Coriander

Coriander's Cuisine Cart

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Coriander | he/him | traveling chef | adult

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Admittedly, Dragonhome was not known for its sprawling fields of greens.

But it was famed for meatloaf.

Coriander always had an appreciation for the famed chef, whose name had made it even all the way to the gardeners. A chef who was famous for failure thanks to her ruthless dedication to trying something new every night - he didn't completely understand her philosophy, but he appreciated it. Thus, he knew exactly where his first stop would be.

The dish of the night - steamed greens in a bed of sour roots and chocolate sauce. His nose twitched at the idea of actually eating such a thing, but when he met meatloaf for the first time, she really managed to sell him on it. It...wasn't as terrible as he imagined, but it certainly could have been better. Hoping that he did not come across as rude, he waited until after-hours to give meatloaf his suggestions - and surprisingly, she invited him into her kitchen! Given that it was the kitchen of a food stand at a traveling circus, it was impressively large. They cooked and experimented well into the morning, and meatloaf sent him on his way with a small gift to commemorate their time together.

Blooming Woodbasket

Apparel

A basket growing a bundle of fragrant herbs.

500

It was overflowing with provisions for the road, though meatloaf warned him in advance of their potential to spoil.

"If they haven't already," she added. "Might add to the flavor, though!"

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While he was visiting Dragonhome, he figured he'd pick up some more ingredients at the marketplace situated around the Colonnades of Antiquity. While there, he encountered a fisher and forager named Nightwatcher. The two hit it off, and Nightwatcher even invited him to stay with her in the nearby Cragenmire City. Coriander found that she lived in the Lake District, a sprawling section of the city that lived by and, in some parts on, the underground lake they bordered.

Nightwatcher, alongside a pearlcatcher she called Chinook, showed Coriander how they fished. Though he wasn't a big fan of cleaning out the guts, he had to admit that the fish were delicious. It really proved that fresh ingredients were irreplaceable, and that even simple meals could be improved by small season corrections or cooking method. Coriander thoroughly enjoyed his time with Nightwatcher, and when the time came for him to go, he very nearly stayed. But no; there was more to see, more cuisine to discover and perfect. Perhaps, if he returned, he could at least stay longer.

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On his way out of Dragonhome, Coriander stopped by a motel made from renovated train cars. His room was so cozy and beautifully furnished. He checked by management to see a work opportunity. Culinary work? Go to Terrathorn Station. So off Coriander went, signing himself up for a two-month internship. He could get paid to work in the kitchen, his motel quarters would be free, and -- he hoped -- he would learn even more recipes and other unique cuisines.

Unfortunately, the internship position about food was about farming and harvesting. For two months, he plowed fields, watered them, pulled out weeds, and captured insects. He collapsed in his motel bed every evening after a long day of manual labor. He didn't even see the inside of a kitchen. But it was too late to back out; he didn't have enough funds for the cancellation fee.

Coriander left the Terrathorn's internship with a nice chunk of coin, well-developed muscles, and calloused hands. Although he didn't learn much about cooking, he did learn about farming, and he got an appreciation for farm workers.

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Coriander was somehow mistaken for a dragon named "Soap" when he settled in his next clan. How strange...

He was a little disappointed by the clan's current lack of food, so he decided to bring some of his own for them. All the dragons who shared in Coriander's feast were impressed by the delicious food!

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Before long, Coriander felt a pull within that he recognized as homesickness. He took off toward the sea, daydreaming of his journey so far and the meals he might cook up for his friends and family back home.

Once arriving in Sunbeam Grotto, Coriander was met with plenty of excitement from his clanmates. His mother and cousins were especially eager to hear about where his travels had led him!

As it turns out, Coriander had arrived just in time for Sunset's family reunion. The excitement from his clanmates and family members was contagious, and he was swept into the preparations! Working with his cousins, Coriander helped to plan hors d'oeuvres and meals to be served daily, as well as a great feast to round out the event. He grew close with one cousin in particular, Basil - with their shared passion for herby, gourmet dishes, clearly these two dragons were cut from the same cloth!

Along with the traditional pan-seared kelp, Coriander prepared lemon battered bluegill, shrimp jambalaya, sea snake and algae soup, smoked oysters on a bed of plantain leaves, juicy lizard jerky, and fried bugs in all sorts of flavors. He was so busy planning, sourcing, and prepping his ingredients, he was grateful for the cousins who stepped in to provide desserts, drinks, and appetizers galore for the feast!

Once the last dish was sent out, Coriander and the other chefs collapsed into a pile on the sand, content to do anything but look at food. Once the sun set, though, the strangers that had become family just a few days earlier stayed up late chatting over plates of their delicious labors. The next day, Coriander bade farewell to his cousins (and obtained some of their addresses) before the guests dissipated. The rest were all headed home, but Coriander chose to throw himself into the will of the wind once more!

For the second family reunion, Coriander planned ahead. He returned home from his travels nearly two moons before the reunion was set to take place, just so that he could have time to recuperate at home and prepare an extensive menu for all the different palates that were sure to attend the event. As the reunion approached, Coriander opened up his kitchen to volunteers, accepting that such a grand undertaking required as much help as he could get!


During Sunset's family reunion, Coriander noticed a young Imperial sniffing around the kitchen more than once - she never seemed to be stalking the cooling desserts or bundles of fresh fish unlike the other little scallywags, so he paid her no mind. Little did he know, Santol was watching the chefs for most of the reunion's duration, sponging up the techniques and aromas floating about the kitchens for days on end. When she showed up at sunrise with the rest of the crew the following day, an oversized apron double-knotted around her waist, Coriander couldn't help but smile, vouching for her to stay as his apprentice.

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Sunset -> Link -> Dominic -> Coriander

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