From Places to Eat: Chronos Hearth
Price: 30 gold pieces
Magical Buff: Brief astral projection, allowing the consumer to visit another plane for five minutes.
Primary Delicious Ingredient: Layers of inter-dimensional cream and outer-planar fruits.
Recipe for Cosmos Cake
- Additional Ingredients Needed:
- 3 cups of inter-dimensional cream
- 2 cups of outer-planar fruits (star berries, moon apples, etc.)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup milk infused with astral essence
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- A pinch of salt
- Edible stardust for garnish
- Equipment or Utensils Required:
- Mixing bowls
- Electric or manual whisk
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Baking pans (9-inch round)
- Parchment paper
- Spatula
- Cooling rack
- Saucepan
- Sharp knife
- Skills Needed:
- Basic baking skills
- Intermediate magical affinity (for handling inter-dimensional cream and outer-planar fruits)
- Precision and attention to detail
- Time management
- Culinary Steps:
- Step 1: Preparing the Cake Batter
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture while alternating with the milk infused with astral essence.
- Mix until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
- Step 2: Baking
- Line two 9-inch round baking pans with parchment paper.
- Divide the cake batter equally between the two pans.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Step 3: Preparing Inter-dimensional Cream
- In a saucepan, gently heat the inter-dimensional cream without bringing it to a boil.
- Add a handful of edible stardust to the cream for extra potency.
- Set aside and let it cool.
- Step 4: Preparing Outer-Planar Fruits
- Using a sharp knife, carefully slice or dice the outer-planar fruits.
- If needed, use a small enchantment to stabilize the fruits’ extra-dimensional properties.
- Step 5: Assembling the Cake
- Once the cakes are cooled, place one layer on a serving plate.
- Generously spread a layer of inter-dimensional cream over the cake.
- Arrange a layer of outer-planar fruits over the cream.
- Place the second cake layer on top of the fruits.
- Cover the entire cake with the remaining inter-dimensional cream.
- Step 6: Decoration
- Garnish the cake with more outer-planar fruits and a sprinkle of edible stardust.
- Step 1: Preparing the Cake Batter
Your Cosmos Cake is now ready to serve. Consumption will grant brief astral projection capabilities, enabling the consumer to visit another plane for five minutes.
The Lore: The Cosmos Cake is a delicacy said to have originated from the culinary experiments of a legendary sage named Astralon, who was fascinated by the intricate weaving of dimensions and planes. Believing that the secrets of the cosmos could be unraveled through sensory experiences, Astralon combined rare ingredients from different planes of existence. The result was a cake that not only delighted the palate but also expanded the mind’s eye to see beyond the veil separating the realms.
It is said that Astralon shared this cake with a handful of other sages and scholars, allowing them to glimpse into other worlds and come back with knowledge that greatly advanced the magical arts. The cake became a hidden secret, shared only among the most advanced sages, and was never consumed frivolously. It is believed that some parts of the cake’s original recipe were lost when Astralon vanished into another dimension, but skilled chefs have been able to replicate it closely enough to offer a similar, if less potent, experience.
Values Acquired When Eaten for Tier One Avatars
- Abilities: Astral Projection: Allows the avatar to visit another plane of existence for five minutes. The avatar’s physical body remains in the same location while their astral form travels.
- Magics: Dimensional Awareness: Gain a +2 bonus on Arcana checks related to inter-dimensional knowledge for one hour.
- Stats Gained: Wisdom +1: Gain a temporary boost in Wisdom for one hour.
- Skills Gained: Plane Knowledge: Ability to identify basic properties of one randomly chosen plane of existence.
- Enchantments: Cosmic Clarity: Doubles the range of any detection spells or abilities for 15 minutes.
- Aura: Ethereal Radiance: Gives off a faint glow, illuminating a 5-foot radius around the avatar for 30 minutes.
- Significance: Consuming the Cosmos Cake is often seen as a rite of passage for fledgling mages, scholars, and other sentient beings interested in the intricacies of the universe.
- Symbolism: The Cosmos Cake is a representation of the multiverse itself, layered and complex. It symbolizes the endless possibilities that the universe offers and the interconnectedness of all things.
The benefits acquired from consuming this item can be stored within the avatar and activated later as an action. Upon activation, the stored benefits will last for their full duration as originally described.
Perception of the Five Senses and Extra-Sensory Perceptions
- Sight:
- What is Perceived: The Cosmos Cake appears as a layered confection with a multi-hued luminescence, seemingly shimmering between colors and shades.
- Description: Its aura softly illuminates its surroundings, giving it a celestial appearance.
- Positives: The cake’s visual beauty can inspire awe.
- Negatives: Some may find its radiant glow distracting.
- Smell:
- What is Perceived: A complex aroma that combines the scents of the outer-planar fruits and inter-dimensional cream.
- Description: Notes of exotic fruits mixed with an otherworldly sweetness.
- Positives: The aroma is entrancing and promotes a sense of well-being.
- Negatives: The smell is strong and might be overpowering for some.
- Taste:
- What is Perceived: A blend of flavors so complex that it seems to change with each bite.
- Description: The taste of the outer-planar fruits comes through strongly, mixed with the indescribable sweetness of the inter-dimensional cream.
- Positives: The flavor is exquisite and unlike any other food.
- Negatives: The complexity of the flavors may be overwhelming for some.
- Touch:
- What is Perceived: The texture of the cake is simultaneously smooth and complex.
- Description: The cake is soft and moist, while the cream and fruits add additional layers of texture.
- Positives: The cake is easy to cut and eat.
- Negatives: Those unfamiliar with its texture may find it disconcerting.
- Sound:
- What is Perceived: A faint, ethereal hum emanates from the cake.
- Description: It’s as if the cake is resonating with the frequencies of other dimensions.
- Positives: The sound enhances the otherworldly experience of consuming the cake.
- Negatives: Some might find the hum unsettling.
- Extra-Sensory Perception – Magical Resonance:
- What is Perceived: An innate sense of interconnectedness with the multiverse.
- Description: As if glimpsing the grand tapestry of existence, a subtle feeling of enlightenment.
- Positives: Heightened awareness and perception of magical energies.
- Negatives: A slight disorientation as the senses adjust to this new level of perception.
- Extra-Sensory Perception – Temporal Awareness:
- What is Perceived: A subtle sensation of the passage of time slowing or speeding up.
- Description: The feeling that time itself is malleable and subject to the will.
- Positives: Enhanced focus and concentration.
- Negatives: Might produce a fleeting sense of temporal disconnection.
Portion Size, Traits, and Tags
- Portion Size: One Cosmos Cake serves 6 to 8 people.
- Traits: Luminescent, Multi-layered, Ethereal Resonance.
- Tags: Celestial, Time-altering, Wisdom-boosting, Exotic.
The Cosmos Cake is considered a high-end magical culinary item, often reserved for special occasions and rituals. The ingredients are rare and its preparation requires both culinary and magical expertise. The cake is traditionally presented on a platter of enchanted silver, designed to contain and amplify its otherworldly energies.
The Telling of Cake from Stars and Void
Long ago, in elder days of universe unbending, sage Astralon existed. Wise sage, known for eye-gaze deep in cosmic wonders, thought being profound: “Could cosmic secrets by taste buds be caught?” Sage with robe in strange colors, took breath of quest and began experiment in old and mystic kitchen, where pots talked and spoons sung.
Astralon, gathering foods from realms afar and near, took what’s fruit of ghost-worlds, also cream of place-between-places. Many moons did pass. Cauldron bubbling, spell spoken in words forgotten. In end, emerge it did, the cake of cosmos, hues like twilight sky and aroma that gods would envy.
Yet, sharing wise, Astralon to few only. Gift of wisdom, gift of sight, not for all beings. Sages and minds profound eat and found visions new, depths unknown. One such sage, Zoritha was, took slice and found herself in garden made of mathematics. Came she back with formula changing ways of magical equation. Another, Orlamon, found spirit dancing in astral sea, bringing new song never heard, sung now in courts divine.
But Astralon, the wise, himself vanished one eve. Cake of cosmos, recipe part-lost, and sage into mists did go. Many say, Astralon now walks in realms of cake itself created, leaving behind, but crumbs of knowledge and wisps of stories, for sages future and minds yet to bloom.
Moral of Story: Quest for cosmic knowledge high, yet feet must on ground remain. For when one looks in abyss far, abyss too in one looks back, changing seer and seen, making new what once was so.
Suggested conversion to other systems:
Call of Cthulhu
Cosmos Cake
- Type: Consumable Item
- Cost: 30 Gold Pieces
- Effect: Upon consumption, gain a +10 bonus to Cthulhu Mythos for 1 hour. One-time use of Astral Projection spell.
Dungeons & Dragons 5e
Cosmos Cake
- Type: Wondrous Item (consumable)
- Rarity: Rare
- Cost: 30 Gold Pieces
- Effect: Consuming the cake grants the user the ability to cast “Astral Projection” for 5 minutes without requiring material components. Additionally, gain a temporary +2 Wisdom for 1 hour.
Knave
Cosmos Cake
- Type: Consumable
- Value: 30 Gold Pieces
- Effect: Grants temporary access to the “Astral Sight” ability, allowing the character to see into other dimensions for 5 minutes.
Numenera & Cypher System
Cosmos Cake
- Type: Cypher (Consumable)
- Level: 4
- Effect: When consumed, the user gains a one-time ability to visit another dimension for 5 minutes. Also provides an asset for Intellect tasks for 1 hour.
Pathfinder 2e
Cosmos Cake
- Type: Consumable Alchemical Item
- Level: 5
- Price: 30 Gold Pieces
- Activate: [Single Action]
- Effect: User gains the temporary ability to cast “Plane Shift” for 5 minutes, and gains a +2 circumstance bonus to Wisdom-based checks for 1 hour.
Savage Worlds
Cosmos Cake
- Type: Magical Item (Consumable)
- Cost: 30 Gold Pieces
- Effect: Consuming the cake grants the character the Arcane Background (Magic) edge for 1 hour and the ability to use “Astral Form” for 5 minutes.
Shadowrun
Cosmos Cake
- Type: Magical Artefact (Consumable)
- Availability: 10R
- Cost: 30,000 Nuyen
- Effect: Upon eating, the user gains Astral Perception for 5 minutes and +2 to Intuition for 1 hour.
Starfinder
Cosmos Cake
- Type: Magical Consumable
- Level: 5
- Price: 30 Gold Pieces
- Effect: Gain temporary use of “Mystic Portal” for 5 minutes and a temporary +2 Insight bonus to Wisdom checks for 1 hour.
Warhammer
Cosmos Cake
- Type: Arcane Item (Consumable)
- Rarity: Rare
- Cost: 30 Gold Crowns
- Effect: Consuming this cake grants the user the ability to cast a one-time spell “Visions Beyond” (allows astral travel) and provides a temporary +10 to Intuition for 1 hour.