Dragon of Icespire Peak ***CLOSED***

Vaxis easily identifies the bite marks as consistent with that of a mimic, however King Korboz won't let anyone get close enough to dress his wounds. When Vadernul claims to have put down the shapeshifter, King Korboz shouts: "You're lying, you filthy shapeshifter! You mean to eat me and my dear Gnerkli and supplant us here to rule Gnomengarde for yourself!!"

Fibblestib steps forward and says: "No, my liege, they are here to help! They killed the shapeshifter...we have proof!!" He sets the small clockwork device used to scan the mimic's corpse on the ground, winds it up and lets go. The device, which looks like a toy soldier with the head of a pterodactyl, straightens, marches mechanically towards King Korboz and [Tooltip Not Found] the image of the mimic's body on the floor, perfectly recreating the scene.

King Korboz gasps as the sight of the mimic comes into focus and cries when he realizes the partially digested bodies are that of poor Orrin and Warryn.

From his angle, Connak notices the top of a cork-stoppered glass container poking out the side pocket of King Korboz' bathrobe.

Slowly, King Korboz stands from his defensive position behind the steamer trunk, casts down the coat rack he had been holding and steps out to take a closer look at the image of the mimic's body. "Is it true, is it really dead? Oh, Orryn...oh, Warryn...dear boys, I am so sorry I could not save you!" The king falls to his knees weeping with grief.

Fibblestib breathes a sigh of relief and rushes to comfort his grieving monarch. As he places a comforting arm around King Korboz, he carefully lifts the glass bottle of solvent out of the king's pocket and holds it out to the side for someone to grab.

 Connak, seeing the bottle of solvent in the pocket, begins approaching to acquire it, but Fibblestib succeeds first.  Instead, Connak takes the bottle from Fibblestib and brings it to the gnome glued to the chair, handing it over if it looks like the gnome knows what to do with it.

(Or pouring the contents where needed if the gnome can't do it himself)

Seeing King Korboz come out of his fear, Ando will approach and kneel next to him. "I am sorry for your loss, sire. May I look at your wound? We don't need the shapeshifter causing any further damage here."

If the king agrees, or at least doesn't actively fight him, Ando will place his hands over the wound and attempt Lay on Hands.

(OOC: I'm not sure if I need to say how many points up front or if Ando can sense how many it will take to heal. If more than 3, he would stop there to at least aid the healing process.)

Now, seeing a conclusion and the fear that Ando spoke of, Vadernul changes demeanor and sees what the two little kings have been victim to.  Softening up, he puts his hands up in a passive motion before he walks over to Korboz, scoops him up and begins to hug him......”It’s not your fault.  It’s not your fault.... it’s not your fault.” 

Vaxis grins as the large firbolg picks up the little king in an embrace. 

Ando's healing touch causes the king's wounds to glow briefly as divine energy surges through him. The festering punctures left by the mimic recede to mostly circular scars, with small pin pricks dotting the middle of some. He smiles as he realizes that the party is indeed there to help and not devour him and his beloved. After gently lifting the gnomish king into a warm embrace, Vadernul quickly deduces that King Korboz has not had access to a toilet in several days, although this apparently did not prevent him from answering nature's call...make that "calls" (plural).

As the solvent washes over King Gnerkli, his limbs come loose and in minutes he is freed from his wooden bindings. "Thank you, thank you kind friends, whoever you are...I thought I would never escape that terrible prison! It is a miracle you found us! Why...why did you find us?"

Connak heads back to the door, saying, "We came here to ask for your help."

Vadernul doesn’t seem too disturbed about the soiled gnome.

Putting him down, “We were sent to see if there were any contraptions or devices of yours to help thwart the dragon.”

Vaxis nods in agreement, his flower-head looking vibrant as ever.

"Yes, anything that is having military applications, perhaps. The wyrm-kin will not be easily felled, and anything that can give us an advantage over it's flight, breath weapon, or sheer power would be appreciated. Anything that can protect a town from having further incursion would likely be useful. If there is anything you require to make this happen, by Bahamut, you are having our full cooperation."

Tabesha'l, who'd followed the whole scene at a distance, now approaches.

 " 'Tis a strange thing to have a dragon appear in this manner, and they are formidable adversaries. Methinks it would be easier if we could avoid direct confrontation. Mayhaps enlist the help of some other equally powerful creature or artifact would be required..."

Vaxis turns to Tabesha'l.

"I am having fear that we will have to confront this threat sooner than we hope. It would do us well to have whatever advantage we can in fighting this fiend."

King Korboz reaches deep into an interior pocket of his bathrobe and produces a large (for a gnome) iron key. "Your welcome to anything in the treasury, although I doubt anything there will slay a dragon..."

King Gnerkli interjects: "Most of our research here at Gnomengarde has focused on developing a better understanding of the fickle nature of wild magic. Nonetheless, what you find in our vaults you may have with our deepest thanks. Surely that monster would have sniped us one by one until we were all digesting in it's stomach!"

Connak gets a gleam in his eye, "Then let us be off to the treasury!"

Barric looks at the key wearily.

"And how many traps between us and the treasury, may I ask?"

Vaxis thinks for a second.

"Wait...what about that map we pulled off of the ogres? It had writing we were not having knowledge of...perhaps one of those contraptions can interpret...?"

"No traps, my friends," explains Kind Gnerkli. "You are safe between here and the treasury. But I would suggest that once you have collected what you need, that you exit through the sleeping quarters. It is almost time for our evening shift to wake and ready themselves for work."

"What map, might I ask?" says Fibblestib. "You are the second visitors we have had here inquiring about such in the past several months..."

Connak tries to pry more information out of Fibblestib, "You've had other visitors come asking about maps?  Who were they and where did they get their map?"

Vadernul pockets the key and is listening for the Kong’s response

Vaxis takes out the map piece he has.

"It is this. I am not having understanding of this language."