. . . Although I’ve spent much of the past year sampling the meads and sweet wines of Tajlyn, my most recent bar crawl has taken me to the Mudlands of Bag. Although most probably think of rice wine when it comes to Baggish drink, the booze of choice amongst the Toadstool is actually a mushroom based concoction, at least to my limited understanding. It was difficult to parse any sort of brewing information from their thick accents, but it most certainly did taste like mushrooms.

Served in small wooden cups, it is a hardy liquid, tasting almost more like a stew than an alcoholic beverage. But the real question, of course, is does it taste good? I had several servings of the drink, and I can honestly say I have no idea. The first cup was shocking to my palate, but also went down with remarkable ease. After the second I found myself with a desperate desire for a glass of water, an unusual experience while one is actively drinking. By the third I had changed venues, and my attention had shifted to the present company. Although the Bagkyn in general are known for the cold shoulder they present to outsiders, the Toadstool were nothing but friendly, if not a little rambunctious. They were particularly intrigued by the color in my skin, and were at one point comparing those hats they all wear to see who had the closest in hue.

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It’s interesting. You’d think such a harsh environment would produce an equally harsh people, but the opposite appears to have occurred in the Mudlands. Perhaps such a place selects for those who can make the best of a bad situation. Or maybe that mushroom booze is just better than I thought.