Have been at the beach today - update will follow in due course
I’ll be posting today, but am away on a trip Tue - Thu. :o
I would be happy for any of Bjarni, Osvald, Ivar or Jorund to run Ulf. 
“Yes we need to sell all bearowlies they only cause problems. We go sell and try get magic stuff.”
New character sheet sent out, new character will join you shortly… you find a countryman of charming aspect and demeanour not far from Yakub’s emporium. Yakub is delighted at being offered owlbearlings and their eggs, he says there is a ready market for them as they make excellent guards with proper upbringing. He agrees, however, that they would make poor passengers aboard a longship and would eat all the provisions you could carry in a disquietingly short time, and they wouldn’t be the least bit interested in any fish you could catch either.
He offers you a choice of the following items:
Plate mail +1 - Armour of a quite foreign type to you, comprising a solid form-fitting piece covering the upper torso, more for the shins and forearms, and small pieces linked by chainmail covering everywhere else. Because of its enchantment, this is no more cumbrous than ordinary chain mail.
ring of swimming - A magic ring that allows you to swim as fast as a shark when dressed for swimming, and to stay underwater for four minutes out of five; it will also keep you afloat though swimming clumsily if you are in light to medium armour
silver Horn of Valhalla - Can be blown once a week to summon Vikings from the fields of eternal battle in the afterlife; they will cheerfully fight anyone for you regardless of danger, as they are sure to re-awaken in the feast-halls that night
battle axe +2 - He regrets that he has no pole-axes available; magic ones are extremely rare.
While you are mulling this over, you receive a message from your friendly locksmith. He says the key is ready and encloses a list of the contents of the box, duly notarised by a member of the town constabulary. They comprise:
- one large and two small gems
- five bars of platinum
- a thick book which he has not and will not open.
Vikings, we have done well! 
- Yakub’s emporium
Ulf assumes that we are being offered precisely one item from the list (all of which look great! )
His own preferences in order:
- Ulf can use a Battle Axe, so would make full use of the (+2) weapon
- the Horn of Valhalla is superb (can it be used by anyone? does it have charges?)
- the Plate Mail would be great for Bjarni (or Ivar?)
- the Ring would be mildly useful on voyages
Ulf can also make a personal trade - would Yakub be interested in a (+2) Shield? Perhaps as an exchange (with some cash for Yakub obviously!) for the (+2) Battle Axe (plus a normal shield)?
- The Locksmith
Ulf thanks him for his honesty. Does he trade in gems or metals; or know who does?
Do any of our party have knowledge of such precious things?
We should use Detect Magic on the book!
DM, did we get the 1100gp as per previous post?
How much for the owlbearlings and eggs?
Owlbears don’t like fish? :dubious:
What are the prices of each of these items being offered?
Ulf thinks Owlbears are a monstrous creation. Apparently they feast on red meat!
While it’s good to check the prices and value, it’s not like there are chains of magic shops. We may have to travel a lot before getting offered anything as good as Yakub has.
I’m sorry- five bars of platinum? That’s at least ten pounds of one of the most valuable metals around! Could be more, I don’t know what the exact weight of these bars is or how pure they are. Still, that’s tremendous. Let’s find a metal merchant, alchemist, or whoever immediately after we’re done here.
The Horn seems extremely valuable, as does the plate mail. Those two items have my vote. I am able to wear armor, though since my main addition to the group involves ranged weapons and healing, I’m perfectly willing to yield the armor to our leader.
Would Yakub be interested in the amulet (which I’m not sure if we’ve actually sold yet, though we’ve been offered 1000 gp), possibly in trade for a second item? Surely it would be invaluable to any trainer of Owlbears.
Detect Magic, heck! How about Find Traps and Dispel Magic, since a magic book is going to turn up “hot”, trapped or not? Oh, and since I should probably declare spells for the day:
O: 4x Cure Minor Wounds, 1x Read Magic
1: 1x Identify, 4x Cure Light Wounds
2: 2x Find Traps, 2x Hold Person, 1x Speak With Animals
3: 1x Remove Curse, 1x Dispel Magic
You make a good point about selling the amulet to Yakub (though it is still a risky item to use).
Depending on the DM’s ruling, you may need to cast [COLOR=Blue]Detect Magic before casting Identify…[/COLOR]
Basically the prices are “The owlbearlings and their eggs, for any one of the items on offer”, although he might be able to come up with something in hard cash instead if you prefer. You didn’t close the deal with Wise Huw as he freely admitted someone else might offer you a better deal for the amulet - he was willing to pay the hundred for the beaten-up iron snake in the hope he can get it fixed, plus more if it turns out you do have another one aboard.
Yakub is willing to trade a second item from his list for the amulet. He understands the risks in polymorphing himself into an owlbear, but figures he might get good mileage out of the talking function. Hearing that you have apparently got hold of some platinum and gems, he says that he might take one of these plus Ulf’s unfavourite shield in exchange for the axe, depending on what the value of them looks like.
He remarks that Ruari the locksmith is indeed an honest man, but he would have had to call in a witness by the terms of his licence.
Yakub says that the party that traded him the Horn reported that anyone could use it. They traded it in when things got to the point that a handful of compared-to-them low-level Vikings in light armour weren’t much help. It’s restricted in uses per week, but doesn’t show up as charged when identified, he adds. He also wonders whether a true Viking Skald might get more mileage out of it than most, though he doesn’t know.
Yup, owlbears don’t like fish. They’re more owl than bear in their appetites, and not exactly piscivores. You might get it down them if they were starving, but before things get to that stage it pays to ask yourself some searching questions about how badly you want to be stuck in an open boat on the high seas with a starving owlbear.
I think that selling Yakub the amulet for another magic item is an excellent idea. He understands all the risks that we do and so I feel no guilt in selling him something slightly dangerous. I’m also perfectly willing to allow Ulf one platinum bar (or was Yakub talking about the gem?) as his share of plunder so that he can buy the axe he wants.
“Me think axe and horn good to have we no need ring and only the scared hide beneith steel and we no scared. We should make trade. . . Why lock book in box? . . . We read and find out why it worth gems and platinum bars.”
Ditto. Axe and Horn look good.
The rest I’m not as inspired by, but I’m not sure what the prevailing modus operandi is regarding loot to spending loot ratio is.
I’m interested in the armor if no one else is and the price isn’t too high, but it’s not important. Let’s grab the horn and axe for certain.
Thanks to Ivar for spotting that Yacub would pay more for the amulet!
(And Ivar is right that Yacub understands the risks in its use, so we’re not cheating anyone.)
So Ulf suggests we swap the **Valhalla Horn ** for the **Owlbear cubs and eggs ** (anyone of us can use the Horn - probably Osvald is favourite, at least until we get a Skald to join us! 
).
Then we can exchange the Amulet for the (+2) Battle Axe, which Ulf would be delighted to use. (He can use it both in normal and Berserker combat. 
)
If the metal and gems are valuable, we may even get the Plate Mail as well.
And we still may find another automaton snake on the boat, which Wise Huw will certainly want.
(If we go ahead as above, Ulf will store his PoleAxe on the Black Snake and carry his magic Battle Axe everywhere.
He can then offer the party a useful double-bladed (silver and iron) Battle Axe, if anyone likes that weapon.)
A Young (16-18 Years) man of slight bearing & short stature (5’6") follows the group into Yakubs establishment. A dusting of pox scars are scattered across his visible arms and face. A shock of blonde hair is held loosely in a topknot over gray eyes. A smile shows mostly even teeth. Oh his belt sits a short roman stabbing sword and a small finger drum. Across his back is an unstrung short bow stave a traveling pack. From the small man a baritone voice made for singing rings out. His garb is leather for traveling but a chain shirt is hanging from the bottom of his pack.
“Are you Barjani and his Companions? Late of Woolverton, late of his own lands? A man who even now moves south through to the Vectis lands? I hear through story that a man as yourself is attracting worthy companions. Sorely of Jutland I call myself now, and here I have grown bored. If you need a sure aim and a stout voice I would do you well to accompany. I’ve lived with danger and learned many a things but now I seek stories of mine own. What say the lot of you?” The young man seems proud but does not raise his voice as if in boast, but a careful observer would see his hands shaking.
Things Sorely can Do for Reference:
Listen, Climb, Pickpocket, Legend Lore, Inspire Allies (Combat Bonues, has set up time), Influence Reactions, Ranged Combat Preference
Spells:
Cantrips 4/day:
Detect Magic
Torchlight
Ghost Sound
Prestidigitation
Open/Close
Mending
1st-level spells 4/day:
Charm Person
Feather Fall
Grease
Sleep
2nd-level spells 2/day
Glitterdust
Hypnotic Pattern
As soon as Sorely mentions the name ‘Bjarni’, Ulf steps forward alertly.
However, as Sorely continues his introduction, Ulf relaxes and listens carefully.
“Greetings, Sorely of Jutland. I am Ulf Andersson, friend of Bjarni.
Here too are Jorund, who fights without fear - as I do; Osvald the Wizard; Ivar the Rune-Priest and Bjarni himself.
If your heart be as true as your aim, then I for one will welcome you.
I can assure you that boredom is a stranger to us and that a teller of tales will not lack material.”
Ulf offers a hand in friendship, adding “Do you play Hnefetafl, by any chance?”
Osvald votes for the Horn as well, and the 2nd item, well he’ll leave that sort of thing for the fighters to mull over- he’s more fascinated by the locked book! Perhaps us Magic users can all find something useful in there indeed, as I have a Read Magic and a Detect Magic myself, but I do lack the detect Traps skill.
As for our new found Viking brethren… Well, Osvald will hold his tongue back on the puns that I’m sure would be sorely received.
Ivar judges that the newcomer looks capable enough. “Welcome, traveller. You’ve come to the right place for stories; we’ve had good luck so far in finding material for them. We’ll get you settled in to the Black Snake soon enough, and we’ll see how well you can handle yourself soon after.”
Just roleplaying, duncfoo- welcome!
If we’ve made decisions about magic items, let’s make the swap and call it good, then go retrieve our spoils from the locksmith.
“Lived with Danger, you say! and learned, are you! Why, I think you should be made most welcome within our merry band! Are there any beautiful and fair maidens in your homeland with perchance a love of academia? Oh, but how do you feel about Tea and Mechanical automatons? Oh, never mind! I’m getting too far ahead of myself now! But you good Skald would be most welcome to our group!”
Indeed, glad to have new blood join up with us! The more the merrier!