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When serving food and drink, there will be a wide variety of service items to choose from. You should be able to find matching items, small plates, bowls, and cups/goblets in crystal, pewter, silver, gold and wood. You will also find sets of goblets, mugs and tankards in those same materials.
These items are not all plain. In each of the materials you will find a set that is engraved or etched with the palace device, Shalafi’s personal sigil, a symbol of the Seldarine, and the Elven Tree of Life. Stored elsewhere, are sets reflecting the devices of the Duchies of Arethane. Do not be afraid to choose the appropriately engraved pieces for the individuals being served. It is conceivable that you will have one of each of the different engravings or even some engraved and some plain.
Pay close attention to the guests that Shalafi has told you to serve. You will want to make sure that you do not miss anyone, otherwise you will be returning to the servery more than once, embarrassing yourself and Shalafi. You will have to ensure you do not insult someone by unintentionally providing service of lesser quality, be it the vessels you choose, or the manner in which it is provided.
Before filling any vessel, always insure that it is in perfect condition. If you have it available to use, magic is the best way to do that, otherwise, use any and all means available; from running the rim along a sensitive inner arm or thigh to washing it quickly in hot soapy water. Imagine offering a rich flavored wine in a glass goblet, and the goblet is not sparkling clean, spoiling the flavor of the wine, or worse yet, have the glass be chipped and Shalafi or His guest be injured.
If you are serving more than one or two people, or you are providing more than just a beverage to one person, you will want to use a tray. Insure that the tray sparkles as well as the food and drink vessels and don’t be afraid to use contrasting materials to enhance the look of what you are presenting. There are times when you may want to use all crystal, or all silver for example; by the same token, crystal goblets on a silver tray or perhaps a combination of silver and gold, can be stunning. As mentioned in the previous section, do not forget the linens that are available to enhance the presentation.
A well balanced tray will be pleasing to behold. More importantly, it will be much easier to carry it across the gallery without spilling anything if you insure that the items are balanced on it. Unless it is a specific ritual, set any laden tray on the low table beside Shalafis throne, or on the floor out of the way and lift the items individually to each person. You will find some examples of different presentations in the Rituals and Serves section.
The below listing will help determine the proper items to use when serving.