St. Giselle's Tea

There's nothing like a warm cup of St. Giselle's at the end of the day. It warms the bones like nothing else, especially out here. Let's raise a glass to our Patron, without whom we would be bereft of such small luxury.

— A hunter in the Begoria Mountain Range

  St. Giselle's tea is a popular blend of black tea and spices in Mira, especially in the northern towns close to the Begoria Mountain Range. Blended by St. Giselle in a small monastery tucked in the mountains, the brew is said to restore vitality to any who drink it, sometimes to supernatural levels.  

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The Winter Rose

St. Giselle was a young nun living in a Cloister in the Begoria mountains. Hailing from the warm shores of Shimshar, the young woman struggled to adapt to the harsh and cold mountain environment. her habit and scapular were often padded with thick wool tights, muffs and socks. Still, she attended to her assignments dutifully.   St. Giselle's miracle comes from a story where, in late winter, the nuns allowed a convoy of hunters into the walls of their cloister to take shelter from a fierce storm. The wind battering the great gates was soon joined by the battering from the mountain wolves, who sensed the injuries amongst the hunters and were closing in for the kill. The hunters and the nuns gathered in the great chapel, anxious and praying to the Creator for salvation.   St. Giselle, who was enduring a case of Scruples and found herself distant from the Creator's love, instead busied herself in the kitchens, attempting to put together a warm meal for their unexpected guests. She purchased some spices off the merchants in the convoy, using them to blend a hot spiced drink. In a moment of spiritual clarity, She held her hands over the large pot the spices were simmering and prayed;  

Heavenly Creator, master of all and king of the universe, Look down upon this humble gift of your servant. May it warm their bones and strengthen their arms, Just as your love warms our hearts and strengthens our souls, that we may further declare the works of your glory.

  Her heart soothed and her spirit calmed, St. Giselle set about ladling the brew into mugs to be distributed to the guests. When the hunters drank of the brew, they found their courage not only restored, but soaring. Those with lingering injuries found their pain fading. And not a moment too soon; the wolves were beginning to break through the door.   The hunters lifted their bows and charged as one out of the Great Chapel, into valiant battle with the wolves. In what was called a miracle soon after by the Pope, not a single man sustained as much as a scratch in the battle, while every wolf that burst through the gates was laid low. The rest were sent on the run, back into the storm.  

The Gift of St. Giselle's Cloister

  In modern times, the Cloister-now named for St. Giselle-is the sole proprietor of St. Giselle's tea. While multiple other teamakers have created their own variations in an attempt to snag some of the popularity, only St. Giselle's maintains the original recipe. While the brew as it is sold today does not (usually) retain the miraculous aspects of its origin, there are many who attribute small miracles or swift recoveries to a cup of this mountain-based brew.