Shemshime's Bedtime Rhyme

**Shemshime's Bedtime Rhyme** was the fourth chapter of Candlekeep Mysteries.

## Synopsis

Sirius Idris was taking a ride towards Candlekeep on Swings Both Ways' cart when they spotted a hitchhiking elf. Swings agreed to pick up the elf, Tethu Zildac, and the trio completed their journey to the library. Sirius and Tethu helped Swings unload his cart before approaching the main gate.

Speaking to Byrrali, Tethu submitted a poem he wrote in exchange for entry, while Sirius handed in a star map. Byrrali advised the pair that while they were welcome to stay, Candlekeep was hosting a lot of visitors at the moment, and unfortunately the House of Rest was full. They could, however, stay in the Firefly Cellar, an old part of the library which had recently been discovered underneath the House of Rest. Tethu and Sirius thanked Byrrali and made their way to the House of Rest.

In the House of Rest, Razda Warme showed Tethu and Sirius to the Firefly Cellar. As they entered, they met the scribe Varnyr, who explained the Avowed had recently discovered the cellar when renovating the House of Rest's floors. Herself, Ebder Smallstone, and Crinkle were sent down to catalogue the books found in the cellar and to restore the cellar. She asked Sirius and Tethu to take some books down to Ebder, who was on the floor below. Ebder told them the books were for K'Tulah, who was in her room. On the way to K'Tulah, the pair also met Crinkle, who was preparing some evening kebabs. They chatted with K'Tulah about her research for a little while before retiring to their own bedroom.

Sirius and Tethu then discussed their reasons for coming to Candlekeep. Sirius was looking to learn the histories of the great libraries of Faerûn, while Tethu had been sent to find information to get his boss out of the place where he was stuck. When pressed on this, Tethu explained he was working for Jon and Bodhi Irenicus, who were trapped in a place "like Suldanessellar" in the Shadowfell. Sirius expressed concern for Tethu's situation, and advised him not to trust Jon. Varnyr and Crinkle then came by to say goodnight and give Sirius and Tethu the supper kebabs. The pair the kebabs and then went to sleep.

They were awoken the following morning by the sound of a girl singing in the corridor. They ate breakfast with Crinkle in the kitchen, and then went up and began chatting with Ebder and K'Tulah. However Tethu and Sirius soon realised they were both humming a tune they couldn't quite place, as was K'Tulah. Tethu was delighted at this, and began to sing the tune. Ebder asked them all to keep it down, but soon began humming himself. Shortly after, they heard the hatch slam shut from the floor above them. Varnyr came down and explained that when she had come to Candlekeep first she had heard stories of a "singing madness" which spread among the Avowed. She did not know the exact nature of the madness nor how it was eventually ended, but she did know it spread quickly and was dangerous. As a precaution, she had locked them all in the Firefly Cellar until they could figure out what was going on.

Sirius and Tethu began looking through the books on the shelves for clues, but quickly realised that would take hours. Sirius then realised the tune stuck in his head was the same as the one the girl (who she knew was Ebder's daughter) was singing earlier. He invited Tethu to go down with him to ask her about it.

The pair found Gailby Smallstone in her room. She told them couldn't recall where she first heard the tune. She was however drawing a picture that interested the two adventurers: that of a man drowning. When asked about this, she said it came from her head, but seemed nervous talking about it, and hid her other drawings. Tethu tried drawing something to see what would come out, but all he drew was a large dark cloud- the same dark cloud which Gailby drew over the drowning man.

Just then, they heard Ebder screaming above them. Sirius left Gailby with a star projector to occupy her, and he and Tethu rushed upstairs. They found Ebder convulsing on the floor, relentlessly humming the tune over and over. All of the fireflies in the cellar then briefly went out. To prevent a total darkness again, Sirius cast a light spell on the enormous stone book sculpture which hung over the cellar, while Varnyr and K'Tulah took Ebder down to his room.

Tethu and Sirius then decided to explore the rest of the cellar. They went first to the scriptorium and the adjoining room in which the fireflies were stored. Sirius found the words "FINISH THE RHYME" scratched on the floor of the firefly room, and then looked behind a tapestry in the scriptorium to find the full lyrics to the tune in their heads. As the lyrics became stuck in their heads also, they heard a voice singing inside the firefly room. Taking up some floorboards, they found two skeletons, one of whom was singing. Tethu then experienced a brief hallucination of Jon Irenicus.

Leaving the scriptorium, the pair went to the bindery. There, they found a list of books to be repaired, including something called *Shemshime's Bedtime Rhyme*. *Shemshime's Bedtime Rhyme* had a broken spine, but was nowhere to be found in the bindery.

Sirius and Tethu returned to Varnyr and K'Tulah and relayed all this information. Immensely panicked at this stage, K'Tulah tried to break out of the cellar, before Sirius calmed her down.

The pair then went downstairs again to talk to Gailby about her drawings- three of which seemed to match the events described in the rhyme. They then explored the rest of the room on that floor, except for one which they found locked.

They returned to Varnyr to ask her about the locked room, which she told them was Crinkle's bedroom. They were however then attacked by K'Tulah, who was repeatedly screaming the rhyme. Tethu managed to cast a deafening spell on her which seemed to calm her down. He and Sirius then locked her in her room.

At that point, Gailby emerged from Crinkle's bedroom, holding a blood-spattered *Shemshime's Bedtime Rhyme*. She told Tethu and Sirius that she and Crinkle had hid in there when they heard the fighting upstairs, but then something happened and she hit Crinkle with the book. Sirius went to check on Crinkle, who was thankfully just unconscious, while Tethu took the book and escorted Gailby back to her room. Tethu and Sirius then examined the book, which featured pop up pictures depicting the events of the rhyme. There was also a final picture of the evil spirit being crushed by a millstone. Cranking the music box in the book's spine, Tethu found that it skipped over the last verse. He quickly fixed the music box, and the last verse formed in his and Sirius' heads. From the book as well however sprouted the evil spirit Shemshime.

Shemshime began to attack the pair, focusing on Tethu, who was holding the book. They soon realised that traditional attacks had no effect on Shemshime. Remembering how he was defeated in the rhyme, Tethu began to lure Shemshime upstairs. He positioned Shemshime underneath the glowing book sculpture, and then called on Varnyr and Crinkle to bring it down. They jumped on the sculpture, which caused the rusted chains hanging it from the ceiling to strain and break. The sculpture crashed down on top of Shemshime, finally destroying the spirit.

Varnyr thanked Sirius and Tethu for their help, and assured them that her superiors would know what they did. Ebder arose from his bedroom and hugged his daughter, while Varnyr unlocked the cellar.

## Player Characters

* Sirius Idris
* Tethu Zildac

## NPCs

* Swings Both Ways
* Byrrali
* Razda Warme
* Varnyr
* Ebder Smallstone
* K'Tulah
* Crinkle
* Gailby Smallstone
* Shemshime
* Gilchrist (mentioned only)
* Jon Irenicus (mentioned only)
* Bodhi Irenicus (mentioned only)

## Locations

* Candlekeep
	+ House of Rest
	+ Firefly Cellar
* Suldanessellar (mentioned only)
* Shadowfell (mentioned only)

## The Rhyme

See a mother scything wheat

Forgotten husband sleeping near

With one swipe she took his feet

With another took his ear

Does the shadow have a name?

Shemshime

Causes grief, avoids the blame

Shemshime

See a dog that knows how to heel

Never heeds plea nor command

Mother gave it tasty meal

Dog chose instead it eat her hand

Does the shadow have a name?

Shemshime

Causes grief, avoids the blame

Shemshime

See a son doing his chore

Washing clothes for folks in town

Fell into the river’s roar

Sank to the bottom and drowned

Does the shadow have a name?

Shemshime

Causes grief, avoids the blame

Shemshime

See a daughter grinding grain

Wish the spirit’s time was through

Trap set for the shadow bane

Her millstone killed it true