WickedBind

Gërat Kroqeno Stew

Course: Main Course

MAKE AHEAD: You’ll have enough of the sauce left over to serve on the side, or with boiled potatoes. 

Ingredients:

For the sauce

• 2 medium-size ripe tomatoes, cored, then cut in half
• 1/2 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 medium cloves garlic, cut in half lengthwise
• 1 medium mild flavor pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt

For the Gërat

• 1 pound Gërat fillets (pinbones removed), cut lengthwise into 1-inch-wide strips (remember to clean it well and to completely remove the venomous glands)
• Sea salt (optional)

Directions:

For the sauce: Position the top oven rack 4 to 6 inches from the top broiling element; preheat the broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet.

Combine the tomatoes (cut sides up), onion, garlic, mild flavor pepper and almonds on the lined baking sheet; drizzle with the oil and lightly season with salt; toss gently to coat. Place under the broiler and cook for about 10 minutes, until the mixture is fragrant and slightly charred; the tomatoes will have released their juices.

Carefully transfer the mixture to a wooden drum sieve, including any juice. Puree until smooth. The yield should be about 1 3/4 cups of kroqeno sauce.

For the Gërat: First, heat up a large flat-bottomed pan and then add butter, so that it melts immediately but doesn’t burn. Arrange the Gërat strips on the bottom in a single layer; season lightly with salt, if desired. Cover them evenly with about 1 1/4 cups of the sauce; reserve any leftover sauce for serving on the side or another use (can be kept warm or served at room temperature). Set over low heat and cook uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, until the Gërat is opaque and just begins to flake. The sauce will be bubbling. Do not stir, or the Gërat will break into small pieces.

Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning as needed.

Use a wide spatula to divide the Gërat and sauce among individual plates; serve immediately, with extra sauce passed at the table, if desired.

I have to thank Raberba Frid for being so sweet and sharing this recipe.
*Raberba Frid is the owner of the Jolly Mug Tavern in Gabarret, Barmato.

Gërat: A Taste to Die For

The Gërats, are a family of mostly storm fish that includes many of the most venomous species. Gërats lower body bears sensory organs and tentacles that can trigger thousands of nettles to pierce the skin and inject venom. The family is a large one, with hundreds of members. They are widespread in tropical and temperate clouds, but mostly found in the Thundercloud Reefs. They should not be confused with the Sipaqeyaks, which belong to a separate, though related family.

Most Gërats are very quite moving with a slow undulating motion. They have a high commercial value since they are edible, producing a tender and tasty meat. The Gërat is as dangerous as well as attractive. They are one of the most striking in color and patterns producing various reddish tones. Gërats in this suborder are extremely dangerous and very territorial. And they are the only species known to wait along cliffs for prey of the appropriate size to come near. Once the prey is close the Gërat will leap on the prey using one or more jumps to catch its victim. These fish feed on very large prey including other fishes.

Barmato’s Oldest Fishing Outposts

Gabarret is a fishing village in the South-West of Barmato, located at the Fertivra peninsula, approximately 9 miles from the village of Ísafrig and 300 miles from the capital city Rekyavík.

It have a little more than 900 inhabitants, and it’s one of Barmato’s oldest fishing outposts, well positioned close to abundant fishing grounds known as the Thundercloud Reefs. The quiet countryside attracts some travelers, mainly in The Burning season. The surroundings of Gabarret are quite popular destinations for hunting, and fishing. In fact Gabarret is known as the home of one of the most popular fishes, the Gërat.

People in town have a few rooms for rent and all basic facilities, such as butcher, a blacksmith, a messenger post, a tavern, a grocery shop, a really small library, a herbalist shop and a marketplace.

Gabarret is a nice place to board if you have time.

It’s Spreading Fast

Hacromula Disease

Hacromula disease is a metamorphic disease transmitted through the bite of a Licarus worm, at least that’s what most of the people and some of the “experts” think. Symptoms can include skin rash, joint inflammation, fever, headache, fatigue, and muscle pain at early stages. Hacromula disease is also called Ri’Poalda Yabli in the language of the true offspring.

Description

Despite the Hacromula disease is classified by many as a metamorphic, systemic disease, meaning that it affects multiple body systems, it’s not in fact a disease at all. Although signs of Hacromula disease have been reported for more than 100 years, the disease was not recognized as a real threat until now, when a cluster of unusual cases of chronic deformities, lost of self control and unnatural aggressive behavior in all the surrounding areas of Gilgarem, Marzaks, led local techquimists to discover that town residents living near heavily wooded areas were severely affected by a rare case of Hacromula attach to other new and unexpected symptoms. Licarus worm bites were then linked to the cause of the deformity cases. The spiral-shaped bite, left by the Licarus worm, called an Akmilurue, that causes Hacromula disease, was found to be substituted now, by the worm itself , in 1415 A.R.O. by Edabor Burgdulak of Simri.

Although Hacromula disease was, in the early days, easily treated, with the appearance of this new symptoms, now is considered a very dangerous, highly contagious, and barley treatable disease. If not treated immediately and properly, Hacromula disease can have long-term and disabling effects. In its early stages, Hacromula disease affects the skin and produces flu-like symptoms; once the disease spreads to the joints and nerves system, the symptoms will escalate to auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking; until it reach the point of causing chronic deformities, complete lost of self control, unnatural aggressive behavior and death in its later stages.

Transmission

Hacromula disease was considered a moyde-borne disease, meaning that it is transmitted from one host to another by a carrier—called a moyde—that transmits but does not become infected with the disease. At least that was what they thought at the moment. New studies about this increasing menace, have provide more insights into this matter. The so called Hacromula disease is not a disease, in fact there is no Hacromula disease at all, it is a parasite. The Licarus doesn’t transmit a disease, it is the root of the symptoms.

In the early days, the Licarus, affected the host while feeding on blood. Licarus worms were most likely to remain attached and feeding for two days at most. In which time the host suffer from skin rash, joint inflammation, fever, headache, fatigue, and muscle pain. After which the Licarus worm leaves the host (leaving the notable Akmilurue) to lay eggs and close its reproductive cycle by dying to provide food for the unborn offspring. In most areas, Licarus worms are most active during “The Falls Season”, but in milder climates, Licarus worms may bite year-round.

Nowadays Licarus worms feed on an alarming number of creatures, and it doesn’t leave the host until the host is dead. During this period, the worm lay eggs inside the host, which consume the host at an accelerated rate until they reach maturity. At this stage, the attach engender secretes a substance that move through the bloodstream quickly. Only half a day after entering the bloodstream, this substance can be found in cerebrospinal fluid (which means it can affect the nervous system). The result is, total control of the host by the Licarus worm. It most commonly manifests as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking. The host also may be largely mute, remain motionless in bizarre postures, or exhibit purposeless agitation, followed by chronic deformities, lost of self control and unnatural aggressive behavior. Until final stages where the host lose its fur, skin turns emerald black, holes start to appear sprouting incandescent light emanated from the growing Licari inside the organs, and finally bones start to show up as the new mature Licari begin to leave the now inert body in an attempt to find a new host. At the stage in which the Licarus worm gain control of the host the “Hacromula disease” can be transmitted directly from one person to another or from any infected creature to any person by a simple bite full of vicious immature Licari seeking new host .

Changes in behavior of the Licarus worm and the precise cause of this new symptoms  are unknown at the moment. But, I will conduct more experiments to bring you further information.

Demographics

Hacromula disease was a moyde-borne disease found in the floating layer of Marzaks, near 1300 A.R.O. But, at this moment a considerable amount of Hacromula cases are appearing out of Marzaks, and are spreading rapidly to nearby Layers.

Treatment

There is no real treatment for this. If an attached Licarus worm is found that is engorged with blood and no signs of rash around the area (usually indicating attachment for no more than an hours) you still in time, but you have to act quickly. Remove the Licarus worm with haste, using anything that can give you a firm grip of the worm, like some kind of pincers, and pull with all your might. Remember, there’s no time to be gentle. Immediately burn the Licarus worm to assure its extermination. After removing the worm, clean the small affected area with any flammable spirit and with out drying it, set it on fire for no more than a few seconds, to eliminate any possibility of eggs left behind.

If, in 2 hours, there is no sign of any skin rash (not associated with the burning flesh), it means that there are no traces of Licari or Licarus eggs in the body. But, if the rash appear, you’ll have to amputate the area if it’s possible, and burn the open wound. If not possible, there’s nothing you can do. At the moment you notice that,  it’s a matter of hours for the infected to become aggressive and try to infect others. And the outcome of this situation will depend on what you think is the best solution for all the uninfected that surround you. And it’s not always an easy solution.

Urban Legends: Lapiyuya

It is said that Lapiyuya was the kindest girl in a small town somewhere in Barmatos. Although she had the most beautiful face in town, her body was deform and wicked. No man in town wanted to marry her except on, a nose, a perfumer. He was a young man, a little older than her, that in fact was blind. When ever they could, they were together, talking, laughing, enjoying each others company. They even got marry, despite of what the town thought of their union. He was really in love with her. He loved the sweet smell of her skin, he loved how her delicate face felt soft at his touch and loved the way she softly whispered close to his ear the word “I love you”, every time she had the opportunity. Always, as he came home from work, he shows up with white lairanas for his love. The most exquisite of all flowers, for its beauty and fragrance, so intense that only their love was compared to it.

One day her husband went out of town with a convoy to buy some materials and fragrance for his shop. He said goodbye to his wife and left the town. Three days later the convoy returned but he wasn’t with them. They said that he disappeared the night before and they didn’t found him. He was never seen again since that day. There were rumors in town saying that he finally perceived the ugliness of his lover. Some say that he was murdered, but no one ever knew the true reason why he left his beloved wife.

In the frustration and despair, she ran to the forest in a desperate search for her husband. She stayed there and wept and did not eat, drink or sleep, she kept searching for him, until this day.

It is said, that Lapiyuya, wanders the campfires of the passing travelers in search of her lover. And some times at night, while travelers sleep, she approach the and whispers “I love you” to see if it is her husband, but leaves if no answer is given.

Some travelers even carry a white lairana with them to show their sympathies to Lapiyuya. That’s why sailors always put white lairanas at the entrance of their ships, hoping that if somehow they get lost, someone always look for them.

This is an extraction from the “Tome of Wanderers Tales” written by Delkos Graderik of Edenton. A compilation of myths, legends, campfire stories and urban legends that usually have something true on them. At least they have some pointers that can make your life easier.

For example… that story is probably base in some misfortune encounter suffer by some of the locals of the lands of Kalamistah, near the forest of Yemadlest. In those part of the country live a creature that stalks the campsites of wandering travelers. Although the story of Lapiyuya isn’t all true, (believe me you won’t find a pretty face roaming around the forest) it gives you good pointers. If you happened to be in that place, remember to always carry with you a few lairanas. It is said that the fragrance of the lairanas acts as a powerful repellent of Lapiyuya or Lapay, as the locals call it. Another thing you can learn from that tale is that if for some reason you sense a sweet smell in the air and hear a whisper that vaguely sound like “I love you” while you’re sleeping near a campfire… don’t move a muscle. Heat from the campfire attracts the creature, but the light from the fire blur its vision. It can’t see you, in the vicinity of the fire, if you don’t move.

So there you go, now you know two things that change the outcome of what could be a no so pleasant situation. And remember, if none of the above works… RUN!

Civlå & Pårma

Energy, called Civlå, flows from Abora itself. Abora is a planet and at the same time, a sentient, growing, living being. Civlå flows to it. Although not anyone knows Abora for what it is, all Civlå channelers derive power from it. Abora grants its power to the seekers, no matter what aspect or under what name they worship. Gifteds wrest power from the sentient Abora. The avatars, being living embodiments of Abora, are the most powerful Civlå channelers. The Techquimists are channelers whose Civlå has been debilitated by their distance from Abora, and have resorted to low-tech machines and inventions to enhance or replace their diminishing powers. The farther they get from Abora, the weaker the energy is, and at some points, there is no Civlå at all. As a Floating Layer gets closer to Hedona, the energy level begins to rise again. However, it is not the same energy as it was when coming from Abora, it is not Civlå, it is Pårma. The power becomes twisted and wicked, as do the personality of its users.

The World

Abora is a living being. It is shaped like a planet, and most of its surface is covered by fluvial woodland. It has humongous waterfalls and a great amount of wildlife. It is divided into three areas, each one governed by two very powerful beings, who are really personifications of Abora. These beings are not good or evil, but represent different aspects of the sentient Abora. Every 500 years, Abora sheds its skin, so to call it. The surface slowly detaches itself from the planet as the planet grows, sending immense layers floating upward into the atmosphere. These layers rise with entire civilizations on them.

The floating layers float on the atmosphere of Abora, and on them, life goes on as usual. Big cities thrive and commerce is strong. These layers float very slowly upward, into a place called Hedona. No one knows what Hedona holds. In clear day, inhabitants of one layer can catch glimpses of the other layers, and even of Abora on the ground below. Huge floating animals called Lermaks, similar to turtles, also harbor smaller cities. Smaller versions of these, called Reamers, and small flying dragons, called Lagaires, are used as means of transportation between layers. And of course, the crude-tech world of Abora has given birth to many flying contraptions powered by vapor engines, including flying vessels and artificial limbs. Rumors say that some Techquimists have even developed huge war machines powered by vapor that they plan to use to gain control of the Floating Layers, and hence, avoid the ascent into Hedona.