“You sell yourselves under your value, my friends.” Tryn tries to butter the gnomes. “I’m sure tinkering gnomes like you produce quite a number of powerful tools, but I understand that nothing is ever good enough for the perfectionists that you must be. Is there really nothing you can think of that could help Phandalin to fight a grown dragon? I mean, it wouldn’t be very safe for Gnomegarde to have a dragon roaming freely in these lands and if that wasn’t a concern, imagine the reputation that your kingdom would receive if they were to supply the killing machine for the dragon! That would not only be told in Phandalin and the sword coast but your kingdom would be famous and revered by all gnomes.” (charisma check: 19+1)

If nothing comes to fruition, Tryn tries a different tack commenting, “I remember seeing some barrels that seemed to look like scorpions or some such near the entrance. What is that? Could that be something useful?”

Tharanau takes the wand of pyrotechnics from the king and thanks him profusely. 
In the vault while rummaging around, Tharanau finds a vial of poison. However, when he sees that no one wants the collapsible pole, he will offer the poison to anyone who wants it and take the pole instead. 

When he joins the others after dinner he overhears Tryn trying to barter with the gnomes for a weapon against the dragon and is impressed by his way with words. These gnomes MUST have something that could help them.

[if someone wants the pole or the wand just talk to me]

"If we had dragon killing machines we would deployed them already don't you think? We live in a cave we mostly eat mushrooms, and rarely come out to scavenge anything else and even less often to trade with other settlements. We are glad we can help any way we can with the dragon problem. But can't you see we needed help with a shapechanger? We gave you what we could. Barrel Crabs? Sure i guess if you have any idea how those can be useful you can take them. We are able to replicate them, but they were not designed for battle, much rather to carry heavy things."

He then tells you about Barrel Crabs:

/Each resembles a crab with a barrel for a shell, six articulated metal legs, and a pair of forward-facing pincer claws. A hatch on the top of each barrel opens to reveal an interior compartment equipped with a small, leather-padded seat surrounded by levers, pedals, and gears. The barrels are not airtight.

The gnomes built these crablike contraptions to grip and move other objects, rather like crude forklifts. However, the contraptions are so clumsy that they are useless for delicate work. They are just small enough to navigate Gnomengarde’s 5-foot-wide passageways.

Each barrel crab is a Large object with AC 15, 30 hit points, a Strength score of 10, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. It is designed to hold a single Small humanoid, though a Medium humanoid can fit inside with some discomfort. While in the barrel with the hatch closed, a creature has total cover against attacks from outside the contraption. It can use its action to make the contraption scuttle across the ground at a walking speed of 15 feet or make one attack with its pincer claws.

“If we can take one of the barrel crabs that would be great. Perhaps it can be useful and if it does, we know where to find more. And you don’t need to be modest. Your contraption with the crossbows is positively deadly and I’d wager it would be a great weapon against a dragon. If you would manage to make that mobile, you would be celebrated surely. Still, anyway, we thank you for your help and for the accommodations that you offered so kindly. Gnomegarde will be remembered. Thank you.”

Tryn will be steering the artificial crab back to Phandalin the next morning, unless the others want to talk him out of the idea to take one of the constructs. His argument would be that he prefers to surrender the crab rather than a magical item to the major to fulfill the contract.

"Progo wonders what sort of things would master tinkerers like yourselves be in the market for? Progo and co are always in need of supplies, Progo suspects gnomes do too. What sort of trinkets and gizmos woukd interest ones like yourselves? Raw materials perhaps?" 

Hearing Tryn request one of the crab contraptions, Progo suggests maybe they could use a cart, and fashion in to the crab. To test out uses for it of course, not because he doesn't want to walk back...

Taking the crab, it takes you whole day of travel to get there to phandalin, doing so you any of you willing can make survival check to see if you manage to forage food and water that would feed you for the day (and save some rations). Since your pace is considered slow, anyone who is not riding the crab, can make a stealth check if they feel like that what they would do on that journey. 

(Progo certainly will try to find a way to ride the crab! He prefers his own efficiency over sneaky)

yep, it is possible to sit on the crab. Main body of a crab is a barrel so you sit on in astride.

Tryn was driving the crab as he is small, but if Progo wants, he happily turns it over to Progo for as long as he wishes. When Progo drives, Tryn will sit on top, enjoying the ride from there. 

Progo doesn't fit good inside pinching barrel machine. Progo stay on top, good lookout spot, for protection! (He sits as relaxed as he can on top while riding, not nessisarily looking about)

Tharanau is no fan of the contraption and keeps his distance. He forages for food and water (rolled a 10 survival) but also scouts ahead and looks for tracks and dangers along their way (stealth 23).

During the night at Gnomegarde, Goraseth receives visions. Flashes of him as a gladiator, standing, bloodied, in the middle of the arena. Around him, piles of beasts slayed. A gargantuan silvery form appears. A voice booms: "Go Goraseth, show the world you are Bahamut's champion, be known by glorious deeds, not words, face hardships with courage, and encourage your allies to face them with you. Hone your Body and Discipline your Soul and you will find glory."

The next day, he heads back with his new friends towards Phandalin, thinking that this mecanical crab is probably not what the townmaster had in mind, but that will probably be sufficient to get his money"
Goraseth do not hide, he will look out for danger on the road ahead. (Perception 16)

When you are closing to the second half of the hike, you are marching on the hills near the umbrage hill. Goraseth while you all are on top of the one of the hill you are the first to see far away from you high in the sky a silhouette of something that could be a dragon judging from the size. Anyway it is hard to discern at that distance, it was far away in the direcion of Neverwinter. Other than that your journey back to Phandalin goes safe. You arrived late at night. You are still able to rent the rooms, as Stonehill is always waiting late and even when asleep is easly awaken by knocking on the doors. 

EDIT:

I am sorry, i totally missed tiomila post.  as for foraging please roll 1d6 + the Tharanau’s Wisdom modifier to determine how much food (in pounds) he finds, then repeat the roll for water (in gallons).

10 survival roll gets you the food, butt otherwise he finds non of the tracks that could be considered dangerous or interesting.

Goraseth had a pleasant night. The Stonehill Inn beds were a bit more comfortable than the gnome's, mostly due to their lenght. In the morning, he sats down for breakfast with his new friends, reminding themselves on the glorious battle against the mimic "This is not everybody who can say they slew such a creature. Be proud my friends !"

He finishes his ale and his bread and asks everybody: "Very well then, should we get our money from the townmaster and heads on for new adventures. We are quite strong together, I am wondering if we should form a mercenaries guild. We could get rich and famous..."

Tryn joins the breakfast table of his friends with a hearty “Good Morning!” His eyes are underlined with the red of a poor night’s sleep, though.

”Yeah, that’s quite a feat. We must tell the town master about how close we were to die! These tasks that he’s offering are quite a bit more dangerous than he lets on. Might be we should mention that, too.” 

”Mercenaries?!” He asks surprised. “I’m not sure that we’re ready for that, so far we were lucky. Which reminds me, we should most definitely continue to pay tribute to Tymora before head into the new day.” 

Finishing the last bit of his breakfast, he looks over the group, “What do you think we should do today after we saw the town master?”

(Foretelling rolls: 2 and 12)

«i agree with giving a coin to your lady tymora. Too bad there is no shrine for bahamut. I must agree we had luck but I can tell you we showed skills and perseverance. I am proud of us»

He stops to put a whole piece of bread with some smoke ham in his mouth. He then continues « The lady at the miner's office told me about a lighthouse and wrecks in the west that could hold some items for the dragon hunt. »

Progo looks at his teeth marked outfit, "Well Progo has some evidence that the mission was not a simple ask. Progo will leave it thus way until after we collect our coins. But Progo will need to invest in a new set when we are done. Appearance is have the battle in business."

Leaning back in his chair he thinks for a minute as he chews the last of his morning grub. "You know there was another gig about bringing a midwife back to town. Progo got chased by a large cat with wings when Progo tried to find her. Progo tried his luck with Gnomes after that. Progo sure with a group we could rid the beast..."

While the companions sit about and eat their breakfast, a familiar face to all but the Half-Orc approaches with quiet footsteps. She looks different from the way she did when the other adventurers had last seen her — her long, blonde hair tied back and away from her face, hidden beneath a plain brown cloak that drapes over her regal dress and obscures it from view. Most notably, the Elven woman's gentle smile seems to have faded, the expression on her lovely face darkened with a somber expression. It's Princess Elrora Bistanthelas, standing before them again — but she seems to have weathered her own battles in the time that she'd been separated from her companions. "Hello," the Elven woman greets, just a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Would it be alright if I joined you again? I apologize for disappearing, my home needed me — but I need our adventures."

"Oh, good morning, Elrora. You returned quickly indeed. I trust you settled matters efficiently. You are very welcome to join us again, that is I'm speaking for me. I'm happy to have you back. We have fought a shapeshifting barrel and it was a really close call, it shows that we can really use your help." 

"Progo, before visiting the gnomes, we did visit the midwife. And we found that beast that you speak of as well. It was besieging the midwife's home when we arrived. Tharanau had hunted a rabbit and Goraseth here took it upon himself to offer it along with his rations to the beast and bartered with it for it to leave. We didn't need to fight, luckily. But the midwife proofed headstrong and had made up her mind to remain in her home. She's still there and - by Tymora's grace - still alive."

Tryn turns to Seth, "Right, we can visit that lighthouse, or look for those dwarfen expedition. I also recall that someone said something about a few ruins at an owl well that might are said to hold magic items." 

Progo seeing the new comer show up at their table, stands up. "Dear lady, you seem like one who is not accustomed to taking no for an answer if one was silly enough to give such an answer. Progo doesn't believe we have been properly introduced. Progo is Progo, the one and only. And you are?" Sounding more like a used cart salesman then a flatterer. 

Clearly not listening about the note about the groups adventure with the midwife. "Yes yes we will discuss saving the midwife in good time." He still paying attention to the new comer.