The Cellar

Opening the large trapdoor, you find a short flight of stairs leading into the earth. Torches light the stairs at regular intervals, casting a yellow light on your surroundings. You descend the stairs, your mouth watering as your nose catches the scent of food and drink from below. Eventually you reach the end of the stairs and step into a large stone chamber. Racks and tables of food stand about the room, filling the chamber with delicious odours and smells. Stoves, ovens and roasting pits are set against the east wall. There is no sign of any cooks or chefs around the area, yet the food seems freshly cooked. As you watch, a haunch of oxen lifts up from a nearby rack, floats over to the spits, and begins to cook itself. You nearly fall back in surprise, before you notice the small, wispy figures darting about the room. They seem amused by your surprise, and you can hear faint giggles as the air elementals carry about their tasks. Shaking your head, you turn towards the other sections of the room.
In the west wall is another, smaller, doorway. A small brass sign on the door reads "Drink Storage". Nearby, a small board covered with neat writing hangs on a wall and you move closer to examine it.

MENU:
Food and drink may be taken freely, but payment is always welcome, and helps maintain a wide variety of victuals. Prices are listed for the moralistic. (Or the rich.)

DRINKS: (Note: Drink mixing is recommended, but a word of caution. Some drinks are extremely sensitive, and may react violently to other drinks.)

Ale: A standard human alcohol made from fermented barley. Price: 2 coppers/mug.

Bloodwine: For vampire customers. Non-vampires are better off not knowing what's in it. Also known as Bloodwyne. Price: 2 silver/goblet.

Fruit juice: For the children and those with aversions to alcohol. Distilled from fruits grown in the orchard, ranging from oranges to berries to more exotic fruits such as Glowpears and Crystallids. Price: 1 copper/mug, but may vary for more rare types.

Cider: Fermented apple juice. Kept in huge oaken barrels for several months to allow for different levels of alcohol presence. Available in four main standards, Light, Medium, Heavy and Knockout. Price: 6,7,8 and 9 coppers/mug respectively.

Wine: Made from fermented grapes. Available in many different types, from the common white and red to more rare varieties collected from all over the world. Ask at bar for special orders. Price: 2 silver/goblet, but may vary for more exotic types.

Mead: Made from honey. Not as alcoholic as ale or wine, but still enough to make one drunk if taken in sufficient quantities. Alcoholic experts should stay away from this, as bladder capacity tends to fail long before any state of drunkenness is reached. Price: 4 coppers/mug.

Coffee: Available due to public demand, especially after a late night. Customised orders are allowed. Ask at bar for options. Also known as Blackwine. Price: 3 coppers/mug.

Milk: Another drink for (very) young ones. The standard is cow's milk, but other varieties are available. Ask at bar for different varieties. Price: 2 coppers/mug.

Iced Water: For those who have had too much to drink, either as a refreshener or as a fluid replenisher. Customers who are seeking the former are recommended to instead go out the back to the gardens and jump in the pool. It generally works much better. Price: Free. (No, really.)

SPECIAL DRINKS: Silvaneous Wine: A particular favourite of Zaxares. The wine is known for its exquisite taste as well as its fabled healing properties. It is made only by a race now believed to be extinct. The method of making this beverage has long since been lost. Price: 10 gold/goblet.v Holgut's Special Brew: A weird, blue-tinted wine made from a derivative of the rare Azure Lotus. Known for its amazing euphoric effects, but also known for the extreme toxicity of its juice. Only recommended for alcoholic die-hards. Price: 7 gold/shot.

Buruna's Catsblood: A very light and sweet ale available from far Eastern lands. A real favourite of vampires. Believed to be made from the waters of the Catsblood river, and dyed red for effect. Actually, it is made by taking two dozen cats, and slowly... Price: 6 gold/goblet.

Arcian Red: Back by popular demand. One of the most expensive wines around. Commonly drunk by the rich and noble, although experts say that the wine tastes no different to common red wine... Price: 2 gold/goblet.

Skullbuster: The legendary Dwarven Spirit itself! Distilled from wheat crushed between massive boulders, this stuff is enough is put any non-dwarf under the table in less than 5 minutes. Price: 5 gold/mug.

Guursh: Orc ale. Looks like sewage, smells like sewage, tastes like sewage, and non-orcs should NOT drink it if they value their stomach lining! Also known as Hweagh and Baaerp. (For reasons we can only guess.) Price: 2 coppers/mug (Don’t say we didn’t warn you…)

FOOD :

Oxen: The standard meat fare served here in the lair. Available roasted, raw, sliced or whole, to suit the tastes of everyone. Price: 1 silver/platter. 5 silver/whole oxen.

Wild Boar: For those who prefer 'healthier' meat. Generally served roasted, but may be cooked to order. May not be always available. Check ahead to reserve. Price: 2 silver/platter. 6 silver/whole boar.

Fowl: Includes chicken, duck, pheasant and more. Served roasted, steamed, stuffed or otherwise. Price: 1 silver/dish, but may vary with type.

Fruit: Harvested fresh from the garden every day. Includes apples, pears, oranges, grapes, lemons, melons, berries and more exotic fruits. Availability of fruits dependent on season. Price: 4 coppers/tray, but may vary according to type.

Seed cakes: For the occasional vegetarian. Made from wheat, barley, rice and several other grains pounded into a paste and baked in an oven for several hours. Commonly eaten as food on the road. Price: 2 coppers for 5 cakes.

Pudding: A specialty of Stylph's. Many different flavours available, from chocolate to berry to blood to bone. Made from secret ingredients known only to her. Price: Ranging from 4 coppers to 8 coppers/serving.

Breads: Many different types of breads are served here, ranging from soft white, to crunchy brown to hard black. Available as side dishes. Price: 1-4 coppers/serving.

Cheese: Varieties galore in this category. Types range from common cheddar to stringy mozzarella to 'aged' Blue cheese to the wildly amazing (to say the least) Green cheese. Kept in the deepest part of the cellar to ensure the quality of the stock. Price: Ranging from 2 coppers/cheese to 5 silver for Green Cheese.