The Mess

Overview

The Mess is a Bravos canteen at The Screed, established in 393 AC as a welcoming hub for the Expeditionary Corps. Built in the Haven tradition, it serves as the social center of the outpost.

Establishment

A temporary ban on expeditions into the City of Scholars prompted the Bravos to find another way to stay occupied. The Faction cleared what appears to have been an ancient agora to set up their mess hall on the outer edge of the Crow’s Eye.

Operations

The Mess operates as an open-air facility lined with food stands where explorers queue to see daily specials before taking seats at outdoor tables. The main kitchen operates under Hestia’s culinary direction. Bravos brigades participate in daily cooking contests where chefs and kitchen hands compete to create the most appealing menus. The facility remains open from dawn until late into the night, staying stocked for those struck by hunger at odd hours.

Social Function

As is common with Bravos establishments, The Mess has become the beating heart of the enclave, serving as a lively hub where people gather, stories are exchanged, and vital information circulates. The facility relies on steady output from The Farm to meet high demand.

Atmosphere - 393 AC

During BLISS! concert, The Mess was absolutely packed with crowds including Tisdhera Clan performers who had come down from The Wayfarer. Strings of lanterns swayed in the wind like tiny bells, giving off dim flickering light. Squid sizzled over open flames at grill stands while a clown with painted face performed flips without dropping juggling balls. An Auguste and character clown squabbled over a camera in slapstick fashion, and a boy waved giant paintbrush playing with gouache-made carp.

Regulatory Actions - 393 AC

Waru Toowoom ordered Mahmoud to conduct a health inspection of The Mess, which documented unsatisfactory infrastructure design (kitchen open to outside), inadequate cleanliness, and staff hygiene issues. Following the inspection, Waru signed a quarantine request to close The Mess, citing insufficient evidence of Sap’s safety and concerns about what triggered the City of Scholars’ decline. Hestia opposed both the inspection and the closure.

Relationships

• The Screed: Parent location containing The Mess
• Bravos: Faction that operates the facility
• Hestia: Eidolon providing culinary direction
• Crow’s Eye: Chasm adjacent to The Mess location
• City of Scholars: Buried city whose exploration ban prompted The Mess’s establishment
• Expeditionary Corps: Force served by the canteen
• Haven: Bravos tradition followed in establishing the hub
• Waru Toowoom: Ordis politician who ordered health inspection and closure (393 AC)
• Mahmoud: Health inspector who documented facility issues (393 AC)