Mountain Mead

"If the Freva bees don't kill you, the mead will!" - Unknown Makovai individual

  Mountain Mead was a type of alcoholic drink famous among the Makovai for its strong taste and dangerous production process. The drink was made from the fermented honey of Freva bees.

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The first mountain mead was made before the First Era, but for a long time was a delicacy only enjoyed by elites. The reason for its rarity was a historically dangerous and costly manufacturing process. Freva bees, who produced the honey required for the drink, were the sizes of small dogs and their hives were the size of houses. In addition, the creatures were fairly aggressive, not trusting of outsiders. The earliest producers of mountain mead were monks who devoted their entire lives to the building of friendships with Freva bees, so that they might be allowed to take some of their honey.   Production of mountain mead rapidly increased after the First Era, with the development of Freva magic. Freva magic was used to calm large numbers of Freva bees at once for a short time, so honey could be siezed quickly in grand amounts. Large, non-monastery run breweries opened at this point, and for the first time Mountain Mead could be enjoyed by the masses.   Additionally, mountain mead was also exported for the first time. Though other dwarven groups such as the Sverden loved the drink, most humans, elves, and other races found the substance foul at best. Gnomes who consumed mountain mead were known to fall into comas for up to three months.   The Ikkatha orcs had perhaps the most infamous relationship with mountain mead. Genes possessed by large numbers of Ikkatha made them prone to addiction to certain components of the drink. Entire settlements were known to be destroyed by mountain mead addiction, though by the Fourth Era, most Ikkatha were able to refuse offers of the drink.