The Bardic Chef

"So what you're telling me is that a militant group of were ravens brought their Goddess, named the Raven Queen, into our plane of existence and now they're holding a festival? I have just the thing for that."

- From the Journal of Mattias Softpaw

Cateloge Number: B-01

Ingredients

Woad Plant (Harvested near the beginning of the fall in the plant's first year)

Stale Urine (Ammonia)

Water

Directions

To prepare the Woad for dyeing begin by harvesting the plant. In the first year of the plant's life in the end of summer or beginning of fall remove the leaves. The stems may be discarded as only the leafy material of the plant contains the dye. Using a mill or large mortal and pestle chop the leaves into a paste before forming them into small balls by hand. Leave these balls in a drying shed, ensuring that there is no damp present, for approximately four weeks. These balls may be retained for storage or trade but that is not our purpose here.

When the balls are dried break them down into a powder and sprinkle with water and allow to ferment. When this has dried again, you may pack this woad into barrels for storage if you make more than needed.

Take the powder and add it to a vat. Add hot, not boiling, water and the urine. Allow to ferment for three days.

To achieve the proper color take the material and completely submerge it in the vat. Remove this and allow the cloth to dry completely before submerging it four more times. When complete the cloth should appear to be black in color, but will reveal a flash of blue when exposed to light.