Quests & Challenges

[center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80395082][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/803951/80395082_350.png[/img][/url] [quote=Round 1] We're celebrating our Harpy neighbors this year, and we want to make sure we make a good impression! Turns out I have more in common with them than I originaly thought, as we're all obligate carnivores. So lets kick this Jamboree off with the best meat dishes you can offer! Use at least [b]THREE[/b] of the following ingredients in your entry: [center] [item=Shredded Rambra Carcass][item=puddlehopper][item=meaty cotton candy][item=gamy shockshank] Shredded Rambra Carcass / Puddlehopper / Meaty Cotton Candy / Gamy Shockshank [/center] [/quote][/center] Einor stares down at the spread before her, glad that it was her who had elected to go first, rather than any of her plant- or insect- eater clanmates. She likes meat! She knows meat! And she has definitely seen some harpies gliding around the lair, though she doesn't quite know what they like to eat. But it can't be that different from a dragon's diet, right? [color=transparent]____[/color]The shredded Rambra carcass looks quite tasty, good enough that Einor will have to remind herself not to snack on it as she works. That shall be the centrepiece, she decides. [color=transparent]____[/color]The gamy shockshank looks good too, even if it seems to be twitching occasionally. Such a thing isn't about to put Einor off her food though! She sets a pot over the fire, putting the shockshank in with a drizzle of oil, some salt and herbs. She hopes the harpies will tolerate some plants in the form of seasoning. She tips a little water in and covers it, hoping to create a flavourful broth and tender meat just falling off the bone. [color=transparent]____[/color]Now onto the Rambra meat. Einor quite likes the look of it as is, but it would be rather impractical to cook. Instead she cuts it up into ribs, leaving the fat on, whilst waiting for a pan to get hot. They don't look very neat, but she's sure they'll taste good! Hopefully. [color=transparent]____[/color]Onto the pan they go, which sizzles wildly at the contact. Uh oh, the pan might have been a little hot. And perhaps some oil would have been good. Einor is feeling a little frazzled as she hurried to unstick the meat from the pan. Well, they look even worse now, but she's managed to avoid burning them too much. In fact, she thinks the charred meat looks quite delicious. [color=transparent]____[/color]But she mustn't eat it! [color=transparent]____[/color]To the pot she returns, trying to distract herself. At a taste, it is definitely lacking something... maybe a little sweetness. She eyes the meaty cotton candy, a sparkle in her eye. Into the pot it goes, with a little extra salt. [color=transparent]____[/color]She begins to plate up. The ribs, which were meant to be the centrepiece, are looking a little worse for wear after the events of the cook. Still, she tries to display them artfully, before taking the pot of the heat. She is a little nervous as she fishes out the shockshank. She was aiming for tender, meat falling off the bone. It certainly looks juicy, but she will have to await the judges' verdict as to their tenderness. [color=transparent]____[/color]The broth, however, she is quite confident on. It is salty and sweet, and she tips it over the rest of the meat, stepping back to admire her work. [color=transparent]____[/color]It looks... like a mess. But she is proud of her achievements, and she has hope that it will taste good!

[quote]Harpies can't leave a surface un-decorated, and what's more fun than a communal art project? For today's activity, tell us what your dragon contributes to this chaotic mural? A fantastic work of art? A scribble hidden in the corner? A haiku in the best caligraphy they can muster?[/quote] [center] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/33246309][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/332464/33246309_350.png[/img][/url] Zurie smiled at the mural, taking it in without really seeing. Chaos, yes, but beauty too. Words and pictures--dozens of hearts and minds that touched the same canvas. It was life itself, and she loved it. A familiar hum made her turn her head to regard her approaching mate. [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/332464/33246309_350.png?mtime=ZAAAAAAAAAA]Aio[/url] smiled warmly at his love, taking up position next to her. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" "That it is." She reached a gentle claw out to trace a few lines, "I wish we had space at the Carnival for a mural." "Perhaps we can make room. I'll ask the masters." Aio reached forward, taking a bowl of powdered flower petals, "Give me your hand." Zurie reached out obediently, letting him guide her to the powder and press down into it. He then gently pressed it to the wall with his own covering hers. Smiles adorned the lover's faces at the gesture and they stayed like that for a few moments before they both allowed their front limbs to drop back to the ground. Aio replaced the powdered flower petals in their original position. "There. Now you're part of it too." He nuzzled her gently. Zurie gave a pleased hum in response. A perfect close to the first day of Mistral Jamboree. [/center]

Fen eyes the ingredients available in this round. The Shredded Rambra Carcass Is fresh, if not a bit tattered, and the bones could be made into a rich broth with some time. Shockshank is usually not gamy when bled properly and roasted with onion, garlic and some stronger spice, like cumin, and Puddlehoppers are delightfully tender and these seem to be alive and kicking: Perfectly fresh! The meat sparse and tasting vaguely like chicken and fish. It would need a lighter touch from the fire, but the fishy taste would pair well with lime and spice...

"Ooh, how about... A curry!"

With a look at the time, the veilspun scrambles to gather the spices: tumeric, cumin, chilies, ginger, koriander, fenugreek, mustard, cayenne and clove go into his basket, before he remembers the basics and grabs both salt, onions, garlic, lime, sugar, salt, sunflower oil, milk, eggs, breadcrumbs, cornmeal and a small bag of rice.

Setting this on the table, he browses the pantry for some cauliflower, bell peppers, tomatoes, peas and chickpeas, before grabbing some flour, yogurt, yeast, peanut oil and butter.

Fen nets himself two Puddlehoppers from the pond, dropping it in a lidded bucket with a handful of breadcrumbs, which will make the amphibian easy to handle when needed.

With some nimble knifework, he strips some ribs from the Rambra carcass, then proceeds to hang the Shockshank haunch by the hoof and butcher it. He won't be able to properly bleed it like this, but massaging the meat under some running water should net him the same result here.

Some labor has the fire sputtering happily, and soon the small dragon has warmed up a small pan f water. He makes sure the temperature is pleasantly warm, before he sets it further from the fire and measures out half a cup of water. To this he adds a bit of sugar and two tablespoons of yeast.

As the yeast foams happily, he cuts the excess fat from the Rambra ribs, then separates the individual ribs from each other. and cleans off any bone shards. After, he washes the Shokshank in a nearby stream. It's barely been ten minutes when he returns to set the meat aside. He washes his hands and then measures out two and a half cup of flower on the table, fingers stirring the middle of the heap into a well. Quickly, he pours in about a cup of the plain whole yogurt, a bit of salt, tablespoon of oil and the yeast mixture, then kneads the dough until it is smooth. he puts it in a tall bowl, covers that with a towel and places it in the balmy, but not hot water of the pan near the fire.

Then he lights the fire on the stove, sets the pressure cooker on top, then pours in a very generous amount of oil. He pops the meat on another chopping board, generously sprinkling both with salt and cayenne. As the fire slowly catches on and gently heats the woodstove, he dices through the onion, garlic and chili, then drops the chili in the oil. Seconds later, he adds the rest of the spices, almost immediately following this with the garlic and after giving it a quick stir, most of the onion. (Some is set aside for the Puddlehopper) He stirs to make sure nothing burns, then shoves the onions out into a clean bowl, popping the ribs in pan and turning them such that they brown evenly in the fragrant oil. Shoving those aside, he pops in the cubed shokshank, charring it very lightly with the chickpeas. Meanwhile he chops the vegetables and throws those in with the onion and adds a bowl of water.

Carefully, he measures out a corresponding amount of peas, then screws on the lid and grabs a skillet and a wok from the pantry.

With a nimble twist, he grabs the Puddlehoppers from their bucket, swiftly ending its struggle. He strips off the skin, then neatly separates the hind legs from the frontal body. He washes the meat in running water before mixing flour, cornmeal, breadcrumbs, cayenne, salt, and the remaining onion in a bowl.

In another, he mixes about a quarter cup of milk and an egg.

Before he forgets, he starts the rice in a pan, washing it thoroughly before adding water and setting it on the hottest fire. When the water boils, he moves the pan to a much lower heat.

Meanwhile, the dough has doubled in size. The veilspun divides them in 8 portions, which he rolls out, then he heats up a skillet with some oil. He roasts the naan until both sides are spotted with a healthy brown, then brushes some butter over the piping hot bread.

He then heats up the content of the bottle of peanut oil in the same large skillet on medium-low fire. He dips the legs into the egg and then the breadcrumb mix, then lays them into the oil. As they fry, he tkes the pressure cooker off the heat, carefully letting the steam escape. When he opens the lid, a cloud of fragrant steam rolls out.

He spoons a decent portion of curry and tender Shockshank into a bowl, stacking two ribs on the side, then spoons the steamy rice into a small bowl, serving the naan and the legs on separate plates. He lays the whole ensemble out for the judges...

[center]Daily Activity: Sunday [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/66381544][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/663816/66381544_350.png[/img][/url][/center] Divam stands staring up at the wall, awestruck by the scale and sheer variety of materials at hand. He loves a good arts and crafts project, but this is the first one he's seen with so many creators. After watching the harpies and dragons at work for a while, he makes his move. Nose in one pot and then the next, poking at the jars of brushes with his chubby claws, he investigates the supplies available. A bright red paint is considered and discarded, several enormous broom type brushes are waved about experimentally, and some mysterious cans are given a good shake. At last he makes his choice, and flaps up to join the crowd. Holding an oversized shaker over his head, he dowses himself in glitter, and then flies SPLAT right into a fresh patch of wet paint. He gives a good wiggle to really work it in there and make a full impression, and then peels himself off. Darting backwards to take a look, he claps his claws together. He is thrilled. "I made a glitter dragon! Look! Its me!" And sure enough, in a field of green waving grass, a little dragon is dancing in sparkly silhouette! ----- [size=2]Whoooooops I forgot to finish signing up before the deadline! More time for dailies!

[quote=Round 1] We're celebrating our Harpy neighbors this year, and we want to make sure we make a good impression! Turns out I have more in common with them than I originally thought, as we're all obligate carnivores. So lets kick this Jamboree off with the best meat dishes you can offer! Use at least [b]THREE[/b] of the following ingredients in your entry: [center] [item=Shredded Rambra Carcass][item=puddlehopper][item=meaty cotton candy][item=gamy shockshank] Shredded Rambra Carcass / Puddlehopper / Meaty Cotton Candy / Gamy Shockshank [/center] [/quote] [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/forums/qnc/3218251/3#post_53750637][i]list of Clan Aquaurora Contenders[/i][/url][/center] "Um, Quartz?" Volare stared at the ingredients in dismay. Unlike most Skydancers, he was good with fish. Like most Skydancers, he was not good with meat. "Not to worry, Volare." "Should we call in the--" "No! We've got this. Besides, they are better at things that take days to prepare. We only have a few hours." Quartz was inspecting the meat as she spoke. A small eager voice from below them asked, "Soup?" "Maybe so, Floop. Actually, very likely today." Quartz picked at the rambra carcass. "Yes, a nice bone stock. You know how that works?" Floop grinned a gooey grin. "Bones in water with onions and carrots and celery. Good soup." "Exactly." Quartz lowered the Rambra carcass to the small Obelisk shape, and he scuttled over to his cauldron and went to work. "That ought to keep him out of mischief for a little while," Volare muttered. "Shush," the older Skydancer reprimanded him. "What are [i]you[/i] going to do?" Volare sighed. "I'm going to prepare the puddlehoppers." He began the unpleasant process of skinning the little frogs and removing their legs. "Shall I toss the offal into the soup stock?" "YES!" Floop called. "More things in soup ALWAYS good!" "Sure, go ahead," Quartz responded, gingerly poking the shockshank. "Has anyone seen Bitbyte?" "Over by the poetry contest, I think." Volare was antennae-deep in little frog guts. "Figures." Quartz slumped. "I'll have to do it myself." She grabbed two rubber-handled forks, gingerly lifted the haunch, and stuck it into a metal pole sticking out of the ground nearby. The resulting discharge made every contestant around their area jump and look at them. Quartz, feathers still vibrating, thanked Tidelord that she had remembered Bitbyte's injunction about rubber handles. She quickly returned the haunch to the prep area and started cleaning it. "Next time warn me that you're about to do that!" Volare's feathers stuck out in every direction. "Sorry," Quartz grunted. "Didn't have time. Still don't, in fact." If she didn't start the cooking process soon, static electricity would build up in the leg once again. Having trimmed the connective tissue and fat off the outside, she slathered the meat in salt and pepper and put it in a roast pan with several sticks of butter. Into the oven it went. Volare finished cleaning the frogs. He grimaced as he added the skins and bones to Floop's soup pot. "How can something so slippery be so sticky at the same time?" he asked, trying unsuccessfully to peel frog skins off his claws. Quartz shrugged. "So let's see. We have a shockshank roast getting started. We have a rambra-and-puddlehopper bone broth started. We have puddlehopper legs waiting to be prepared. And we have meaty cotton candy...to do something with." She grimaced. "Gross. Whose idea was that anyway?" Floop licked the stringy tail of one of the cotton candy fluffs. "Good. Make good soup?" "NO, Floop. No candy in the soup. You're doing fine so far. Keep it up." Quartz gave him a little piece to snack on. With one eye fixed on him to make sure he DIDN'T put it in the broth, she continued. "I'm going to get some high-voltage almonds to roast, grind, and coat the shockshank. What are you going to do with your frog legs?" Volare sniffed at them. "They have a little bit of a fishy flavor to them...should I make some frog sushi?" Quartz shook her head. "Harmony, Volare, harmony is key. Sushi may be delicious, but it doesn't go with shank roast and bone broth." "Oh." Volare looked over at Floop, and surreptitiously nudged the rest of the cotton candies farther away from his grasping paw. "Um. Bone broth. Um. What if we did a ramen?" "I'm listening." Volare's confidence grew as he warmed to his idea. "Strain the nasty stuff out of the broth, cook some noodles, add shredded shank roast, grilled frog legs, and assorted vegetables..." "Sounds good." Quartz nodded. "Good SOUP!" Floop yelled excitedly. "Yes." She smiled at him. "And the cotton candy?" "Oh. Um. Maybe we could make it into sticky rice buns? It would match with the ramen, as a dessert." "Excellent." Quartz stretched her wings. "You'd better get on that, then." "Where are you going?" Volare asked suspiciously. "To make sure Quartzite stays out of trouble. Don't worry, I'll be back soon. Keep an eye on Floop." ----- Volare stood before the judges, fidgeting nervously. "H-hello. Today we have ramen, cooked in a [b]Rambra Carcass[/b] bone broth. Included as additions are bean sprouts, seaweed, shredded roast [b]Gamy Shockshank[/b] (discharged), grilled [b]Puddlehopper[/b] legs, spicy basil, hardboiled eggs, and fresh jalepenos. For dessert we have a sticky bun made with sticky rice flour and [b]Meaty Cotton Candy[/b]." "Additionally," Quartz added, "a cooling mint bubble tea on the side, with cream." "ENJOY YOUR GOOD SOUP!" Floop added cheerfully. [quote=Day 1] Harpies can't leave a surface un-decorated, and what's more fun than a communal art project? For today's activity, tell us what your dragon contributes to this chaotic mural? A fantastic work of art? A scribble hidden in the corner? A haiku in the best caligraphy they can muster? [/quote] Quartz wandered the festival grounds in search of her mate. She spied him some distance away, but her attention was distracted by the colorful mural-in-progress. "You want to add something?" A friendly Harpy offered her a paintbrush. "Oh! I, um, I'm not really one for art. Not this kind, anyway. I work with herbs and food." The Harpy examined the herbs along her wings and back with interest. "Oh cool! Actually, I know of something you can do." She reached for one of Quartz' herbs. "May I? It won't be usable after this..." Quartz riffled through her herbs. "How about this sprig? It's a little on the old side." "Perfect." The Harpy skipped over to the wall and held the herb sprig against it. Then she slapped the paint-loaded brush over the herb several times. When she pulled the herb away, a perfect silhouette appeared. "Oh! That's amazing!" Quartz reached for the painted herb. "May I try?" The Harpy just grinned and handed her the herb and the brush. "As much as you want. You'll find other colors of paint over there." Quartz spent a quarter hour experimenting with different shades and angles of her herb sprig. The negative spaces blended together. In the end, a grey-stone tree appeared in the center of a messy green-and-purple oval. "Thank you," Quartz said to the Harpy after she finally put down her brushes and began to wash her claws. "I really enjoyed that. Come by the Mistral Meals tent sometime this week, and I'll make you a glass of tea!"

[center][b]Round 1[/b] [b]Dish:[/b] Savanna Fried Rice [img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/498870/49886956.png[/img][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/avatars/456979/45697842.png[/img] [item=shredded rambra carcass][item=puddlehopper][item=gamy shockshank] [item=livewire endlers][item=dusty marigold][/center] Delta entered the kitchen in the tent and began to survey her surroundings. Her friend Anaconda followed her, also looking at the fancy gadgets that were always in the Mistral Meal competition. She looked at the basket of ingredients in front of her. "This year's Harpy themed," she told Anaconda as the other Wildclaw nodded. "So I guess today we're making something that they would also eat." Anaconda smiled. "I have an idea. Hopefully they like fried rice!" Delta grabbed some rice from a cabinet and poured it into a pot filled with water. She set it to cook for awhile, the lightning-flight fueled stoves making cook far more efficiently than a regular stove. While that was going, she grabbed the Puddlehoppers and started to skin and cut them into small cubes. Anaconda, meanwhile, grabbed the Rambra Carcass and started to separate the meat from the bones. She then sliced it into strips and cut those strips into cubes like the Puddlehoppers. She took the Gamy Shockshank and did the same thing. "Hey, why don't we add some Livewire Endlers? I know the Shockshank and Zeeba are from the Thunderhead Savanna, so it might be nice to add a little more theming into the dish. Plus, there are some harpies in the Thunderhead Savanna so I know they'd eat it!" "Good idea!" Delta grabbed the Endlers and started to cut them into small pieces to add to the pan where they had already started to cook the other meat on. Anaconda added some sliced Dusty Marigold, which also was found in the Thunderhead Savanna, as Delta took the rice out of the pot. It was still damp, but it dried out quickly when she blew fire onto it. Delta tossed it into the pan with the meat and marigolds and started to stir it around with a wooden spoon. Anaconda grabbed some spices from another cabinet and sprinkled them in. When the rice was done frying, Delta grabbed the pan and shook it out onto a few plates, scattering more Dusty Marigold petals on top. Anaconda took a bite of their meal, her mouth breaking out into a wide smile when she tasted it. She nodded at it. "This may be the best thing we've made!" Delta smiled back. She really hoped they'd be able to win this competition!

[center][b]Daily Activity: Day 1 Sunday[/b] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/75573821][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/755739/75573821_350.png[/img][/url][/center] [quote=Day 1]Harpies can't leave a surface un-decorated, and what's more fun than a communal art project? For today's activity, tell us what your dragon contributes to this chaotic mural? A fantastic work of art? A scribble hidden in the corner? A haiku in the best caligraphy they can muster?[/quote] Reishi of Team Strinjale had finished his part of cooking for the first round. Since they still have to wait a while before they can serve their food to the judges, he decides to take a stroll through the festival grounds. The large wooden mural had caught his eye, and he couldn't help but grab a new piece of chalk and started drawing. First he drew feathers, then he added little gusts of wind. The feathers and the wind had to come from somewhere, so he sketched the outline of a Streak. A pretty Streak, with it's wings spread wide and in a majestic pose. This Streak could use a partner. He didn't want to take up too much space, so he drew a smaller one by it's side. He gave this one a little cloak. Reishi stared at his drawing for while. Feeling emboldened, he added a third Streak. An even smaller one. He didn't put too much detail into this one, but he did doodle hearts around it. By the time he finished, only a tiny piece of the chalk was left. He kept it and headed back to his station. Their food should be ready to be plated now.

[quote=Round 1] We're celebrating our Harpy neighbors this year, and we want to make sure we make a good impression! Turns out I have more in common with them than I originaly thought, as we're all obligate carnivores. So lets kick this Jamboree off with the best meat dishes you can offer! Use at least THREE of the following ingredients in your entry: [center] [item=Shredded Rambra Carcass][item=Puddlehopper][item=Meaty Cotton Candy][item=Gamy Shockshank] Shredded Rambra Carcass / Puddlehopper / Meaty Cotton Candy / Gamy Shockshank [/center] [/quote] [url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/80730593][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/807306/80730593_350.png[/img][/url] Although the Cooks At Heart team was original going to start with their leader, Ouranos, he in particular was the one who determined the team's specialty as being salads, and there was a distinct lack of salad ingredients in this round. Instead, they decided to open up the competition with Erebus whose individual specialty is actually soups. Erebus looked at the ingredients for only a couple moments before an idea sparked in left head, who quickly communicated it to his right. He grabbed the [b]Shredded Rambra Carcass[/b], [b]Meaty Cotton Candy[/b], and [b]Gamy Shockshank[/b], discarding the Puddlehopper. Once he'd placed the ingredients at his station, he scurried to the pantry, where he grabbed a couple Siltvine stems, a handful of Edamame, a bowl of Brussels Sprouts, a couple Sanddrift Aconite, and couple Grove Ferns. He scurried back to his station where he cleaned all of the meat off of the Rambra Carcass and placed the bones in a pot, along with a carefully prepared mix of slices of Siltvine stems and Grove Fern leaves. He then added water and set the pot to boil, keeping one of his heads watching it while he began preparing the meats, cutting them up into bite-size pieces (well, on the smaller side to accomodate all sizes of judges) and searing them just enough that they were fully cooked. Once that was done, he began grinding up some Sanddrift Aconite into a fine powder. The pot began to boil and he removed it from the heat, carefully scooping out the bones and throwing them out. He then added the meat from the carcass and the Gamy Shockshank that he'd cut up, followed by the Meaty Cotton Candy, the cotton part of which he let dissolve into the bone broth to add a bit of sweetness. Next he added the Edamame and Brussel Sprouts and sprinkled in the powdered Aconite, taste testing it a couple times before it reached the exact level of spice that he was looking for, not too hot but with a good kick to it. He put the pot back on the heat and stirred it occasionally for a few minutes, only taking it off again when the flavors had enough time to absorb into the meat and vegetables and for the vegetables to soften to a pleasant texture. Finally, he served a portion into bowls for each of the judges. [center][i]This dish was inspired by my mom's chicken soup recipe![/i][/center] [center][item=Shredded Rambra Carcass][item=Meaty Cotton Candy][item=Gamy Shockshank][item=Siltvine][item=Edamame][item=Brussels Sprouts][item=Sanddrift Aconite][item=Grove Fern][/center] [quote=Day 1 Daily Activity][center]Harpies can't leave a surface un-decorated, and what's more fun than a communal art project? For today's activity, tell us what your dragon contributes to this chaotic mural? A fantastic work of art? A scribble hidden in the corner? A haiku in the best caligraphy they can muster?[/center][/quote] Erebus was never greatly skilled with art but his two heads were thought they were great at writing poems, even though it took them a long time to decide on the exact word choice and they had a, lets say, unique way of writing them. He found a small clear spot between two drawings and wrote a poem in that space. "A chef's first love is food, [right]If you're a chef at heart,[/right] A full stomach can change your mood, [right]You don't have to be smart,[/right] Turning away a dish is rude. [right]Just grab some food and start."[/right]