B18 Betham’s books
Set on the busy Bridgewalk Road where the Business Quarter brushes shoulders with the Civic Square, Betham’s Books serves everyone from apprentice scribes and civic clerks to spellcasters and wandering adventurers. B18 Betham’s books
Betham’s deep shelves, copying service, and quiet neutrality make the shop the first stop for:
- Adventurers seeking answers in old chronicles.
- Mages hunting obscure spells or missing formulae.
- Priests puzzling through half-remembered prophecies.
For the Noble Ambitions campaign, Betham is one of the very few sages in Verbobonc capable of untangling the mad Raoan priest’s riddle—the puzzle tied to Artus Kellan and the Chest of Rao—which Lady Elinor Asbury sends the PCs to solve after their meeting at Jylee’s Inn across the Civic Square.
Location & Exterior
Betham’s Books occupies a narrow, three-story corner building where Bridgewalk Road bends toward the Civic Square. The shop fronts two streets, with its corner cut diagonally to form a recessed doorway and display window. B18 Betham’s books
- Stonework: Pale, weathered stone with dark timber trim in the upper stories, very much in keeping with Verbobonc’s 16th-century feel.
- Windows: Ground-floor windows are packed with book-spines, maps, and hanging placards advertising “SAGE OF LORE” and “COPYING SERVICE AVAILABLE.” B18 Betham’s books
- Sign: A painted wooden sign reads “BETHAM’S BOOKS – SAGE OF LORE”, with a stylized open book and a tiny silver gear—the only hint of the clockwork wonder within.
From outside, the building always seems to be breathing parchment and ink; the door opens and closes all day as scribes, squires, junior priests, and robed mages come and go.
First Glimpse
Faded gold letters above the recessed door proclaim BETHAM’S BOOKS – SAGE OF LORE. Within the glass you glimpse shelves, scroll-cases, and the glint of a brass gear set into the sign. The smell of old paper and lamp oil wafts out whenever the door opens, like a library breathing into the street.
History and Lore
Betham’s Books has long been a feature of Verbobonc City, carving out a niche for itself as the premier destination for those in search of lost knowledge and magical insights. Betham, leveraging his expertise as a sage and diviner, has cultivated a store that is as much a sanctuary for the written word as it is a hub for magical and scholarly pursuits.
Services and Goods
- Rare Tomes and Scrolls: Specializing in used and rare books, the shop offers a treasure trove of knowledge spanning various disciplines.
- Copying Service: A standout feature of the store is its gnomish clockwork printer, a large and intricate device that occupies the entire upper loft. This allows Betham to offer a rare copying service, unparalleled anywhere else in Verbobonc.
Interior Layout
Inside, Betham’s Books is less a shop and more a habitable book-stack.
Ground Floor – Public Shop & Reading Nooks
- Main Room: Narrow aisles lined floor-to-ceiling with shelves of used and rare tomes, diaries, treatises, and arcane compilations. Ladders slide along rails to reach higher shelves. Stacks of loose books form irregular islands around tables and counters.
- Counter: Near the corner door sits a high wooden counter with ledgers, inkpots, and a bell. Behind it a doorway leads into Betham’s private quarters below.
- Silenced Reading Rooms: At the rear, three tiny study rooms—barely large enough for a table, chair, and a narrow shelf—are each under a permanent silence effect, allowing patrons to read or copy in complete quiet despite the machinery overhead. B18 Betham’s books
Anyone stepping from the main room into a reading cell feels their ears plug as the city’s noise simply vanishes—a slightly disorienting but wonderful sensation.
Upper Loft – The Clockwork Printer
Above the shop floor, spanning the whole loft, stands Betham’s pride: a gnomish clockwork printer, a lattice of brass gears, cylinders, levers, and rune-etched plates. B18 Betham’s books
- The machine clicks, hisses, and chatters nearly all day, turning blank vellum into crisp copies of pages.
- Gnome assistants and apprentices bustle around it, oiling joints, swapping plates, and feeding paper.
- The sound is loud enough that Betham built the silenced rooms simply so anyone could think.
Basement – Betham’s Private Library (DM Secret)
Below the shop lie Betham’s cramped living quarters and a private collection that dwarfs the public shelves above—volumes he deems too fragile, too dangerous, or too personally beloved to sell. Betham
He refers to these books as his “children” and often talks to them, muttering aloud as he shuffles through stacks to find some half-forgotten folio. Betham
Services & Goods
Betham’s Books is more than a bookstore; it is an arcane service hub for those willing to pay.
Rare Tomes & Scrolls
- Used & Rare Books: Histories, travelogues, temple commentaries, Suel and Baklunish lore, and more.
- Spell Texts & Scrolls: Betham maintains at least one copy of every arcane and divine spell from 1st to 4th level, both in book form and on scrolls. Costs are set at 150% of standard PHB prices to cover replacement copies.
Chance to find higher-level spells in stock: B18 Betham’s books
- 20% – 5th level spells (arcane & divine)
- 15% – 6th level (arcane only)
- 10% – 7th level (arcane only)
- 5% – 8th level (arcane only)
There is also a 15% chance Betham has a book/tome-type miscellaneous magic item tucked away, “awaiting the right owner.” B18 Betham’s books
Copying Service – The Clockwork Printer
Betham’s signature service is high-speed magical copying:
- Copying spell pages:
- Time: 1 hour + 1 hour per spell level to copy a spell page.
- The caster only needs to be present for half that time; they can return later to collect the copy.
- Cost: 300 gp per page (triple normal), reflecting the machine’s upkeep and Betham’s risk.
For DMs, this is a powerful tool to let casters expand spellbooks quickly—at a steep but attractive price for higher-level play.
Sage Consultations
Betham offers consultations on history, arcana, geography, and religious lore: Betham
- Short “bookfinding” questions might be answered for a few gold pieces or with the purchase of a volume.
- Deep research—for example, reconstructing an ancient prophecy, identifying a lost temple, or decoding a madman’s scrawl—requires days of work, silence-room reservation, and significant fees or favors.
Betham Himself
Betham is a Neutral Good gnome, 12th-level wizard and sage, approximately 166 years old, with long frizzy white hair, large round blue eyes, and a slightly wild expression. Betham
- He is obsessed with the written word, to the point of conversing with his books as if they were sentient and sulking when sold. Betham
- Outwardly distracted—he mislays quills, forgets names, loses track of time—but when confronted with a puzzle, his mind snaps into focus, connecting obscure references with terrifying speed. Betham
- Politically, he is gently, stubbornly apolitical: he refuses to take public stands, preferring to serve any who treat books with respect. His quiet reliance on gnomish technology and staff, however, sets him naturally at ease with Prince Jimm’s people and the Free Alliance, even if he never attends their councils.
Signature quote:
“In every page, a world; in every word, a universe. The true magic lies not in the spells they cast but in the minds they enlighten.” Betham
Special Role in Noble Ambitions – The Raoan Riddle
Betham is one of the only sages in Verbobonc capable of unraveling the mad ravings of Artus Kellan, the feebleminded priest of Rao whose fragments form the riddle at the heart of Lady Elinor Asbury’s quest.
When the PCs meet Lady Elinor at Jylee’s Inn across the Civic Square and receive the cryptic verses, she can direct them:
“There is, perhaps, one gnome in this city whose mind runs along the same crooked tracks as this riddle—Betham, of the bookshop on Bridgewalk, just there across the plaza. If any soul can coax sense from Rao’s shattered servant, it is he.”
Betham’s contribution:
- He cross-references Raoan scripture, Suel-era commentaries, and obscure travelogues, teasing out allusions the PCs would never spot alone.
- He may require:
- A fee in gold, a rare book in trade, or
- A small side favor (retrieving a missing diary, protecting a gnome courier, etc.).
- His analysis can provide:
- Correct place names, dates, and symbolism.
- Confirmation that the riddle refers to the Chest of Rao, Asbury heraldry, or the “eight mighty ones” in your campaign arc.
This makes B18 Betham’s Books a key narrative node: a quiet, book-lined crossroads where the city’s politics, gnomish craft, and divine mysteries intersect.
Political & Social Relationships
Though Betham avoids overt politics, his shop naturally entangles him:
- With Gnomes & Prince Jimm:
- His use of gnomish clockwork and gnome assistants makes Betham a soft cultural ally of the Free Alliance, even if he never attends their meetings. Jeet Jimbleclap and other gnome leaders respect him as a keeper of their written heritage.
- With Temples & Mages:
- Clerics of Rao, Delleb, and Boccob visit frequently, as do wizards from local towers and colleges. Many temple libraries quietly depend on Betham’s copying machine for their more delicate tomes.
- With Civic Authority:
- Betham’s shop is considered neutral ground; Vigil Wardens rarely trouble him, and even political rivals may share the same reading room in silence.
Adventure Hooks
- The Missing Folio
A key commentary Betham needs to parse the Raoan riddle has been mis-shelved, stolen, or never returned by a careless noble. The PCs must track it down through noble libraries, dusty attics, and perhaps a dangerous loan to a rival sage. - Printer in Peril
A political bloc hostile to gnome autonomy schemes to sabotage the clockwork printer, both to hurt Betham and to strike at gnomish prestige. The PCs may catch saboteurs in the act or be hired to guard the machine during a tense week of high-volume copying. - Book That Shouldn’t Be
Betham shows the PCs a mysterious tome that appeared in his private stacks with no recollection of its purchase—its pages subtly shifting to mirror events at the Temple of Elemental Evil. He begs them to take it away and learn why the book is writing itself. - Silence Room Secrets
Someone has been using one of the silenced reading cells for clandestine meetings—passing notes, contraband, or intelligence about Nulb, believing the magic hides them from scrying. Betham, once he notices, asks the PCs to discreetly find out who and why before the Wardens decide his bookshop is a nest of spies. - Betham’s “Children”
A buyer arrives from Dyvers or Greyhawk, eager to purchase a particular rare volume from Betham’s private “children.” He refuses—but the buyer is persistent, perhaps willing to steal. The PCs may be hired to protect the book, investigate why it is sought, or decide whether the tome truly belongs in dusty retirement beneath the shop.
Betham’s Books should feel like a quiet, beating heart of lore in your Verbobonc: a place where the noise of the city falls away, where the clockwork clatter above becomes part of the rhythm of research, and where a tiny gnome with wild hair and kind eyes can tilt the course of an epic Temple of Elemental Evil campaign with a single, well-chosen page.
Costs
Copies of scrolls, magic books, etc can be made here. The spells must still be deciphered, and prepared (see PHB). The time it takes to copy the spell is reduced (only 1 HOUR + 1 HOUR/spell level). The spell user only has to be in attendance for ½ that time (they can pick up the copy later). The Space in the Spell book remains the same (as PHB), but the Cost is tripled: 300gp/page.
Betham always has one copy of every spell (arcane & divine) from 1st – 4 th level (both in book form and on a scroll). The costs for these are Very Expensive (150% of the PHB costs – which covers Betham’s costs to make a new copy for himself). There is also a small chance of other spells being available:
- 20% chance of 5th level spells (arcane & divine)
- 15% chance of 6th level spells (arcane only)
- 10% chance of 7th level spells (arcane only)
- 5% chance of 8th level spells (arcane only)
Quality
There is also a 15% chance that there may be a book/tome-type item from the ‘miscellaneous magic’ list.
Verbobonc Locations Referenced by Type
Sage | Wizard Level 12 Gnome
"I may not use my spectacles to see the world, but through these books, I've seen thousands of worlds beyond this one."
Type: Bookshop, Sage’s House of Lore
District: Business Quarter (Bridgewalk Road, at the edge of the Civic District)
Owner: Betham, Gnome Sage & Diviner
Primary Factions: Gnome community of Verbobonc, mages’ circles, learned clergy, neutral scholars
Costs and Quality
- Copying Costs: Betham offers copying of scrolls and magic books at a premium, with costs tripled to 300gp/page due to the specialized nature of the service. This unique offering attracts a diverse clientele to the store.
- Spell Availability: The store boasts at least one copy of every spell (arcane & divine) from 1st to 4th level, with costs set at 150% of the standard, to cover the expenses of creating new copies for the store's inventory.
Chance of Spell availability
- 20% 5th level spells (arcane & divine)
- 15% 6th level spells (arcane only)
- 10% 7th level spells (arcane only)
- 5% 8th level spells (arcane only)
Narration (for the DM to read)
The bell above the door gives a soft, weary chime as you shoulder your way in from Bridgewalk Road. At once the clamor of carts and bootheels dulls, swallowed by shelves—shelves upon shelves—pressing in on every side. Books lean in ranks from floor to ceiling, their spines a faded riot of leather and vellum; scroll-cases jut from cubbies like bundled reeds.
A narrow aisle winds between the stacks toward a high counter, half-buried under ledgers, loose folios, and a precarious tower of stitched journals. Somewhere overhead, a brass contraption chatters and thumps, the clockwork printer gnashing steadily through another page.
Near the counter, a small gnome with a storm of frizzy white hair stands on a stool, nose nearly touching a cracked spine. One ink-stained finger traces a line of text; his lips move soundlessly as though he were murmuring to the page.
“Not that one,” he mutters—apparently to the book itself—“no, no, you told me that about the Baklunish marches yesterday. Hush now, let your brother speak.”
He pats the volume fondly, then turns at last, blue eyes big and bright behind the clutter. Ink has smudged one cheek; his robes are a patchwork of book-dust and forgotten quills. For a heartbeat his gaze seems to look through you… and then, like a lens snapping into focus, it sharpens.
You have the distinct, unnerving sense of being read.
Betham’s Dialog (for the DM to read)
“Ah! Visitors. Living ones, even—how refreshing. Do come in, mind the stacks, they sulk if you knock them over.
You stand in Betham’s Books, yes, yes… but more importantly, you stand amid them.”
He taps the nearest shelf with the back of his knuckles.
“Every one a tongue, every page a whisper. They complain when I sell them, you know. ‘Oh Betham,’ they say, ‘why must we go?’ And I tell them, ‘Because some poor soul out there does not yet know what you know.’”
His gaze flits over your gear—boots, scars, travel-stains—and he blinks twice, as if fitting you into some internal index.
“Adventurers, mm? You smell of the road… and of questions. Good, good. The road wears out boots, but questions wear out ignorance. Now then—”
He trails off mid-thought, turning to peer at a sideways stack of books.
“No, not you, we’re not talking about the Suel calendars just now, hush. We have guests.”
He swivels back to you, suddenly intent, those round blue eyes bright as new ink.
“Tell me: what is it you seek? A name lost in time? A temple gone astray? A riddle that gnaws at your sleep? Speak it plain, if you please. My children and I are very good at… puzzles.”
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