Message in a Bottle

A curled scroll lies beneath the thick glass of the carafe, the symbols distorted by the light passing through the imperfections and haze of the the green glass walls of the vessel

Amongst the loot of a recent encounter, the party discovers a glass bottle of exceptional quality. Cast from a flawless, green tinted glass and sealed with a cork encased in a red beeswax capsule, the contents of teh bottle are not liquid. An ornate crest is pressed into the crown of the wax. Holding the bottle to illuminate the contents  reveals a narrow strip of loosely coiled parchment. Diffuse light  offer tantalizing glimpses of ornate characters written on the inner face of the parchment but the contents of the message are obscured by the windings of the parchment and refraction of light through the thick glass walls of the bottle.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

An alchemist or artificer infuses a bottle containing a message with Phlogiston and closes the neck of the bottle with an airtight seal. A crest or insignia is frequently pressed into the wax capsule the forms the gas barrier. The most complex examples of this device would require matching signet rings to lock and unlock the message. When the correct key is presented, the parchment will slowly unwind exposing several inches of flat surface revealing the message to the reader in the form of a scrolling ticker tape. Less secure versions can require a simple cantrip, such as Mending, to trigger the scrolling action as longs as one knows the correct key.
A significant number of bottles contain only air, with the bottle serving only as a deterrent against tampering by simple thieves and prying eyes.
Methods for defeating the phlogiston could include creating a wicking candle to burn out the phlogiston, or filling the bottle with an inert gas or liquid. Some of the bottles will have a metal cap or coin buried in the beeswax capsule to protect the cork from being punctured in this manner. Removal of the beeswax capsule will result in destruction of the message after a delay of 5 minutes up to several hours depending on the quality of the seal created by the cork.

Significance

The message contains information considered secret by the sender and the receiver. Wealthy nobles, overlords and members of the clergy employ them to communicate with lovers, allies and opponents to ensure a measure of privacy.

Artificers developed a method to send messages which are protected by several layers of precautions. The message is typically written in on a a small scrap of parchment in an invisible ink. In addition, messages are frequently scribed in a code known to teh sender and recipient. The bottle is frequently filled with a pyrophoric gas mixed in with an inert atmosphere so that if the bottle is opened in the wrong way, the contents burst into flames and the message is consumed. The bottle is typically sealed with a cork and a wax seal to prevent air from penetrating into the cavity. An identifying seal of some form is frequently pressed into top of the wax to identify either the sender or the intended recipient. The wax covering and the cork can be removed with a knife and a corkscrew but unless a simple cantrip, such as Mending, is used the contents of the bottle will burst into flame as soon as the cork is removed.

Item type

Communication

Rarity

The Message in a Bottle communication is a rare item, used by a limited number of alchemists and artificers to communicate information and trade secrets, to fellow craftsmen. An artificer with a powerful patron may also create messages for a patrons who support their work and research.

Weight

1 lb

Dimensions

14 in long x 5 in diameter

Base Price

100gp

Raw materials & Components

The bottle is cast from a transparent glass, frequently tinted lightly in green or blue to help obscure the contents.