Yes, but resources -- paper, parchment, papyrus, vellum, and the like -- as well as ink, pens, and literacy -- are all still rare-ish. So amanuensis is, alas, only a partial solution in your quest to bake society to a warm, crispy, well-done state of biblio-abundance.
As for help in deciphering, sure, we can ask others for help. And it may turn out that the captain (or others aboard) know something about the Alexandra, or this slavers' group, or so on. I thought of Lyrlord primarily because he seems like the sort of person who would be adept at deciphering and reading codes and cryptic things.
If it turns out that he was actually a bard in the past, though, I will LOL.
As for help in deciphering, sure, we can ask others for help. And it may turn out that the captain (or others aboard) know something about the Alexandra, or this slavers' group, or so on. I thought of Lyrlord primarily because he seems like the sort of person who would be adept at deciphering and reading codes and cryptic things.
If it turns out that he was actually a bard in the past, though, I will LOL.