Set of Secret Scribe Candles (Patreon)

Wondrous item, rare

This pair of candles are magically linked and never seems to run out of wick.

You can light one of the candles to cause it to burn with a blue flame. By holding parchment over the flame, any ink on the page is burnt off, leaving the paper unmarked. When you finish using the candle in this way, you can extinguish the flame as you normally would. Once you do, the linked candle suddenly comes alight with a normal, orange fire, that cannot be extinguished by nonmagical means. The newly lit candle gives off a faint lavender scent. By holding a plain piece of parchment over the orange flame, the ink from the first piece of parchment is magically burnt onto the new one as the candle heats it. Once all the ink has been transcribed onto new parchment in this way, the orange flame winks out.

"I think that we can agree that the blue flame seems ominous." said Sven. He looked to his genasi counterpart, "What say you, Asher?"

The fire genasi remained silent, puzzled, before wordlessly reaching out and snuffing out the fire.

"What?! Why?" exclaimed Sven. You could have been killed! Or worse, probably. You never can know with these sorts of things. Were I to raise you again, I'd feel an actual twinge of guilt about it."

Asher stayed quiet for a moment longer before raising his hand to explain himself. Before he could, though, the candle relit itself: this time a normal orange color. Asher's mouth stopped mid-syllable and returned to its previously puzzled expression.

"Well, now it's ruined. We'll never figure this out. It's just a stupid candle now." Sven angrily gathered his notes in his hands.

"Smells nice, though," said Asher.

Unceremoniously, Sven began to hold his notes over the fire. He looked pointedly at the genasi. "See? These notes are worthless now. all this talk of a blue flame and we're reduced to a simple scented candle. Now I'm tired and hungry."

The dramatic effect he was looking for was lost, however, as the paper refused to catch. Sven held one sheet of notes after another over the candle, each one refusing to light. He sunk back down into his chair by the table. He rubbed his eyes and sighed.

"I'm sorry, Asher. I let it get the better of me. You did the right thing, and I over-reacted." He reached into his bag and pulled out a scone. He held it out to his friend. Asher took it.

"I knew you'd come around. You always do." Asher's mouth was full, but still kept a focus on the candle.

As if to continue what Sven had started, Asher held a blank piece of parchment over the candle. The fire danced along the surface of the sheet, and on its surface darkened characters began to emerge. Asher nearly choked on the scone to get Sven's attention.

"Sven! I got it! Look!"

The two of them peered with baited breath over the paper, gradually forming letters as the paper was heated by the orange flame. They pulled back the sheet when the message was finished and the candle went out: its purpose now complete.

"...Sven and Asher are goblin-faced nu-nu-brains. Go soak your heads," read Asher. They both looked at the other, not knowing how to respond to the paper's childish insult.

From beyond the door a great, raucous laugh was heard. Bry'Li-Anss burst in, clutching his sides from the laughter. In his hand was a candle, its flame a chilling blue. The Eladrin's pale skin reflected the blue light naturally.

Still wheezing, he continued, "Oh man, that was the best one yet. You should have heard Pyrivol and Gideon shouting about this thing, too. Too funny." Sven and Asher still held the paper, mouths agape and looking blankly at the elf.

Bry caught his breath, "So? Wanna leave this with the Tabaxi downstairs? See if ol' Snowflake pulls his fur out?"

Sven was the first to nod, after a moment, immediately followed by Asher grabbing the candle and his coat from the hanger nearby

"Definitely," the genasi said, "but I want to write the message this time!"