Mazfroth's Mighty Digressions

**Mazfroth's Mighty Digressions** was the first chapter of Candlekeep Mysteries.

## Synopsis

Rhod Fizzlefingers, Ragnar Bookbreaker, and Arcus all joined the caravan of Swings Both Ways to journey to Candlekeep. The journey took five days, along which Rhod told the group stories of pranks he played in the Underhome military, and Arcus was vague about where he came from. They eventually reached Candlekeep, where Rhod accidentally set off a firework in the back of Swings Both Ways' wagon. Rhod and Arcus the chatted about how they were both essentially sent to Candlekeep for information, but both intended on deserting their respective armies.

At the entrance to Candlekeep, the trio met the monk Byrrali, who asked them to exchange a piece of literature in exchange for admittance. Ragnar produced a pamphlet of anti-illithid propaganda, Arcus handed in a collection of his song lyrics, and Rhod gave her the "Fizzlefingers Cookbook" a manual on explosive substances written in a code unknown to anyone outside Clan Fizzlefingers. Byrrali welcomed them all inside and gave them a tour of the keep. The tour took so long and Rhod asked so many questions that when it ended and Arcus and Rhod went to the House of Rest, Ragnar opted instead to never be seen again.

The following morning, Arcus and Rhod went to the Hearth for breakfast, where they met Elias Buckingham. Elias asked them and everyone else at the tavern if they had seen his ex-wife, his daughter, or his daughter's kidnapper. It was unclear at this point if any of those people were real. The trio then made their way to the Emerald Door, where they asked Sugo for some books. Arcus asked for information relating to the true names of fiends, Rhod asked for books on a range of topics such as artificing and robotics, and Elias asked for his daughter's kidnapper.

The party went to wait in a study room in the Pillars of Pedagogy, where soon the attendant Parmak delivered some books on fiends and artificing, as well as a map of Faerûn to Elias. However as Arcus was reading about yugoloth true names in a book called *Mazfroth's Mighty Digressions*, the book transformed into a ball of green ectoplasm which began to drain his life force. The group then engaged the orb in combat, successfully defeating it. The commotion drew the attention of Parmak, who returned to the room in a hurry. As Arcus and Rhod explained what happened, Parmak told them he'd have to bring them to someone called Bookwyrm, as the idea of a book turning into a monster was worrying, and they possibly broke Candlekeep's rule against destroying the literature. However Arcus and Rhod intimidated Parmak into not alerting Bookwyrm, and instead he agreed to go get books that may be able to identify the creature, as well as more maps Elias could use to find his daughter's kidnapper, and Elias' divorce papers for Rhod and Arcus to peruse.

Before Parmak returned however, Sugo arrived. Upon hearing Parmak describe a green ball of ectoplasm, she came to speak to the trio, as that was the second book to turn into such an orb that week. She requested that they solve the mystery, and promised they would be rewarded for doing so. She informed them that the other book was called *The Dark Hunger* and had been taken out by a tiefling named Valor. She also advised them to go see Gilchrist the registrar, who could tell them who brought in the books. After a heated exchange with Gilchrist, the party learned that both *Mazfroth's Mighty Digressions* and *The Dark Hunger* had been brought in by Yalerion Highscroll.

They were then met again by Parmak, who gave Elias a dozen or so maps of Faerûn, and handed Rhod Elias' divorce papers. Rhod, Arcus and to an extent Elias learned that Elias had indeed been married to Chuck Rucket, and that Chuck now had custody of their daughter, Nuck.

The trio then went to find Yalerion Highscroll in the Hearth. Buck demanded to know who had kidnapped his daughter, and prepared to leave Candlekeep when someone suggested he ask around in Baldur's Gate. Arcus persuaded him to stay by drawing a picture of Yalerion and Nuck together. The party then interviewed Yalerion, who did not know anything about Buck's daughter but was able to tell them he had gotten both *Mazfroth's Mighty Digressions* and *The Dark Hunger* from a stall in the Great Bazaar in Sigil. He told them that he would get the Great Reader Sylvira Savikas to bring them to Sigil in the morning.

The following morning the party met Yalerion and Sylvira in the Hearth. Yalerion offered to accompany the party as a guide, but Rhode refused. Sylvira then brought the party to the teleportation circle outside Candlekeep and plane shifted them to Sigil.

They arrived at the Inn Near The Centre Of The Multiverse, also known as Bricky's, where Sylvira told them she would meet them later to bring them home. Leaving the Inn, they ran into the archdevil in exile Moloch. Moloch tried to persuade the group to join his effort to retake Malbolge, but only Arcus expressed any interest.

The trio then progressed to the Great Bazaar, where they quickly found Amberdune Books. Buck inquired about his missing daughter. The woman manning the stall responded that he should hire someone from the nearby devil bar, the Whip's Crack. Arcus and Rhod then began asking, quite forcefully, about the shape-changing books. The woman grew nervous, and went to get her boss, Korvala.

The woman soon returned with Korvala, who asked the party to accompany her back to their home. Once inside the Amberdune hideout, Korvala explained she was making copies of books so as to raise money for Moloch's war effort, but it was never her intention for people to get hurt. She was creating creatures known as gingwatzims, who she believes would simply follow orders, but who must have gotten hungry.

Korvala offered to only sell real books to seekers from Candlekeep but refused to stop creating gingwatzims. Rhod objected to this, and a fight broke out. Korvala and her jackalweres however were immune to the party's nonmagical non-silvered weapons, and so while Arcus and Rhode fled, Buck was captured. Korvala soon realized that Buck was of no value to her and couldn't be used for a ransom. She took his weapons, his cloak, and his money, and then let him out onto the street. He soon caught up with Arcus and Rhod, who were on their way back to Bricky's.

Passing the Whip's Crack, The trio decided to go in. Arcus immediately left again when he saw a large group of devils staring at him. Buck however asked for help to find his daughter, and so was approached by an orthon named Mumjescas. Mumjescas produced a contract which Buck signed without reading. Mumjescas would search for Nuck for nine days, and would be entitled to the souls of Buck and all his future offspring. A chain devil attempted to sell Buck an axe, but Rhod got him out before he could make another ill-advised diabolical deal.

Buck then found Moloch again and pledged to fight in his war to retake Malbolge in exchange for an axe Moloch bought in a nearby shop.

The group then returned to Sylvira and reported their progress. She was intensely disappointed in them for not recovering the original copies of *Mazfroth's Mighty Digressions* and *The Dark Hunger*, as well as in Buck specifically for making such poor life decisions. She did however acknowledge that they had technically solved the mystery of what had happened with the books, and so brought the party back to Candlekeep and paid them.￼

## Player Characters

* Arcus
* Ragnar Bookbreaker
* Elias Buckingham
* Rhod Fizzlefingers

## NPCs

* Swings Both Ways
* Byrrali
* Razda Warme
* Little One
* Sugo
* Parmak
* Gilchrist
* Yalerion Highscroll
* Rulf
* Sylvira Savikas
* Bricky
* Moloch
* Korvala
* Mumjescas
* Deneir (mentioned only)
* Oghma (mentioned only)
* Bookwyrm (mentioned only)
* Valor (mentioned only)
* Janussi (mentioned only)
* Chuck Rucket (mentioned only)
* Nuck Rucket-Buckingham (mentioned only)

## Locations

* Faerûn
	+ Baldur's Gate
	+ Candlekeep
		- House of Rest
		- The Hearth
		- Pillars of Pedagogy
* Sigil
	+ Bricky's
	+ Great Bazaar
	+ Whip's Crack
* Nine Hells
	+ Malbolge (mentioned only)