Stew the Awakened Moth
The proprietor of Stew's Brews in the Faerie Market is a miniature awakened incarnation moth who has survived much longer than others of his kind. He was the familiar of a noted dwarven alchemist until his master perished and Stew began a life of his own in Faerie. He makes a particularly piquant mineral oil brandy that I quite enjoy!
Stew's mistress, Breana Grogadd was a legendary alchemist who made mead and brewed beers that the gods themselves would come to drink! At the end of her long life, she took pity on a runty moth, making him her familiar and apprentice. And that Az-damned little dude learned! He's living up to the legend of his mistress and making one of his own in Faerie!
Most incarnation moths live for less than a week after their mating dance in the skies above the Kirinal Pit. The miniature awakend moth named Stew emerged from his cocoon much smaller than his brothers and sisters. He was too small to join the dance and his cocoon yielded only tiny hex crystals.
When the time came to clear out the runts, the ancient brewmaster Breana Grogadd saw something special in the little moth. She granted him the blessing of awakening and named him Stew, after her favorite thing in the world.
In the few years she had left,she taught the little moth everything she knew. He accompanied her everywhere she went. When she died peacefully in her sleep, she left everything to her diminutive apprentice.
Stew's Brews
After a few years, Stew set up shop in the Faerie Market and opened up a tavern and brewhouse named Stew's Brews. He honors his mistress by continuing her recipes alive and taking on unlikely apprentices to follow in their footsteps. His current apprentice is the goblin Tugbug, a revolutionary who believes in the downfall of the Magisters and the rise of goblinkind.
The tavern is a welcoming space filled with the smell of hops and pleasant alchemical ingredients. Stew holds court in front of an immense cauldron that bubbles and hums with his latest creations. He's currently obsessed with Myconid Tea, a non-lethal procedure where sporing myconids bathe in a special preparation that produces powerful potions.
The tavern has several permanent gates to the Kirinal Concordance Zone, Midgard, and Mount Celestia. Stew will activate them for trusted patrons, who are willing to pay the price of activation.
Appearance
Stew is a cat-sized iridescent incarnation moth, tiny in comparison to his wyvern-sized brethren. It is theorized that his small size has contributed to his long life. Most of his kind live for less than a week after mating. Stew has lived for decades.
He is friendly and enthusiastic, always eager to meet new people and curious about their lives.
I love Stew. I would die for Stew. I would drink his tea. (He is called Brew in a few sections of this.)
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I fixed the naming thing! (Fun fact, I was constantly calling him "Brew" in game and getting corrected by my players!) Stew's myconid tea is definitely special and only made with the cooperation of consenting myconids!
Take a look at my Institutions of Learning challenge article.
Learn about the World of Wizard's Peak and check out my award winning article about the Ghost Boy of Kirinal!