Kaito strode into the cordoned off preparation area, inspecting each tool as he passed by them. Jogid had set up identical work stations along one wall—long wooden tables topped with light granite, providing sanitary, stain-resistant surfaces.
Yes, all necessities were arranged perfectly. The array of utensils, mixing bowls and pans were ready for use.
He tied his apron and donned his tall toque hat. To his left, his opponent was also ready for the final stage of the Winter Solstice baking competition.
Kaito chuckled, not surprised to see Rosto in the finals. He paused, remembering the interesting notes Rosto’s cuppotil cake left on his mouth when he visited his booth during the early days of the festival. He would have to prepare something truly remarkable to defeat him, perhaps the recipe he’d been trying to perfect since his first day in Calmo village.
The crowd gathered around the outdoor baking arena. On a raised platform sat three judges: Edweth, sitting in for Zenith as the Calmo representative to avoid any conflict of interest; Tharbomi himself, representing Eastscar; and a guest judge invited by Jogid, Gus Stus Proudmantle, to serve as a neutral party.
At Edweth’s signal, Kaito inclined his head and prepared his station. He arranged ingredients just so, then straightened, awaiting the contest commencement.
In contrast, Rosto whipped his colored cloak with a flourish, summoning bursts of harmless fireworks to gasps from onlookers. He waved cheerily, then crouched to review his tools.
My god what garish theatrics…
Edweth raised a red handkerchief over the hubbub then dropped it sharply. “Begin!” she declared. The final round was officially underway!
Kaito began his recipe by precisely measuring out ingredients—smoked ultima flour, voltrun eggs, and rare Hellberries imported from his homeland. With metronomic focus, he mixed and kneaded the dough. To observers, his hands seemed to phase in and out of reality during the rhythmic motions.
Zenith, providing commentary since she couldn’t judge the competition, leaned over his work station. “Kaito, your Chris P. Creme doughnuts look divine. What’s your secret to such a perfect texture?”
“Good morning Mayor Zenith, it’s all in my special Transcendent Twist technique. A bit of interdimensional magic to make the dough light and airy.”
“Intriguing! I can’t wait to see how the judges react to this culinary magic of yours.”
Isn’t that cheating?
Not at all, this is my own technique—patent pending—where I send pockets of the dough to an alternate dimension. It makes the texture perfect!
Kaito then began the process of frying, glazing, and filling his experimental Chris P. Creme doughnuts, hoping to successfully work through the step he hasn’t quite perfected yet.
Meanwhile, Rosto dumps fistfuls of obsidian cocoa powder, crushed velvet beans and other exotic ingredients into a solid gold mixing bowl. Chuckling to himself, he extracts an ancient tome from his cloak and flips through frayed pages, releasing small sparks.
Karen, could you please run an identify spell on that tome… actually, make sure to run it at level 1. Keep the explanation as brief as possible.
I thought you didn’t want distractions during the competition, oh but I guess now you need something. You know what—don’t worry I got you.
[Forbidden Delicacies] - Rarity: Antique. You’ve found a tome that’s basically the culinary equivalent of a cryptic crossword puzzle. Contents: A collection of recipes so exotic, they might as well be written in—what’s that language you learned when you were twelve? Right, Klingon. Usefulness: Questionable at best. WARNING: Trying these recipes might lead to unexpected kitchen disasters or the discovery of new food allergies. Enjoy!
That was actually…not useful at all.
Mission accomplished! You asked for brief, not helpful. You’re welcome!
Kaito paused in his work to subtly chant an incantation. The dough rose instantly before him into perfect rounded shapes. ‘Uhs’ and ‘ohs’ arose from the spectators. Yet his focus remained on crafting the last spheres...
Rosto poured a shadowy liquid over his layered concoction, whispered what sounded like a prayer to lost gods, then slid his ornate dessert into his oven’s demonic flames. Hideous faces briefly appeared in the flames before he shut it with a wink. His Shadow Velvet Cake was nearing completion...
The two bakers locked eyes across the stage as the clock ticked down. Both certain that only one could claim the Solstice trophy this day!
“Rosto, your Shadow Velvet Cake is quite the spectacle. What inspired this creation?” Zenith asked,
“I believe in baking that entices not just the taste buds but the soul. This cake is a blend of the darkest cocoa and my own unique touch,” Rosto proclaimed dramatically.
“It certainly has a mysterious allure. The judges seem quite captivated by it.”
“Ah, but the true magic lies in the taste. Let’s hope it’s as enchanting as its appearance,” Rosto added with a flourish and a grin.
When the allotted time passed the halfway mark, Edweth stood and raised her trembling hands, waiting for the performers to pause in their work.
“Before both our esteemed finalists complete their creations incorporating techniques we’ve admired today,” she announced, her voice stronger than she felt. “allow me to reveal this competition’s secret ingredient!”
She held aloft a small sack, then overturned it. Verdant stalks with tiny blue blossoms spilled out, drawing excited murmurs.
“Glallashoot periplaneta!” Edweth declared while the crowd’s excitement drowned her words. “One of the finest delicacies in the realm, with a buttery smooth taste unparalleled.”
“Well chosen for a dish worthy of the solstice!” Tharbomi proclaimed in approval. Appreciative rumbles came from the enrapt spectators.
Kaito nodded, the periplaneta’s herbal notes would pair excellently with his intended flavors. An ideal selection.
Now, how to best incorporate this ingredient against whatever concoction Rosto’s creating…
Kaito deftly chopped the glallashoot periplaneta, adding it to the glaze for his doughnuts. He chanted softly. It was a beautiful lullaby that infused the glaze with subtle flavor notes from the secret ingredient—light, smoothing, delicate.
Rosto grasped his Shadow Velvet Cake, murmuring a dark incantation. The dessert visibly deepened from jet black to voidal black, the very shadows seeming to channel into frosted layers. Enriching, darkening. Until light itself withdrew from the confection.
He picked up the glaze-filled bag and eyed the first fried doughnut. Okay Karen, time to decorate these bad boys and make ‘em shine.
The doughnuts were ready for the next step. As Kaito carefully pointed the piping bag atop the first doughnut, a sudden, almost infernal wind gust swept through his station, nearly messing up his aim. He instantly rolled with the wind current, using the wacky air patterns to trace sweet glaze designs.
The crowd watched, confused but impressed, as he piped neat glyphs and curls on each doughnut. Kaito guided the glaze tip along the winding gusts like a painter. The wind did his work for him, while Rosto frowned in the next booth.
Kaito poured glaze over his last perfectly fried sphere. Each Chris P. Creme emerging ideal; round golden dough emitting the faintest blue-hued glow, topped with otherworldly cream. Beside him Rosto applied final adornments to his cake, whose light-devouring exterior crawled with tiny edible spiders and roses.
This will be tough. Zenith was right, it was ‘alure from darkness.’ That’s actually brilliant.
As the finishing touches were applied to both creations, the air started to crackle with energy. Kaito’s ambient doughnut aroma floated gently over the hushed spectators—light as a sunbeam—but before it could envelop the crowd, an answering darkness arose. Rosto’s cake emitted deeper scents, a scent that seemed to drink the light itself. The judges gasped as shadows and sunlight warred above them. Neither aroma conquered the other; instead, they swirled together in an epic battle that no mortal could withstand, with glallashoot periplaneta as the only common denominator.
They presented their dishes to the judges. That dreaded anxiety crawled up everyone’s skin.
‘Fluffy interior,’ they said. They went over every corner of the velvet cake and the entire circumference of his doughnuts.
‘...The best confection they had ever tasted…’
‘...It melted in their mouths, as soon as it touched their tongues…’
They couldn’t decide.
This is what I was looking for, Karen. Even if it’s just baking, I haven’t felt a hard fought battle, a challenge, in so long. And even if it doesn’t go our way, we’ll just try harder next year.
A small smile spread across his face, as he placed his apron on the counter.
“Thank you, Kaito, Rosto. This is the toughest decision we’ve ever had to make,” said Tharbomi. “Please give us a few more minutes.”
New Achievement! Indecisive Judges! The judges can’t decide shit. It’s a baking contest, not rocket science. Maybe next time, bribe them with something shinier than your pastries, like gold coins or a trip to ‘Sunny Seraph Isles’—the Bahamas of the fantasy world, minus the pirates... or plus, if that’s your kink—
Shhh…I’m blocking you for a bit. You’re making me nervous.
The crowd went still, awaiting the result, while the judges continued admiring, and sampling, and talking amongst themselves. And suddenly, a shadow loomed over Kaito’s doughnuts.
At the other baking station Rosto grinned behind steepled fingers.
We’re almost there…but looks like it’s missing one thing. Kaito tipped his metal spatula, angling it perfectly with the light from the second sun. Sunbeams struck the polished surface, reflecting onto the doughnuts to illuminate their perfect glazed spheres.
Not finished yet. He added his mixing bowl, carving spoon, and other items to build a mirror array. Once the last item was tilted left by one inch, a maximum shine cascaded across his Chris P. Creme doughnuts, instantly consuming the attention of all three judges.
Then, Gus Stus rose and looked over the crowd and the two contestants. “It was a difficult choice, but the winner of the Winter Solstice Festival Baking Competition is,” he paused. “KAITO!”
The three judges clapped, igniting a wave of cheers through the crowd. Tears of joy rolled down some faces, and a palpable sense of happiness enveloped everyone.
Everyone except Rosto, who looked alarmingly sick.
Kaito strode into the cordoned off preparation area, inspecting each tool as he passed by them. Jogid had set up identical work stations along one wall—long wooden tables topped with light granite, providing sanitary, stain-resistant surfaces.
Yes, all necessities were arranged perfectly. The array of utensils, mixing bowls and pans were ready for use.
He tied his apron and donned his tall toque hat. To his left, his opponent was also ready for the final stage of the Winter Solstice baking competition.
Kaito chuckled, not surprised to see Rosto in the finals. He paused, remembering the interesting notes Rosto’s cuppotil cake left on his mouth when he visited his booth during the early days of the festival. He would have to prepare something truly remarkable to defeat him, perhaps the recipe he’d been trying to perfect since his first day in Calmo village.
The crowd gathered around the outdoor baking arena. On a raised platform sat three judges: Edweth, sitting in for Zenith as the Calmo representative to avoid any conflict of interest; Tharbomi himself, representing Eastscar; and a guest judge invited by Jogid, Gus Stus Proudmantle, to serve as a neutral party.
At Edweth’s signal, Kaito inclined his head and prepared his station. He arranged ingredients just so, then straightened, awaiting the contest commencement.
In contrast, Rosto whipped his colored cloak with a flourish, summoning bursts of harmless fireworks to gasps from onlookers. He waved cheerily, then crouched to review his tools.
My god what garish theatrics…
Edweth raised a red handkerchief over the hubbub then dropped it sharply. “Begin!” she declared. The final round was officially underway!
Kaito began his recipe by precisely measuring out ingredients—smoked ultima flour, voltrun eggs, and rare Hellberries imported from his homeland. With metronomic focus, he mixed and kneaded the dough. To observers, his hands seemed to phase in and out of reality during the rhythmic motions.
Zenith, providing commentary since she couldn’t judge the competition, leaned over his work station. “Kaito, your Chris P. Creme doughnuts look divine. What’s your secret to such a perfect texture?”
“Good morning Mayor Zenith, it’s all in my special Transcendent Twist technique. A bit of interdimensional magic to make the dough light and airy.”
“Intriguing! I can’t wait to see how the judges react to this culinary magic of yours.”
Isn’t that cheating?
Not at all, this is my own technique—patent pending—where I send pockets of the dough to an alternate dimension. It makes the texture perfect!
Kaito then began the process of frying, glazing, and filling his experimental Chris P. Creme doughnuts, hoping to successfully work through the step he hasn’t quite perfected yet.
Meanwhile, Rosto dumps fistfuls of obsidian cocoa powder, crushed velvet beans and other exotic ingredients into a solid gold mixing bowl. Chuckling to himself, he extracts an ancient tome from his cloak and flips through frayed pages, releasing small sparks.
Karen, could you please run an identify spell on that tome… actually, make sure to run it at level 1. Keep the explanation as brief as possible.
I thought you didn’t want distractions during the competition, oh but I guess now you need something. You know what—don’t worry I got you.
[Forbidden Delicacies] - Rarity: Antique. You’ve found a tome that’s basically the culinary equivalent of a cryptic crossword puzzle. Contents: A collection of recipes so exotic, they might as well be written in—what’s that language you learned when you were twelve? Right, Klingon. Usefulness: Questionable at best. WARNING: Trying these recipes might lead to unexpected kitchen disasters or the discovery of new food allergies. Enjoy!
That was actually…not useful at all.
Mission accomplished! You asked for brief, not helpful. You’re welcome!
Kaito paused in his work to subtly chant an incantation. The dough rose instantly before him into perfect rounded shapes. ‘Uhs’ and ‘ohs’ arose from the spectators. Yet his focus remained on crafting the last spheres...
Rosto poured a shadowy liquid over his layered concoction, whispered what sounded like a prayer to lost gods, then slid his ornate dessert into his oven’s demonic flames. Hideous faces briefly appeared in the flames before he shut it with a wink. His Shadow Velvet Cake was nearing completion...
The two bakers locked eyes across the stage as the clock ticked down. Both certain that only one could claim the Solstice trophy this day!
“Rosto, your Shadow Velvet Cake is quite the spectacle. What inspired this creation?” Zenith asked,
“I believe in baking that entices not just the taste buds but the soul. This cake is a blend of the darkest cocoa and my own unique touch,” Rosto proclaimed dramatically.
“It certainly has a mysterious allure. The judges seem quite captivated by it.”
“Ah, but the true magic lies in the taste. Let’s hope it’s as enchanting as its appearance,” Rosto added with a flourish and a grin.
When the allotted time passed the halfway mark, Edweth stood and raised her trembling hands, waiting for the performers to pause in their work.
“Before both our esteemed finalists complete their creations incorporating techniques we’ve admired today,” she announced, her voice stronger than she felt. “allow me to reveal this competition’s secret ingredient!”
She held aloft a small sack, then overturned it. Verdant stalks with tiny blue blossoms spilled out, drawing excited murmurs.
“Glallashoot periplaneta!” Edweth declared while the crowd’s excitement drowned her words. “One of the finest delicacies in the realm, with a buttery smooth taste unparalleled.”
“Well chosen for a dish worthy of the solstice!” Tharbomi proclaimed in approval. Appreciative rumbles came from the enrapt spectators.
Kaito nodded, the periplaneta’s herbal notes would pair excellently with his intended flavors. An ideal selection.
Now, how to best incorporate this ingredient against whatever concoction Rosto’s creating…
Kaito deftly chopped the glallashoot periplaneta, adding it to the glaze for his doughnuts. He chanted softly. It was a beautiful lullaby that infused the glaze with subtle flavor notes from the secret ingredient—light, smoothing, delicate.
Rosto grasped his Shadow Velvet Cake, murmuring a dark incantation. The dessert visibly deepened from jet black to voidal black, the very shadows seeming to channel into frosted layers. Enriching, darkening. Until light itself withdrew from the confection.
He picked up the glaze-filled bag and eyed the first fried doughnut. Okay Karen, time to decorate these bad boys and make ‘em shine.
The doughnuts were ready for the next step. As Kaito carefully pointed the piping bag atop the first doughnut, a sudden, almost infernal wind gust swept through his station, nearly messing up his aim. He instantly rolled with the wind current, using the wacky air patterns to trace sweet glaze designs.
The crowd watched, confused but impressed, as he piped neat glyphs and curls on each doughnut. Kaito guided the glaze tip along the winding gusts like a painter. The wind did his work for him, while Rosto frowned in the next booth.
Kaito poured glaze over his last perfectly fried sphere. Each Chris P. Creme emerging ideal; round golden dough emitting the faintest blue-hued glow, topped with otherworldly cream. Beside him Rosto applied final adornments to his cake, whose light-devouring exterior crawled with tiny edible spiders and roses.
This will be tough. Zenith was right, it was ‘alure from darkness.’ That’s actually brilliant.
As the finishing touches were applied to both creations, the air started to crackle with energy. Kaito’s ambient doughnut aroma floated gently over the hushed spectators—light as a sunbeam—but before it could envelop the crowd, an answering darkness arose. Rosto’s cake emitted deeper scents, a scent that seemed to drink the light itself. The judges gasped as shadows and sunlight warred above them. Neither aroma conquered the other; instead, they swirled together in an epic battle that no mortal could withstand, with glallashoot periplaneta as the only common denominator.
They presented their dishes to the judges. That dreaded anxiety crawled up everyone’s skin.
‘Fluffy interior,’ they said. They went over every corner of the velvet cake and the entire circumference of his doughnuts.
‘...The best confection they had ever tasted…’
‘...It melted in their mouths, as soon as it touched their tongues…’
They couldn’t decide.
This is what I was looking for, Karen. Even if it’s just baking, I haven’t felt a hard fought battle, a challenge, in so long. And even if it doesn’t go our way, we’ll just try harder next year.
A small smile spread across his face, as he placed his apron on the counter.
“Thank you, Kaito, Rosto. This is the toughest decision we’ve ever had to make,” said Tharbomi. “Please give us a few more minutes.”
New Achievement! Indecisive Judges! The judges can’t decide shit. It’s a baking contest, not rocket science. Maybe next time, bribe them with something shinier than your pastries, like gold coins or a trip to ‘Sunny Seraph Isles’—the Bahamas of the fantasy world, minus the pirates... or plus, if that’s your kink—
Shhh…I’m blocking you for a bit. You’re making me nervous.
The crowd went still, awaiting the result, while the judges continued admiring, and sampling, and talking amongst themselves. And suddenly, a shadow loomed over Kaito’s doughnuts.
At the other baking station Rosto grinned behind steepled fingers.
We’re almost there…but looks like it’s missing one thing. Kaito tipped his metal spatula, angling it perfectly with the light from the second sun. Sunbeams struck the polished surface, reflecting onto the doughnuts to illuminate their perfect glazed spheres.
Not finished yet. He added his mixing bowl, carving spoon, and other items to build a mirror array. Once the last item was tilted left by one inch, a maximum shine cascaded across his Chris P. Creme doughnuts, instantly consuming the attention of all three judges.
Then, Gus Stus rose and looked over the crowd and the two contestants. “It was a difficult choice, but the winner of the Winter Solstice Festival Baking Competition is,” he paused. “KAITO!”
The three judges clapped, igniting a wave of cheers through the crowd. Tears of joy rolled down some faces, and a palpable sense of happiness enveloped everyone.
Everyone except Rosto, who looked alarmingly sick.
