Dumpling Exchange

Overview

The Dumpling Exchange is a time-honoured tradition, executed by the dwarvish clans of Koria.
Background of this exchange is the dwarven love for good food and their honourable live. And their paranoia regarding assassination attempts. So the inital exchange was to provide a safe passage for the political delegation and to prove that they have nothing bad in mind.
Since there were many attempts on the life of the clan leader, they needed a ritual so that the host know that the delegation wouldn't assassinate him.

Well, yeah, it is kinda obvious, that you can have clean dumplings and bring a knife with you to kill the leader. But that wouldn't be honourable, aye?

— Dwarf to his colleague

Dumplings & Ingredients

Every clan of the dwarven race has its own kind of special dumplings. The stuffing of the dumplings varies from clan to clan because every clan cultivates its own mushrooms. Normally every dumpling has a skin made out of some kind of potato - depends on the variant of it - and is filled with small pieces of carrots, fruit and the rarest and/or the most expensive kind of the clan's mushroom. Some of them might have hallucinogenic or calming effects, but that is part of the charme.
There is one dwarven clan which is tend to wrap the stuffing in thick leaves of one of their mushrooms and fill it with another mushroom.

• Wrapping: potatoes, flour, wheat, bread
• fruits and other things like carrots or plums
• Gravy (optional)
• The rarest mushroom

Preparing the Dumplings

The dwarven delegation has a carriage with them, additional to the carriages they bring with them normally. Hidden inside this carriage is a kitchen including ingredients and kitchenware.
When they arrive at the first outpost of the clan to visit (or whatever the first point of contact is), they will address the first dwarf they see and then they prepare the kitchen, making fire, hot water and preparing hot pans for the creation of the dumplings. The entire process of the creation may vary, depending on the ingredients, but after roughly an hour the dumplings should be finished.
The dumplings are mostly presented in a wooden box or, when you want to impress everyone, on a plate made out of a precious metal.

*sniff* You smell that? Yeah, sum of me friends makin' dumplings... oh no, it is this delegation down 'ere. Hm, potatoes an' 'shroomies. Yo, see that? Those are Red Blindas. Will burn ya eyes out, but are really tasty.

— Dwarven guard

The Exchange

After preparing the dumplings the delegation part of the dwarfs pack their things while the rest of them clean the kitchen and put it back together. Sometimes guards accompany the delegation which is now let to the clan leader, its council and its guards.
Now the host asks what the delegation has to offer to the hosts clan and what they desire from the hosts clan. The delegation kneels and presents the freshly made dumplings to all eyes. The host and his taster taste the dumplings and when they are worthy, the guards may have a dumpling and when they accept the dumplings too, the delegation can stand again, bringing forth their plead.
But what if the dumplings are not good? Well, that depends on the clan which is the host and the quality of the dumplings. Most of the time the delegation is denied the passage and they are forced to go back home. But in rare cases the dumplings were so bad, that the entire delegation was killed where they stood. Another delegation was sent out with more and better dumplings. And a better cook.

*munch munch* Ah, that Red Blindas. With the plums and carrots? With those sweet yams? Really hits my tongue. - You may speak, what is on your mind, what is the meaning of your visit?

— Dwarven clan leader to a delegation