With KD's words to remind him what to look for, Onu slips ahead into the cave unseen. He'd scout the immediate area prior to locating the stairs on the left Joybell spoke of.

(G12) The floor of this cave is strewn with the remnants of old campfires. Four side caves serve as sleeping areas, with five small wooden cots crammed into each one. Eight rock gnome recluses sleep soundly, at the moment.

Map Update

While Onu easily navigates the area without disturbing the locals, the rest of the group works together to try to find a solution to bring Demetrios up to their level. Finally, KD's final contraption paired with the paladins sheer determination to get up, they succeeded. It took extra lengths of rope, additional well oiled pulleys and a teamwork worth of tugs, but they did it! It wasn't until they were all catching their breaths that they'd realize how loud they were.

When KD would look up from gathering her materials and correcting her notes, she'd be greeted by eight pairs of eyes staring back at her, and any one who appeared behind her. They'd blink groggily at different times. Some would rub to try to determine if they were imagining things.

KD stows her notes and waves awkwardly at the eyes. “Joybell sent us?” she says.

"Joy sent?" A few more uncoordinated blinks would occur from the darkness. "Joy sent!" After some shuffling, one set would hobble forward into some light to address you. "What joy send?" Their eyes would strain as they'd adjust to the light. "Precious?" They'd take more steps closer to KD, shoving their face into her notes to sniff them. Then they'd help themselves to taking her notes from her hands and hold them up high to look at them inquisitively. "Not precious Joybell gifts!" They'd spit on the floor and return the papers safely back to the artificer. The gnome would look at the woman suspiciously "Zook want cook not book when wake from nook!" They'd gently start pushing her towards the way she came in, grumbling under their breath. "Fibblestib and Dabbledob 'paper dragons'. Shoo."

Zook

KD is looking helplessly at the rest of the group, ill-prepared for social oddities.

Lilly considered herself as an expert in solving social oddities (let's not dwell on efficiency here) and immediately interfered: "Wait, we do have some gifts!" She meant all the tasty samples they were given - not that much, sure, but still "cook" and definitely "precious". "Here, you can have them. And if you can help us to find Fibblestib and Dabbledob we can probably bring some more?"

As KD begins to get escorted out, Onu takes advantage of being unseen and proceeds to scout ahead further to the south. On his path up the stairs there's a landing after about five feet where the stairs continue on up to the west. No sense it stopping here, the monk steps his way up the corridor. Sure enough, true to her word Joybell's directions bring him directly to what he could safely assume was the (G11) Inventors' Workshop. Onu could overhear the two resident rock gnome recluses arguing.

"We're Gnomengarde’s foremost inventors, we must think outside of the box to cure the King!"
"What's madness is your idea."
"And yours is better?"
"We're already missing gnomes. We can't lose them too."
"We need to cure his madness, not trap him in it!"
"I rather not risk frying a King's brain."

Meanwhile back at the (G12)Gnome Domiciles, Zook pauses when the red head claims she has gifts. Their head jerks and release KD to lunge their way in front of Lilly. They'd look her up and down before accepting the samples eagerly. Wide eyed, they appeared excited that the halfling indeed did follow through with her claim. No longer interested in the group, Zook would mutter some things to themselves before reaching out to touch Lilly's shoulder. They'd gently nudge her over to the stairs, encouraging her to get going. Then with that, Zook would bounce their way back into the shadows with the blinking eyes, which were all now focused on the gnome.

"Thank you?" Lilly was not sure if she really did something here, but at least some of the locals seemed to be happy with the group. "Guess we are going over there?" She curiously walked up the stairs.

Onu would rejoin the party, moving back as quietly as he came in, staying to the shadows to avoid being seen by the Gnomes.  Until he knows their intentions, he'll try to keep an option open for the party - not to mention himself. 

Map

Onu would meet up with Lilly and the party at the hallway landing. He'd be able to inform them that he can confirm the Inventor's Workshop is directly ahead and it sounds as though both inventors were in deep discussion. The monk would inform the party of the conversation he overheard.

Continuing forward to the Inventor's Workshop together, the group would begin to hear the voices Onu spoke of. The individuals who these voices belong to would be easily revealed upon entry into the area. Two rock gnome recluses busied themselves in what appears to be their individual work spaces, each of different styles. The workshop's cluttered with half-completed gnomish inventions that serve seemingly no purpose, as well as worktables strewn with tinker’s tools. A 10-foot-high ledge overlooks the room, set with a wooden pedestal on which sits a leather-bound book.

They are too heavily engrossed in their conversation to notice the group right away.

"It's called a 'Sanity Ray', Dabbledob!" An eccentric gnome with wild white hair stood amongst an assortment of very unique contraptions was addressing their counterpart.

Fibblestib

"Fibblestib, please." The other gnome sat at their desk in a much more relaxed manner in comparison. "My concept of a 'Straitjacket' would keep him from harming himself or others." They'd lift their head from their notebook to look back at the other. Catching sight of something from the corner of their eye, they'd turn their head slightly for a lazy glance before looking back to the white-haired gnome.

Dabbledob

Dabbledob would do a double take, pointing to the tall guests that just joined them and looking back to Fibblestib. They'd pop their brow, "How about a third opinion?"

Mini Map Update

Thankful to not have been left behind, Demetrios follows behind the group as carefully and as quietly as he could, even staying silent when approached by Zook. He cocks a brow at the gnome and watches their movements, letting Lilly take lead on this one. When her offerings seemed to have pleased the gnome and nudged them in the right direction of the inventors, the paladin whispers over a, "Nice job!"

Thick brows raise when listening to the inventors conversation, only then to be asked for an opinion on... something. His eyes flicker over to the group then back onto the gnomes. "Em... Well... what exactly do your inventions... do? How do they work?"

KD's eyes run across the setups of both inventors, clearly a bit impressed, a bit confused, and a bit jealous.

When Demetrios asks his straightforward question, KD says, "It's an incisive question! I have a series of concurrent, or perhaps preliminary, questions, which might help illuminate the conundrum you face. What is the exact nature of the king's madness? When did it manifest? Does it wax and wane or persist? Does it appear only under certain conditions?"

She pauses. "I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm somewhat of a tinkerer myself. You can call me KD, or Kothe Dorian. Joybell sent us. And can I have a look at that ray? It looks dangerous. And fun. The jacket, not so much."

It would make sense that she'd offer her hand to shake, as she's sincerely interested and friendly toward these two already, but she is too distracted observe social niceties. She approaches both benches with gusto unless stopped.

Onu would smile broadly and move to position himself to cover any hostile moves towards KD.  He'd keep his mouth shut until he could get a better read on how the Gnomes would react to the party's own tinkerer...

For a change, Lilly was also quiet. The group obviously found their target but the gnomes seemed to be too preoccupied with... whatever they were doing. Hopefully, KD's curiosity and Demetrious focus would help to extract both the information and the inventions out of them.

The gnomes eyes both start low, then follow up the tall mans frame until they find his eyes, their own now both large. Fibblestib corrected his glasses and Dabbledob returned a popped brow to the paladin. "Well," They stop themselves when KD would pipe up, smiling as she'd add to the mans inquiries.

Fibblestib would squint his eyes to focus his spectacles on her while Dabbledob snapped their book closed with a delighted smirk. "Great questions." They'd stand and give a respectful bow of their head while placing their hand over their chest. "Both of you." Looking them back over, and the rest of the group, Dabbledob would extend their hand in official greeting. "Tinkerer Kothe Dorian, pleasure to meet you. I'm Dabbledob."

"Fibblestib." The eccentric gnome would mutter prior to pointing to a contraption by the doorway near you, "Wipe your feet." Then to gesture to another above it. "And wash your hands." The gnome would instruct. "Please." He'd add, and watch.

Whether you obliged to their colleague, Dabbledob would begin addressing the groups query. They were happy to do so. It wasn't every day they had so many different perspectives available to them in one room. "I admit my design is more on the simplistic side in comparison to Fibblestib, but I stand by it presenting less risk. It's simply a jacket with buckles to keep the king from being a harm to himself and others while we study further." The one inventor would explain. "I'm not presenting it as a permanent solution." They'd admit.

"Mine would be!" Fibblestib would add, not looking up from the device he started tweaking. "By targeting the direct source… The king's mind!" He'd snap something back into place and then adjust it, then face a random direction to test a viewfinder that so happened to be pointing the groups way. "By freezing his mind in place we may be able to stop him from getting worse. Then we set it to reverse! And undo the damage! Pew Pew!" The gnome would push the trigger. With a sputter and a pop, a cloud of, is that snow?, would backfire in his face.

KD's investigation (and anyone with 10 investigation) can quickly determine this effect is similar to frostbite.

Dabbledob's expression read 'See?', but they'd still encourage KD to approach the other inventor to take a look at the weapon. 'Freezeray' they'd mouth. After a moment of watching their fellow inventer collect himself, they'd open their logbook to review and continue to respond to the rest of the questions. "The King's madness first began to manifest about a tenday ago when gnomes started going missing. He took the other king prisoner. It worsens the longer he's inflicted and it's as if he's losing grip on reality. He rants on about 'imposters'."

If Lilly got the invention part right, the application of it to the living being did not sound pleasant, or even safe. Yet, both inventors looked friendly and even goodhearted. Oh, and they introduced themselves too. "I am Lilly." She waved and smiled. "Never heard of the freezing to be the cure for madness, but I have never met a mad gnome before either. Is your king the only one mad? Can it simply be something in the tunnels that make people this way and should be cleaned out to make everyone better?" No, gnome or not she did not like the idea of brain freezing.

Onu would speak up for the first time since encountering the inventors 'Missing you say?  You've lost some folks, old chap?  Here in the tunnels?'

His tone was friendly and engaging, but KD recognized the slight change in his body language, the monk was ready for danger.

Dabbledob would bow respectfully to Lilly when she’d introduce herself. They’d make an expression in agreement with her about not hearing freezing the brain as a cure. It definitely wasn’t. They’d begin to nod. “Yes, it appears the King is the only one. Something unique to him must have triggered it.” The gnome would rub their chin thoughtfully to Lilly’s final thought, then shrug. “Our focus has been the King. But if you all want to investigate the tunnels for the cause, I’d welcome that.”

They’d be a little taken aback when Onu would speak up and say old chap. They’d look to Fibblestib hoping the gentleman was talking about him. Dabbledob couldn’t bring down their popped brow if they tried. “Yes. Two gnomes went missing about a tenday ago.” They’d confirm.

When the gnomes introduce themselves, Demetrios gives them a respectful nod and says, "Demetrios. A pleasure." At Fiubblestib's request, the paladin consciously wipes his feet and moves to wash his hands. They said please!

He would listen intently to their explanation on their inventions, lips thinning and brows furrowing in thought. "And I'm... pretty sure freezing his mind would... kill him..." He mutters after Lilly pipes up. "The jacket could work but the king could still possibly harm himself unless put in some sort of padded cell..." Wait, why was he thinking on this and not the reason why they were there in the first place? "Pardon the interruption, but if we assist with finding the missing gnomes and... helping cure the king of his madness--if possible-- would you both be willing to gives us some sort of inventions to assist in defeating the dragon that has been plaguing these lands as of late?"

Turning their attention back to the tall paladin, Dabbledob would return to looking thoughtful. It didn’t take long though, the gnome’s head started nodding. “Why yes! I imagine that’s the least we could do if you happen to be able to find a solution.” They’d offer a polite smile.

'Well then, perhaps we should meet with the Kings ourselves, assess the condition and see what might be done?  Would you be soe good as to point the way?'