Gruel

Gruel was a type of the simplest food, often being nothing more than bread mashed with water.

"They served us gruel with live maggots. And that was on good days!"

- Artek Ar'talen, or Artek the Knife

Description
Gruel was a gooey mash, stew, or soup, made with bread and a common food made by travelers and adventurers on the road. Hearty gruel was often cooked from oats, rice, or barley, with stock, salted meats like coney or pork, and seasoned with dried or fresh herbs and spices from travers' pouches. Vani gnomes of the Samek Valley in the Cold Lands made their staple dish – hot gruel porridge. On the islands of the Sea of Fallen Stars, gruel was made into congee using rice and flavored with fish. The gruel was served with deep-fried bread for dipping.

History
Gruel was a food consumed as early as the ancient empire of Netheril, where it was made with bread and water. By the 14 century DR, putrid grey maggot-infested gruel was fed to criminals imprisoned in the dungeons of Waterdeep as well as in the slave quarter of the monster city of Kushk in the Hordelands. Slightly more palatable simple gruel was fed to individuals captured and enslaved by the pirates and orcish slavers that sailed the Korinn Archipelago.

In the, wizard Akabar Bel Akash who recently joined Alias the Sellsword's adventuring group, used his culinary skills to make hearty gruel soup, well spiced and seasoned. His hin traveling companion Olive Ruskettle happily devoured her serving and asked for seconds, despite Akabar seasoning her portion with excessive amount of fiery peppers.

In the, Zhentil Keep in the Moonsea region faced with famine under the deity Cyric's tyrannical rule. Most commoners in the city, especially in the slums, saw little food apart from stale water and gruel. In the following year, the, the Cult of the Dragon fed gruel to its abductees made slaves in the ruins of Myth Drannor while the cult worked on excavations and control of the city's mythal.