. Whether this is true or not, I’ve been told that every member of those adventuring parties had a Lumi Bar in their pocket.

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L u m i Ba r Cr u s t

Ingredients: (Vegetarian)

• 8 Tbs. (113 grams) softened unsalted butter

• ⅓ cup (40 grams) powdered sugar

• 1 tsp. (5 mL) vanilla extract

• 1 tsp. (5 mL) lemon juice

• 1 cup (125 grams) flour

Preparation: 6 servings

1. Preheat oven to 325˚F/ 163˚C. Line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine butter and powdered sugar. Mix until well combined.

3. Add vanilla, lemon juice, and flour. Mix until a pebbly texture is reached.

4. In your prepared baking dish, press the flour mixture down into a crust then bake for 20 minutes.

5. Let cool completely.

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L u m i Ba r Fi l l i n g

Ingredients: (Vegetarian)

• 3 eggs

• 1 tsp. (5 mL) vanilla extract

• ¾ cup (150 grams) white sugar

• ⅓ cup (80 mL) lemon juice

• ⅓ cup (45 grams) flour

Preparation:

1. Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and whisk until well combined.

2. Pour the mixture onto the finished crust, and then bake at 325˚F/163˚C for 25-30 minutes.

3. Let cool completely or refrigerate.

4. When you are ready to serve, cut into squares and top bars with a dusting of powdered sugar.

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L u n a r Pa s t y

M embers of the Kitsune Conclave have a strong connection to the moon. Not only is the moonstone a part of their guild symbol, but you will often find them participating in monthly lunar celebrations. They meticulously keep calendars and chart the daily phases. Though the most important phase to them is the full moons, whether it’s the more common Blood Moon, Wolf or Harvest, but especially the rare Black Moon.

There’s a member that often uses the Observatory for research and relaxation. Anyone who requests to use the astral space must ask for the key and be approved for such use. Not everyone is privy to the enchanted telescope and star charts because the constellations hold many secrets.

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Jess always complains about having to

haul the key to the Observatory around.

But things tend to go missing

in a place like the Tavern. Especially

with patrons, adventurers, rouges,

and thieves always coming in and

out. I definitely don’t get back every

artifact or spellbound object I lend

out. Hence, the safest thing I could do

was have Minthie help me devise a way

to ensure the key to the exclusive tower couldn’t get lost. She did that by attaching the keyring to a rather large broom from The Back.

Now, the broom is enchanted to always find its way back to one of us, but namely me as Minthie doesn’t like it tracking dust up to her Library. But we don’t tell most people about the broom’s enchantment.

Jess, and the ones who call the Tavern home, are the only ones who know.

I find some joy in watching folks tote around the broom with the small key dangling from the top of the long handle. If they asked it nicely, it would hold itself upright and sweep down the hall behind the person until they got to the Observatory. And once the guest was safely inside, it would bring itself downstairs—but no one ever thinks to use their please-and-thank-yous with a broom.

It’s quite inconsiderate if you ask me.

One out of the many times Jess went upstairs with the key, I didn’t see the broom all day.

After checking Minthie’s Library and The Back for it first, I went up to the Observatory to investigate. There, I found both Jess and the enchanted object enthralled by the Blue Moon that showed its face for LAST MEALS

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the first time in three years. The pale blueberry color was so uncommon and so beautiful, that I became instantly inspired to create a sugary half-moon pasty to commemorate the sight. To this day, I still like to send a box of them to the Conclave headquarters every lunar holiday as we look forward to seeing the Blue Moon again.

Ingredients: (Vegetarian)

These Lunar Pasties utilize three other recipes from this book. Make those items first, then continue this recipe from here.

• Pie crust dough from Pieflings recipe

• Bandit’s Favorite Pie Filling from Dumpster Cake recipe

• Glaze from Jaymee Cakes recipe

• 1 beaten egg

Preparation: Each pasty serves 1

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F/190˚C.

2. Roll out pie dough and cut out 3-to-4-inch circles using either a knife, large cookie cutter, or a drinking glass.

3. Add about 1 tablespoon of the cooled blueberry filling onto the center of each pie cutout. Be careful not to overfil .

4. Fold dough over blueberry filling into a half-moon shape, and then crimp the edges closed with a fork.

5. Brush beaten egg over the top of each Lunar Pasty, and poke 2

to 3 steam release holes in each pie.

6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

7. Allow them to cool completely before adding glaze.

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S a v o r y L u n a r Pa s t y Va r i a n t (Vegetarian) Makes about 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced

• ½ small white onion, finely chopped

• 1 carrot, peeled and shaved with a grater

• 1 celery stalk, cleaned and finely chopped

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) garlic powder

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) salt

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) pepper

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) Phoenix Powder

• 1 beaten egg to brush onto the dough later Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F/190˚C.

2. Boil potatoes in water until soft. About 10-15 minutes.

3. Drain then set aside, allowing the steam from potatoes to release so they’re not overhydrated.

4. In a skillet, melt butter and cook onion, carrot, and celery over medium-high heat until vegetables are soft.

5. Add seasonings and drained potatoes to the skillet.

Combine well.

6. Using a spoon or a potato masher, crush the mixture together.

Set aside and let cool.

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7. Take pie crusts and roll out, cutting into 3-to-4-inch circles.

8. Add a spoonful of filling onto the pie crusts, then fold dough in half over the filling, crimping the edges with a fork to seal.

9. Brush beaten egg on top of pasties. Poke 2 to 3 holes in the tops with a knife.

10. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

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D u pp y Pu d s

T here’s a legend that says that within everyone there exist two spirits.

One benevolent and the other malevolent. And according to this legend, when you die, the benevolent spirit moves on to the afterlife to find peace and comfort. In contrast, the malevolent spirit remains on earth to continue walking amongst the living. These evil spirits are called duppies.

Thankfully, The Lucky Gryphon has never had a ghost problem we couldn’t solve. But the same can’t be said for Baker Marsh, a poor widower beset by some vengeful spirits after the passing of his wife. She was a kind woman with such a bright spirit that repelled anything of malevolent nature. But when the duppy caught wind of her death, things changed.

After that, it was known in Baker Marsh’s small town that mischievous, pranking ghosts now haunted his bakery. Cookies would become filled with bugs, fluffy cakes would deflate after leaving the oven, and salt would mysteriously replace the sugar during the mixing process. As you can imagine, this haunting wasn’t good for business.

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Baker Marsh finally put out the call for help to any adventurers who would brave his bakery and drive these ghosts from his property. With a large reward for this quest, several adventurers quickly answered the call.

One evening shortly after, they all arrived at Marsh’s Bakery and found the elderly baker hiding in the corner, pointing as he whispered at some invisible specter only he could see. The adventurers helped calm Baker Marsh’s nerves and promised to solve the ghost problem. He looked deep into the adventurer’s eyes with his hollow, haunted orbs. Words barely escaped his mouth when an icy breeze swept through the bakery.

Doors and windows slammed shut, lanterns were snuffed out, and the light from the full moon outside darkened. It was as if curtains of living shadow blotted out the night.

The next moment, the duppies attacked.

A wailing was heard throughout the bakery, and baked goods flew from the shelves. That prior icy breeze became freezing wind that rushed through the building, causing frost to grow up the walls.

One of the adventurers

saw a translucent duppy

appear through the mirror

with a horrific, screaming face

and shredded clothing. At the

same time, another ghost was

heard in the storefront, wreak-

ing havoc amidst the pastries.

Spirits flew into the cakes and

loaves of bread, possessing

them and causing the desserts

to hurl themselves at the bak-

Not an accurate representation. ery’s frightened inhabitants.

Their attempts to capture or

But it’s cute!

calm the spirits were fraught.

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Every plan they attempted to form was met with a pie in the face. All the adventures and poor Baker Marsh could do, was endure the haunting.

Finally, when early morning light crept through the windows, the bright rays from the rising sun scattered the duppies from the bakery and into the shadows.

All was calm. The coast seemed clear, and the only thing that remained from their ghost-filled experience was a destroyed storefront.

Baker Marsh went to pick up a chocolate cake on the floor. It had been thrown at the tile when a duppy dashed out from the center of the treat, cackling as it vanished into the kitchen. The baker’s old, shaken hands dropped the cake he retrieved, causing it to split. A thick chocolate filling poured from the dessert and onto the floor.

Now, I’m not sure what led Baker Marsh to taste the once-possessed pastry, but the rest is history. Apparently, when something is possessed by a duppy, its insides are…rearranged. In this case, the middle of the chocolate cake became melty, like the batter it had once started as. This strange discovery that Baker Marsh’s tongue made inspired the creation of Duppy Puds, a cake with a molten chocolate center.

This recipe came to me because I was one of those adventurers who answered the call. Minthie was also with me. I think she actually captured a duppy in a jar, and now that I think of it… I’m not sure she ever let it go.

Anyways, because of our help that night, Baker Marsh claimed we saved his business, and in return, he wanted us to have the recipe to Duppy Puds. Now, I will reward you for reading this tale with this hauntingly rich and chocolatey treat.

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Ingredients: (Vegetarian) Makes 2 servings

• ½ cup (60 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips

• 4 Tbs. (60 mL) unsalted butter

• 1 full egg

• 1 egg yolk

• ½ Tbs. (7 grams) cocoa powder

• ⅛ cup (30 grams) white sugar

• Pinch of salt

• 1 Tbs. (8 grams) flour

• Butter or oil to grease ramekins

• Extra cocoa powder to dust ramekins

• Preferred choice of toppings: powdered sugar, ice cream, fresh fruit, Amethyst Compote, Chimera Chocolate Sauce, etc.

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Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F/205˚C.

2. Make a double boiler by placing a glass mixing bowl over a pot with about 2 inches of simmering water.

3. Add the chocolate and butter to the glass bowl, stirring gently and letting the heat from the simmering water gently melt them together. Be sure to keep the heat low.

4. Let cool slightly.

5. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, full egg and 1

egg yolk until a foam forms.

6. Pour cooled, but still melted chocolate, into the bowl and gently combine.

If your chocolate is too hot, it will curdle the eggs.

7. Sift in flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Mix well.

8. Take ramekins and grease the insides with butter or oil. Sift cocoa powder onto the bottom and sides of the prepared ramekins.

This wil prevent the cakes from sticking when you go to flip them out.

9. Pour batter into ramekins and bake for 10-15 minutes.

10. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before flipping the cakes upside down onto a serving plate.

11. Serve with preferred toppings.

This dish is best eaten immediately or within the same day.

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G i n g e rb rea d S o l s t i c e Ca k e B eautiful things are made when the Soraiad are involved. The air nymphs oversee all things weather related, including making the atmosphere inside the greenhouse behind the Tavern warm and humid all year round. Soraiads usually work hand in hand with the Dryads to keep the giant, ever-flowing maple tree in the center nourished and happy.

They also keep all the herbs, man-eating plants—and things pretending to be plants—alive.

However, my favorite thing the Soraiad create is the hushed fall of blanketing snow during Wintertide. It dusts the eaves and surrounding trees like powdered sugar, and the drifting crystals taste sweet when they land on your tongue. One year, much to Koko’s delight, they formed some of the flakes into the shape of gingerbread men, making them dance 172

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through the icy air as they fell. They even tasted like the spiced molasses cookies, which led to the creation of this festive dessert.

The gingerbread crust and Harvest Spiced cheesecake base is a favorite of the Tavern’s patrons during the Wintertide Solstice. Of course, you best believe it’s delicious enough to make any time of year. Minthie and Lyric request vegan versions to be made at least every other month.

Luckily, it’s as easy as replacing the cream cheese, milk, butter, and eggs with plant-based alternatives from the market. There are many vegan and non-dairy options out there, both with soy and without, for those humans and faerie folk with sensitive stomachs.

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G i n g e rb rea d Cr u s t

Ingredients: (Vegetarian)

• 2 cups (170 grams) crushed gingerbread cookies

• 4 Tbs. (48 grams) white sugar

• 6 Tbs. (88 mL) unsalted butter, melted

• 1 tsp. (5 mL) vanilla extract

Preparation: 8 slice servings

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F/177˚C.

2. In a large bowl, mix crushed cookies, sugar, vanilla, almond extract, and melted butter until well combined.

3. Pour crust mixture into a springform pan or baking dish of choice. Press down to form a crust on the bottom and up the sides of pan. Let chill in the refrigerator.

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G i n g e rb rea d Ch ees ec a k e Fi l l i n g Ingredients: (Vegetarian)

• 24 oz. (680 grams) cream cheese, softened at room temperature

• ¾ cup (150 grams) white sugar

• 3 eggs, room temperature

• 2 tsp. (10 mL) vanilla extract

• ½ tsp (2 mL) almond extract

• 2 tsp. (8 grams) Harvest Spice

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl beat cream cheese until soft, then slowly add sugar while mixing well.

2. Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each egg until a silky texture is reached.

3. Pour cheesecake batter over the prepared gingerbread crust.

4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges of the cake are firm and the center is slightly jiggly.

5. Remove and let cool to room temperature, then chill until ready to serve.

6. Top with berries, gingerbread cookies, and whipped cream.

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Fa e N o el les

W inter is the most physically magical out of the seasons. The Snow Fae finally get to enjoy the chilly weather by racing down to the earth on snowflakes. They paint the windows with frost and kiss the noses of unsuspecting travelers, and leave light blue marks on their lips.

Don’t get me wrong, some of the Snow Fae are definite tricksters, creating slick ice patches over the roads that seem almost invisible until it’s too late. Some enjoy screaming on mountaintops, causing rumbling avalanches. There have even been tales of some fae stealing the heat from fireplaces, leaving residents confused and cold as the fire continues to burn bright.

However, more kind-natured fae still exist. The most prominent of which is known to leave gifts and sweets for children during the night of the Winter Solstice. It’s said in the classic legends that this grandfa-ther-like fae is dressed in a thick coat with large boots and a fur hat. He 176

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once had a large family as well, but this was when he was still a young human man. However, a deadly blizzard caught the family off guard one winter as they traveled north back home after a trip to see friends in the south. The polar weather took the lives of this man’s wife and children, leaving him on the brink of death. Alone.

This is when a powerful Snow Fae took pity on the man and saved him from freezing. But the man cursed the fae, wishing to die with his family. To him, living without them was a far worse fate than death.

The fae, not appreciating this ungrateful response, cursed him with long life, hoping to teach the young man a lesson. The magic creature told him to learn to appreciate life in all its forms, both full and empty.

For years the man just sat in his home. He would mourn his wife and children, wishing for nothing but eternal sleep. Over the centuries of bitterness, his hair turned white with age, and deep lines on his face grew from an ever-present frown.

After a while, the memories of his family started to fade. But this realization only came when he caught sight of a family portrait on the wall. He struggled to recall the names of those in the picture. He eventually recognized himself as a

young man kissing the cheek

of a beautiful young woman as

two children, a boy and a girl,

grinned up at the pair. Tears

of anger flooded his eyes as

he cried out for the fae who

cursed him.

The powerful Snow Fae

appeared hours later during

the night. The house was dark

and quiet; the old man was

nowhere in sight. Suddenly,

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he leaped from the shadows and trapped the fae. The man begged it to remove the curse on him, wishing for his forgetful suffering to end.

“Why have you wasted this gift of long life?” asked the fae, not unkind but curious while it stood in the trap.

“Them,” cried the man as he pointed at the family picture with his tears tightening his throat. “I just want to be with them.”

The fae looked at him with sadness, “What are their names?”

The man paused. The tears flowed even harder.

He couldn’t remember.

“I … I don’t know,” said the man. “Why can’t I recall their names?”

The fae broke from the trap and stepped toward the man, who began to shrink back into the corner. The creature was never truly trapped, which terrified him as he waited for another wrathful curse.

“Because,” said the fae, “you spent so much time mourning and wishing for death. You never did anything in the name of your wife and children. You were so focused on your own pain. Names unsaid and names unhonored disappear from memory with time.”

The man looked at the family portrait again, momentarily forgetting his fear. “How do I remember? Is there any way?”

“Do something for them,” the fae said before disappearing.

In the months to come, the man could be found tinkering and woodworking. He would craft gifts for his late children to commemorate the birthdays he couldn’t recall. And for his wife on their anniversary that he can’t remember and for the holidays he was reminded of. Eventually, his house was full of wooden toys, trinkets, and furniture. And the names of his beloved family slowly returned to his memory.

No one is sure when sightings of the sizeable and white-bearded fae started, but it is said that wooden gifts would appear in children’s shoes in the wee hours of Winter Solstice morning. The gifts were credited to the fae they called Grandfather 178

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Winter, an ordinary man who became magic after lessons learned and through good deeds.

Anyway, everyone knows that fae love to be rewarded, so by the following Winter Solstice, spiced cookies and warm cider were always set out for the gift-giving fae in every house. It’s also noted that if Grandfather Winter paid your home a visit during the Winter Solstice, your upcoming year would be filled with good luck and good memories.

Ingredients: (Vegetarian) Makes about 16 – 20 cookies

• 1 Tbs. (14 grams) Harvest Spice

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) salt

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp. (5 mL) vanilla extract

• 2 cup (250 grams) flour

• ½ tsp. (3 grams) baking soda

• ¼ cup (50 grams) white sugar

• 1 cup (100 grams) packed brown sugar

• 1 cup (230 grams) unsalted butter 2 sticks of butter.

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Preparation:

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Mix until fluffy and well combined.

2. Add egg and vanilla. Mix to combine.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together Harvest Spice, salt, baking soda, and flour until well combined.

4. Combine wet and dry ingredients, mix until it just comes together. Be careful not to overmix.

5. Roll out dough over a floured surface to ¼-inch thick.

6. Using a cookie cutter or cookie stamp, cut out your cookies.

Use flour on the stamps to help

prevent the dough from sticking to them.

7. Chill stamped cookie dough for an hour.

If you want the cookies to keep

their shape, do not skip this step.

8. Preheat oven to 375˚F/190˚C.

9. Optional: Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with extra brown sugar and cinnamon.

10. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges.

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S t ra wb e rr y S o l s t i c e Ca k e T here is almost nothing better than sun-warmed strawberries in the summertime. Almost. Perhaps the only thing that can take them over the top is a spongy cake and whipped cream— lots and lots of whipped cream.

I encountered this recipe while attending an elven midsummer festival. My nose led me to a storefront amongst the colorful ribbons, music, and dancing. There, beneath the wooden ‘ Nicklas Family Bakery’

sign, I saw this magical cake, glazed red berries and all, sitting out on the windowsill. The half-satyr woman who owned the bakery was giving out slices during the celebration. The sugar-glossed smiles on everyone’s faces convinced me that such excitement and buzzing emotion was exactly what I wanted to have inside my Tavern.

When I was offered a slice of these strawberry shortcake biscuits, I was also offered a seat. The wrinkled, horned woman then regaled me with tales of the sunny days of her childhood. She spoke of picking fruit on her grandparents’ strawberry farm and the many markets where they sold cartons of the jewel-like berries. She met her late husband when they were teenagers at one of those markets during the Summer Solstice. Later, LAST MEALS

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when his summer camp questing days were over, her husband’s wedding gift to her was a key to his family’s shop, and a memory-steeped cake from his childhood.

Over the years, they worked together to perfect a dessert that celebrated their berry-filled youths. This is how the Strawberry Solstice Cake was born. They baked the treat for over forty years together until his passing, happily sharing it with their town and the friends they made along the way.

After my slice was gone and her story was finished, I stood to take my leave. The woman, however, stopped me. She pulled a yellowed card out of her recipe box and handed it to me. On it were the ingredients and directions for how to make her summery confection. The couple never ended up having children, and she longed to share this recipe with someone who would treasure her memories and who could pass the cake on for many years to come.

Now I’m sharing this recipe with you in the hope that we can keep the warmth of their love and memories alive for an eternity.

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Sh o r t c a k e B i s c u i t s

Ingredients: (Vegetarian) 4 servings

Makes about 8-10 biscuits

• 3 cups (375 grams) flour

• 1 Tbs. (14 grams) baking powder

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) salt

• 1 egg

• 1 stick cold, unsalted butter cut into cubes

• 1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk (and a little extra to brush onto the dough later)

• ⅓ cup (75 grams) white sugar (and some extra to coat the biscuits before baking)

• Whipped cream for garnish

Preparation:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt, and cold butter. Mix with a fork until you achieve a pebble-like texture.

2. Crack egg into your buttermilk and whisk to combine.

3. Pour into flour mixture and combine into a shaggy dough.

4. On a floured work surface, knead and fold the shaggy dough until it starts to come together.

5. Once combined, roll out dough to about ½ inch thick. Cut out your biscuits using a cookie cutter, empty tin can, or drinking glass.

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6. Place biscuits onto their baking tray and place the tray into a freezer for about half an hour. This helps create flaky layers.

7. Preheat your oven to 450˚F/232˚C.

8. Before baking, brush the tops of each biscuit with buttermilk.

Sprinkle with sugar.

9. Bake at 425˚F for 20-25 minutes or until the tops become a golden brown.

10. While the biscuits are baking, prepare the Strawberry Sauce.

S t ra wb e rr y S a u c e

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (400 grams) strawberries, stemmed and roughly chopped

• 4 Tbs. (50 grams) white sugar

• 2 tsp. (10 mL) lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Add all ingredients to a sauce pot and mash together, then place over medium heat until the mixture starts to boil.

2. Turn down the heat slightly and let simmer, stirring occasionally until it thickens.

3. Remove from heat and allow to further thicken as it cools.

About 15–20 minutes

4. Serve Strawberry Sauce over the Shortcake Biscuits. Add whipped cream on top.

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D u m p s t e r Ca k e

D uring my travels, I ventured into a dense green wood that was home to many talking beasts. Not simply animals that could speak to people, but animals that had their societies, cultures, and cities. Some made towns in the treetops, and some burrowed through the ground or lived in the trees themselves. Others erected brick-and-mortar buildings like abbeys and formidable keeps.

I had the pleasure of resting for a few days at the local inn, The Fire Bin, run by a family of raccoons known as the Bandits. The food at the inn was incredibly unique. Acorn salads, platters of trout with berries, candied mint leaves, and many other lovely fresh dishes. But while there, I was introduced to one of the best quick desserts I’ve ever had. I just had to record its existence here.

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Briar Bandit, the father, and owner of the Fire Bin, showed me how to create the Dumpster Cake. A stick of butter, some fruit, syrup, and a secret powdered cake mix, he poured it all—almost dumping it—into a cast iron pan. He didn’t even mix or combine the ingredients before he popped the pan into the hot brick oven. After a quick stint, out came a perfectly cooked “cake.” But honestly, it’s less of a cake and more on the side of a cobbler or a loose pie. I didn’t see the need to address these semantics then, because anything that tasted that good and was that simple could be called whatever Briar Bandit wanted to name it.

I convinced the Bandits to teach me the recipe in exchange for a few quests that were simple enough for me to complete.

Although, shaking a smal forest free of all its acorns was a bit tedious. Nevertheles , the recipe was mine, including the secret formula for making that dry cake mix.

I record this recipe here because even though it’s not on the menu, we sell the dry mix and ingredients to adventurers to take on their travels.

The recipe and steps are so simple and quick that you can even make this over a warm campfire after a long day of questing.

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S i m ple Va r i a n t (Vegetarian) 6 servings Ingredients:

• 21 oz. can (600 grams) pie filling of choice Equals to about 2 cups of pie filling.

• 1 bag (432 grams) boxed cake mix

About 3 cups of vanilla or yellow cake mix.

• 1 stick of butter, cut up into thin square slices.

Minthie suggests blueberry pie fil ing, then a layer of canned crushed pineapple and walnuts atop the butter.

Preparation:

1. To a large skillet, add pie filling and spread evenly across the pan 2. Cover the filling with boxed cake mix. Do not mix.

3. Cut up a stick of butter into thin slices and lay each square evenly over the cake mix. Do not mix.

4. Bake at 350˚F/177˚C until the top is golden brown.

About 35-40 minutes.

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Ba n d i t ’ s Fa v o r i te P i e Fi l l i n g (Vegan) Ingredients:

• 3 cups (570 grams) blueberries (fresh or frozen)

• ½ cup (100 grams) white sugar

• 3 Tbs. (30 grams) cornstarch

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) lemon juice

Preparation:

1. In a nonstick saucepan, add blueberries and cook on medium heat until they make a chunky syrup. About 5 minutes.

2. Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice into the pan. Stir until it thickens.

3. Then remove from heat and use as needed.

4. Allow to cool completely before jarring and chilling for up to a week.

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Ta ve r n Ca k e M i x

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups (312 grams) flour

• 2 ¼ cups (450 grams) white sugar

• 2 Tsp. (10 grams) baking powder

• 1 Tsp. (4 grams) salt

Preparation:

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a large bowl. Store in a cool, dry place to be used whenever you want an easy cake mix.

2. Add 3 eggs, 1 cup of milk, and 5 tablespoons of melted butter to the dry mix if you want to create a simple cake. Bake for 25-30

minutes at 350˚F/177˚C.

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Cle n t ’ s Oa t m ea l S co t ch i es O nce upon a time, on a dark and stormy night, a bounty hunter with a Dragon Synod crest tattooed on his arm entered the Tavern. I still remember the wind slamming the door open. That’s when I saw the rain-drenched figure appearing at the threshold silhouetted by the lightning.

His hat was pulled down low over his brow, and I could see nothing but a scruffy, goatee-covered chin and a toothpick jutting from between his lips.

Clent was a quiet, intimidating man, spurs clanking on his heels as he made his way to the bar. You must imagine my surprise when he proclaimed his need for a warm cookie instead of a stiff drink as the storm outside raged on.

I learned that day that even the toughest of the tough have a sweet tooth.

Not one to refuse, Misty offered to whip something up even though we didn’t yet have a cookie on the menu. In a 190

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gruff timbre, Clent walked her through this particular recipe, a favorite dessert of his, that soon became a hit with the rest of the patrons. The touches of cinnamon and the hint of orange zest mingling with the ooey, gooey butterscotch chips acted like a siren song.

The members of the Dragon Synod guild are very much lone wolves.

But even I know it would be wise to stay in the man’s good graces and have him on the Tavern’s side. So, since that night, The Lucky Gryphon has offered Clent’s Oatmeal Scotchies, just in case the bounty hunter walks our halls again.

Ingredients: (Vegetarian) Makes about 10-14 cookies

• 1 ¼ cup (156 grams) flour

• 1 tsp. (5 grams) baking soda

• ½ tsp. (2 grams) salt

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) Harvest Spice

• ¾ cup (113 grams) butter About 3 Tablespoons.

• ¾ cup (150 grams) packed dark brown sugar

• ¾ cup (150 grams) white sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 ½ tsp. (7 mL) vanilla extract

• 1 tsp. (5 mL) orange zest

• 3 cups (270 grams) rolled oats

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Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F/190˚C.

2. In a saucepan melt butter over medium high heat, stirring constantly until it turns a nutty brown color and amber flecks float through the liquid. About 7-10 minutes.

When you smel a tof ee scent, you’l know it’s done.

3. Remove from heat and let cool to almost room temperature.

Then, whisk or beat in sugars until a pale, fluffy texture forms.

About 5 minutes.

4. In a large mixing bowl add flour, baking soda, salt, Harvest Spice, vanilla extract, and orange zest. Whisk to combine.

5. Add dry ingredients into the sugar mixture and mix well.

6. Mix in rolled oats until well combined.

7. With a large spoon or spatula, fold in butterscotch chips until well combined.

8. On a greased baking tray, spoon out the dough into small cookie balls.

9. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

10. Allow the cookies to cool before serving.

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I swear to all that is good and holy, if you don’t get back here soon, I’m going to send Stubby out to throw you over his shoulder and drag you back. I can’t even tell you how underprepared I was for you to join an old adventuring party for an impromptu quest. I mean, it’s great that you’re still getting out there old man, but please give me a warning next time.

After what I’ve gone through, you owe me a beach vacation.

FIRST, Jaymee went on the fritz for the first time in years. He reverted to how he used to be when you first put the bots together.

Remember the no-nonsense version of Jaymee? He was like that but worse, because I’ve been so used to his childish ways for a long time now.

I always told you that his endless pranks and terrible jokes got on my nerves after he failed to be our messenger bot and developed a personality.

But I have never been so wrong. I hated this freshly booted-up version of him more. It took me about a week to realize the anima glass I found in the Underground powers the automatons. MIKA helped me open up Jaymee’s chest panel, where I found a crack running through his shard.

Obviously, I couldn’t just replace the glass because then the Jaymee we know and love would cease to exist. So, I left Jasper in charge before going to the Underground. I used a little arcane Styx magic to fix it. He’s fine now, so don’t worry you’re pretty little head about him. He’s already up to his old hijinks.

SECONDLY, the spell my dear old dad put on the observatory telescope is kaput. You’d think the Archmage would’ve ensured that something like that would never happen, but here we are. I could try to power

up his sigils again, but you know that I don’t really like to mess with his magic since I take after my mother’s “darkness, ” as he called it. It stings when our magics clash together. That’s why I split this whole ‘Guardian of The Maze’ job with you. It’s better that you take care of the Topside magic, and I’ll keep dealing with the spooky Underground stuff. ANYWAY, we have one grump of a raven man on our hands and a couple of ruffled regulars. Jess from the Kitsune Conclave was particularly peeved that the telescope in the Observatory is down.

THIRD, all the nymphs went on strike. Yes, we’re talking about all the Dryads, Kaidrad, and Soraiad. I don’t know what ticked them off, though I have a hunch that it’s because of your hasty departure. Was there a new treaty you worked up with them that you forgot to seal? I know the Dryads were still a little miffed about ancient bad blood with the Kaidrad, but I could have sworn that you squashed that. Next time, keep me updated on these things, yeah? That way, I won’t have to wake up to clods of dirt and fireballs being thrown over the greenhouse, causing the roof to shatter, which in turn angered the Soraiad. Don’t even get me started on how me, a Naiad, showing up to break everything up made it SO worse. Hence the strike.

Come on back, old man, ’cause things are getting weird. Maybe check with the fae on your way in because I swear this week has been unusually unlucky.

P.S. How dare you leave me behind??? Wherever you went, you better bring me a souvenir!

L I T E B I T E S

Koko B u n s

I t wouldn’t be The Lucky Gryphon Tavern without our resident gryphon, Koko. This beloved creature has a long history of begging for scraps from patrons or randomly landing on their shoulders before cud-dling up and napping. He can often be found in the tavern’s rafters, vigi-lantly watching for food or trying to play with Casket & Kane, Minthie’s two-headed service beast.

Koko has this way of making even the most hardened adventurers soften with his playful cooing and velvety brown fur. Although, it does need to be said that this poor creature was cursed as a hatchling.

When I was an adventurer still traveling throughout the Crossroads, my siblings and I accepted a quest from The White Rose to find poachers who were apart of The Iron Quiver—a horrible organization that captured beasts and trained them to become blood-thirsty tools or sold them as products in The Market of Tears. My siblings and I were able to cripple several branches of The Iron Quiver, but they always seemed to reappear time and time again.

On one such mission, we discovered that The Iron Quiver’s plans were focused on poaching gryphon nests for their eggs. Now, in most of the Crossroad kingdoms, gryphons are protected. But their eggs are still sought after by poachers and those seeking to garner high profits in 198

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seedy places like The Market of Tears. Most of these illegally acquired eggs would be smuggled and sold in Hallowmaw, where everything, and I mean everything, is a legal ingredient at the Hallowmaw Brainery.

My siblings, Krystal and Locke, successfully captured the poachers, but I failed to save the mother gryphon from being slain by an Iron Quiver sorcerer. However, the gryphon’s eggs still rested in its nest, and I ran to get between them and my opponent.

The sorcerer fired a blast of sickly green and yellow magic that arced around me, destroying the nest and its occupants. The horrible sight of the broken shells and the poor hatchlings that fell from them sent me into a rage. My sister and brother were at my side just a moment later, and it took almost no time before we subdued the sorcerer.

After the battle, my sister attempted to use her healing magic on the hatchlings, but nothing worked. It was too late.

We were about to leave and return to The White Rose with our report when we heard a soft coo. Hiding beneath the remnants of the nest sat a lone egg that must’ve been thrown aside when the green magic hit.

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Before our eyes, its dark brown shell began to crack and break open. A few minutes later, out rolled this adorable hatchling, whole and perfectly healthy.

Krystal and I were quick to care for and protect the babe, she could sense some magic around it. It wasn’t necessarily a good or evil type of magic, just a persistent and eternal kind. I discovered after a while of studying the gryphon, that the spell Krystal sensed was time stasis magic. The Iron Quiver would use this on some of the eggs they captured to prevent them from spoiling or hatching. It seemed the sorcerer we fought decided to destroy the eggs with this magic instead, but the little hatchling we found escaped the full blast and miraculously survived. A fortunate little fella.

We obviously couldn’t let it go out into the world on its own, and Krystal and I outvoted Locke in keeping the gryphon as our companion and familiar. This also pleased the hatchling, who cooed twice every time he spoke. This “coo-cooing” soon became the inspiration for his name. It was solidified when CooCoo started stealing our sweets, especially ones of the chocolate variety. He became our little CooCoo, the cocoa thief, to what eventually evolved into Koko. He’s been at my side ever since.

I’ve heard rumors of The Iron Quiver rising again somewhere along the coast of the Skalizo Sea. If they dare show their serpent heads, you can be sure we’ll be there to lop them off. Afterall, the Tavern Guard has grown a bit since the last time.

This recipe here is inspired by our little gryphon’s love for chocolate and the egg he came from. This soft, cake-like bun with a crackled chocolate crust makes a lovely traveler’s snack.

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Koko B u n s

Ingredients: (Vegetarian) Makes 10-12 Koko Buns

• 1 cup (230 grams) butter, melted

• 1 cup (250 mL) warm milk

• 1 large egg

• 2 tsp. (6 grams) active dry yeast

• 3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose flour

• ½ cup (100 grams) packed brown sugar

• 1 Tbs. (14 grams) Harvest Spice

• Pinch of salt

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) vanilla extract

Preparation:

1. In a small mixing bowl, add melted butter and warm milk and stir.

2. Add active dry yeast and cover. Let sit for 10 minutes.

3. After 10 minutes, mix in egg, salt, vanilla extract, brown sugar, and Harvest Spice. Gently fold flour into the wet mixture in ½

cup increments.

4. When well combined, cover and let proof for an hour. While dough is proofing, prepare the chocolate crust for the buns.

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Koko B u n’ s Cr u s t

Ingredients:

• ½ cup (63 grams) rice flour

• ½ tsp. (1.5 grams) active dry yeast

• 2 Tbs. (28 grams) sweetened cocoa powder

• 2 Tbs. (28 grams) white sugar

• Pinch of salt

• ½ Tbs. (8 mL) vegetable oil

• ⅓ cup (80 mL) water

Preparation:

1. In a small mixing bowl, add all the ingredients for the Crust and mix well. This will be like a semi-runny paste that’s poured over the Koko Bun dough. Set it aside.

2. Preheat oven to 400˚F/205˚C.

3. Roll out the proofed Koko Bun dough into small balls.

4. Scoop about 1 Tbs. of Koko Bun Crust paste over the dough balls.

5. Bake for 20 minutes.

6. Serve on its own or with Whipped Copper Butter.

Also pairs quite well with a cup of hot chocolate.

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I ro n B rea d

A dventurers come in many shapes, colors, and sizes. One of my favorite things is seeing what combination of them will walk through the Tavern doors, and what sort of adventuring party they’re a part of.

Whether a seasoned party or a lone veteran, all have something in common: They were each, at one time or another, a naive adventurer about to head out on their first quest.

Many green-horn parties meet here at The Lucky Gryphon before setting out on daring escapades. Some meet here for the first time, and others reunite for a common goal. Still, they’re almost always filled with excitement and the possibility of glory.

Now, it doesn’t always happen, but when it does, the occasional adventuring party asks Minthie or me for first-time tips and tricks. When asked, we try our best to send these adventurers off as prepared as they can be from the start.

Minthie provides them with minor protection pearls she fished from the Underground. I give them two health potions each, and a small LITE BITES

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notebook filled with travel-friendly recipes that can be made with just a handful of ingredients. The book also has notes on what foods can be foraged and what things are poisonous, how to make camp, how to iden-tify common monsters, and how to tame or conquer them.

The Iron Bread recipe is included in this book because it’s not only super simple to make, but delicious enough to be served alongside many of our meals. There’s something incredibly grounding about bread. Making your own from scratch can have such a freeing effect on an adventurer, because they now possess the knowledge to always make food if needed.

Ingredients: (Vegetarian) Makes 6-8 servings

• 1 ½ cups (190 grams) flour

• 1 cup (245 grams) plain yogurt Can be Greek or dairy free.

• 2 tsp. (10 grams) baking powder

• Pinch of salt

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) vegetable oil for frying I recommend adding 1 tsp. Witch’s

Closet and 1 tsp. garlic powder.

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Preparation:

1. In a mixing bowl, add all ingredients but the vegetable oil and combine until a dough forms.

If the dough is too wet, add more flour a tablespoon at a time as necessary.

2. Divide dough in 6 to 8 equal portions. Roll each segment flat with a rolling pin, creating round flatbread portions.

3. Add vegetable oil to a frying pan and heat up at medium-high heat.

4. Fry Iron Bread for a few minutes on each side until lightly browned spots appear.

5. Serve warm as a dipping bread or stuff with filling of your choosing to make a hearty meal.

Goes wel with

King’s Mul igan Stew,

Druid Jack, and Gulo.

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Co ppe r B i tes

H ave you ever looked at a mountain or hill and wondered what could be inside of it? Did you ever consider that there could be an inside, that these giant formations weren’t just solid rock?

Sometimes there are entire worlds hidden inside these peaks, worlds that you will never be able to see. You’ll only hear of these places through the grapevine. I learned about the knockers through a dwarf, who knew a gnome, who knew a leprechaun’s cousin, whose mother was a knocker.

I think her name was Jo, but I’m not sure if that was short for something like Josephine, Joanne, or something else entirely.

What I do know is that the faerie woman saved many lives.

Apparently, there was once miners working in the mountains she and her kind occupied. The miners were there looking for veins rich in copper.

But because of the tunneling system the knockers had built, the walls the miners were burying their picks into, had grown thin. This caused only 206

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some small showers of shale at first, but the further the miners made their way through, the more dangerous the mountain became.

It was said that out of concern for her own family and for the miners, Jo began to knock. The miners could hear her fist pounding through the rock in warning when they started getting too close to the point of collapse. Grateful, the miners left some pastry and pretzels they had packed with them for lunch to thank the knocker.

Supposedly, Jo didn’t mind the miners. She knew they were doing their jobs looking for copper to sell to feed their families. The faeries had no use for the metal, so the miners were really doing no harm besides reducing too much rock.

So, Jo followed the miners around through her tunnels, knock-ing when needed to keep everyone safe, and the miners always left her something in return.

I heard from the dwarf, who knew a gnome, who knew a leprechaun’s cousin, whose mother was a knocker, that Jo’s favorite gift was the nugget-like pretzels. Thus, Copper Bites were born. The Tavern’s many spice mixes make tasty toppings, as does the Copper Butter. That is if you’re feeling bold.

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Ingredients: (Vegetarian) 6-8 servings

• 1 ½ cups (375 mL) warm water

• 1 Tbs. (12 grams) packed brown sugar

• 2 tsp. (8 grams) salt

• 2 tsp. (7 grams) active dry yeast

• 4 Tbs. (60 mL) unsalted butter, melted

• 4 cups (500 grams) flour

• ¼ cup (68 grams) baking soda

Preparation:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together water, melted butter, and brown sugar.

2. Sprinkle active dry yeast over top, then let sit for about 5-10

minutes to let the yeast activate.

3. Add salt and flour one cup at a time to the mixture, mixing with your hands until a rough dough forms. Knead the dough inside the bowl until it pulls away from the sides.

Add flour as needed if the dough is too watery.

4. Remove dough from the bowl and knead on a floured surface for an additional 5 minutes, or until it comes together to form a ball.

5. Lightly oil the mixing bowl used prior, then place the dough back inside and cover with a dishtowel. Let it sit in a warm and dry space for an hour to double in size.

6. Preheat oven to 425˚F/219˚C.

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7. After it rises, divide dough into 4 equal parts. Roll the dough into long ropes, then cut into bite-sized pieces.

8. Add baking soda to about 2 cups of hot water. Whisk until it dissolves.

9. Soak the dough pieces in the baking soda water for a few seconds then place on a lined or greased baking tray.

10. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden/copper brown.

11. Season warm Copper Bites with salt to taste then serve.

Simple Variants:

• Coat bites in melted Monster Butter and season with Witch’s Closet

• Brush with melted, unsalted butter. Roll in Regal Sugar or brown sugar and cinnamon.

• Brush with butter, then sprinkle with salt and a little Harvest Spice. Serve with Whipped Copper Butter.

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G i l d ed Ro l l s

T he Feast of the New Moon is a special celebration that rings in the new year. Going into any town, city, or village during this time, you’ll be sure to find everything swathed in shades of rich red and gold. The Feast is a time for family, friends, fortuity, and prosperity. Everyone celebrates the things they accomplished that year and let’s go of the things that hurt them before the New Moon rises. They even plan on how they wish to bring themselves and their loved ones goodness the following year.

During the Feast you’ll find meals in every house that have been steeped with good intentions from these plans. Some of the meals are family favorites, and others are traditional foods known to bring just the luck everyone is searching for.

One such food is Gilded Rolls. This dish is comprised of cabbage, carrot, and meat stuffed inside a crispy wrapping, and it is typically served alongside a dipping sauce to represent 210

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good health. On the New Moon table, you’ll find the rolls nestled alongside oranges for success and other golden-hued foods for felicity.

The visage of such togetherness and sharing love for one another over the table with full, warm bellies is beautiful. All I’ve wanted to do is share with my community and provide those who enter The Lucky Gryphon a place to call home. If only for a little while.

Ingredients: (Dairy-free) 4 servings

• ½ cup (80 grams) white onion, peeled and chopped

• ½ cup (50 grams) celery, cleaned and diced

• ½ cup (75 grams) carrot, peeled and shredded

• 1 cup (90 grams) green cabbage, shredded

• 1 pound (450 grams) ground chicken, beef, or pork Can be omit ed for a vegan friendly version.

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• 1 tsp. (4 grams) Phoenix Powder

• 1 tsp. (4 gram) salt

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) pepper

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) soy sauce

• 1 tsp. (5 mL) sesame oil

• Canola oil or vegetable oil for frying

• Spring roll wrappers

Preparation:

1. Cook chopped cabbage in boiling water for about 5 minutes.

Drain and set aside.

2. In a frying pan, add about 1 Tbs. of oil, and once it’s heated to medium-high heat, add onions and celery.

3. Sauté for about 5 minutes.

4. In a large bowl, combine the cooked veggies, shredded carrot, ground meat, and drained cabbage.

5. Season with salt, pepper, and seasonings of choice.

We like ours with fresh garlic and ginger.

6. Stir in soy sauce and sesame oil.

7. Assemble your rolls by laying out the spring roll wrapper with a corner pointing away from you.

8. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling into the center of the wrapper.

9. Fold the bottom corner of the wrapper up over the filling, then fold the left and right sides in toward the center.

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10. Roll the wrapper up the rest of the way, using a little water along the edges to help seal it.

11. Heat up about an inch of oil in a frying pan to medium-high heat.

12. Fry rolls for about 3 minutes on each side.

Be careful not to overcrowd the pan.

13. Remove when Gilded Rolls are golden brown and let drain on paper towels or on a wire rack.

Uh-Oh Sauce, Pink Stuff, or Sweet Dragon Sauce.

14. Serve hot with dipping sauce of choice.

15. Note: Instead of frying, you can also bake these rolls in the oven preheated to 475˚F/245˚C. Brush a small amount of oil on the rolls, then place them on a wire rack, seam-side down. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Flip, then bake for another 5-10 minutes or until golden brown.

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G o bl i n B rea d

T he Gobbles—Hallinta, Hina, and Hassar—are trouble. Sure, they can be hard workers when they’re in the midst of their metalworking and blacksmithing, repairing adventurers’ weapons, and inventing their own. Though, make no mistake, their process is chaotic. The small goblins must work together to use their tools and complete one project instead of each doing their own repair.

Hallinta must jump on top of the large bellows with all her tiny body weight to aerate the forge. At the same time, Hina feeds the iron beast coal by lobbing one piece at a time into the flames. All the while, Hassar bangs on whatever is lying atop the anvil that day. Despite his size, he uses a human-sized hammer that’s almost too big for him to lift.

Whenever the three mischievous siblings aren’t working, they’re walking around in a trench coat. Not three goblin-sized trench coats, oh 214

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no, the triplets share one singular coat. The ratty beige thing once belonged to a tall human man, but they stole it off the

back of his chair when he was din-

ing at the Tavern one night. Ever

since, Hassar has been the legs

while Hina stood on top of his

shoulders. This left Hallinta to

crown the pair and poke her head

from the collar to do the talking.

They often pretend to be one tall adult

being, and I truly think they believe they’re getting away with the ruse.

So, The Lucky Gryphon staff just sort of goes along with it, chatting to Hallinta with her fake lowered voice and ignoring the giggles coming from her “belly and feet.”

Once, they ordered something from the kitchen that we used to call Monkey Bread, a pull-apart ring of bread balls cooked together and squished in one circular pan. However, Hina and Hassar couldn’t help themselves when Stubby put the garlic-smothered ring in front of them.

Their little green hands poked from between the coat buttons to tear off their own hunk of bread and feast.

If anyone besides me saw this, they didn’t comment on it. But the dish’s name was forever changed to Goblin Bread for its temptation and ability to bring people together. This snack allows gobblers to tear into it with their hands like a bunch of grubby goblins in a trench coat.

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Our best disguise EVER!

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G o bl i n B rea d D o u g h

Ingredients: (Vegetarian) 8 servings

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) unsalted butter, melted

• 1 cup (250 mL) warm milk

• ½ cup (125 mL) warm water

• ¼ cup (50 grams) white sugar

• 2 tsp. (7 grams) active dry yeast

• 3 cups (375 grams) flour

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) salt

Preparation:

1. In a small bowl mix together butter, milk, water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit for about 10 minutes to let yeast activate.

2. In a large mixing bowl add flour and salt, whisk to combine.

3. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix. Knead until a smooth ball forms.

Add flour as needed if the dough is too watery.

Dough should be sticky but not too wet.

4. Lightly coat a large bowl with oil and place the dough ball inside.

Roll the dough around the bowl to coat all sides with oil. Cover bowl with a dishtowel and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours.

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5. After rising for 2 hours, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into bite-sized pieces and roll into balls.

Set aside.

6. Coat a large Bundt pan with melted butter or oil. Fill the pan half full with the dough balls.

7. Pour half of the garlic butter mixture over the dough balls, before filling the rest of the pan up with the remaining dough balls. Then, pour the remaining garlic butter mixture over the top.

8. Cover and let dough rise a second time for about 1 hour. In the last 15 minutes, preheat oven to 350˚F/177˚C.

9. Uncover pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through and golden brown on the top.

10. Allow to cool until you can handle the pan safely. Then, flip the Bundt pan over onto a large plate and lift, leaving the ring of Goblin Bread.

Garlic Butter Ingredients:

• 1 stick of butter, melted (and extra to coat a Bundt pan)

• 1 Tbs. (14 grams) garlic, minced

• 3 Tbs. (6 grams) Witch’s Closet

• ½ cup (50 grams) Parmesan cheese, shredded Garlic Butter Preparation:

1. In a mixing bowl add melted butter, minced garlic, Witch’s Closet, and Parmesan cheese. Mix well.

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S wee t G o bl i n B rea d

For a dessert version of Goblin Bread, mix the ingredients below into a bowl and then use this mixture instead of the garlic butter.

• 1 stick of butter, melted

• 1 cup (200 grams) brown sugar

• 1 cup (200 grams) white sugar

• 2 Tbs. (18 grams) Harvest Spice

Q u i ck G o bl i n B rea d

• For a quicker recipe that doesn’t require you to make the dough from scratch, use four 7.5-ounce cans of premade biscuit dough.

• Cut the dough into bit sized pieces and roll into balls and then continue the recipe as written from Step 3, omitting the rise at Step 5.

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Kel p i e D i p

I f you’re as unlucky as Minthie and you have come across a kelpie and lived to tell the tale, you’ll know exactly why I’ve named this dish as I have.

The aquatic spirits haunt many of the Underground’s rivers, either hunting for victims to fall into their traps or just generally causing trouble.

Reader beware, kelpies will offer you a ride upon their bony backs, leading you to the lapping shores of the Styx under the guise of an adventure. But once you mount the spirit, there is usually no going back.

Eerily similar to the spinach in this recipe, the kelpies are cloaked in sheets of green and will tangle you in the slithering plants that reach for you from the depths of the river. Likewise, this dip will wrap around your tastebuds. It’ll drag you into the skillet it’s served in until the whole thing is gone, leaving you yearning for one more flavorful ride.

Don’t be fooled by the name, though. This dish is perfectly safe to consume…as long as you don’t listen too closely to its whispery temptations.

Evil water horse. 10/10 don’t

recommend.

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Ingredients: (Vegetarian) 4 servings

• 1 14-oz. can (400 grams) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped About 1 to 1 1/2 cups.

• 10 oz. (280 grams) fresh spinach, roughly chopped

• ½ Tbs (7 mL) vegetable or canola oil to coat a pan

• 1 Tbs. (10 grams) garlic, minced

• 8 oz. (230 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature

• ½ cup (115 grams) mayonnaise

• ½ cup (115 grams) sour cream

• ½ cup (45 grams) mozzarella cheese

• ½ cup (45 grams) Swiss cheese

• 1 cup (90 grams) Parmesan cheese

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) salt

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) pepper

• 2 tsp. (6 grams) Witch’s Closet

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F/177˚C.

2. In a pan with ½ Tbs of cooking oil, cook chopped spinach on medium-high heat until it shrinks down. Remove from pan and drain excess liquid.

3. In a medium sized baking dish, add all ingredients together and mix well.

4. Top the dip mixture in the baking dish with more cheese of choice, then bake for 35-45 minutes or until the dip achieves a golden crust.

5. Serve with bread or chips.

Iron Bread is very tasty with this.

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S t u bb y’ s Po ck e t Po t P i e

I f you’ve visited the Tavern before, you might have met Stubby or seen him bustling around the kitchen with Misty. If not, don’t let the nick-name fool you. Stubby is not a small man, but rather a towering orc that’s as wide as he is tall.

Usually, you’ll catch Stubby with a larger-than-normal cleaver in hand, butchering meat from the market and chopping vegetables from the greenhouse. An esteemed graduate from the Hallowmaw Brainery, a culinary institute on the other side of the Crossroads, Stubby is much more than meets the eye. He has a mind for all sorts of delicious inventions, which shows itself when he gets an itch to do something new with an old recipe. That’s how this tiny dish from the large man came to be.

His mini chicken pot pie creations were coming to fruition when a fight broke out in the Tavern. The brawl was nasty. Punches were thrown, hair was tugged, and many people received black eyes. I believe there might have been a missing tooth or two, but it all came to a wary halt when 222

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Stubby lumbered out of the kitchen. The sound of steam that released from the pistons running through his prosthetic right leg made a few newcomers at the bar cower in fear.

You must understand that the hulking orc appears menacing to the ones who don’t know him. Most people that day thought he was entering the fray to knock some heads together, but instead he started forcing people back into their seats with a heavy hand on their shoulders. The once-fighting patrons sat there stunned as he dropped these muffin-sized savory pies into their hands.

One imp was bold enough to protest and attempted to rise from his seat. Stubby, in turn, shoved the fiend’s face into the flaky snack mouth first, rendering the imp silent.

No one made a peep the rest of the night unless it was to ask for another mini pie.

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Ingredients:

• 2 cups (300 grams) mixed frozen vegetables

• 1 cup (150 grams) chopped chicken, cooked

• 1 10.5 oz. can (300 grams) cream of chicken soup Canned or Cream of Chicken recipe from Fluf n’ Poco.

• Dough from the Pieflings recipe

For a simple and quick version, use 1 can of biscuit dough.

• Salt and pepper to taste

Add some Witch’s Closet for more flavor.

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F/177˚C.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add cooked chopped chicken, cream of chicken soup, and vegetables. Mix to combine.

3. Roll out each biscuit and place one in each cup of a greased muffin tin tray.

4. Spoon about 2 Tbs of the pot pie filling into each muffin tin cup.

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

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Ta te r Tu b s

M ost, if not all, of our potatoes come from the dwarves. My contact Tobias grows a farm full of them. Because he never lets me pay for the lofty supply that feeds the Tavern for months, we trade products and services. Whenever Tobias rolls into town with his wagon full of spuds, he receives free room and board, as well as a bottomless supply of his signature meal: Tater Tubs.

Tobias has a thick drawl, an accent full of long vowels and shortened words. It’s always a pleasure talking to the dwarf because he doesn’t mince words, yet his pace is relaxed,

giving the impression that he’s

enjoying every moment of life.

And the only thing that makes

him happier than the potatoes

he grows themselves, is what

my kitchen can do with them.

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Our Tater Tubs are twice-baked creations. The starchy guts are lovingly scooped, and the bathtub-shaped skins are baked to a crisp. The potato mixture that goes back into its skin vessel is creamy and indulgent, full of flavor, and topped with cheese before being placed and baked in the oven to broil. Tobias can’t get enough of them, but I promise that you won’t be able to stop eating them, either.

Ingredients: 4 servings

• 4 medium-sized russet potatoes

• ¼ cup (40 grams) onion, chopped

White or yellow onions will do.

• 1 cup (90 grams) cheddar cheese, shredded

• 8 strips of bacon

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) Monster Butter

• Sour cream for topping For garnish.

• Green onions, chopped

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Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F/205˚C.

2. Wash potatoes and poke holes all over them with a fork 3. Bake for an hour.

4. In a frying pan cook your bacon on medium high heat until crispy, then remove and let drain on paper towels or on a wire rack. Crumble when cooled.

5. After baking, carefully cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out most of the center.

6. In a mixing bowl combine the potato guts, bacon, onions, and Monster Butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

7. Divide the mixture back into the hollowed potato skins.

8. Top with cheese then bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and slightly browned.

9. Top with a dollop of sour cream and green onions. Serve hot.

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H yd ra Fa n g s

I f you know anything about hydras, it’s probably that they’re nasty beasts. The seven-headed, dragon-like monsters have wiped out entire parties full of the best and fiercest warriors. The Dragon Synod has tried to tame the hydra, so has the Phoenix Ménage, Kitsune Conclave, and Gryphon Watch. And all have failed.

However, if you climb the northernmost mountains of the Crossroads into gladiator territory, where the minotaur and gorgon people come from, you’ll encounter something extraordinary. It requires a little searching, though. First, you must find the village. It’s half-hidden under an overhang in the mountain that stretches far into the caves where most of the community lives. There you will find a slew of vendors and peddlers selling their wares.

Many of the things you’ll see will be tempting, but I urge you not to buy them. Not until you find what you’re searching for. This stall is LITE BITES

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never in the same place, but you’ll have the most luck in the middle of the fray. Search past the smoke of skewer-grilled meats. Go beyond the folks who tug at your clothes to get your attention while they yell their prices at you in an ancient language.

You will be rewarded once you make it through. Keep your eye out for a very plain stall; it won’t have bright, eye-catching fabrics draped over the surface like a tablecloth or as a drooping tent. You’ll know you have the right place when you find a slight girl standing on the other side of the stall, her third eye blinking at you. Address her by Malea, and she will reach under her table and pull out a tray of one of the most elusive treasures you can find: hydra fangs.

Though they have a mouth full of these sharp incisors, the beasts are nearly impossible to kill, and their teeth even harder to retrieve. All adventurers before have failed—that was until Malea, of course. The girl is part cyclops. Likely only a quarter if the extra eye in the middle of her forehead is anything to go by. But don’t be fooled by her young, unassuming face. She is the only hydra tamer who has ever lived.

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You can either buy a precious tooth from her at an understandably extraordinary cost, or she can tell you her story. But you can only pick one.

You cannot walk away with both a piece of a hydra and the knowledge of how to fell one.

I think you can guess which option I chose, considering the only hydra fangs in the Tavern are made of peppers.

Ingredients: 6-8 servings

• 12 jalapeños

• 8 oz. (230 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature

• 1 Tbs. (8 grams) garlic, minced

• Salt and pepper

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) Phoenix Powder

• ¼ cup (13 grams) white onions, chopped

• 1 cup (110 grams) cheddar cheese, shredded

• 6 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped ADD 1 TBS. UH-OH SAUCE!

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400˚F/205˚C

2. Slice your jalapeños in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds, but save them for the filling.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, jalapenos seeds, garlic, Phoenix Powder, onions, cheese, and bacon. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Spoon mixture into the hollow jalapeños.

5. Bake for 20 minutes, or until topping achieves a golden color.

Serve hot.

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Fa e ri e Ch o w

I f you’re down on your luck, then this recipe is for you.

There was a time when I was very unlucky. There were symbols of my misfortune everywhere. A broken mirror here, a leaning ladder there, an umbrella opened indoors, and the number thirteen everywhere I looked. Thirteen eggs in my Night Market delivery, thirteen guests in a party, thirteen crows roosting in the rafters, and so on.

First, Misty got sick, and Stubby was indisposed, leaving Jaymee and me in the kitchen. I burned my hand on the oven at least four times in a day, and promptly dropped a whole platter of food before it could make it to a table. Jaymee spilled a whole grain bag of salt over the kitchen floor, so I had Jasper and MIKA on damage control. This led someone to throwing a chair before I could stop them. Minthie got locked in The Back after the doorknob snapped off in her hand. Corvid nearly got mauled by a man-eating plant in the greenhouse. Lyric and Lazuli were who-knows-where with Koko. And King Bippy was surely no help.

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Everything that could possibly have gone wrong did.

That was until a certain faerie took pity on us. Chan-Rose came from a clan of the fae that was spreading their trickery far and wide. Some of their magic had even gotten into the Tavern’s water system.

But this faerie had more of a soft spot for us than her clan did.

So, Miss Rose came into the Tavern with a bit of faerie luck bundled up in a tin for us all to share.

When I popped open the container, I could feel the vibrant good fortune waft over me. It was scented with key limes and tasted sweet with a bit of a magic zing. Chan-Rose soon left us with a wave and a “ciao,”

leaving the Tavern staff to eat a handful of her gift.

Luckily, things around the Tavern returned to normal with a touch of extra flare. Business was booming, all hands were on deck, and everyone was well, and whole, and safe. Prosperity flowed through us like a foun-tain, and now I share the same wealth with you using this Faerie Chow.

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Ingredients: (Vegetarian) 10 servings

• 8 cups (376 grams) rice Chex cereal

• 2 cups (340 grams) white chocolate chips

• 1 packet (112 grams) lime-flavored gelatin dessert mix

• 2 cups (240 grams) powdered sugar

• 1 tsp (4 grams) luster dust/edible glitter Optional.

Preparation:

1. Pour cereal in a large bowl. Set aside for later steps.

2. In a separate bowl whisk together the dry lime gelatin, powdered sugar, and luster dust until a green sugary powder forms. Set aside.

3. Make a double boiler by placing a glass mixing bowl over a pot with about 2 inches of simmering water.

4. Add the white chocolate to the glass bowl, stirring gently and letting the heat from the water melt them together. Be sure to keep the heat low.

5. Take the chocolate from the stove and pour over the Chex in the large bowl. Make sure to coat the cereal as thoroughly as you can.

6. Toss the chocolate-covered Chex in the green sugar mix from step 1. Let the Chow cool.

7. Enjoy.

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I’m off to the Underground again. I think this surge in heart issues is because of the unbalance of enchantments and mana inked within my tattoos. There’s something missing that’s throwing the equilibrium off.

The ravens on my chest are running warmer than usual, which leads me to believe that the stupid curse is trying to stop my heart again. It’s already taken over my autonomic system. I refuse to let it do any further damage and keep me from the water.

There’s an idea I’ve been toying with for a new healing spell, but I need to consult with Euryale first and see what she thinks before she inscribes more mana into my body. I have a theory that if this certain spell infuses itself into the vessels in my legs, it’ll flow through the blood up to my heart and even out the magic so that it’s not all sitting in my upper body. I think I’ll have to start the adventure of covering the rest of my body in tattoos soon, starting with my legs. I’m unsure if the art will bleed onto my tail or only show on my legs, but I guess we’ll see.

You told me once how mana potions made you feel, how they buzzed through your body and made your magic stronger. You’d then asked me if these healing/power-dampening tattoos hurt me as I go about my day, and I told you no. Well…I lied. Don’t get fussy about it. You’ve gotten slower in your old age and missed my fib. You should know as well as I, that I’m no stranger to constant pain.

But I realized something recently. When I lay on Euryale’s table with my wheelchair nowhere to be seen, and the gorgon dips her gilded needle into my skin, I feel like my old self again. I become the version of me that you first met. The me that walked on two legs and wielded a scythe—the version of me that felt unstoppable.

I know we never really talk about the time the curse took over my body and rendered me disabled all those years ago. I’ve found it hard to look at you sometimes, knowing that after my stupid mistake, you pulled my limp body from the Styx and dragged me through The Maze until we reached Topside. I suppose I’m embarrassed. But, mostly I’m sorry that you had to find me that way. I’m sure it wasn’t an easy experience for you either.

I’m still a little angry that you took me to my father, by the way.

After he died, it was just us and the bots. Although, even when we only had each other for company, we were still too proud to talk about feelings, weren’t we? Maybe that’s why it’s so easy to write about them now that I’m not there to see your reaction as you read this.

Basically, this is all to say thank you, my friend. You’ve given me purpose after I lost myself. Not to mention, you have been my greatest supporter and most annoying business partner/co-Guardian these last five hundred years or so. Thank goodness you keep things interesting.

Eventually, it would’ve driven me crazy to keep both halves of the key to The Maze myself. So thank you for being the other side of my coin and the other Guard to The Gate.

P.S. I put that bottle of my protection pearls you were looking for in The Back. You’ll find it in the stacks, row four, on shelf twenty-one. It should be between the jar of mermaid tears and siren scales. That is, if the triplets haven’t managed to get a hold of them. Hassar was asking about the pearls earlier…

L I BAT I O N S

Q u i n c y’ s H o t Ch o co l a te

H olidays are my favorite times at The Lucky Gryphon. On the Feast of the New Moon, we celebrate with foods that represent good fortune, prosperity, and the coming year. For Harvest Day, we have a ban-quet and celebrate our blessings and companions. During Thinning Night, we remember our fallen allies and family as we commune with the past.

But my most treasured times are during Wintertide. The world outside is powdered with snow, and the chilly wind brings a season-long hibernation for creatures of the forest. However, we at The Lucky Gryphon celebrate in warmth and comfort.

Starting on the night of the Winter Solstice, we celebrate Wintertide for seven days and seven evenings. It’s a time of peace, good food, and even better company. The Lucky Gryphon hosts a grand feast every night of Wintertide that rolls well into the wee hours of the morning.

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there is also an endless buffet of food and drink, including Gingerbread Solstice Cake.

This weeklong event is beloved and anticipated by everyone in the Tavern. We do our best to invite as many people as possible through the doors to partake in a meal. And because of the holiday, not a soul is charged for anything.

I remember one night when a blizzard had ravaged the outside world. The wind blew snow so thick it was impossible to see past the stone lamps that clung to the building for dear life. But inside The Lucky Gryphon, the first night of Wintertide was in full swing.

Jaymee was zipping around serving drinks and meals. Misty was in the kitchen with Stubby and Lazuli, icing the cookies and pies. Triplets Hallinta, Hina, and Hassar were sitting at a table playing a game of Wolves, arguing with a bard and cleric about swapping cards. MIKA was in the corner, sitting next to his personal Bouncer table. Lyric played their heart out on stage, filling the room with beautiful violin music. Minthie was dancing with a pouncing Casket and Kane in the center of the Tavern floor, rolling her chair in circles to the music while Corvid—who was trying and failing to be subtle—kept throwing distant, longing looks at her. Jasper, one of my loyal automatons, was by my side at the bar, pouring drinks and telling stories.

It was a perfect evening.

My attention was immediately caught by the front doors suddenly opening. I wasn’t expecting anyone to be out traveling in this weather, but I was even more shocked when a small child quickly shut the doors behind him. Snow fell off his shivering frame as he pulled a hood from over his face before running toward the fireplace on the other side of the room. Several patrons noticed this young one’s abrupt entrance, but they quickly returned to their celebration.

I pointed the child out to Jasper, who nodded knowingly before walking back into the kitchen.

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Jaymee, being the proper waiterbot he is, zoomed right over to the young boy and asked if he needed anything. The boy just shook his head.

His eyes found mine across the room, and he quickly turned back to the fireplace. The snow melted off his shaking body into a puddle around his chair.

Jasper then returned from the kitchen with a bowl of the Special and had Jaymee take it to the boy. To my surprise, the boy shook his head at the food and returned to staring at the fire. Jaymee told me he could tell the child was hungry but that he said to the automaton that he didn’t have any money and didn’t take charity.

I thought for a moment before whispering something to Jaymee, who zoomed off to the corner of the Tavern and whispered my orders to MIKA. In moments, the large automaton walked over to the huddled boy, picked him up, and dropped him in a seat at the bar. All the while, the child squawked and kicked in surprise.

Crossing the floor, I wished the young one a happy Wintertide and slid over a bowl of soup. He shook his head again and repeated what he had said to Jasper: He didn’t have any money and didn’t take charity. I replied that it was free and no one in the room had to pay. To this, I remember him grumbling something along the lines of, “Well, then everyone here is a leech. I ain’t no leech.”

Jasper and I exchanged a look before I had an idea and pulled out a bag of drink tokens. The valueless trinkets were just wooden chips patrons could exchange for a drink. We gave them out all year, especially on Wintertide, to game winners and such. I asked the boy if he would be interested in working for money. He nodded. I slid a nickel his way and asked his name. He said it was Juniper. Another nickel. I asked him if he was hungry. He nodded. I laid down another wooden token.

After he had a stack of about five or six coins, I thanked him and told him that we always pay our informants. I could see the slight hint of a smile at one corner of his mouth when he asked how much some soup 240

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would cost. I told him it’d be one wooden nickel, and he proudly slapped one down on the bar.

Just as the boy was halfway through his second bowl of the Special, Jaymee came zipping out of the kitchen with a steaming tray carrying mugs of hot chocolate. I saw the lad’s eyes become the size of saucers as he watched the small automaton deliver cups throughout the Tavern. The smell of cocoa and cinnamon filled the air. The boy pointed and asked for one, laying down another wooden nickel. In return, I made him a special mug of hot chocolate right in front of him using this recipe.

I never saw the boy after that. He didn’t even stay the night; instead, he slipped out sometime before midnight. Now, I give out wooden nickels to every young one that comes through those doors. It’s always good for either a bowl of soup or a special mug of hot chocolate. Unsurprisingly, all guests young at heart choose the hot chocolate.

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Ingredients: (Vegetarian) 4 servings

• 4 cups (1000 mL) whole milk

• 1 cup (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips

• ½ cup (85 grams) white chocolate chips

• 2 tsp. (8 grams) Harvest Spice

• 1 ½ cups (450 grams) sweetened condensed milk

• Splash of vanilla extract

• Marshmallows for garnish

• Whipped cream for garnish

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan add milk and cook over a low heat.

2. Add sweetened condensed milk and both types of chocolate chips, stirring constantly to prevent burning.

3. Add vanilla and Harvest Spice.

4. Continuing to stir, cook until the chocolate melts completely and the mixture has thickened slightly. About 10-15 minutes.

5. Serve topped with marshmallows or whipped cream, as well as a dusting of Harvest Spice.

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A pple A le

H arvest Day at The Lucky Gryphon is sacred. Anyone who can join us is welcome, and there is always room for one more. Thanks to the magic that flows throughout the building, it can expand to become precisely what’s needed. I’m told there is a certain traveler with a blue box that is similarly grander in its interior.

When the sun is just about to set, and the sky is still painted with the warm colors of orange and pink, we begin our Harvest Day feast.

Every year the meal is a bit different, but there are always some staples we include for nostalgia that help make the dinner feel traditional. The Harvest Skillet is an entrée that frequently makes an appearance, alongside baked potatoes and carrots. And there is always cranberry sauce and LIBATIONS

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fresh honey knot rolls. But the one thing that would be an absolute crime to fail to include would be the Apple Ale.

There is just something about

the essence of apples mulled

with warm spices and served

either piping hot, or chilled

on ice. It sends comfort down

the spine and into one’s core,

while also reinvigorating the

mind to perceive all that there

is to be thankful for.

This drink is available year-round at the Tavern, but it is especially requested around Harvest Day. It could be the apples and spices, but I have a feeling that it’s also the wonderful tradition of enjoying these familiar flavors, and thinking back to moments when life moved more simply.

Ingredients: (Vegetarian, gluten-free) 8 servings

• 10 apples of choice, stemmed and cored, and cut into quarters Utilize a mix of your favorite apples.

• 1 orange, sliced

• ½ cup (50 grams) fresh or frozen cranberries

• 4 cinnamon sticks

• 2 whole star anise pods

• 1 cup (340 grams) honey or maple syrup

• 1 tsp. (4 grams) salt

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Preparation:

6. In a large pot or slow cooker, add all ingredients except for honey/maple syrup.

7. Fill with water until it barely just covers the fruit.

8. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 2 to 3 hours or until the apples are soft.

If using a slow cooker,

cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

9. Mash the apples and fruit using a spoon or potato masher.

Crush the apples as much as possible to release their juices.

10. Cook for another hour.

If in a slow cooker,

reduce to low and cook for another hour.

11. Using a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth, strain out the fruit pulp, skins, and spices, pressing as much juice out as you can.

12. Stir in honey or maple syrup.

13. Serve warm or chilled.

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M i n th i e’ s Cu rs e

W hen new patrons enter the Tavern and read over the menu for a hot drink to warm their travel-worn bellies, Minthie’s Curse usually catches their eye. Sure, it piques the curiosity, but it also fills the gut with a sense of foreboding.

A curse?

Will it turn you into a toad? Jinx you to speak only in riddles?

Could all your hair fall out? Or worse yet, make tufts appear over your entire body until nothing but your eyes shine through? Maybe you’ll sprout scales and a silvery tail like Minthie herself, swimming through the Underground’s water sources freely, but needing to use a wheelchair 246

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when you return to land? Or perhaps you’ll become a reversed Naiad, and instead of a fish-like tail, you’ll grow a fish-like head?

Many are too afraid to ask what this hot beverage could be, what it would do to the consumer, and why I would serve such a thing. But the brave few who inquire usually reap the caffeine-steeped reward—although the answer won’t come too easily.

It’s a running joke at The Lucky Gryphon to just smile and say,

“Ask Minthie.”

If you catch the blue-haired woman on a good day, her two-headed service beast will pull her up to your table, body covered in pain-absorbing tattoos, and give you a simple answer. However, if she hasn’t spent enough time alone in The Back or her Library that day, or Jaymee has already driven her up a wall, she might just give you a mischievous grin and whisper, “Mess around and find out.”

Then, she’ll disappear into a wheelchair-accessible passage behind one of the Tavern’s many paintings.

Either way, once you order the Curse, Misty will bring you a steaming chalice. And when you peer inside the vessel, looking past your own distorted reflection, you will find the darkest swirling depths. The blank-ness will be all-consuming, a gloom so bitter you might think you see the souls of the damned swimming inside.

But really, you’ll be looking at a cup of coffee. That’s it.

Seems a bit dramatic… I like it.

Preparation:

There is no recipe. It’s just a cup of cof ee.

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Pe ppe r Tea

S pice merchants drive some of the hardest bargains I have ever experienced. There was a time when orc raids and goblin attacks were on the rise. These terrible events cut off trade routes as many travelers were ambushed and robbed. This made the occupation of a traveling merchant that much more dangerous. And valuable.

Many would travel light, packing as much they could carry without bringing too much attention to themselves and selling it all at the first town they could. One day, one such merchant sprinted into The Lucky Gryphon, panting and sweating bullets. He flopped his exhausted body onto the bar and emptied the entire contents of his coat. There were several pouches of many different colored spices, a few jars of dried herbs, and some boxes containing whole cloves, star anise, and cinnamon.

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The merchant attempted to sell his wares, going on and on about how rare and fresh they were. Our conversation was interrupted when in stormed a band of mercenaries that tailed the merchant. He squealed and leaped behind the bar.

One thing led to another but to summarize: the Gobbles and the automatons were finally able to let loose and go a bit crazy. I’ve told them that it’s not honorable to start fights, but ending them quickly was. It wasn’t a very long scuffle. In fact, those mercenaries barely had time to get past the first threat before their faces were covered in Pieflings, hogtied to our inhouse catapult, and launched back outside over the tree line.

I remember the merchant emerging after the car-nage was over. I was half expecting him to give me the spices as a thank-you. Instead, he raised his price to triple the original because he claimed that, ‘we had the money if we could afford to have a giant catapult stored underneath the Tavern floor’.

I remember leaving him to Minthie. Two minutes later, she brought a lapful of spices back to the kitchen, saying they were suddenly free and the merchant left happy and intact. I doubt that he did, but hey, free spices.

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Ingredients: (Vegetarian, gluten-free) 2-4 servings

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 4 cardamom pods

• 4 whole cloves

• 4 black peppercorns

• 1 star anise pod

• 1 Tbs. (3 grams) black tea leaves Or 3 black tea bags.

• 3 Tbs. (36 grams) sugar

• ½ cup (125 mL) milk

• 2 cups (500 mL) water

Preparation:

1. In a medium saucepan add water and spices. Bring to a boil.

2. Add milk, sugar, and reduce heat to a simmer.

3. Add tea leaves and steep for 3-5 minutes.

4. Strain into cups and enjoy.

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H o t H o n e y Po t

H ave you ever heard of the Goblin Cough? It’s not a fun time.

Originating from goblins, it can be contagious and passed on to other creatures, giving them a horrible cough and stomach ailment.

Unfortunately, I was on the receiving end of this plague after the triplets all came down with the cough and were bedridden for the better half of a week. Minthie was away on one of her trips to the Underground, and I couldn’t risk Misty or Stubby getting sick because of their kitchen responsibilities. And to all but one very specific person—ahem, Minthie—

Corvid is about as nurturing as a hag. It was ultimately left to me to take care of the goblins.

After several long nights and a mountain of soup bowls, dry toast, and wet towels, the triplets returned to full health with renewed vigor and energy. I went to bed exhausted that last night and woke up even LIBATIONS

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worse. Minthie had just returned from her visit to the Underground and promptly told me that I “looked like the Grim Reaper’s grandma.”

I waved it off and went to drink a health potion, but that seemed to have no effect on the cough constantly assaulting the back of my throat.

Then, my head began to throb, and my stomach turned upside down.

Jasper and Minthie confined me to my room and ensured I remained in bed.

When the three healthy goblins paid me a visit, they looked at each other sadly and approached my bedside.

“Well. . it was nice knowin’ ya,” Hallinta whispered.

“Yeah, you’ll be dead by tomorrow,” Hina sighed.

“Can we have the Tavern?” Hassar said with a grin.

I narrowed my eyes at the three mischievous siblings as huge, toothy grins spread across their faces. They explained to me what the Goblin Cough was and told me that it would only last a little while.

The rascals also said that they knew of a recipe to help with the cough and stomachache.

When I asked why they didn’t tell me this when they were sick just days ago, they replied that they liked that I waited on them hand and foot.

They were willing to see how long the special treatment would last, but they got better sooner than they liked. I rolled my eyes, fighting another coughing fit. Then, I sent them to teach this recipe to Stubby and Misty and have someone bring a kettle of their concoction to me.

I waited for what seemed like hours when I heard a knock, and my door opened. Minthie rolled in, setting down a hot kettle of tea. I could smell the ginger and lemon wafting through the room, and my mouth started to salivate at the anticipation of having the hot liquid numb the irritation in my throat.

Kindly, Minthie poured me a steaming mug of Hot Honey Pot, as the goblins called it. The warm liquid did indeed burn through the phlegm and rejuvenate my body as it flowed through me. While I drank, Minthie 252

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felt my forehead with the back of her hand and listened to my greedy slurps with a small, close-lipped smile. As she fussed with straightening my blankets, I saw her taken on the motherly role I know she wanted so desperately wanted, but could never have. And almost as if she heard my thoughts, she thumped my leg and told me how dead I looked. It was then that I found myself seeing Minthie from a different perspective. I knew that my longest friend here lived with chronic pain and fatigue thanks to one fateful day all those centuries ago. What I was experiencing in that moment, albeit temporarily, was my whole body feeling weary and powerless. I felt utterly out of control with my situation, and I quickly gained a deeper respect for her.

I told her that I would never fully understand what she goes through, but that I will always do whatever it took to ease any burden she wanted help with carrying. We’ve been through a lot together, and it’s because of her that The Lucky Gryphon is what it is today. The Tavern and the Library are renowned throughout the Crossroads. Adventurers, nobles, and travelers of all types visit our home for rejuvenation, protection, and comfort. I couldn’t have done this without her, and I don’t wish to imagine a time that she’s not here.

The Hot Honey Pot isn’t really a magical remedy. Still, it certainly helped ease my aches while I recovered from the Goblin Cough. For the most part, I was back to my old self in a few days—but my appreciation and admiration for my dear Naiad friend was forever changed.

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Ingredients: (Vegetarian) 1 serving

• 1 Tbs. (3 grams) loose green tea leaves Or 3 green tea bags.

• 1 Tbs. (6 grams) ginger, minced

• 1 Tbs. (15 mL) fresh lemon juice

• 2 Tbs. (30 mL) honey

Preparation:

1. Steep tea leaves in 2-3 cups of simmering hot water for 5 minutes.

2. Remove leaves then add ginger, lemon juice, and honey. Stir to combine.

3. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

4. Serve through a strainer and enjoy.

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Th e Vi o le t B u t t e r f ly

B eing our Tavern librarian and resident introvert, Corvid doesn’t get out much. The Half-Harpy prefers the company of his books rather than strangers. But once the raven-esque man warms up to you, he’ll talk your ear off about any interesting information he might’ve absorbed from his reading.

Because of this and his general lack of timekeeping, Minthie is usually the one to bring him up his favorite drink when the work hours get long.

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and disappear behind a painting into one of her passages. Hours later, you’ll find her tucked away inside her Library out of her wheelchair and reading a book on the couch. If Corvid sits with her on the opposite end of the long seat, she’ll probably have her feet inching towards his lap. You’ll hear him complain about her putting her toes on his pressed slacks, but you’ll also see a slight smile on the corners of his mouth.

Likewise, you’ll find evidence of Corvid in The Back from all the dis-carded cups with dregs of purple pea flowers at the bottom. They’re usually left on any flat surface. Which there aren’t too many considering all the trinkets, artifacts, potions, documents, maps, and secret things you’ll find amongst the shelves, piles, and crates. It looks like a chaotic mess, but Minthie always knows where everything is. Including the empty cups she never seems to bring back to the kitchen. You can also tell Corvid has the hang of her filing system by the stray black feather or two you’ll find mixed in between the stacks of rare magic books.

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Ingredients: (Vegan, gluten-free) About 4 servings

• 2 Tbs. (6 grams) dried butterfly pea flowers

• 4 cups (1000 mL) boiling water

• ½ cup (125 mL) lemon juice

• 1 cup (200 grams) white sugar

• Optional: pomegranate seeds

• Optional: lemon slices

Preparation:

1. Steep butterfly pea flower in boiling water for 5 minutes.

2. Remove leaves then stir in sugar and lemon juice. Stir until dissolved completely.

3. Pour sweetened tea over a pitcher full of ice. Mix in pomegranate seeds and lemon slices.

4. We prefer it chilled, but it is also delicious hot.

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S o l a r Fl a re

T he Kaidrad are big fans of anything bright: volleys of flames, gaslit lamps, the bright beaming summer sun, fiery sunsets tinged with orange and gold. This is why our Solar Flare is such a hit with the fire nymphs. The drink is refreshing for them and sweet enough to ignite the blaze living inside their veins.

It will quench any parched throat, filling a person with the bright-ness of citrus fruits. And the multilayered flavors of this drink will keep you coasting on its uplifting properties all day long.

Just ask any Kaidrad you come across in the Tavern.

Their magic lights The Lucky Gryphon most nights, so I’m sure you’ll run into one somewhere.

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Ingredients: (Vegetarian, gluten-free) 1 serving

• 1 part orange juice

• 1 part pineapple juice

• 1 part grapefruit juice

• 1 part coconut milk

• Spoonful of maraschino cherries

Preparation:

1. Place a spoonful of maraschino cherries at the bottom of a tall glass, and then fill with ice.

2. Mix liquids together and then pour over ice. Garnish with a cherry on top.

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Ki pp y’ s G i n g e r M i n t

I f you’re a regular at the Tavern, you’ve probably met Kippy, a 2½ foot tall, catfolk covered in black fur. You’ve likely also encountered his Ginger Mint drink. It was a failed magic experiment, but the delicious concoction ended up making its way onto the menu. He was aiming for an elixir that would render its consumer all-powerful, but instead, he made a green-tinged drink topped with a cherry that does nothing but taste like a wonderful gingery lemonade with a kick of mint.

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Try as he might, poor Kippy is a perpetual sorcerer in training.

Because he doesn’t have control over his powers, the Tavern often finds itself on the receiving end of many a failed or accidental spell. It may be the oversized backpack he wears that throws him off balance, or perhaps it’s the ghosts that only he can see that trip him up. No one is ever sure.

One thing is clear, though: Kippy might have a screw or two loose.

When he’s not flipping through the spell book always in the crook of his arm, he is often talking to a pouch that he wears at his hip. I’ve asked him about it once, curious if an enchantment of his had gone wrong and he’d shrunken a companion beyond repair. I figured the friend could be living in the pouch until the cat could fix them, but I was wrong. Kippy reached into the pouch and produced a toe bean-sized puffball he named Rusty.

Now, I didn’t ask many questions afterward, but some of my other regulars have claimed that Rusty can transform into any animal of Kippy’s choosing. While I haven’t seen it with my own eyes, I tend to believe my patrons. Regardless, Kippy’s failed magical drink is a delightfully refreshing one.

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Ki p p y’ s G i n g e r M i n t S y r u p Ingredients: (Vegan, gluten-free)

• 4 cups (1000 mL) water

• 8-10 sprigs of mint, tied together

• 1 cup (200 grams) white sugar

• 2 cups (500 mL) lemon juice

• 2 Tbs. (12 grams) ground ginger

Preparation:

1. In a saucepan, stir sugar, lemon juice, and ground ginger together over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves completely. Allow mixture to cool and set aside.

2. Prepare a small bowl of cold water filled with ice cubes.

3. In another saucepan, boil about 4 cups of water. When it reaches a boil, blanch the mint sprigs for no longer than 15

seconds, then immediately plunge the mint into the ice cube bath. Let it sit in the ice for a minute.

4. Blend the blanched mint sprigs in a blender until smooth.

5. Strain the liquid into the lemon-ginger syrup and mix well.

6. Use this syrup in mixed drinks, teas, etc.

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Kippy’s Ginger Mint

Drink Ingredients:

• 8 oz (236 mL) ginger beer

• Maraschino cherries for garnish

• Fresh mint leaves for garnish

Kippy’s Ginger Mint

Drink Preparation: (vegan) 1 Serving

1. Add able a tablespoon or two of the Ginger Mint Syrup to the bottom of a tall glass.

2. Fill with ice and top with ginger beer.

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Q u i n c y’ s H ea l th Po t i o n

I t’s an unwritten rule that a Tavern should provide at least four things: food, drinks, a place to rest, and health potions.

The Lucky Gryphon is undoubtedly known for its menu and liba-tions. And our golden goose feather beds can lull even the biggest insomniacs to sleep within minutes. But did you know that our health potions are—if I may be so bold—just as spectacular?

It was a constantly evolving recipe—tested, brewed, reformulated, and remade more times than I dare to recall. This led to a vast collection of shelves upon shelves of these glistening scarlet elixirs. We have them stored in The Back, behind the bar, in the pantry, in Minthie’s Library, and on every bed like a pillow mint.

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We practically gave the stuff away. But it’s simply because we made so much. Now, I will say this, and each bottle is labeled as such: Results WILL vary.

Through experimentation and years and years of research, I discovered three things:

1. Health potions, like a spirit or wine, get stronger with age.

2. They all look the same. It’s almost impossible to tell a fresh batch from one that has been sitting on the shelf for too many years.

3. Health potions can lose their potency at any moment.

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I used to label and date each batch as I went. But somewhere along the line, it wasn’t kept up, and before I knew it, there were over a thousand unlabeled drink bottles on the shelves in The Back.

So, just to get rid of them all, I started giving them to every traveler that came through the Tavern doors. Each bottle came with a dis-claimer noting that the contents inside, “has the potential to revive the recently departed, regrow a freshly severed limb, or barely numb a headache.

Use with caution.”

Even though I’ve found a recipe I’m happy with, I can never guaran-tee when an adventurer will use it, or when the potion will lose its efficacy.

I can only hope that each bottle provides exactly what’s required when it’s used out on an adventure.

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Ingredients: (Vegetarian) 6-8 servings

• 1 tsp. (3 grams) ground ginger

• 2 mandarin oranges

• 1 cup (340 grams) honey or maple syrup

• ½ cup (100 grams) brown sugar, packed

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 star anise pods

• ½ tsp. (1 gram) whole cloves

• ½ tsp. (2 grams) whole black peppercorns

• ½ cup (50 grams) frozen or fresh cranberries

• 6 cups (1,500 mL) pure, unsweetened cranberry juice

• Sprigs of rosemary, for garnish

• Pinch of Luster Dust/edible glitter

Preparation:

1. In a large pot bring all ingredients except rosemary to a low simmer. About 10 minutes.

2. Filter out spices and fruit through a fine-mesh strainer.

3. Add luster dust and stir.

4. Serve warm or chilled, garnished with some cranberries and rosemary.

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M i n th i e’ s M a n a Po t i o n s

W hen most adventurers imagine mana potions, they picture a vial of a shimmering cobalt liquid that can restore the arcane energy of any magic user. But what if I told you that they also have another vital yet often unknown use: nullifying and dampening one’s arcane potential?

This I discovered early on after I first met Minthie.

Now, this is a history lesson, as I met Minthie before The Lucky Gryphon was even a concept, much less an actual tavern. It was when I was still an adventurer. My party had just vanquished this Archangel and Archdevil who were playing with people’s lives in some twisted game with cards that forced people to fight for their lives.

You know, the normal adventuring stuff.

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At this point in my life, I was ready to hang up the questing life. I desired to dedicate myself to helping others succeed and be victorious on their journeys. I wanted to supply adventurers with resources that had the potential to even help a fallen comrade return to life.

Even one loss is a tragedy. I am forever haunted by the too-frequent experience of seeing strangers becoming allies, then friends, and family—

only to suddenly have them taken from you in the blink of an eye.

So, I traveled alone. I was searching for a new home or purpose, whichever came first. That’s when I happened upon a tower that belonged to the once great Archmage, Ulysses Kier Lorcan. I had never heard of this Archmage before, but I was wary of anyone with “Arch” in their title after what I’d just gone through, so I passed on by.

That night in the next town over, I overheard a hushed conversation from a not-so-nice-looking party in the corner of a dark, seedy pub. They were plotting to destroy Lorcan Tower and pillage whatever vast store of wealth it held inside.

My curiosity was piqued, and I couldn’t sit by doing nothing when potentially innocent people were about to be hurt.

That night, I followed close behind this band of brigands, keeping to the shadows of the Worm Moon. I watched as more than a dozen burly individuals began to light explosives and throw them at the base of the Archmage’s tower. Unable to wait any longer, I dashed out from behind the cover of the night. But before I could get close enough, the most dramatic turn of events occurred.

The wooden door at the tower’s base was kicked open from within.

Dashing out was a cloaked figure as fast as lightning. They wielded a long, macabre scythe that glistened in the moonlight. The brigands were caught even more off guard than I was.

In an instant, the cloaked figure sliced through several of them before the surviving members regained their senses and attacked.

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I pulled out R.E.G.G.I.E., my gauntlet crossbow and fired bolts of arcane energy, hitting two in the chest and sending them tumbling back head over knees. I was now in the middle of the scuffle.

The fight lasted maybe half a minute before the remaining brigands decided to retreat with their heads still attached. I don’t remember how it happened, but when I looked down I saw the handle of a dagger protruding from my side. Blood was beginning to flow and the burning pain rose as my adrenaline began to subside. I remember pressing a hand to the dagger wound when the cloaked figure walked up and pulled back their hood. It was Minthie, with her sapphire-blue hair, pale skin, and grey eyes that reflected like clouds after a thunderstorm. Her first words to me were, “You’re slow.” To which I replied with teeth gritting in torment,

“You’re welcome.”

My so-called slowness allowed her to take out the bulk of brigands without a hitch.

Behind her, I saw a tall figure emerge from the tower. It was the Archmage, dressed in his nightgown with his long, white beard twisted in curlers. He brought me inside and healed my wounds with divine magic.

Minthie didn’t even stay to see whether I was okay before heading down some darkened hallway. I heard a door open and then slam, followed by footsteps fading down what sounded like a set of stairs.

Long story short, my wound was infected because of a poison in that dagger. The Archmage cared for me until I was well again. I learned many things

from that old wizard—too many

things to list here now—including

all about The Maze, also called

the Underground. I learned that

this old man was a Guardian of

The Maze, a position his daughter,

Minthie, also shared.

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After my wound healed, I chose to stay long enough to repay Lorcan’s kindness. I went on a few smaller adventures, and Minthie even joined me on some of them when I needed the extra pair of legs. We eventually became distant comrades of sorts through this.

Fast forward to that horrible day, years later, when I went to pay a visit to Lorcan’s Tower. To my dismay, I found that the door to the Underground was left open, and the Archmage was nowhere to be found. I called out for Minthie and Lorcan, but received no answer. I descended the stairs to the Underground for the first time, a feeling of dread building within me.

I traveled around twisting corners and past damp cave walls until I heard one of the most horrible sounds of my life: the moaning death-rat-tle of someone about to die alone. Running toward the sound, I found a silver-tailed Minthie at the edge of a dark expanse of water. She was lying half-conscious, gasping in quick, sharp breaths. Without a second thought to my safety, I carried her through a monster-filled Maze back to the tower.

She was as light as a child and as cold as the night during Winter Solstice.

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Lorcan returned from wherever he was shortly after that, and we discovered several mysterious rings on Minthie’s fingers. Lorcan learned that these were cursed rings that attached themselves like parasites to their wearer. I asked if we could try to remove them somehow, even if we had to amputate all her fingers, but Lorcan quickly shot down the idea.

He explained that if the rings felt they were being removed, they would instantly kill their host. I’d wondered what kind of dark magic would even want to make such a thing. Then, I learned that evil lords and liches would imbue great power into artifacts like this that could pump even more power into its wearer. They were amplifying rings, in a way.

Although they gave great power, rings of this sort were also extremely deadly. They could never be removed with the host alive. In time, they would sink into the skin and become a part of the flesh. Like tattoos of pure arcane power.

I only left the tower to get food and supplies as needed while Lorcan tended to his daughter. The rings siphoned a lot of her essence, and she never recovered. Her body and how it moved and functioned would never be the same. So, Lorcan and I fashioned her a wheelchair that was light, strong, and comfortable. I remember seeing the deep sadness on her face when she first saw it. She was overwhelmed with angry, embarrassed tears when she first sat in it.

Nights were the hardest. Sudden flashes of power from the rings would pulse through Minthie. She couldn’t contain it all, and I remember countless times when all we could do was sit up with her and try to make her comfortable as the pain nearly tore her from the inside out.

Lorcan hardly slept at all, if I remember correctly. He spent all his time working and researching, trying to find some way to ease his daughter’s pain. One night, I assisted him through some of the search when I found him nearly passed out from exhaustion in his apothecary. We spent all night brewing a potion—one that would be able to dampen the arcane energy flowing through Minthie.

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The potion worked as best as we could have hoped. Minthie slept fitfully, but much more peacefully than she had since that day I found her in The Maze.

Lorcan and I perfected the recipe over the next several weeks. We utilized these magic black pearls that Minthie so often would go searching for in the dark river Styx. These Protection Pearls, she cal ed them, held many unknown secrets. We learned that they could absorb and store massive amounts of mana, while simultaneously enhancing one’s innate magical abilities.

We went through several iterations of a potion that could absorb excess energy.

Through these experiments, I willingly tested them on myself to see if it would dampen my own arcane abilities, but we discovered the same potion would actually enhance mine, while nullifying Minthie’s. The power she possesses to this day iso great that this potion works to bring it down to the level at which mine was amplified.

After this experience, I never ventured too far from Lorcan Tower.

The Archmage passed away a few years later, and I stepped up to be the second Guardian of The Maze. By then, Minthie could control her powers and keep them in check by drinking the mana potion. She even figured out a way to make the potion and pearls into a special ink that was used for tattooing her body to cage the raging magic inside.

In his will, Lorcan granted me his Tower, which Minthie, for too many reasons to list here, wanted nothing to do with. But Lorcan also granted me his half of the key to The Maze. The other half belonged to Minthie, but both were needed to unlock or seal the large door to the Underground. Later, when Casket and Kane came along, we had the key reforged into a symbol that represented both of us: an Orthrus and a Gryphon in an eternal chase. One ruling the sky, the other ruling the Underground; together protecting both.

Minthie continued to guard The Maze with me and would return to the Underground to those dark waters, searching for lost artifacts and LIBATIONS

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treasures. You see, when she returns to water, her Naiad tail emerges in place of her legs. All is well for a short time until her heart stutters and says, “No more,” and she climbs back into her chair.

As the decades passed, I’ve remained as co-Guardian of The Maze and master of Lorcan Tower. Some unknown magic must’ve been within the tower because neither Minthie nor myself seemed to age as fast or as aggressively as those around us. A discovery that makes for some interesting tales another day.

Regardless, Minthie and I continued our mission and fought off countless bands of mercenaries and monsters trying to crawl out from the Underground. It was some time until both Minthie and I realized that we would someday need help if ever a threat too significant for the both of us appeared and either broke into The Maze or out of it.

Thus, we conceived the concept of a place where warriors could always be on call, whether able-bodied or disabled, as long as they were willing to fight. A Tavern with a sacred Library would always be full of adventurers, we thought. And if ever there were a significant threat, we’d at least have more might and magic to help defeat it if needed.

Thus, The Lucky Gryphon and Minthie’s Library was born, and it is the most magical safe havens in the Crossroads. Thankfully, we’ve had only a few experiences in which everyone inside was needed to stop some monstrous creature that tried to

escape Topside. But it’s still a won-

der how we got here.

There wouldn’t be a Lucky

Gryphon without Minthie,

and perhaps there wouldn’t be a

Minthie without me. It’s a friend-

ship I’ve vowed to cherish and pro-

tect until I give up my ghost. And

probably even after that.

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Ingredients: (Vegan) 2 servings

• 1 tsp. (2 grams) dried butterfly pea flowers

• 5 cups (1,250 mL) boiling water

• 1/2 cup (100 grams) white sugar

• ¼ cup (60 mL) coconut or almond milk

• 2 Tbs. (22 grams) tapioca boba pearls Preparation:

1. Bring ½ cup of water to a boil then remove from heat.

2. Add ½ cup of white sugar to the water and stir until it dissolves completely.

3. Set aside and let cool completely before use.

4. Steep butterfly pea flowers in 2 cups of hot water for 5 minutes.

5. Remove leaves and let tea cool completely.

6. Meanwhile, boil 2 cups of water and add boba.

7. Wait until the boba floats to the surface, then cover and let simmer on low for about 2-3 minutes.

8. Remove boba with a slotted spoon and set in white sugar mixture.

9. Stir and completely coat the boba pearls.

10. In a tall glass, add boba to the bottom, pour in tea, and then add a splash of milk. Stir and enjoy.

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Hey Minthie,

Wl blf pmld dsviv gsv Ovtvmwh zmw Oliv yllp rh?

R nzb szev nrhkozxvw rg hlnvdsviv.

Dear Quincy,

Ozhg R hzd, rg'h rm Gsv Yzxp mvcg

gl gsv kfikov lmv.

R zoivzwb xsvxpvw, rg'h mlg gsviv.

Wrw blf ollp mvcg gl nb kilgvxgrlm

kvzioh?

Dvoo ml, yvxzfhv gslhv ziv rm blfi

ivhgirxgvw hvxgrlm.

Gsrh rh nv trermt blf kvinrhhrlm.

Ls. Ulfmw rg!

Blf'iv hold.

Blf'iv dvoxlnv.

A ck n o wled g m e n t s

Stephen Warren

This is probably the biggest project I’ve ever been a part of, and I’m so honored to have had such an amazing and talented group of individuals around me. There are so many people to thank, so buckle up!

Thank you, Jason and Tiffany, for your support and assistance in not only the logistics of this book, but also the many unseen hurdles that no one will ever know about. You both have helped me conquer so much to get this book and ME to where we are now. Thank you.

Thank you, Hillary, Avery, and Toby, for your jaw-dropping, amazing artwork! You made the world and characters of The Lucky Gryphon come alive!

To Clent and Dee, thank you for your loving hearts and for making me feel so welcome since moving to Arizona. You have helped me through some cloudy days.

To the wonderfully patient and encouraging community that makes up the “Quincy’s Tavern” foundation, this book is for you! For the pro-foundly amazing life and opportunity you have given me, I’m so thankful and blessed. I hope that in these pages you see the heart and soul of everyone involved! It was absolutely a labor of love and magic.

And ultimately, to my best friend, business partner, and co-author, McKenzie: Truly, this is a result of you. I remember vividly the late conversation we had about this book before it was more than a concept, and you could see the stress and anxiety I had on my face. You offered your worldbuilding skills and publishing knowledge without a thought LIBATIONS

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for yourself, and I will be forever grateful. With our combined brain cell and lack of understanding on sleep schedules, we wrote the first draft of this book in four days. It didn’t take much convincing for me to move to Arizona to continue this energy of work and creation, and I don’t regret a moment of it. This fantasy world of The Lucky Gryphon and my own personal life has been forever changed for the better because of you.

Growing up, I always wanted to be an author. I tried time and time again to concoct ideas, but they never seemed to stick. I never felt that I had a story important enough to tell—that was until I became disabled. I spent my whole life being healthy and able-bodied until I was utterly blindsided in 2018 by an untreatable chronic illness that put me in a wheelchair.

After that, reading fantasy books was difficult. I couldn’t connect with characters as easily, and I couldn’t put myself in these fantastical scenarios full of adventure and incredible feats. I can’t even roll over carpet, how could I picture myself traveling on a long journey alongside these made-up people? That’s how my first book, “A Daughter of the Trolls,” was born. Now, after writing six full novels (many of which are still unpublished), I’ve had the blessing and great privilege of entering the inclusive world of Quincy’s Tavern.

Creating Minthie—a character I modeled after my illness and that fateful day I was “cursed”—was something I didn’t know I needed to do. I fell back in touch with my inner Greek mythology-loving child and achieved my lifelong dream of being a mermaid. Through Minthie, I wanted to give people like me with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and neurodiversities a character to relate to. But I also got to share my struggles and frustrations of being wheelchair-bound without being paralyzed.

There are so many stigmas regarding being disabled; this is not a one-size-fits-all world, and we are not meant for molds. Disability is not inability.

Now comes the sappy stuff.

Thank you to all the hands that have touched this book so it could see the light of day! Quincy did a wonderful job covering you all with his acknowledgments, but just know I’m forever grateful for the help and creativity you lent us. Especially you, Hillary. I can’t wait to have the portraits you crafted of Minthie and Corvid tattooed on my legs!

Thank you to all the fans of Quincy’s Tavern for welcoming me into your fold. I’ll admit, I was terrified to push (wheelchair pun intended) my way into this whimsical world. However, I’ve been greeted with open arms and kindness, for which I am eternally grateful. I hope you can see yourself in some of the characters I helped usher into The Lucky Gryphon lore.

And I saved the best for last, Quincy.

I never thought a friendship of five years would result in THIS.

This book, these characters, the long workdays camping out on my couch, and heck, a podcast of all things! I’m so glad I talked you into moving to Arizona. You are my co-host, co-author, neighbor, and favorite philo-sophical conversationalist. But above all else, my best friend. Thank you, Quincy, for letting me tag along. You have significantly changed my life for the better.

A u th o r B i o s

McKenzie is a wheelchair-bound, autistic, published YA fantasy author of the “Numina Parable” series. She’s been an Arizona resident for more than two decades and lives with her doggy soulmate and service beast, Grimm.

McKenzie is also a full-time creative makeup artist and alternative model fighting against disability stigmas one creation at a time. When she’s not spending her anxious days writing novels or taking photos in her studio, you can find her over on Instagram sharing her art @mckenziecatron.

Stephen is a disabled, full-time content creator and fantasy enthusiast.

The mind behind the fictional “Lucky Gryphon” tavern, Stephen—or Quincy, as he’s better known as—works to create a place on the internet where every digital traveler can spend a few moments to find a “pocket of peace” and rest for a minute before returning to their adventure. He currently lives in sunny Arizona where he spends his days writing and creating the recipes and videos for The Lucky Gryphon’s social media.

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