Tales from Moonshore - Basic Cooking

Basic Cooking

As the party gathers around a camp fire to have a long rest, the road weary mice dig through their bags for something to eat. Ration grains again... nothing special but it doesn't take up a lot of inventory space on the road. Such is the life of an adventuring mouse. Suddenly, their whiskers wiggle as they catch a scent on the air and see the glow of a small camp fire nearby. As they sneak closer for a look, quite literally following their noses, they spy a happy hedgehog putting ingredients into a thimble cauldron. Perhaps he would be willing to trade some grains for something nicer to eat.

This post covers the basics of cooking better meals for your mice.

I will be updating this as more content is made.

Written and Illustrated by Lux.

(WIP) Posted 3-25-2021

The uses of Cooking

Food for an travelling mouse needs to be small and light but give enough energy to carry them through to their destination and back. Basic ration grains are perfect for this but aren't very tasty after eating them for many days of travel.

Nutrition - This is a measure of how many meals that a food item can provide a mouse. Basic ration grains for example, would have a 3 for nutrition value.

Size - Travel food is ideally compact and nutritious, though this is not always the case. Sometimes ingredients can be cooked down to smaller more nutritious portions that last longer.

Perishable - It is safe to assume that most rations are non perishable unless specified otherwise. Food items that are Perishable, will expire after a few days. When a wild berry is picked for example, it is considered Fresh. By the second day, it is considered Day old, and by the third, it is Spoiled.

Found in - Some food items and ingredients can only be found or acquired in certain locations, such as acorns in a forest, or cheese from human towns.

Gecko Pottery

Geckos are as common as Mice, but prefer to stay hidden and work from their local areas. They take many crafts, but one of their favorite is pottery which is very useful for decorating a mouse's home and for cooking pots. Geckos love to be complimented on their work and often compete with each other, making beautiful pottery designs in the process.

The pottage pot is the most useful type of pottery for cooking. The pot can be placed over or near a camp fire where its contents will be heated. Adding a little water and ingredients allows mice to make meals on the go.

Usage - The pot itself will not take damage from regular cooking use, but if it takes direct damage, the pot will simply shatter. Different recipes will have different amounts of uses which reflects their regular Nutrition value. If a meal has 2 nutrition for example, X out the remainder 4 usage dots.

Hour Glass and Freshness - If the contents of the pot are perishable, then circle the small hour glass and place an X over the box with the F to reflect that this meal is Fresh. Do stands for Day old, and S stands for Spoiled.

Pottage Pot

A pot for cooking and storing various meals. See description above.

Cost: 20p

Cauldron

The Cauldron works similar to the Pottage pot, but is used to make bulk batches of food, up to 3 pots full of a meal at a time. Leftovers in a Cauldron must be poured out into Pottage pots for storage.

Mark usage after every use.

Cost: 100p

Salt

Salt is found in small paper packets around human towns. It has several uses, including some cooking recipes, preserving meat and repelling snails and slugs. Has one use once the package is opened.

Nutrition: None

Size: 1

Perishable: No

Found in: Human Towns

Cost: 20p

Pepper

Pepper is found in small paper packets around human towns. It has several uses, including some cooking recipes and pouring on a trail to throw creatures off your scent. Has one use once the package is opened.

Nutrition: None

Size: 1

Perishable: No

Found in: Human Towns

Cost: 10p

Chili Powder

Chili powder is found in small paper packets around human towns. It has several uses, including some cooking recipes and rubbing on a mouse's fur to give a cat a spicy surprise if he tries to eat you. Has one use once the package is opened.

Nutrition: None

Size: 1

Perishable: No

Found in: Human Towns

Cost: 10p

Sugar

Sugar is found in small paper packets around human towns. It has several uses, including some cooking recipes and making mice very hyper. Has one use once the package is opened.

Nutrition: None

Size: 1

Perishable: No

Found in: Human Towns

Cost: 50p

Acorn

Acorns are found under large trees in the forest and can be eaten once you bite through their tough shell. Sometimes the crown of an acorn can be used as a food bowl.

Nutrition: 3

Size: 1

Perishable: No

Found in: Forest

Cost: 5p

Bread Crumbs

Bread crumbs are found around Human towns and are very light food rations.

Nutrition: 4

Size: 1

Perishable: No

Found in: Human Towns

Cost: 20p

Cheese

Cheese is only found in Human towns and is a very delicious and nutritious food ration. Unfortunately humans know that mice try to gather this food ration and place it in traps as bait.

Nutrition: 6

Size: 1

Perishable: No

Found in: Human Towns

Cost: 100p

Bird Egg

Bird eggs are fairly fragile and can be used in certain recipes. They come in a variety of sizes and colors, but should be handled with care. They are almost always found in a bird nest high in a tree and guarded by the bird they belong to.

Nutrition: None

Size: 1

Perishable: Yes

Found in: Forest

Cost: 10p

Wild Berry

Wild berries are found around forests, hanging from vines and are a delicious quick snack.

Nutrition: 1

Size: 1

Perishable: Yes

Found in: Forest

Cost: 2p

Dried Berries

Dried berries are lighter and more portable but just as nutritious as a whole berry. 3 berries left out in the sun to dry for a long rest will create 1 ration of dried berries.

Nutrition: 3

Size: 1

Perishable: No

Cost: 10p

Mushroom

Mushrooms come in a variety of species and some can be eaten. It is important to have some skill of distinguishing a poisonous mushroom from an edible one if they are to be eaten raw.

Nutrition: 3

Size: 1

Perishable: Yes

Found in: Forest

Cost: 5p

Dried Mushrooms

Dried mushrooms are lighter and more portable but just as nutritious as a whole mushroom. 3 mushrooms left out in the sun to dry for a long rest will create 1 ration of dried mushrooms. Most poisonous mushrooms will become safe once dried though a few potent types may not.

Nutrition: 3

Size: 1

Perishable: No

Cost: 10p

Truffle

Truffles are a type of fungus that grows underground in dark animal dens or under objects. They are large and very nutritious but hard to find.

Nutrition: 6

Size: 2

Perishable: No

Found in: Forest

Cost: 50p

Grain Porridge Recipe

2 portion of basic ration grains
A pot of water
Heat pot over an open fire and let boil, stir contents until thickens then let cool.
Creates perishable grain porridge with 6 uses, taking 1 inventory.

Cost: 10p

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse

Basic Cooking

The uses of Cooking

Gecko Pottery

Pottage Pot

Cauldron

Salt

Pepper

Chili Powder

Sugar

Acorn

Bread Crumbs

Cheese

Bird Egg

Wild Berry

Dried Berries

Mushroom

Dried Mushrooms

Truffle

Grain Porridge Recipe

"Be brave, Be prepared."

~Chester~