"My name, Avatar, is Owen. It is a name I suspect thou shalt be hearing more of in the future."

He looks you in the eye and speaks without the slightest trace of modesty. "I am," he says, "the greatest shipwright in the history of Minoc. I am the greatest shipwright who has ever lived!"

"After years of breaking my back trying to make something of this ungrateful little town, I'm giving up. I swear I will never build another ship as long as I live. That will teach them! No matter how they may beg or plead, I will not do it."

"Well, I shall certainly forgive thy poor manners for I know how privileged thou must feel for meeting me, but thou must know that two people have just been discovered in the sawmill, having been murdered!"

"And dost thou know how I became that way? I shall tell thee! I started to hear a voice in mine head! Oh, I know that thou shalt think me mad..."

"These were not the voices of anyone I have ever known. But still these voices had a profound effect on me..."

"After searching for a meaning to this voice - which proved difficult, for how dost thou tell someone, especially a stranger, that thou art hearing a voice in thine head - I came across The Fellowship. They taught me what the voice was."

"This was the voice of reason within mine own mind which sought to guide my life in its proper direction. The Fellowship taught me how to trust this voice and heed what it says. And thou canst see the results in mine own life! I have mastered my craft and advanced the techniques of ship-building through the methods I have devised."

Owen looks at you and suddenly seems flustered. "Uh, I have no ships for sale presently. I have been working on a few improvements. But if thou wouldst, thou couldst commission me to build one for thee. A deed to one of the ships I build costs 1000 gold coins. Dost thou wish to buy one?"

"Wouldst thou perhaps be interested in purchasing a fine sextant? I have one which I would be willing to part with for a fine bargain. The price is 150 gold. Art thou interested?"

"Mine establishment is presently closed. I do not wish to discuss business at this time."

"I have even written a book describing the advances I have made in the methods of ship-building. It is very advanced but I have tried to write it so that it is accessible to the layman. Wouldst thou be interested in purchasing a copy?"

"Yes, of course thou wouldst."

"Here it is."

"Thou art carrying too much to take thy book."

"I shall return thy money."

"I wouldst give thee back thy gold but thou cannot take it."

"Thou dost not have enough money!"

"Hmph! I suppose that it would be beyond thy comprehension, anyway."

"I can well understand thine impatience but I have just begun work on it. It shall be ready when I am finished with it. Now, until such time, I would appreciate it if thou wouldst not waste my valuable time." END

"I cannot build thee a ship as I suspect we both know."

"Nor can I take thy money for one. Here, I shall return it to thee."

"Oh, my, thou art too encumbered to take back thy 1000 gold coins! Come back when thine hands are less full!"

"I cannot help thee with that."

"Despite all this business with murders, I must confess that I love it here. This is the place where I was born. They love me. They are going to be building a monument here in mine honor. I suppose I have been worthy of it, but still I can't help but be flattered."

"Apparently, building the greatest ships to ever set sail in history and all that that has done for Minoc are no longer enough! No! Thanks to that pompous idiot of a mayor I am denied the rightful tribute of which I have proven myself more than worthy. Design flaws, bah! How many ships has Mayor Burnside built in his miserable little life?!"

"That is right. The sawmill is located southeast of town. Almost everyone in town is down there. Thou shouldst probably go down there if thou dost want to find out more. I abhor violence."

He shakes his head slowly. "They are going to be unveiling my monument sometime in the near future. Dost thou think that talk of these events will keep people away from the ceremony? That would be a tragedy!"

You tell him about the many innocent civilians who lost their lives on the ship he built. Owen shakes his head slowly. "I do not know. I have no idea how it could have happened. It is difficult to conceive of the pain such great loss of life brings into this world. But I did my best when I built those ships. I did not want those men to die. Thou must believe me."

Owen appears distressed. "The tribute to me is now no more than a tombstone."

"The changes it has made in my personal life have helped me tremendously."

"Thou canst ask Elynor all about it unless she is not speaking to thee either. Perhaps the details of thy personal life will amuse her more than do mine."

"My friend, there was a time when I thought that my life was at its end. I felt as though I had been swallowed into a cold, deep hole of darkness."

"My very soul felt as though it had sunk into a place into which no light could enter... Soon after I discovered The Fellowship. The difference that it made in my life was miraculous."

"I have been having a difficult time lately trying to speak to Elynor. It seems that she has no time for me. Back when I was making preparations for the monument she was always stopping by and willing to have words with me."

"Oh, thou canst ask anyone in town about it. They all know."

"I know! My work will stand as my monument! My name will endure long after any statue has worn away to dust! People will remember -me-, I promise thee that!"

And, with a dramatic flourish, Owen produces a dagger. Before you can stop him, he plunges it into his chest. He coughs loudly as blood spurts from his mouth, soaking his fine linen tunic in wine-red guilt. After a moment, it is all over. Owen, the greatest shipwright who ever lived, is dead. END

"The Crown Jewel was in town and left early this morning. It was scheduled to sail for Paws."

"I have heard nothing more of the Crown Jewel since we last spoke of it, Avatar."

"I saw a man with a hook for a hand wandering around town last night."

"I have heard nothing more of this man Hook since we last spoke of him, Avatar."

"Tired of benefitting from my presence? Very well. I shall see thee again, I hope!" END

"Be on thy way, then. Time is fleeting, as is fame." END