Wine and spirits in the empire?

[Nemt]

I'm assuming the same or similar processes of decomposition and fermentation of biomass exist in the game world. What kind of wine and spirits are enjoyed in the empire, and what kind of crops are they made from typically?

[Gamemaster]

Yes, the processes are the same. Wine is common and made from grapes of course. Beer is known and made from hops. There are other less common alcoholic beverages. Do you need further details?

[Nemt]

Does any type of distillation technology exist?

[Gamemaster]

Even though some techniques for distillation of alcohol existed on Earth as early as Mesopotamia in the 4th millennium BC, distillation of alcohol is not widely practiced in the Zekresh Empire. Your character has never heard of such a thing and it may not have been discovered yet anywhere in the known world.

Though a different technique called "freeze distillation" was in use in Mongolia a century earlier, the invention of the still on Earth seems to date from about the 8th century AD in the Middle East.

Because there is no distillation technology, the maximum alcohol content of any alcoholic beverage in the known world is about 15% by volume.

Few, if any, technologies in the Zekresh Empire are as advanced as the 8th century AD on Earth. The technology of the Zekresh Empire is, at best, roughly equivalent to that of the Roman Empire or the Tang Dynasty in China. As we have discussed on other topics, the Zekresh are more primitive than either of these in many ways. For example, the Romans had much more advanced academic institutions, more advanced maritime navigational techniques, more advanced chemistry and medicine, more advanced astronomy and even water wheels which are unknown to the Zekresh. Even the artwork found in the Zekresh Empire looks crude beside the statues and murals made by the Romans. Only in Ilania do the artists produce statues similar in quality to that of Roman statuary.

[Gamemaster]

Let me clarify something. I said hops are used to make beer in the Empire. I mean the hops are used for flavoring just as on Earth. The main crop used is barley or sometimes wheat. On Earth, malted barley is the most commonly used crop to make beer, but a wide variety of others are also used.

[Kortelan]

I have a question. What would be used in the area that Kortelan is in and from?

[Gamemaster]

Barley and hops for beer. Or sometimes wheat for beer. Wine is less common there. Another drink the Verronese drink is Mead which is made from fermented honey, but it's not all that common.

[Nemt]

Are all the plants mentioned identical to those in reality?

edit: I was planning to make a new topic, but I'll just ask here, are horses exactly the same also?

[Gamemaster]

The problem with a question like that is that your character is not in a position to compare them. I will say that they are functionally about the same. That means they are similar enough that they can be used pretty much the same way.

As for horses, the same is true, but since so much importance is placed on different breeds of horses by some people, I will mention that the same breeds of horses do not exist in the Zekresh Empire.

There are no Arabians or Appaloosas, no Andalusians or Quarter Horses, no Mustangs or Morgans. There are breeds of horses, just not the same ones. The best horses come from the South Peninsula. The most prized horses in the known world are Varlan horses which come from Varlan province. They are similar to Earth's Turanian horses such as the Akhal Teke breed.

Most common breeds of horses in the known world are crossbreeds of Varlan horses with local horses in other areas. The Ilanian Royal Steed, though said to have originated in the stables of the ancient princes of Ilania is of partly Varlan ancestry. The Dulimukan breed, the "Imperial" breed, the Tarno, the Lorekan, the Verronese Pacer, the Kikali War Horse, the Corinwelder, the Warnan Hunting Horse and other well known breeds are all partly descended from Varlan horses. Though Varlan horses do not much resemble Arabian horses, their history is much the same and for the same reason. Varlan horses are the best and for that reason other horses are crossbred with them to improve the quality of the herd. Arabian horses on Earth were also crossbred with nearly all domesticated horses because they were believed to be the best horses on Earth.

There are four main types of wild horses. The first are, of course, domesticated horses which have escaped and become ferral. The other three types are Savannah horses, Uvinan horses and "Little Horses".

Despite the name, the Uvinan horses are found not only in Uvinan Province, but throughout the Far West, are similar to the Przewalski horse and are extremely difficult to tame. Although Uvinan is the name of a province, it means "Hinterland" and they are horses of the entire hinterlands of the Far West, not just the part that became Uvinan Province.

Also in the Far West are found the "Little Horses". They are several breeds of miniature horses, not ponies. They are found wild in Jikerola Province and domesticated versions are found throughout the southwest. They are similar in appearance and size to the Caspian breed on Earth.

Savannah Horses are found on the Southern Savannah and are similar to Yabou horses of Earth.

The main differences between horses of the Zekresh Empire and Earth is that horses available to the Zekresh are generally smaller and have manes that are very short. In some horse breeds the manes even stand up. Ponies have long manes, just as on Earth.

As for ponies, there are many varieties, the most famous being the Kaliskan Forest Pony, the Otlesk Pony and the Grey Mountain Pony (named after the Grey Mountains, the ponies themselves are not always Grey)

In addition to the above mentioned domesticated ponies, there are two main types of wild ponies. One is the Striped Pony which is similar to the Highland Pony of Earth or the Konik, Fjord and Tarpan Ponies. Striped Ponies have striped legs, backs and shoulders when they are young. In adulthood, they are smoky grey, but retain the stripe down their backs. In the Overseas Provinces there are Striped Ponies which are said to retain all their adolescent stripes into adulthood.

The other main type of wild pony is the Bog Pony which is often found living in bogs, moors and also dense forests. It is similar in appearance to Earth's Exmoor Pony. Both Bog Ponies and Striped Ponies are found throughout the North.

[Kortelan]

I assume that the horses that are being ridden by Lorgan and his men are Verronese Pacers.

[Gamemaster]

Kortelan,

Yes and no. Lorgan and his men are riding whatever horses they could get. Few, if any, of them are purebred Verronese Pacers. On the other hand, many have some pacer blood in them. Some of them are very poor quality horses. As you will recall, Galan had his men buying every horse they could get. They weren't being picky.

Even now, more than a third of Lorgan's men have no horses at all and are not part of the cavalry even though they originally volunteered to be cavalrymen.