Ash-Sugar Pebbles
“Harder than regret, sweeter than victory.”
Ash-Sugar Pebbles are a classic Dwarven hard candy — rock-solid, long-lasting, and flavored with a variety of bold natural ingredients like firemint, cave-anise, or forge-charcoal. Named for their size and texture, these candies resemble polished river stones and can be stored for decades without spoilage.
They’re favored by miners, children, warriors on long marches, and philosophers chewing over hard thoughts. Some versions are even laced with mild stimulants or alchemical herbs for focus and endurance.
Manufacturing process
“If it doesn’t make your jaw ache and your eyes water just a bit, it’s not ready.”
Instructions
- Prepare the Candy Base
In a thick-bottomed iron pot, combine sugar and water. Stir constantly over medium-high forge heat until it reaches a boil. Continue boiling until it reaches the hard crack stage (about 150°C or 300°F). A blacksmith’s thermometer works great for this — or test by dropping into cold water: it should snap like glass. - Add Ash & Flavor
Once at temperature, remove from heat. Stir in forged ash, black salt, and your chosen flavoring quickly but carefully. The mixture should bubble and darken slightly, taking on a glossy, obsidian hue. - Form the Pebbles
Pour the hot mixture in small drops (about the size of a coin or finger-joint) onto a flat, greased slab of stone or metal. Work quickly — it sets fast. - Cool & Harden
Let cool completely. The finished candies should be smooth, solid, and just barely gritty from the ash. They should clack loudly when dropped into a metal tin. - Storage
Store in waxed cloth or sealed stone jars. Properly made, Ash-Sugar Pebbles last for decades, improving with age.
Significance
Cultural Tidbits
- Used in Games: Dwarven children sometimes compete to see who can suck a Pebble without biting it.
- Memory Stones: Some elders place a single Pebble in a grandchild’s pocket before a long journey as a charm of endurance and sweetness in hard times.
- Gord Rammson’s Judgement: He once spat out a Pebble in public, declaring, “That wasn’t a candy, that was cowardice boiled.” The confectioner quit on the spot.
Item type
Consumable, Food / Drink
Raw materials & Components
Ingredients (Makes 30–40 pebbles)
- 2 cups stone-sugar crystals, finely ground (or a 1:1 mix of molasses and coarse cane sugar)
- ½ cup volcanic spring water (or lightly salted mineral water)
- 1 tbsp forged ash (edible charcoal dust from fruitwood or sugarcane)
- ¼ tsp black salt (optional, for boldness)
- ½ tsp flavoring (choose one):
- Crushed firemint leaves
- Ground anise root
- Glowpepper essence (for spicy variants)
- Smokebloom oil (for a rare, faintly bioluminescent version)
Notes & Variants
- Fireforge Variant: Add powdered glowpepper and cinnamon bark for a heat-burst center.
- Miner's Pick: A version infused with wake-root extract is used by tunnelers to stay alert during long shifts.
- Bloom-Affected Variant: A banned experimental version laced with low-dose Bloom mycelial extract glows faintly in the dark — considered a delicacy and a hazard.
- Children’s Favorite: Sweetened versions use caveberry extract and are often colored with mineral powders for swirl effects.
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