The MeatMan’s Manuel, a Collection of Recipes by Francis Sinclair

Found in the homes of most every domestic Human, Dwarf, and (though often kept secret) Elf in Midvail, The MeatMan’s Manuel is considered to be an essential cookbook for any and all chefs who cook and dine on the meat of animals who live on Dioya. Packed full of not only recipies, but tales of adventure, hunting methods for specific animals, and even a bit of a tourism guide, The MeatMan’s Manuel is a celebration of the life, cuisine, and culture that can be found in Dioya.   During the very first years of the Era of Change, a young human named Francis Sinclair was tasked with slaying a Genie named Varmouth. Francis Sinclair was a former guard of the Kingdom of Hearthfield in Midvail, but after losing an eye in a duel with a fellow guard whose wife he had relations with, he had to turn to a life of collecting bounties. This such bounty was a high priority one from a notorious Meat Man, Chimal Orantis. Meat Men were a social class unto themselves in Midvail as the meat industry was as diverse as it was popular. Chimal Orantis, being an enterprising Half-Goblin saw the Meat Man game as one that was his to win, offering a large bounty on anyone who could slay a Genie and present the meat to be served at that year’s annual “Meat Man Meetup”   It took Sinclair 3 months to find Varmouth hiding in a jar in an old Elven noble’s medicine cabinet, deep in Hearthfield’s residential district. Sinclair and Varmouth fought for hours, Sinclair holding his own against the magical might of the Genie. Eventually, Sinclair struck a lucky blow and had his blade pressed against Varmouth’s neck. Begging for his life, Varmouth offered him something far more valuable than any bounty, a wish. Varmouth believed it would be poetic justice if he could make Sinclair a successful MeatMan, offering him just that. Sinclair took Varmouth’s offer and wished to not only become a successful Meatman but “To be the most successful Meat Man in the world.” Varmouth obliged, and with a flick of the Genie’s wrist, the Sinclair Meat Company was born.   Francis Sinclair immediately felt the downside to becoming the most successful Meat Man in Dioya. Just because his wish came true, did not mean that Sinclair’s success would be stable. Varmouth had given him wealth, inventory, and even a factory right in the heart of Hearthsfield’s industrial district, but Francis had no idea how to run a company, no employees at all, and no idea what made good meat good. Sinclair acted fast, quickly acquiring smaller Meat Man companies with diversified production such as the Elven Sylisa Fishing Company in Glenarm, Halfling Gippa Game Company in Thicket, and even Hearthfield’s own Orantis’ Exotic Meats; putting Chimal Orantis on his board of executives. Sinclair then did the unthinkable: he left the company. Not literally though. Francis Sinclair believed that if he was to own a Meat Company, he’d have to become a master of meats. So he traveled throughout Midvail and even some areas of The Clansplains tasting, testing, and learning of all the meats that the races who he would cater to eat. Years passed and Sinclair wrote hundreds of different recipes, location guides, and quality tests in his notebook, all wile experiencing all that Dioya had to offer, occasionally checking in on how things were going with the Sinclair Meat Company. During his time traveling, Francis Sinclair married another human from the city of Ozyrn, Kera Rockfinger. Kera Rockfinger, then Kera Sinclair, produced 3 children for Francis Sinclair, two daughters, Juliet and Amber and one son, Francis Sinclair II. Francis Sinclair had achieved everything he wished on the road, but at the ripe age of 62, he decided it was finally time to run his company. But not all was positive when he returned to Hearthfield.   Sinclair’s youthful shortsightedness was in full swing when he left the Sinclair Meat Company in the hands of his board of executives. Chimal Orantis had gotten his revenge during the years he was gone, launching a fullscale takeover of the company changing near everything, but the name. The other board members had essentially stripped Sinclair of all power he held at his company and wrote him off as fleeting and unqualified. Hurt, but never defeated, Sinclair played his hand in the form of nothing more than a book. With all the money he had to his name, Francis Sinclair published “The MeatMan’s Manuel, a Collection of Recipes by Francis Sinclair” in every major city in Midvail. Sinclair made sure the book was printed in Common, Goblin, Elven, Dwarven, and Gnomish so any and all of the people who came from the places he visited could read it. Sinclair commissioned Bards to visit Taverns and read aloud excerpts, even tasking the most bold to hold live cooking demonstrations for all to enjoy. The Meatman’s Manuel was the first book of its kind, becoming a smash hit all across Midvail and even distributed in the Devic Order for “record keeping purposes.” The Sinclair name became synonymous with meat and Francis Sinclair was elected back into power at his company.   Francis Sinclair enjoyed 10 years as the president of his company, surrounded by people who respected him and expanding his business all across Midvail (With exception of many major Elven cities which were devoutly vegetarian.) His life was abruptly cut short one day when he was killed on his way to work by a swarm of massive bees. Local reports say that Chimal Orantis was seen around the scene of the crime, but this is still considered hearsay.   While Francis Sinclair I is dead, the Sinclair Meat Company is still the biggest meat trading company in all of Dioya, with The MeatMan’s Manuel still in print and a Francis Sinclair (The IV as of The Great Disturbance) still remains the president.