Good. 
Smooth. 
Just getting us back on the top page and front of our minds
Sorry to keep you waiting. The next Comprehend allows the following to be transcribed, after some wasted time trying to piece together broken fragments that in the end prove unintelligible.
Having successfully created the first hybrids, it remains to be seen if they will breed. The creatures are difficult to sex and it is only by reference to their donors that it is possible to tell male from female at all. The source is unclear as to whether donors of different sexes would create a hermaphrodite or simply an asexual creature, but in view of the difficulty and expense I am not minded to find out.
The creatures are wary of me despite the amulet’s power. It seems that I must transform myself if I am to gain their full confidence. My researches persuade me this is not a task for the faint-hearted, yet if I am intent on success I must not shirk it.
Later: The pain was intense and I felt momentarily sure it must stop my heart. I suppose a more accomplished wizard would have used more advanced magic in creating the amulet, or else settled for the mere seeming of the creature to be duplicated. Either would, of course, have been safer. Well, there is no help for it. I live - though it is not an experiment I wish to repeat too often.
Ulf thinks we need to get all the information we can from the book before we decide what to do next.
So far it looks as if the Wizard may be both dead and permanently transformed?
“Maybe Osvald no use pain necklas . . . we could sell and get no hurty thing”
“Yes… It does seem to be quite painful of a process… But what was he trying to accomplish? What did he want with these Owlies? You don’t just go around trying to take over the world and such with Owlbears- Do you?” asks Osvald.
No, the Wizard could never have written the last entry in Owlbear form, so he must have been able to transform back. At the very least, if he wrote those entries in Owlbear form, I’d have seen a shift in handwriting.
This does argue against keeping cubs as pets, especially if they distrust people even after being spoken to in Owlbear form.
Ulf agrees that he transformed back at least once.
But this sounds more like Polymorph Other, where there are risks each time the transformation will be permanent, rather than Polymorph Self, which is always under the Caster’s control.
Ulf half seriously points out that we are taking on the World with just seven of us… 
“Still no good plan to use . . . we fight good no need bearowl help . . . let sell and no chance of bad.”
But selling it doesn’t seem like a good idea either. Who would we sell it to? Do we want to endanger someone else? Do we want to empower someone else?
You make good points.
How about we look for someone who will use it for research? (and pay us lots for items we can safely use!).
You seem to be reaching some conclusions, so I’ll just paraphrase the remaining entries, rather than write them out in full, and let the story move on a bit. As glee has pointed out, the specific spell enchanted into the amulet carries the risk of permanent personality change - and what’s more, the risk of dying every time it’s used :eek: - and while its previous owner seems to have been tough or lucky enough to escape the latter fate, the signs in the later entries were that his personality was shifting quite a bit.
He recounts the successful building of a breeding colony of owlbears and a thriving second generation, as well as rejoicing in his own physical prowess while transformed, and there is a suggestion that he intended to, and possibly did, use his creations to waylay wealthy travellers - which, in an out-of-the-way location like this, could have passed unnoticed. In his final entry, he noted that supplies were running short, but there was some ranting about the strong being able to take what pleased them. You’re unable to ascertain the date of the last entry, but it looks fairly recent so far as the damaged pages allow you to tell.
It is indeed possible to trade even such an item as this, but you’ll need to go somewhere livelier than Woolverton to do it.
Ulf suggests we take the book and Amulet to a big town (Harwic?) and sell them, saying everything we know about them.
We can happily take the iron box as our well-earned treasure (since we beat the obnoxious Owlbears for it).
(We also can:
- sell some Owlbear cubs and eggs
- talk Osvald out of rearing one!
- sell the snake
- find a craftsman to help Ulf make his Bear Totem)
After translating the diary, Ivar is less inclined to spend more time than absolutely necessary in the presence of Owlbears. Let’s go somewhere urban and sell them.
“Yes we go . . . no more here we find stuff in else . . . maybe we go find Vectis and get magical weapon.” Jorund goes into mumbling about magical weapons and undead.
…You reach somewhere urban without further incident, returning to Pevensey, collecting Black Snake and obtaining directions. A little local trading takes care of operating expenses and ammunition resupply, and you’re also able to procure bows for your loyal henchmen. Your owlbear cubs provoke some comment, but no-one here wants or can afford to buy them, so you have to settle for getting hold of some small cages to put them in on board ship.
A few days’ rowing, unfortunately against the wind, sees you in a large river estuary some way further to the West. To the South of you is a large island, and ahead just to the North is a splendid port (at least to your somewhat uncultured eyes), Hamwic. This looks like a good place to look for specialist services and high-value trades.
Excellent! Let’s land and start looking for a place to sell Owlbears. I’d personally like to look for an armorer and see if I can’t pick up a good belt knife.
Ulf thinks pessimistically: ‘As long as nobody has declared war in the last few days…’.
Then he cheers up: ‘If they have, it’ll be a glorious fight!’
As Osvald says, let’s land and start looking for trading / services:
- sell the Owlbear eggs and cubs
- sell the Owlbear Amulet and book
- sell the snake
- get the box opened and examine the contents
- find a craftsman for Ulf’s Bear Totem
- buy some arrows (for henchmen and us)
- buy local food (any delicacies?!)
Osvald loads up for the day with:
Spells Loaded:
0) Flare, Read Magic, Detect Magic x2, Prestidigitation
- Colour Spray, Magic Missile. Spook, Floating Disc
- Mirror Image, Flaming Sphere, Rope Trick
A wee bit of everything, ya know?
He’ll sadly volunteer to try to sell the Amulet and Book- as he hopes he can get into contact with fellow Magic Users, and either increase his spell book, or try to get something magically delightful!
Also, he’d like to find out if there is a person who is knowledgeable with potions and poisons, so he can take his notes and try to identify what sort of foul thing killed the rabbit.
The Eggs… we should try to hold off on those, perhaps leave them guarded on the ship, as I believe they could be QUITE valuable. As for the Snake… perhaps if there is a mechanical expert in the Town, they would be able to help figure that monstrosity out. Osvald looks at his fellow vikings, and notes them staring off into various directions in space or at the floor.
"Oh, bloody hell. I’ll go try to find out if there’s a Tinkerer or a school or a research librabry nearby that can tell us about the Snake. You guys can get the food and :he sighs to himself: the beer and such. Though if you DO find some Tea- please bring it back- the leaves preferably not the drink itself, Jorund.
But do any of you WANT to come with me to see if we can scrounge up information on Magic, Mechanical snakes, poisons, and perhaps a buyer of magical goods?"