#Brantifax

[dnd4adults]

Tales from the Great Library

Book of the Raven

(Day 17) It' i's unusually stormy for Alekhandir, with wind whipping gales off sea. The actual storm hasn't blown in yet but it's rumbling away, black on the horizon. Half the ships in harbor intending to sail that morning remain in port, warned off by dawn's bloody light. Within the Great Library, the Court of Air is puddled, gray, and empty, its usual social custom seeking refuge withindoors.

The Hearth is particularly crowded, thanks to the weather, and Hyram's taking over cooking in an effort to raise spirits. (Performance 18, success!) The halfling makes time to visit with his friends at table, even so:

Hyram: Any luck, tracking down that bird book for me? Teddy: Perhaps. I believe you described Book of the Raven-- Hyram: Yeah, that's the one! Teddy: --which is not about the care of injured birds, in fact, but an account of Vistani habits and tradition. Khazpar: The mist wanderers? They are known in my homeland, as well. Andros: They wander everywhere, friend. The river lords calls them gypsies. Hyram: And, I'm sure they're pleased as cabbages about that! But, why would Dear Aunt Tansy ask for a book like that? Teddy: (Insight 24; Hyram doesn't have an Aunt Tansy, dear or otherwise.) Probably for what fell out of it. Gate Warden: Hey! How about that chicken parmesan you promised? Hyram: How about keep it in your codpiece half-a-minute? (Performance 7; Everyone laughs at the Gatewarden, not with him.) Khazpar: What fell out, my friend? Teddy: A map marking the location of . . . Chalet Brantifax!

A long wave of low thunder rolls in from the sea, and a Sage enjoying the warmth of the fire cackles aloud. Sister Haggis is elderly and an authority on matters of local folklore and superstition, including Alekhandir's many ghosts and hauntings. Widely regarded among Avowed as a hag, Haggis stubbornly turns out to be human whenever somebody checks.

In fact, it was she who shooed away that raven, years ago. Back thing carried a book right over rooftops into the Court of Air, explaining why it's called Book of the Raven. Everyone else was so busy, carrying on about obvious vulnerabilities in the Great Library's defenses, they didn't notice her carry the bird’s book away. Haggis retained the Vistani account for years thereafter, but even she never dared follow its map to Chalet Brantifax!

The Cursed Chalet

The place was built long ago by a western knight who'd grown famous and wealthy through adventure. He came to Alekhandir to retire with his treasures, choosing a rise of land in the western quarter notable for prominence and scenic beauty on which to establish estate. The architect he employed was a gnome, explaining why the style of architecture is called chalet. Tragically, the gnome and three dwarven stone masons were crushed to death in an accident during construction.

After occupying the chalet, Sir Brantifax suffered spells of sleep-walking during which he wandered about the estate, looking for his dead hound. Unfortunately, the servants mistook this behavior for delirious insomnia and assumed he was awake during the spells. One night, Brantifax fell down the well shaft and drowned. No one ever heard his cries for help.

Thereafter, both the knight's daughters met tragic ends, whereupon his wife and the servants abandoned the chalet, insisting the place was haunted. What is more, no one has been able to find Chalet Brantifax ever since. Whenever someone's tried it's either vanished or they have. There have also been reports of the chalet being spotted in other parts of the city.

In fact, Sir Brantifax made his name by infamy, an Oathbreaker who made his fortune through violence, deceit, and treachery. The gnomish architect was actually his accomplice, and thoroughly insane. Their flight to Alekhandir was evasion of justice, and the building of Chalet Bronifax an open taunt to the western authorities who could no longer reach them. The three dwarf masons actually sacrificed themselves, killing the gnome, thereby assuring he couldn't complete the conjurations originally intended. 

The dead wizard’s quasit familiar continued wreaking havoc, however, first killing the family's dog, then driving Sir Brantifax mad, and murdering his daughters. Along the way it also completed enough of the gnome’s rituals to have lasting effect. The quasit, itself, was consumed entirely to seal the ritual magic but ever since the chalet has become something like a ghost, capable of appearing and disappearing at will.

More accurately, it shifts between material and ethereal states, carrying everything and everyone inside along when its shifts from one state to another. This within the chalet's structure cannot distinguish a difference. Externally, however, the structure disappears completely, not only invisible but ethereal. It does not move to different locations, as Sister Haggis' story suggests. That is a fabrication added to the growing legend over time.

Sir Brantifax and his accomplice originally intended for the chalet to turn ethereal and back on command, but that element of control was missing from the quasit's final ritual. Instead, the chalet is semi-awakened, deciding for itself when to shift ethereal and later return material. Having no will of its own, the chalet only becomes ethereal when threatened or when responding to the psychic-emotional cues of personalities inhabiting it. 

The Scarlet Sash

More recently, the abandoned hulk of Chalet Brontifax has been occupied by a society of wereravens. They use the ethereal-shifting stronghold not only as residence and base of operations, but also a secure repository for evil artifacts they've recovered. In humanoid form members of the order wear black clothing with scarlet sash belts, giving the society its name. They are careful to never approach or depart from the chalet in this appearance, however, reserving their arrivals and departures for raven-form.

Madrin Natterask is leader of the society, responsible for maintaining security of the hidden artifacts. He and his fellow sash wearers make use of their mimicry skills, creating the impression that Brantifax is actively haunted to scare away any who stumble on its location. After scaring away the chalet obligingly disappears for a day or two, so no follow-up investigations have been completed.

Madrin's task has become decidedly harder of late. The evil stored in the chalet, together with its ethereal shifting, has opened a passage to Shadowfell in the estate's cemetery. Shadowy figures emerge there each night, attempting to enter the chalet and retrieve the dark treasures within. Thus far, Madrin and his company have been successful both in beating the invaders back and preventing their slipping out, into the city. The Scarlet Sash is under siege, even so, and obliged to spend so much time in the ethereal realm that supplies are running low. Returning to the city runs the risk of renewed attacks while the chalet is under-manned.

The specific source of Brantifax's trouble is one of the evil artifacts the Scarlet Sash keeps hidden in the cellar. Known as an Dark Shard, it is a "piece" of the Shadowfell, itself, "broken off" and carried back to the Mortal Realm. Madrin's grandmother took it from a necromancer passing through the city after making the man her lover. 

Simultaneously pining for woman and idol, both, the necromancer attempted entering the chalet many times but it always shifted into ethereal form, keeping him out. He finally resorted to the Great Library, searching for a means of overcoming that defense, and there drew the map of Brantifax's location. He never had the chance to try any scheme he developed, however. The necromancer was murdered by the very rival from whom he'd stolen the Dark Shard originally. In tidying up the scene of his crime, the assassin tucked the map to Chalet Brantifax in a book on Vistani customs close at hand, never realizing its significance.

While the very presence of an Dark Shard is enough to attract evil, the ethereal shifting of the chalet has drawn that lure across multiple realms, creating a weakening in the border with Shadowfell. Denizens there feel the stone's silent call and are compelled to retrieve it. Each time the chalet becomes ethereal to prevent that happening, the passage to Shadowfell grows a little wider. 

Madrin's grandmother genuinely loved the necromancer but her loyalty to the Scarlet Sash came first. She therefore rejected him to capture and conceal the Dark Shard. After his murder, she recovered his possessions as mementoes. Years later, she entrusted the book to Lady Lore -- the Book of the Raven hoarded by Sister Haggis.

Madrin Natterask is therefore offspring of the necromancer, and bears a striking resemblance to his grandfather. While he takes his responsibility as Scarlet Sash leader seriously, never leaving the chalet, Madrin is desperate for a solution -- and sorely tempted to resort his grandfather's old spell book, the one memento granny didn't give away.

[zephyr-draws]

it is So funny that our psuedodragon got the final hit

[dm-paul-weber]

Chalet Brantifax, Candlekeep Mysteries. Join my facebook group for links to download them all, including the roof and graveyard. Roll20 Ready, 16x16 units (1120x1120 pixels) I’ve also made the same maps with a transparent background so you can add Chalet Brantifax to any preexisting map you have set up or add your own background.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/dmweber

[dnd4adults]

Tales from the Great Library

Deep and Creeping (continued)

Khazpar: What do you read tonight, ak-eshikh? Teddy: A curious book, mudar-saadikh. Khazpar: Rha'ai! Your mastery of my tongue improves daily! Teddy: Yes, well -- you've been training me with it for six weeks. Khazpar: As I am attempting to do now, in fact. Teddy: Did you know -- the entire village of Vermilion disappeared in a matter of months? Khazpar: No, I did not. Where was Vermilion and where did it go? Teddy: North of here, in the foothills below Drakhonia. And, the village didn't go anywhere, just the people. More than a hundred of them vanished without a trace. Khazpar: Uula! Why should you bring such tale into our bed? Teddy: Because Brantifax got me thinking. What if all reports of disappearances are really just people blundering into another place? Like the Shadowfell or Faerie or-- hey! Khazpar: Enough of this book, ak-eshik! Come here and learn more of from my tongue!

Brother Teddy isn't so easily distracted, however, so come morning he has little difficulty convincing the others Vermilion's mystery deserves investigation.

Sir Andros couldn't care less about a nowhere mining village or its people. He has, however, spent the past moon performing ritual forbiddance at Chalet Brantifax. And, tempting though Madrin Natterask proved at the beginning, that passion has ebbed entirely -- at least, on Andros' part. Short-and-sweet is how he likes his affairs, and it's time for this one end! Hyram's been achin' to get out of Alekhandir and stretch his legs in the wide world for ages, and he needs his best mate Teddy along for the journey. Doesn't matter where they go, really, just so long as Hyram finally gets to send Lenore winging back to the Scarlet Sash with a message! Even Khazpar has grown weary of the library, its passionless scholars, the dusty-clamorous, and hedonist Pandaemonium most of all. The opportunity to get away for a time and explore this new country he’s arrived in is welcome, indeed.

Journey up the Wyrmsong The route they must take lies mainly northward, along the course of the Wyrmsong River nearly all the way to Drakhonia. That's a full moon's journey afoot, or a fortnight mounted, assuming no misadventure along the way -- and that must must be anticipated along the Wyrmsong. Even then, there'll be more trekking through semi-wilderness among the foothills, reaching the town of Maerin, where they'll begin the search for Lost Vermilion.

Another opportunity presents itself, however, in the form of river travel. Dawnfire Keep lies half-way between Alekhandir and Drakhonia, and there's riverboat service making its way back and forth every seven days. That's one day at the city's river rocks, three days' voyage upstream to Dawnfire Keep, one day of layover there, then a two-day return following Wyrmsong's flow.

Aside from Dawnfire Keep, the entire Wyrmsong region is lawless and sparsely populated. Neither Alekhandir nor Drakhonia expend resources on regions lying outside their immediate control and Dawnfire Keep is preoccupied, maintaining the only natural ford along the mighty river's length.

Expected Journey Day 01 - Depart Alekhandir mid-morning Day 02 - Midday stop at Wending Town Day 03 - Arrive Dawnfire Keep at noon Day 04 - Provisioning at Dawnfire Keep Day 05 - Depart Dawnfire, Camp A Day 06 - Ride north; Camp B Day 07 - Ride north; Camp C at river-fork Day 08 - Ride west, arrive Maerin by nightfall

Mechopotamus Rex

Without question, the greatest vessel plying the lower Wyrmsong is gnomish riverboat Mechopotamus Rex. The enormous, purple thing rises three stories over the river's surface yet somehow manages to remain upright. Hippopotami along the Lower Wyrmwash seem to be infatuated with the vessel, swimming out to greet and follow in its wake as Mechopotamus chug-chug-chugs along.

The genius behind the garish riverboat is tinker-conjurer Plutonia Sparksetter, inventor of the Elemental Condensation Engine, or ECE. This device consists of three sealed chambers stacked vertically, with a conjured fire elemental trapped in the lowest, and an infant frostwrym in the top. The middle chamber contains a water elemental, which boils to steam when near the lower chamber but condenses back to liquid at the top. The non-stop rush of its steam works turbines, providing Mechopotamus with mechanical and operational power. The ECE creates a distinct chug-chug-chug-ing sound, which reverberates throughout the hull.

Plutonia never leaves the Engine Room, insisting she has to be on-hand to "expel the core into the river bottom" in the event ECE suffers a critical failure. She therefore defers practical operation of the vessel to her business partners.

Mechanopotamus Rex Layout Top Deck - Dining Room & Observation Lounge Mid-deck - Bridge, Crew Quarters, Ship Services Main Deck - Passenger Cabins & Drawing Room Lower Deck - Engine Room & Cargo Holds

Capt. Hermes Fairweather (Veteran)

Hermes Fairweather is an impressive specimen of minotaur naval leadership, commanding Mechanopotamus Rex without mishap since she launched six years ago. He directly supervises the riverboat's crew and operation and his rank is fully legitimate, being a Defender of Dawnfire Keep. Hermes is also principal investor in Plutonia's ECE, so has everything to lose should the vessel encounter disaster.

Hostess Hilde (Mountain Dwarf Bard)

Standing all of five feet tall, this exceptional figure of mountain dwarf womanhood is anatomically male but chooses to live her life in drag, projecting her truest inner self. Other dwarves are never confused by the performance, so typically perceive Hildegaard as amusing. Other races, however, have trouble distinguishing between dwarf men and women already, so Hostess Hilde can be anything she wants. While a lesser financial partner in the operation, Hilde is the public face of Mechopotamus Rex, serving as hostess and entertainer for passengers. She fancies herself a gifted match-maker, as well, and is forever on the lookout for parted soul mates who find themselves in her care.

[zephyr-draws]

had the galaxy-brained realization that there were the same amount of characters in the party as there are in the scooby gang, and we were investigating a spooky mansion, so the classic “peeking through a doorway/around a corner” shot was in order

[dm-paul-weber]

Chalet Brantifax, Candlekeep Mysteries. Join my facebook group for links to download them all, including the roof and graveyard. Roll20 Ready, 16x16 units (1120x1120 pixels) I’ve also made the same maps with a transparent background so you can add Chalet Brantifax to any preexisting map you have set up or add your own background.