• Graded • [Hopetoun] Brew And Bar Between

[Darius Baer]

Arc 721, 22nd of Saun

It had taken time for Kerik to get himself settled in Hopetoun. The brewer had gratefully accepted Darius' help in Almund, but he had ultimately decided that it would be best to pick up everything and set down his roots elsewhere.

The news that 'elsewhere' would be Hopetoun was well-received by Kerik's twin brother Mai, the farmer who had sought out Darius' aid in the first place. The settler had offered to put his brother up in his own home, and he was able to show Kerik some of what he was growing - including the Faldrass potato - while the pair enlisted a few Hopetounians to help them build a house with a small cellar in town.

Perhaps inevitably, Kerik was soon frequenting the Hopeful Rest Inn, getting to know not just who the other settlers were, but also which beverages they liked to drink. Over time, he was able to get a feel for the burgeoning Hopetounian cuisine, and a sense of what local ingredients he could use to create something new.

He had spent trials repeating the process, rotating between farm, cellar, and inn, testing different ideas until he had sent word to Darius that he wanted the bearded blond to meet him at the Hopeful Rest Inn.



Darius Baer knew very little about brewing, and he was not shy in admitting it. In fact, what little he did know came from what Kerik had enthusiastically taught him in Almund, so when the beer maker asked him to meet him at Hopetoun's only drinking establishment, the settlement's founder couldn't deny that he felt a sense of excitement as he tried to anticipate what the man might have to say.

When he stepped into the building, he was met by both brothers, and if it wasn't for Kerik's moustache, he'd struggle to tell brewer and farmer apart, for they were even dressed in a similar manner. The pair wore excited grins as they stood behind a table, upon which were three tankards. At the bar behind the twins, Serena was serving a customer, but she saw Darius entered and sent him a warm smile, and the two shared a polite wave.

Darius approached the table and looked into the tankards. They were all full, but each one differed in colouration, with varying hues of oranges and browns.

"What's this?" Darius asked, hoping the response wouldn't simply be 'beer'.

To his surprise, it was not Kerik who spoke first, but his brother Mai.

"Now that Kerik has settled in Hopetoun, he has been digging up plenty of Faldrass potatoes from my farm," he chuckled.

His twin brother nodded.

"I've played around with some different combinations, and I'm quite pleased with what I've come up with," Kerik said. "And, because you helped me out in Almund, I wanted to show my gratitude. I'd like you to be the first to taste these new brews."

[Darius Baer]

Darius Baer had become many things in recent arcs, often by happenstance: he had gained command of a ship by winning a scavenger hunt the previous arc; he had become FireForged when he helped to release Faldrass from his bonds; an approach from Faldrass and Saoire had led to him becoming a settlement leader; another encounter with Saiore had resulted in him joining the nobility as one of the three Barons von Smooglenuff; and by virtue of him being deemed 'pure' by the Immortals, he had been a Soulbearer for Bao the Brave when the cadouri had sacrificed himself for Scalvoris.

But never had he been accused of being a connoisseur of alcoholic drinks.

Of course, he wasn't going to let something as 'minor' as a complete lack of qualifications get in the way of him giving it his best shot. The task itself was pretty simple, he concluded: drink each brew and tell Kerik - and the equally excited Mai - what he thought of them.

Darius looked at the drinks on offer, as if doing so might help him to decide which one to try first.

"The differences are in how much Faldrass potato I used, and a few other minor things," offered Kerik with a glint in his eye that suggested he wasn't willing to reveal all of the secrets to his brews. "Try one and see what you think."

Darius nodded at the brewer's suggestion and did precisely that, picking up the tankard on the left. Its contents were the most orange of the three, and Darius took a long, slow sip. He resisted the temptation to drink all of it, as he might have done with regular ale, because he wagered that tasting it and quaffing it were two very different things. He let the liquid sit in his mouth for a few seconds, before swallowing it and letting the aftertaste rest upon his tongue.

"It tastes good," he offered initially, before letting out a light chuckle as he recognised how unhelpful that answer must have been.

He paused for a moment, and tried to focus on the different elements that appeared to have combined to make the drink's taste.

"It's crisp," he said, "and it has a dry aftertaste."

"That'll be the potato," Kerik nodded eagerly. "The more potato in the beer, the drier the taste."

Darius appreciated the way the man from Almund didn't talk down to him for knowing so little about the brewing process. He had been the same when they had first met.

"What about the aroma?" Kerik asked, still grinning.

Again, it was something Darius hadn't considered, and he quickly realised that even if he didn't become a master at judging the quality of an alcoholic beverage, he would at least gain an appreciation for the work that must have gone into making it.

Lifting the tankard towards his face once more, Darius noticed that Serena was watching on as he sniffed at the drink, while Mai was hastily taking notes.

"It smells...earthy."

Kerik nodded, his enthusiasm contagious.

Darius set the tankard down, and looked into the expectant eyes of the brewer.

"Now," Kerik's grin grew as he indicated the two untouched tankards on the table, "what about the others?"

[Darius Baer]

Darius set the third tankard down onto the table with a thunk. The frothy liquid inside it swished from side to side as the bearded blond took a few moments to gather his thoughts. Kerik and Mai watched on in anticipation, as did Serena, whose curiosity had drawn her over during a lull in activity in the tavern.

"That one is the smoothest of the three," he decided. "Not as dry as the others, and a bit more sweet. It has a more...fruity aftertaste? And the aroma is sweet, too."

Kerik nodded, and Mai scribbled more notes as Darius once again considered his words.

"I think this is my favourite one of the three," the settlement leader eventually concluded.

Darius took a swig from his waterskin, which Kerik had recommended he do after each beer to act as a palate cleanser.

Mai stopped taking notes and set down his pen and parchment as his twin reached across the table to shake his impromptu beer taster's hand.

"Once again, you have my gratitude," smiled the brewer. "I will use that as a basis and tweak it until it is just right."

Serena, who had been watching on with interest, motioned towards the trio of beers as she tried to catch Kerik's eye: "May I?"

Kerik nodded, and the three men watched as Serena took a sip of Darius' favourite brew.

"It's very good," she said as she sucked froth from her top lip. "If you make enough of it, we could sell it here."

The barkeep and the brewer quickly engaged in a conversation about potential business opportunities, but Mai rose from his seat and pulled Darius aside to a quieter corner of the Hopeful Rest Inn.

"I know I didn't get a chance to say this back in Almund with all the busyness of getting those barrels ready," the farming twin spoke quietly, "but thank you for helping Kerik get to Hopetoun."

Darius nodded, flattered but unsure how to take the compliment. Helping a Hopetounian had just seemed like the obvious thing to do. He had known there might be risk involved, but he couldn't have imagined standing aside and not doing anything to assist a settler in need.

"He's got a new lease of life here," Mai continued. "I haven't seen him this excited about brewing for arcs. He keeps coming up to me with ideas for new drinks. Thank you so much."

Darius was still grinning when he left the inn. He had a spring in his step and his cheeks felt warm - although he had to confess that he didn't warmth was from what Mai had said to him, and how much of it was from the alcohol in his system.

[Doran]

Darius:

Knowledge:
Brewing: New brews need to be taste tested.
Brewing: Water can be used as a palate cleanser.
Brewing: How to describe the taste of different beers.
Brewing: It isn't just taste that matters - colour and aroma are important, too.
Brewing: Potatoes can be used to brew beer.
Etiquette: Accepting someone's compliment even if you don't think it was necessarily warranted.

Loot: -
Lost: -
Wealth: -
Injuries: -
Renown: -
Magic XP: -
Skill Review: Appropriate to level.
Points: 10

- - -

Comments: I still remember Kerik (and his twin brother Mai)! I’m glad that he found a new home in Hopetoun – and that you decided to continue his story. I love how much Darius’ various NPCs are a part of Hopetoun. It really does feel like a living, breathing settlement to me!

I chuckled a bit when Kerik offered Darius the opportunity to be the first to try his new beer, and you mentioned how Darius had become many things in recent arcs, but that he had never been accused of being a connoisseur of alcoholic drinks. I’m glad that he gave it a try nevertheless, though!

The beer-tasting was entertaining and well-written. It made me want to try the new beer as well. It’s a shame that Faldrass potatoes don’t exist IRL. That beer sounds interesting!

With that being said, I love how helping the settlers is the obvious thing to do for Darius. His being a leader who truly cares about the people in his settlement really comes across here.

I didn’t give you any Renown for this thread because Darius was just taste tasting, but if Darius (and Kerik!) tell people about the new beer and let them try it, you’ll get quite a bit of Renown, I’d wager!

Enjoy your rewards!

P.S.: I would have added “Detection” to the list of skills used as Darius noticed differences between the various tankards, for example.