The Phandalin Chronicles

Bozzlewick examines the strange goblin.  He runs several theories through his mind.  What he can see though is that the crystalline growths are not attached to the goblin like armor, jewelry, or a parasitic fungus. They are growing from within the creature itself. The crystals emerge from the bone beneath the skin, particularly around the skull, spine, shoulders, and joints. In several places, the goblin's skeleton appears to have partially transformed into the same mineral-like substance. More troubling, there are signs that the goblin lived with these growths for many years. The surrounding tissue is healthy and well-integrated, suggesting the creature was born with a predisposition toward the condition or inherited it from previous generations. The growths do not resemble any disease, infection, or natural mutation you have ever encountered. Whatever caused them altered the goblin's biology at a fundamental level.

You also notice faint traces of the crystals in younger bone tissue and around the teeth. This was not a recent affliction. The condition appears to have been passed down through bloodlines for generations, becoming part of the creature's natural development. Curiously, the crystals seem to follow no natural pattern of growth. They ignore muscle attachments, blood flow, and structural stresses that normally shape bone. It is almost as if they grew according to some other set of biological rules entirely.

Ungrim pockets the coins the tiefling gives him. "We'll use those to buy some food when we reach Phandalin." The dwarf grunts as Nyxaris states his indifference to the fate of the captives and the safety of the wagon. "At least you're honest. I'll give you that."
The dwarf eyes the goliath with curiosity as he seems to heal his wounds simply by pouring some strange liquid over them. "That could come in handy later, Thalas."

Before answering the goliath's question, Ungrim pays close attention to the results of Bozzlewick's examination of the crystalline growths. "That is indeed troubling," the dwarf adds at the end. "It seems that we have another reason to check the eating cave of those stinking gobbos."

Ungrim taps the shaft of his greataxe against the ground.
"I say it's time to take those gobbos out for a stroll." The dwarf grins. "They'll stay lashed, of course. I'll hold the end of the rope for one of them. Will you take the other one, Thalas?"

Unfortunately for Nyxaris, there was no confirmation from the gnome in response to the initial query, one way or the other, as Bozzlewick had become fully engrossed in his studies. Nor does any glance over the shoulder to spy his writings yield much, as even those who might understand gnomish would find themselves confounded by the mixture shorthand and seeming nonsensical connections drawn between points. But eventually, his hands still as two uncomfortable but potential conclusions come to mind. 

"... no... No, no, we... w-we need more proof. Some sample of their living arrangement. Some.. some-..." He stops to close his eyes, take a deep breath through the nose, held it for a moment, then finally let it all out. If anyone asked what he had been discovered, the most Bozzlewick volunteers are that their traits had been inherited. Beyond this, he refused to share more, citing a need for more data. To that end...

 "I'd suggest asking them where the 'strange' goblins came from, and if over the years they've noticed similar stones growing from weird places on their kin." Bozzlewick abruptly chimed in, before he took out a knife and went to the bloody work of cutting free both bone and crystal samples to study further at a later date. Though lacking in a bone saw or acid capable of stripping bone clean, the gnome settled for the more crude methods of taking a dagger to flesh, and the careful application of his light hammer to bone until he had enough fragments to fill a vial.  "But, I take it we're out of time for further questions, or they can be done as we walk. So, give me but a moment, and I'll be right with you all." He added. 

(OOC: Adjusted my post to better compliment Wolfy's post below it. Because Bozzlewick originally hadn't vocalized his conclusions.) 

Nyxaris watches Bozzlewick work with the same calm intensity he gives to ancient tomes. The gnome’s excitement is a bright, frenetic thing — all quick breaths and scribbled notes — a stark contrast to Nyxaris’s stillness. Yet he does not interrupt. He lets the gnome’s mind race its course. When Bozzlewick finally speaks his conclusions aloud, Nyxaris inclines his head, the gesture slow and deliberate. “A lineage of corruption… carried in the bone,” he murmurs, voice low and resonant, “not inflicted, but inherited.”

He hesitates — a rare thing for him — then steps closer. His hand rises, pale and steady, and he places it gently upon Bozzlewick’s shoulder. The touch is light, almost ceremonial, but unmistakably intentional. “Your insight is sound, Mr. Boulderdash.” he says, each word chosen with care. “We will uncover the truth of this. Whatever shaped this creature did so with purpose… and patience. Such forces do not reveal themselves easily.” His gaze drifts to the crystalline corpse, then to the bound goblins, then north toward the shadowed trail. “Your theory of the Underdark is not without merit.” he continues, voice soft as falling ash. “This mutation follows no natural law. No surface-born logic. It grows according to rules older… and deeper.” Bozzlewick begins cutting bone and crystal free, and Nyxaris watches — not recoiling, but with a faint, unreadable tension in his posture. The work is necessary. But it is not pleasant. 

He turns to Ungrim, eyes pale and reflective. “May I request that you ask them what they know of this altered one. Whether such creatures walk among them… or haunt the places they fear to tread. This is no simple goblin raid. Something else moves beneath it. And we would be wise to learn its name.” Nyxaris folds his hands behind his back, cloak whispering against the ground.

If allowed to work in peace or aided in some way, Bozzlewick later returns the favor by pulling out a smaller hammer from his tinker tools and a bunch of scrap metal. What follows after can only best be described as some Macguyver levels of shenanigans... if MacGyver also had a touch of magic at his disposal! For within seconds, the metal is reshaped into a pair of manacles. "Here! For the goblins. It'll only last for roughly a day, but that should be more than enough time." He assures while tossing the manacles over to Ungrim. 

(OOC: Adding this tidbit because I just realized how they'd changed Tinker's Magic! He also created a vial to store his bone and crystal samples, so he's down to one use left)