"Fair question my dear!" Joybell would chime, finding her way in front of Onu. She'd pat her nose playfully for a second, then put her hands on her hips. The gnome would inhale a deep breath, and let out an audible exhale, promptly returning his smile. "We all need air to breathe." She'd reach up on her tip toes and boop the monk on the nose. "And besides, can't entertain company if they don't fit!" She'd wink before skipping off to pluck a large mushroom cap from her pile.

Joybell's eyes peek above the rim as she waddles over to her stool. By the lines on her face you could tell she was smiling and chuckling along with Demetios' relief. She'd hop on top and proceed to begin the process of stuffing the purple shroom into the next barrel, nodding along to his words. "Ahh yes. I suppose we need room for our inventions too." Joy would muse with a chuckle. "Welp!" She'd cap her barrel and dust off her hands just like before. "If anyone's in the know how for what you're looking for, it's Fibblestib and Dabbledob. They're always in the Inventor's workshop plugging away at some things." Pausing, she'd wobble on the stool. "Come to think of it, we barely see them since one of the kings have gone mad and took the other prisoner." Her face would go thoughtful for a moment, then she'd bob back to her exuberant expressions. "Shroom Brew anyone!?" She'd clap her hands.

"Miss Lilly, come. Bring a friend." Joy would make an encouraging gesture for her, and any one else, perhaps the curious artificer, to come along the very short tour. She'd sweep off and begin explaining how they sustain themselves using the mushrooms you saw on the way in. They come in three colors. The red mushrooms provide oil that the gnomes use to fuel their lanterns and other mechanical devices. Green mushrooms are ground into flour and used to make a tasty green bread. Purple mushrooms are crushed and fermented to make mushroom wine, which tastes as good as it sounds.

KD's fuzzing bustle of questioning and complimenting eventually begins to make more sense, and every once in a while she tinkers with a pulley, tightens a loop of rope, scratches at a rough piece of metalwork, trying to make the equipment a tiny bit more efficient and avoid some future repairs. This happens before and during the tour. She can't help herself.

Investigation? 18
Sleight of hand? 15

Eventually she pauses and cocks her head to the side. "I'm sorry, kings? Mad? Prisoner? What are Fibblestib and Dabbledop doing right now? Could I see them?"

"Come!" Lilly tugged Demetrius at the sleeve pulling him to join the tour. Obviously, even a paladin had to be interested in the kitchen appliances - who would not? Lilly was curious about everything too - in this world of big people, it could be useful to know how to operate in their giant kitchens and make it fitting for normal size folk. She did hear the strange story about prisoners, but information took the long way to her brain preoccupied with mushroom flour. When it did, she reacted with curious look - it was indeed interesting!

Demetrios had been thinking that with Joybell's enthusiasm, that this mission would be an easy one, up until she continued speaking of kings and madness and prisoners... He opens his mouth to query further, however instead of words, a surprised yelp escapes him as he gets tugged by the sleeve by Lilly to get a tour. She was definitely stronger than she let on!

Out of respect, he keeps his mouth clamped shut and watches as they worked on using the different types of mushrooms and made them into various different things. This was definitely interesting to him, as it was something he didn't learn back at home. This knowledge could be useful for the future too! Maybe before they left the caves he could pick a few? "I never knew mushrooms could be so... versatile..." He comments as he watched, only to be shaken out of his thoughts when he hears KD's questions.

"Ah, right, yes. Miss Joybell, if you don't mind elaborating on... what she questioned. What was that about one of the kings going mad and... taking another prisoner?"

Joybell chuckles as she watches KD go off on her own, busying herself in with the other gnomes. Most of them would tolerate her, some would welcome her, but Dimble, oh he was nimble at swatting her away at every corner. He'd eye her down before chastising her to respectfully address the maker to offer constructive criticism or adjustment suggestions. Joy would just brush him off, winking to KD, shooing her along to go improve the other's work stations. Which she did quite successfully without disturbing them too much.

At both KD and Demetrios refocusing on the other things she said, Joybell would pause in place, as if stumped for a moment. She'd make a few expressions before letting out a guffaw, then giggling. "Oh my! Even a spry nan like myself can't keep track of everything the young kids are inventing these days." The warm smile of a wise old woman danced on her lips. "You kiddos will just have to take this party down to the shop on the other end of the cave to hit them up for a chat yourself." She'd nod affirmatively. "You youngins and your gizmoz..." Joy would stride up and give her good old wooden barrel a smack. She'd wince, hoping the aged equipment would hold for her point. "Good ol' faithful!" There was a grin, but everyone knew the others would tweak it for her when she wasn't looking, and they'd all pretend it was like that all along. "I know my limits. Kitchen, food, but most importantly wine and intoxication, that's my specialty!" Joybell chimed before refocusing before the thought was lost. "Now! The fastest way there is to go back out the way you came, climb the wall to the north west entrance. Take a left and up some stairs." She'd make some gestures with her hand towards the door you came in.

KD finishes her little friendly industrial espionage tour graciously, asks for some samples of at least the not-food mushroom oil for some experiments she’d like to try on her own (with the promise to update them on the results), and pays her polite, but succinct, respects  to the welcome committee. She then prepares to leave and chase down the inventors per Joybell’s directions.

'Ms. Joybell, you are a most gracious hostess and tourguide, thank you for your help and indulgence' as Onu spoke he delivered a deep, sweeping bow and the practiced smile of someone who knew he was handsome, and that handsome had it's advantages.  'We'll be on our way off to see the mad kings'

As the group took their leave of the gnomish mushroomers, Onu would slide alongside KD and drop his voice.  'Find anything interesting in there?  These mushrooms worth anything on the market?"

Joybell simply beams, ushering you all on your way with your collection of mushroom samples. She’d wave you off with gentle excitement. “Come back for a visit! Bring hungry bellies!”

KD and Onu lead the group out of this section of the tunnels and back down the side of the cave. You each take your turns crossing the stream like before, careful not to slip and get carried away. Sure enough, the team finds themselves in front of the suggested cave entrance that was in fact 30ft up the rocky cliff face. Whomever takes a moment to gauge the difficulty can determine that it’s a bit tricky.

Wall Climbing
(Getting yourselves up to the NW entrance.)

Strength Check: DC13 Athletics

Onu Athletics roll - 16

As the group was ushered out, Demetrios thanks Joybell and friends for the information and also the mushroom samples. "We'll use them wisely!"

When they approach the cliff, the paladin rubs his chin in thought, wondering the best way to go about the climb, though stops when he sees Onu scale the cliff with relative ease. "Nice work, Onu! Wouldn't happen to be able to tie a rope to something sturdy and toss it down, would you?" 

(In the case he doesn't/no way to do so, Demetrios will help give a boost to the others, in hopes to give advantage on the roll, would Ixi allow it!)

KD responds to Onu that the non-food items might prove useful for some things she’s been working on, and she’s excited to experiment a bit with her extra samples. 

When she gets closer to the walk, she pulls out a coil of rope and offers it to the first climber, which of course is Onu. 

Then when it’s her turn, she stops at the bottom, looks up, and kicks the toe of one boot against the wall. Piton-like spikes flip out and stay set, mostly perpendicular, from the sole of the old, dirty boot. She turns back and grins. She kicks the other boot’s toe against the wall and nothing happens. She kicks again, still nothing. Grumbling, she twists her leg up and fiddles with something on the side of her boot, then hits it with the side of her hand and starts in surprise as the spikes jut out immediately, nearly impaling her other knee or her hand. She twists around and gives an expression that could be both “meant to do that” and “gadgets, amirite?” but also “you saw nothing!” and then tries to climb.

She is happy to take Demetrios’ hand as help to get going and the rope if available.

Athletics: 6 

As nimble as Lilly was, climbing required strength, and that was not something she could be particularly proud of. She was not discouraged, though, and bravely picked up the rope at her turn:

Athletics: 1

It was a surprisingly good try for such an inexperienced climber, but, obviously, not enough. At the middle of the ascending last drops of strength left her, and Lilly slid down. "Might need some help," with a hint of shame for her weak arms, admitted Lilly.

(Roll for help? 6 She is hopeless! Someone would have to pull her up)

Onu takes the proffered rope from KD and ties it off at the top, dropping it down and steadying it to help the others make the climb up the steep slope.

Both KD and Lilly put in the effort to try to make it up the cliff, but unfortunately their hands lose grip midway causing them each on their own turns to crash to the ground.

On KD
Falling damage: 5 

On Lilly
Falling damage: 3 

This time Onu double checked the rope, securing it in a way to provide him with adequate leverage. With Demetrios assisting any one from the bottom, he’d be able to help more efficiently from the top as well. With these combined efforts, Lilly and KD (and even Arty) could be harnessed in and hoisted up to the entrance. The last one climbing, assumed to be Demetrios, would have to put in a little work to get up, but he’d definitely would have help. 

Demetrios hoped that with a tightly secured rope, and his assistance, that there would be no issues climbing up the face of the cliff, however, it seemed that the dice roller had other plans luck simply wasn't on their side today when he sees both Lilly and KD fall. "Are you two alright?" He would ask the two, giving them both a worried look as he helps them back on their feet. "We might have to try a different method..."

Had the remaining group at the bottom agree to do so, the paladin would help in harnessing them in to hoist them up to the entrance. Despite any aching muscles he had after exerting his strength so far, he plays it off and moves onto making his ascent carefully. 

Dice roller don't fail me now! 20

"I can't believe a cliff is beating our asses this hard."

"Quite hard," sadly agreed Lilly, rubbing fresh (and huge, she was sure of it) bruise on the mentioned body part. Once up, though, (thanks to paladin's help she would definitely accept) Lilly would do her part in pulling up Demetrios. After all, with the properly organized pulley (KD did not spend all this time around that wonderful kitchen for nothing, did she?) even that little strength the halfling had, could help.

Once everyone was finally up and ready to go, she studied the surroundings more closely. "So, where are we going from now?" She looked into the cave entrance in front of the group.

Onu peeks into the cave entrance 'let me slide forward a bit, see what there is to see, ok?'

and with that he ducks into the cave entrance as quietly as possible Stealth 12

KD must have sprained something when she hit. Her climb back up -- hoisting back up, more like -- is quiet and slow, and when she reaches the top, you can see the wheels turning. "Next suit of armor requires: shock absorbers, automatic belay grappling hooks, and feather fall inflatable as the last line of defense," she says more to herself and pulls out a scrap of parchment to make some notes. 

Eventually she looks up and says, "I anticipate that I will need to ice these wounds soon -- they require healing. I hope that Joybell's directions  -- left here then up some stairs -- will lead us to a place of refuge."

She will move forward in the middle of the pack.

She pauses on her way to the stairs, then turns back, counting. "We're missing someone." She walks back to the cliff and looks down. "Looks like we need additional portage capacity to complete our traverse." She looks around for a pulley secured to the wall, or some other way to carry more weight.

Intelligence: 5

Inspiration roll: 21

Lilly would not take a step away from the edge of that cliff until Demetrios will get their safe and sound. "Come on! There are four of us, surely we all together can lift one paladin? Even the big one?" Pulley was not even necessary here, just the rope fixed somewhere and the combined strength of four people. As little as Lilly could offer in that regard, it was still something.