Katarina stands still with her eyes closed for a moment as she opens herself up to feel the magic around her. She takes a deep breath and then lets it out. Then she opens her eyes and reveals her findings.

"Katarina feels the magic," she tells the others. "It is all around us in this place... Gnom-en-garde-" (Katarina has a bit of difficulty pronouncing the name of the mountain, but she does her best) "-Is the source of wild magic... and Katarina thinks that any magic used here will be twisted by the power of the mountain... perhaps best it would be to not call upon the spellcraft too much while here we are... Katarina is not sure that every twist of the power will serve for our good..."

Katarina nods in agreement when Khessa suggests announcing success to the gnomes.

"Yes, let us tell the gnomes that the shape-changer has been found... but careful we should be; Katarina thinks that it would be wise to look out for friends to the evil barrel, especially if created by the wild magic the barrel-beast was."

"You are right, Katarina" agrees Khessa, still quite surprised by the news: the whole Gnomengarde a source of wild magic? "If the Wild Magic is everywhere here, then more animated predators might have been created... even if, on second thought, if such things could easily be created here, the gnomes would have not been so clueless... Either the dragon activity increased the wildness of the magic here, or the monster might have come from outside on its own. Anyway, better be sure and explore the whole area".

The tall adventuress calls Anator back under her fluent golden locks and is ready to resume the exploration. She leads all to the next room, unless someone raises objections.

Jasper agrees with Katarina not to use too much magic. We don’t know if any harmful effects may happen. Jasper also agrees with Khessa to finish searching the mountain passages and rooms. Jasper pulls his spear and shield around from his back. 

Echo 'ohhhhhs' as Katarina explains the nature of this mountain, "maybe that's why they all use those contraptions, instead of using magic." She looks down at her hands and checks if her sickle is still in it's sheath- and it is. She purses her lips a little, then nods to herself and says determinedly, "I'll try stick to weapons!"

She follows and stays towards the back of the group, not as confident with a weapon as Khessa, or Katarina, or Aura would be.

The party decides to explore the remaining room on the eastern side of Gnomengarde that they haven't yet explored.

Parked in alcoves in this otherwise empty room are two gnomish contraptions. Each resembles a crab with a barrel for a shell, six articulated metal legs, and a pair of forward-facing pincer claws.

"If those two... kind of mechanical insects... come alive, they could give us problems..." Khessa worries a little when she sees the two big devices "I hope they are not another type of shapechangers..."

Cautiously, she approaches and, using the full length of her greatsword, she tries to touch them, probe them, staying at the greatest possible distance and ready to fight, if those things were to come to life...

Katarina decides to follow Khessa's lead and check the other device. She pulls out one of her javelins and carefully approaches the second mechanical crab, gingerly prodding it with the tip of the weapon while trying to stay out of easy stab/grapple range.

There is no response from the machines.

Katarina gives the crab a couple more pokes, just to be sure, then puts her javelin away.

"Katarina doesn't think that this one is a friend to the evil barrel," the feline says, though she does give it one more suspicious glance. "What of that one, friend Khessa?"

"Yes, friend Katarina" Khessa smiles atbthe tabaxi with affection. It is nice to be called 'friend'. "Those ones seem to be good ones. I wonder what their purpose is..." she examines the apparatus thoroughly with curiosity in her blue eyes "Maybe some other Factoré's invention? I'm not asking her, anyway! Ok, let's go for the next unexplored room".

Jasper heads back to the barrel room with the dead shapechanger and takes off his tattered cloak gathers pieces of it to show the gnomes proof it is taken care of. 

As she heads to the next step of the search for any more lurking shapechangers, Khessa continues to wonder what it is that the gnomes can give to use against Cryovain… 'Will it be something magical? Since this area is a source of Wild Magic, perhaps they wouldn't need a powerful magic item - while using it against the dragon, far from here, could be decisive... Or will it be one of their machines?'

Without even realizing it, the blonde arcane warrior goes from thinking privately to muttering to herself "One of the main advantages Cryovain has over us is that he flies - while most of us don't. As long as he has this advantage, it will always be easy for him to escape from a fight he is losing... We must prevent him from using his wings. Maybe with a net. A giant net. Sturdy though, made of chains maybe, so he can't tear it apart. However, it would weigh a lot... How could we accomplish to throw it... A machine! A gnome machine could throw it! If only they could make us a chain-net-throwing machine..." her blue eyes take on a vaguely dreamy look "Something like a ballista, but that fires a ball of chain that opens in the air in a wide net... Maybe this will be their gift against the dragon?! Anyway, I really want to hear if they can build something like that, when we get back to them with the good news of Gnomengarde being secured!"

(OOC: I think we've searched all the rooms on this side of the map, right?)

(OOC: No idea - maybe some room we simply saw from outside and did not explore inside... anyway, if all explored we can go back to Fibblestib and Dabbledob instead)

(The only room you haven't explored on this side is the larder, but it's nothing special. You can return to Fibblestib and Dabbledob if you want!)

Katarina pokes her head into the larder briefly, just to make sure that there's nothing of note in the room.

"Katarina thinks that everything here has been found," she says with a smile. "Perhaps now it would be best to let gnome Fibblestib and gnome Dabbledob know that the evil barrel has been slain, yes?"

“I got proof that we destroyed the shapechanger!” Jasper holds up his cloak like a bag with pieces of the creature inside. “Let’s head back to the workshop.”

Fibblestib and Dabbledob appear to be having an intense conversation when you return.

"I bet you 5 gold that they find a shapechanger," says Fibblestib.

Dabbledob shakes her head. "There must be some other explanation for the disappearances. The King has lost his mind, nothing supernatural to it."

"Aha, our guests have returned!" exclaims Fibblestib excitedly. "What news do you bring?"

Jasper walks forward to a work bench, still shining blue skin and butterfly wings but also remnants of the mimic in his hair and on his armor. He plops his cloak on the table.  “Here is your king’s problem. What’s left of it anyway. The rest of it is in the room across the bridge with all of the barrels.”

"As jasper just told you, the threat has been eliminated!" announces Khessa "The king was right, after all... There really was a shapechanger lurking. It looked like a harmless barrel... but if necessary it could show a mouth bristling with teeth and attack they were passing by! Now" she points to the remains Jasper has shown "we've completely torn him apart and he won't threaten anyone again!"

"Maybe it's time to tell the king the good news?" suggests the blonde arcane warrior "So we could talk about the dragon instead... that, sadly, hasn't been torn apart yet - and we (and Phandalin) would probably use any help you could provide against it".