Great Owl's Pocket Library

Wondrous item, rare

This golden owl brooch is paired with a miniature ivory figurine of a bookcase. The two items rest within a metal carrying case in the shape and size of a small book. Though the brooch and figurine weights are negligible, the carrying case has a weight of 2 pounds. The brooch, figurine, and metal case all share a command word.

Brooch. While wearing the brooch, you gain a +5 bonus to any Intelligence check you make to learn relevant information from a book or scroll you're reading. While holding the brooch, you can use an action to speak the command word followed by a book or scroll's title, subject matter, or author. When you do, a spectral owl appears before you and magically directs you to the nearest relevant book or scroll within 100 feet of you, if any. The owl disappears once it reaches its destination.

Figurine. The ivory figurine contains a special demiplane that can hold up to a total of 50 books and scrolls. You can use an action while holding the figurine to speak its command word and touch a book or scroll within your reach that isn't being worn or carried by another creature; the touched object then disappears into the demiplane, provided there's room within it. Alternatively, you can use an action to speak the command word followed by a book or scroll's title, subject matter, or author. When you do, the spectral owl magically appears before you and drops any relevant books or scrolls within the demiplane on the ground at your feet or in your free hand (your choice each time). The owl then disappears. If you use an action to shake the figurine, 1d10 random books stored inside the demiplane fall to the ground at your feet.

Metal Case. While holding the metal carrying case, you can use an action to speak its command word. If the case is missing any of the objects, they're magically returned to the inside of the case with a faint "woosh" sound. If the brooch or figurine are destroyed, they're magically recreated and returned to the case when you speak the command word in this way. If both the owl and the figurine are within the case, the command word instead sounds like a magical lullaby: one creature of your choice within 30 feet of you that can hear you must then make a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature becomes incapacitated and can't move until the end of its next turn, at which point it must make the saving throw again. If the creature fails the second save, it falls unconscious for 1 minute or until it takes damage or someone within 5 feet of it uses an action to shake it awake. A creature makes these saving throws with advantage if you or your companions are fighting it. Once a creature wakes up from this effect or succeeds on the saving throw, it's immune to the effect for 24 hours.

Vasily scanned the shelves in the musty old book shop. He'd thought himself clever, casually miss-shelving that old De Vermis volume: no one would suspect a rare book filled with esoteric summoning rituals hidden away with the herbology and gardening volumes.

“Where is it, where is it?” he muttered. Panic started to rise in his chest—had he lost out on a huge find for a wealthy client? He knew he wasn't alone in the search: he'd seen Roderick here not too long ago, and he was—as all biblio-bounty hunters knew—a thoroughly unscrupulous and dishonorable cheat. And a jerk. And didn't pay for bar tabs. And stole clients.

They had a history, after all.

Having had enough, Vasily reached into his breast pocket and withdrew a golden owl brooch. Leaning close to the brooch, he whispered, “Show me where the De Vermis is, my little friend”.

Vasily, was, of course, also an unscrupulous cheat.